cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variations in the mass-specific absorption coefficient of mineral particles suspended in water

We examined the light-absorption properties of various samples of mineral particles suspended in water, which included pure mineral species (quartz, calcite, illite, kaolinite, and montmorillonite) and natural particulate assemblages such as desert dust originating from different locations in the Sahara. The absorption coefficient was measured in the spectral region from ultraviolet (UV) to near-infrared on particle suspensions, using a special measurement geometry that reduced the scattering error to a very small level. The concentrations of the total mass of particles in suspension, as well as the mineralogical and elemental composition of particulate samples, were also determined. For the samples of pure mineral species with negligible contamination with iron, absorption was undetectable in the visible spectral region. All of the examined natural assemblages of mixed mineral species showed a significant content of iron (5‐29% by weight), and all these samples exhibited significant absorption in the UV and blue-green (400‐550 nm) spectral regions. The spectral shape of absorption was similar to that determined on pure iron hydroxide suspension, with some spectral features (shoulders and changes in slope) superposed onto a general increase of absorption toward short wavelengths in the UV. The mass-specific absorption coefficient of the mineral samples, a ( l), obtained by normalization of the absorption coefficient to the dry-mass concentration of particles, * showed a significant positive correlation with Fe content. No such relationship was found for other elements present in particles. The range of a (l) values covered more than an order of magnitude (from ,0.1 to ; 1m 2 g 21 near * 400 nm), but the normalization of absorption coefficient to iron concentration led to a considerable reduction in variability among the samples. The iron-specific absorption coefficient,a (l), varied from ; 1t o 4m 2 (g Fe) 21 * near 400 nm for the natural mixtures of mineral species. Although iron was a major pigmenting agent, its concentration could explain only part of variability observed in the absorption properties of mineral particles. The application of pigment-bleaching methods, in combination with spectrophotometric measurements of marine particles retained on filters, makes it possible to determine experimentally the approximate contributions of phytoplankton and nonalgal particles to light absorption in the ocean (Doucha and Kubin 1976; Kishino et al. 1985; Tassan and Ferrari 1995). With this approach, several studies have documented the variations in the spectral absorption coefficient of nonalgal particles, aNAP(l), in various marine environments. The contribution of aNAP to the total particulate absorption in the upper (photic) layer of the ocean can vary widely with location, time of year, and light wavelength. It is on the order of tens of percent in the blue spectral region and can reach nearly 100% in extreme cases (e.g., Nelson and Guarda 1995; Babin et al. 2003). The spectrum of 1
IPM/DOSS/water Microemulsions as Reactors for Silver Sulfadiazine Nanocrystal Synthesis

The first goal of this work was the preparation of a water-in-oil microemulsion from components generally regarded as safe for use in humans. Stable formulations without need of a co-surfactant were prepared from isopropyl myristate (IPM), dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DOSS), and water. A ternary phase diagram was prepared for the IPM/DOSS/water system. The IPM/DOSS/water microemulsions were characterized by conductivity and dynamic laser light scattering (DLS). The results obtained from conductivity experiments indicate conductivity values of less than 1 muS/cm and were consistent with the formation of w/o microemulsions. The DLS results showed that the emulsified water droplets had an average diameter range of 9.2 to 19.7 nm, depending on composition. Modulation of the droplet size is possible by varying the water to DOSS molar ratio and DOSS to IPM ratio. The second goal of this work was the preparation of silver sulfadiazine (AgSD) nanoparticles. It was hypothesized that two separate microemulsions containing dispersed aqueous droplets of either sodium sulfadiazine or silver nitrate would react when mixed. The DLS results are consistent with the successful formation of submicron AgSD crystals.
Allometric equations for two South American conifers: Test of a non-destructive method

Non-destructive biomass estimation for protected tree species is necessary to understand their population dynamics and the ecological factors affecting species scarcity. We present a method for estimating aboveground biomass of bole, branches and foliage, using data obtained by climbing live trees to collect limited samples and measurements. This method was . applied to 26 individuals of Fitzroya cupressoides Mol. Johnston, a protected Chilean conifer, and to 12 individuals of a . second, morphologically similar, but unprotected species, Pilgerodendron u˝iferum D. Don. Florin. Trees were climbed, ´ basal diameter of all branches ) 1 cm were recorded and four branches per tree were removed for further measurement. The sampled branches were used to develop allometric equations predicting branch, twig and foliar biomass from branch basal diameter. These equations were used to generate whole tree canopy biomass estimates based on climber's measurements of branch basal diameter. Bole biomass was estimated from serial measurements of height, diameter and wood density. Whole tree canopy and bole biomass estimates were then used to develop allometric equations predicting wood and foliar biomass from diameter at breast height. Five of the P. u˝iferum trees were felled and weighed by conventional methods, and the data used to evaluate error in the non-destructive technique. Although the technique was labor intensive, it was found to yield mean estimates for canopy components that are expected to be within 10% of the true mean for large populations of trees .watershed level studies . Accurate estimation of individual trees may be less reliable, as the amount of dispersion about . some of the regressions was quite high ) 20% . q 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.
Influence of a stochastic moist convective parameterization on tropical climate variability

