cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spatial proton exchange membrane fuel cell performance under carbon monoxide poisoning at a low concentration using a segmented cell system

Abstract The impact of the fuel contaminant CO, which was intentionally injected in to the hydrogen stream at a concentration of 2 ppm, on proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performance distribution was studied using a segmented cell system and spatial electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The cell was operated under a galvanostatic control of the overall cell current at 0.8 A cm −2 , and tests were carried out under H 2 /O 2 , H 2 /air, and H 2 /H 2 gas configurations. Upon CO injection the voltage decreased by 0.080, 0.300, and 0.320 V for O 2 , air, and H 2 cathode gases, respectively. The voltage drop was accompanied by changes in the current density distributions. Inlet segments 1–4 showed a decrease in current due to CO adsorption on Pt, while, downstream segments 7–10 exhibited an increase in current. The performance completely recovered within 1–2 h after CO injection was stopped. The conversion of CO proceeds through a combination of catalytic and electrochemical oxidation reactions; however, the catalytic oxidation of CO is likely the dominant process. It was found that an increased membrane gas permeability can mitigate the impact of CO, mainly due to the catalytic oxidation of adsorbed CO on the Pt anode by the permeated O 2 .
Degradation mechanisms of siloxane-based thermal interface materials under reliability stress conditions

This paper describes the degradation behavior of siloxanes as thermal interface materials (TIM) in semiconductor packages. It tackles existing literature degradation studies on siloxane materials. It then presents the failure and material analysis findings and explains the degradation behavior of siloxane-based TIM when exposed to different reliability stresses such as: (1) bake at high temperature (2) moisture exposure and (3) temperature plus moisture exposure. A good correlation was established between known chemical reactions and analysis data after stress. With these data, a good understanding of the reliability performance of siloxanes as thermal interface material was established.
The Oxidation of Cholesterol in the Yolk of Selective Traditional Chinese Egg Products

Abstract The yolks of traditional chicken egg products (Tiedan, Ludan, and Chayedan) and duck egg products (raw and cooked Xiandan, immersed and coated Pidan) were subjected to moisture, lipid, and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) determinations as well as cholesterol and cholesterol oxidation products (COP) analysis. The main COP detected for these egg products included 20-hydroxycholesterol and 7β-hydroxycholesterol, other types of COP were not detected. The contents of COP formed in traditional egg products varied, depending upon the types of egg products. The cholesterol oxidation ratio for traditional Chinese chicken egg products ranged from 1.14 to 1.75%, whereas that for traditional Chinese duck egg products ranged from 1.18 to 1.90%. Those traditional egg products that required pickling in salt or alkaline, cooking, hot air drying, and exposure to oxygen and heat all produced COP.
The relationship between cranial metric and nonmetric traits in the rhesus macaques from Cayo Santiago

This study addresses the relationship between cranial metric variables and nonmetric traits using the skeletal sample of rhesus macaques from Cayo Santiago. Discriminant function analysis is used to study the metric differences between macaque crania grouped according to the presence or absence of nine nonmetric traits. The computation of total structure coefficients from the discriminant function analyses provides information regarding how closely each metric variable is related to the discriminant functions derived. Total structure coefficients have not been used previously in the study of the relationship between metric and nonmetric traits. The results of the analysis are interpreted using an explicit approach to cranial morphogenesis-functional cranial analysis. It is concluded that the relationship between cranial metric and nonmetric traits is explicable in terms of a common developmental pathway shared by the two types of traits. Identification of the specific etiology of nonmetric traits depends on future anatomical studies or organisms throughout the period of nonmetric trait development.
The Whole is Greater: Reflective Practice, Human Development and Fields of Consciousness and Collaborative Creativity

Because Western experiments assume creativity is an individual phenomenon and rarely investigate how trust and openness might build collective resonance, flow, and creativity, the creative whole typically amounts to less than the sum of the parts. The author argues, however, that group creativity increases as members develop, especially through Wilber's (in press) transpersonal stages. He illustrates how organizational leaders have facilitated creativity through reflective practice. Presenting evidence regarding the field effects of collective consciousness, he suggests that our minds and hearts interact in subtle yet powerful ways, which leaders can intuit, to support the emergence of collaborative creativity.
The incidence of thrombotic and hemorrhagic disorders in association with extreme thrombocytosis: An analysis of 129 cases

We have presented a retrospective study of 129 patients with platelet counts of 1,000 X 10(9)/L or more--72 with myeloproliferative disorders (MPD), and 57 with reactive thrombocytosis (RT)--in an effort to determine the incidence of thrombohemorrhagic complications. Thrombotic disorders occurred with approximately equal frequency in the two groups, being found in three patients (4%) with MPD and three (5%) with RT when the platelet count was over 1,000 X 10(9)/L and in 11% of the patients in each group when the platelet count was less than 1,000 X 10(9)/L. In contrast, bleeding manifestations were more common in MPD, where 36% of patients were affected on one or more occasions versus only 4% of those with RT. However, bleeding was generally not severe, with only six patients requiring transfusions, and three of these patients had been receiving aspirin or corticosteroids when they developed severe gastrointestinal bleeding.
Neurotransmitter Corelease: Mechanism and Physiological Role

