cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FLOW FIELD NEAR AN OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION PLANT

The flow field in the vicinity of an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Plant is extremely complex. The plants will normally be located in an area of relatively high surface currents and the location must also be such that a large temperature difference exists between the lower layers and the surface. Locations that demonstrate this characteristic can in many cases be modeled as a two layer fluid as shown in Figure 1. A number of different designs for the OTEC plants are being considered, but they all have one thing in common, a large vertical cold water pipe. This pipe extends from near the surface to some point in the cold water layer (see Figure 1). In some designs this pipe is as large as 40 m in diameter and 460 m in length. Having such a large object penetrating the interface between the two temperature layers in the presence of a shear flow can significantly alter the character of the interface. The highly turbulent wake downstream from the pipe can drastically effect the mixing across this density interface. A conventional heat engine cycle is used in the plant with the high temperature source being the water in the upper layers and the low temperature reservoir being the water from the lower depths. \ Since the temperature difference is small for this type of plant (20° max.), vast quantities of both high and low temperature water must be used. The intake and discharge for the warm water as well as the cold water discharge will be in the upper layer; the intake for the cold water will be in the lower layer at or near the end of the cold water pipe. The flow problem is thus one of a vertical cylinder in a two layer stratified shear flow with sources and sinks located along the cylinder.
Problems of Magnitude Measurement with Multiple GSRS

Sunzmary.-In long delay or trace conditioning more than one maximum for the GSR response curve is obtained. CRs expressed as magnitudes of response may employ either stimulus onset poinrs or response onset points as base levels from which to measure changes (GSRs). Data are presented to demonstrate that different magnitude measures (those from CS onset and from CR onset) may yield difcerent sensitiviry to independent variation and different values for empirically defined conditioning phenomena. Further data show that responses occurring in close succession during a trial may be interdependent. One of the most difficult tasks confronting the investigator of GSR conditioning is chac of measuring che conditioned response The task seems simple
Conceptual Design of a Multipurpose Robotic Craft for Space Based Construction

The conceptual design of a machine to generate construction material, sinter surfaces and perform final assembly of space station modules is presented. The construction of a 50m diameter, 50m high, and 2m thick cylindrical module out of pulverized rock from a NearEarth Object is taken as a test case. The Rock-Breaker uses beamed microwave energy from solar collectors. Pulsed solid plasma thrusters are used for maneuvering and in conjunction with an impact torque-driver for anchoring spacecraft to low-gravity NEOs. Dynamic analysis of this integrated rendezvous, anchoring and maneuvering system shows how total system mass is minimized. The cutting system uses arrays of fiber laser beams and plasma jets integrated into truncated Aerospike nozzles on telescoping arms to obtain small cubic blocks for construction. These blocks lift from the surface to form a toroidal cloud. Various cutting patterns were tested to optimize cutting power and time requirements. The craft is designed for a total mass of 25000 kg at transfer from Low Earth Orbit, and uses a solar sail as the primary propulsion system.
Plasticity of energetics in blossom bats (Pteropodidae) : Impact on distribution

Blossom bats, Macroglossus minimus and Syconycteris australis , from New Guinean lowland rainforests usually enter torpor at low ambient temperatures (11–29°C). Torpid individuals maintain a 2–5°C differential of body temperature above ambient temperature. Individuals from highlands, however, regulate body temperature at 36–37°C at ambient temperatures as low as 13°C. A third species, Melonycteris melanops , exhibits imprecise temperature regulation, but rarely enters torpor. Basal rates of metabolism for lowland populations of the three species are low compared to the mammalian standard, whereas highland and subtropical S. australis and highland M. minimus have basal rates near expected values. Thermal conductances of blossom bats are lower than the mammalian standard, except in subtropical S. australis . The variation in basal rates of metabolism in nec-tarivorous bats correlates with body size and effectiveness of thermoregulation. M. minimus and S. australis have large geographic distributions, ability to cross narrow oceanic water gaps, and sufficient plasticity in energetics to meet demands imposed by environments including small oceanic islands, disturbed successional forests, and primary lowland and montane rain forests.
Two New Species of Late Pleistocene Woodrats (Cricetidae: Neotoma) from New Mexico

Two new species of Neotoma are described from New Mexican cave deposits older than late Wisconsinan full-stadial time. One of these species, morphologically similar to N. cinerea , N. fuscipes , and N. mexicana , is tentatively hypothesized to be a descendent of Neotoma cinerea populations isolated in the southeastern New Mexican highlands since early Wisconsinan stadial events; the other is most similar to the living Neotoma goldmani of north-central Mexico, and likely is ancestral to that species.
Robotic Endoscopic Off-Pump Total Pericardiectomy in Constrictive Pericarditis.

