cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biaxial shear/tension failure behavior of Spectra single fibers

Abstract An experimental study is conducted to develop the biaxial failure surface of single Spectra 100d and Spectra 130d filaments in a torsion-tension environment. The cross-sectional profiles of single fibers are evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray computed tomography. In efforts to hold the polyethylene single fiber, a pin-gripping method is developed. Effects of pin diameter on failure stress for both Spectra types are characterized. Additionally, the effect of sample gauge length on fiber tensile strength is investigated. Quasi-static experiments are conducted using an MTS servo-hydraulic system to apply tensile loads on pre-twisted single fibers. A tension Kolsky bar is employed to study the biaxial shear/tensile behavior of single fibers at high strain-rates. A decreasing trend of tensile strength with increasing torsional strain is observed for both Spectra 100d and 130d. Furthermore, a torsional pendulum apparatus is used to determine the apparent torsional shear stresses in pre-twisted fibers at various levels of axial loading and a relationship between apparent shear stress and axial stress is developed. Finally, a biaxial shear/tension failure envelope of each fiber type is established.
Northern Forest (F): Policy Alternatives

This case series (see also the A [UVA-OM-1107], B [UVA-OM-1110], C [UVA-OM-1111], D [UVA-OM-1112], E [UVA-OM-1113], and G [UVA-OM-1158] cases) focuses students on the boom-and-bust behaviors in the Northern Forest sawmill industry. Stakeholders, from landowners to sawmill owners to government officials to environmentalists, all want to make sure that the overall demand for saw logs, as driven by sawmill capacity, does not exceed the rate at which the trees are growing. They do not want sawmill demand to "overshoot" the productive capacity of the forest resource, a classic problem in renewable-resource economies that the region had experienced approximately a century earlier. Students are called upon to use system-thinking skills (analysis of reference modes of behaviors, causal-loop mapping, and stock-flow mapping) in creating their causal hypotheses of the underlying system structure. Students are asked to design system-structure policies to help sustain both the industry and the natural resources of the region. The focus of the F case is on the alternative policy choices for preventing boom-and-bust behaviors in the Northern Forest sawmill industry. A simulation analysis is also accessible for faculty to use to demonstrate the results of various policy alternatives.
Commentary on: Body Hair Transplant by Follicular Unit Extraction: My Experience With 122 Patients

This is another hair transplant article in a series of experiential reports by the same author using nontraditional donor hair.1 The author is to be commended on reporting his unique experience. However, the first point to be made about this article for the practicing plastic surgeon considering, or already incorporating, hair restoration into their practice is that even in a busy hair transplant practice, body hair as a donor source represents a very limited number of cases per year. Although the author states 45% of his patients currently receive body hair as a donor source, the numbers reported are exceedingly limited on an annualized basis. This current report cites the experience with 122 patients over 6 years, which equates to only 20 patients/year. Nevertheless, this series does represent a significant number of transplant cases in which body hair is the donor source and several take-away messages are certainly relevant. The first point that stands out as remarkable is the author's statement that no complications occurred in this series. I do not find this surprising because in my 26 years of performing hair …
Thomas Hardy’s Architecture of History

Addressing William Morris’s Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings in 1906, Thomas Hardy concluded his lecture by giving some perplexing and contradictory advice to architects: “If I were practising in that profession I would not, I think, undertake a church restoration in any circumstances.”1 Equally puzzling, especially for an ex-architect, was his nomination of “a retired tinker or riveter of old china, or some ‘Old Mortality’ from the almshouse” who “would superintend the business better.”2 Hardy’s peculiar judgment is founded on the impact and culmination of two somewhat divergent strands of thought in his 1906 “Memories of Church Restoration.” In these reflections, Hardy develops a predictably conservative argument regarding the philosophical quandary of church preservation. Finding an appropriate way by which to deal with England’s dilapidated old buildings had become a highly vexed issue that emerged, as we saw in Chapter 1, from debates on church repairs in the eighteenth century. Hardy confronts the still uneasy issues around the concept of preservation and is decidedly against the radical renewal of ecclesiastical architecture, generally called “restoration,” such as “the case in which a church exhibiting two or three styles was made uniform by removing the features of all but one style, and imitating that throughout the new work”3 or carrying repairs to damaged portions too far by making “look as good as new” even undamaged portions.4
Re-evaluating Reid's Response to Skepticism

I argue that some of the most prominent interpretations of Reid's response to skepticism marginalize a crucial aspect of his thought: namely, that our common sense beliefs meet whatever normative standards of rationality the skeptic might fairly demand of them. This should be seen as supplementary to reliabilist or proper functionalist interpretations of Reid, which often ignore this half of the story. I also show how Reid defends the rationality of believing first principles by appealing to their naturalness and irresistibility. The resulting interpretation supplies Reid with a more satisfying and formidable response to the skeptic than interpretations currently offer.
Cover cropping and no-tillage improve soil health in an arid irrigated cropping system in California’s San Joaquin Valley, USA

