cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electric‐field‐controlled synthesis of HPMA hydrogels containing self‐organized arrays of micro‐channels

We report the synthesis of poly N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide or- dered arrays of fluid filled channels. The polymerization and crosslinking reactions are carried out under the influence of a constant electric field (60 V/cm). A charged comono- mer, immobiline (pK 3.6), and porogen, polyethylene glycol (PEG) are added to the pre- gel solutions. Scanning electron microscopy reveals that the channels have a typical di- ameter of 2-25 lm and are oriented parallel to the electric field employed during syn- thesis. The self-organization of channels occurs around an optimal PEG concentration of 8.6 wt/vol %, whereas significantly higher or lower concentrations yield random, iso- tropic pore structures. Moreover, tensile strength measurements show that the mechan- ical stability increases with decreasing concentration of PEG. Rheology experiments reveal that the swelling degree of these superabsorbant hydrogels increases with increasing PEG. Possible applications of these microstructured hydrogels as bidirec- tional scaffolds for regenerating neurons in the injured spinal cord are discussed. V C 2007
LIGA micromachined planar transmission lines and filters

This paper introduces a new class of three-dimensional (3-D) micromachined microwave and millimeter-wave planar transmission lines and filters. The LIGA process allows tall (10 /spl mu/m-1 mm), high-aspect ratio metal structures to be very accurately patterned and is compatible with integrated circuit-fabrication processes. The tall metal transmission lines will enable the development of high-power monolithic circuits as well as couplers and filters that require very high coupling. Using conductor thickness as a new variable in filter design permits the fabrication of elements requiring a wider than usual range of even- and odd-mode characteristic impedances by lowering the attainable odd-mode impedance without greatly influencing even-mode impedance. Bandpass and low-pass filters fabricated using 200-/spl mu/m tall nickel microstrip lines are demonstrated at X-band. Insertion losses of the network testing setup and waveguides were calibrated out using the thru-reflection-line (TRL) calibration method via LIGA-fabricated calibration standards. The high aspect ratio and slope that the LIGA process offers will enable the design of end-coupled narrow-band bandpass filters and planar side-coupled 3-dB couplers. Filter structures were fabricated possessing coupling gaps with aspect ratios of better than 6.75 and conductor sidewall slope >89.9/spl deg/, figures that are easily obtainable with the LIGA process. Additionally, W-band 3-dB coplanar waveguide-coupler LIGA geometries suitable for implementation on gallium arsenide or membrane (i.e., air dielectric) substrates are presented. A thin film-to-LIGA tapered waveguide transition is presented which will allow integration of conventional planar transmission lines with these LIGA devices.
Developing a theoretical relationship between electrical resistivity, temperature, and film thickness for conductors

Experimental evidence has made it clear that the size of an object can have an effect on its properties. The electrical resistivity of a thin film will become larger as the thickness of that film decreases in size. Furthermore, the electrical resistivity will also increase as the temperature increases. To help understand these relationships, a model is presented, and equations are obtained to help understand the mechanisms responsible for these properties and to give insight into the underlying physics between these parameters. Comparisons are made between experimental data and values generated from the theoretical equations derived from the model. All of this analysis provides validation for the theoretical model. Therefore, since the model is accurate, it provides insight into the underlying physics that relates electrical resistivity to temperature and film thickness. 73.61.At; 73.50.Bk; 72.15.Eb; 72.10.d; 63.20.kd.
Spatially resolved spectral interferometry: A simple method for measuring the spectral phase with high resolution

We present a simplified, alignment-free version of spectral interferometry using optical fibers. Spectral resolution is significantly improved using spatial fringes, avoiding time-domain filtering. We demonstrate this technique by measuring temporal chirp and a 12-ps double-pulse.
Simulated performance optimization of GaAs MESFET amplifiers

A robust global optimizer that is capable of optimizing linear, small-signal and nonlinear, large-signal figures of merit (FOMs) in the presence of a high density of local minima and noise is presented. The optimizer is linked with a large-signal MESFET model and used to investigate the optimization process and parameter extraction for GaAs MESFET amplifiers given the complex structure of the RF performance FOM hypersurface. It is demonstrated that it is necessary to perform optimization using all available physical parameters simultaneously as opposed to sequential optimization using only a few parameters at a time. >
Rigorous proof that the low-frequency spectrum of a fluctuating rate n(t) IS 2 var n

