cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Establishing Steady-State Thermal Conditions in Flat Slab Specimens

The thermal response of flat slab specimens subjected to four sets of thermal boundary conditions is examined. The conditions are typical of thermophysical test apparatus, and the four sets of conditions are similar. Initial temperatures are uniform and the cold face temperature is stepped to the required value. There are four different hot face conditions: (1) constant temperature, (2) constant heat flow, (3) zero heat flow followed by constant temperature, and (4) zero heat flow followed by constant heat flow. Solutions are given for the heat transfer problems, and the equations are truncated, then inverted, to yield simple, approximate expressions for response time. The precision of the approximate equations is shown to be adequate for prediction purposes; the four sets of conditions are ranked in order of increasing response time; and the occurrence of optimum situations is noted.
Glycosaminoglycans content of stone matrix.

Abstract The role of urinary glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in lithogenesis is a topic of current interest in urologic research. One GAG, chondroitin sulfate, has previously been shown to inhibit calcium oxalate crystal formation. It has long been known that the chemical components of GAGs are present in the matrix of urinary concretions, but it has not been determined whether these components exist in free form or as constituents of GAG. This study was undertaken to determine whether GAGs are present in urinary stone matrices and, if so, to characterize them. Matrices of nine single urinary stones of various compositions and of three stone pools (calcium oxalate, magnesium ammonium phosphate) were isolated by exhaustive dialysis. The techniques of cellulose acetate electrophoresis, Alcian blue staining and enzymatic degradation were used to identify various GAGs. Material that stained Alcian blue was present in eleven of twelve samples. GAG was detected as this material in ten samples. The GAGs identified are heparan sulfate, hyaluronic acid and possibly keratan sulfate. The most prominent urinary GAG, chondroitin sulfate, was notably absent from urinary stone matrix. GAG seems to be incorporated into matrix on a selective basis. This finding may be due to differences in the affinities of different GAG species for the crystals which comprise the calculi. It has been proposed that the inhibitory activity of GAGs lies in their ability to bind to (and therefore block) the growth sites of crystals. It is apparent from this study that certain GAG species are incorporated into the structure of the stone and they may be intimately related to stone development and growth.
Homogenization of 1D and 2D magnetoelastic lattices

This paper investigates the equivalent in-plane mechanical properties of one dimensional (1D) and two dimensional (2D), periodic magneto-elastic lattices. A lumped parameter model describes the lattices using magnetic dipole moments in combination with axial and torsional springs. The homogenization procedure is applied to systems linearized about stable configurations, which are identified by minimizing potential energy. Simple algebraic expressions are derived for the properties of 1D structures. Results for 1D lattices show that a variety of stiffness changes are possible through reconfiguration, and that magnetization can either stiffen or soften a structure. Results for 2D hexagonal and re-entrant lattices show that both reconfigurations and magnetization have drastic effects on the mechanical properties of lattice structures. Lattices can be stiffened or softened and the Poisson’s ratio can be tuned. Furthermore for certain hexagonal lattices the sign of Poisson’s ratio can change by varying the lattice magnetization. In some cases presented, analytical and numerically estimated equivalent properties are validated through numerical simulations that also illustrate the unique characteristics of the investigated configurations.
Back to the future: restricted protein intake for conservative management of CKD, triple goals of renoprotection, uremia mitigation, and nutritional health

Lowering dietary protein intake (DPI) to approximately 0.6-0.8 g/kgBW/day may be renoprotective through various mechanisms, and it has been recommended in patients with non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (NDD-CKD) as a means to also control various metabolic consequences of advanced CKD, such as uremic symptoms, hyperparathyroidism, hypertension, hyperkalemia, and hyperphosphatemia. A meta-analysis in this issue of the Journal suggests that low-protein diet is effective and safe when used to retard progression of CKD and alleviate uremic complications. A potential deleterious consequence of lowering DPI in this population is the development or worsening of protein-energy wasting (PEW), which can contribute to poor clinical outcomes such as higher mortality and morbidity. There is currently insufficient high-level evidence to determine the ideal level of DPI in patients with NDD-CKD with high risk of PEW. For the time being we recommend a DPI of 0.6-0.8 g/kgBW/day, and increasing this as needed on an individual basis in patients with PEW. Further examination of this dilemma in randomized controlled clinical trials will be necessary.
Regional Waste Treatment Facilities with Underground Monolith Disposal for All Low-Heat-Generating Nuclear Wastes

