cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electromigration failure model: its application to W plug and Al-filled vias

Abstract For Al–Cu VLSI interconnects at tungsten (W) plug contact/via areas, a new electromigration (EM) failure model has been established. A series of experiments was performed to verify the proposed model using novel test structures. This paper discusses the lifetime extrapolations using the model and experimental data which predicts that lifetimes of Al–Cu interconnects at use conditions are dominated by Cu drift, or incubation times. This paper also discusses EM experimental results obtained for the Al-filled via which is a promising candidate for replacing W plug vias due to requirements of process simplification and cost reduction in multilevel metallizations. EM failure distributions from Al-filled vias show large standard deviations. This observation is explained through extensive failure analysis of EM-failed specimens. The application of the established EM model to Al-filled vias is discussed.
Studies on the regulation of the three enzymes of the leloir pathway in cultured mammalian cells II. A Search for quantitative interrelationships between the three enzymes activities

Studies on a normal human diploid cell strain revealed that the specific activity of the cell protein, for each of the three enzymes of the Leloir pathway, changed significantly as the cells grew. The kinetics of change in specific activity varied according to the enzyme being studied, and the kinetics for each enzyme varied from experiment to experiment. Within each experiment, there was no consistent correlation between specific activity for any one enzyme and specific activity for the other two. The ratios between the specific activities did not tend to remain constant as the absolute levels of specific activity changed. Hence, the activities did not behave coordinately. The kinetics of change in these ratios varied from experiment to experiment. The failure of galactose to stimulate increased cellular activity for the three enzymes (shown in the preceding paper), and the absence of a coordinate relationship between the activities, represent a striking difference between the behavior of these enzymes in human diploid cell strains and their behavior in E. coli.
An Assessment of Programming Languages in Power Engineering Applications

Abstract Fast solution speeds, accurate results, an easily comprehended man-machine interface, and intelligent decision-making capabilities are the major programming requirements in power engineering. No single language is powerful enough to handle all the requirements. In this paper, an assessment of three languages — Fortran, Pascal, and C — applied in power engineering is presented. The assessment is based on how the characteristics of each language match the factors considered to be important in the specific application. The abilities of the languages to handle numerical operations, user interfaces, and text processing are discussed and compared. Other factors such as readability, modularity, ability to interface with other languages, and software availability of the languages are also discussed.
Mayer–Rokitansky–Küster–Hauser anomaly and its associated malformations

Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKHA) is a malformation complex comprising absent vagina and absent or rudimentary uterus. The aim of our study was to describe the type and frequency of anomalies associated with the MRKHA. Between 1975 and 2002, 25 patients with a diagnosis of MRKHA were identified at the Mayo Clinic. These charts were reviewed retrospectively. Two of the 25 patients were found to have absence of one ovary and two patients had unilateral oophorectomies performed for benign cysts. Four patients had minor anomalies and two had digital anomalies. The frequency of scoliosis (20%), unilateral renal agenesis (28%), non-vertebral skeletal anomalies (16%) and of the MURCS association (Mullerian agenesis, renal agenesis/ectopia and cervical somite dysgenesis), 16%, was similar compared to that of other published studies. Vertebral abnormalities were found more frequently in our patients (44%). Four patients had cardiac defects, an anomaly not previously described, including truncus arteriosus, patent ductus arteriosus and patent foramen ovale, mitral valve prolapse, and mild mitral regurgitation. We document cardiac anomalies in 16% of our patients with MRKHA suggesting that a search for associated anomalies including cardiac defects is indicated in all such patients.
Properties and subcellular distribution of Δ4 -steroid (progesterone) 5α-reductase in rat anterior pituitary

The properties and subcellular distribution of anterior pituitary Δ4-steroid (progesterone) 5α-reductase, which stimulates the conversion of progesterone to 5α-pregnane-3,20-dione, have been investigated utilizing 3H-substrate and a reverse isotopic dilution assay system. The enzymic activity was stimulated by NADPH but not NADH and exhibited a Km of 2.7±0.9×10−7 M for progesterone. The substrate specificity of the enzyme for other Δ4-3-ketosteroids and the effect of estradiol-17β were also studied. 20α-hydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one was more reactive than progesterone, while testosterone was less reactive. Estradiol-17β in vitro had an inhibitory effect on the 5α-reduction of progesterone. Studies on the subcellular distribution of the 5α-reductase activity indicate that the bulk of the activity was widely distributed amongst particulates sedimenting at 1,000, 15,000 and 100,000xg; with the 15,000xg pellet containing the most enzymic activity. The 100,000xg supernatant possessed only a small fraction of the total activity. After further fractionation of the l,000xg pellet, the activity was distributed equally between the purified nuclear and cell debris-membranes fractions.
Multiple soliton solutions for some (3 + 1)-dimensional nonlinear models generated by the Jaulent-Miodek hierarchy

