cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multichannel processing of broad-band multiuser communication signals in shallow water acoustic channels

High-throughout multiple-access communication networks are being considered for use in underwater acoustic channels. Bandwidth limitations of underwater acoustic channels require receivers to process broad-band communications signals in the presence of several active users. To deal with the resulting multiple-access interference in addition to high intersymbol interference, the spatial variability of ocean multipath is exploited in a multichannel multiuser receiver. Two configurations of such a receiver, a centralized and a decentralized one, are presented in fully adaptive modes of operations. While greatly reducing intersymbol and multiple-access interference, spatial diversity implies high increase in adaptive multiuser receiver complexity. To reduce the complexity of the optimal multichannel combiner, spatial structure of multipath is exploited. The complexity of resulting adaptive decentralized multichannel multiuser receiver is reduced at almost no cost in performance. Comparison of proposed multichannel receivers in an experimental shallow water channel demonstrates superior performance of spatial signal combining. The use of multiple input channels is shown to provide high level of tolerance for the near-far effect in both centralized and decentralized receivers. Decentralized receiver with reduced-complexity combining is found to satisfy the performance/complexity trade-off required for practical receiver realization in shallow water networks.
Linked reactivity at mineral-water interfaces through bulk crystal conduction.

The semiconducting properties of a wide range of minerals are often ignored in the study of their interfacial geochemical behavior. We show that surface-specific charge density accumulation reactions combined with bulk charge carrier diffusivity create conditions under which interfacial electron transfer reactions at one surface couple with those at another via current flow through the crystal bulk. Specifically, we observed that a chemically induced surface potential gradient across hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ) crystals is sufficiently high and the bulk electrical resistivity sufficiently low that dissolution of edge surfaces is linked to simultaneous growth of the crystallographically distinct (001) basal plane. The apparent importance of bulk crystal conduction is likely to be generalizable to a host of naturally abundant semiconducting minerals playing varied key roles in soils, sediments, and the atmosphere.
Pathologic conditions of the stallion reproductive tract.

Abstract A review of the pathologic conditions of the stallion reproductive tract is presented. The stallion has a number of lesions similar to those of other male domestic species but also has several unique to the horse. Some are diagnosed infrequently now because of new disease control measures and new husbandry practices. Modern immunostaining and molecular techniques should be applied to better characterize pathologic conditions in the stallion.
Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) involving ultrasound for waste water treatment: A review with emphasis on cost estimation

Two things are needed for any technology to be suitable for use in the industry, viz. 1. Technical feasibility and 2. Economical feasibility. The use of ultrasound for waste water treatment has been shown to be technically feasible by numerous reports in the literature over the years. But there are hardly any exhaustive reports which address the issue of economical feasibility of the use of ultrasound for waste water treatment on industrial scale. Hence an attempt was made to estimate the cost for the waste water treatment using ultrasound. The costs have been calculated for 1000 L/min capacity treatment plant. The costs were calculated based upon the rate constants for pollutant degradation. The pollutants considered were phenol, trichloroethylene (TCE) and reactive azo dyes. Time required for ninety percent degradation of pollutant was taken as the residence time. The amount of energy required to achieve the target degradation was calculated from the energy density (watt/ml) used in the treatability study. The cost of treatment was calculated by considering capital cost and operating cost involved for the waste water treatment. Quotations were invited from vendors to ascertain the capital cost of equipments involved and operating costs were calculated based on annual energy usage. The cost was expressed in dollars per 1000 gallons of waste water treated. These treatment costs were compared with other established Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) technologies. The cost of waste water treatment for phenol was in the range of $89 per 1000 gallons for UV/US/O(3) to $15,536 per 1000 gallons for US alone. These costs for TCE were in the range of $25 per 1000 gallons to $91 for US+UV treatment and US alone, respectively. The cost of waste water treatment for reactive azo dyes was in the range of $65 per 1000 gallon for US+UV+H(2)O(2) to $14,203 per 1000 gallon for US alone. This study should help in quantifying the economics of waste water treatment using ultrasound on industrial scale. We strongly believe that this study will immensely help the researchers working in the area of applications of ultrasound for waste water treatment in terms of where the technology stands today as compared to other available commercial AOP technologies. This will also help them think for different ways to improve the efficiency of using ultrasound or search for other ways of generating cavitation which may be more efficient and help reduce the cost of treatment in future.
Derepression of INO1 Transcription Requires Cooperation between the Ino2p-Ino4p Heterodimer and Cbf1p and Recruitment of the ISW2 Chromatin-Remodeling Complex

