cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving Access Point Association Protocols Through Channel Utilization and Adaptive Probing

We propose a distributed access point selection scheme by which nodes select an appropriate access point to associate with based upon each individual device's channel utilization. In this paper, we define channel utilization as the ratio of required bandwidth to estimated available bandwidth. By incorporating channel utilization into the access point selection protocol, we can effectively reduce unnecessary reassociations and improve upper layer performance such as throughput and packet delivery delay. We have further enhanced our association protocol by using reinforcement learning to dynamically schedule the probing of neighboring access points (APs), ultimately bringing down the probing overhead by learning from past experience. When channel utilization is combined with adaptive probing, we observe a significant performance improvement compared to traditional association approaches.
In Place Calibration of the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit Air, Isobutane, and Liquid Oxygen System Venturi Tubes (invited)

The Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit (APTU) at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) has historically been used as a freejet test facility for missile scale systems. For propulsion system freejet tests, the mass-flow rate entering the engine has to be determined experimentally based on measurements made in the propulsion system flow path since a large fraction of the test medium exiting the freejet nozzle spills around the engine inlet. For the upcoming Medium Scale Critical Components (MSCC) test program, APTU will be used as a direct-connect test facility. All of the mass flow exiting the APTU direct-connect nozzle will flow directly through the propulsion system under test. This therefore requires both the precise metering of the flow rates and knowledge of the uncertainty of the mass-flow rates. This paper will discuss the calibration of the existing Hershel-type venturi tubes installed in APTU. The high-pressure air (HPA) system venturi tubes were calibrated in 2013 using a critical flow venturi test rig installed downstream of the Combustion Air Heater (CAH). The majority of the paper will be focused on describing the HPA system test program and the results. The liquid oxygen (LOX) venturi tubes will be calibrated in 2014 using a multiholed plate mounted on the exit of the CAH and the HPA system. The isobutane system venturi tubes will also be calibrated in 2014 using a Coriolis mass-flow meter installed upstream of the venturi tubes. The plans for the calibration of these two systems’ venturi tubes will be described. A brief summary of the uncertainty analysis for the calculated venturi tube flow coefficient will conclude the paper.
Beyond Local Protectionism: China's State–Business Relations in the Last Two Decades

This article presents a large-scale, systematic study of politically connected firms in China. It was conducted by compiling a database of all the publicly traded firms in China in 1993, 2002 and 2012 that codes the biographies of hundreds of thousands of board members. I find that there has been a significant increase in the percentage of firms that are connected with the national government in the last 20 years. This casts doubt on a popular argument that businesses in China have primarily relied on “local protectionism.” I interpret this as a result of firms' need to connect with powerful and stable institutions. I test this by examining the impact of the fall of Chen Liangyu on firms in Shanghai.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF SURFACE MODIFICATION OF MEDICAL 316L STAINLESS STEEL

316L stainless steel is widely used in clinical and medical fields owing to its excellent properties and low price.The major existing problems and research progresses of medical 316L stainless steel are analyzed.The new methods and research achievement of surface modification for medical 316L stainless steel in recent years are described in detail.It indicates that surface modification is an effective way to solve clinical application problems.The new opportunities for medical 316L stainless steel in medical applications are provided.
Applicability of aquifer impact models to support decisions at CO2 sequestration sites

Abstract The National Risk Assessment Partnership has developed a suite of tools to assess and manage risk at CO2 sequestration sites. This capability includes polynomial or look-up table based reduced-order models (ROMs) that predict the impact of CO2 and brine leaks on overlying aquifers. The development of these computationally-efficient models and the underlying reactive transport simulations they emulate has been documented elsewhere ( Carroll et al., 2014a , Carroll et al., 2014b , Dai et al., 2014 , Keating et al., 2016 ). In this paper, we seek to demonstrate applicability of ROM-based analysis by considering what types of decisions and aquifer types would benefit from the ROM analysis. We present four hypothetical examples where applying ROMs, in ensemble mode, could support decisions during a geologic CO2 sequestration project. These decisions pertain to site selection, site characterization, monitoring network evaluation, and health impacts. In all cases, we consider potential brine/CO2 leak rates at the base of the aquifer to be uncertain. We show that derived probabilities provide information relevant to the decision at hand. Although the ROMs were developed using site-specific data from two aquifers (High Plains and Edwards), the models accept aquifer characteristics as variable inputs and so they may have more broad applicability. We conclude that pH and TDS predictions are the most transferable to other aquifers based on the analysis of the nine water quality metrics (pH, TDS, 4 trace metals, 3 organic compounds). Guidelines are presented for determining the aquifer types for which the ROMs should be applicable.
Lifetime grain consumption and breast cancer risk.