An alternative system for treatment and disposal of all ''low-heat-generating'' nuclear wastes from all sources is proposed. The system, Regional Waste Treatment Facilities with Underground Monolith Disposal (RWTF/UMD), integrates waste treatment and disposal operations into single facilities at regional sites. Untreated and/or pretreated wastes are transported from generation sites such as reactors, hospitals, and industries to regional facilities in bulk containers. Liquid wastes are also transported in bulk after being gelled for transport. The untreated and pretreated wastes are processed by incineration, crushing, and other processes at the RWTF. The processed wastes are mixed with cement. The wet concrete mixture is poured into large low-cost, manmade caverns or deep trenches. Monolith dimensions are from 15 to 25 m wide, and 20 to 60 m high and as long as required. This alternative waste system may provide higher safety margins in waste disposal at lower costs.
Delta Operator Eigenstructure Assignment for Fault Detection and Control of a Tailless Aircraft

We consider flight control with control effector fault detection and reconfiguration of a tailless aircraft. We extend an earlier continuous time multiple and simultaneous actuator fault detection observer. This observer was designed by minimizing the condition number of the observer modal matrix over the eigenvector free parameters. Our contributions include (1) extending the fault detection observer to the unified delta operator model that is valid for both continuous time and sampled data operation, (2) proposing a new less conservative bound on the observer residuals that is an explicit function of the observer eigenvalues and eigenvectors, and (3) optimizing over both eigenvalues and eigenvector parameters. Then, we propose a reconfigurable control scheme by combining the new fault detection observer with our earlier eigenstructure assignment flight controller. We consider symmetric lock in place failures of either the elevons or the all moving tips for the Innovative Control Effectors tailless aircraft. We present simulation results using the linearized lateral dynamics of the tailless aircraft. Our results show that our new fault detection observer has both smaller gains and condition number than an observer designed using the earlier method. Furthermore, we show that an all moving tip failure causes the aircraft to become unstable whereas our eigenstructure assignment reconfigured flight control system yields responses that are similar to the unfailed responses.
A Multi-Objective Approach to Real-Time In-Situ Processing of Mobile-Application Workflows

Innovative mobile applications that rely on real-time in-situ processing of data collected in the field need to tap into the heterogeneous sensing and computing capabilities of sensor nodes, mobile handhelds as well as computing and storage servers in remote datacenters. There is, however, uncertainty associated with the quality and quantity of data from mobile sensors as well as with the availability and capabilities of mobile computing resources on the field. Data and computing-resource uncertainty, if unchecked, may propagate up the “raw data $\rightarrow$ information $\rightarrow$ knowledge” chain and have an adverse effect on the relevance of the generated results. A generalized workflow representation scheme that can represent a wide variety of data- and task-parallel ubiquitous mobile applications is presented. A unified uncertainty-aware framework for data and computing-resource management to enable real-time, in-situ processing of applications is proposed and evaluated. The framework employs a two-phase solution that captures the propagation of data uncertainty up the data-processing chain using interval arithmetic in the first phase and that employs multi-objective optimization for task allocation in the second phase. The results of a case study to assess effectiveness the proposed framework are discussed in detail. Results reaffirm that i) data-uncertainty awareness helps control the uncertainty in the final result and ii) multi-objective combinatorial approach for task allocation significantly outperforms the single-objective approaches in terms of makespan (15 percent improvement), fairness in battery drain (56 percent improvement), and network load (54 percent improvement).
Stressor-Specific Activation of Catecholamine Systems in Humans

Hans Selye introduced and popularized stress as a medical scientific idea. While a medical student he came to the view that all sick patients looked about the same. Eventually he developed a theory of stress that enjoyed wide acceptance.
Is impulsivity a symptom of initial tobacco withdrawal? A meta-analysis and qualitative systematic review.

Introduction: We reviewed existing experimental studies of whether impulsivity is a symptom of tobacco withdrawal. Methods: We conducted searches of PubMed, PsychInfo and other sources to find experimental studies that measured self-reported impatience, delay discounting (DD), or response inhibition (RI) while smoking and during initial abstinence in untreated smokers. Two of the authors (JRH and MD) independently examined titles, then abstracts, and then articles to locate studies and to enter study characteristics. Major inclusion criteria were (a) adult daily smokers, (b) measured impulsiv- ity before and after ≥13 hr of abstinence, and (c) no pharmacological treatment provided. Results: We located 6 studies that examined self-reported impatience, 4 that examined DD, and 3 that examined RI. A meta-analysis was feasible only for the impatience studies. A random-effects meta-analysis found initial abstinence increased impatience by 0.44 points on 4-point scales (p = .0001). Importantly, 3 of the 4 impatience studies that examined the time course found a time- limited pattern consistent with a withdrawal effect. Qualitative review of the DD and RI studies found mixed results such that no conclusions could be made. Conclusion: The number of studies on impulsivity and tobacco abstinence is surprisingly small. Self-reported impatience appears to be a tobacco withdrawal symptom but whether it is associ- ated with functional changes in DD or RI is unclear. Further studies of whether abstinence produces objective changes in impulsivity, and whether increases in impulsivity during abstinence prompt relapse, are needed.
An Empirical Study on New Generation of Migrant Workers' Training Satisfaction and Rate of Return——Bases on the survey of Chengdu and Nanchong in Sichuan province