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae INO1 gene encodes the structural enzyme inositol-3-phosphate synthase for the synthesis de novo of inositol and inositol-containing phospholipids. The transcription of INO1 is completely derepressed in the absence of inositol and choline (I(-) C(-)). Derepression requires the binding of the Ino2p-Ino4p basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) heterodimer to the UAS(INO) promoter element. We report here the requirement of a third bHLH protein, centromere-binding factor 1 (Cbf1p), for the complete derepression of INO1 transcription. We found that Cbf1p regulates INO1 transcription by binding to sites distal to the INO1 promoter and encompassing the upstream SNA3 open reading frame (ORF) and promoter. The binding of Cbf1p requires Ino2p-Ino4p binding to the UAS(INO) sites in the INO1 promoter and vice versa, suggesting a cooperative mechanism. Furthermore, Cbf1p binding to the upstream sites was required for the binding of the ISW2 chromatin-remodeling complex to the Ino2p-Ino4p-binding sites on the INO1 promoter. Consistent with this, ISW2 was also required for the complete derepression of INO1 transcription.
Bioterrorism and the Fermi Paradox

We proffer a contemporary solution to the so-called Fermi Paradox, which is concerned with conflict between Copernicanism and the apparent paucity of evidence for intelligent alien civilizations. In particular, we argue that every community of organisms that reaches its space-faring age will (1) almost immediately use its rocket-building computers to reverse-engineer its genetic chemistry and (2) self-destruct when some individual uses said technology to design an omnicidal pathogen. We discuss some of the possible approaches to prevention with regard to Homo sapiens’ vulnerability to bioterrorism, particularly on a short-term basis.
Regulation of B Lymphocytes by Dendritic Cells

Cells within the DC lineage of white blood cells are the sentinels of the immune system, the most potent of APCs; at various ports of entry, they specialize in capturing antigens and stimulating T cell–associated immunity (([1][1])–([3][2])). DCs regulate the activation of T cells not only by
What Problem? Spatial Autocorrelation and Geographic Information Science

In retrospect it is the word “problem” in the title that seems most remarkable about the Cliff and Ord article. Spatial autocorrelation is indeed a problem in standard inferential statistics, which was developed to handle controlled experiments, when these methods are used to generalize from natural experiments. From the perspective of geographic information science, however, spatial dependence is a defining characteristic of geographic data that makes many of the functions of geographic information systems possible. The almost universal presence of spatial heterogeneity in such data also argues against generalization and is made explicit in the recent development of place-based analytic techniques. The final section argues for a new approach to the teaching of quantitative methods in the environmental and social sciences that treats natural experiments, spatial dependence, and spatial heterogeneity as the norm.
An algorithm-base fault tolerance (more than one error) using concurrent error detection for FFT processors

An algorithm is proposed to maintain fault tolerance for a highly reliable FFT processor, even after the processor has been reconfigured (by detecting a single fault). It proves that the concurrent error detection (CED) scheme using: a redundant stage of decimation in frequency FFT (DIF-FFT) butterflies as a decoder can detect all the faults theoretically. This CED scheme and the modification of the standard DIF-FFT processor as a recirculated shuffle exchange will also alleviate the difficulty of reconfiguration and will provide the ability of some degradation in performance in the presence of more than one fault in the processor. >
Computer business or monopoly

Defines one of the principles governing the current transition from the post-industrial to the information society. The computer business is like one big Monopoly game with a global playing board. However, in place of the die and the Community Chest cards, the computer business game uses the scientific approach pioneered by Lanchester, Koopmans and Nobuo Taoka. The new Lanchester strategy is a method for out-guessing the Starbuck coffee-crazed marketers in Seattle. The next time you read about a merger between two fierce competitors in the computer industry, remember the Lanchester strategy and the rules of the game. The winner is the one that ends up with a 73% market share. Using other people's money to buy companies is perhaps the easiest way. But it all depends on where you want to go-up or down?.
The effect of column diameter and bed height on minimum fluidization velocity

Experiments show that the minimum fluidization velocity of particles increases as the diameter of the fluidization column is reduced, or if the height of the bed is increased. These trends are shown to be due to the influence of the wall. A new, semicorrelated model is proposed, which incorporates Janssen's wall effects in the calculation of the minimum fluidization velocity. The wall friction opposes not only the bed weight but also the drag force acting on the particles during fluidization. The enhanced wall friction leads to an increase in the minimum fluidization velocity. The model predictions compare favorably to existing correlations and experimental data. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010
Anodontia: Report of a case associated with ectodermal dysplasia of the anhidrotic type

Abstract Congenital total anodontia is relatively uncommon. The associated ectodermal dysplasia of our patient would indicate interference with the ectodermal system in early fetal life. Other cases have been reported that indicate a sex-linked heredity for the syndrome. In this kindred there is no other known instance of ectodermal dysplasia. It is theoretically possible, nevertheless, that the character may have been transmitted as a sex-linked recessive trait through the mother and grandmother.
Nitrogen-doped poly spacer local oxidation

