cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pyomo Models and Components: An Introduction

This chapter describes the core classes that are used to define optimization models in Pyomo. Most of the discussion focuses on modeling components that are used to declare parts of a model. We include a discussion of the options that can be used when declaring the components and information about key component attributes and methods.
Expression of the C-terminal domain of human apolipoprotein A-I using a chimeric apolipoprotein.

Abstract Human apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) is the most abundant protein in high-density lipoprotein, an anti-atherogenic lipid-protein complex responsible for reverse cholesterol transport. The protein is composed of an N-terminal helix bundle domain, and a small C-terminal (CT) domain. To facilitate study of CT-apoA-I, a novel strategy was employed to produce this small domain in a bacterial expression system. A protein construct was designed of insect apolipophorin III (apoLp-III) and residues 179–243 of apoA-I, with a unique methionine residue positioned between the two proteins and an N-terminal His-tag to facilitate purification. The chimera was expressed in E. coli , purified by Ni-affinity chromatography, and cleaved by cyanogen bromide. SDS-PAGE revealed the presence of three proteins with masses of 7 kDa (CT-apoA-I), 18 kDa (apoLp-III), and a minor 26 kDa band of uncleaved chimera. The digest was reloaded on the Ni-affinity column to bind apoLp-III and uncleaved chimera, while CT-apoA-I was washed from the column and collected. Alternatively, CT-apoA-I was isolated from the digest by reversed-phase HPLC. CT-apoA-I was α-helical, highly effective in solubilizing phospholipid vesicles and disaggregating LPS micelles. However, CT-apoA-I was less active compared to full-length apoA-I in protecting lipolyzed low density lipoproteins from aggregating, and disrupting phosphatidylglycerol bilayer vesicles. Thus the novel expression system produced mg quantities of functional CT-apoA-I, facilitating structural and functional studies of this critical domain of apoA-I.
"Si Dios Quiere": Fatalismo and use of mental health services among Latinos with a history of depression.

ABSTRACTLatinos are less likely to seek professional mental health care than other groups in the United States. While fatalismo has long been hypothesized to be responsible for this behavior, there is little evidence on this assumption. Using an adapted version of the Behavioral Model of Health Service Use (BMHSU), and a nationally representative sample, this study examined the association between fatalismo and mental health service use among Latinos with a history of depression. Participants (n = 703) were drawn from the 2007 Pew Hispanic Healthcare survey. Results showed that fatalismo was significantly associated with the use of psychiatric care, even after controlling for traditional deterrents of health care access and utilization. The findings underscore the importance of fatalismo in predicting Latinos’ use of psychiatric care. Implications for practice are discussed.
Diagnostic accuracy of non-contrast abdominal CT scans performed as follow-up for patients with an established cancer diagnosis: a retrospective study.

AbstractObjectives: To determine the accuracy and non-detection rate of cancer related findings (CRFs) on follow-up non-contrast-enhanced CT (NECT) versus contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) images of the ...
The Self in Social Justice: A Developmental Lens on Race, Identity, and Transformation

In this essay, Eleanor Drago-Severson and Jessica Blum-DeStefano add a new dimension to the literature on social justice in education and constructive-developmental theory by exploring how adult developmental theory can shed new light on the challenges and opportunities of teaching and leading for social justice. Drawing from their decades of research and teaching about leadership that supports educators' internal capacity building, they posit that adults' qualitatively different ways of knowing—or developmental meaning-making systems—will influence how they understand diversity of all kinds, as well as what it means to teach and/or lead for social justice. Given the imperatives of equity and access in educational institutions, US society, and the world, this essay aims to help us better understand how to support diverse adults in their efforts to serve all students well and to work more collaboratively and productively across lines of difference.
Measurement of Flow Perturbation Spectra in Mach 4.5 Corner Separation Zone

Characterization of the M=4.5 flow over a flat-plate model with a 30 deg compression ramp was performed with low-enthalpy (T0=300 K) and high-enthalpy (T0=800–1250 K) flow conditions for a wide r...
Epigenetic Contributions to the Cancer Transcriptome

Covalent modification of the DNA and histones affects the way in which the genome is packaged, thereby defining regions accessible or inaccessible to transcriptional machinery. This level of regulation of the genome, which is above (and does not change) the coding potential of the genome, is referred to as epigenetics. Epigenetic distortion of transcription in cancer occurs at many levels including DNA methylation and histone methylation and acetylation. The scope of epigenetic changes in cancer cells is vast and a major research challenge is to understand which groups of changes have functional significance and alter the biology of the disease. Furthermore, because epigenetic changes can be combinatorial in their effect, the complexity of epigenetic distortion in cancer far exceeds that of genetic distortion. It is clear that both genetic and epigenetic changes collaborate to alter the cancer transcriptome in ways that advantage the survival and proliferation of cancer cells.
Languages of Searches

The purpose of this chapter is to construct the Language of Translations for the alternating serial (AS) Complex Systems, the top-level language of the Hierarchy of Languages. Strings of this language represent search trees (Section 2.8). A substring that represents the optimal subtree is a solution to the given problem. This subtree reflects application of the one side’ s strategy with the best responses of the other side. The Language of Translations is constructed as a member of the Family of Languages of Reduced Searches. Procedures of evaluation of quality of trajectories and Zones, termination of branches, and tree inspection are introduced as parts of the Grammar of Translations.
Risk to self versus risk to others: how do older drivers compare to others on the road?