We evaluated individual grain-containing foods and whole and refined grain intake during adolescence, early adulthood, and premenopausal years in relation to breast cancer risk in the Nurses’ Health Study II. Grain-containing food intakes were reported on a baseline dietary questionnaire (1991) and every 4 years thereafter. Among 90,516 premenopausal women aged 27–44 years, we prospectively identified 3235 invasive breast cancer cases during follow-up to 2013. 44,263 women reported their diet during high school, and from 1998 to 2013, 1347 breast cancer cases were identified among these women. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) of breast cancer for individual, whole and refined grain foods. After adjusting for known breast cancer risk factors, adult intake of whole grain foods was associated with lower premenopausal breast cancer risk (highest vs. lowest quintile: RR 0.82; 95 % CI 0.70–0.97; P trend = 0.03), but not postmenopausal breast cancer. This association was no longer significant after further adjustment for fiber intake. The average of adolescent and early adulthood whole grain food intake was suggestively associated with lower premenopausal breast cancer risk (highest vs lowest quintile: RR 0.74; 95 % CI 0.56–0.99; P trend = 0.09). Total refined grain food intake was not associated with risk of breast cancer. Most individual grain-containing foods were not associated with breast cancer risk. The exceptions were adult brown rice which was associated with lower risk of overall and premenopausal breast cancer (for each 2 servings/week: RR 0.94; 95 % CI 0.89–0.99 and RR 0.91; 95 % CI 0.85–0.99, respectively) and adult white bread intake which was associated with increased overall breast cancer risk (for each 2 servings/week: RR 1.02; 95 % CI 1.01–1.04), as well as breast cancer before and after menopause. Further, pasta intake was inversely associated with overall breast cancer risk. Our results suggest that high whole grain food intake may be associated with lower breast cancer risk before menopause. Fiber in whole grain foods may mediate the association with whole grains.
K-12 STEM Education: Bringing the engineering maker space, student-centered learning, curriculum, and teacher training to middle schools

Encouraging our youth to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has become critically important to meeting needs for adequate and clean water, less pollution and an adequate food supply, along with needs for housing, communications, and sustained technology leadership. According to the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine, the future of STEM fields is dependent on a steady workforce of talented and diverse individuals. Without a growing pool of STEM talent with emphasis upon the “E”, the Bureau of Statistics projects that the U.S. will have a difficult time filling the demands for STEM professionals as near as the year 2018. In response to the need to develop a STEM proficient workforce with emphasis upon the “E”, an industry leading high-tech corporation on the west coast developed a hands-on engineering maker space that exposes middle school students to an exciting one-day authentic learning experience. Announced January 2016, Virginia Tech and the high-tech corporation entered into a multi-year, multi-phase partnership agreement to develop programmatic curricula, teacher credentialing and professional development, hands-on engineering practices, activities for long-term student engagement, and ongoing research. The purpose of this work-in-progress article is to report on the first phase of the partnership agreement and its innovative practices of interest to stakeholders invested in the K-12 engineering footprint.
Emerging potential of exosomes for treatment of traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the major causes of death and disability worldwide. No effective treatment has been identified from clinical trials. Compelling evidence exists that treatment with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exerts a substantial therapeutic effect after experimental brain injury. In addition to their soluble factors, therapeutic effects of MSCs may be attributed to their generation and release of exosomes. Exosomes are endosomal origin small-membrane nano-sized vesicles generated by almost all cell types. Exosomes play a pivotal role in intercellular communication. Intravenous delivery of MSC-derived exosomes improves functional recovery and promotes neuroplasticity in rats after TBI. Therapeutic effects of exosomes derive from the exosome content, especially microRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs are small non-coding regulatory RNAs and play an important role in posttranscriptional regulation of genes. Compared with their parent cells, exosomes are more stable and can cross the blood-brain barrier. They have reduced the safety risks inherent in administering viable cells such as the risk of occlusion in microvasculature or unregulated growth of transplanted cells. Developing a cell-free exosome-based therapy may open up a novel approach to enhancing multifaceted aspects of neuroplasticity and to amplifying neurological recovery, potentially for a variety of neural injuries and neurodegenerative diseases. This review discusses the most recent knowledge of exosome therapies for TBI, their associated challenges and opportunities.
Integrating Modeling Tools in the Development Lifecycle with OSLC: A Case Study

Models play a central role in a model driven development process. They realize requirements, specify system design, abstract source code, drive test cases, etc. However, for a modeling tool to be most effective, it needs to integrate its data and workflows with other tools in the development lifecycle. This is often problematic as these tools are usually disparate. OSLC is an emerging specification for integrating lifecycle tools using the principles of linked data. In this paper, we describe how OSLC can be used to integrate MOF-based modeling tools with other lifecycle tools. We demonstrate this in a case study involving an EMF-based modeling tool. We show how we made the tool conform to the OSLC specification and discuss how this enabled it to integrate seamlessly with other lifecycle tools to support some key end-to-end development lifecycle workflows.
Self-extinguishing Polymer Blends Containing Organoclays