A novel isolation technique which consists of a modified local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) process with a nitrogen-doped amorphous-Si spacer has been developed. Nitrogen doping of amorphous-Si reduces its oxide growth rate. This isolation process shows the least encroachment, smallest maximum stress, and a deeper field oxide recess as compared to standard LOCOS or poly spacer LOCOS. The oxidation of nitrogen-doped amorphous-Si also has been simulated by an equivalent stacked layer.
Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Stimulation of Ca2+ Signaling Is Required for Survival of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Yeast

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae triggers Ca2+ influx through a plasma membrane channel composed of Cch1 and Mid1. This response activates calcineurin, which helps to prevent cell death during multiple forms of ER stress, including the response to azole-class antifungal drugs. Herein, we show that ER stress activates the cell integrity mitogen-activate protein kinase cascade in yeast and that the activation of Pkc1 and Mpk1 is necessary for stimulation of the Cch1-Mid1 Ca2+ channel independent of many known targets of Mpk1 (Rlm1, Swi4, Swi6, Mih1, Hsl1, and Swe1). ER stress generated in response to miconazole, tunicamycin, or other inhibitors also triggered a transient G2/M arrest that depended upon the Swe1 protein kinase. Calcineurin played little role in the Swe1-dependent cell cycle arrest and Swe1 had little effect on calcineurin-dependent avoidance of cell death. These findings help to clarify the interactions between Mpk1, calcineurin, and Swe1 and suggest that the calcium cell survival pathway promotes drug resistance independent of both the unfolded protein response and the G2/M cell cycle checkpoint.
AgRP neurons: a switch between peripheral carbohydrate and lipid utilization.

AgRP/NPY neurons are critical regulators of body weight and food intake. Concordant with their orexigenic effects, it is expected that AgRP ablation leads to the appearance of a lean phenotype. In the current issue of The EMBO Journal , Joly‐Amado et al (2012) describe an obese phenotype in a model of AgRP‐ablated mice, and link it to a shift in metabolic profile in efferent tissues such as the liver, muscle and pancreas.
Intelligent Crawling in Virtual Worlds

We present an intelligent agent crawler designed to collect user-generated content in Second Life and related virtual worlds. The agents navigate autonomously through the world to discover regions, parcels of land within regions, user-created objects, and other users. The agents also interact with objects through movement or ‘touch’ to trigger scripts that present dynamic content in the form of note cards, chat text, landmark links, and web URLs. The experiments we performed are the first which focus on the content of a large virtual world. Our results show that virtual worlds can be effectively crawled using autonomous agent crawlers that emulate normal user behavior. Additionally, we find that the collection of interactive content enhances our ability to identify dynamic, immersive environments within the world.
Predictors and patterns of participant adherence to a cortisol collection protocol.

Summary Background Cortisol, a stress-related hormone, has been measured in many psychoimmunological studies via collection of saliva; however, patterns of participant adherence to protocol procedures are rarely described in the literature. Objectives In this paper we examine adherence to a cortisol morning rise collection protocol and explore its associations with demographic predictors and fatigue. Method Participants included 262 breast cancer survivors enrolled in a National Institute of Nursing Research funded longitudinal intervention study (5R01NR010190, M. Mishel, P.I.). Self-reported times of salivary cortisol collection were recorded for each of 12 saliva samples. Adherence was assessed with respect to various demographic factors and fatigue. Participants were categorized as having high, moderate, or low adherence to the saliva collection protocol. Results Overall, 117 (45%) participants had high adherence to the protocol, 117 (45%) participants had moderate adherence, and 28 (∼11%) participants had low adherence. Tests for proportionality for the polytomous logistic regression indicated that demographic predictors in our model had a similar association with each level of participant adherence. Women who did not adhere to the saliva collection were more likely to be African American (OR .50, CI .29–.88) and to report a high impact of fatigue on their behaviors (OR .88, CI .79–.98). Though other predictors in the model were not statistically significant (working full-time and living with at least one child under 18 years of age), the overall model was significant ( χ 2 (4) = 17.35, p Discussion To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine profiles of participant adherence to a cortisol sampling protocol over multiple timepoints. By conceptualizing adherence as a polytomous outcome, future studies may give us insights into adherence trends in other populations with the aim of promoting adherence and designing more informed saliva collection protocols.
Allergenicity of the mite Hemisarcoptes cooremani.