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to assess the risk of death or nonfatal injury drivers aged ≥65 pose to themselves and to other road users as compared with drivers in younger age groups. Methods Crash-related deaths and injuries were separated into two categories: those occurring among the drivers themselves, and those occurring among others, such as passengers, bicyclists, or pedestrians. Results The number of deaths among others varied by driver's age, with deaths among others decreasing as the driver's age increased. The proportion of deaths among others compared with deaths among drivers also varied by age. For drivers in the youngest three age groups, about two thirds of the deaths were among others (ages 16 to 19, 63.1%; ages 20 to 34, 68.1%; and ages 35 to 59, 66.6%). This proportion declined with age, reaching a low among drivers aged ≥85 years (ages 60 to 74, 52.2%, ages 75 to 84, 37.9%, ages ≥85, 18.9%). When calculating deaths among others per 100 million miles driven, crashes among young (16 to 19) and older (aged >74) drivers were associated with more deaths to others than were crashes among drivers aged 20 to 74. The number of nonfatal injuries among others also declined as age of the driver increased. The number of injuries among others per 100 million miles driven was highest among the youngest (16 to 19) and oldest (≥85) drivers. Conclusions Our findings suggest that older drivers make relatively small contributions to crash-related morbidity and mortality; moreover, their contributions are generally a result of injuries to self rather than to others.
Lessons learned from developing and sustaining a community-research collaborative through translational research.

Introduction The goal of this project was to document the current state of a community-academic partnership, identifying early successes and lessons learned. Methods We employed qualitative methods, semi-structured interviews and document analysis, from 2 data sources to (1) show how the principles of community-based participatory research are enacted through the activities of Addressing Disparities in Asian Populations through Translational Research (ADAPT) and (2) elucidate the barriers and facilitators to adhering to those principles from the perspectives of the members themselves. Results In addition to established community-based participatory research values, understanding individuals’ motivations for participation, the challenges aligning the priorities of community organizations and academic partners, and definitions of success are themes that emerged as key to the process of maintaining this partnership. Conclusion As the emphasis on community-academic partnerships grows, there is potential for clinical and translational science awards to use community engagement to facilitate translational research beyond the traditional medical spheres of influence and to forge relationships with affected communities.
Recent literature on bryophytes—111(1)

Abay, G., G. Uyar, B. Cetin & T. Keceli. 2007. Bucklandiella microcarpa (Hedw.) Bednarek-Ochyra & Ochyra (Grimmiaceae, Bryopsida), new to the moss flora of Turkey and south-west Asia. Cryptogamie Bryologie 28: 145–148. Abubakar, B. Y. 2007. A little from a sub-Saharan Africa bryophyte teacher. Tropical Bryology Group Newsletter 22: 5–6. Adamo, P., P. Crisafulli, S. Giordano, V. Minganti, P. Modenesi, F. Monaci, E. Pittao, M. Tretiach & R. Bargagli. 2007. Lichen and moss bags as monitoring devices in urban areas. Part II: Trace element content in living and dead biomonitors and comparison with synthetic materials. Environmental Pollution 146: 392–399. Adams, B. J., R. D. Bardgett, E. Ayres, D. H. Wall, J. Aislabie, S. Bamforth, R. Bargagli, C. Cary, P. Cavacini, L. Connell, P. Convey, J. W. Fell, F. Frati, I. D. Hogg, K. K. Newsham, A. O’Donnell, N. Russell, R. D. Seppelt & M. I. Stevens. 2006. Diversity and distribution of Victoria Land biota. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 38: 3003–3018. Afonina, O. M. & L. I. Abramova. 2005. Anastasija Lavrentievna Abramova (on the 90-years anniversary). Botaniceskij Žurnal (St. Petersburg) 90: 1926–1939. [In Russian; includes photographs and bibliography (1938– 1994).] _____, E. A. Ignatova & A. I. Maksimov. 2006. Stereodon fertilis (Pylaisiaceae, Musci) in Russia. Botaniceskij Žurnal (St. Petersburg) 91: 329–335. [In Russian with English summary.] Ah-Peng, C., M. Chuah-Petiot, B. Descamps-Julien, J. Bardat, P. Stamenoff & D. Strasberg. 2007. Bryophyte diversity and distribution along an altitudinal gradient on a lava flow in La Reunion. Diversity and Distributions 13: 654–662. Akiyama, H. 2006 [2007]. New records of mosses from Thailand. Tropical Bryology 28: 59. [10 new records reported.] _____. 2006 [2007]. New synonymy of Chaetomitriopsis glaucocarpa (Hypnaceae, Musci). Tropical Bryology 28: 61. [Chaetomitrium sublaevisetum is a new synonym.] Aleffi, M. 2007. In memoriam: Carmela Cortini Pedrotti (1931– 2007). Cryptogamie Bryologie 28: 293–294. Alvarenga, L. D. P., M. P. P. Silva, J. R. P. M. Oliveira & K. C. Porto. 2007. New occurrences of bryophytes to Pernambuco, Brazil. Acta Botanica Brasilica 21: 349–360. Anderson, H. M., M. R. Gale, M. F. Jurgensen & C. C. Trettin. 2007. Vascular and non-vascular plant community response to silvicultural practices and resultant microtopography creation in a forested wetland. Wetlands 27: 68–79. Anterola, A., E. Shanle, K. Mansouri, S. Schuette, R. VidalRussell, R. Coates, K. von Schwartzenberg & K. Renzaglia. 2007. [Abstract] Gibberellin biosynthesis and function in bryophytes. Page 163. In Plant Biology & Botany 2007: Poster Abstract Book. Botanical Society of America, St. Louis, MO.
Weight Propagation and Equivalent Horsepower for Alternate-Engined Cars