Abstract A rigorous proof is given of the theorem that the low-frequency spectrum S n (ƒ) of a fluctuating rate n ( t ) is 2 var n and it is shown that this theorem has a rather general validity.
Comprehensive X-ray Structural Studies of the Quinolinate Phosphoribosyl Transferase (BNA6) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Quinolinic acid phosphoribosyl transferase (QAPRTase, EC 2.4.2.19) is a 32 kDa enzyme encoded by the BNA6 gene in yeast and catalyzes the formation of nicotinate mononucleotide from quinolinate and 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP). QAPRTase plays a key role in the tryptophan degradation pathway via kynurenine, leading to the de novo biosynthesis of NAD+ and clearing the neurotoxin quinolinate. To improve our understanding of the specificity of the eukaryotic enzyme and the course of events associated with catalysis, we have determined the crystal structures of the apo and singly bound forms with the substrates quinolinate and PRPP. This reveals that the enzyme folds in a manner similar to that of various prokaryotic forms which are ∼30% identical in sequence. In addition, the structure of the Michaelis complex is approximated by PRPP and the quinolinate analogue phthalate bound to the active site. These results allow insight into the kinetic mechanism of QAPRTase and provide an understanding of str...
Characterization of a Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus Isolate

A virus isolated in cell culture from the spleen of a cat with feline infectious peritonitis was identified by physicochemical, morphological and antigenic criteria as a coronavirus. The feline infectious peritonitis virus was compared in vitro with canine coronavirus, a reported enteric pathogen of dogs. The feline isolate was characterized, by chloroform sensitivity and resistance to 5-iododeoxyuridine, respectively, as containing essential lipid and an RNA genome. Other traits of the isolate included resistance to acidic conditions, heat lability, and resistance to trypsin. Electron microscopy showed viral particles with a structure consistent with that of the prototype of the coronavirus group, infectious bronchitis virus. Indirect immunofluorescence with canine coronavirus monospecific antiserum showed the viral isolate to be antigenically related to canine coronavirus. Specific-pathogen-free cats inoculated by various routes with cell-culture-propagated virus had both clinical symptoms and lesions consistent with feline infectious peritonitis.
Postnatal genome editing partially restores dystrophin expression in a mouse model of muscular dystrophy.

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing holds clinical potential for treating genetic diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), which is caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. To correct DMD by skipping mutant dystrophin exons in postnatal muscle tissue in vivo, we used adeno-associated virus–9 (AAV9) to deliver gene-editing components to postnatal mdx mice, a model of DMD. Different modes of AAV9 delivery were systematically tested, including intraperitoneal at postnatal day 1 (P1), intramuscular at P12, and retro-orbital at P18. Each of these methods restored dystrophin protein expression in cardiac and skeletal muscle to varying degrees, and expression increased from 3 to 12 weeks after injection. Postnatal gene editing also enhanced skeletal muscle function, as measured by grip strength tests 4 weeks after injection. This method provides a potential means of correcting mutations responsible for DMD and other monogenic disorders after birth.
An Endovascular Approach to the Entrapped Central Venous Catheter After Cardiac Surgery.

Entrapment of central venous catheters (CVC) at the superior vena cava (SVC) cardiopulmonary bypass cannulation site by closing purse-string sutures is a rare complication of cardiac surgery. Historically, resternotomy has been required for suture release. An endovascular catheter release approach was developed. Four cases of CVC tethering against the SVC wall and associated resistance to removal, suggestive of entrapment, were encountered. In each case, catheter removal was achieved using a reverse catheter fluoroscopically guided over the suture fixation point between catheter and SVC wall, followed by the placement of a guidewire through the catheter. The guidewire was snared and externalized to create a through-and-through access with the apex of the loop around the suture. A snare placed from the femoral venous access provided concurrent downward traction on the distal CVC during suture release maneuvers. In the initial attempt, gentle traction freed the CVC, which fractured and was removed in two sections. In the subsequent three cases, traction alone did not release the CVC. Therefore, a cutting balloon was introduced over the guidewire and inflated. Gentle back-and-forth motion of the cutting balloon atherotomes successfully incised the suture in all three attempts. No significant postprocedural complications were encountered. During all cases, a cardiovascular surgeon was present in the interventional suite and prepared for emergent resternotomy, if necessary. An endovascular algorithm to the “entrapped CVC” is proposed, which likely reduces risks posed by resternotomy to cardiac surgery patients in the post-operative period.
SUTime: Evaluation in TempEval-3

We analyze the performance of SUTIME, a temporal tagger for recognizing and normalizing temporal expressions, on TempEval-3 Task A for English. SUTIME is available as part of the Stanford CoreNLP pipeline and can be used to annotate documents with temporal information. Testing on the TempEval-3 evaluation corpus showed that this system is competitive with state-of-the-art techniques.
Legal Culture and The Practice: A Postmodern Depiction of the Rule of Law

Professor Thomas suggests that the television series the practice breaks from tradition by portraying the law as arbitrary and subject to manipulation. On one hand, its narratives show that law may require the guilty to be set free. On the other hand, the law sometimes fails to protect the innocent. Outcomes often turn on extralegal factors such as luck, race, or heroic efforts. This portrayal is a "postmodern" depiction of the rule of law. The narratives from the practice deconstruct the traditional rule of law hierarchy by showing that the rule of man can lead to more just results. The narratives show greater public acceptance of postmodernist ideas about law, and may encourage a greater skepticism in American culture about reliance on the rule of law.
Experimental Study of Combustion of Polymer Added n-Decane and n-Dodecane Droplets