Convective parameterizations used in general circulation models (GCMs) generally only simulate the mean or first-order moment of convective ensembles and do not explicitly include higher-order moments. The influence of including unresolved higher-order moments is investigated using a simple stochastic convective parameterization that includes a random contribution to the convective available potential energy (CAPE) in the deep convective scheme. Impacts are tested in an tropical atmospheric model of intermediate complexity. Adding convective noise noticeably affects tropical intraseasonal variability, suggesting inclusion of such noise in GCMs might be beneficial. Model response to the noise is sensitive not only to the noise amplitude, but also to such particulars of the stochastic parameterization as autocorrelation time.
Multiple Two-Component Systems of Streptococcus mutans Regulate Agmatine Deiminase Gene Expression and Stress Tolerance

Induction of the agmatine deiminase system (AgDS) of Streptococcus mutans requires agmatine and is optimal at low pH. We show here that the VicRK, ComDE, and CiaRH two-component systems influence AgDS gene expression in response to acidic and thermal stresses.
Multi-instance Security and Its Application to Password-Based Cryptography

This paper develops a theory of multi-instance mi security and applies it to provide the first proof-based support for the classical practice of salting in password-based cryptography. Mi-security comes into play in settings like password-based cryptography where it is computationally feasible to compromise a single instance, and provides a second line of defense, aiming to ensure in the case of passwords, via salting that the effort to compromise all of some large number m of instances grows linearly with m. The first challenge is definitions, where we suggest LORX-security as a good metric for mi security of encryption and support this claim by showing it implies other natural metrics, illustrating in the process that even lifting simple results from the si setting to the mi one calls for new techniques. Next we provide a composition-based framework to transfer standard single-instance si security to mi-security with the aid of a key-derivation function. Analyzing password-based KDFs from the PKCS#5 standard to show that they meet our indifferentiability-style mi-security definition for KDFs, we are able to conclude with the first proof that per password salts amplify mi-security as hoped in practice. We believe that mi-security is of interest in other domains and that this work provides the foundation for its further theoretical development and practical application.
New Compact, High Efficiency, Variable Displacement Compressor for the Small Vehicle Segment

As fuel prices continue to rise automotive manufacturers continue to push their suppliers to provide technology that improves the potential fuel efficiency of their applications. In addition there is an increasing trend towards smaller , lighter and more compact vehicles to mitigate the automotive carbon footprint. These movements necessitated the development of a new compact, low mass, variable displacement compressor to match the requirements for these smaller and more efficient vehicles. The new Delphi MVC, or Miniature Variable Compressor, meets these requirements by integrating the high efficiency of our latest swashplate variable compressor design into a compact and lightweight package. This design can be offered in a range of displacements from 80 to 100cc and can be offered as either internally or externally controlled to support the customer's needs.
Siglecs Induce Tolerance to Cell Surface Antigens by BIM-Dependent Deletion of the Antigen-Reactive B Cells

Infusion of blood cells from a donor can induce humoral tolerance in a recipient and increase the probability of successful organ transplant, a clinical method defined as donor-specific transfusion (DST). Despite the clinical success of DST, the immunological mechanisms by which blood cells displaying a foreign Ag induce tolerance remain poorly understood. Based on recent findings showing that the B cell siglecs, CD22 and Siglec-G, can promote tolerance to Ags presented on the same surface as their ligands, we speculated that the B cell siglecs are key players in tolerance induced by DST. Using a variety of chemical and genetic approaches, we show that the B cell siglecs mediate tolerance to cell surface Ags by initiating an inhibitory signal that culminates in elimination of the Ag-reactive B cell. CD22 and Siglec-G are recruited to the immunological synapse by sialic acid ligands on the Ag-bearing cells, producing a tolerogenic signal involving Lyn and the proapoptotic factor BIM that promotes deletion of the B cell and failure of mice to develop Abs to the Ag upon subsequent challenge. We speculate that this tolerogenic mechanism is a contributing factor in DST and a mechanism of peripheral B cell tolerance to cell surface autoantigens.
YEARLY VARIATIONS OF 3C 120.