ObjectiveAlthough rare, constrictive pericarditis is a serious condition with debilitating symptoms and often severe heart failure. Total pericardiectomy is the most effective treatment and is trad...
Dranimate: Paper Becomes Tablet, Drawing Becomes Animation

Dranimate is an interactive animation system that allows users to rapidly and intuitively rig and control animations based on a still image or drawing using hand gestures. Dranimate combines two complementary methods of shape manipulation: bone-joint-based physics simulation and the as-rigid-as-possible deformation algorithm. Dranimate also introduces a number of designed interactions created around the metaphor of an image on a tablet screen replacing a physical drawing. The interactions focus the users attention on the animated content, as opposed to computer keyboard, mouse, or tablet surface while enabling natural and intuitive interactions with personalized digital content.
Cytotoxicity of high energy shock waves: Methodologic considerations

AbstractIn vivo and in vitro experimentation with high energy shock waves (HESW) is necessary to further our understanding of the biologic effects and potential application of this novel energy form. Factors are identified which are critical to the design and subsequent interpretation of HESW experimentation. First, the nature of the containment vessel and the presence or absence of acoustic interfaces are shown to significantly alter the outcome of cell suspension experiments. Second, the effects of HESW are shown to differ markedly for cells in suspension versus cells in tissue making comparisons between the two uncertain. Finally, the need for appropriate negative controls is demonstrated with in vivo experiments to control for the generalized toxicity which occurs when small animals are exposed to such an intense force distributed over a relatively large area. These findings affect the interpretation of previously reported work which investigated the cytotoxic potential of HESW.
Deconstructing Chronic Low Back Pain in the Older Adult-Step by Step Evidence and Expert-Based Recommendations for Evaluation and Treatment: Part VII: Insomnia

Objective. To present the seventh in a series of articles designed to deconstruct chronic low back pain (CLBP) in older adults. This article focuses on insomnia and presents a treatment algorithm for managing insomnia in older adults, along with a representative clinical case. Methods. A modified Delphi process was used to develop the algorithm and supportive materials. A multidisciplinary expert panel representing expertise in health psychology and sleep medicine developed the algorithm and supporting documents that were subsequently refined through an iterative process of input from a primary care provider panel. Results. We present an illustrative clinical case and an algorithm to help guide the care of older adults with insomnia, an important contributor to CLBP and disability. Multicomponent cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) and similar treatments (e.g., brief behavioral treatment for insomnia [BBTI]) are the recommended first-line treatment. Medications should be considered only if BBTI/CBTI is suboptimal or not effective and should be prescribed at the lowest effective dose for short periods of time (< 90 days). Conclusions. Insomnia is commonly comorbid with CLBP in older adults and should be routinely evaluated and treated because it is an important contributor to pain and disability. The algorithm presented was structured to assist primary care providers in planning treatment for older adults with CLBP and insomnia.
Large sample theory of spacings statistics for tests of fit for the composite hypothesis

SUMMARY Let X1, . . ., Xn be a sequence of independent and identically distributed random variables with an unknown underlying continuous cumulative distribution function F. Often we would like to test a null hypothesis concerning the goodness of fit of Fto some distribution function which is fully specified or belongs to some parametric family, i.e. in some applications the null hypothesis is simple whereas in others it may be composite. In this paper we present the large sample theory of tests based on non-symmetric functions of sample spacings under composite null hypotheses as well as under contiguous alternatives. Goodness-of-fit tests which are optimal within this class are constructed.
Predicting protein conformational changes for unbound and homology docking: learning from intrinsic and induced flexibility

Predicting protein conformational changes from unbound structures or even homology models to bound structures remains a critical challenge for protein docking. Here we present a study directly addressing the challenge by reducing the dimensionality and narrowing the range of the corresponding conformational space. The study builds on cNMA-our new framework of partner- and contact-specific normal mode analysis that exploits encounter complexes and considers both intrinsic and induced flexibility. First, we established over a CAPRI (Critical Assessment of PRedicted Interactions) target set that the direction of conformational changes from unbound structures and homology models can be reproduced to a great extent by a small set of cNMA modes. In particular, homology-to-bound interface root-mean-square deviation (iRMSD) can be reduced by 40% on average with the slowest 30 modes. Second, we developed novel and interpretable features from cNMA and used various machine learning approaches to predict the extent of conformational changes. The models learned from a set of unbound-to-bound conformational changes could predict the actual extent of iRMSD with errors around 0.6 A for unbound proteins in a held-out benchmark subset, around 0.8 A for unbound proteins in the CAPRI set, and around 1 A even for homology models in the CAPRI set. Our results shed new insights into origins of conformational differences between homology models and bound structures and provide new support for the low-dimensionality of conformational adjustment during protein associations. The results also provide new tools for ensemble generation and conformational sampling in unbound and homology docking. Proteins 2017; 85:544-556. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Abrogation of Phenotype by Small Molecule Read-Through Compounds in a Human Model of Ataxia Telangiectasia (P05.048)