Neurotransmitter identity is a defining feature of all neurons because it constrains the type of information they convey, but many neurons release multiple transmitters. Although the physiological role for corelease has remained poorly understood, the vesicular uptake of one transmitter can regulate filling with the other by influencing expression of the H + electrochemical driving force. In addition, the sorting of vesicular neurotransmitter transporters and other synaptic vesicle proteins into different vesicle pools suggests the potential for distinct modes of release. Corelease thus serves multiple roles in synaptic transmission.
Transformation optics on a silicon platform

Transformation optics allows the creation of innovative devices; however, its implementation in the optical domain remains challenging. We describe here our process to design and fabricate such devices using silicon as a platform for broad band operation in the optical domain. We discuss the approximations and methods employed to overcome the challenges of using dielectric materials as a platform for transformation optics, such as the anisotropy and gradient refractive index implementation. These encompass conformal and quasi-conformal mappings, and a dithering process to discretize and quantize the continuously inhomogeneous index function. We show examples of devices that we fabricated and tested, including the carpet invisibility cloak, a broad bandwidth light concentrator, and a perfect imaging device, known as Maxwell's fish eye lens. Finally, we touch on future directions under investigation to further develop transformation optics based on dielectric materials.
Is self-fertilization an evolutionary dead end?

'Summary' 386 I. 'Introduction' 387 II. 'Microevolutionary perspectives on SEDE' 388 III. 'Macroevolutionary perspectives on SEDE' 390 IV. 'SEDE and the distribution of outcrossing rates in angiosperms' 393 V. 'Redirection of study to challenge Stebbins’ claims' 394 'Acknowledgements' 395 References 395 Summary A compound hypothesis positing that self-fertilization is an evolutionary dead end conflates two distinct claims: the transition from outcrossing to selfing is unidirectional; and the diversification rate, or the balance of the speciation and extinction rate, is negative for selfing species. Both claims have enjoyed widespread informal support for decades, but have recently come under suspicion. Sources of data that apparently contradict strongly asymmetric mating system transitions often rely on statistical phylogenetic tests plagued by profound flaws. Although recently developed models mend preceding approaches, they have been employed sparingly, and many problems remain. Theoretical investigations, genetic data and applications of new phylogenetic methods provide indirect support for an association of selfing with negative diversification rates. We lack direct tests of reversals from selfing to outcrossing, and require data concerning the genetic basis and complexity of independently evolved outcrossing adaptations. The identification of the mechanisms that limit the longevity of selfing lineages has been difficult. Limitations may include brief and variable durations of selfing lineages, as well as ongoing difficulties in relating additive genetic and nucleotide variation. Furthermore, a common line of evidence for the stability of mixed mating – based simply on its frequent occurrence – is misleading. We make specific suggestions for research programs that aim to provide a richer understanding of mating system evolution and seriously challenge Stebbins’ venerable hypothesis.
Genomic sweeping for hypermethylated genes

Motivation: Genes silenced by the aberrent methylation of nearby CpG islands can contribute to the onset or progression of cancer and represent potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis. Relatively few have thus far been validated as hypermethylated in cancer among over 14 000 candidates with promoter region CpG islands. A descriptive set of genes known to be unmethylated in cancer does not exist. This lack of a negative set and a large number of candidates necessitated the development of a new approach to identify novel genes hypermethylated in cancer. Results: We developed a general method, cluster_boost, that in an imbalanced data setting predicts new minority class members given limited known samples and a large set of unlabeled samples. Synthetic datasets modeled after the hypermethylated genes data show that cluster_boost can successfully identify minority samples within unlabeled data. Using genome sequence features, cluster_boost predicted candidate hypermethylated genes among 14 000 genes of unknown status. In primary ovarian cancers, we determined the methylation status for 15 genes with different levels of support for being hypermethlyated. Results indicate cluster_boost can accurately identify novel genes hypermethylated in cancer. Availability: Software and datasets are freely available at http://labs.genome.duke.edu/FureyLab/cluster_boost.php Contact: tsfurey@duke.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Digital Usage Behavior: A Sense Making Perspective

The proliferation of information technology has led to a concern about the ability of the digitally underserved to cope with life's challenges and opportunities. Although there has been recognition that the digital divide is more than technology access, there is an implicit belief that solving the access problem will also solve other aspects of the digital divide. We make the argument that variance in use involves cognition and is different than variance in access. We also argue that the context in which information technology is used makes a difference. We add to the digital divide research by proposing a model of digital sense making. The model helps explain the divide as a function of how information available through technology affects the ability to cope. We then test the model with empirical evidence derived from a study of 151 military families that had universal Internet access for a period of more than one year. We find that use of the Internet to scan, interpret and act is correlated with increased ability to cope.
Individual plasma proteins detected on rough biomaterials by phase imaging AFM.