The paper,based on the survey samples of Chengdu and Nanchong in Sichuan province,discussed the training satisfaction factors of new generation of migrant workers by use of multinomial logistic model and the influence of years of education and service and participation or non-participation of training upon their income increase by use of Mincer function.The study shows that four government related factors such as public service of training formalities,training methods,training functions and improvement of relevant departments obviously influence the training satisfaction.New generation of migrant workers' return on education investment is still very low and their training enthusiasm is not strong.The government should train new generation of migrant workers as needed,meet their needs of working skills,arouse their training enthusiasm to improve current training situation.
Surveillance Data Analysis of Multi-Sources of Water and Drinking Water

[Objective] To test the quality of drinking water from multiple sources in Zhoushan archipelago,to evaluate the value of hybrid application of desalinated seawater and water of other sources,and to provide reference for drinking water safety.[Methods] Various water samples were collected,including 270 samples of reservoir water,222 samples of river water,and 192 samples of municipal supply water tested by Zhoushan Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention(2009-2011);36 samples of water diverted from Ningbo city by Zhoushan Water Supply Company(2009-2011);and 128 samples of desalinated seawater(2009-2011) as well as 299 hybrid samples of desalinated seawater and surface water(2004-2006) by Shengsi County Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Analyses included aerobic plate count,thermotolerant coliform,boron,total hardness,and chloride in the samples of municipal supply water,desalinized seawater,and hybrid of desalinized seawater and surface water,as well as ammonia nitrogen,chemical oxygen demand(COD),five-day biochemical oxygen demand(BOD5),dissolved oxygen(DO),total nitrogen,total phosphorus,permanganate index,and faecal coliform counts in water samples from reservoirs,rivers,and diverted water.[Results] The reservoir water samples showed relatively high qualification rates in all indicators except total nitrogen(46.7%).The qualification rates of all indicators were relatively low in the river water samples,the levels of total nitrogen,total phosphorus and permanganate exceeded the limit of Category III water source according to the national classification of surface water environmental functions,and the levels of some other indicators including ammonia and total nitrogen were beyond the limit of Category V.Only 41.7% and 8.3% of diversion water samples were within the limits of ammonia nitrogen and total nitrogen respectively,and some other indicators including ammonia and total nitrogen went beyond the limit of Category V water source.In the desalinated seawater samples,barely 21.6% were qualified in the boron indicator,but the rates were high in the rest indicators.As to the samples from municipal supply water and the hybrid of desalinated water and surface water,the qualification rates of all indicators were relatively high.[Conclusion] The qualification rates of 8 pollution indicators detected are relatively low and many exceed the limit of national Category III water source,some of them go beyond the limit of Category V,in the source water of Zhoushan archipelago.There are potential risks in the hybrid application of desalinated seawater and mainland diversion water.
PAH Exposure in Gulf of Mexico Demersal Fishes, Post-Deepwater Horizon.

Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) blowout, we surveyed offshore demersal fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) in 2011–2013, to assess polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure. Biliary PAH metabolites were estimated in 271 samples of golden tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps), king snake eel (Ophichthus rex), and red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), using high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Mean concentration of naphthalene metabolites in golden tilefish (240 μg g–1) was significantly higher (p = 0.001) than in red snapper (61 μg g–1) or king snake eel (38 μg g–1). Biliary naphthalene metabolite concentration decreased over the study period in red snapper (58%) and king snake eel (37%), indicating likely episodic exposure, while concentrations were persistently high in golden tilefish. Naphthalene metabolite levels measured in golden tilefish are among the highest concentrations measured in fishes globally, while concentrations for red snapper and k...
A Potential Pathway of Th2 Development during Primary Immune Response

Differential cytokine production (Thl versus Th2) by CD4+ T cells during an immune response plays an important role in determining the biological implications of the response. Th1 cells are characterized by the dominance of IFN-γ production while Th2 cells produce predominantly 1L-4. It is now well established that IL-12 is essential for the priming of Thl cytokine secreting T cells1 while IL-4 is critical in the priming of Th2 cytokine secreting T cells2. While it has been suggested that CD1 specific NK1.1 CD4+ T cells in the spleen3, or CD4- CD8-, TCRαβ+ T cells restricted by MHC class I4 might be the potential sources of IL-4 during primary immune responses, these have not been clearly demonstrated.
Comparing Objective and Subjective Metrics Between Physical and Virtual Tasks

Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming a tool that is more often used in various types of activities, including rehabilitation. However, studies using VR rehabilitation mainly focus on comparing the performances of participants, but not their opinions. In this paper, we present a virtual version of the Box and Blocks Test. We also present the results of a pilot study where participants completed a physical version of the Box and Blocks Test and the virtual version, comparing their scores and opinions. We also compare how the participants viewed the passage of time while performing both versions as a way to see how engaged they were during the task.
Connecting Small Form-Factor Devices to the Internet of Things

The proliferation of inexpensive, small form-factor devices, such as Raspberry Pi, have enthused electronics hobbyists for years. IBM has recognized the opportunity for such devices to sense and control at the very fringes of the Internet. This paper will provide an overview of how to connect devices using IBM Bluemix, the IBM Watson IoT Foundation Platform, and other freely available technologies to bring unique IoT solutions to the enterprise.
Petunia floral trait plasticity in response to soil nitrogen content and subsequent impacts on insect visitation

Abstract Plastic changes in floral trait phenotypes in response to biotic factors (i.e., herbivory and pollination) are known to impact pollinator behavior. In contrast, research on abiotic factors suggests substantial plasticity in floral traits, but has rarely explored the implications that such changes have on the behavior of putative pollinators. We explored the possibility of floral trait plasticity in Petunia hybrida Vilm. genotypes in response to soil nitrogen concentration, and the potential impact that such plasticity might have on insect visitation. Given the role of nitrogen in plant growth and biochemistry, we predicted increases in floral scent, pigmentation, and floral size with increased nitrogen. We further predicted that insect visitors would respond to this phenotypic plasticity by altering behavior patterns. Our results suggested little plasticity in floral color and floral scent in response to nitrogen. We found no changes in anthocyanin concentration per unit of floral tissue under increased nitrogen conditions. Of nine benzenoid/phenylpropanoid volatile compounds examined, only one (eugenol) increased per unit floral tissue with increasing nitrogen concentration. In contrast, floral size followed the predicted pattern, with clear increases in both corolla size and display size with increasing nitrogen. All traits varied among genotypes, indicating genotype-specific trait expression. Field-based choice experiments using genotypes from control, low, and high nitrogen treatments suggested support for our behavioral hypothesis: insects visited plants with increased soil nitrogen at a significantly higher rate than those without additional nitrogen. This pattern suggests that putative pollinators are likely responding to plastic changes in display size, corolla size, and/or eugenol emission. We also found a significant difference in insect visitation between genotypes, as predicted by floral phenotype differences found for these true-breeding lines, and a strong interaction between genotype and treatment, suggesting that differences in genotype responses to nitrogen treatments result in differential insect behavior patterns.
Commentary on the management of type II odontoid process fractures in octogenarians: Article by Graffeo et al. and Editorial by Falavigna (J Neurosurgery Spine August 19, 2016).

BACKGROUND Establishing a clear treatment paradigm for octogenarians with type II odontoid fractures in hampered by a literature replete with level III articles. METHODS In the study by Graffeo et al., the authors evaluated 111 patients over the age of 79 (average age: 87) with type II odontoid fractures undergoing nonoperative (94 patients) vs. operative intervention (17 total; 15 posterior and 2 anterior). They studied multiple variables and utilized several scales [abbreviated injury scale (AIS), injury severity score (ISS), and the Glasgow coma scale (GCS)] to determine the outcomes of nonoperative vs. operative management. RESULTS Graffeo et al. concluded that there were no significant differences between nonoperative and operative management for type II odontoid fractures in octogenarians. They found similar frequencies of additional cervical fractures, mechanisms of injury, GCS of 8 or under, AIS/ISS scores, and disposition to "nonhome" facilities. Furthermore, both appeared to have increased mortality rates at 1-year post injury; 13% during hospitalization, 26% within the first post-injury month, and 41% at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS In the editorial by Falavigna, his major criticism of Graffeo's article was the marked disparity in the number of patients in the operative (17 patients) vs. the nonoperative group (94 patients), making it difficult to accept any conclusions as "significant". He further noted that few prior studies provided level I evidence, and that most, like this one, were level III analyses that did not "significantly" advance our knowledge as to whether to treat octogenarians with type II odontoid fractures operatively vs. nonoperatively.
Comparing the flow dynamics and particle settling in full scale sedimentation tanks of different lengths