OBJECTIVE: To develop a human in vitro model of Ataxia Telangiectais (A-T) for efficient screening of novel therapeutic compounds. BACKGROUND: Ataxia Telangiectasia (A-T) is an early onset progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by loss of function mutations in ATM. ATM protein is a kinase that plays a crucial role in cellular response to double stranded-DNA break. Thus far, animal models of A-T have failed to show many aspects of the disease, including progressive cerebellar ataxia, the most debilitating symptom in A-T patients. DESIGN/METHODS: Using lenti-virus that harbors reprogramming Yamanaka factors, we reprogrammed A-T patient9s fibroblasts into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). These iPSCs were characterized for their pluripotency by immunostaining and teratoma assay. These iPSCs were then differentiated into neural lineages, including neuroprogenitor and neurons. These neural derivatives were subjected to gamma irradiation to induce double-stranded DNA break. ATM activity was measured by the degree of ATM phosphorylation using immunofluoresence. Response to DNA damage was monitored by the presence of gamma-H2AX, a histone variant involved in DNA repair. The neural derivatives were treated with small molecule read through (SMRT) compounds that induce misread mRNA around termination codons. The effect of SMRT compounds on ATM activity by ATM phosphorylation and double stranded DNA repair measured by gamma-H2AX were evaluated. RESULTS: This model resembles several key aspects of the disease in neural progenitor cells and neurons. Furthermore, we show that small molecule read through (SMRT) compounds that induce misread mRNA around termination codons, restore ATM activity and improved response to DNA damage. CONCLUSIONS: This in vitro model, therefore, allows for efficient screening of novel compounds, identify target effects, and preclinical testing on relevant cell types for the study and treatment of A-T. Supported by: CIRM grant #RT2-01920. Disclosure: Dr. Lee has nothing to disclose. Dr. Martin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Nakamura has nothing to disclose. Dr. Azghadi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Amiri has nothing to disclose. Dr. Perlman has received research support from Santhera Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Gatti has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lowry has nothing to disclose.
Satire as a source for learning? The differential impact of news versus satire exposure on net neutrality knowledge gain

This study considers the effects of exposure to political satire versus traditional news on issue-specific learning and engagement. Using data from an experiment conducted in January 2016 (N = 296)...
An analysis of the attraction and holding power of motor skill stations used in a mastery motivational physical education climate for preschool children

ABSTRACTBackground: The template for the current study was the project conducted by Rosenthal [1973. “An Ecological Study of Free Play in the Nursery School.” Doctoral diss., Wayne State University] where she investigated the attraction and holding power of various learning centres during free play in a naturalistic preschool setting. Rosenthal’s most significant conclusion was that the characteristics of individual settings were more significant predictors of free play than demographic variables.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to follow Rosenthal’s design within a physical education setting to answer three key questions; (i) across lessons, what is the extent and range of engagement across different activity stations, (ii) which activities have a stronger or weaker attractiveness in terms of enticing children to practice, and (iii) which activities have stronger or weaker holding power in terms of their capacity to sustain engagement?Participants and setting: The participants in this study were 12...
Short-term changes in physical and chemical properties of soil charcoal support enhanced landscape mobility

Charcoal is a major component of the stable soil organic carbon reservoir, and the physical and chemical properties of charcoal can sometimes significantly alter bulk soil properties (e.g. by increasing soil water holding capacity). However, our understanding of the residence time of soil charcoal remains uncertain, with old measured soil charcoal ages in apparent conflict with relatively short modeled and measured residence times. These discrepancies may exist because the fate of charcoal on the landscape is a function not just of its resistance to biological decomposition, but also its physical mobility. Mobility may be important in controlling charcoal landscape residence time and may artificially inflate estimates of its degradability, but few studies have examined charcoal vulnerability to physical redistribution. Charcoal landscape redistribution is likely higher than other organic carbon fractions owing to charcoal's low bulk density, typically less than 1.0 g/cm3. Here we examine both the physical and chemical properties of soil and charcoal over a period of two years following a 2011 wildfire in Texas. We find little change in properties with time; however, we find evidence of enhanced mobility of charcoal relative to other forms of soil organic matter. These data add to a growing body of evidence that charcoal is preferentially eroded, offering another explanation for variations observed in its environmental residence times.
Evidence for sortilin modulating regional accumulation of human tau prions in transgenic mice