In order to evaluate properly the consequences of replacing conventional Otto-cycle engines with alternate power systems, comparisons must be carried out at the vehicle level with functionally equivalent cars. This paper presents the development and application of a procedure for establishing equivalent vehicles. A systematic weight propagation methodology, based on detailed weight breakdowns and influence factors, yields the vehicle weight impacts due to changes in engine weight and power. Performance-matching criteria, utilizing a vehicle simulation program, are then employed to establish Otto-engine-equivalent vehicles, whose characteristics can form the basis for alternative engine evaluations.
Native Land Talk: Indigenous and Arrivant Rights Theories (Yael Ben-zvi)

Yael Ben-zvi, Native Land Talk: Indigenous and Arrivant Rights Theories. Dartmouth UP, 2018. 276 pp. ISBN: 9781512601466. www.upne.cpm In Native Land Talk: Indigenous and Arrivant Rights Theories, Yael Ben-zvi employs EuroAmerican human rights theories to examine and compare the distinctive resistances of African and indigenous Americans to colonization. Delving into a rich array of resources—petitions, letters, newspaper articles, and speeches, among others--to examine EuroAmerican rights claims, Ben-zvi inventively applies these theoretical histories to the petitions and appeals for freedom and land made by indigenous and African American peoples in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (roughly 1760-1840). The author closely analyzes aspects of settler rights claims and indigenous and African American histories of resistance (or, as she terms them, “unsettlement projects”) that have received little scholarly attention, aligning the resistance of the latter communities with settler dehumanization and violence.
Responding to Technology-Enabled Organizational Transformation

As a result of the emergence of the Internet and net-enabled business processes, many industries have experienced a period of IT-enabled transformation in which organizations and business operations changed very rapidly. A natural question that arises is how can firms survive and even thrive during such transformations? In addressing this question, we show how a firm’s strategic change orientation—a meta-construct consisting of technological opportunism, market orientation, and entrepreneurial orientation—can influence the assimilation of IT and the resulting performance of business processes. We identify and examine two separate change enablers through which this influence occurs: (1) the development of IT capabilities; (2) the creation of a positive climate for IT use. These two change enablers influence the assimilation of technology within the organization and the resulting business process performance. We test the proposed model using a survey of 153 organizations in the retail auto industry, a compelling example of an industry that has undergone an IT-enabled transformation. Results explain 34% of the variance in process performance, and 34% of the variance in financial performance.
The effect of production- versus consumption-based emission tax under demand uncertainty

Abstract Emission tax is an instrument widely adopted by countries and regions to incentivize emission abatement by emission-intensive firms including manufacturers. However, policies differ in how they allocate emission responsibilities among stakeholders. For example, the Chile emission tax directly penalizes manufacturers for the emissions they generate during their production (production-based emission tax), whereas the Sweden electricity emission tax penalizes the consumption of electricity rather than its production (consumption-based emission tax). These two methods have potentially varying implications on manufacturers' profits, their emission abatement decisions, as well as the resulting emission levels, especially when demand uncertainty is involved. In this paper, we investigate the impact of the two distinct methods by studying a profit-maximizing manufacturer facing stochastic demand. Under either production- or consumption-based emission tax, the manufacturer's optimal decisions on its selling price, production quantity and emission abatement investment are derived. Perhaps surprisingly, we show that under either tax, it is possible for an increase in the emission tax to discourage the manufacturer from investing in emission abatement. The impact of tax rate, abatement technology efficiency, and demand uncertainty on the manufacturer's profitability and abatement decision are also studied. Interestingly, higher demand uncertainty may motivate the manufacturer to invest more in emission abatement under production-based emission tax. Using a numerical example of an electricity power generator, we offer further insights into the comparison between the two taxes and find that there exist cases for either tax to dominate the other in terms of both profit and emissions.
Diabetes Mellitus and the Hmong: A Scoping Review of the Literature