We have shown that ditallow functionalized clays can be replaced almost completely by phosphorus-based flame retardant, resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate) (RDP) coated clays in enhancing the mechanical, thermal, gas barrier, and flame retardant (FR) properties of polymers and polymer blends. In selected cases, such as styrenic and polyolefin polymers, these clays may even perform better, and achieve a higher degree of exfoliation. A major advantage of the RDP-coated clays is the ease with which they could be produced simply by adsorption and mechanical agitation, without the use of potentially toxic solvents or reagents. The properties of Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films of the RDP clays lifted onto Si substrates were studied using X-ray reflectivity, scanning force microscopy, and contact angle goniometry, showing that RDP coated the clay surfaces and intercalated into the galleries forming a layer of molecules approximately 2.2 nm thick. AFM contact angle goniometry of bilayer polymer/clay LB films annealed on the RDP clay LB films was also performed. This technique was shown to be a rapid screen for the interfacial energy between functionalized clays and polymers, which could be used to predict exfoliation. TEM performed on RDP or ditallow-coated clay/polymer nanocomposites confirmed the technique which predicted segregation of the RDP clays to PS/PMMA, PC/SAN, and PLA/Ecoflex blend interfaces, achieving and a high degree of compatiblization. We also showed that the interfacial energy between polymers influences their FR properties such as time to ignition as well as heat and mass loss rates. Finally, we showed that RDP-coated clays were not cytotoxic and hence they should not raise concerns when used as components of biodegradable polymers.
Presentations of the International Conference on Preparing the Ground for Renewal of Nuclear Power

This 21st in a series of energy conferences since 1974 focused on the following questions: Will nuclear power plants (NPPs) be competitive at the time of replacement (next 10– years) with other energy sources? Will public acceptance of nuclear power be sufficiently improved to allow the construction and operation of otherwise economically competitive NPPs? Will the positive environmental attributes of nuclear energy with regard to reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increased energy security play an important role in future policies promulgated by decision makers and the public?
Introduction: The Departure of Michelle Obama from the White House and the Need for Black Feminism

2017 was a monumental year for Black women in America due to two important events: First Lady Michelle Obama left the white House, and it was the 40th anniversary of the Combahee River Collective Statement.
Recognition and Response in Plant:Pathogen Interactions

The perception of, and response to, microbes is of crucial importance in relation to the damage and reduction in crop yield attributable to plant pathogens and the potential beneficial effects arising from symbiotic plant:microbe interactions. Our research pertaining to plant:microbe recognition is based on two premises: (a) that recognitional events result in specific responses, the study of which will lead to elucidation of signal perception and transduction mechanisms and (b) that the surfaces of microbial and plant cells are crucially involved in recognitional events. In this chapter, recent studies on the molecular mechanisms governing expression of specific plant defense responses and the molecular architecture of the surface of the phytopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv glycinae are discussed.
Kill Two Problems with One Dual-Ion Cell

An electrolyte that conducts both oxygen ions and protons has the potential to enable a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) to operate at lower temperatures with a variety of fuels. Now a composite cathode conducting electrons, oxygen ions, and protons shows promise for high-performance SOFC at T
TAM family proteins and therapy resistance

Abstract The TAM family of receptor tyrosine kinases have been identified in HNSCC as novel molecular targets. This chapter summarizes the current literature concerning the relationship of the TAM family with cancer and therapeutic resistance. Through basic science characterization, preclinical modeling, and clinical trial testing, significant associations have been identified correlating TAM expression and signaling with cancer prognosis and resistance to therapy. These discoveries emphasize the need to study TAM family proteins and target these receptors in cancer patients.
Representation and lobbying by Indian nations in California: Is tribal lobbying all about gaming?