Misfolding of tau proteins into prions and their propagation along neural circuits are thought to result in neurodegeneration causing Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and other tauopathies. Little is known about the molecular processes mediating tau prion replication and spreading in different brain regions. Using transgenic (Tg) mice with a neuronal promoter driving expression of human mutant (P301S) tau, we found that tau prion formation and histopathologic deposition is largely restricted to the hindbrain. Unexpectedly, tau mRNA and protein levels did not differ between the forebrain and hindbrain, suggesting that other factors modulating the conversion of tau into a prion exist and are region specific. Using a cell-based prion propagation assay, we discovered that tau prion replication is suppressed by forebrain-derived inhibitors, one of which is sortilin, a lysosomal sorting receptor. We also show that sortilin expression is higher in the forebrain than the hindbrain across the life span of the Tg mice, suggesting that sortilin, at least in part, inhibits forebrain tau prion replication in vivo. Our findings provide evidence for selective vulnerability in mice resulting in highly regulated levels of tau prion propagation, thus affording a model for identification of additional molecules that could mitigate the levels of tau prions in human tauopathies.
Teacher Candidate Perceptions of Urban Field Experiences.

This paper examines the impact of diverse clinical field experiences on rural teacher candidates’ perceptions of their ability to effectively teach urban, diverse students. The literature framework supporting the study builds on Nieto’s description of socially-just pedagogy and responsive approach to diversity while meeting national education program standards despite declining resources. Researchers gauged candidates’ perceptions of the impact of working with students from race, language and class backgrounds different from their own. Findings revealed four significant impacts: increasing capacity to use culturally-relevant practice, boosting ability to differentiate for urban learners’ diverse needs, understanding the importance of strong relationships, and raising candidate self-efficacy and desire to teach in diverse schools.
Epilepsy and Cognitive Plasticity

Epilepsy provided neuropsychology with the canonical cases of amnesia and episodic memory disorders. These cases strongly encouraged the development of modular conceptions of memory. As neuropsychology moves to develop non-modular, network approaches to cognition, it is ironic that epilepsy can be seen as providing clear, illustrative examples of a network disturbance in cognition. The key to understanding this shift in thinking is to grasp that the neural mechanism underlying network development (i.e., neuroplasticity) and the neuropathology of seizures are separated by little. Many of the neural mechanisms of learning are key factors in the regulation of seizures, and the highly plastic regions specialized for learning and memory are also prone to seizures. More than characterizing the effects of seizures, and determining the risks and outcomes of brain surgery, there are fundamental cognitive neuroscience reasons for the neuropsychologist to study epilepsy.
Toward the Vindication of Friedrich Engels

It is by now a commonplace that Marxism is going through an important period of theoretical (and no doubt, for the same reasons, practical) development. It has been noted by many that the ‘crude’ and ‘mechanical’1 application of Marxian categories which prevailed as orthodoxy for about a half century — starting, roughly, with the formulation of the Erfurt Program, and lasting even beyond the Stalin years — is, in many quarters, fast giving way to a far more sophisticated and sensitive means of cultural analysis. Indeed, even this occurrence of the word ‘cultural’ is itself quite significant. For the most fundamental aspect of Marxism’s current transformation may perhaps be best stated as follows: we are beginning to appreciate what it means to say that Marxian analysis is cultural analysis. It has become clear that Marx’s interest in the economic metabolism of society was rooted in his conviction that this is the way in which the interchange of the products of human creativity is to be most adequately studied. The importance of this formulation is that once Marxism is explicitly conceived as a theory concerning the production and distribution of culture, it becomes quite impossible to treat the ideational aspect of human history as it was treated by the older ‘orthodoxy’: as if it were some merely epiphenomenal dimension riding piggyback upon an essentially non-ideational ‘base’ of society, the latter ‘material foundation’ being something over which human consciousness can have no truly decisive influence.2 If there really is a science in ‘scientific socialism’, its insistence upon the materiality of human existence must not be taken to imply that the categories peculiar to human — i.e., conscious — materiality are to be accorded secondary status.
Contextualizing Preanalyses of the Ohio Hopewell Mortuary Data, II: Associations of Artifact Classes across Burials

The social and ritual lives of a past people can sometimes be known through the paraphernalia and symbols that individuals used in the course of their social relations and in performing their social roles. Ohio Hopewell diviners, for example, used mica mirrors, reflective galena cubes, transparent quartz and gem bifaces, and obsidian bifaces, individually and together in various combinations. Both the ceremonial functions of the individual artifact classes and the ceremonial use of multiple artifact classes as a set to accomplish particular ritual goals reveal the workings of diviners in Ohio Hopewell societies.
Resection of the Inferior Vena Cava or Intraluminal Vena Caval Tumor Thrombectomy During Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection for Metastatic Germ Cell Cancer: Indications and Results