The efficiency of sedimentation is dependent on settling tank design and operation; where the streamlined solid-liquid separation results in water of safe potable quality. It is therefore important that the tank design and operation are sufficiently optimised. Sedimentation tanks are commonly overdesigned, leading to unwarranted capital expenditure, and overloading. This study used computational fluid dynamics to model the current conditions of two full-scale sedimentation tanks of different lengths at a large drinking water treatment plant in South Africa, using the shear stress transport turbulence model. The flow dynamics and the polyelectrolyte flocculated particle settling efficiency between the short tank and the long tank were compared. Recirculation zones near the inlet were pronounced in the short tank, which resulted in particles being drawn towards the outlets. The flow in the long tank isolated the inlet and outlet, with low particle volume fractions and particle velocities at the weirs. The particle removal in both tanks was greater than 99%, however removal was higher in the long tank (99.86%), hence it was more efficient despite greater infrastructure cost. Computational fluid dynamics modelling is a tremendous operational tool which can review the performance of alternative tank designs and provide valuable input into future design.
Does might make right or fight? Coercive capacity, democracy, and human rights, 1975 to 2010

ABSTRACTDemocracy is generally beneficial for human rights whereas coercive capacity increases government repression. Using data for 161 countries between 1975 and 2010, I consider how different aspects of democracy interact with the size and scope of a country's military apparatus to shape respect for bodily-integrity rights. Does democracy ameliorate the negative effects of coercive capacity? Or, does a strong military overpower the positive impact of democracy? Multivariate analyses suggest that high levels of democracy neutralize the effect of coercive capacity on bodily-integrity violations. At the same time, high levels of coercive capacity increase human rights abuses even in the most democratic regimes, at least when different aspects of democracy—executive constraints, competitive elections, and media freedom—are evaluated in isolation. Regimes that combine respect for media freedom with constraints on executive authority or competitive elections are able to harness coercive capacity for protecti...
Mass action in two-sex population models: encounters, mating encounters and the associated numerical correction

Ideal gas models are a paradigm used in Biology for the phenomenological modelling of encounters between individuals of different types. These models have been used to approximate encounter rates given densities, velocities and distance within which an encounter certainly occurs. When using mass action in two-sex populations, however, it is necessary to recognize the difference between encounters and mating encounters. While the former refers in general to the (possibly simultaneous) collisions between particles, the latter represents pair formation that will produce offspring. The classical formulation of the law of mass action does not account this difference. In this short paper, we present an alternative derivation of the law of mass action that uses dimensional reduction together with simulated data. This straightforward approach allows to correct the expression for the rate of mating encounters between individuals in a two-sex population with relative ease. In addition, variability in mating encount...
The Nitrogen Footprint Tool Network: A Multi-Institution Program To Reduce Nitrogen Pollution

Anthropogenic sources of reactive nitrogen have local and global impacts on air and water quality and detrimental effects on human and ecosystem health. This article uses the Nitrogen Footprint Tool (NFT) to determine the amount of nitrogen (N) released as a result of institutional consumption. The sectors accounted for include food (consumption and upstream production), energy, transportation, fertilizer, research animals, and agricultural research. The NFT is then used for scenario analysis to manage and track reductions, which are driven by the consumption behaviors of both the institution itself and its constituent individuals. In this article, the first seven completed institution nitrogen footprint results are presented. The Nitrogen Footprint Tool Network aims to develop footprints for many institutions to encourage widespread upper-level management strategies that will create significant reductions in reactive nitrogen released to the environment. Energy use and food purchases are the two largest sectors contributing to institution nitrogen footprints. Ongoing efforts by institutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions also help to reduce the nitrogen footprint, but the impact of food production on nitrogen pollution has not been directly addressed by the higher education sustainability community. The Nitrogen Footprint Tool Network found that institutions could reduce their nitrogen footprints by optimizing food purchasing to reduce consumption of animal products and minimize food waste, as well as by reducing dependence on fossil fuels for energy.
Prevailing Conceptions of Drug Abuse and Addiction

In this chapter we focus on two contrasting ideas about understanding drug abuse and addiction. First, the moral model of addiction, which views drug abuse as a matter of choice and, to a large extent, conceptualizes addiction as a failure of individual character. Second, emphasizing the neuro-scientific foundations of addiction, the brain disease model of addiction, sees drug abuse and addiction like any other chronic medical condition and not as a moral failing. Next, we review ecological systems theory and how this broad contextually oriented perspective is fully compatible with the brain disease model of addiction and an overall bio-developmental perspective. Finally, we review how a public health approach to addiction and drug abuse can be usefully tied to etiological and epidemiologic findings to enhance prevention and treatment.
Democratising Economies Through Place-Based Thinking