American Indian nations, as pre-constitutional sovereigns, occupy a unique place in the USA. While tribal governments are able to exercise numerous rights as independent nations, they are often affected by policy decisions at the federal and state level. Yet little is known about the specific efforts of American Indians to seek representation in state legislative decision making. We address this shortcoming by answering two related questions. First, do American Indians and Native organizations lobby for public policy at the state level? If they do lobby, as we expect, do they focus solely on gaming given its role in providing an important source of economic development, or do they seek representation on a wide range of issues? Using data from the California legislature for the years 2000–2012, our findings suggest that American Indians seek representation via lobbying on a wide range of issues, including, but not limited to, Indian gaming. We posit that these findings support prior work on the political incorporation of American Indians as they seek representation on public policy issues.
Genetic counseling for fetal gastrointestinal anomalies.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Congenital gastrointestinal anomalies are common findings with relatively established methods of treatment. However, the genetic cause of how these defects occur and how that may impact a child's lifelong care is less established. Genetic testing has improved significantly in recent years, yet reviews documenting prenatal genetic counseling and testing guidelines have not been comprehensively updated. RECENT FINDINGS Congenital anomalies of the foregut, such as tracheoesophageal fistula carry a high association with genetic disorders, both in isolation and syndromic forms. Duodenal atresia remains highly associated with Trisomy 21 but is not enriched in other genetic conditions. Disorders of the midgut, such as omphalocele often have a genetic cause and may require both cytogenetic and panel testing to obtain a diagnosis. The etiologic basis of hindgut malformations remain largely unknown, though imperforate anus as well as Hirschprung's disease have been associated with many micro deletion syndromes as well as in association with other birth defects as part of larger syndromes. SUMMARY Prenatal diagnostic genetic testing through amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling can be offered to every patient who wants to learn genetic information about their fetus. Cytogenetic testing, such as microarray is a first tier test to assess cause for these conditions and can provide meaningful answers. When a gastrointestinal anomaly is identified in association with an additionally affected organ system next-generation sequencing and defect-specific genetic testing panels can be necessary to understand cause as well as prognosis to best prepare families for the medical management that lies ahead.
John Makdisi on the Intercultural Origins of the Common Law

For over twenty years, John Makdisi argued that the English common law originated and evolved in part by adapting Islamic law institutions. Comparing early common law institutions like the action of debt, assize of novel disseisin, and jury with Islamic law institutions like the ‘caqd, istihqaq, and lafif, Makdisi persuasively demonstrated how the former were created following an intercultural exchange mediated by the Norman conquest and administration of Sicily in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Despite the influence of Makdisi’s arguments beyond legal scholarship, property law casebook authors have generally elided these provocative yet persuasive arguments in favor of the conventional claim that the English common law derives from Roman, Norman, and canon law institutions. This is unfortunate, especially in a time of rampant anti-Muslim sentiment. Asking students to consider how intercultural exchange generated the common law can counter the regnant “clash of cultures” ideology and engender their sense of agency as officers of the court who bear responsibility for evolving U.S. law in the twenty-first century to protect the republic, its legal institutions, and its racially diverse peoples.
Cities in Bad Shape: Urban Geometry in India

The spatial layout of cities is an important feature of urban form, highlighted by urban planners but overlooked by economists. This paper investigates the causal economic implications of city shape in India. I measure cities' geometric properties over time using satellite imagery and historical maps. I develop an instrument for urban shape based on geographic obstacles encountered by expanding cities. Compact city shape is associated with faster population growth and households display positive willingness to pay for more compact layouts. Transit accessibility is an important channel. Land use regulations can contribute to deteriorating city shape.
Diabetes is an independent risk factor for infection after non-arthroplasty shoulder surgery: a national database study

Diabetes has been associated with poor healing and prior literature has shown worse functional outcomes in diabetic patients undergoing both open and arthroscopic shoulder surgery. However, the eff...
Prediction of individual differences in circadian adaptation to night work among older adults: application of a mathematical model using individual sleep-wake and light exposure data.

Circadian misalignment remains a distinct challenge for night shift workers. Variability in individual sleep-wake/light-dark patterns might contribute to individual differences in circadian alignme...
A Fault Data Based Method for Zero-Sequence Impedance Estimation of Mutually Coupled Transmission Lines

Line impedances estimation is of great importance in power system studies. Different software are used in utilities to calculate line impedances using the line conductor and structure data. The calculated values cannot be reliable due to inaccurate information or change in atmospheric condition. Also, since there is a lack of communication between different departments such as system protection, line construction, etc., a line conductor/structure may be changed while the affected departments are not notified. Most of the impedance estimation methods use phasor measurement units (PMUs) in the protection relays which are connected to protection class current transformers (CTs) that do not provide accurate currents compared to metering class CTs. These methods not only require PMUs in the substations, but also fail to measure zero-sequence voltages and currents due to inadequate zero-sequence components under normal operation. In parallel transmission lines, zero-sequence impedance estimation is even more challenging. This paper introduces a method for estimating the self and mutual zero-sequence impedances for mutually coupled transmission lines using recorded fault data. Extensive simulation and protective relay test results in RSCAD/RTDS indicate that the proposed approach has high accuracy in estimating the self and mutual zero-sequence impedances as well as the fault location in parallel transmission lines.
Maternal Ethanol Exposure Acutely Elevates Src Family Kinase Activity in the Fetal Cortex