A total of 42 patients underwent inferior vena caval resection (40) or intraluminal tumor thrombectomy (2) during retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for bulky abdominal metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell cancer (7% of all post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection cases). The 3 indications for vena caval resection included tumor clearance (38%), vena caval scar occlusion (14%) and vena caval tumor thrombus (48%). En bloc vena caval resection to achieve tumor clearance was justified by subsequent nodal pathology (cancer in 63% of the specimens and teratoma in 31%). Vena caval resection in the presence of scar occlusion was de facto required by virtue of its incorporation in the specimen. Vena caval resection or thrombectomy is indicated for intraluminal tumor thrombus because thrombus pathology (cancer 35%, teratoma 45% and fibrosis 20%) reflected nodal pathology in 71% of the patients with cancer, 78% with teratoma and 100% with fibrosis. The complications of vena caval resection were generally transitory. The 71% survival rate justifies this intensive surgical approach because these patients had exhausted all chemotherapy options.
The "Reasonable Subject Standard" as an Alternative to the "Best Interest Standard"

Johan Bester makes a compelling case against the use of the harm principle to guide medical decisions on behalf of children (Bester 2018). He notes that parents have positive obligations to their c...
A domain-specific language for microservices

A common architectural pattern for complex online systems is a collection of “microservices” communicating via RPC interfaces. A service architecture provides autonomy for teams to develop, deploy, and operate system modules without centralized coordination. But this autonomy comes at a cost in leverage—the fixed costs of running a service are high, and the desire to avoid them can lead to poor design choices. In this paper we describe Strato, a system built at Twitter that runs many microservices hosted in a shared service platform—trading a little autonomy for a lot of leverage. Hosted microservices are written in a Scala-like DSL that supports transparent concurrency and native access to Thrift data (the common currency of services at Twitter). The DSL compiles to a concurrency library written in Scala with an arrows-based interface. We detail the design and implementation of the DSL and concurrency library, and evaluate the effectiveness of Strato in improving leverage at Twitter.
Predicting erosion at valley fills with two reclamation techniques in mountainous terrain

ABSTRACTMinimising erosion resulting from mining is important to improve of reclamation and management. Geomorphic landform design (GLD) is a reclamation technique that attempts to replicate a long-term erosionally stable condition. Erosion was evaluated using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) comparing two reclamation scenarios (conventional and GLD) to the undisturbed condition. Soil loss rates were highest during the post-mining, pre-vegetation condition (conventional: 123.2 t ha−1 yr−1; GLD: 204.3 t ha−1 yr−1). Long-term erosion rates showed little difference between valley fills reclaimed with GLD and conventional methods; however, erosion was concentrated along the conventional fill face and distributed over the GLD landform.
Lead-free epitaxial ferroelectric heterostructures for energy storage applications

With the development of electronic devices towards miniaturization, light weight and integration, dielectric thin film-capacitors for recoverable energy storage applications have attracted ever-growing interests owing to their fast charging and discharging rate. In continuation to our investigations for achieving high energy density, we have grown lead free BaZr0.2Ti0.8O3 (BZT)/Ba0.7Ca0.3TiO3 (BCT) heterostructures and studied the structural, dielectric, ferroelectric and energy density characteristics. The BZT/BCT bilayer epitaxial heterostructures were grown on La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) buffered LaAlO3 (LAO) single crystal substrate by optimized pulsed laser deposition technique. The ferroelectric phase transition has been probed above room temperature with relaxor behavior. These nanostructures show high discharge and charge energy densities of 9.74 and 26.55 J/cm3, respectively. These heterostructures show high dielectric permittivity, large polarization and high energy density characteristics well above room temperature which may be useful for both high power and energy density device applications.
The Present and Future State of Antimicrobial Stewardship and Rapid Diagnostic Testing: Can One Ideally Succeed Without the Other?

The growth and development of rapid diagnostic technologies (RDTs) in infectious diseases (ID) have grown significantly over the past several years. The aim of these platforms is to identify causative pathogens more quickly and target antimicrobial therapy earlier, ultimately improving patient outcomes. Use of RDT specifically from blood specimens to optimize antimicrobial therapy and improve patient outcomes is a recommendation by the most recent antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) guidelines. In this review, we aim to highlight currently available FDA-approved RDTs for clinicians, data supporting the role of blood culture RDT platforms in AMS and their integration into clinical practice with and without AMS support to improve patient outcomes, as well as potential future opportunities for current and pending platforms. New RDT platforms continue to enter the market, most recently with GenMark’s ePlex Gram-positive and fungal panels. The Accelerate Pheno™ technology is unique in its ability to provide identification and phenotypic susceptibility results for pathogens included in its platform within 7 h. We anticipate more RDTs will continue to enter the market in the coming years. Across published literature, it has been shown the most significant impact in optimization of antimicrobial therapy occurs with integration of RDT with AMS intervention. Additionally, a recent meta-analysis showed a decreased mortality risk with use of RDT with AMS programs. Despite the perceived benefit of RDT, cost can be a major obstacle for institutions and data on the fiscal impact and associated return on investment are still needed. Rapid diagnostics in ID and AMS programs continue to grow. Data has shown the benefit of RDTs with AMS intervention, especially in the realm of positive blood cultures. Expansion of RDTs in all culture sites continues to be a need for patients as well as further literature to justify the high costs for these technologies.
A Dynamic Analysis of Beauty Premium