Abstract In this work we study four (3+1)-dimensional nonlinear evolution equations, generated by the Jaulent–Miodek hierarchy. We derive multiple soliton solutions for each equation by using the Hereman–Nuseir form, a simplified form of the Hirota’s method. The obtained soliton solutions are characterized by distinct phase shifts.
Ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation: preliminary findings and implications for cancer patients

Cancer treatment modalities are increasingly more effective in achieving complete remission and cure. Aggressive chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as well as bone marrow transplantation, results in >90% cure in many cancers of children and young women. As a result of this success however, a new problem has arisen. Many young women survive to live the rest of their lives in menopause, and have no chance of conceiving on their own. Oocyte cryopreservation has resulted in a handful of pregnancies, but the technique may not be applicable to young women and children. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation has emerged against this background, first in successful rodent studies, and then in sheep and human ovarian xenograft studies. Because of the encouraging results with animals and xenografts, a human ovarian transplantation trial was launched. Pelvic auto-transplantation of frozen-banked ovarian tissue resulted in ovulation in one patient. Several other patients received fresh grafts subcutaneously, and preliminary results indicated antral follicle development at least in one patient. With the addition of promising data from humans, ovarian tissue cryopreservation from selected patients before cancer treatment, and in those requiring oophorectomy for benign causes, is now advocated.
Ritual and Oratory Revisited: The Semiotics of Effective Action

Scholars have converged on a theory that ritual involves poetically dense figuration of macrocosmic order in microcosmic action. I illustrate this by surveying work on how ritual and oratory involve coordination of action across multiple semiotic media. I review at greater length the “poetic density” theory's interest in how ritual and oratory causally shape people's worlds, and the theory's interest in the edginess of ritual as a site of articulation between actors with disparate political positionalities. Much scholarship now examines norms of the pragmatics of sign use (not just signification's semantics, so to speak) as being of a piece with the poetic, figurational organization of ritual and oratorical processes. This turn of attention is important for understanding what it means that ritual seems to be action about the organization of action itself. A final element in ritual and oratory's poetic density surveyed here is their nesting in culturally variable ideologies of ritual and oratorical genres ...
The capacity of zones in density-gardient centrifugation

Abstract 1. 1. Previous attempts to match density gradients with the quantity of material carried by a stable zone were not successful. However, Berman 6 re-examined this problem and developed a model based on large particles in which the effects of particle diffusion are assumed to be negligible in comparison with other gradient and sample parameters. 2. 2. Tests of this model show that it is reasonably reliable in predicting the amount of material a zone defined width can carry on a set gradient. Following from this, it is possible to indicate the effect that gradient perturbations have on zonal shapes.
Manipulation of the hepcidin pathway for therapeutic purposes

Hepcidin, the liver-produced peptide hormone, is a principal regulator of iron homeostasis. Abnormal hepcidin production has emerged as a causative factor in several common iron disorders. Hepcidin insufficiency results in iron overload in hereditary hemochromatosis and iron-loading anemias, whereas hepcidin excess causes or contributes to the development of iron-restricted anemias in inflammatory diseases, infections, some cancers and chronic kidney disease. Not surprisingly, hepcidin and related pathways have become the target for the development of novel therapeutics for iron disorders. In this review, we will summarize the strategies and development programs that have been devised for agonizing or antagonizing hepcidin and its receptor ferroportin.
The hardwiring of development: organization and function of genomic regulatory systems

The gene regulatory apparatus that directs development is encoded in the DNA, in the form of organized arrays of transcription factor target sites. Genes are regulated by interactions with multiple transcription factors and the target sites for the transcription factors required for the control of each gene constitute its cis-regulatory system. These systems are remarkably complex. Their hardwired internal organization enables them to behave as genomic information processing systems. Developmental gene regulatory networks consist of the cis-regulatory systems of all the relevant genes and the regulatory linkages amongst them. Though there is yet little explicit information, some general properties of genomic regulatory networks have become apparent. The key to understanding how genomic regulatory networks are organized, and how they work, lies in experimental analysis of cis-regulatory systems at all levels of the regulatory network.
Antimicrobial Actions of Hexachlorophene: Lysis and Fixation of Bacterial Protoplasts

Abstract Hexachlorophene was found to be both a lytic and a fixative agent for protoplasts isolated from Bacillus megaterium. Concentrations of 50 to 100 μg of drug per mg of original cell dry weight were required to lyse 4.4 × 109 protoplasts (2 mg of original cell dry weight). At higher drug concentrations, protoplasts became fixed against osmotic stress and reduced in sensitivity to disruption by n-butanol. Lower drug concentrations caused proportionate lysis in the protoplast population. Intact cells lost the ability to become plasmolyzed at these same hexachlorophene concentrations. Nonplasmolyzed, drug-treated cells were resistant to the action of lysozyme, whereas plasmolyzed, drug-treated cells were sensitive. But the sensitivity of isolated cell walls to lysozyme digestion was not markedly altered by hexachlorophene treatment. These effects appeared to be secondary in the killing of cells by hexachlorophene because they occurred at concentrations higher than the minimum lethal concentration.
G. A. COHEN ON SELF-OWNERSHIP, PROPERTY, AND'EQUALITY