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is characterized by disrupted fetal brain development and postnatal cognitive impairment. The targets of alcohol are diverse, and it is not clear whether there are common underlying molecular mechanisms producing these disruptions. Prior work established that acute ethanol exposure causes a transient increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple proteins in cultured embryonic cortical cells. In this study, we show that a similar tyrosine phosphorylation transient occurs in the fetal brain after maternal dosing with ethanol. Using phospho-specific antibodies and immunohistochemistry, we mapped regions of highest tyrosine phosphorylation in the fetal cerebral cortex and found that areas of dendritic and axonal growth showed elevated tyrosine phosphorylation 10 min after maternal ethanol exposure. These were also areas of Src expression and Src family kinase (SFK) activation loop phosphorylation (pY416) expression. Importantly, maternal pretreatment with the SFK inhibitor dasatinib completely prevents both the pY416 increase and the tyrosine phosphorylation response. The phosphorylation response was observed in the perisomatic region and neurites of immature migrating and differentiating primary neurons. Importantly, the initial phosphotyrosine transient (~ 30 min) targets both Src and Dab1, two critical elements in Reelin signaling, a pathway required for normal cortical development. This initial phosphorylation response is followed by sustained reduction in Ser3 phosphorylation of n-cofilin, a critical actin severing protein and an identified downstream effector of Reelin signaling. This biochemical disruption is associated with sustained reduction of F-actin content and disrupted Golgi apparatus morphology in developing cortical neurons. The finding outlines a model in which the initial activation of SFKs by ethanol has the potential to disrupt multiple developmentally important signaling systems for several hours after maternal exposure.
A methodology for assessing industrial workstations using optical motion capture integrated with digital human models

This study examined an existing industrial workstation at an automobile assembly plant using computer aided ergonomics and digital human models. The purpose of this evaluation was the development of a motion capture-based methodology for evaluating workstations to identify potential design issues that could result in musculoskeletal injury in a real work environment. An ergonomic risk assessment was conducted on a sample of operators performing a lifting task manually and using an assist device. An optical motion capture system was setup and calibrated in the industrial workplace to collect motion data. UGS TM JACK digital human modelling software was used for the computer-based ergonomic analysis to evaluate the potential injury risk of the current task, considering difference between using and not using the assist device. The work tasks were decomposed into subtasks before analysis. Muscle activity was also measured by wireless electromyography (EMG) in order to identify physiological indicators of stress and strain. The results suggest although using the assist device decreased injury risk potentially, use of the assist device had an adverse impact on the productivity of the assembly line. Based on the findings of this study, the methodology appears to be appropriate for assessing and predicting potential risks associated with the design of industrial workstations and work tasks. The results also highlight tradeoffs in using an assist device which can decrease injury risk in some cases, while having an adverse impact on the productivity of the assembly line.
Diagonal recurrent neural network-based control: convergence and stability

Convergence and the closed-loop stability property are established for a diagonal recurrent neural network (DRNN) based control system. Two DRNNs are utilized in the control system, one as an identifier called diagonal recurrent neuroidentifier (DRNI) and the other as a controller called diagonal recurrent neurocontroller (DRNC). A generalized dynamic backpropagation algorithm (DBP) is developed and used to train both DRNC and DRNI. Due to the recurrence, the DRNN can capture the dynamic behavior of a system and since it is not fully connected, the architecture is simpler than a fully connected recurrent neural network. Convergence theorems for the adaptive DBP algorithms are developed and the closed-loop stability is established for the DRNN based control system when the plant is BIBO stable.
Structural Analysis of Biological and Technical Nanocomposites by X-Ray Scattering

Nanocomposites are an interesting class of materials where the mechanical properties and other characteristics of a polymeric matrix are modified, usually strongly enhanced, by inclusion of a nanoscopically dispersed crystalline inorganic filler. Crucial parameters are not only the volume fraction of the filler but also and especially the total interface area of the heterogeneous composite system. Nanocomposites are of great significance both for naturally occurring and for artificially synthesized materials. The heterogeneous nature of the nanocomposites ensures a good density contrast at the relevant length scales so that X-ray scattering techniques can provide useful qualitative and quantitative information about the nanocomposite structure and its preferred orientation. In this chapter, the structural analysis of two-dimensional small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) patterns is discussed for polymer–inorganic nanocomposites filled with platelet-shaped mineral crystals showing preferred orientation. Two examples are analyzed in detail: (1) Synthetic nanocomposites of polymers filled with organically modified clay and (2) the biological nanocomposite bone consisting of a fibrous collagen matrix with embedded nano-sized apatite platelets. In both cases, the application of adequate analysis techniques leads to significant quantitative and qualitative structural information that goes well beyond what would be achieved using less refined methods.
Exploring Happiness: From Aristotle to Brain Science