In spite of recent attentions to renewable sources of energy, liquid hydrocarbon fuel is still the main source of energy for transportation systems. Manufactures and consumers are consistently looking for ways to optimize the efficiency of fuel combustion in terms of cost, emissions and consumer safety. Recent experimental research has shown that the addition of long chain polymers to hydrocarbon fuel imparts non-Newtonian characteristics to the fuel which results in suppressed splashing behavior upon spilling over a surface. However, the combustion characteristic of these polymer added fuel (PAF) have not been investigated yet. In this study, combustion of stationary fuel droplets of n-Decane and n-Dodecane doped with different percentages of a long chain polymer (Polybutadiene) was examined and compared with the normal hydrocarbon behavior. In contrast with hydrocarbon droplets with no polymer addition, several zones of combustion including a slow and steady burning zone, a strong swelling zone and a final fast and fairly steady combustion zone were also detected. In addition, increasing polymer percentage resulted in a more extended swelling zone and shorter slow burning zone in addition to a shorter total burning time.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
PINE NUT PROCESSING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IS THE ABSENCE OF EVIDENCE THE EVIDENCE OF ABSENCE

Burned rock features that were used for heat, light, the processing of resources, cooking, roasting, ceremonial purposes, and other functions are encountered all over the world. Over 200 prehistoric fire-altered rock (FAR) features have been documented at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, an area ethnographically occupied by the Kumeyaay Indians along the central coast of San Diego County in southern California. These features are more densely concentrated at sites within the boundaries of the reserve than at other nearby coastal locations, suggesting an association with a specific resource in the area. Although many FAR features found in southern California and the Southwest are often interpreted as Agave deserti or Yucca whipplei roasting pits, these species are rare at the reserve; the few that exist there today are believed to be modem introductions. We propose that the FAR features in the project area were probably used to process Torrey pine nuts, a high-ranked resource that was valued by the Kumeyaay.
Thermochemical Remanent Magnetization (TCRM) in Basaltic Rocks

Continental or oceanic basaltic rocks which contain optically homogeneous titanomagnetites are defined as magnetic class I rocks and exhibit thermochemical remanent magnetization (TCRM) behavior when heated. Heating of magnetic class I rocks results in an increase in:(a) Curie point (Tc)(b) susceptibility (X)(c) coercive force (Hc)(d) remanent magnetization (Jr)(e) demagnetization stability(f) saturation magnetization (Js).Though the titanomagnetites are optically homogeneous, they are chemically heterogeneous, and may contain textures which cannot be optically resolved. The extent of optically unresolved textures and degree of chemical heterogeneity will depend on the previous history of the sample. The development of iron-oxide textures and correlative magnetization behavior can be understood through experimental studies of magnetic class I rocks. The magnetic characteristics of rocks which exhibit the TCRM behavior are presented and discussed. Three processes can be operative in the development of TCRM in basaltic rocks:(a) thermal process(b) thermochemical process(c) oxidation process.
Research on Static Equilibrium Position of the H-point for Polyurethane Foam Car-Seat

A simplified 2D model for system of passenger and car-seat was created in order to study the H-point of polyurethane foam car-seat,in w hich the interaction betw een human body and seat w as treated as spring model w ith nonlinear and viscoelastic properties.The Matlab integrodifferential-algebraic solver ode15s w as used to solve equilibrium position of the passenger and car-seat model.The results show that the harder the material is,the closer the static equilibrium position is to the initial position of human body before the foam compressed.The larger the K 3 spring stiffness is,the final equilibrium position of the body is more close to the initial position.The more forward K 3 is moving,the body will be more slip into the seat.If μ 1,the coefficient of friction between human body and cushion,is too small,body tends to slip out of seat.
p21-activated kinase 1 participates in tracheal smooth muscle cell migration by signaling to p38 MAPK

Cell migration contributes to many physiological processes and requires dynamic changes in the cytoskeleton. These migration-dependent cytoskeletal changes are partly mediated by p21-activated protein kinases (PAKs). At least four closely related isoforms, PAK1, PAK2, PAK3, and PAK4, exist in mammalian cells. In smooth muscle cells, little is known about the expression, activation, or ability of PAKs to regulate migration. Our study revealed the existence of three PAK isoforms in cultured tracheal smooth muscle cells (TSMCs). Additionally, we constructed adenoviral vectors encoding wild type and a catalytically inactive PAK1 mutant to investigate PAK activation and its role in TSMC migration. Stimulation of TSMCs with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) increased the activity of PAK1 over time. Overexpression of mutant PAK1 blocked PDGF-induced chemotactic cell migration. Phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in cells overexpressing wild-type PAK1 was similar to vector controls; however, p38 MAPK phosphorylation was severely reduced by overexpression of the PAK1 mutant. Collectively, these results suggest a role for PAK1 in chemotactic TSMC migration that involves catalytic activity and may require signaling to p38 MAPK among other pathways.
Mining Large Information Networks by Graph Summarization