THE photographic light curve1 of the Seyfert galaxy 3C 120 shows a large-amplitude (∼1.2 magnitudes) long-term decline in brightness over five consecutive seasons from 1934/35 to 1939/40. Short-term fluctuations of smaller amplitude (∼0.3 to 0.6 magnitudes) with decline times of about 200 days are apparently superimposed on this decline1, and the question immediately arises whether these fluctuations are intrinsic to the source or are due to some yearly observational selection effect. Kinman2 has pointed out the existence of an hour-angle effect for 3C 345 and inspection of the hour angles of the 3C 120 plates reveals that the hour angles are selectively larger at the beginning and end of the season than in the middle. In this report we conclude that the yearly fluctuations in 3C 120 are almost certainly intrinsic to the source.
Limiting Rights in Times of Crisis: Our Civil War Experience - A History Lesson for a Post-9-11 America

In the post-September 11th world, Americans must rethink the meaning of civil liberties in a free country. Has this new reign of terrorism fundamentally undermined the possibility of a "free" society, or has it merely forced us to accept some inconveniences? As we begin the process of learning how to balance security and liberty in an age of global terrorism, it is important to understand the ways in which claims of "necessity" or assertions of "dangerous times" have been used and misused in the past. This article examines critical lessons we can learn from the history of the nation in crisis times.
Formaldehyde from Methanol

Methanol is likely to become increasingly important both as a fuel and as a chemical feedstock [1]. There has recently been much excitement over the conversion of methanol to hydrocarbons, especially aromatics [2]. The subject of this paper is the conversion of methanol to formaldehyde. All formaldehyde is currently produced from methanol, and there are no new routes to formaldehyde on the horizon.
Earnings Response Coefficient Models: Synthesis and Extensions

We provide a rigorous and comprehensive set of derivations of earnings response coefficient models in levels and changes forms. Reverse return coefficient models are also derived. The models all are variants on the present value of dividends model of stock prices. Most of these models do not appear in the literature or appear only implicitly. We start with the simplest 100 percent payout model and work up to IMA (1,1) processes for earnings. We also model the case in which the information set is more than earnings. The approach introduced in this article provides a firm basis for further extensions.
Use of EPA SWMM5 for Generation of BMP Effluent EMC Distribution

Simulation of best management practice (BMP) and low-impact development (LID) effects on stormwater quality is discussed with reference to the EPA Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), version 5. Many such treatment facilities demonstrate a lognormal distribution of effluent event mean concentrations (EMCs). Methods for use of SWMM5 to produce simulated EMCs with similar frequency characteristics are discussed in this paper. Model output was not available at the time of preparation of this paper and will be shown when the paper is presented.
Targeted transgenesis identifies Gαs as the bottleneck in β2-adrenergic receptor cell signaling and physiological function in airway smooth muscle

G protein-coupled receptors are the most pervasive signaling superfamily in the body and act as receptors to endogenous agonists and drugs. For β-agonist-mediated bronchodilation, the receptor-G protein-effector network consists of the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR), Gs, and adenylyl cyclase, expressed on airway smooth muscle (ASM). Using ASM-targeted transgenesis, we previously explored which of these three early signaling elements represents a limiting factor, or bottleneck, in transmission of the signal from agonist binding to ASM relaxation. Here we overexpressed Gαs in transgenic mice and found that agonist-promoted relaxation of airways was enhanced in direct proportion to the level of Gαs expression. Contraction of ASM from acetylcholine was not affected in Gαs transgenic mice, nor was relaxation by bitter taste receptors. Furthermore, agonist-promoted (but not basal) cAMP production in ASM cells from Gαs-transgenic mice was enhanced compared with ASM from nontransgenic littermates. Agonist-promoted inhibition of platelet-derived growth factor-stimulated ASM proliferation was also enhanced in Gαs mouse ASM. The enhanced maximal β-agonist response was of similar magnitude for relaxation, cAMP production, and growth inhibition. Taken together, it appears that a limiting factor in β-agonist responsiveness in ASM is the expression level of Gαs. Gene therapy or pharmacological means of increasing Gαs (or its coupling efficiency to β2AR) thus represent an interface for development of novel therapeutic agents for improvement of β-agonist therapy.
Reactions of the Green Dock Beetle, Gastrophysa cyanea (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), to Its Host and Certain Nonhost Plants

The normal host plants of the oligophagus beetle Gastrophysa cyanea (Melsheimer) are polygonaceous plants of the genus Rumex . Larvae were found to be somewhat more selective in their feeding preferences than were adults, but both larvae and adults fed to some extent on plants that were unsuitable for development or were toxic. Adult females oviposited, under certain conditions, on plants unsuitable for larval development. Both larvae and adults responded to host-plant extracts incorporated into synthetic diets. Apparently, some chemical in polygonaceous plants is attractive to this insect; however, larvae could not develop to maturity nor could adults produce eggs while feeding on nutrient diets containing plant extracts. Behavior of adults was studied in various artificial environments. The size of the cages and the other physical factors of these environments had little effect on behavior.
Evolution of Negative Thermal Expansion and Phase Transitions in Sc1-xTixF3