Background A researcher experienced allergic symptoms while working with the astigmatid mite Hemisarcoptes cooremani cultured on scale insects. This mite is a predator of scale insects that often parasitize many perennial vascular plants in orchards, gardens, and ornamental nurseries worldwide; therefore, orchard and ornamental nursery workers and gardeners may be exposed to this mite. Objective We investigated the possible allergenicity of H. cooremani and the cross-reactivity between it and other allergy-causing astigmatid mites. Methods Serum from a subject who experienced allergic symptoms while working with H. cooremani was analyzed for IgE and IgG to proteins in an extract of this mite and of other astigmatid mites known to cause allergic reactions. The serum was used to probe proteins fractionated by SDS-PAGE or precipitated by CIE using rabbit anftiserum. In addition, the subject's serum was used to directly precipitate proteins in extracts of H. cooremani and other mite species. Results SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting of proteins in an H. cooremani extract showed the reference serum contained IgE directed at 16-kD and 19-kD proteins. Crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis reaction showed that the subject's serum contained antibody that precipitated a protein in an H. cooremani extract and that IgE bound to this protein. The proteins in an extract of H. cooremani did not precipitate when reacted with rabbit antisera against the dust mites D. farinae , D. pteronyssinus , and E. maynei , or the storage mites B. tropicalis , L. destructor , and T. putrescentiae . This indicated there was no cross-reactivity between H. cooremani and these mites. Conclusion These results indicated that an extract of the mite H. cooremani contained at least two prominent IgE binding proteins that were not present in the other astigmatid mites. Thus, H. cooremani is the source of unique allergenic proteins and allergy to this mite may develop in orchard and ornamental nursery workers and gardeners.
Regulation of mesangial cell cyclooxygenase synthesis by cytokines and glucocorticoids

The cytokines, interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), potently induce prostaglandin formation in glomerular mesangial cells. Mechanisms by which these cytokines stimulate prostaglandin formation vary among cell types. We investigated whether alterations in phospholipase A2 (PLA2) or cyclooxygenase (COX) mass and activity contribute to the changes in mesangial cell prostaglandin production. These cytokines induced COX activity and mass in a time-dependent manner, which paralleled prostaglandin production. IL-1 increased COX mass approximately threefold by 24 h. TNF had a much smaller effect, although it appeared to be additive with IL-1. IL-1-induced COX mass was maintained at an increased level for at least 48 h. The glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX) virtually abolished prostaglandin production and blocked cytokine induction of COX activity and mass. DEX did not reduce COX activity or mass below the basal, serum-fed levels, however. By utilizing stable isotope methods, we could demonstrate that IL-1 increased free arachidonate levels, implying new PLA2 synthesis over a time course that was maximal at 6 h and was cycloheximide and actinomycin D sensitive. These data demonstrate that the cytokines IL-1 and TNF enhance synthesis of COX and PLA2, contributing to increased prostaglandin production. Cytokine-stimulated prostaglandin production ceases when cells are also treated with DEX, although control levels of COX activity and mass remain. This occurs because DEX inhibits the IL-1-induced enhanced arachidonate release.
The Phylogenetic Origins of Immunoglobulin Structure

Comparative analyses of protein structure in different species can be useful guides to developments in evolutionary history (Arnheim, 1973). This approach is as applicable to the field of immunochemistry as it is to any other biological discipline. Such an analysis involves a search for clues to the origins and developmental processes of a currently extant biological system, e.g., the humoral immune response, by an examination of various aspects of the system as they exist in contemporary representatives of various phylogenetic levels of the animal kingdom. Such an approach assumes that current representatives of older phylogenetic categories are, in fact, reliable indicators of the nature of the particular functions as they existed millions of years ago. The validity of this assumption is perhaps never completely provable, but is nonetheless widely regarded as reasonable. Often, this assumption is the only basis on which certain inferences concerning evolutionary history can be made.
Two Nights of Recovery Sleep Reverses the Effects of Short-term Sleep Restriction on Diabetes Risk

Sleep restriction is associated with insulin resistance and an increased risk for type 2 diabetes (1–3). Here, we investigated whether only 2 nights of recovery sleep, as may occur on weekends, reverses the negative effects of short-term sleep restriction on glucose homeostasis. Nineteen healthy young lean men were studied under controlled laboratory conditions during normal sleep and sleep restriction in a randomized order, as previously reported (1,2,4). The institutional review board of The University of Chicago approved the protocol, and all participants gave written informed consent. During normal sleep, participants were allowed 8.5 h in bed (2300–0700) for 4 consecutive nights. During sleep restriction, participants were allowed 4.5 h in bed (0100–0530) for 4 consecutive nights, immediately followed by recovery sleep for 2 consecutive nights with 12 h in bed on the first night (2200–1000) and 10 h in bed on the second night (2200–0800). A frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (ivGTT) was performed at 1000 after 4 nights of normal sleep, 4 nights of sleep restriction, and 2 nights …
Developing a Realistic and Useful Threat Estimate Profile