Graphs are prevalent in many domains such as bioinformatics, social networks, Web, and cybersecurity. Graph pattern mining has become an important tool in the management and analysis of complexly structured data, where example applications include indexing, clustering, and classification. Existing graph mining algorithms have achieved great success by exploiting various properties in the pattern space. Unfortunately, due to the fundamental role subgraph isomorphism plays in these methods, they may all enter into a pitfall when the cost to enumerate a huge set of isomorphic embeddings blows up, especially in large graphs. The solution we propose for this problem resorts to reduction on the data space. For each graph, we build a summary of it and mine this shrunk graph instead. Compared to other data reduction techniques that either reduce the number of transactions or compress between transactions, this new framework, called Summarize-Mine, suggests a third path by compressing within transactions. Summarize-Mine is effective in cutting down the size of graphs, thus decreasing the embedding enumeration cost. However, compression might lose patterns at the same time. We address this issue by generating randomized summaries and repeating the process for multiple rounds, where the main idea is that true patterns are unlikely to miss from all rounds. We provide strict probabilistic guarantees on pattern loss likelihood. Experiments on real malware trace data show that Summarize-Mine is very efficient, which can find interesting malware fingerprints that were not revealed previously.
Identification of genes involved in early stage bladder pathogenesis

A82 Transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder (TCC) ranks 4th in incidence of all cancers in the developed world, yet the mechanisms of its origin and progression remain poorly understood. There are few reliable diagnostic or prognostic tests for this disease, and biomarkers for early detection and prognosis remain evasive. We have interrogated the UPII-SV40T transgenic mouse model for invasive bladder cancer (Zhang et al, Cancer Res. 59:3512-3517, 1999) with DNA microarray technology to identify potential biomarkers for early detection and prognosis of TCC. We have identified genes that are differentially expressed between the bladders of UPII-SV40T mice and their age-matched wild type (WT) littermates at 3, 6, 20 and 30 weeks of age, which correspond to premalignant, carcinoma in-situ, and early and later stage TCC, respectively. We identified approximately 1,400 genes that are differentially expressed at the mRNA level (> 2-fold difference) between WT and UPII-SV40T urothelium at the 3-week time point. Bioinformatic pathway analysis revealed that a large proportion of the genes upregulated in the UPII-SV40T urothelium are cell cycle regulatory and cytokinesis genes, such as c-jun, cyclins B1, E2, A2 and F, Cdc7, Cdc2a, Cdc20, Cdc6, Cdca3, E2f8, Spbc24, Cenpf, Cenph, Top2a, and many others. Among the genes suppressed in the UPII-SV40T urothelium, a large proportion are structural and cell adhesion genes such as Col1a1, Col1a2, Col6a2, Col3a1, Tnc, Dmn, Vcam1, and uroplakin 2 itself. We are testing patient tissue and urine specimens for expression of several of the genes found to be upregulated in UPII-SV40T urothelium. Promising genes will be further studied as potential biomarkers for early stage primary or recurrent bladder TCC. Ultimately we seek to determine the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of TCC.
Darvon Compound-65 (Lilly)

Propoxyphene is a mild analgesic structurally related to the narcotic analgesic methadone. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is a well-known analgesic-antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agent with less analgesic intrinsic activity than opioids. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and is believed to elevate mood. Phenacetin is an analgesic-antipyretic.
A Review of Bootstrap Confidence Intervals

On passe en revue plusieurs methodes distinctes basees sur le bootstrap pour construire des intervalles de confiance
The Evolution of the Total Synthesis of Rocaglamide.

The complex flavagline, (−)-rocaglamide, possesses a synthetically intriguing tricyclic scaffold with five contiguous stereocenters and also exhibits potent anticancer, anti-inflammatory and insecticidal activity. This full account details distinct approaches to (±)- and (−)-rocaglamide utilizing Bronsted acid catalyzed and asymmetric Pd0-catalyzed Nazarov chemistry developed in our laboratory, respectively. The successful asymmetric synthesis revealed unforeseen mechanistic complexity that required adjusting our strategy to overcome an unanticipated racemization process, an unusual reversible ring-cleavage step and a very facile trialkylsilyl group migration.
Technology Driven DSP Architecture Optimization within a High-Level Block Diagram Based Design Flow

In the process of designing adaptive wireless communication systems, the design cycle traditionally requires re-entering a design at various abstraction levels, constraining the implementation choices and increasing time-to-market. An approach to use a unified design description for algorithm verification and architecture exploration is presented. The proposed graphical block-based design entry and re-targetable design flow provide the ability to track technology features in the process of architecture selection. Using this approach, word length optimization, register retiming, and data-stream interleaving are applied to square-root algorithm to reduce power and area. The flow is demonstrated on a complex multi- antenna signal processing. An example of Sobel edge detection illustrates the integration of IP macros and hardware emulation.
Safely Managed Sanitation for All Means Fecal Sludge Management for At Least 1.8 Billion People in Low and Middle Income Countries.