The cubic ReO3-type material ScF3 exhibits strong isotropic negative thermal expansion (NTE) over a wide temperature range while remaining cubic. Control of its thermal expansion was investigated by forming Sc1-xTixF3 solid solutions, which were characterized by synchrotron powder diffraction at ambient pressure from 100 to 500 K. TiF3 is fully soluble in ScF3 at a synthesis temperature of 1338 K. The temperature for the cubic-to-rhombohedral phase transition in Sc1-xTixF3 varies linearly with composition (above 100 K), and, at large x, the transition is clearly first-order. The rhombohedral phase for each composition examined exhibits strongly positive thermal expansion, while the expansion of the cubic phase (between 420 and 500 K) is negative for all Sc1-xTixF3.
Species Discrimination of Co-Occurring Small Fossil Mammals: A Case Study of the Cretaceous-Paleogene Multituberculate Genus Mesodma

The mammalian fossil record is largely composed of isolated teeth and tooth-bearing elements. In vertebrate microfossil assemblages with closely related, co-occurring species of mammals, it can be difficult to identify isolated teeth to species level because morphological differences among species may be slight and based on a single tooth position. Here we investigate the utility of the allegedly diagnostic lower fourth premolar (p4) for species-level identification in the genus Mesodma (Multituberculata, Neoplagiaulacidae). We conducted linear and geometric morphometrics on 86 p4s representing four Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) species of Mesodma that are common in deposits of the western interior of North America. Although Mesodma has been extensively discussed in the literature, these four species overlap considerably in p4 size and shape, making species-level identifications challenging. Using linear measurements, landmarks, and semilandmarks, we quantified p4 size and shape to understand morphological variation across the genus and uncover practical sources of morphological differentiation among the species represented here. Our results indicate (1) size is more important than shape for identifying p4s of Mesodma species; p4 shape varies across the genus, but cannot be used alone to identify isolated p4s to species; (2) M. garfieldensis and M. thompsoni cannot be distinguished from each other using p4 size or shape; we therefore subsume M. garfieldensis within M. thompsoni; and (3) M. formosa increased in size across the K-Pg boundary. In light of these results, we recommend that taxonomic diagnoses relying on isolated teeth incorporate quantitative analyses of morphology whenever possible to increase the accuracy of species-level identifications and paleofaunal studies that employ them.
Metabolic Determinants of Mitochondrial Function in Oocytes

Mitochondrial production of cellular energy is essential to oocyte function, zygote development and successful continuation of pregnancy. This review focuses on several key functions of healthy oocyte mitochondria and the effect of pathologic states such as aging, oxidative stress and apoptosis on these functions. The effect of these abnormal conditions is presented in terms of clinical presentations, specifically maternal obesity, diminished ovarian reserve and assisted reproductive technologies.
Community Recovery Following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Toward a Theory of Cultural Resilience

Culture plays an important role in communities' abilities to adapt to environmental change and crises. The emerging field of resilience thinking has made several efforts to better integrate social and cultural factors into the systems-level approach to understanding socialecological resilience. However, attempts to integrate culture into structural models often fail to account for the agentic processes that influence recovery at the individual and community levels, overshadowing the potential for agency and variation in community response. Using empirical data on the 2010 BP oil spill's impact on a small, natural resource-dependent community, we propose an alternative approach emphasizing culture's ability to operate as a resource that contributes to social, or community, resilience. We refer to this more explicit articulation of culture's role in resilience as cultural resilience. Our findings reveal that not all cultural resources that define resilience in reference to certain disasters provided successful mitigation, adaptation, or recovery from the BP spill.
Parallax error in long-axial field-of-view PET scanners-a simulation study.

There is a growing interest in the design and construction of a PET scanner with a very long axial extent. One critical design challenge is the impact of the long axial extent on the scanner spatial resolution properties. In this work, we characterize the effect of parallax error in PET system designs having an axial field-of-view (FOV) of 198 cm (total-body PET scanner) using fully-3D Monte Carlo simulations. Two different scintillation materials were studied: LSO and LaBr3. The crystal size in both cases was 4 × 4 × 20 mm3. Several different depth-of-interaction (DOI) encoding techniques were investigated to characterize the improvement in spatial resolution when using a DOI capable detector. To measure spatial resolution we simulated point sources in a warm background in the center of the imaging FOV, where the effects of axial parallax are largest, and at several positions radially offset from the center. Using a line-of-response based ordered-subset expectation maximization reconstruction algorithm we found that the axial resolution in an LSO scanner degrades from 4.8 mm to 5.7 mm (full width at half max) at the center of the imaging FOV when extending the axial acceptance angle (α) from ±12° (corresponding to an axial FOV of 18 cm) to the maximum of ±67°—a similar result was obtained with LaBr3, in which the axial resolution degraded from 5.3 mm to 6.1 mm. For comparison we also measured the degradation due to radial parallax error in the transverse imaging FOV; the transverse resolution, averaging radial and tangential directions, of an LSO scanner was degraded from 4.9 mm to 7.7 mm, for a measurement at the center of the scanner compared to a measurement with a radial offset of 23 cm. Simulations of a DOI detector design improved the spatial resolution in all dimensions. The axial resolution in the LSO-based scanner, with α = ± 67°, was improved from 5.7 mm to 5.0 mm by incorporating a two-layer DOI detector. These results characterize the maximum axial blurring for a fully open 2 m long PET scanner and demonstrate that large sensitivity gains are possible with a modest reduction in resolution when using current clinical detector technology with no DOI capability.
The Arabian Peninsula