In this smart and timely book, the distinguished moral philosopher Sissela Bok ponders the nature of happiness and its place in philosophical thinking and writing throughout the ages. With nuance and elegance, Bok explores notions of happiness - from Greek philosophers to Desmond Tutu, Charles Darwin, Iris Murdoch, and the Dalai Lama - as well as the latest theories advanced by psychologists, economists, geneticists, and neuroscientists. Eschewing abstract theorizing, Bok weaves in a wealth of firsthand observations about happiness from ordinary people as well as renowned figures. This may well be the most complete picture of happiness yet. This book is also a clarion call to think clearly and sensitively about happiness. Bringing together very different disciplines provides Bok with a unique opportunity to consider the role of happiness in wider questions of how we should lead our lives and treat one another - concerns that don't often figure in today's happiness equation. How should we pursue, weigh, value, or limit our own happiness, or that of others, now and in the future? Compelling and perceptive, "Exploring Happiness" shines a welcome new light on the heart of the human condition.
Emission Control With Lean Mixtures

Nitrogen oxide emissions can be controlled through engine operation with lean homogeneous air/fuel mixtures. This emission control approach precludes the need for exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and secondary air injection systems. The Lean Mixture concept results in similar emissions, fuel economy, and driveability when compared to EGR systems tailored to similar emission levels with similar aftertreatment systems. A Lean Mixture-Manifold Reactor emission control system was used to evaluate the effect of compression ratio and leaded fuel on vehicle emissions and fuel economy. System durability is shown for a Lean Mixture-Catalytic Converter system with lead-free fuel and for a Lean Mixture system without aftertreatment with leaded fuel. /GMRL/
Cryptic Plasmids in a Minicell-Producing Strain of Salmonella typhimurium

Abstract A minicell-producing strain of Salmonella typhimurium contains two cryptic plasmids. One has a molecular weight of 2.6 × 106 to 2.8 × 106, is present in multiple copies per cell, and segregates into minicells. The other has a molecular weight of 130 × 106, is present in few copies per cell, and probably does not segregate into minicells.
Isaiah Berlin's Neglect of Enlightenment Constitutionalism

One of the most important achievements of the Enlightenment is what I shall call Enlightenment constitutionalism. It transformed our political thinking out of all recognition; it left, as its legacy, not just the repudiation of monarchy and nobility in France in the 1790s but the unprecedented achievement of the framing, ratification, and establishment of the Constitution of the United States. It comprised the work of Diderot, Kant, Locke, Madison, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Sieyes, and Voltaire. It established the idea of a constitution as an intricate mechanism designed to house the untidiness and pluralism of human politics. Yet Isaiah Berlin, supposedly one of our greatest interpreters of the Enlightenment, said almost nothing about it. The paper develops this claim and it speculates as to why this might be so. Certainly one result of Berlin's sidelining of Enlightenment constitutionalism is to lend spurious credibility to his well-known claim that Enlightenment social design was perfectionist, monastic, and potentially totalitarian. By ignoring Enlightenment constitutionalism, Berlin implicitly directed us away from precisely the body of work that might have refuted this view of Enlightenment social design.
Multichannel feature enhancement in distributed microphone arrays for robust distant speech recognition in smart rooms

Room reverberation and environmental noise present challenges for integration of speech recognition technology in smart room applications. We present a multichannel enhancement framework for distributed microphone arrays to mitigate the effects of both additive noise and reverberation on distant-talking microphones. The proposed approach uses techniques of nonnegative matrix and tensor factorization to achieve both noise suppression (through sparse representation of speech spectra) and dereverberation (through decomposition of magnitude spectra into convolutive components). Results of ASR experiments on the DIRHA-GRID corpus confirm that the proposed approach can achieve relative improvements of up to +20% in recognition accuracy in highly reverberant and noisy conditions using clean-trained models.
Synthesis of Pt−Mo−N Thin Film and Catalytic Activity for Fuel Cells

Although platinum and platinum-based intermetallic alloys have been extensively studied as catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells, platinum-based nitride catalysts have been relatively unexplored. We report the synthesis and characterization of a platinum-based nitride, Pt2Mo3N, using a composition spread thin-film deposition technique. The Pt2Mo3N thin film was generated by codeposition of platinum and molybdenum and subsequent heat treatment in an ammonia flow at 800 °C for 6 h. The thin film was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical tests, including the assessment of catalytic activity toward the oxidation of methanol and formic acid and the reduction of oxygen. The nitride film was smooth and contained single-phase, nearly stoichiometric Pt2Mo3N. Cyclic voltammograms of Pt2Mo3N in 0.1 M H2SO4 demonstrated electrochemical stability far greater than that of a PtMo alloy with the same Pt:Mo rati...
What is “natural”? : Yellowstone elk population—A case study