Abstract G.A. Cohen has produced an influential criticism of libertarian‐ism that posits joint ownership of everything in the world other than labor, with each joint owner having a veto right over any potential use of the world. According to Cohen, in that world rationality would require that wealth be divided equally, with no differential accorded to talent, ability, or effort. A closer examination shows that Cohen's argument rests on two central errors of reasoning and does not support his egalitarian conclusions, even granting his assumption of joint ownership. That assumption was rejected by Locke, Pufendorf and other writers on property for reasons that Cohen does not rebut.
A useful approximation and simple scaling laws for predicting ion—dipole capture cross sections and rate coefficients

Abstract A useful analytical approximation for ion—dipole capture cross sections is reviewed and used to obtain capture coefficients. Numerical scaling laws for obtaining cross sections from new numerical data are outlined. The results are compared with the predictions of Su and Bowers which are in good agreement with experiment even though certain of their assumptions are in conflict with numerical trajectory results.
Trends in Cohabitation Outcomes: Compositional Changes and Engagement Among Never‐Married Young Adults

Cohabitation is now the modal first union for young adults, and most marriages are preceded by cohabitation even as fewer cohabitations transition to marriage. These contrasting trends may be due to compositional shifts among cohabiting unions, which are increasingly heterogeneous in terms of cohabitation order, engagement, and the presence of children, as well as across socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. The author constructs 5-year cohabitation cohorts for 18- to 34-year-olds from the 2002 and 2006–2010 cycles of the National Survey of Family Growth (n = 17,890 premarital cohabitations) to examine the outcomes of cohabitations over time. Compared to earlier cohabitations, those formed after 1995 were more likely to dissolve, and those formed after 2000 were less likely to transition to marriage even after accounting for the compositional shifts among individuals in cohabiting unions. Higher instability and decreased chances of marriage occurred among both engaged and non-engaged individuals, suggesting society-wide changes in cohabitation over time.
An information perspective on path dependence

This paper proposes an information perspective on path dependence. From this perspective, historical paths are important insofar as knowledge about them shapes current decisions, for better or worse. A key consideration is the extent to which relevant information is fully inscribed in the existing configuration of state variables, including organizational structures and institutional norms. Using a chess analogy, path dependency arises whenever a decision maker's ‘move’ depends not only upon existing state variables, but also knowledge of the path by which this configuration came about. This chess analogy is then extended to various institutional contexts such as legal expungement of criminal records, patient privacy rights, and corporate executive succession strategies. A formal notation is introduced to specify this definition more precisely, and to compare it with other perspectives on path dependency, such as lock-in effects, increasing returns to scale, ergodic equilibria, and generalized notions that ‘history matters’.
Melanotic Mutants in Drosophila: Pathways and Phenotypes

Mutations in >30 genes that regulate different pathways and developmental processes are reported to cause a melanotic phenotype in larvae. The observed melanotic masses were generally linked to the hemocyte-mediated immune response. To investigate whether all black masses are associated with the cellular immune response, we characterized melanotic masses from mutants in 14 genes. We found that the melanotic masses can be subdivided into melanotic nodules engaging the hemocyte-mediated encapsulation and into melanizations that are not encapsulated by hemocytes. With rare exception, the encapsulation is carried out by lamellocytes. Encapsulated nodules are found in the hemocoel or in association with the lymph gland, while melanizations are located in the gut, salivary gland, and tracheae. In cactus mutants we found an additional kind of melanized mass containing various tissues. The development of these tissue agglomerates is dependent on the function of the dorsal gene. Our results show that the phenotype of each mutant not only reflects its connection to a particular genetic pathway but also points to the tissue-specific role of the individual gene.
A transposable element is domesticated for service in the plant immune system

Genomes continue to surprise us with the diversity of mechanisms involved in gene regulation. Sequencing of the Arabidopsis genome 13 y ago revealed transposable elements (TEs) distributed throughout the genome. TEs were characterized nearly 70 y ago by maize geneticist Barbara McClintock, who named them “controlling elements” for their activity in regulating aleurone color genes and chromosomal breakage (1). TEs are rife in plant genomes; their necessary inactivation via heterochromatin formation is an epigenetic phenomenon that can spill over into adjacent chromosomal regions. Although many TEs appear inert, some retain primary or vestigial functions, and others have even been adapted to confer novel functions. In PNAS, Tsuchiya and Eulgem (2) provide a fascinating example of how a retrotransposon has been domesticated to control expression of a plant immune system surveillance gene and highlight a unique mode of action through which TEs can regulate activity of protein-coding genes.
Object-Spatial Imagery: A New Self-Report Imagery Questionnaire