In the past several years, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has provided topographic images of adsorbed plasma proteins in situ at unprecedented resolution. Imaging has been limited to adsorbed protein on relatively smooth model substrates such as mica, graphite, or self-assembled monolayers on which the small height of the protein can be observed from the background. The inherent roughness of biomaterial surfaces has prevented observation of adsorbed proteins in topographic images. We report imaging isolated fibrinogen molecules adsorbed on National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) reference materials polydimethylsiloxane and low-density polyethylene in situ using phase imaging AFM. Fibrinogen, a plasma protein important for blood coagulation and platelet aggregation, was adsorbed from dilute solution onto reference biomaterial surfaces at sub-monolayer coverage. Tapping mode AFM was used to image the samples. For polydimethylsiloxane, the lateral size of the surface features is much greater than the dimensions of proteins. This allowed adsorbed proteins to be observed in topographic images. The phase imaging signal of tapping mode AFM provides information on differences in material properties of the surface, and was used to distinguish individual protein molecules from the underlying polymer surface. On the low-density polyethylene surface, characteristic topographical features are of the same magnitude as the protein molecules, so that protein cannot be distinguished from the surface using topographic images. However, phase images were used to successfully locate and characterize the distribution of the protein. Phase imaging was not able to distinguish fibrinogen adsorbed onto expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. The utility and limitations of the phase imaging technique for characterizing protein adsorption to rough surfaces is discussed.
Protein dynamics in the nuclear compartment

The classic view of a transcriptional initiation complex is that of an assembly of factors with many protein-protein contacts, leading to a multi-component complex whose existence is a result of the stabilizing influence of the many intermolecular interactions. Recent findings from protein mobility experiments in living cells indicate that many kinds of nuclear factors move rapidly and exchange quickly with multiple targets. Two countervailing views of factor/regulatory site interactions emerge from the current literature.
Abdominal positioning interneurons in crayfish: projections to and synaptic activation by higher CNS centers.

Intracellular recording, stimulation, and Lucifer dye injections were used to characterize abdominal positioning interneurons from the neuropile of the second through sixth abdominal ganglia of the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii. Motor outputs of these cells were recorded with extracellular electrodes placed on various flexion and extension roots along the nerve cord. In an effort to assess the functional relationships between the postural interneurons in the abdomen and those known to exist in the circumesophageal connectives (CECs), a stimulus pulse train was delivered to each of the CECs while monitoring the intracellular responses of the impaled interneurons. Abdominal positioning interneurons were grouped into four general categories based on their responses to CEC stimulation: 1) those that projected their axons directly through the CECs; 2) those that were remotely activated to spiking; 3) those locally activated to produce EPSPs or IPSPs; and 4) those that were not affected by CEC stimulation. The majority of abdominal positioning interneurons encountered in this study evoked flexion (N = 82), with relatively fewer evoking extension (N = 29). A major difference appeared between the two classes. Whereas 39% of the flexion interneurons had axons coursing to the brain, only 7% of the axons of extension interneurons coursed rostrally beyond the thoracic level. Finally, the large majority of those flexion and extension interneurons that lacked processes in the CEC received synaptic inputs at various levels along the lower CNS from other CEC neurons. Thus, control of abdominal positioning involves neurons at all levels in the CNS—some sequentially organized, others forming “through” pathways, but all with multiple input sites.
Management of Peripheral Arterial Disease of the Lower Extremities in Elderly Patients

The prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) increases with age. PAD in elderly persons may be asymptomatic, may be associated with intermittent claudication, or may be associated with critical limb ischemia. Other atherosclerotic vascular disorders, especially coronary artery disease (CAD), may coexist with PAD. Elderly persons with PAD are at increased risk for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and mortality from CAD. Modifiable risk factors should be treated in persons with PAD such as cessation of cigarette smoking and control of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. Statins have been shown to reduce the incidence of intermittent claudication and to improve treadmill exercise duration until the onset of intermittent claudication in persons with PAD and hypercholesterolemia. Antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin or clopidogrel, especially clopidogrel, should be administered to all persons with PAD. Persons with PAD should be treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and also with beta blockers if CAD is present. Cilostazol should be given to persons with intermittent claudication to improve exercise capacity unless heart failure is present. Exercise rehabilitation programs improve exercise time until claudication. Indications for lower extremity angioplasty, preferably with stenting, or bypass surgery are 1) incapacitating claudication in persons interfering with work or lifestyle; 2) limb salvage in persons with limb-threatening ischemia as manifested by rest pain, nonhealing ulcers, and/or infection or gangrene; and 3) vasculogenic impotence. However, amputation should be performed if tissue loss has progressed beyond the point of salvage, if surgery is too risky, if life expectancy is very low, or if functional limitations obviate the benefit of limb salvage.
Simultaneous rank tests for detecting differentially expressed genes