Arabia is the south-western peninsula of Asia, the largest peninsula on the map. Its area of 1,027,000 square miles holds an estimated population of only fourteen millions. Sū‘ūdi Arabia, with an area (exclusive of al-Rab‘ al-Khāli) of 597,000 square miles, claims some seven millions; al-Yaman five millions; al-Kuwayt, Qaṭar, the trucial shaykhdoms, ‘Umān and Masqaṭ, Aden and the Aden protectorate the rest. Geologists tell us that the land once formed the natural continuation of the Sahara (now separated from it by the rift of the Nile valley and the great chasm of the Red Sea) and of the sandy belt which traverses Asia through central Persia and the Gobi Desert. In earlier times the Atlantic westerlies, which now water the highlands of Syria-Palestine, must have reached Arabia undrained, and during a part of the Ice Age these same desert lands must have been pre-eminently habitable grasslands. Since the ice sheet never extended south of the great mountains in Asia Minor, Arabia was never made uninhabitable by glaciation. Its deep, dry wadi beds still bear witness to the erosive powers of the rainwater that once flowed through them. The northern boundary is ill-defined, but may be considered an imaginary line drawn due east from the head of the Gulf of al-‘Agabah in the Red Sea to the Euphrates. Geologically, indeed, the whole SyroMesopotamian desert is a part of Arabia.
Local-field enhancement of the nonlinear susceptibility of layered composite materials

Many electro-optic and nonlinear optical devices require the development of lossless optical materials with large nonlinear optical susceptibilities. One standard approach to the development of such materials is to synthesize materials that possess a large nonlinear optical response at the molecular level. Conjugated polymeric nonlinear optical materials, such as the polydiacetylenes, provide a clear example of the successful implementation of such an approach.
Spinal manipulation does not affect pressure pain thresholds in the absence of neuromodulators: a randomized controlled trial

AbstractBackground: Measurement of pressure pain threshold (PPT) is a way to determine one of the many potential treatment effects of spinal manipulative therapy.Objective: To determine how multiple spinal manipulations administered in a single-session affected PPTs at local and distal sites in asymptomatic individuals.Methods: Participants were randomly assigned into one of three groups: Group one (n = 18) received a lumbar manipulation followed by a cervical manipulation. Group two (n = 17) received a cervical manipulation followed by a lumbar manipulation. The control group (n = 19) received two bouts of five minutes of rest. At baseline and after each intervention or rest period, each participant’s PPTs were obtained using a handheld algometer. The PPTs were tested bilaterally over the lateral epicondyles of the humerus and over the mid-bellies of the upper trapezius, lumbar paraspinal, and the tibialis anterior muscles. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, and its Identifier is NCT02828...
Identifying extreme cold events using phase space reconstruction

Extreme cold events in natural gas demand are characterised by unusual dynamics that makes modelling the characteristics of the gas demand during extreme cold events a challenging task. This unusual dynamics is in the form of hysteresis, possibly due to human behavioural response to extreme weather conditions. To natural gas distribution utilities, extreme cold events represent high risk events given the associated huge demand of gas by their customers. To understand the nature of the unusual dynamics and help utilities in their decision-making process, we present a semi-supervised learning algorithm that identifies extreme cold events in natural gas time series data. Using phase space reconstruction, the input space is mapped into a phase space. In the reconstructed phase space, events with similar dynamics are closer together, while events with different dynamics are far apart. A cluster containing extreme cold events is identified by finding the nearest neighbours to an observed cold event. The learning algorithm was tested on natural gas consumption data obtained from natural gas local distribution companies. Our RPS-kNN algorithm was able to identify extreme cold events in the data.
All alone in the universe

One of the most basic questions, and one that natural philosophers have pondered for many millennia, concerns humanity's place in the universe: Are we alone? Although the history of this question dates back to the ancient Greeks, and it was surely asked for many years before that, the first inklings of an answer did not come until a few centuries ago, when Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo and Newton demonstrated that other worlds qualitatively similar to our Earth orbit around the Sun.
Anxiety and cannabis-related problem severity among dually diagnosed outpatients: The impact of false safety behaviors