Although global access to sanitation is increasing, safe management of fecal waste is a rapidly growing challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The goal of this study was to evaluate the current need for fecal sludge management (FSM) in LMICs by region, urban/rural status, and wealth. Recent Demographic and Health Survey data from 58 countries (847 685 surveys) were used to classify households by sanitation facility (facilities needing FSM, sewered facilities, ecological sanitation/other, or no facilities). Onsite piped water infrastructure was quantified to approximate need for wastewater management and downstream treatment. Over all surveyed nations, 63% of households used facilities requiring FSM, totaling approximately 1.8 billion people. Rural areas had similar proportions of toilets requiring FSM as urban areas. FSM needs scaled inversely with wealth: in the poorest quintile, households’ sanitation facilities were almost 170 times more likely to require FSM (vs sewerage) than in the r...
How Could I Balance Continuing to Work While Pursuing a Degree

In October 2010, the Institute of Medicine released the report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, which called for 80% of all nurses to have a BSN degree by 2020. This expectation was overwhelming and, in the beginning, I felt like it was an insult. I have had my associate degree in nursing for more than 20 years. All I could ask was: How can I have worked so many years and now be considered a subpar nurse? Regardless, the fact remained that I needed to return to college and obtain a higher degree.
The Association Between Filial Discrepancy and Depressive Symptoms: Findings From a Community-Dwelling Chinese Aging Population.

Background The relationship between filial piety and depressive symptoms has been widely discussed, but limited research focused on the gap between filial expectations and filial receipt. This study aims to investigate the association between filial discrepancy and depressive symptoms. Methods Data were derived from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly (PINE), a community-engaged, population-based epidemiological study of U.S. Chinese older adults aged 60 and older in the greater Chicago area. Depressive symptoms were measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Overall filial discrepancy was evaluated by filial receipt minus expectations. Levels of overall filial discrepancy divided older adults into four groups based on the medium value of filial expectations and receipt. Logistic regression analyses were performed. Results Older adults with greater filial receipt than expectations were more likely to have lower risk of depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR], 0.95 [0.92-0.97]). The group with high expectations and low receipt has the highest risk of depressive symptoms among the four groups (OR, 1.51 [1.07-2.13]). Greater receipt than expectations in care (OR, 0.83 [0.76-0.92]), make happy (OR, 0.77 [0.69-0.86]), greet (OR, 0.88 [0.79-0.97]), obey (OR, 0.76 [0.68-0.86]), and financial support (OR, 0.80 [0.71-0.89]) was associated with lower risk of depressive symptoms. Conclusions This study goes beyond previous research by examining the association between filial discrepancy domains and depressive symptoms. Cultural relevancy of health interventions is important in the context of Chinese communities. Health care professionals are suggested to be aware of the depressive symptoms of U.S. Chinese older adults with high filial expectations and low receipt.
Curve Fitting of GPC Chromatograms of Polymer Mixtures Used as Raw Materials

Abstract The consistent uniformity of polymers used as raw materials in plastic and elastomeric products provides consistent processing behavior and end use performance. Gel Permeation Chromatography was used to monitor molecular weight distributions in coupled butadiene rubbers and polyester resins. Because of the complexity of the distributions, nonlinear least squares curve fitting procedures were successfully used to monitor changes in the component polymers within the distribution. The first example shows a synthetic mixture of polystyrene standard which was used to validate the procedure. The second example shows the effective monitoring of the degree of coupling in solution prepared styrene-butadiene rubbers. The last example is a single pack polyester resin system. Changes in molecular weight distribution as the end of shelf life is approached will be shown. These changes directly affect product surface quality.
Paraneoplastic thrombocytosis is associated with increased mortality and increased rate of lymph node metastasis in oesophageal adenocarcinoma