Rank tests are known to be robust to outliers and violation of distributional assumptions. Two major issues besetting microarray data are violation of the normality assumption and contamination by outliers. In this article, we formulate the normal theory simultaneous tests and their aligned rank transformation (ART) analog for detecting differentially expressed genes. These tests are based on the least-squares estimates of the effects when data follow a linear model. Application of the two methods are then demonstrated on a real data set. To evaluate the performance of the aligned rank transform method with the corresponding normal theory method, data were simulated according to the characteristics of a real gene expression data. These simulated data are then used to compare the two methods with respect to their sensitivity to the distributional assumption and to outliers for controlling the family-wise Type I error rate, power, and false discovery rate. It is demonstrated that the ART generally possesses...
Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for patients with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Seventy-four consecutive patients with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were given cyclophosphamide (CY; 50 mg/kg on each of 4 days) plus total body irradiation (TBI; 300 rad on each of 4 days) followed by a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT). Eighteen patients in first complete remission (CR1), 36 in CR2, 16 in CR3, and four in CR4 were transplanted. Patients in CR1 were transplanted 1 to 8 months (median, 3 months) after attaining CR. All 18 patients in CR1 had one or more poor risk factors: age more than 18 (N = 17), initial leukocyte count greater than or equal to 20,000 (N = 11), Ph 1 chromosome (N = 2), delay in attaining CR more than 6 weeks (N = 8), or extramedullary disease (N = 1). Of those transplanted in CR2, 72% had relapsed on therapy. The 5-year event-free survival (EFS) rates for patients transplanted in CR1, CR2, and CR3 are 42%, 43%, and 25%, respectively, at median follow-up times of 57, 54, and 72 months, respectively. Children a...
Urban Parks and Psychological Sense of Community

Parks and other urban natural spaces are increasingly becoming recognized as valuable for supporting socially healthier urban communities. Currently, however, there remains a relative shortage of e...
Report of the ESA Standing Committee on Systematics Resources in Entomology: Systematics and Related Activities in Europe, England, Canada and Australia

Over the recent decades rather comprehensive reviews of resources and plans for development of systematics have appeared. Now, as systematics resources are being threatened and in many cases reduced, still more comprehensive analyses of this nature have appeared.
Life History and Behavior of the Predatory Mite Typhlodromus occidentalis in Utah

Many phytoseiid mites are predators of orchard spider mites. Of the species in northern Utah, Typhlodromus occidentalis (Nesbitt) is most abundant in apple orchards. Several other phytoseiid mites are found on apple trees in Utah, the most frequently encountered are Amblyseius fallacis (Garman) and T. mcgregori Chant. T. occidentalis was studied, using Tetranychus urticae Koch as prey. Adult females were found during the winter and early spring under the matted cover crop and tree bark. Laboratory and field observations suggested that there were at least 10 generations a season. The stages of development were egg, larva, protonymph, deutonymph, and adult; with partial quiescence between instars. The male of Typhlodromus occidentalis passed through a distinct deutonymph stage, as did the female. The average developmental time from egg to adult was 6.3 days at 75°F. The females mated once; the males several times. When ample numbers of tetranychid mites were present, they fed only as predators. In the absence of prey, the phytoseiids occasionally fed on pollen and apple foliage. Immature forms could not complete their development without spider mites as food. Adults would not lay eggs without feeding on mites, although they could survive for several weeks. They did not become cannibalistic, even when starved.
Characterization Of Partially Condensed Silica Formed From The Partial Hydrolysis Of Tmos

A stable mixture of partially condensed polysilicates is formed from the substoichiometric, acid catalysed hydrolysis of tetramethoxysilane [Si(OCH3)4] and the removal of the reaction- generated methanol by distillation. This mixture has been used as a precursor to make silica aerogels that show microstructural differences from base catalysed TMOS aerogels. In this paper, we report the analysis of this mixture for a determination of the type and distribution of the polysilicate species formed, and we include measurements of some physical properties of this fluid.
On Variation in the Blood Cells of Healthy Cattle