Background and Purpose: Upon immigration to the US, the Hmong people transition to a more industrialized society which places them at an increased risk for diabetes. Hmong Americans are at increasing risk for developing diabetes. This article scopes research literature on the prevalence of diabetes and factors affecting diabetes care in the Hmong population. Methods: The literature was systematically scoped using four databases to search for studies examining factors that influence diabetes care in the Hmong. Results: A total of ten studies were retrieved. Key findings suggest that those living with diabetes have limited knowledge of the disease, and the Hmong possess cultural characteristics that ultimately affect diabetes care. Conclusion: This review revealed that there are limited published studies of diabetes in Hmong Americans and future research is needed to address these knowledge gaps in this population. Language, religion, and cultural beliefs are also significant factors to consider in diabetes care of the Hmong.
Remnants of the Balbiani Body Are Required for Formation of RNA Transport Granules in Xenopus Oocytes

Abstract Fragmentation of the Balbiani body in Xenopus oocytes engenders a region extending from the germinal vesicle (GV) towards the vegetal pole that is enriched in mitochondria. This area is later transversed by RNA that is being localized to the vegetal cortex. Inhibition of mitochondrial ATP synthesis prevents the perinuclear formation of these RNA transport granules that can be reversed by the nonhydrolyzable ATP analog, adenosine 5’-(βγ-imido) triphosphate. The protein composition and sensitivity of the transport granules to hexanediol indicate that they are liquid phase condensates. Mitochondria in the remnants of the Balbiani body produce a region of elevated ATP that appears to act as a hydrotrope to support the perinuclear phase transition leading to granule formation. Summary Mitochondria in the remnants of the Balbiani body produce elevated levels of ATP required for the formation of liquid phase condensates containing RNA transport granules.
Toward an Abstract Model of Programmable Data Plane Devices.

SDN divides the networking landscape into 2 parts: control and data plane. SDN expanded it's foot mark starting with OpenFlow based highly flexible control plane and rigid data plane. Innovation and improvement in hardware design and development is bringing various new architectures for data plane. Data plane is becoming more programmable then ever before. A common abstract model of data plane is required to develop complex application over these heterogeneous data plane devices. It can also provide insight about performance optimization and bench-marking of programmable data plane devices. Moreover, to understand and utilize data plane's programmability, a detailed structural analysis and an identifiable matrix to compare different devices are required. In this work, an improved and structured abstract model of the programmable data plane devices is presented and features of its components are discussed in detail. Several commercially available programmable data plane devices are also compared based on those features.
Interpartner Concordance on Relationship Quality and Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Young Pregnant and Parenting Couples.

BACKGROUND This study examined agreement between partners on perceptions of relationship quality and its impact on later (sexually transmitted infection [STI]) diagnosis in a sample of pregnant (adolescents and young adults [AYAs]) couples. METHODS Two hundred ninety-six AYA couples completed structured surveys on relationship quality (satisfaction, cohesion, consensus, affectional expression) and STI diagnosis. An actor-partner interdependence model was used to assess actor effects (whether an individual's perceived relationship quality influenced their getting STI), partner effects (whether a partner's perceived relationship quality influenced the individual getting an STI), and interactive effects (whether an individual's perceived relationship quality interacted with a partner's perceived relationship quality and influenced in the individual getting an STI). RESULTS No significant actor or partner effects were observed for positive STI screen. However, there was a significant interaction between actor and partner satisfaction (B = -0.47, exp(B) = 0.63 [95% confidence interval, 0.43-0.93], P = 0.020). When actor satisfaction was high, greater partner satisfaction was associated with lower odds of a positive STI screen at 12 months. A significant interaction between actor and partner affectional expression was also found (B = -4.40, exp(B) = 0.01 [95% confidence interval, 0.00-0.87], P = 0.043). When partner affectional expression was high, greater actor affectional expression was associated with lower odds of a positive STI screen at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that concordant reports of relationship satisfaction and affectional expression are protective against future STI risk. Strengthening romantic relationships may be a promising strategy for preventing STIs in pregnant/parenting AYA couples.
Energy prediction for community water supply: An integrative application of scaling analysis and life cycle assessment

Abstract Community water supply is the local, consumer-level segment of water supply. For its ubiquity, an ability to predict the energy demand for community water supply would help better quantify the water-energy nexus at the community level. However, communities differ in size and distance from the water source, among other variations; no formalism is currently in use for making energy predictions. Here, we describe a conceptual model and mechanistic formulation for predicting the energy demand of a community water supply in the context of a regional, multi-community supply system. We make the novel methodological integration of scaling analysis and life cycle assessment to account for both network effects and life cycle effects on energy intensity. We also make the novel mechanistic law integration of hydraulic energy loss and allometric energy scaling to account for both linear transmission energy and nonlinear distribution energy. With these integrative steps, we create a novel “leaf on a stem” network model and mechanistically parameterized formula for predicting the energy demand of a community water supply, given in life cycle quantity and as the sum of community distribution energy in sublinear scaling with community size and regional transmission energy in linear scaling with the community’s distance from the regional water source. We validate the predictive model by empirically verifying the model parameters through a detailed case study of consumption communities within a regional supply system in the US Great Lakes region. This simple, mechanistic predictive model may help substantiate the concept of water-energy nexus and facilitate energy assessment for community water supply.
Low Cost Diode-blocked Self-oscillating Boost Converter