Ecology analyzes the structure and function of ecosystems at all points along the continuum of human disturbance, from so-called pristine forests to urban backyards. Undisturbed systems provide reference points at one end of the spectrum, and nature reserves and parks are highly valued because they can provide unique examples of such ecosystems. Unfortunately the concept of “natural” or pristine is not that easy to define. Indeed, although ecologists have considered pre-Columbian, western-hemisphere ecosystems to have been largely unaltered by human action, and have termed their state “natural” or “pristine,” evidence from archaeology challenges this view. U.S. and Canadian national parks are charged with preserving the “natural,” and thus need to be able to understand and manage for the “natural.” A pivotal “natural” question in Yellowstone National Park management is the size of the northern-range, wintering elk population at Park establishment in 1872, argued both to have been small and large. Integrating and quantifying several sources of evidence provides a consistent picture of a low population (ca. 5,000–6,000), largely migrating out of the northern range in winter, with little vegetation impact. If we accept this conclusion about what is natural for the Yellowstone ecosystem, then it dramatically alters how we view management alternatives for the Park, which currently supports a northern wintering herd of up to ˜ 25,000 elk.
Lubricant Flow and Evaporation Model for Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording Including Functional End-Group Effects and Thin Film Viscosity

The lubricant covering a hard disk in a heat-assisted magnetic recording drive must be able to withstand the writing process in which the disk is locally heated several hundred degrees Celsius within a few nanoseconds to reduce the coercivity of the media and allow writing of data. As a first step in modeling a robust lubricant, we have developed a simulation tool based on continuum theory that incorporates previously proposed variations of viscosity and an additional component of disjoining pressure due to functional end-groups with film thickness. Here we apply this simulation tool to a conventional perfluoropolyether lubricant, Zdol 2000, for which there exists experimental data. The simulation tool can be used equally well for other lubricants once their properties become known. Simulations at small length and time scales that are unobservable with current experimental capabilities are performed. We investigate the effect of the total disjoining pressure and thin film viscosity on evaporation and lubricant flow for different initial thickness. For films thicker than 1 nm, the inclusion of polar disjoining pressure suppresses the lubricant thickness change due to evaporation and thermocapillary shear stress compared with cases without this component. Thin film viscosity is an important property to consider for thinner lubricants. We also consider how lubricant depletion depends on laser spot size and thermal spot maximum temperature. The smaller spot profiles exhibit side ridges due to thermocapillary shear stress while the larger spot profiles show no side ridges, only a trough due to evaporation. The lubricant depletion zone width and depth increase with increasing thermal spot maximum temperature.
Solubility, Stability and Ionization Behaviour of Famotidine

The pKa of famotidine was determined at 23 +/- 0.2 degrees C to be 6.76, 6.98 and 6.89 by a spectrophotometric, solubility, and partitioning method, respectively. The pH-solubility profile of famotidine indicated an intrinsic solubility of 2.7 mM at 23 degrees C. Degradation of famotidine followed pseudo-first-order kinetics over a pH range of 1-11 at 37 +/- 0.2 degrees C and at an ionic strength (mu) of 0.5. The pH-rate profile was accounted for by the specific acid and base catalysed reactions as well as water-catalysed decomposition of both protonated and free famotidine. A pKa of 6.60, determined by potentiometry at 37 +/- 0.5 degrees C (mu = 0.5), was used in the kinetic calculations. Maximum stability occurred at pH 6.3. Undissociated acetic acid, dihydrogen phosphate ion and glycine anion were found to contribute to the general acid and base catalyses. pH-dependency of the apparent octanol-water partition coefficient of famotidine indicated a partition coefficient of 0.23 for free famotidine at 23 +/- 0.2 degrees C.
Point Transformations in Quantum Mechanics. II. Solving for the Generators

We generalize the method and the results of paper I (G. Carmi, preceding paper) to find the generators of a point transformation which maps the ${x}_{i}$, $i=1, \dots{}, n$, into any set of functions ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{i}({x}_{1}, \dots{}, {x}_{n})$, $i=1, \dots{}, n$, within a certain, quite wide family, for which these generators can be written in closed form, with the object of applications to a quantum many-body method developed by Gross et al.
Superpower Ethics: An Introduction