"The past quarter of a century is marked in medicine by the great advances made in the knowledge of the causes and nature of disease processes and in the acquisition of more delicate means of detecting the presence of these processes. The practitioner now has available many aids for making a diagnosis that were unheard of by the former generation. Among the recent methods of examination, that of the blood has taken a prominent place. It has been in general use among practitioners of human medicine for some years and is being used by veterinarians more and more each succeeding year. It should be more generally used by veterinarians. A study of the blood is undoubtedly of even greater importance in veterinary than in human practice for the veterinarian is necessarily restricted to the use of objective symptoms as he cannot communicate with his patients. Thus every kind of objective symptom is relatively more important than it is when both objective and subjective symptoms are available." These remarks are taken from the
Active Control of Wind Turbine Rotor Torsional Vibration

Transient and harmonic stresses in wind turbine rotor shafts contribute to gearbox failure. This paper investigates the reduction of rotor shaft torsional vibrations through active control of the generator torque. A 5 MW turbine model is used to test the procedure. A model of a permanent magnet synchronous generator is included as part of the wind turbine simulation. The simulations are carried out using the software FAST from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The PI and feedback linearized controller for the generator is derived together with the means for vibration isolation. Examples of steady, time varying, and turbulent wind are presented which all show significant reduction in the torsional oscillations.© 2013 ASME
Particulate Flow and Agglomeration in Food Extrusion

The fundamental principles of extrusion, as applied to food processing, are described. Basic extrusion theory, hardware, various commercial uses, and role of process and design parameters in specific food applications are provided. Innovations in food extrusion technology are enabling its rapid expansion and applicability in diverse areas related to bioprocessing and value addition. Ongoing research spans various cutting edge areas including nutrition and nanotechnology. As an example of ongoing extrusion research that aligns with the main theme of this book, a recent study is described that relates raw material particulate rheology to the granular flow regime in a single screw food extruder. Corn meal and corn flour were used as model particulate systems for the study. Various particulate-scale characteristics and flow parameters of these two materials were determined using a powder rheometer, which is a promising new off-line tool. Properties such as basic flow energy (10.3 mJ/g for corn flour versus 8.7 mJ/g for corn meal), specific energy (7.1 mJ/g versus 4.4 mJ/g), cohesion (1.9 kPa versus 0.8 kPa) and flow function (3.4 versus 10.2) were good indicators of flowability in an extruder. These results were validated in a particulate flow study involving the two model systems in a pilot-scale single screw extruder. Visualization data, obtained using a transparent Plexiglas window, confirmed that corn flour exhibited much higher flow impedance as compared to corn meal during extrusion. It was concluded that powder rheometry is a potentially valuable tool for design of screw metallurgy and geometry, although further studies are needed in this area.
Yield-point load determination by nonlinear programming

The determination of the yield-point load of a perfectly plastic structure can be formulated as a nonlinear programming problem by means of the theorems of limit analysis. This formulation is discussed in general terms and then applied to the problem of a curved beam. Recent results in the theory of nonlinear programming are called upon to solve typical problems for straight and curved beams. The theory of limit analysis enables intermediate answers to be given a physical interpretation in terms of upper and lower bounds on the yield-point load. The paper closes with some indication of how the method may be generalized to more complex problems of plastic yield-point load determination.
Regulation of cytokeratin expression in rat lung alveolar epithelial cells in vitro

Type II pneumocytes are the stem cells for the alveolar epithelium, proliferating and differentiating into type I cells during lung growth or after injury. The pattern of cytokeratin expression by type II cells in vitro has been linked to the state of differentiation of these cells. In particular, cytokeratin 19 expression has been associated with the type II cell phenotype. We now examine the roles of cell shape and cell-cell interactions in the regulation of cytokeratin expression by rat type II cells in vitro. Type II cell spreading and intercellular contacts were modulated by seeding cultures at high or low density (3.5 or 0.5 x 10(5) cells/cm2). When cultured at high density, cells demonstrated increased cytokeratin 19 protein synthesis and diminished cytokeratin 18 protein synthesis compared with highly spread cells at low density. This effect was a reflection of changes in the abundance of mRNAs for the individual cytokeratins. Alveolar epithelial cells at high density also formed extensive desmosomes between the cells. Desmosome formation was significantly decreased when cells were seeded at low density or in reduced (0.05 mM) calcium medium. Cytokeratin 19 mRNA and protein expression were also significantly decreased when desmosome formation was inhibited in reduced calcium medium, while calcium content of the medium had little effect on cytokeratin 18. These studies suggest that type II cell expression of cytokeratin 19, a differentiation-related cytokeratin, is regulated by factors influencing cell shape and intercellular contacts between epithelial cells. They further suggest that cell-cell interactions between epithelial cells may play a role in the modulation of epithelial cell phenotype.
Photooxidative Stability of Vitamin A Fortified 2% Lowfat Milk and Skim Milk