In this work, a simple self-oscillating boost converter with assisted turn-off is proposed for low cost applications. Relative to traditional self-oscillating and PWM converters, the proposed converter ensures reduced component count, soft-switching characteristics, robustness and tight regulation over a wide line/load range. An offline PWM controller is adapted for both load voltage regulation and turn-off control. The desired transient/steady state performances verified via SPICE simulation and a prototype circuit yielded 96.6% maximum efficiency and 0.5% voltage ripple factor.
The Effectiveness of Augmented and Virtual Reality in the Education of Physical Therapy Students

Research Objectives To determine the effectiveness of augmented and virtual reality as a teaching modality on doctor of physical therapy students’ learning as seen through confidence, recall, retention and application as compared to traditional teaching methods. Design Posttest only control group design with retrospective analysis. Setting Private secondary institution, doctoral physical therapy (DPT) program, American International College (AIC), Springfield, MA. Participants Convenience sample, 297 first year graduate DPT students enrolled in Gross Anatomy, AIC. Control group: 162 (cohorts 2017 & 2018); experimental group: 135 (cohorts 2019 & 2020). Interventions “Visible Body” (VB), augmented and virtual reality (VR) software used by experimental group; control group: attended traditional in-person lecture and laboratory classes. Main Outcome Measures Objective data scores (three lecture exams, Osteology Practical exam and Dissection lab exam) collected anonymously for each cohort, calculated by the primary course faculty. Subjective data (quantitative and qualitative) assessed through survey. Results Exam scores compared for three groups with different levels of exposure to VB (did not use VB (1), optional use VB (2), and required use VB (3)). Analyses (ANOVA and T-Tests) showed statistical significance with the mean performance for Group 1 being significantly lower than Groups 2 and 3. Osteology exam: No significant difference between groups noted. Dissection Exam: Group 3 scored significantly higher than the other groups. Survey data on the students’ self-efficacy towards their ability to learn Gross Anatomy with the VB software proved to be statistically significant (95% CI). Researchers were blinded to all scores and surveys. Conclusions Positive correlation exists between grades and the use of the VB application, indicating that the use of VR is an effective resource for DPT students in learning Gross Anatomy. Additionally, VB may be an adequate substitute for cadaver lab for dissection, though aspects of quality and understanding of anatomical relationships may be diminished in the use of virtual software alone. Further research to substantiate these results and further analyze the benefits of VR as a superior resource for learning Gross Anatomy amongst DPT programs is necessary. Author(s) Disclosures No disclosures/conflicts.
Paleovegetation and paleo-pedogenic properties from the upper Miocene Coffee Ranch fossil site in the North American Great Plains

Abstract Modern physical and chemical soil properties can favor or exclude C3 and C4 plants, yet little is known regarding these relationships from deep-time records that track the evolution and expansion of C4 vegetation. In this study, we used a multi-proxy approach to reconstruct vegetation (C3 vs. C4 biomass) and pedogenic properties (soil alkalinity, salinity, sodicity, and texture) from paleolandscapes at Coffee Ranch, Texas, a site from which fossil horses provide the earliest evidence for C4 herbivory in the Great Plains of North America. Local proportion of C4 biomass was assessed using stable carbon isotope ratios of calcium carbonates (δ13Ccc) and organic matter (δ13Com) analyzed on four different paleosol types, freshwater tufa, and reworked carbonate nodules in fluvial channel lags. Using a Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis, we interpret δ13Ccc (range = −8.5 to −5.2‰ VPDB) and δ13Com values (range = −25.9 to −24.2‰ VPDB) to be consistent with C4 biomass low in abundance and variability at the study site, but with large uncertainties that would be overlooked using simple linear mixing model approaches. Paleo-pedogenic properties were reconstructed using pedotransfer functions and provide evidence of possible salinity and sodicity in two of five paleosol profiles. However, saline-sodic conditions and soil texture were not correlated with δ13C values, contrary to some modern mixed C3-C4 biomes. Using late Miocene CO2 and paleoclimate model reconstructions, we argue that conditions were at or near crossover thresholds favoring C4 over C3 photosynthesis in the Great Plains despite the low abundance of C4 vegetation across the paleolandscapes. This study presents evidence that abiotic factors that select for C4 plants in modern systems—high growing season temperature, low atmospheric CO2, salinity-sodicity, and soil texture—were less influential in the late Miocene than biotic factors (i.e., ecological feedbacks) that suppressed C4 plants prior to their increase in abundance in the Great Plains in the Pliocene.
A NEW TYPE OF SEMI-INSULATING MATERIALS