Summary Paraneoplastic thrombocytosis has been associated with adverse outcomes in several cancers, but has not been described in oesophageal adenocarcinoma. The aim of our study was to examine the prognostic value of platelet counts in patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma. A cohort of 584 patients who underwent oesophagectomy for oesophageal adenocarcinoma was identified. Platelet counts, history of neoadjuvant chemoradiation, and clinicopathological factors such as T and N stage, and overall survival were recorded. Patients with elevated platelet count (>450,000/μL) had a higher mortality rate than patients with normal platelet count (150,000–450,000/μL) (hazard ratio = 2.60, p = 0.0013). This effect was seen in patients with and without neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy. Paraneoplastic thrombocytosis was also associated with increased likelihood of lymph node metastasis compared to normal platelet count (69% versus 31%, p Paraneoplastic thrombocytosis is associated with increased rate of lymph node metastasis and mortality in oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Further studies are needed to examine the mechanisms behind this phenomenon.
Energy management of hybrid PV-storage systems for improved grid integration

In this paper, the use of an Energy Management (EM) algorithm for reducing the peak-to-mean ratio of the daily grid-injected PV power profile is proposed. In this way, a better integration of hybrid PV-storage systems into the power grid can be obtained, avoiding, or at least reducing, the need for curtailment measures. Thus, a better market participation of PV producers can be achieved. The proposed EM technique has been tested in simulation under different scenarios, implying different injected PV power profile shapes and battery capacity values. The obtained results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Circular economy strategies for mitigating critical material supply issues

Abstract Raw materials deemed critical are defined as having potential issues in their supply, limited substitutes, and applications of importance, namely in clean energy, defense, healthcare, and electronics. Disruptions in supply of critical materials can have serious negative repercussions for firms, consumers, and economies. One potential set of mitigation strategies for firms dealing with criticality issues is the implementation of circular economy principles in their supply chain, operations, and end-of-life management. This work conducts a literature review combined with case study analysis to examine how certain firms assess and monitor their vulnerability to critical material supply chain issues and provides specific business examples for integrating circularity strategies. Results indicate the potential for risk reduction that could be gained from implementation of these strategies; specifically recycling, for example, can provide an in-house source (for prompt or fabrication scrap) or at least domestic source (for post-consumer scrap) for critical materials; up to 24% for the case of indium usage in China. Just in time manufacturing techniques have the potential to both exacerbate supply issues (by encouraging low inventory or needed resources for manufacturing) and improve supply issues by introducing resiliency in the supply chain indicating that approach of firms in undertaking these strategies is important. Many cases reviewed show other quantifiable secondary benefits beyond risk reduction, such as economic savings, reduction in energy consumption, and improved corporate social responsibility via enhanced supply chain oversight.
Bank Capital and Risk Taking: A Loan Level Analysis

Does high leverage incentivize banks to systematically originate and hold riskier loans? I construct a novel data set consisting of 3 million small business and home mortgage loans, matched to the specific banks that originated them and verified to be held on bank portfolios, rather than sold. I measure the capital ratio (the inverse of the leverage ratio, defined as equity divided by asset value) for each bank at the time of each loan’s origination. After controlling for both bank and time fixed effects, a one point increase in Tier 1 capital ratios (e.g. from 12% to 13%) is associated with a 4.9% decrease in the default risk of mortgage loans held on portfolio (from a mean foreclosure rate of 4.3% to 4.1% for loans originated between 2003 and 2012). When considering the average capital of banks in US counties between 2003 and 2006, a one point increase in Tier 1 capital ratios is associated with a 4.4% reduction in foreclosures between 2007 and 2012. These results are robust to an instrumental variables strategy for predicting bank capital, a wide range of measures of bank capital, different types of banks, types of loans, and time periods.
Separating snow and forest temperatures with thermal infrared remote sensing

Abstract Thermal infrared sensing from space is a well-developed field, but mixed pixels pose a problem for many applications. We present a field study in Dana Meadows, Yosemite National Park, California to scale from point (~2-m resolution) to aerial (~5-m resolution gridded, 1 km × 6 km extent) to satellite (MODIS, ~1000-m resolution, global extent) observations. We demonstrate how multiple thermal bands on MODIS can be used to separate snow and forest temperatures and determine the fractional snow-covered area (fSCA) over a 3 km × 3 km array of 9 MODIS grid cells. During the day, visible, near-infrared, and shortwave-infrared bands provide a first guess of fSCA and help to constrain the solution. This technique, which has estimated errors
Better Never than Late: Why Yousuf v. Samantar should be Overturned by the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court recently granted Certiorari in Yousuf v. Samantar. This paper addresses the decision the Supreme Court will make regarding whether the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) encompasses individual officers acting within the scope of their authority. Yousuf v. Samantar came on the heels of the Second Circuit's decision In re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, which affirmed the majority approach - that individual officers are protected by the FSIA. Youuf v. Samantar, however, established the minority approach to the FSIA - that individual officers are not included. This paper argues that the the two approaches reflect philosophical differences rather than differences in statutory interpretation, and takes the position that, in the absence of a statutory mandate, practical considerations weigh in favor of the majority approach.
Implementing Constrained Least-Squares Refinement of Helical Polymers on a Vector Pipeline Machine