SUMMARY A new instrument, the Object-Spatial Imagery Questionnaire (OSIQ), was designed to assess individual differences in visual imagery preferences and experiences. The OSIQ consists of two scales: an object imagery scale that assesses preferences for representing and processing colourful, pictorial, and high-resolution images of individual objects and a spatial imagery scale that assesses preferences for representing and processing schematic images, spatial relations amongst objects, and spatial transformations. Across a series of studies, the object imagery scale was significantly correlated with the performance on object imagery tasks; the spatial imagery scale was significantly correlated with the performance on spatial imagery tasks; but neither correlated with measures of intelligence. Additionally, compared to visual artists and humanities professionals, scientists reported higher spatial imagery ratings; however, compared to scientists and humanities professionals, visual artists reported higher object imagery ratings. Thus, the results from the studies supported the predictive, discriminant, and ecological validity of the OSIQ. Copyright # 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Investigation of heat sink attach methodologies and the effects on package structural integrity and interconnect reliability of the 119-lead plastic ball grid array

An experimental study was performed to investigate various heat sinks and attach methods commercially available for the high-performance 119-lead plastic ball grid array (PBGA) package. Attach methods investigated in this study include a pressure-sensitive adhesive, mechanical clips, and thermally conductive adhesives. This work will show the effects of heat sink attach methods on the package structural integrity and solder ball interconnect reliability. This work is necessary to better provide total solutions for customers who will need to dissipate high levels of power from this package. The heat sinks were attached to the 119-lead PBGA packages which were mounted on multi-layer printed-circuit boards. These assemblies were then subjected to accelerated-life testing (ALT) using air-to-air thermal cycling between 0/spl deg/C and 100/spl deg/C to determine the effect of attaching heat sinks to the packages on the electrical reliability of the solder joint connection. Besides interconnect reliability, ALT was used to determine the effect of thermal cycling on the reliability of the heat sink attach mechanism. The heat sink attach mechanisms were tested by three different methods. The first was to simply observe the heat sinks to see if they fall off during thermal cycling. Mechanical shock tests then were performed using a package drop tester. Samples that underwent 1000, 2000, and 11400 thermal cycles, as well as no thermal cycling, were subjected to this test. Finally, shear strength tests using a constant strain-rate mechanical testing machine were performed on the packages with heat sinks attached using adhesives. Several modes of failure appeared in the experiments. These failures included extremely low interconnect life in thermal cycling, heat sink detachment during drop tests and during thermal cycling, and low adhesion strength in shear tests. While some attachment methods were obviously not suitable, others provided robust solutions to the heat sink attachment problem.
Clinical laboratory immunology: the future.

Preparation for the future has two elements. One is to look at the dynamics operating at the present time to estimate where these are heading. The second is to have an open but prepared mind to discern important new elements that will arise to impact on the practice of clinical laboratory immunology. The future is going to be a foreign land, as has been pointed out by Herbert Hooijkaas (1). The language will be different from that which we are used to. The terms of reference will be different. The areas of importance will be different and the assumptions of professional knowledge and responsibility may be different. Clearly, meeting the conditions required for successful performance and communication in a foreign land or era will require continual attention. Readiness to learn as well as preparation in the basics will be needed for effective participation in the future world.
Complete Logic Functionality of Reconfigurable RTD Circuit Elements

Innovative nanoscale devices have been developed to enhance future circuit design to overcome physical barriers hindering the CMOS technology. Among the emerging nanodevices, resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) have demonstrated promising electronic features due to their high-speed switching capability and functional versatility. Great circuit functionality can be achieved through integrating heterostructure FETs (HFETs) in conjunction with RTDs to modulate effective negative differential resistance. In this paper, we propose novel programmable logic elements (PLEs) implemented in threshold gates (TGs) and multithreshold TGs by exploring RTD/HFET monostable-bistable transition logic element (MOBILE) principles. Our three-input PLE can be configured through five binary control bits to realize all the three-variable logic functions, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the first single RTD-based structure that provides complete Boolean logic implementation. It is also a more efficient reconfigurable circuit element than a general lookup table that requires eight configuration bits for three-variable functions. We further extend the design concept to construct a more versatile four-input PLE. A comprehensive comparison of three- and four-input PLEs provides an insightful view of design tradeoffs between performance and area. We present the mathematical proof of PLE's logic completeness based on Shannon expansion, as well as the HSPICE simulation results of the programmable and primitive RTD/HFET gates that we have designed. An efficient control bit generating algorithm is developed by using a special encoding scheme to implement any given logic function. Based on our PLE structures, we propose a reconfigurable architecture, namely MORE, which offers dynamic reconfigurability without incurring latency overheads, due to the intrinsic self-latching property of MOBILE circuits. An efficient reconfiguration data generation algorithm is also built to take full advantage of our MORE architecture. The experimental results indicate that it can help reduce the reconfiguration cost by 37% on average.
Hydrothermal synthesis of perovskite materials: Thermodynamic modeling and experimental verification