The introduction of Cu in InP at 700°C and higher temperatures re- sults in both initially p-type and n-type InP become semi-insulating. It is also observed that thermally stable In-Cu rich precipitates form, that the concentration of deep levels is negligible and that InP:Cu samples exhibit inhomogeneities and anomalous transport behavior. The buried Schottky barrier model is the only model thus far studied which is consistent with these experimental observations. This model has general applicability, and its possible relevance to other semiconductors is examined. The conditions necessary for forming quasi-intrinsic semiconductors by metallic precipita- tion are discussed. PACS numbers: 72.80.Ey Obtaining semi-insulating semiconductors is possible when a large enough concentration of metallic precipitates exist in a crystal so that the space charge regions which form when a metal and semiconductor are in intimate contact could overlap and deplete the sample of free carriers. This situation would have the effect of making the semiconductor intrinsic. This model was initially proposed (1) to explain the behavior of GaAs grown at low temperatures by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) (2) and then annealed. In this material, a lower than normal growth temperature permits introduction of a large amount of excess arsenic. This excess arsenic is responsible for the creation of a large concentration of antisite defects (AsG a), but upon annealing, the majority of the excess As forms precipitates, creating a high concentration of hexagonal As clusters (3). Annealed low-temperature MBE GaAs thus exhibits semi-insulating behavior and also has a large concentration of As precipitates. The situation in this material is still controversial, due to the presence of a large number of AsG a defects which are at least partly responsible for pinning the Fermi level near midgap. Also, epitaxial material is more difficult to analyze and electrical measurements are quite laborious.
Security of Numerical Sensors in Automata

Numerical sensors are numerical functions applied on memory contents. We study the computability of the mutual information rate between two sensors in various forms of automata, including nondeterministic pushdown automata augmented with reversal-bounded counters as well as discrete timed automata. The computed mutual information rate can be used to determine whether it is the case that there is essentially no information flow between a low sensor and a high sensor and hence could provide a way to quantitatively and algorithmically analyze some covert channels.
Mechanistic considerations on the reactivity of green FeIII-TAML activators of peroxides

Publisher Summary This chapter introduces FeIII- tetra-amido-macrocyclic-ligand (TAML) activators, a family of low-molecular weight green catalysts for the activation of H2O2 and other peroxides to oxidize a wide spectrum of targeted substrates including toxic polychlorophenols, thiophosphate pesticides and nitrophenols, azo dyes, dibenzothiophenes, an anthrax surrogate, and natural or synthetic estrogens. These iron catalysts contain a central ferric iron coordinated to the cavity of a tetraanionic TAML. FeIII-TAML activators of H2O2 display peroxidase-like activities and longevities that are remarkable for low-molecular weight synthetic catalysts. They are functional analogs of catalase-peroxidase enzymes. This chapter summarizes the results of mechanistic studies on various aspects of FeIII-TAML peroxide activation obtained in the laboratories over the past decade. It also describes kinetic properties that are essential for understanding intrinsic reactivity features to build a solid mechanistic picture of FeIII-TAML catalysis and to show that they are a family of successful artificial enzymes.
Shape from Depth Discontinuities

We propose a new primal-dual framework for representation, capture, processing, and display of piecewise smooth surfaces, where the dual space is the space of oriented 3D lines, or rays , as opposed to the traditional dual space of planes. An image capture process detects points on a depth discontinuity sweep from a camera moving with respect to an object, or from a static camera and a moving object. A depth discontinuity sweep is a surface in dual space composed of the time-dependent family of depth discontinuity curves span as the camera pose describes a curved path in 3D space. Only part of this surface, which includes silhouettes, is visible and measurable from the camera. Locally convex points deep inside concavities can be estimated from the visible non-silhouette depth discontinuity points. Locally concave point laying at the bottom of concavities, which do not correspond to visible depth discontinuities, cannot be estimated, resulting in holes in the reconstructed surface. A first variational approach to fill the holes, based on fitting an implicit function to a reconstructed oriented point cloud, produces watertight models. We describe a first complete end-to-end system for acquiring models of shape and appearance. We use a single multi-flash camera and turntable for the data acquisition and represent the scanned objects as point clouds, with each point being described by a 3-D location, a surface normal, and a Phong appearance model.
ADR and Yama, the First Limb of Yoga Sutra

The Yoga Sutras is a compilation of texts authored by Patanjali – some date from approximately over 2,000 years ago. One of its most famous parts delineates a moral code, known as the eight-limb path, which contains wisdom that usefully applies to modern principles of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). This article analyses the first five subcategories of the first “limb” of the Yoga Sutras. It applies concepts found throughout contemporary ADR to show that studying the Yoga Sutras could be a concise way to accomplish the goals asserted within contemporary ADR texts. By comparing the two, one can also see the usefulness and timelessness of the modern ADR principles.
Biogeochemical impacts of silicon-rich rice residue incorporation into flooded soils: Implications for rice nutrition and cycling of arsenic