X-ray crystallography is the most powerful and widely used method of determining molecular structures at atomic resolution. A crystal of the material is exposed to a monochromatic X-ray beam and the diffraction pattern formed by the scattered X-rays recorded on a film or by an electronic detector. The crystal diffracts the X-rays only in certain directions so that the diffraction pattern consists of spots which are called reflections whose amplitudes (the square-root of the diffracted energy) are called structure amplitudes. Measurement of the structure amplitudes allows the structure of the molecule (the positions of the atoms) forming the crystal to be determined by standard (although not necessarily straightforward) X-ray crystallographic techniques1.
Vortex Equilibria in Three-Dimensional Space

The tools of the preceding section are used to formulate and solve a simplified model of the equilibrium states of three-dimensional vortex filaments. The connection with the Kolmogorov theory is made, and the implications of the theory for superfluidity and for the numerical modelling of turbulence are discussed.
Aflatoxin Reduction—A Molecular Strategy

Aflatoxins are toxic, carcinogenic compounds produced by the fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus during infection of corn, cotton and peanut. Several novel approaches are being developed using new methods in biotechnology to eliminate preharvest aflatoxin contamination of food and feed. A. flavus strains that produce little or no aflatoxins were discovered that greatly reduced aflatoxin contamination when co-inoculated with aflatoxigenic strains into cotton bolls. These non-toxigenic strains are being tested as potential biocontrol agents. Efforts are underway to clone aflatoxin pathway genes to be used as molecular tools in the production of stable aflatoxin non-producers by genetic engineering for future use in biocontrol applications. Volatile compounds released from plants during pest attack and other plant-derived compounds that inhibit aflatoxin production have been identified. These compounds are being tested for their potential to enhance host plant resistance by inhibition of fungal growth/aflatoxin production. A combined approach utilizing both host defense augmentation and biological control may be necessary to complement existing conventional methods in the eventual total elimination of aflatoxin from the food and feed supply.
Assembly of cell membranes

The current state of knowledge concerning the mechanisms of assembly of membranes in animal cells will be reviewed. Assembly mechanisms must be able to account for the generation and maintenance of the unique composition of each subcellular compartment, and also for general structural properties of all membranes such as membrane-spanning proteins and the asymmetrical arrangement of oligosaccharide chains. Assembly is accomplished in a multistage process involving two major organelles, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi apparatus, which appear to be specialized for these purposes. Proteins destined for diverse subcellular compartments (such as plasma membrane, secretion storage granules, and lysosomes) are synthesized by ribosomes attached to the ER and are deposited as a mixture into the lumen or membrane of the ER. These proteins are typically glycoproteins, and their Asn-linked oligosaccharides are added contranslationally by enzymatic machinery located on the lumenal face of the ER membrane. These precursors to other organelles are then transported into the stack of cisternae of the Golgi, arriving at one end (the "cis" face) and exiting from the other (the "trans" face). During their transit across the Golgi they pass through a series of distinct subcompartments, within which characteristic stages in the remodeling of their oligosaccharide chains occur. The actual separation or sorting of precursors according to final subcellular destination occurs in the last (trans-most) Golgi cisterna; proteins destined for lysosomes, secretions, and plasma membranes are believed to be packaged into different vesicles that bud from the trans Golgi. To permit to the kinds of specific intercompartmental transport that underlies this protein sorting process, (1) transported proteins must have "sorting signals" to specify their destination; (2) cognate receptors must exist in the ER and Golgi to effect this recognition; and (3) vesicles moving between compartments must package such receptors together with their cognate proteins but exclude other proteins as they bud. Examples of sorting signals and sorting receptors will be discussed, as will be the properties of clathrin-coated pits and coated vesicles, that are believed to provide a general mechanism for intercompartmental transfer of selected sets of membrane proteins.
Ultrafast Infrared Spectroscopic Studies of Protein Dynamics

In the last few years there was progress in creating experimental configurations to carry out subnanosecond transient infrared spectroscopy (1–3). Although it is known how to generate infrared from optical sources by nonlinear mixing, the adaptation of these technologies to infrared pump/probe experiments with ultrashort time resolution is a recent occurrence.
Statistical and Probabilistic Methods in Geomechanics

The application of statistical and probabilistic methods in geomechanics is reviewed here. Considerable progress has been made in this area, and it is explained here with the help of examples. Discussions are also made on how decision theory concepts can be used to solve some problems by considering the risk as well as the consequences in case of a design failure. The safety factor concept is also reviewed in great detail. Some of the commonly used techniques in uncertainty analysis are also discussed. Some cautions required in any probabilistic study are mentioned, along with the possible direction of some future work in this area.
Machine Learning Identification of Zeolite Framework Types.