Lowfat milk and skim milk were fortified with either oil- or aqueous-based carrier blends of vitamins A and D, in 1-gal poly-ethylene containers, and illuminated up to 72 h with 1080 1× (100 ft-c) at 5°C in a commercial display case. Vitamin A measurments and sensory analyses showed that vitamin A was more stable in 2% lowfat milk than in skim milk regardless of the carrier. The aqueous-based carrier provided more stability in lowfat milk while the oil-based carrier gave more stability in skim milk. Skim milk fortified with the aqueous-based vitamin A had 69% loss, while the unexposed control exhibited only 15% loss of the vitamin. Off-flavors were evident after 6 h in light-exposed 2% lowfat milk with the oil-based vitamin A, but the same milk with aqueous-based vitamin A did not exhibit off-flavors until after 12 h. Both 2% lowfat and skim milk samples exposed to light received similar lowered preference scores compared to nonexposed control samples. When both fortified and nonfortified 2% lowfat and skim milk samples were tasted after exposure to light, the flavor was not significantly different, but were in the unacceptable range.
Chapter 12 – Synthesis of Heat-Induced Separation Networks for Condensation of Volatile Organic Compounds

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with the optimal design of heat-induced separation networks (HISENs). This class of separations involves the use of energy-separating agents to induce separations. Examples of HISENs include condensation, crystallization, and drying. The VOC-condensation system involves three units. The initial step is to cool the stream to a temperature slightly above the freezing point of water, to dehumidify the gas to prevent detrimental icing effects in subsequent stages. Next, the stream is cooled to recover the VOC. The temperature is an optimization variable. To utilize the cooling capacity of the gaseous stream, it is recycled back to the system for heat integration. The remaining cooling duty is accomplished by a refrigerant. The primary objective of the VOC-condensation system is to meet mass-recovery objectives. But, since heat is a key element in realizing the mass objectives, the mass and heat interactions of the problem have to be identified and reconciled. This can be achieved by converting the VOC-recovery task from a mass-transfer to a heat-transfer duty, by relating the composition of the VOC to the temperature of the gaseous waste. The design procedure starts by identifying the minimum utility cost for a given heat-transfer driving force. Next, the fixed and operating costs are traded off by iterating over the driving forces until the minimum total annualized cost is attained. Once the minimum utility cost has been identified, trade-offs between operating and fixed costs must be established. Next, the minimum approach temperatures are altered, until the minimum total annualized cost is identified.
Hypotonia and Poor Feeding in a Newborn

A term infant has hypotonia and bilateral undescended testes ### Prenatal History ### Birth History and Presentation The infant was delivered via vaginal vertex route and required minimal resuscitation. Apgar scores were 9 at 1 and 5 minutes. The birthweight was 2,698 g. Soon after delivery, the infant appeared to be lethargic and hypotonic with no real cry. Brief physical examination revealed bilateral undescended testes. ### Vital Signs ### Physical Examination
Predictors of relapse and evaluation of the role of postoperative radiation therapy in a modern series of patients with surgically resected stage III (N2) non–small cell lung cancer

Abstract Purpose For patients with stage III (N2) non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with surgical resection, postoperative chemotherapy improves overall survival (OS), but the role of postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) is controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate risk factors for local-regional recurrence and to evaluate the impact of PORT on local-regional control (LRC) and OS in a modern series of patients with surgically resected stage III (N2) NSCLC. Methods and materials A retrospective review was performed of patients with Stage III (N2) NSCLC who underwent curative intent resection at our institution between February 1999 and January 2012. OS, LRC, and metastasis-free survival were estimated from the date of surgery using the Kaplan Meier method. Results A total of 71 patients were included in the study. Patient median age was 63 years. Histology was adenocarcinoma in 69% of patients. Pretreatment positron emission tomography/computed tomography staging was performed for 90% of patients, and preoperative chemotherapy was administered in 23%. The rate of R0 resection was 96%. Forty-one patients (58%) received PORT and the median PORT dose was 50 Gy (range, 41.4-60 Gy). The median follow-up time for living patients was 5.0 years. Five-year OS for all patients was 66%. OS at 5 years for patients who received PORT compared with patients who did not receive PORT was 71% versus 60%, respectively (hazard ratio [HR], 0.61; 95% CI, 0.30-1.44; P = .28). LRC at 5 years for patients who received PORT compared with patients who did not receive PORT was 89% versus 76%, respectively (HR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.13-1.45; P = .17). Factors associated with decreased LRC were male sex ( P = .011) and primary tumor (pT) stage (pT3/4 vs. pT1/2, P = .006). Metastasis-free survival at 5 years for patients who received PORT compared with those who did not receive PORT was 62% versus 63%, respectively (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.51-2.40; P = .86). Conclusions In this modern series of patients with resected stage III (N2) NSCLC, patients who received PORT had higher rates of OS and LRC, but these differences were not statistically significant.
The Trend Toward Latin American Economic Integration