Soil incorporation of Si-rich rice residues may aid smallholder rice farmers in improving crop yields and may affect As uptake. Here, the biogeochemical impacts of rice residue incorporation into flooded soil without plants were evaluated. Various particle sizes of fresh rice straw (FS), fresh rice husk (FH), rice straw ash (RSA) and rice husk ash (RHA) residues were incorporated into soil (1 % w/w) in a flooded pot experiment. Pore-water chemistry was monitored weekly and dissolved CH4 concentrations and genes specific for methanotrophy and methanogenesis in DNA extracts of soil were evaluated. FH-amended soil had the highest level of dissolved Si, followed by FS and then ash (RHA or RSA). Particle size had little effect on the dissolved Si concentration for any residue tested. No amendments had any substantial effect on pore-water pH. FS-amended soil had much higher As, Fe, and CH4 concentrations in pore-water compared to ash and FH, and its extracted DNA also had higher amplifications of genes indicative of methanogenesis. FH, RHA, or RSA are attractive amendments for smallholder rice farmers to increase plant-available Si without exacerbating CH4 emissions, which may improve rice nutrition through the beneficial impacts of Si on combating biotic and abiotic stress including decreased arsenic uptake.
The molecular action of platelet-derived growth factor.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the biology of Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) with an emphasis on understanding the relationship between growth factors and cell transformation. It also discusses the regulation of gene expression by PDGF. PDGF has been shown to stimulate the growth of fibroblasts in culture from chickens through humans. In vivo , PDGF is thought to play a role in the maintenance of the vascular lining, though direct evidence is lacking. Through the study of the molecular biology of PDGF, the role of oncogenes in cell transformation and their relationship to growth factors is beginning to be understood. It appears that the deregulation of molecular events that are normally controlled by growth factors can lead to cell transformation. Several known oncogenes can be associated with specific molecular events regulated by growth factors. Some oncogenes, such as the sis gene, may code for a growth factor that is capable of stimulating cell growth through an autocrine-type mechanism. Other oncogenes may code for functions similar to events inside the cell that are regulated by growth factors. It seems quite likely that some oncogenes will either turn out to be growth factor receptors or mimic the functions of them. This may be a likely explanation for the coincidence that a large number of oncogenes as well as growth factor receptors are tyrosine kinases.
ON THE PLACE CODE FOR PITCH: A PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL PARADOX IN THE CLASSICAL CONCEPT

The place of maximum excitation in the cochlea has been believed to be the code for the pitch of tones since mid 19-th century. More recent physiological experiments have revealed that, in a healthy cochlea, the maximum is displaced gradually toward the cochlear base (input) as the sound pressure is increased, whereas the pitch remains practically constant. This paradox suggests that the maximum excitation may not be the adequate code for the pitch after all. In the presence of hearing loss of cochlear origin, the pitch appears higher than normal. As the sound pressure level is increased, it changes gradually back to normal. By contrast, the maximum of cochlear excitation in the presence of cochlear damage, although displaced toward the cochlear base, remains independent of sound pressure level. In both situations, normal and pathological, the apical cut off of cochlear excitation depends on the sound pressure level in the same way as does the pitch. Could the cut off be the adequate place code for the pitch?
In-situ probing of near and below sputter-threshold ion-induced nanopatterning on GaSb(1 0 0)

Abstract This work presents in-situ near and below sputter-threshold studies for GaSb(1 0 0) at energies 50, 100 and 200 eV and current densities near 50 μAcm−2. Variation of incident particle energy probes the energy deposition distribution and its relation to surface composition. In-situ analysis is conducted over irradiation modification using Ar singly-charged ions at normal incidence of the surface using complementary techniques including: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ion-scattering spectroscopy (LEISS). The former probes 1–3 nm and the latter technique probes the first 1–2 ML or 0.3–0.6 nm. Ex-situ analysis includes HR–SEM to correlated surface morphology with surface composition studied in-situ during irradiation. Results indicate ordering of nanodot formation at fluence threshold of about 1017 cm−2. Both XPS and LEISS identify Ga2O3 islands formation due to GaSb chemical affinity for oxygen followed by an initial enhancement of Ga/Sb = 1.20 ratio and then a sharp drop in Ga relative concentration with LEISS reaching a Sb-dominated terminating 1–2 nm region corresponding to the implantation depth between 50 and 200 eV. XPS shows a slight enrichment of Ga in sub-surface layers that levels to a 1:1 stoichiometry of the crystalline GaSb(1 0 0) surface.
Catalysis by doped oxides : CO oxidation by AuxCe1- xO2

Abstract Density functional theory calculations for the CeO 2 (111) surface doped with Au, Ag, and Cu show that the bond between the oxygen atoms and the oxide is weakened by presence of the dopant. In CO oxidation, doping of CeO 2 with Au allows the oxide to react readily with CO and make carbonates. These decompose to release CO 2 and form an oxygen vacancy on the surface. The vacancy adsorbs oxygen from the gas and weakens its bond, so that it reacts with CO to form a carbonate, which decomposes to release CO 2 and heal the oxygen vacancy. To be a good oxidation catalyst, a doped oxide must achieve a balance between two conflicting requirements: It must make surface oxygen reactive but not so much that it will hinder the healing of the oxygen vacancies created by the oxidation reaction.
Vapor-phase self-assembled monolayer for improved mold release in nanoimprint lithography