Cannabis use disorder (CUD) co-occurs with anxiety disorders at high rates. Little is known about the mechanisms linking CUD and anxiety disorders. One theoretically-driven perspective is that individuals with anxiety disorders may be more apt to use FSBs (i.e., behaviors that may be effective in decreasing anxiety in the short-term, but can maintain and even exacerbate anxiety in the long-term), which can perpetuate cannabis use despite cannabis-related problems. The present study tested whether FSB use explained the relation of anxiety symptom severity with cannabis quantity and related problems among 77 adults with CUD and comorbid anxiety disorders seeking outpatient CUD treatment. Results indicated that FSB frequency was significantly related to anxiety symptom severity and cannabis problem severity, but not cannabis quantity. Anxiety symptom severity was indirectly (via FSB frequency) related to cannabis problem severity, but not to cannabis quantity. These novel findings suggest that more frequent use of FSBs may play an important role in cannabis problem severity among individuals with CUD and anxiety disorders.
A novel protection scheme for DC electrical railway systems using high-frequency signal injection

A new protection scheme for DC electrical traction supply systems is introduced in this paper. The method is based on continuous measurement of the high-frequency impedance of the electric supply system. The high-frequency impedance of traction supplies is shown to be correlated to the physical integrity of the system. The measurement is synthesized by injecting the high frequency signal in the line and blocking the measurement signal from low-impedance paths, such as the train and substations. Using this injection and blocking technique, a new high-frequency system, which is sensitive to leakage currents, is created. The proposed method can be used for both protection and monitoring of the physical condition of the system. The method is non-intrusive, non-destructive, and can be used for both DC and AC systems without making major changes to the existing system, or incurring large costs. The proposed high-frequency based electrical railway monitoring system is analyzed, simulated, built, and experimentally verified.
Effect of oxygen content on thermal stability of grain size for nanocrystalline Fe10Cr and Fe14Cr4Hf alloy powders

Abstract Low oxygen content powders of high purity elemental Fe, Cr and Hf were produced in a glove box by mechanically filing the solid materials. Fe10Cr and Fe14Cr4Hf nanocrystalline alloy powders were processed using these elemental powders in conjunction with SPEX ball milling. The grain-size stability of the nanocrystalline alloy powders was investigated for selected annealing temperatures. High temperature stabilization can be achieved by Zener pinning (kinetic mechanism) or segregation of Hf to grain boundaries (thermodynamic mechanism). Solute drag mechanisms can be effective at lower annealing temperatures. Recent regular solution models developed by the authors predict that Hf would facilitate thermodynamic grain-size stabilization in Fe14Cr4Hf alloys at high temperatures. However Hf-base reactions such as intermetallic phase or oxide formation can favor kinetic stabilization and this can dominate over a contribution from thermodynamic stabilization. In contrast, grain-size stabilization in Fe10Cr alloy would be a result of solute drag by the Cr solutes at lower temperatures. The results from previous investigations on Fe10Cr and Fe14Cr4Hf nanocrystalline alloys were (unknowingly at the time) influenced by the fact that the commercially available high purity elemental powders used for SPEX ball mill processing contained significant amounts of oxygen impurity. The results obtained in this investigation using identical processing methods with low oxygen content powders for synthesizing the alloys provide further insight into their stabilization mechanisms.
Effects of Traffic Structure and Strategic Conflict Probe on Controller Performance and Flight Efficiency

Abstract Controllers currently rely on structured routes and traffic organization for managing separation problems. The unstructured, tree routing environment that will gradually evolve under the Free Flight concept may place additional demands on controllers. An experiment was conducted to assess the effects of the unstructured traffic environment and a strategic conflict probe, the User Request Evaluation Tool (URET), on controller performance and flight efficiency. Results indicated that URET improves operational acceptability and may enhance safety in the unstructured environment. Limited evidence on flight efficiency indicated that controllers issued fewer, more strategic maneuvers with URET. Future research should focus on quantifying the effect of strategic conflict resolution on flight efficiency and assessing the interaction of procedures with URET.
Rapid alignment of nanotomography data using joint iterative reconstruction and reprojection

As x-ray and electron tomography is pushed further into the nanoscale, the limitations of rotation stages become more apparent, leading to challenges in the alignment of the acquired projection images. Here we present an approach for rapid post-acquisition alignment of these projections to obtain high quality three-dimensional images. Our approach is based on a joint estimation of alignment errors, and the object, using an iterative refinement procedure. With simulated data where we know the alignment error of each projection image, our approach shows a residual alignment error that is a factor of a thousand smaller, and it reaches the same error level in the reconstructed image in less than half the number of iterations. We then show its application to experimental data in x-ray and electron nanotomography.
Prerequisites to Organizational Action

Much of the public policy literature on implementation of hazard mitigation or risk reduction measures focuses on why implementation is ineffective or inadequate in one or another settings. Clearly, it is important to understand the obstacles to implementation of hazard mitigation measures in order to better understand how to increase the probability of implementation. Likewise, it is important to focus on the other side of the equation; that is, under what conditions will organizations choose to invest in hazard mitigation measures? In other words, what facilitates the implementation of, or investment in, hazard mitigation measures? Petak and Alesch’s (Organizational decision making with respect to extreme events: healthcare organizations respond to California’s SB 1953, 2004) work on the prerequisites to organizational action was inspired by March and Olsen’s (Ambiguity and choice in organizations, 1973) garbage can model of organizational decision making. That model suggests that decisions are not made, nor are actions taken, unless four independent streams come together simultaneously. The four streams consist of a problem, a solution to the problem, space on the organizational agenda, and one or more persistent advocates for matching the available solution with the existing problem. Based on their preliminary understanding of hospitals’ response to SB 1953, Petak and Alesch (Organizational decision making with respect to extreme events: healthcare organizations respond to California’s SB 1953, 2004) identified five fundamental organizational prerequisites for adoption and implementation of extreme hazard mitigation measures. This chapter discusses each in turn.
Access to Justice: Looking Back, Thinking Ahead