Revolutionary developments in the patterns of world trade have taken place during the past five years, and Latin America is no exception. This article discusses the effects of the Latin American Free Trade Association, the Central American Common Market, and the Inter-American Development Bank on the economic integration of Latin America.
Assessing the value of information in residential building simulation: Comparing simulated and actual building loads at the circuit level

Abstract Building energy simulation tools are now being used in a number of new roles such as building operation optimization, performance verification for efficiency programs, and – recently – building energy code analysis, design, and compliance verification in the residential sector. But increasing numbers of studies show major differences between the results of these simulations and the actual measured performance of the buildings they are intended to model. The accuracy and calibration of building simulations have been studied extensively in the commercial sector, but these new applications have created a need to better understand the performance of home energy simulations. In this paper, we assess the ability of the DOE’s EnergyPlus software to simulate the energy consumption of 106 homes using audit records, homeowner survey records, and occupancy estimates taken from monitored data. We compare the results of these simulations to device-level monitored data from the actual homes to provide a first measure of the accuracy of the EnergyPlus condensing unit, central air supply fan, and other energy consumption model estimates in a large number of homes. We then conduct sensitivity analysis to observe which physical and behavioral characteristics of the homes and homeowners most influence the accuracy of the modeling. Results show that EnergyPlus models do not accurately or consistently estimate occupied whole-home energy consumption. While some models accurately predict annual energy consumption to within 1% of measured data, none of the modeled homes meet ASHRAE criteria for a calibrated model when looking at hourly interval data. The majority of this error is due to appliance and lighting energy overestimates, followed by AC condensing unit use. These inaccuracies are due to factors such as occupant behaviors and differences in appliance and lighting stocks which are not well-captured in traditional energy audit reports. We identify a number of factors which must be specified for an accurate model, and others where using a default value will produce a similar result. The use of building simulation tools reflects a shift from a component-focused approach to a systems approach to residential code analysis and compliance verification that will serve to better identify and deploy efficiency measures in homes. By better understanding the limitations of home energy simulations and adopting strategies to mitigate the effects of model errors, simulation models can serve as valuable decision making tools in the residential sector.
Analysis of Subjective Ordinal Responses in Mixture Experiments

Problem: This case study involves a mixture experiment with three components where the primary response, fragrance intensity, is subjectively evaluated by 40 fragrance experts using a seven-point i...
An exploratory study of blending the virtual world and the laboratory experience in secondary chemistry classrooms

Abstract Research suggests that serious educational games may support learning of microscopic phenomena by making the invisible visible. The current study presents a novel instructional approach that blends a traditional lab experience with a serious educational game (SEG) to engage students with the hands-on laboratory experience while examining the molecular level mechanisms that cause the phenomena. We conducted a mixed methods study to examine teacher use of the blended reality environment (BRE) that utilizes a real-time data capture system and the learning gains associated with use of the BRE with chemistry students (n = 578) in a public high school in the southeast. The results demonstrate that students who experienced the blended reality environment (a) experienced significantly higher learning gains than students who experienced the business as usual (BAU) condition and (b) improved on specific scientific practices outlined in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) by practicing science skills in an authentic environment as scientists do. Analysis also reveals the explanatory power of examining student interaction within the BRE. Thematic analysis of teacher interviews identified three strengths of the BRE environment: (a) a coherent explanation of scientific phenomena, (2) an authentic science inquiry, and (3) a connection between the student and teacher within the learning environment.
Study on effect of DFIG on small signal stability of power system with high share wind power

Wind power is experiencing rapid development and the share of wind power is increasing fast. The effect on power system small signal stability caused by high share wind power has got more and more concern. At first, the model of mechanical systems and electrical control system of DFIG is established in the simulation software DIgSILENT/PowerFactory. After building IEEE 3-machines 9-buses system, the effect of DFIG on power system small signal stability is simulated. Then, based on the simulation results, the cause that DFIG affect the small signal stability of power system is analyzed. At the last, an improved pitch angle control strategy is put forward. By adding an additional controller, this strategy can indirectly increase the damping of the power system and improve the dynamic stability of power system with high share wind power.
Newspaper Coverage of Christianity in South Korea, 1996-2005

This study analyzes a sample of 2,614 news articles dealing with religions published in Chosun Ilbo from 1996 to 2005, focusing on how this major newspaper covered Christianity in terms of its tone...
Early Morbidity and Mortality after Minimally Invasive Liver Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: a Propensity-Score Matched Comparison with Open Resection.