Resist adhesion to the mold is one of the challenges for nanoimprint lithography. The main approach to overcoming it is to apply a self-assembled monolayer of an organosilane release agent to the mold surface, either in the solution phase or vapor phase. We compared the atomic force microscopy, ellipsometry, reflection−absorption infrared spectroscopy, and contact angle results collected from substrates treated by two different application processes and found that the vapor-phase process was superior. The vapor-treated substrates had fewer aggregates of the silane molecules on the surface, because the lower density of the agent in the vapor phase was not conducive to aggregation formation, and received a superior coating of the releasing agent, because the vapor was more effective than the solution in penetrating into the nanoscale gaps of the mold. A pattern transfer of 20 parallel nanowires with a line width of 40 nm at 100 nm pitch-size was performed faithfully with the vapor-treated mold without any r...
A Simple Method to Estimate Energy Savings for Structural Insulated Panels Applied to Single Family Homes

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) have the potential to provide well insulated and air tight homes and thus better energy performance than the conventional wood-frame construction. Currently a SIP home is slightly more expensive to build than a conventional wood-frame home. This paper summarizes the results of a detailed study to compare the energy consumption of both SIP and wood-frame houses in representative climate zones across the United States. A simplified method to estimate the potential energy savings associated with SIP homes relative to an equivalent wood-frame home is developed and presented. As an application of the simplified method, a life cycle cost analysis was conducted to assess the cost effectiveness of building SIP homes throughout the US.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Production Trap Improvements Using High-Efficiency Internals

Most of the Gas-Oil Separation Plants (GOSP) in Southern Area Producing of Saudi Aramco will be producing between 40% and 75% water cuts by the turn of the century. Many GOSPs will be producing more than twice the amount of water they were originally designed for. Consequently, modifications must be made to the GOSPs so that they will have the capacity to separate and clean up these large volumes of produced water. The most attractive option is to improve the separation efficiency of the High Pressure Production Trap (HPPT) where formation water is first removed from the wellhead fluid. These traps have historically removed very little water from the wellhead fluid. However, the following modifications have proven to significantly improve the separation efficiency of the traps : Double the height of the weir, and raise the oil level from 40% to 65% full. Install a new inlet device to minimize the formation of foam. Install coalescing and foam-breaking internals to enhance oil/water coalescing and separation and to break the foam on top of the oil layer.
High Failure Rate for an Epicardial Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Lead: Implications for Long-Term Follow-Up of Patients With an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator

Abstract Objectives. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of epicardial lead failure during long-term follow-up and its mode of presentation. Background. Despite the high prevalence of epicardial lead–based implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, their long-term performance is unknown, and appropriate follow-up has not been established. Methods. The study group comprised all patients in whom an epicardial lead system was implanted at the Mayo Clinic between October 31, 1984 and November 3, 1994. The number of lead fractures and leads with fluid within the insulation and the mode of presentation were determined retrospectively by review of patient visits, radiographs of lead systems and data derived from formal lead testing. Results. At 4 years, the survival rate free of lead malfunction, using formal lead testing, for 160 Medtronic epicardial patches (models 6897 and 6921) was 72% compared with 92.5% for the 179 Cardiac Pacemaker, Inc. (CPI) patches (models 0040 and 0041) (p = 0.01). In addition, five Medtronic patches in three patients had fluid within the lead insulation but no obvious fracture. No CPI patches had fluid identified within the leads. Of 330 Medtronic epicardial pace/sense leads (model 6917), the 4-year survival rate free of lead malfunction as assessed by lead testing was 96%. In all, 19 presentations of lead malfunction were found in 17 patients (2 patients had more than one lead fracture at different times). In 11 (58%) of these presentations, the patients were asymptomatic despite the presence of obvious lead fracture. Conclusions. Epicardial lead malfunction is common on long-term follow-up, and some leads have a failure rate of 28% at 4 years. Many patients with fractured leads remain asymptomatic, despite involvement of multiple leads in some cases. Therefore, consideration should be given to regular periodic lead testing in addition to routine X-ray examination, as asymptomatic lead malfunction can present with normal chest X-ray findings.
Using speech recognition to enhance the Tongue Drive System functionality in computer access

Tongue Drive System (TDS) is a wireless tongue operated assistive technology (AT), which can enable people with severe physical disabilities to access computers and drive powered wheelchairs using their volitional tongue movements. TDS offers six discrete commands, simultaneously available to the users, for pointing and typing as a substitute for mouse and keyboard in computer access, respectively. To enhance the TDS performance in typing, we have added a microphone, an audio codec, and a wireless audio link to its readily available 3-axial magnetic sensor array, and combined it with a commercially available speech recognition software, the Dragon Naturally Speaking, which is regarded as one of the most efficient ways for text entry. Our preliminary evaluations indicate that the combined TDS and speech recognition technologies can provide end users with significantly higher performance than using each technology alone, particularly in completing tasks that require both pointing and text entry, such as web surfing.