This Article seeks to assess our progress and reassess our goals concerning access to justice. It begins in Part I by summarizing the nature of the challenge. Although there is much we do not know about the scope of the problem, the data available suggest a shameful inadequacy of services for the poor and a declining commitment of federal funds to address it. The remainder of the Article explores the most plausible responses. Part II reviews the role of technology, self-help, and nonlawyer services. Part III analyzes the extent of pro bono contributions and what can be done to increase them. Part IV surveys the evolution and contributions of public interest law, and how best to support it. Part V concludes with an agenda for reducing the justice gap. It argues for greater involvement of legal educators and practitioners in expanding understanding of the problem and supporting the most cost-effective solutions.
Enabling access to engineering education materials everywhere by design

We are currently engaged in a redesign of the method we use to distribute Engineering Teaching Kits (ETKs) via the Internet. This work in progress reports the results of the user-centered conceptual design phase of the project. ETKs are self-contained STEM education standards-based units that promote integrative learning about STEM via engineering design challenges. The current distribution method, a page on the University of Virginia's course management site, Collab, was adopted based on ease of developer access and use after a successful professional development session at ASEE's K-12 workshop in 2009 resulted in high demand for the presented activities. However, the page has proven to be increasingly unfriendly to users despite several redesigns and reorganizations, the results of which have had limited impact on user accessibility due to Collab's features and functionality. A site that can't be accessed or navigated easily may lead (would-be) users to seek alternatives. This situation is not consistent with our philosophy of sharing materials as open source and with user-centered design values, including the work done by the UI/UX and HCI communities. Our first task in the conceptual design phase was to consult with users via a short survey. We wanted to understand more fully their expectations and needs for a content delivery method and to verify anecdotal feedback we had received over the years to make sure we had identified the problem and project goals correctly. The results will also inform preliminary requirements and be used to develop persona, or user profiles, for use in usability testing. The second task was to investigate current “best practices” in web page design by reviewing popular sites on both traditional and mobile devices. The preliminary requirements based on these results will be used in future design activities.
Urban Drainage Clarifier Load-Response as a Function of Flow, Unsteadiness, and Baffling

AbstractA major function of clarifiers (basins or tanks) for urban drainage (stormwater or wastewater) is separation of particulate matter (PM) and PM-associated constituents. Clarifier response is...
Low-Temperature Cofired-Ceramic Laminate Waveguides for mmWave Applications

A critical component in mm-wave applications is the electromagnetic interconnect between devices. At mm-wave frequencies it is necessary to consider reducing the losses arising from that of using conventional transmission lines such as stripline and microstrip. An interconnect that offers comparatively lower loss connections at mm-wave frequencies is the laminate waveguide (LWG) constructed in low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) technology. The LWG has superior loss characteristics as compared to stripline. The LWG, which propagates a dominant TE10 wave mode, approximates a dielectrically filled rectangular waveguide where the top and bottom walls are pattern printing and the sidewalls of the waveguide are tightly spaced via fences.
Fill in the Gaps: An Unresponsive 55-Year-Old Man

A 55-year-old man with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that did not require home oxygen, as well as hypertension, was brought to our emergency department after being found unresponsive at home. The patient's family said he was in his usual state of health until today, when they noticed increased dyspnea consistent with his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. They believed it was caused by recent overexertion cleaning tools with various chemicals. His breathing became worse as the day progressed, and he was found overnight to be diaphoretic and unresponsive, prompting a 9-1-1 call. The family denied sick contacts, recent travel, and toxin ingestion. Examination in the emergency department showed a chronically ill man in severe distress, with rapid shallow respirations, prompting immediate intubation. He exhibited no purposeful movements and no response to noxious stimuli, but his pupils were responsive to light. Vital signs included a heart rate of 86 beats/min; respirations, 26 breaths/min; blood pressure, 196/112 mmHg; and oxygen saturation, 95% by pulse oximetry. Point-of-care glucose was 176 mg/dL (reference interval, 70–199 mg/dL). An electrocardiogram showed sinus rhythm without ST segment changes. Initial laboratory testing included a basic metabolic panel, lactic acid, and arterial blood gases (Table 1). A white blood cell count was 20.8 K/mm3 (3.9–9.9 K/mm3). View this table: Table 1. Initial patient results. Using the calculated total CO2 from the arterial blood gas, the anion gap was 27 mmol/L (2–15 mmol/L). Serum osmolality was 329 mOsm/kg (275–300 mOsm/kg), with a calculated osmolal gap of 52 mOsm/kg. Other initial blood testing included a hepatic function panel, lipase, troponin I, B-type natriuretic peptide, and acetaminophen; all were unremarkable. Urinalysis was notable for 1+ ketones and 2+ protein. Computed tomography of the head and abdomen showed no acute abnormalities. A chest radiograph showed a normal cardiac silhouette and no evidence …
Feature enriched nonparametric bayesian co-clustering