Abstract The concept of soil health has attracted considerable attention during the past two decades, but few studies have focused on the effects on soil health of long-term soil management in arid irrigated environments. We investigated the effects of cover cropping and no-till management on soil physical and chemical properties during a 15-year experiment in California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV) USA. Our objective was to determine if soil health could be improved by these practices in an annual crop rotation. The impact of long-term no-tillage (NT) and cover cropping (CC) practices, alone and in combination, was measured and compared with standard tillage (ST) with and without cover crops (NO) in irrigated row crops after 15 years of management. Soil aggregation, rates of water infiltration, content of carbon, nitrogen, water extractable organic carbon (WEOC) and organic nitrogen (WEON), residue cover, and biological activity were all increased by NT and CC practices relative to STNO. However, effects varied by depth with NT increasing soil bulk density by 12% in the 0–15 cm depth and 10% in the 15–30 cm depth. Higher levels of WEOC were found in the CC surface (0–5 cm) depth in both spring and fall samplings in 2014. Surface layer (0–15 cm) WEON was higher in the CC systems for both samplings. Tillage did not affect WEON in the spring, but WEON was increased in the NT surface soil layer in the fall. Sampling depth, CC, and tillage affected 1-day soil respiration and a soil health index assessment, however the effects were seasonal, with higher levels found in the fall sampling than in the spring. Both respiration and the soil health index were increased by CC with higher levels found in the 0–5 cm depth than in the 5–15 and 15–30 cm depths. Results indicated that adoption of NT and CC in arid, irrigated cropping systems could benefit soil health by improving chemical, physical, and biological indicators of soil functions while maintaining similar crop yields as the ST system.
Large Mammalian hsp70 Family Proteins, hsp110 and grp170, and Their Roles in Biology and Cancer Therapy

All living organisms respond to conditions such as mild heat shock, oxidative stress, reperfusion injury, or other stressful situations by increasing the expression of specific sets of protective proteins that have been commonly referred to for more than 30 years as heat shock proteins (hsps). Most, if not all, of these proteins are also expressed in the absence of stress. Many of these highly conserved proteins function as molecular chaperones to guide changes in conformational states that are critical to the synthesis, folding, translocation, assembly, and degradation of other proteins (Hartl, 1996). Additionally, they can act to inhibit the irreversible aggregation of denatured proteins caused by protein-damaging stresses and, in some instances, assist in the refolding of denatured proteins (Craig et al., 1993; Gething and Sambrook, 1992). The principal hsps of mammalian cells can be classified into several sequence-related families that are characterized by molecular size, i.e., the hsp25/hsp27 (small heat shock protein), the hsp40 (J-domain proteins), the hsp60, the hsp70, the hsp90, and the hsp110/Sse family. The regulation of hsps is coordinated by heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) that interact with heat shock elements (HSEs) in the promoters of the hsp genes (Morimoto et al., 1997). The hsps are principally found in the cytoplasm, nucleus, and mitochondria.
Brain amyloid in preclinical Alzheimer's disease is associated with increased driving risk

Abstract Introduction Postmortem studies suggest that fibrillar brain amyloid places people at higher risk for hazardous driving in the preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods We administered driving questionnaires to 104 older drivers (19 AD, 24 mild cognitive impairment, and 61 cognitive normal) who had a recent 18 F-florbetapir positron emission tomography scan. We examined associations of amyloid standardized uptake value ratios with driving behaviors: traffic violations or accidents in the past 3 years. Results The frequency of violations or accidents was curvilinear with respect to standardized uptake value ratios, peaking around a value of 1.1 (model r 2 = 0.10, P = .002); moreover, this relationship was evident for the cognitively normal participants. Discussion We found that driving risk is strongly related to accumulating amyloid on positron emission tomography, and that this trend is evident in the preclinical stage of AD. Brain amyloid burden may in part explain the increased crash risk reported in older adults.
Agenda Crossover: The Influence of State Delegations in Congress

Agenda Crossover updates our understanding of state delegations, exploring how they influence representation and responsiveness in Congress today. The theory of agenda crossover posits that members of the House and Senate have much to gain from monitoring the legislative agendas of other members of the delegation, especially those in the opposite chamber. Treul clearly demonstrates that individual members of delegations still utilize their fellow delegates in order to help them respond to constituents and enhance their own electoral success. It is argued that on certain issues - particularly the ones most relevant to a state's economy - members of Congress are willing to set aside partisan differences and work across the aisle. In this way, these bicameral connections between members of a state delegation - even across party lines - can, at times, trump the power of party in Congress.
Using ML-PDA and ML-PMHT to track two unresolved moving objects