The first issue of Ethics & International Affairs was published in 1987, when the Cold War still dominated international affairs. It was appropriate at that time to launch the journal with an issue devoted in part to the theme “superpower ethics.” In his introduction to the topic Nye argues that the challenge of establishing an ethics for the United States and the Soviet Union is not met by any traditional Western system. Aristotle's “virtue,” Kant's “good intent,” and the “good result” of the consequentialists are inadequate to the task of determining right on the superpower playing field. In reference to this insufficiency, Nye sketches the arguments of the subsequent articles by Mazrui, Hassner, and Hoffman, each of whom offers an instructive picture of the state of superpower ethics.
Defining nephrotic syndrome from an integrative genomics perspective

Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is a clinical condition with a high degree of morbidity and mortality, caused by failure of the glomerular filtration barrier, resulting in massive proteinuria. Our current diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic decisions in NS are largely based upon clinical or histological patterns such as “focal segmental glomerulosclerosis” or “steroid sensitive”. Yet these descriptive classifications lack the precision to explain the physiologic origins and clinical heterogeneity observed in this syndrome. A more precise definition of NS is required to identify mechanisms of disease and capture various clinical trajectories. An integrative genomics approach to NS applies bioinformatics and computational methods to comprehensive experimental, molecular and clinical data for holistic disease definition. A unique aspect is analysis of data together to discover NS-associated molecules, pathways, and networks. Integrating multidimensional datasets from the outset highlights how molecular lesions impact the entire individual. Data sets integrated range from genetic variation to gene expression, to histologic changes, to progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). This review will introduce the tenets of integrative genomics and suggest how it can increase our understanding of NS from molecular and pathophysiological perspectives. A diverse group of genome-scale experiments are presented that have sought to define molecular signatures of NS. Finally, the Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network (NEPTUNE) will be introduced as an international, prospective cohort study of patients with NS that utilizes an integrated systems genomics approach from the outset. A major NEPTUNE goal is to achieve comprehensive disease definition from a genomics perspective and identify shared molecular drivers of disease.
The isolation and partial characterization of gangliosides and ceramide polyhexosides from the lens of the human eye.

The first isolation of glycolipids from the lens of the human eye is described. Neutral (ceramide polyhexosides) and acidic (gangliosides) glycolipids were separated by column chromatography and further resolved by thin-layer chromatography. The components were methanolyzed, converted to trimethyl silyl ethers and the ratios of the components determined. Two types of monosialogangliosides were found. The most abundant ganglioside contained long chain base/fatty acid/glucose/galactose/neuraminic acid in the ratio 1/1/1/2/1. The ratio of components of the minor ganglioside fraction was 1/1/1/1/1. Dihydrosphingosine was the major base and the major fatty acids were palmitate and nervonate. The ceramide polyhexosides all had a glucose/galactose molor ratio of 1/1 and the mixture of ceramide polyhexosides had a dihydrosphingosine/sphingosine molar ratio of 7.85. The fatty acids ranged from C10 to C25 with both odd and even carbon chains and were saturated or monounsaturated with palmitate, oleate, and nervonate predominating.
Variation in the Diet of Sistrurus catenatus (Massasauga), with Emphasis on Sistrurus catenatus edwardsii (Desert Massasauga)

Abstract We describe the diet of Desert Massasauga, Sistrurus catenatus edwardsii, in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico using fecal remains and gut contents obtained from field encounters and museum specimens. From these, 165 prey were identified, including 97 (58.8%) lizards, 51 (30.9%) mammals, 15 (9.1%) centipedes (Scolopendra sp.), one (0.6%) anuran, and one (0.6%) snake. Analyses of geographic, sexual and ontogenetic variation within S. c. edwardsii suggest diet is homogeneous among populations and between the sexes but that juveniles consume significantly more lizards and fewer mammals than adults. We assess rangewide variation in diet of Sistrurus catenatus using our data from Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico (S. c. edwardsii) and previously published studies of populations in Wisconsin (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus), Michigan (S. c. catenatus), Missouri (Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus) and Texas (S. c. tergeminus) as well as new data from Texas (S. c. tergeminus). Significant geographic variatio...
Iron oxide as an iron source in potting‐soil mixtures

Abstract A commercial product of Fe oxide‐metallic Fe at rates of 2 and 10 pounds per cubic yard (1.2 and 6 kg per cubic meter) in soil‐sawdust and soil‐bark mixtures was useful when Fe‐inefficient plants were grown in containers. A high Zn level in the Ys1/Ys1 Fe inefficient corn inbred (Zea mays L.) was associated with low Fe status. High Fe levels seemed to suppress Cd uptake.
Time-resolved nonlinear dynamics of quantum dots coupled to a photonic crystal cavity

Photoluminescence as a function of the time delay between two ultrafast laser pulses measures the nonlinear emission dynamics of quantum dots coupled to photonic crystal cavities and distinguishes between exciton and biexciton emission.