Co-clustering has emerged as an important technique for mining relational data, especially when data are sparse and high-dimensional. Co-clustering simultaneously groups the different kinds of objects involved in a relation. Most co-clustering techniques typically only leverage the entries of the given contingency matrix to perform the two-way clustering. As a consequence, they cannot predict the interaction values for new objects. In many applications, though, additional features associated to the objects of interest are available. The Infinite Hidden Relational Model (IHRM) has been proposed to make use of these features. As such, IHRM has the capability to forecast relationships among previously unseen data. The work on IHRM lacks an evaluation of the improvement that can be achieved when leveraging features to make predictions for unseen objects. In this work, we fill this gap and re-interpret IHRM from a co-clustering point of view. We focus on the empirical evaluation of forecasting relationships between previously unseen objects by leveraging object features. The empirical evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of the feature-enriched approach and identifies the conditions under which the use of features is most useful, i.e., with sparse data.
Glaciers and Perennial Snowfields of the U.S. Cordillera

Of more than 8,000 glaciers and perennial snow-fields on 21 mountain ranges in the western U.S. (excluding Alaska), only 120 are larger than 1 km2, and just one exceeds 10 km2. Where changes in size are known, the overwhelming majority of glaciers are shrinking. There are a few that are growing. These changes, with a few exceptions that relate mainly to rock debris abundances on the glaciers, are due overwhelmingly to climate change, though it is a complex relationship. Analysis of ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) imagery has been used in special case studies, along with published field data, to track changes in debris loads of glaciers on Mt. Rainier, show the effects of a lahar from Mt. Rainier, and track the continued shrinkage of Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park. The response time of glaciers in the region varies from under a decade to over a century. Blue Glacier (Olympic Mountains) is a fast responder; its length, area, and volume fluctuation history indicates that it is responding to decadal climate fluctuations as well as local long-term warming in the 20th and 21st centuries, which is probably related to greenhouse gas-driven global warming.
An ITSM For A New Era: Leaving A Self-Supported Internal Legacy System For A Brighter Future In The Cloud(s)

In 2015, it became clear to the Library and Academic Technology group at Washington College that the current asset management and support ticketing system was not adequate to handle the demands of a growing campus and catalog of devices to support. That service, GLPi, was supported in-house, and the senior systems engineer in charge of supporting the system had left the college. There was a need to move to a fully supported cloud-based service that could keep up with ever-increasing demands. Through a several month-long RFP process, four vendors were short-listed. Samanage, with its integrated asset tracking and ticketing system at an affordable price point, was the clear winner. Library and Academic Technology needed to adopt the new system at an accelerated pace due to an impending asset audit that was to be completed in the summer of 2016. Samanage's implementation team was incredibly helpful and worked with us to meet all our deadlines. Since 2016, the service has expanded to be used by multiple groups on campus to streamline common tasks and services. There are still many features and processes within Samanage we do not yet use, but have plans to implement in the future.
Cyber negotiation: a cyber risk management approach to defend urban critical infrastructure from cyberattacks

Technical tools dominate the cyber risk management market. Social cybersecurity tools are severely underutilised in helping organisations defend themselves against cyberattacks. We investigate a cl...
Improving pragmatic clinical trial design using real-world data.

BackgroundPragmatic clinical trials often use automated data sources such as electronic health records, claims, or registries to identify eligible individuals and collect outcome information. A spe...
Trauma Events, Residence in Refugee Camps, and Educational Attainment as Predictors of Trauma Symptoms of Albanian Refugees in Macedonia

Adult members of 79 Albanian families who had fled from Kosovo to Macedonia during the immediate postwar period (June–August 1999) were interviewed. In conjunction with therapeutic intervention, the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ) and the General Health Questionnaire (GTQ) were administered. Trauma symptoms as measured by the HTQ and psychological distress as measured by the GHQ were highly correlated. The best predictor of psychological distress was severity of the trauma experienced. Refugees with high educational attainment had fewer trauma symptoms than those with lower educational attainment. Refugees who lived with host families in towns showed fewer trauma symptoms than those who lived in camps, but they were also more highly educated. The results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses suggested that educational attainment may mediate the effect of place of residence. Educational attainment may be an indicator of resourceful and effective coping strategies that ameliorate the effects of trauma.