The characteristic framework types of zeolite crystals are routinely determined by calculating coordination sequences and vertex symbols of the 3D crystal structures. This method has limitations and tends to fail when the synthesized crystals are not close to perfect and present some types of crystallographic disorder. A machine learning based Zeolite-Structure-Predictor (ZSP) model is developed to predict framework types for both near perfect and moderately disordered zeolite crystals. The ZSP uses various attributes, including topological descriptors based on a computational geometry approach and relevant physical, chemical properties of the crystals. Trained with 41 framework types, the ZSP can correctly classify zeolite crystals with over 98% accuracy. Additionally, it is shown that the ZSP model is able to predict the framework types for strongly disordered zeolite crystals with reliable success rate.
Removal of Carbonates from Thin Sections for Microfabric Interpretations

Abstract Fine-grained carbonates are common in many soils with cambic, argillic, calcic, petrocalcic and duripan horizons. When carbonates are in high concentration, they result in crystic plasmic fabrics and preclude description and interpretation of non-carbonate plasmic, s-matrix and special feature components. A method has been developed to differentially remove carbonates from prepared thin-sections. Prior to permanently mounting a cover slip on the thin-section, the whole section or a portion of it, is dipped in cold 1 N HC1 for 3 to 10 minutes, depending on the carbonate content and mineralogy. Excess acid was removed from the section with successive washings of water followed by acetone or ethanol. With few exceptions, the non-carbonate elements remain intact and unaltered. If immersion oil has been placed on the section, it must first be removed prior to decalcifying the thin-section. This acid pretreatment procedure has been applied to calcareous Vertisols, Aridisols, Alfisols, Inceptisols and Mollisols to observe stress-oriented plasmic fabrics, illuviation argillans, gypsans, silans, organic matter, nodules and porosity elements not readily evident in calcareous sections. Likewise, the distribution of non-carbonate s-matrix and pedological features is much more easily interpreted in decalcified sections. Possible limitations to this procedure are soils rich in dolomite, thin sections not well-impregnated and possible structural artifacts in organic-rich surface horizons.
Socio-cultural distrust of internet information

We live in a globalised context due to internet communications and computing technology. Given the false or misleading information provided by some information service providers, there may be a rising distrust of internet-based material. In this paper, the goal was to evaluate the distrust of internet material, using a social demographic theoretical lens. The results of the study were fascinating, because the distrust for social media was higher than other internet communications. Males distrusted internet communications more than females. In contrast, American Indian and black females trusted internet communications more than males. The results of this study should generalise to marketing discipline practitioners such as new business product/service development and also to national policy makers.
Targeting the Intrinsically Disordered Proteome Using Small-Molecule Ligands.

Abstract Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and regions (IDRs) make up a significant part of the proteome and facilitate a wide range of physiological and pathological functions that are only beginning to be understood. As such, they are highly attractive targets for drug development and bioengineering. However, their inability to adopt well-defined structures provides significant obstacles for developing ligands that regulate their behaviors. In this chapter, we review how the conformational flexibility of IDPs and their propensity to phase separate make them tractable targets for small-molecule manipulation. We also describe both theoretical and experimental approaches to characterize disordered proteins, including novel thermodynamic and single-molecule techniques that help identify complimentary partners of IDPs and their ability to shift protein ensembles toward preferred conformations.
Evaluation of CT changes in the neck after cancer treatment: Development of a measuring tool.

e17052 Background: The late effect continuum of soft tissue lymphedema and fibrosis (LEF) affects more than 70% of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients resulting in increased symptom burden and decr...
A Bare PC Text Based Browser

Most Web browsers require an OS or kernel based environment to run. In addition to being vulnerable to OS-based attacks, such browsers implement numerous features that can be exploited by attackers. We design and implement a text-based browser (TBB) that runs as a bare machine computing (BMC) application without the support of an operating system (OS) or kernel. We first describe the TBB architecture, task design and parser. We then demonstrate its basic functionality by accessing sample Web sites and showing the displayed content. Advantages of the TBB include reduced complexity, small code size, and intrinsic security due to BMC characteristics and the absence of an OS.
Method for Peration Control Obstacle location and Fault Prediction of Substation Based on Information Driven

Intelligent substation has the characteristics of information networking and digital transmission. The coupling degree between secondary equipment is increasing, which makes it more and more difficult to judge the functional effectiveness of substation operation control. This paper proposed on-line diagnosis method based on equipment function correlation, established a secondary system function correlation library including actual physical ports, and used DTW method to quickly match the actual function information with the standard information in the function correlation library on line, thus completing the operation control obstacle location of the secondary system of the intelligent substation. Aiming at the fiber link failure, combining with the physical port mapping relation, the fault optical port is further located. At the same time, this paper established an optical power prediction model, which can realize the early warning of optical link communication status before the occurrence of link failure and give the function affected by the link. Finally, the feasibility of this method is verified in the commissioning of a 220kV intelligent substation.