Abstract A comprehensive thermodynamic model of hydrothermal reactions has been developed to predict the optimum conditions for synthesizing perovskite ferroelectric compounds. The model indicates the ranges of reagent concentrations, pH and temperature for which the desired product can be synthesized with the highest possible yield. The synthesis conditions for the Sr-Ti system have been compared with those for the Ba-Ti system. The predictions have been experimentally verified. As a result, phase-pure SrTiO3 has been obtained using Sr(NO3)2 or Sr(OH)2·8H2O as sources of strontium and hydrous and anhydrous TiO2 as a source of titanium.
Measuring Children’s Vertical Ground Reaction Forces with Accelerometry during Walking, Running, and Jumping: The Iowa Bone Development Study

Ground reaction forces (GRF) are associated with bone hypertrophy; therefore, they are important to understanding physical activity’s role in children’s bone health. In this study, we examined the ability of accelerometry to predict vertical GRF in 40 children (mean age 8.6 yr) during slow walking, brisk walking, running, and jumping. Correlation coefficients between accelerometry-derived movement counts and GRF were moderate to high and significant during walking and running, but not during jumping. Given a large proportion of children’s daily physical activity involves ambulation, accelerometry should be useful as a research method in bone-related research. However, this method underestimates GRF during jumping, an important physical activity for bone modeling and remodeling.
DESIGNER DEFINITES IN LOGICAL FORM

In this paper, we represent singular definite noun phrases as functions in logical form. This representation is designed to model the behaviors of both anaphoric and non-anaphoric, distributive definites. It is also designed to obey the computational constraints suggested in Harper [Har88]. Our initial representation of a definite places an upper bound on its behavior given its structure and location in a sentence. Later, when ambiguity is resolved, the precise behavior of the definite is pinpointed.
Orthophosphate; effect on the relative stability of aragonite and magnesian calcite during early diagenesis

ABSTRACT Recent, shallow-marine carbonate sands are composed primarily of aragonite and magnesian calcite. During subsequent subaerial exposure of such sediments, these mineral phases are progressively transformed to calcite and/or dolomite. Consistent with their relative thermodynamic stability, magnesian calcites are usually altered first, followed by aragonite. Adsorbed orthophosphate, in micromolar levels, has been found to inhibit strongly the dissolution of biogenic magnesian calcites, but does not affect the dissolution of aragonite. The presence of sufficient levels of orthophosphate could thus change the direction of early carbonate diagenesis and permit the preferential dissolution of aragonite. An example of one area where this process appears to be taking place is at Boiler Bay, St Croix, U.S.V.I. Here, variation in composition of beach sediments and pore waters in the backbeach area indicates early, preferential dissolution of aragonite in a sand initially containing roughly equal amounts of aragonite and magnesian calcite. Levels of dissolved and adsorbed phosphate at this site appear sufficient to inhibit magnesian calcite dissolution. Additional work needs to be done, however, to evaluate the role of other potential inhibitory agents at this beach and in other coastal carbonate systems. The potential effect of orthophosphate as an inhibitor should be greatest in systems where there is terrestrial production and input of phosphate into the zone of diagenesis and where waters are only slightly undersaturated with respect to magnesian calcite and aragonite.
Status of the quadrupoles for RHIC

The proposed Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (THIC) requires 408 regular arc quadrupoles. Two full-size prototypes have been constructed and tested. The construction uses the single-layer, collarless concept which has been successful in the RHIC dipoles. Both the magnets attained short sample current, which is 60% higher than the operating current. This corresponds to a gradient of 113 T/m with a clear bore of 80 mm. The preliminary field measurements are in agreement with the calculations with the exception of an unexpectedly large skew sample. >
Ultralow-threshold electrically pumped quantum-dot photonic-crystal nanocavity laser

Researchers demonstrate continuous-wave lasing from a quantum dot photonic crystal nanocavity at temperatures of up to 150 K. The achieved lasing thresholds of 181 nA (at 50 K) and 287 nA (at 150 K) are record-lows for any type of electrically pumped laser.
Combining benefits-based management with ecosystem management for landscape planning: Leech Lake watershed, Minnesota