This chapter addresses the urgency for developing a realistic and useful threat estimate profile that has value and meaning to chief executives. The discussion focuses on identifying the range and levels of threats against specific assets and modes of attack; characterizing assets, facilities, and processes; and translating these elements into an understandable forecast that enables action. Metrics are introduced to identify threats and hazards, and suggestions are put forth to determine the rank order of assets, loss, consequences, and the probability of an event occurring. Without a completed and up-to-date threat estimate profile, an organization will never know where to effectively allocate resources and funding to protect those assets that need it the most.
Reverse Mortgage Participation in the United States: Evidence from a National Study

This paper uses the most recent wave of a nationally representative dataset to examine the factors associated with elderly homeowners’ decision to obtain reverse mortgage loans. The findings of this study suggest that very few homeowners participated in the reverse mortgage market, and homeowners younger than 67 were less likely to have reverse mortgage loans. However, homeowners who were risk averse, and homeowners in the two highest quartiles of net worth were more likely to have reverse mortgage loans. Further analyses reveal that among the reverse mortgage participants, homeowners with long-term care insurance coverage were less likely to have reverse mortgage loans. Implications for financial economists, financial planners, policy-makers, and scholars of retirement economics are included.
Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy. MR findings and a review of the literature.

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy is an uncommon neoplasm occurring primarily in the child one year or less in age [1]. Difficulty in deciding the cellular origin of this tumor has led to numerous names, including congenital melanocarcinoma, melanotic epithelial odontoma, melanotic ameloblastoma, and retinal anlage tumor, to list a few [2]. Electron microscopy and histochemical studies, however, have now established the neural crest as the most likely origin [2]. The most frequent site of occurrence is the maxilla followed by the skull, the brain and the mandible. The genital organs are the most frequent extracranial site [1]. Within the skull, there is a predilection for the anterior fontanel. The following is a case report of a young child with melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy arising at the anterior fontanel. Included is a discussion of magnetic resonance (MR) findings, which to our knowledge, have not been previously reported in this tumor.
Cartoon textures: re-using traditional animation via methods for segmentation, re-sequencing, and inbetweening

A large body of traditional animation exists, both from television and film, which contains many interesting characters and animation sequences. This dissertation shows how to incorporate that body of animation into motion libraries by making them re-usable. The most desirable qualities of traditional animation are the nuances an artist adds to each character, giving that character personality and style. As such, the focus is on semi-automatic techniques that allow the re-use of traditional animation, yet include the artist at every step of the process. The objective is to provide a method of re-using traditional animation by creating novel animations from a library of existing hand-drawn cartoons. Sequences of similar-looking cartoon data are combined into a user-directed animation. This dissertation first addresses the issue of preparing the cartoon images to be incorporated into a motion library. Three methods are investigated for segmenting the cartoon images from their backgrounds: an ad hoc method, level sets, and support vector machines. We find that support vector machines are robust to artifacts in the cartoon images and are able to segment full-size images in a few seconds. Secondly, a method of nonlinear dimensionality reduction is applied to the cartoon images to discover a lower-dimensional manifold of the data. This manifold is traversed to create new sequences of cartoon animation, maintaining a model-free method, i.e., no a priori knowledge of the drawing or character is required. Finally, a radial basis function implicit surface modeling technique and a fast non-rigid elastic registration algorithm are combined to provide inbetween contours and textures given two key images of traditional animation.
Synthesis of silicon quantum dots using cyclohexasilane (Si6H12)

We report a novel, ambient pressure, continuous gas-phase, synthesis of Si-QDs by direct pyrolysis of cyclohexasilane (CHS, Si6H12), a liquid hydrosilane. We also report that using a low activation energy precursor such as Si6H12 enabled effective gas-phase reduction of the hydrosilane leading to better nucleation of Si nanoparticles than other hydrosilanes. By suitably designing the reactor length and its temperature profile, the structure of the Si-QDs are rendered amorphous or crystalline. The as-synthesized Si-QDs were thermally hydrosilylated with 1-dodecene and their properties examined. High resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) analysis revealed that the nano-crystalline Si-QDs (Si-NCs) have an average size of 2.0 nm. The amorphous Si-QDs (a-Si-QDs) and the Si-NCs samples exhibited UV-Vis absorptions below 300 and 375 nm, respectively. The a-Si-QDs and Si-NCs excited at 300 nm showed PL emissions at ∼370 nm and 374 nm, respectively, while the latter showed additional characteristic emissions at 403, 425 and 457 nm. The quantum yields were determined to be 9 and 13%, respectively, with PL relaxation life times of 6.5 and 13 ns, respectively.
The Wanderer, 1984–2000