The current economy does not have room for everyone. Corporate initiatives have increased the distance between those who thrive and those who are left behind. In contrast, developing a grounded economy using regional strengths and relationships provides an economy of slower groups but also requires a lesser investment, making it easier for all to participate. Local food initiatives are just one type of entrepreneurial activity providing community wealth and dignity. This chapter describes what such an asset-based economy looks like, identifies the collaborative tools needed for the development of such a regional economy and tells the story of successful grounded development. Such an economy grows on the creative talents of citizens and the resources that their regions provide rather than on government intervention for well-being.
Life Phases in Health and Illness

Acknowledging that the phases in the life cycle can provide a conceptual framework for understanding some patients' emotional distress supports a cardinal principle of medicine, primum non nocere. The life cycle and its phases add a perspective to liaison work which can be enlarged by including greater attention to a person's changing body image throughout the life cycle.
Inorganic Ions and Volume Regulation in Kidney Tubules Under Anisosmotic Conditions

Mammalian epithelial cells can maintain control of intracellular volume despite large changes in the composition of the extracellular fluid environment. Epithelial cells, as opposed to non-polar cells such as muscle or blood cells, have two surfaces exposed to differing fluid environments. In addition, cell membranes of epithelia are highly permeable to water. These factors may place large volume stresses on cells as they transfer solutes and water from one cell membrane to the other.
The transient pore formed by homologous terminal complement complexes functions as a bidirectional route for the transport of autocrine and paracrine signals across human cell membranes.

We have previously shown that the membrane attack complex (MAC) of complement stimulates cell proliferation and that insertion of homologous MAC into the membranes of endothelial cells results in the release of potent mitogens, including basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The mechanism of secretion of bFGF and other polypeptides devoid of signal peptides, such as interleukin 1 (IL-1) is still an open problem in cell biology. We have hypothesized that the homologous MAC pore itself could constitute a transient route for the diffusion of biologically active macromolecules in and out of the target cells. Human red blood cell ghosts and artificial lipid vesicles were loaded with labeled growth factors, cytokines and IgG, and exposed to homologous MAC. The release of the 125I-macromolecules was followed as a function of time. The incorporation of labeled polypeptides and fluorescent dextran (MW: 10,000) was measured in MAC-impacted human red blood cells and human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVEC), respectively. Homologous MAC insertion into HUVEC resulted in the massive uptake of 10-kD dextran and induced the release of bFGF, in the absence of any measurable lysis. Red blood cell ghosts preloaded with bFGF, IL-1β, and the α-chain of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) released the polypeptides upon MAC insertion, but they did not release preloaded IgG. MAC-impacted ghosts took up radioactive IFN-γ from the extracellular medium. Vesicles loaded with IL-1 released the polypeptide when exposed to MAC. The homologous MAC pore in its nonlytic form allows for the export of cytosolic proteins devoid of signal peptides that are not secreted through the classical endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi exocytotic pathways. Our results suggest that the release, and perhaps the uptake, of biologically active macromolecules through the homologous MAC pore is a novel biological function of the complement system in mammals.
Consistently High MIMO Rates via Switched-Beam Antennas

The demand for wireless bandwidth is rising to unprecedented levels. The industry has responded with the inclusion of advanced PHY techniques, most notably multi-user (MU) MIMO, in the most recent Wi-Fi and LTE standards. However, despite the theoretical promise for large multiplexing gains, in practice the rate gains are modest due to a combination of large overhead to collect channel state information and not-so-well-conditioned channel matrices. In this paper, we propose to replace omni-directional antennas with inexpensive switched-beam antennas to produce well-conditioned channel matrices for MU-MIMO purposes with very low overhead. Remarkably, the experimental results with both software-defined radios and commercial Wi-Fi chipsets show that, when appropriate antenna modes are used, this leads to a $3.5\times-5\times $ average throughput improvement in indoor environments. What is more, our backward compatible protocol extension coupled with an efficient algorithm to select appropriate antenna modes, achieve the aforementioned gains with almost zero overhead.
Informed Consent in Two Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers: Insights From Research Coordinators