A rich literature has demonstrated facial attractiveness related discrimination (beauty bias ) in a wide range of contexts, such as personal marketing, election voting and employment. Under a controlled lab setting, most of these studies have found that attractiveness is rewarded. However, these studies cannot imitate long-term, real world interactions and thus lack external validity. In this paper, we show the long-term dynamics of bias to discern among sources of attractiveness bias. We investigate two sources of attractiveness bias, namely, belief based and preference based. Belief based bias against subjects exists because evaluators have group-level priors based on the subjects’ attractiveness. These priors are overcome as the evaluator obtains objective signals of performance. Preference based bias exists because evaluators have an inherent taste for a social, romantic or marital relationship with attractive subjects. We use one of the largest archival longitudinal data sets (43,533 MBA graduates) in this area of research to identify these two sources. We find that attractiveness is associated with a 2.4% gap over a 15-year career period. This gap is largely explained by preference bias which is associated with attractiveness gap of 0.52% per year. On the other hand, belief bias has no significant role in post-MBA professional careers. This is a significant finding because belief bias towards an individual can be minimized by the individuals’ performance information. However, preference based biases are much harder to remove. In our setting, there are two key challenges in working with unstructured data. First, for an individual, we observe only one current picture, which is taken up to 25 years after the start of the individual’s professional career. We build a generative deep learning model to create life-like versions of a face, thus allowing us to emulate the employers’ perceptions of how the individual looked at a younger age. Second, individuals move across job profiles, companies and locations, thereby making it difficult to directly compare their career milestones. We construct a preference order for jobs (job rank) based on observed job switching and text-based job title similarities.
Accounting for Price Waterhouse: Proving Disparate Treatment Under Title VII

The traditional "McDonnell Douglas" litigation structure was cast into serious question by the Supreme Court's decision in Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, which created an alternative mode of analysis for some subset of individual disparate treatment cases claiming discrimination in violation of Title VII. In the wake of that decision, the question of what cases ought to be analyzed under what structure has emerged starkly. On the one hand, the dividing line seems straightforward: McDonnell Douglas cases are "pretext" problems: did the alleged discrimination in fact occur. In this view, Price Waterhouse cases are "mixed motive" ones: there are both legitimate and illegitimate reasons present, and the question is simply which caused the decision. The problem with this perspective is that both kinds of cases pose the "pretext" problem: In pure McDonnell Douglas situations, the question is whether the legitimate reason exists at all; but in pure Price Waterhouse cases, it is whether the legitimate reason is the reason for the decision. In both instances, the employer claims that it acted because of a nondiscriminatory reason, and the plaintiff tries to show that this claim is a pretext for the true reasons for its action. It is also possible to say that all cases are mixed motive ones: even McDonnell-Douglas cases are predicated on the existence of discriminatory motivations, and the employer's articulation of a nondiscriminatory reason does not negate the possibility that discrimination motivated the decision. It merely offers an alternative motivation that may (or may not) be more plausible than the inference of discrimination. Further, while racial and gender bias remains deeply embedded in American society, the law and social attitudes have changed sufficiently for there rarely to be a case in which the employer acts solely from discriminatory motives. Most employment decisions will flow from a muddle of motives. This suggests that, from a commonsense perspective, almost all cases involving any discrimination at all are likely to be Price Waterhouse cases, not McDonnell-Douglas ones, in the sense that the employer will have both good reasons and bad ones for its adverse employment action.
The application of radiotherapy to the pediatric preclinical testing program: Results of a pilot study.