Abstract As more people move to rural areas, incorporating the diverse values they hold for the landscape becomes a greater challenge for landscape planners and managers. This study attempts to develop a better understanding of rural residents’ landscape values within an ecosystem and benefits-management context. Using a two-phase approach, researchers first conducted three focus/nominal group meetings to identify valued ecological features in the Leech Lake watershed (LLW) of northern Minnesota, benefits they attain from the watershed, and changes they would like to see to the planning and management of the region. Next researchers purposely sampled LLW stakeholders to measure their attitudes and values for the role of nature in their community, valued ecological features, potential landscape benefits, and potential planning and management changes. Results show stakeholders value the natural ecosystem and experiential benefits associated with nature, but they also indicate values directly tied to their community. Future planning of the LLW must focus on sustaining ecosystem-related experiential benefits in an area faced with a growing population. Increased collaboration with locals appears to be the most supported strategy to achieve this difficult goal.
A modeling cross-spectral analysis technique based on the Prony Spectral Line Estimator (PSLE)

The Cross-Prony Spectral Line Estimator (XPSLE) is proposed for spectral comparison of short data records. Basic theory is discussed. The XPSLE method is tested on pairs of synthetic data records and is shown to be sensitive to disparity of spectral content. Application to analysis of arteriolar vasomotion is discussed. >
A Matrix-Friendly Formulation of Layered Medium Green's Function

In this letter, we have proposed an alternative and elegant way of deriving the matrix representation of the dyadic Green's operator for layered media in the electric field integral equation. The derivation is based on the pilot vector potential approach where two vector potentials in terms of TE and TM fields are derived. The derivation is more succinct and the resulting Sommerfeld integrals only involve zeroth order Bessel function. It is more suitable for moment method (MOM) implementation. A detailed form of the MOM matrix element is presented and comparison with Michalski?Zheng formulation is given.
Beyond Brainstorming: The Special Barriers to Interest-Based Mediation, and Techniques to Overcome Them

This article argues that the goals which dominate most teaching and training about mediation, such as relationship repair and integrative solutions, are much more difficult and less commonly achieved than is commonly admitted. It cites empirical data showing that relationship repairs are usually not present, and integrative solutions are usually not the focus, of settlements in commercial mediation. As a result students and would-be mediators leave training believing that interest-based bargaining will be central to their work, only to be badly surprised by what they encounter in commercial practice. The article goes on to identify the barriers which make integrative bargaining so difficult in substantial legal disputes, and suggests tactics mediators can use to overcome them.
On the role of the oxidation in the methylation of guanidoacetic acid

There are two, at least, methyl transfer reactions promoted by liver slices in vitro (2). The fundamental distinction between them is that one is dependent on oxygen and the other is not.
Methane Aqueous Fluids in Montmorillonite Clay Interlayer under Near-Surface Geological Conditions: A Grand Canonical Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study

The grand-canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to investigate the methane aqueous fluids in Na-montmorillonite clay interlayer under near-surface geological temperature and pressure conditions (T = 300 K and P = 20–50 bar). The chemical potentials of water and methane under these T/P conditions are calculated using the Widom’s insertion method. These chemical potentials are used in the GCMC simulations to determine the contents of different species in the clay interlayer, especially in those that correspond to the equilibrium stable spacing distances. Simulation results show that initial clay swelling is dominated by water adsorption into the clay interlayer, followed by the intercalation of methane as the basal spacing increases. However, it is found that this methane intercalation process is strongly influenced by the relative humidity and the total gas pressure of the system. High relative humidity may facilitate water molecules entering the clay interlayer...
Geographic proximity to coal plants and U.S. public support for extending the Production Tax Credit

Abstract The Production Tax Credit (PTC) is an important policy instrument through which the federal government promotes renewable energy development in the United States. However, the efficacy of the PTC is hampered by repeated expirations and short-term extensions, and by the general uncertainty surrounding its future status. We examine the factors driving variation in public support for the extension of the PTC using a nationally representative, internet-based survey. Americans living near a coal-fired power plant are significantly more likely to support extending the PTC than are their peers who are more insulated from the externalities of burning coal. The evidence for this dynamic was strongest and most statistically significant among subjects experimentally primed to think about the adverse health effects of burning coal. Raising awareness of the public health ramifications of generating electricity from fossil fuels holds the potential to increase support for renewable energy policies among those living in proximity to coal plants, even in a highly politicized policy debate.
Investigation on indoor air pollution in decorated rooms and its prevention measures in Nanning City

[Objective]To understand the effect of indoor air pollution of decorated rooms on human health in Nanning City,improve people's consciousness of prevention and control.[Methods]The concentrations of benzene,toluene and xylene were detected by the gas chromatography solvent analytical method,the concentration of ammonia was tested by Nessler's reagent spectrophotometer,and the level of formaldehyde was determined by the phenol reagent colorimetric method.[Results]A total of 73 decorated households were monitored for the indoor air pollution.The over standard rate of toluene,ammonia and formaldehyde was 9.6%,56.2% and 47.9%,respectively.The concentration of benzene and xylene met the standard.[Conclusion]The indoor air pollution in decorated rooms is serious in Nanning City,so it is essential to carry out the prevention and control measures to reduce the pollution.
Modelling of fluidized bed reactors—VI(b): The nonisothermal bed with stochastic bubbles