My official retirement from NASA was dated 3 December 1984. On that day, I started employment as a distinguished visiting scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. That was the beginning of visits to Pasadena for one to two months each year. During the period from April 1985 to July 1987 I was also a senior research associate at the Department of Meteorology, University of Maryland, where I had grants from both the NSF and NASA. Lucille and I started to spend three to four months in southern Florida, starting in 1989, when I also worked part-time with Frank Marks at the Hurricane Research Division of the NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (CIMAS) at the University of Miami. The period 1986–1990 was also devoted in large part to the planning and organization of the Battan Memorial and 40th Anniversary Radar Meteorology Conference, and the editing of the resulting book Radar in Meteorology. During the entire period, I retained an office at Goddard Space Flight Center.
Potential Mechanisms Linking Oxidized LDL to Susceptibility to Cancer

Last decades have witnessed an explosive growth of obesity in developed countries. This condition is associated with not only increased risk for atherosclerosis and resultant cardiovascular pathologies but also confers significant increase in probability for the development of various forms of cancer. Experimental and epidemiological evidence accumulated in respective fields highlights multiple overlaps in pathobiology of atherosclerosis and cancer including signaling pathways, inflammation, cytokine involvement, proliferation, and angiogenesis. Recent discovery of additional layer of regulation of gene expression based on miRNAs also revealed multiple similarities in miRNA profiles. This suggests that atherogenesis and obesity-­mediated increase in susceptibility to cancers may have common etiological roots. Recent advances in cardiovascular research identified oxidatively modified LDL (and not LDL itself) as a primary factor responsible for initiation and progression of atherogenesis, and the analysis of potential involvement of ox-LDL in carcinogenesis is the focus of the present review.
Fidelity of the integrated kinetic energy factor as an indicator of storm surge impacts

After the devastating hurricane season of 2005, shortcomings with the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale’s (SSHS) ability to characterize a tropical cyclone’s potential to generate storm surge became widely apparent. As a result, several alternative surge indices were proposed to replace the SSHS, including Powell and Reinhold’s integrated kinetic energy (IKE) factor, Kantha’s Hurricane Surge Index (HSI), and Irish and Resio’s Surge Scale (SS). Of the previous, the IKE factor is the only surge index to date that truly captures a tropical cyclone’s integrated intensity, size, and wind field distribution. However, since the IKE factor was proposed in 2007, an accurate assessment of this surge index has not been performed. This study provides the first quantitative evaluation of the IKEs ability to serve as a predictor of a tropical cyclone’s potential surge impacts as compared to other alternative surge indices. Using the tightly coupled Advanced Circulation and Simulating Waves Nearshore models, the surge and wave responses of Hurricane Ike in 2008 and 78 synthetic tropical cyclones were evaluated against the SSHS, IKE, HSI, and SS. Results along the northwestern Gulf of Mexico coastline demonstrate that the HSI performs best in capturing the peak surge response of a tropical cyclone, while the IKE accounting for winds greater than tropical storm intensity (IKETS) provides the most accurate estimate of a tropical cyclone’s regional surge impacts. These results demonstrate that the appropriate selection of a surge index ultimately depends on what information is of interest to be conveyed to the public and/or scientific community.
A Dynamic Model of the Magnetic Head Slider With Contact and Off-Track Motion due to a Thermally Actuated Protrusion or a Moving Bump Involving Intermolecular Forces

A computationally efficient five-degree-of-freedom dynamic model was developed to simulate the motion of a magnetic head slider under the conditions of moving-bump collision and of contact due to an expanding protrusion on the slider for thermal flying-height control, with consideration of intermolecular forces. Compared to results obtained without intermolecular forces for a bump on the rotating disk, the intermolecular forces cause a significantly greater normal contact force, a larger roll angle and a larger off-track displacement under nonzero skew. When an expanding protrusion on the slider reaches a position close to the disk surface, the intermolecular forces pull the slider into contact at an earlier time and keep the protrusion in contact for a longer duration, which, with friction under nonzero skew, results in a substantially greater off-track displacement.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Imagining Intersectional Futures: Feminist approaches in CSCW

The aim of this one-day workshop is to explore theoretical and methodological approaches that help us consider issues of gender, sexual orientation, and power in the design of socio-technical systems. This program builds on two previous workshops on the topic of feminism and CSCW. With this instantiation, we are motivated by an explicit commitment to intersectionality--a recognition that the effects of various oppressions cannot be understood independently. Considerable time will be devoted to discussing work in post-colonial feminism, queer theory, Women of Color feminism, and feminist critical disability studies. Through generative conversation with participants, feedback on works-in-progress, and the initiation of outlets for new feminist CSCW work, we aim to 1) build on existing research and practice and 2) identify concerns and approaches for both designing and assessing research oriented toward intersectional and feminist futures in the context of CSCW and social computing.
Revisiting the Feminist Debates on International Labor Standards in the Aftermath of Rana Plaza