The impact of minimally invasive surgery on the short-term outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing liver resection remains poorly defined. The ACS-NSQIP-targeted hepatectomy database was used to identify patients who underwent liver resection for HCC during 2014–2016. A 1:1 propensity score matching was created between patients who underwent open (OLR) vs. minimally invasive liver resection (MILR) based on age, ASA score, liver resection type, liver texture, and stage of disease. The short-term outcomes of patients undergoing OLR vs. MILR were compared. Among a total cohort of 1816 patients, propensity score matching resulted in 728 liver resections: 364 (50%) OLR and 364 (50%) MILR. Overall morbidity (29% vs. 23%, P = 0.04) was greater among patients undergoing OLR compared with MILR, whereas mortality did not differ between the two approaches (2% vs 1%, P = 0.57). MILR was associated with significant reductions in hospital LOS (6 vs. 4 days, P 200 min (OR:1.8, 95%CI: 1.2–2.5, P = 0.0011), and OLR (OR:1.4, 95%CI: 1.002–2.03, P = 0.04) were associated with increased odds of overall morbidity. MILR for HCC is associated with a shorter hospital LOS and reduced postoperative complication rates, even after controlling for important patient and clinicopathologic confounders, compared to OLR. Efforts to expand the use of MILR for hepatobiliary surgery are warranted.
The meanings of racist and sexist trash talk for men of color: A cultural sociological approach to studying gaming culture:

Scholars have documented how people of color experience gaming culture as violent, yet it is unclear how this violence shapes conceptualizations of gaming culture. Undertaking a cultural sociologic...
A normalized-cut algorithm for hierarchical vector field data segmentation

In the context of vector field data visualization, it is often desirable to construct a hierarchical data representation. One possibility to construct a hierarchy is based on clustering vectors using certain similarity criteria. We combine two fundamental approaches to cluster vectors and construct hierarchical vector field representations. For clustering, a locally constructed linear least-squares approximation is incorporated into a similarity measure that considers both Euclidean distance between point pairs (for which dependent vector data are given) and difference in vector values. A modified normalized cut (NC) method is used to obtain a near-optimal clustering of a given discrete vector field data set. To obtain a hierarchical representation, the NC method is applied to simple, analytically defined vector fields as well as discrete vector field data generated by turbulent flow simulation. Our test results indicate that our proposed adaptation of the original NC method is a promising method as it leads to segmentation results that capture the qualitative and topological nature of the vector field data.
Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Vietnam Veterans

To heal from war requires time and understanding. Today appropriate treatment modalities for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Vietnam veterans continue to be debated. Advocating a particular approach is dependent upon clinical and theoretical points of view, therapeutic and diagnostic skills, conceptualizations about posttrauma psychiatric sequelae, therapeutic needs and treatment objectives, and countertransference issues and dynamics about the trauma of the Vietnam war and the personnel who were sent to fight it (Wilson, 1989; Parson, 1988). In this chapter, I will present one perspective about the treatment of PTSD among Vietnam veterans: comprehensive, holistic peer-group approach. The aftermath of the impact of the Persian Gulf War and “Operation Desert Storm” should be a pointed reminder to us all. Most of the dynamics, issues, and strategies discussed in this chapter transcend various eras of war as well as generational and national boundaries; they are applicable to a range of war-related and civilian trauma (Scurfield, 1992; Scurfield & Tice, 1992).
Acceptability of implementing community-based drug checking services for people who use drugs in three United States cities: Baltimore, Boston and Providence.

Abstract Background North America is experiencing a rising trend of opioid overdose exacerbated primarily in recent years through adulteration of the heroin supply with fentanyl and its analogues. The east coast of the United States has been particularly hard hit by the epidemic. In three east coast states of Maryland, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, fentanyl has been detected in over half of all overdoses with available toxicology screens. To determine the acceptability of drug checking involving fentanyl test strips (FTS) or other technologies among those at high risk for overdose, we assessed correlates of intention to utilize such services and logistical preferences among people who use drugs (PWUD). Methods Through FORECAST (the Fentanyl Overdose REduction Checking Analysis STudy), street-based PWUD (N = 334) were recruited in Baltimore, Maryland, Boston, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island. Questionnaires 7were administered from June to October 2017 and ascertained drug use, overdose history, fentanyl knowledge, and drug checking intent and logistical preferences. Pearson’s χ2 and logistic regression determined factors associated with drug checking intent. Results Overall, 84% were concerned about fentanyl, 63% had ever overdosed, and 42% had ever witnessed a fatal overdose. Ninety percent felt drug checking would help them prevent an overdose, the majority of those interested would utilize drug checking at least daily (54%). Factors independently associated with intent to use drug checking included: older age (aOR: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.3–1.8); homelessness (aOR: 0.6, 95% CI: 0.5–0.7); being non-white (aOR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.0–4.0); witnessing ≥1 fatal overdose (aOR: 1.6, 95% CI:1.1–2.3); and suspected recent fentanyl exposure (aOR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1–3.1). Conclusions The majority of PWUD endorsed drug checking for overdose prevention, with intent amplified by having witnessed a fatal overdose and recent fentanyl exposure. Drug checking should be part of a comprehensive approach to address the risks associated with the proliferation of fentanyl.