Background: Informed consent (IC) is critical to performing ethical research. Unfortunately, the IC process and supporting IC forms are frequently burdensome and do not necessarily meet the informational needs of participants. The intersecting legal and ethical challenges of obtaining IC from individuals with memory or cognitive deficits further exacerbate existing IC shortcomings. For this reason, study coordinators play a critical role in facilitating the IC process in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research. To identify opportunities to improve how IC is obtained in AD research, we examined the IC process from the perspectives of study coordinators at two Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRC). Methods: We performed semi-structured interviews with 15 study coordinators from two ADRC sites detailing their experience obtaining IC. Interviews were conducted in private, recorded, transcribed, and independently coded using the constant comparative method of grounded theory. Key themes were explored as they emerged. Results: Coordinators reported overall satisfaction with the IC process. However, many reported difficulties maintaining participant attention, explaining complex procedures, and addressing medical misinformation. Although the centers use site-specific consent forms, coordinators at both centers stressed that their IC is too long and the supporting IC forms are too complicated. Coordinators indicated modifying the IC process to the perceived needs of individual participants. Adaptations reported include altering the cadence and vocabulary they employ, using supplemental materials, varying the order of IC topics, and limiting the depth of information presented. Conclusion: A qualitative analysis of interviews with study coordinators reveals opportunities to improve how we obtain IC in AD research. These insights will be used to create an electronic informed consent (eConsent) designed to boost engagement, enhance trust, and improve understanding by supporting participants' direct agency in the IC process.
Text Mining for Social Good; Context-aware Measurement of Social Impact and Effects Using Natural Language Processing

Exposure to information sources of different types and modalities, such as social media, movies, scholarly reports, and interactions with other communities and groups can change a person's values as well as their knowledge and attitude towards various social phenomena. My doctoral research aims to analyze the effect of these stimuli on people and groups by applying mixed-method approaches that include techniques from natural language processing, close reading, and machine learning. The research leverages different types of user-generated texts (i.e., social media and customer reviews), and professionally-generated texts (i.e., scholarly publications and organizational documents) to study (1) the impact of information that aims to advance social good for individuals and society, and (2) the impact of social and individual biases on people's language use. This work contributes to advancing knowledge, theory and computational solutions relevant to the field of computational social science. The approaches and insights discussed can provide a better understanding of people's attitudes and judgments toward issues and events of general interest, which is necessary to develop solutions for minimizing biases, filter bubbles, and polarization while also improving the effectiveness of interpersonal and societal discourse.
It May Be Possible to Prevent both Early and Late Relapses in Breast Cancer; Perhaps This Is an Opportunity for Sensors or Biosensors to Help.

Data presented in 1993 showed an unexpected bimodal relapse pattern in surgically treated breast cancer [...]
PrEP University: A Multi-Disciplinary University-Based HIV Prevention Education Program.

The introduction of emtricitabine/tenofovir diphosphate (FTC/TDF) as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention has raised questions regarding which clinicians will serve as prescribers and how providers will be educated about this HIV prevention strategy. We piloted an HIV Prevention Education Program called PrEP University (PrEP U) to address knowledge gaps in HIV prevention among medical trainees. We examined PrEP awareness and assessed learning as a result of the program, measuring knowledge before and after the lectures with an anonymous 5-question multiple choice test. A total of 198 learners participated in PrEP University, which included 127 first year medical students, and post-graduate trainees in internal medicine (n = 23), family medicine (n = 16), OBGYN (n = 13) and pharmacy (n = 19). Prior to PrEP U, 27% of all participants were not aware of PrEP and an additional 8% were unsure if they had heard of it. Knowledge increased significantly after the education program among trainees in OBGYN (2.3 vs 3.8, p < 0.001), pharmacy (1.4 vs 2.5, p = 0.012) and school of medicine (3.3 vs 4.4, p < 0.001), with a trend seen in family medicine (2.7 vs. 3.7, p = 0.067) and internal medicine (2.7 vs 3.4, p = 0.068). Overall, an HIV Prevention Education Program was successfully administered to nearly 200 participants and resulted in improved knowledge of HIV prevention and PrEP across. Pharmacists and OBGYN physicians are two groups with an expanding role in the use of PrEP. Similar programs at other medical schools should be implemented to ensure that future physicians and pharmacists are comfortable with PrEP prescription.
Probing reaction processes and reversibility in Earth-abundant Na3FeF6 for Na-ion batteries.