This paper revisits the turn of the millennium feminist debates on international labor standards in the aftermath of the Rana Plaza factory collapse of 2013 that killed over 1100 garment workers in Bangladesh. Feminists were divided over the benefits of establishing internationally enforced labor standards and, more generally, on the usefulness of transnational activism and union organizing for garment workers. The arguments of some feminist opponents during and in the aftermath of the debate emphasized the relative advantages of garment jobs, dismissed the importance of union rights, and criticized the labor transnationalism. These arguments have left unchallenged the current regulatory regime in Bangladesh by allaying concerns about poor working conditions. Drawing upon new empirical evidence, the paper shows that export growth under the market regulatory regime has failed to improve labor conditions in the sector. The paper makes the case for the continuing relevance of feminist arguments that favor a more proactive stance to make job growth compatible with wage gains and improved labor conditions. As they argued, the scope of the response has to be international, including solidaristic activism supporting local worker organizations, and the use of wage increases to move Bangladesh on a development path toward a higher-productivity, higher-wage economy.
Freeze-dried plasma enhances clot formation and inhibits fibrinolysis in the presence of tissue plasminogen activator similar to pooled liquid plasma.

BACKGROUND Systemic hyperfibrinolysis is an integral part of trauma-induced coagulopathy associated with uncontrolled bleeding. Recent data suggest that plasma-first resuscitation attenuates hyperfibrinolysis; however, the availability, transport, storage, and administration of plasma in austere environments remain challenging and have limited its use. Freeze-dried plasma (FDP) is a potential alternative due to ease of storage, longer shelf life, and efficient reconstitution. FDP potentially enhances clot formation and resists breakdown better than normal saline (NS) and albumin and similar to liquid plasma. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Healthy volunteers underwent citrated blood draw followed by 50% dilution with NS, albumin, pooled plasma (PP), or pooled freeze-dried plasma (pFDP). Citrated native and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA)-challenge (75 ng/mL) thrombelastography were done. Proteins in PP, pFDP, and albumin were analyzed by mass spectroscopy. RESULTS pFDP and PP had superior clot-formation rates (angle) and clot strength (maximum amplitude) compared with NS and albumin in t-PA-challenge thrombelastographies (angle: pFDP, 67.9 degrees; PP, 67.8 degrees; NS, 40.6 degrees; albumin, 35.8 degrees; maximum amplitude: pFDP, 62.4 mm; PP, 63.5 mm; NS, 44.8 mm; albumin, 41.1 mm). NS and albumin dilution increased susceptibility to t-PA-induced hyperfibrinolysis compared with pFDP and PP (NS, 62.4%; albumin, 62.6%; PP, 8.5%; pFDP, 6.7%). pFDP was similar to PP in the attenuation of t-PA-induced fibrinolysis. Most proteins (97%) were conserved during the freeze-dry process, with higher levels in 12% of pFDP proteins compared with PP. CONCLUSION pFDP enhances clot formation and attenuates hyperfibrinolysis better than NS and albumin and is a potential alternative to plasma resuscitation in the treatment of hemorrhagic shock.
Smart grid and energy storage: Policy recommendations

Abstract Traditional energy grid designs marginalize the value of information and energy storage, but a truly dynamic power grid requires both. The authors support defining energy storage as a distinct asset class within the electric grid system, supported with effective regulatory and financial policies for development and deployment within a storage-based smart grid system in which storage is placed in a central role. This would enhance load and market operations through realization of the full range and value of services from storage technologies. Energy storage technologies provide significant opportunities to further enhance the efficiency and operation of the grid. Its ability to provide application-specific energy services across different components of the grid make it uniquely suited to respond quickly and effectively to signals throughout the smart grid. Therefore, energy storage as a distinct asset class will increase the value of storage investments while enhancing the operation of the smart grid. To further this goal, storage requires policy support. Research, development and demonstration (RDD investment tax credits will accelerate investment in storage projects; and continued market deregulation will augment revenue streams, enhance competition, and provide more accurate prices for storage services.
Analysis of Costs and Time Frame for Reducing CO2 Emissions by 70% in the U.S. Auto and Energy Sectors by 2050