9544 Background: The Pediatric Preclinical Testing Program (PPTP) has been successfully utilized to determine the efficacy of novel agents by testing via its mouse-flank in vivo model. We report on...
Reduction of Leakage Current in GaN Schottky Diodes Through Ultraviolet/Ozone Plasma Treatment

Surface passivation is critically important to improve the leakage current and current on/off ratio in Schottky diodes and thus the overall device performance and reliability. In this work, we report the reduction of leakage current in Pt/n-GaN and Pd/n-GaN Schottky diodes by improving metal-GaN interface passivation using ultraviolet/ozone (UV/O3) plasma treatment. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to verify the improved passivation at the surface of GaN. Capacitance-voltage measurements were employed to determine the change in built-in potentials and the Schottky barrier heights of the Schottky diodes. Temperature-dependent measurements of current-voltage characteristics verified the thermionic emission carrier injection mechanisms. It was found that the leakage current in the GaN Schottky diodes was reduced by three orders of magnitude and the current on/off ratio was increased by two orders of magnitude due to the interface passivation that reduced defect states at metal-semiconductor interfaces and suppressed dislocation-induced leakage current.
Irritability as a Transdiagnostic Vulnerability Trait:Current Issues and Future Directions

Abstract In recent years, irritability has received increasing attention among mental health professionals given its transdiagnostic associations with diverse forms of psychopathology. In contrast to other emotional states and traits, however, literature addressing associations between irritability and related temperament and personality constructs is limited. In addition, those who study irritability have diverse perspectives on its neurobiological substrates. In this comment, we situate irritability in the literatures on child temperament and adult personality, and describe a model in which irritability derives from low tonic dopamine (DA) levels and low phasic DA reactivity in subcortical neural structures implicated in appetitive responding. We note that different findings often emerge in neuroimaging studies when irritability is assessed in circumscribed diagnostic groups versus representative samples. We conclude with directions for future research, and propose that more authors use hierarchical Bayesian modeling, which captures functional dependencies between irritability and other dispositional traits (e.g., trait anxiety) that standard regression models are insensitive too. Treatment implications are also considered.
The Vertical Farm: Exploring Applications for Peri-urban Areas

This chapter reviews recent advances in greenhouse technologies, including hydroponics, aeroponics, and aquaponics, and explains how they have provided a promising future to the vertical farm concept. It argues that compact high-tech agriculture is not only applicable in dense urban areas but also in peri-urban areas. Indeed, new high-tech systems represent a paradigm shift in farming and food production and offer suitable and efficient methods for peri-urban farming by minimizing maintenance and maximizing yield. Upon reviewing these technologies and examining project prototypes, we find that these efforts do plant the seeds for the realization of efficient and compact forms of large-scale indoor farming. The chapter, however, speculates about the consequences, advantages, and disadvantages of the vertical farm. Economic feasibility, codes, regulations, and a lack of expertise remain major obstacles in the path to implementing the vertical farm.
Acute in vivo testing of a polymer cuff electrode with integrated microfluidic channels for stimulation, recording, and drug delivery on rat sciatic nerve.

Abstract Background Extraneural cuffs are among the least invasive peripheral nerve interfaces as they remain outside the nerve. However, compared with more invasive interfaces, these electrodes may suffer from lower selectivity and sensitivity since the targeted nerve fibers are more distanced from the electrodes. New Method A lyse-and-attract cuff electrode (LACE) was enabled by microfabrication and developed to improve selectivity and sensitivity while maintaining a cuff format. Its engineering design was described in previous work. LACE is a hybrid cuff that integrates both microelectrodes and microfluidic channels. The ultimate goal is to increase fascicular selectivity and sensitivity by focal delivery via the microchannels of (1) lysing agent to remove connective tissue separating electrodes from nerve fibers, and (2) neurotrophic factors to promote axonal sprouting of the exposed nerve fibers into microfluidic channels where electrodes are embedded. Here, we focus on demonstrating in vivo function of microfluidics and microelectrodes in an acute preparation in which we evaluate the ability to focally remove connective tissue and record and stimulate with microchannel-embedded microelectrodes neural activity in rat sciatic nerves. Comparison with existing methods While extraneural interfaces prioritize nerve health and intraneural interfaces prioritize functionality, LACE represents a new extraneural approach which could potentially excel at both aims. Results Surgical implantation demonstrate preservation of LACE function following careful and minimal handling. In vivo electrical evaluation demonstrates the ability of microelectrodes placed within microfluidic channels to successfully stimulate and record compound action potentials from rat sciatic nerve. Furthermore, collagen-rich epineurium was focally removed following infusion of collagenase via microchannels and confirmed via microscopy. Conclusion The feasibility of using a cuff having integrated microelectrodes and microfluidics to stimulate, record, and deliver drug to focally lyse away the epineurium layer was demonstrated in acute experiments on rat sciatic nerve.
Physician Order Entry Clerical Support Improves Physician Satisfaction and Productivity.