Sodium (Na)-ion batteries are the most explored 'beyond-Li' battery systems, yet their energy densities are still largely limited by the positive electrode material. Na3FeF6 is a promising Earth-abundant containing electrode and operates through a conversion-type charge-discharge reaction associated with a high theoretical capacity (336 mA h g-1). In practice, however, only a third of this capacity is achieved during electrochemical cycling. In this study, we demonstrate a new rapid and environmentally-friendly assisted-microwave method for the preparation of Na3FeF6. A comprehensive understanding of charge-discharge processes and of the reactivity of the cycled electrode samples is achieved using a combination of electrochemical tests, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, magnetometry, and 23Na/19F solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) complemented with first principles calculations of NMR properties. We find that the primary performance limitation of the Na3FeF6 electrode is the sluggish kinetics of the conversion reaction, while the methods employed for materials synthesis and electrode preparation do not have a significant impact on the conversion efficiency and reversibility. Our work confirms that Na3FeF6 undergoes conversion into NaF and Fe(s) nanoparticles. The latter are found to be prone to oxidation prior to ex situ measurements, thus necessitating a robust analysis of the stable phases (here, NaF) formed upon conversion.
Modeling and Benchmarking Back End Of The Line Technologies on Circuit Designs at Advanced Nodes

Interconnect scaling has become an ever-growing challenge as the industry advances to ever smaller nodes. In this work we present a comprehensive framework to quantify the impact of interconnect technology parameters on circuit-level performance. Based on published ASAP7 7nm process design kit (PDK), we develop our own back-end-of-line (BEOL) technology file based on current industry best known methods for barrier/liners and published copper wire and via resistance models. Using RTL-to-GDS design flow and commercial EDA tools to perform place-and-route (P&R), we show that the current research efforts that aim to reduce the barrier/liner thickness can boost effective clock frequencies of AES and LDPC circuits by 9.5% and 25.7%, respectively. Improvements in via resistance alone can also boost effective clock frequencies of AES and LDPC circuits by 7.1% and 15.4%, respectively.
A modeling framework for designing and evaluating curbside traffic management policies at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport

Abstract Emerging mobility technologies are changing the transportation system landscape. This is especially evident at airports, such as the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). Without careful analysis, these changes could lead to inefficient and costly airport operations. This paper presents a modeling framework that integrates travel mode encoding, demand projection, and microsimulation to enable airports to develop, simulate, and evaluate curbside traffic managements policies and measure their impact. The framework is utilized to analyze several traffic scenarios and policies for DFW: a baseline scenario which represents DFW traffic pattern as observed in 2018 and projected to 2045, a transit network company (TNC) electrification policy, a TNC queuing policy, a policy that increased transit ridership, a bus-only policy which considers the use of only buses inside DFW, an autonomous vehicle (AV) policy which investigates the impact of autonomous vehicle (AV) adoption on airport operations, and an example COVID-19 scenario which models the impact of the COVID19 pandemic. The simulations’ results demonstrate that: increasing the DFW transit ridership postpones the need for airport curbside expansion the most; encouraging shared-mobility with the bus-only policy produces the most savings in curbside congestion delays; automation and electrification for all passenger vehicle trips to/from DFW generates the most saving in fuel consumption and emissions; and uncontrolled AV adoption incurs the highest increase in fuel consumption, delay, and emissions and could require immediate airport capacity extension. Without policy intervention or investment in additional infrastructure capacity, these results predict the current operations would face significant congestion on high demand days starting as early as 2028. While derived in close partnership with DFW, the methodology presented here can be generalized to any airport.
Tuning the Photoluminescence of DNA-Wrapped Carbon Nanotubes by pH

These findings contribute in several ways to our understanding of DNA wrapping structure on the encased SWCNT and provide a basis for design of nanotube-based sensors for detecting local pH gradients in restricted environments, such as in living cells and microfluidic channels.
In vitro and in vivo model systems used in prostate cancer research

New incidence of prostate cancer is a major public health issue in the Western world, and has been rising in other areas of the globe in recent years. In an effort to understanding the molecular pathogenesis of this disease, numerous cell models have been developed, arising mostly from patient biopsies. The introduction of the genetically engineered mouse in biomedical research has allowed the development of murine models that allow for the investigation of tumorigenic and metastatic processes. Current challenges to the field include lack of an animal model that faithfully recapitulates bone metastasis of prostate cancer.
The effects of fluorocompounds on oxidative phosphorylation

Abstract The effect of fluoroinhibitors on the oxidative phosphorylation of rat liver mitochondria has been studied. Fluoroacetate per se had no effect, while synthetic fluorocitrate and fluoropyruvate directly interfered with phosphorylation. This interference is partially due to an increase in nucleotide destruction. The phosphate esterification during the oxidation of DPNH was depressed while respiration was stimulated by fluorocitrate without concomitant swelling of the particles. However, the respiratory stimulation showed no correlation with the phosphorylating efficiency of the mitochondria. In pretreated mitochondria, incapable of phosphorylation, fluorocitrate further increased the oxidation rate of DPNH indicating an effect on the permeability of mitochondrial membranes.