Abstract Two stochastic nonisothermal fluidized bed reactor models are developed to investigate the significance of the fluctuating nature of fluidized beds on reactor performance. Fluctuating bubble size distributions within the bed are simulated by stochastic mass and heat transfer coefficients. Results of hybrid computer simulations indicate that randomness can enhance or inhibit reactor performance depending on the operating parameters of the nonisothermal model. Bubble and dense phase concentration statistics are fairly similar to those of corresponding isothermal models because dense phase temperatures are relatively insensitive to transfer coefficient fluctuations due to the high dense phase beat capacity. However, the corresponding stochastic isothermal models predict decreases in conversion with increasing variance in the transfer coefficients for all operating conditions. Results indicate that a deterministic system with two stable steady states may have fewer stable random stationary solutions. The existence of the stationary states is dependent on fluctuation frequency and variance of the transfer coefficients.
Pathology Simulation of Short QT Syndrome Based on an Improved Model of Ventricular Myocytes

Based on the data of the existing human ventricular cell model,a one-dimensional ventricular cell model is established. The pseudo ECG,action potentials for the endocardium cell,the mid-myocardium cell and the epicardium cell are simulated. The cycle simulation is carried out based on the established model,the parameters in the model are revised according to the problems encountered in the simulation process. It can be seen by comparing the existed experiment data with the simulation results that the improved model is reasonable and reliable. The KCNJ2-correlated short QT syndrome pathological conditions is also simulated by the improved model and the model proposed is validated.
Software-defined optical network for metro-scale geographically distributed data centers.

The emergence of cloud computing and big data has rapidly increased the deployment of small and mid-sized data centers. Enterprises and cloud providers require an agile network among these data centers to empower application reliability and flexible scalability. We present a software-defined inter data center network to enable on-demand scale out of data centers on a metro-scale optical network. The architecture consists of a combined space/wavelength switching platform and a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) control plane equipped with a wavelength and routing assignment module. It enables establishing transparent and bandwidth-selective connections from L2/L3 switches, on-demand. The architecture is evaluated in a testbed consisting of 3 data centers, 5–25 km apart. We successfully demonstrated end-to-end bulk data transfer and Virtual Machine (VM) migrations across data centers with less than 100 ms connection setup time and close to full link capacity utilization.
La Deducción, Enemiga de la Docencia de las Ciencias Exactas

Existe la idea de que el desarrollo de las ciencias exactas y la tecnologia ha sido un hilo continuo que se desenvuelve deductivamente, con algunos destellos caoticos de genialidad que rompen por completo la continuidad del proceso, y que se atribuyen a una fuerza oscura y magica en el cerebro de los privilegiados. La extension de esta concepcion al aprendizaje del individuo ha traido como consecuencia la introduccion de dos enormes vicios en las metodologias de ensenanza en la cultura occidental: el anacronismo de los curriculum y la pretension de que el motor del aprendizaje es la razon deductiva. Una buena parte de curriculum academicos siguen un ordenamiento que remeda el desarrollo historico de la disciplina respectiva; fisicos, matematicos e ingenieros ensenan conceptos que fueron importantes en el mundo de ayer y que no tienen hoy ninguna utilidad didactica. Hay muchos cursos de ingenieria en los cuales el curriculum clasico contiene diez y mas metodos para resolver el mismo problema, aun cuando solamente uno de ellos se utiliza en la practica profesional.
Clinical outcomes of resected biliary tract cancer: A cohort study.

e15594Background: Clinical outcomes of biliary tract cancer (BTC) remain suboptimal, even when surgical resection is performed. A better understanding of predictive factors can lead to improved man...
Quantifying RNA binding sites transcriptome-wide using DO-RIP-seq

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and noncoding RNAs orchestrate post-transcriptional processes through the recognition of specific sites on targeted transcripts. Thus, understanding the connection between binding to specific sites and active regulation of the whole transcript is essential. Many immunoprecipitation techniques have been developed that identify either whole transcripts or binding sites of RBPs on each transcript using cell lysates. However, none of these methods simultaneously measures the strength of each binding site and quantifies binding to whole transcripts. In this study, we compare current procedures and present digestion optimized (DO)-RIP-seq, a simple method that locates and quantifies RBP binding sites using a continuous metric. We have used the RBP HuR/ELAVL1 to demonstrate that DO-RIP-seq can quantify HuR binding sites with high coverage across the entire human transcriptome, thereby generating metrics of relative RNA binding strength. We demonstrate that this quantitative enrichment of binding sites is proportional to the relative in vitro binding strength for these sites. In addition, we used DO-RIP-seq to quantify and compare HuR's binding to whole transcripts, thus allowing for seamless integration of binding site data with whole-transcript measurements. Finally, we demonstrate that DO-RIP-seq is useful for identifying functional mRNA target sets and binding sites where combinatorial interactions between HuR and AGO-microRNAs regulate the fate of the transcripts. Our data indicate that DO-RIP-seq will be useful for quantifying RBP binding events that regulate dynamic biological processes.
“Enmeshed in the Work”: The Educative Power of Developing Standards:

The purpose of this study is to illustrate empirically the educative power associated with developing leadership standards in contrast to the miseducative dispositions associated with both implemen...
Learning From Mistakes: How Mistake Tolerance Positively Affects Organizational Learning and Performance:

Organizational learning has been shown to affect performance. This study offers a fine-grained view regarding different types of learning opportunities. Specifically, opportunities to learn from mi...
Low-Frequency Resonance Suppression of a Dual-Active-Bridge DC/DC converter Enabled DC Microgrid

In this paper, the small signal stability issue of a dual-active-bridge (DAB) converter enabled dc microgrid is addressed. The derived impedance characteristic of the source DAB converter reveal that the stability of this dc grid is decided by the low-frequency terminal behaviors of integrated units, which is different from that of dc microgrids powered by other types of source converters. At this low-frequency range, the tightly regulated load converter exhibits constant power load behavior even with a low control bandwidth, which degrades system stability by exacerbating interactions among power converters. Moreover, the deployed power management strategy requires operating mode transitions of energy storage units to achieve intelligent power flow, which further complicates system impedance characteristics. To analyze and solve these issues, the systematic impedance models of this dc grid under different operation modes are derived and analyzed. Reduced-order low-frequency models are simplified from the systematic impedance model to unravel the resonance mechanism. In addition, an impedance shaping technique is proposed to eliminate the resonant path in the reduced-order low-frequency models, therefore the dc grid stability has been improved. Finally, a hardware-in-the-loop application with OPAL-RT real-time simulators is used to validate proposed methods.
THE EVOLUTION OF ACCOUNTING FOR CORPORATE TREASURY STOCK IN THE UNITED STATES

Is treasury stock an asset or a reduction of net equity? This study is concerned with the process of accounting for treasury stock from as early as 1720 to date. It illustrates the many methods which have been used to create funds by the purchase and sale of treasury stocks and concludes with a consideration of the effects of the Internal Revenue Act of 1934 and the Security Exchange Act of 1934 on the treatment of treasury stock.
On the Respective Roles of the Various Xanthophylls During Seedling Development and High Light Stress in Arabidopsis

Six hundred different naturally occurring carotenoids have been identified to date and this diversity is reflected in the composition of the photosynthetic apparatus of different bacterial and algal classes. However, the carotenoid composition of the photosystems in green algae and higher plants is remarkably conserved (1). Lutein is the most abundant (up to 50% of total); with β-carotene, violaxanthin and neoxanthin occurring in decreasing abundance (Fig. 1). β-carotene is essential for the assembly and photoprotection of PSII reaction centers and the xanthophylls, lutein, violaxanthin and neoxanthin, are enriched in the LHCs where they contribute to assembly, light harvesting, and photoprotection (2). One of the many responses to high light is the reversible interconversion of violaxanthin to zeaxanthin (the xanthophyll cycle)(3) which contributes to nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) of chlorophyll fluorescence (4–6).
The Impact of Expiratory Muscle Strength Training on Speech Breathing in Individuals With Parkinson's Disease: A Preliminary Study

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of expiratory muscle strength training on speech breathing and functional speech outcomes in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). M...
SIMULATING GEOLOGIC PROCESSES THAT CREATE SEDIMENTARY BASINS: INCORPORATION OF A CARBONATE· ECOLOGY MODEL

Computer process simulation can be used to model sedimentary basin features. The models can be run only forwards and are finite in form; time can be segmented into discrete increments and fundamental laws must be obeyed. A carbonate-ecological model is given as the example of relatively simple procedures that can be used to represent carbonate depositional processes. The carbonate-ecology model will be incorporated as a module with SEDSIM, a large 3D system developed for modeling sediment transport, deposition, and compaction.
Comparison of Colloidal versus Supported Gold Nanoparticle Catalysis

Immobilization of colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on metal oxide supports is often done to enhance stability and recoverability over multiple reaction cycles but with a reduction in available surface area. It has been theorized that colloidal AuNPs are catalytically more active and selective than the supported counterparts on a gold mass basis. Direct comparison of catalytic activity and available surface area of 5 nm diameter colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNP) dispersed in solution and supported on titania has been conducted in this work. A versatile spectroscopic organothiol ligand adsorption method was used to measure available surface area of both colloidal and supported catalysts in aqueous media for direct comparison, circumventing phase limitations of other characterization techniques like chemisorption. Turnover frequency measurements on a gold mass basis showed a reduction in catalytic activity for supported AuNP compared to colloidal AuNP, whereas turnover frequency normalized to available...