Using a least-cost optimization framework, it is shown that unless emissions reductions beyond those already in place begin at the latest by 2025 (±2 years) for the U.S. automotive sector, and by 2026 (−3 years) for the U.S. electric sector, 2050 targets to achieve necessary within-sector preventative CO2 emissions reductions of 70% or more relative to 2010 will be infeasible. The analysis finds no evidence to justify delaying climate action in the name of reducing technological costs. Even without considering social and environmental damage costs, delaying aggressive climate action does not reduce CO2 abatement costs even under the most optimistic trajectories for improvements in fuel efficiencies, demand, and technology costs in the U.S. auto and electric sectors. In fact, the abatement cost for both sectors is found to increase sharply with every year of delay beyond 2020. When further considering reasonable limits to technology turnover, retirements, and new capacity additions, these costs would be hi...
Screen collection efficiency of airborne fibers with monodisperse length

Abstract Fiber length is believed to be an important variable in determining various toxicological responses to asbestos and other elongate mineral particles. In this study we investigated screen collection characteristics using monodisperse-length glass fibers (i.e., 11, 15, 25, and 53 µm in length), to better understand the collection of fibers with different lengths on screens with different mesh sizes. A well-dispersed aerosol of glass fibers (geometric mean length ~ 20 µm), generated by vortex shaking, was fed directly into the Baron Fiber Length Classifier, in order to produce monodisperse length fibers. With nylon mesh screens (10, 20, 30, 41 and 60 µm mesh sizes), the screen collection efficiency was measured using an aerodynamic particle sizer. As the screen mesh size decreases from 60 µm to 10 µm, the screen collection efficiency for 53 µm fibers increases (from 0.3 to 0.9) while 11 µm fibers exhibited a collection efficiency independent of screen mesh size. The collection efficiency for the longest fibers was found to be nearly constant for aerodynamic diameters 1–4 µm for screens 20 and 30 µm, but to rise significantly at aerodynamic diameters larger than 4 µm. For the 20 µm screen, the collection efficiency for fibers with lengths > 20 µm is a factor of two to five larger than that for spherical particles with the same aerodynamic diameter. We believe that fibers are collected on the screen primarily by interception below 4 µm in aerodynamic diameter, and by impaction above 4 µm. This study represents a fundamental advance in the understanding of the interaction of screens with a fibrous aerosol.
Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project discovery and replication criteria for cases and controls: Data from a community-based prospective cohort study with autopsy follow-up.

Abstract Introduction The Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP) used different criteria for assigning case and control status from the discovery and replication phases of the project. We considered data from a community-based prospective cohort study with autopsy follow-up where participants could be categorized as case, control, or neither by both definitions and compared the two sets of criteria. Methods We used data from the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study including Diagnostic and Statistical Manual–IV criteria for dementia status, McKhann et al. criteria for clinical Alzheimer's disease, and Braak and Consortium to Establish a Registry for AD findings on neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques to categorize the 621 ACT participants of European ancestry who died and came to autopsy. We applied ADSP discovery and replication definitions to identify controls, cases, and people who were neither controls nor cases. Results There was some agreement between the discovery and replication definitions. Major areas of discrepancy included the finding that only 40% of the discovery sample controls had sufficiently low levels of neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques to be considered controls by the replication criteria and the finding that 16% of the replication phase cases were diagnosed with non-AD dementia during life and thus were excluded as cases for the discovery phase. Conclusions These findings should inform interpretation of genetic association findings from the ADSP. Differences in genetic association findings between the two phases of the study may reflect these different phenotype definitions from the discovery and replication phase of the ADSP.
Relation of Resting Heart Rate to Incident Atrial Fibrillation (From ARIC [Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities] Study).

The evidence on the association between resting heart rate (HR) and incident atrial fibrillation (AF) is conflicting. Whether change in resting HR is associated with incident AF is unknown. We evaluated 11,545 participants (mean [±standard deviation] age: 57 ± 5.7 years) free of AF at baseline (1990 to 1992). Resting HR was obtained from 10-second electrocardiograms at baseline and 3 years later. AF diagnosis was ascertained from visit electrocardiograms, hospital discharge records, and death certificates through 2013. High and low resting HR were defined as ≥80 and 15 and
Behavioral avoidance and selection responses of fishes to chemicals.

Standard chemical lethality tests are performed to determine the concentration at which a particular chemical produces death in a species under a defined set of laboratory conditions. Although these tests are necessary, it is difficult to relate these data to natural environments where fate and effect predictions are needed. First, chemical pollutants seldom attain lethal concentrations in nature; hence effects, when present, usually are sublethal. Second, even if a potentially lethal concentration is present, resident species can make several adaptive responses (i. e., responses which promote survival). For convenience, these responses can be separated into behavioral, physiological/biochemical, and genetic, although these categories are not necessarily mutually exclusive.