Objectives To examine the impact of clerical support personnel for physician order entry on physician satisfaction, productivity, timeliness with electronic health record (EHR) documentation, and physician attitudes. Methods All seven part-time physicians at an academic general internal medicine practice were included in this quasi-experimental (single group, pre- and postintervention) mixed-methods study. One full-time clerical support staff member was trained and hired to enter physician orders in the EHR and conduct previsit planning. Physician satisfaction, productivity, timeliness with EHR documentation, and physician attitudes toward the intervention were measured. Results Four months after the intervention, physicians reported improvements in overall quality of life (good quality, 71%-100%), personal balance (43%-71%), and burnout (weekly, 43%-14%; callousness, 14%-0%). Matched for quarter, productivity increased: work relative value unit (wRVU) per session increased by 20.5% (before, April-June 2014; after, April-June 2015; range -9.2% to 27.5%). Physicians reported feeling more supported, more focused on patient care, and less stressed and fatigued after the intervention. Conclusions This study supports the use of physician order entry clerical personnel as a simple, cost-effective intervention to improve the work lives of primary care physicians.
Does Using Humor to Cope With Stress Justify Making Fun of Patients

This article considers 3 reasons for derogatory humor in clinical settings and argues that when such humor is directed at patients without understanding their complex histories, it can diminish the therapeutic relationship rather than serve as a coping strategy. This article also investigates how narrative medicine can guide deeper understanding of the motivations for using humor in clinical settings, why humor is directed at a particular person or group, and why derogatory, cynical, or dark humor might be unethical and unprofessional. Colleagues and mentors are essential for guiding students' and trainees' professional development and for helping them cultivate coping strategies that do not cause harm.
Fluid-electrolyte homeostasis requires histone deacetylase function

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes regulate transcription through epigenetic modification of chromatin structure, but their specific functions in the kidney remain elusive. We discovered that the human kidney expresses class I HDACs. Kidney medulla-specific inhibition of class I HDACs in the rat during high-salt feeding results in hypertension, polyuria, hypokalemia, and nitric oxide deficiency. Three new inducible murine models were used to determine that HDAC1 and HDAC2 in the kidney epithelium are necessary for maintaining epithelial integrity and maintaining fluid-electrolyte balance during increased dietary sodium intake. Moreover, single-nucleus RNA-sequencing determined that epithelial HDAC1 and HDAC2 are necessary for expression of many sodium or water transporters and channels. In performing a systematic review and meta-analysis of serious adverse events associated with clinical HDAC inhibitor use, we found that HDAC inhibitors increased the odds ratio of experiencing fluid-electrolyte disorders, such as hypokalemia. This study provides insight on the mechanisms of potential serious adverse events with HDAC inhibitors, which may be fatal to critically ill patients. In conclusion, kidney tubular HDACs provide a link between the environment, such as consumption of high-salt diets, and regulation of homeostatic mechanisms to remain in fluid-electrolyte balance.
Fuel Optimization for Unconstrained Rotation of Spacecraft Formations

This paper considers the problem of rotating a formation of spacecraft from one orientation to another, using an optimal amount of fuel. The formation is constrained to have the same shape at the beginning and end of a maneuver. However, the shape is unconstrained throughout the maneuver. This implies that to optimize fuel, each spacecraft travels in a straight line, from its beginning to end position. A cost function, motivated by the entropy function from information theory, is used to trade off fuel minimization verses equalizing the fuel across the constellation to avoid fuel starvation.
Ovarian tissue cryopreservation and novel bioengineering approaches for fertility preservation.

Breast cancer patients who cannot delay treatment or for whom hormone stimulation and egg retrieval are contraindicated require alternative methods of fertility preservation prior to gonadotoxic treatment. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is an alternative approach that may offer patients the opportunity to preserve fertility and carry biologically related children later in life. Various experimental approaches are being explored to obtain mature gametes from cryopreserved and thawed ovarian tissue for fertilization and implantation using biomimetic tissue culture in vitro. Here, we review the most recent developments in ovarian tissue cryopreservation and exciting advances in bioengineering approaches to in vitro tissue and ovarian follicle culture. Slow freezing is the most widely accepted method for ovarian tissue cryopreservation, but efforts have been made to modify vitrification for this application as well. Numerous approaches to in vitro tissue and follicle culture are in development, most prominently two-step culture systems for ovarian cortical tissue and encapsulation of ovarian follicles in biomimetic matrices for in vitro culture. Refinements to slow freeze and vitrification protocols continue to address challenges associated with cryopreservation, such as ice crystal formation and damage to the stroma. Similarly, improvements to in vitro tissue and follicle culture show promise for utilizing patients’ cryopreserved tissues to obtain mature gametes after disease treatment and remission. Development of an effective and reproducible culture system for human ovarian follicles will serve as a broad assisted reproductive technology for cancer survivors who cryopreserved tissue prior to treatment.