Both the Maximum Likelihood Probabilistic Data Association (ML-PDA) track extractor and the Maximum Likelihood Probabilistic Multi-Hypothesis (ML-PMHT) track extractor are extended in this work to handle the scenario of two unresolved moving objects in the field of gravity. The original ML-PDA and ML-PMHT log-likelihood ratios are modified to use the probability that the objects being tracked are unresolved i.e., their measurements are merged. The performances of the modified ML-PDA and ML-PMHT, which we denote MLPDA-M and ML-PMHT-M (M for merged), respectively, are compared with those of the ML-PDA and the ML-PMHT in a notional scenario in which two moving objects appear initially unresolved to two space-based passive sensors observing them and become resolved first by one and then by both. Simulation results for the original track extractors and the modified track extractors are presented. While in many tracking situations the performances of the ML-PDA and ML-PMHT are indistinguishable (and the ML-PMHT therefore selected for its other features), this case of challenged resolution appears to be one situation where the more arduous ML-PDA ought to be favored. There does seem to be some reason to favor the “M” versions of both, but the results there are less compelling.
A Clock Tree Optimization Framework with Predictable Timing Quality

Eliminating timing violations using clock tree optimization (CTO) persist to be a tedious problem in ultra scaled technologies. State-of-the-art CTO techniques are based on predicting the final timing quality by specifying a set of delay adjustments in the form of delay adjustment points (DAPs). Next, the DAPs are realized to eliminate the timing violations. Unfortunately, it is difficult to realize delay adjustments of exact magnitudes. In this paper, the correlation between the predicted and achieved timing quality is improved by specifying delay adjustments in the form of delay adjustment ranges (DARs). The DARs are formed such that the predicted timing quality is achieved if each delay adjustment is realized within the respective DAR. The framework first predicts the final timing quality. Next, the DARs are specified and optimized while treating the predicted timing quality as a constraint. The optimization is a trade-off between the ease of delay adjustment realization, the total amount of delay adjustment, and the number of delay adjustments. Moreover, the framework accounts for delay adjustment induced on-chip variations (OCV) and transition time constraints. On a set of synthesized circuits, it is demonstrated that the framework improves the correlation between the predicted and achieved timing quality compared with in earlier studies. The average total negative slack (TNS) and worst negative slack (WNS) are improved by 91% and 85%, respectively.
Reinforcement Magnitude and Schedule-Induced Polydipsia: A Reexamination

5 rats were employed in a 4-phase experiment to determine the effect of reinforcement magnitude on schedule-induced polydipsia. Since previous investigations were seen as confounding reinforcement magnitude and the number of reinforcement periods, the present experiment sought to vary individually these 2 determinants of polydipsia. Unlike previous investigations, the results indicate that with the number of reinforcement periods held constant, an increase in the degree of polydipsia was concomitant with an increase in the reinforcement magnitude.
Cell viability assay for drug testing in ovarian cancer: in vitro kill versus clinical response.

UNLABELLED Several methods have been and are in use for assessing the in vitro sensitivity and resistance of an individual woman's tumor cells. We report the predictive accuracy of an optimized chemoresponsiveness test. PATIENTS AND METHODS In a retrospective chart review of 18 women with late stage, papillary serous ovarian cancer undergoing 21 episodes of chemotherapy, we assessed the correlation between the results of this test, the ChemoFx Assays, and clinical response. RESULTS The positive predictive value of the ChemoFx Assay was 63.6% and the negative predictive value was 100%. Survival curves among women with good vs. poor response on the chemoresponse test showed an early, albeit non-significant survival advantage among women whose tumors tested sensitive to the chemotherapeutic regimens used. CONCLUSION This study suggests that optimized chemoresponse assays may be beneficial in selecting specific chemotherapy regimens for women with ovarian cancer.
SN 1987a: Theoretical Considerations

There is now general agreement that the presupernova star for 1987a was indeed SK-69-202, a star that had visual magnitude 12.36 (Walborn et al . 1987), bolometric correction 1.15 m (Humphreys and McElroy 1984), and extinction 0.5 m (Woosley et al . 1987). The distance modulus to the LMC is presently controversial, but most astronomers prefer a value near 18.5 (e.g., Walker 1985; Chiosi and Pigatto 1986) with an uncertainty of perhaps 0.2 m . Putting it together, one arrives at a bolometric magnitude for SK-69-202 of −7.8 with a probable range −7.5 to −8.2, or a luminosity of 4 × 10 38 erg s −1 with a range of 3 to 6 × 10 38 erg s −1 . At the time of the supernova the hydrogen burning shell contributes negligible energy generation so the critical quantity determining the luminosity is the helium core mass. Inspection of a variety of current stellar models indicates that SK-69-202 had a helium core mass of 6 ± 1 M ⊙ from which we may infer that, on the main sequence, it had a mass of 19 ± 3 M ⊙ . A B3-I supergiant has a surface temperature of ∼16,000 K (Humphreys and McElroy 1984). For the above range of luminosities and assuming a temperature in the range 15,000 to 18,000 K one obtains a radius for SK-202-69 of 3 ± 1 × 10 12 cm.
Dietary Restriction Effects on Immunological Function and Aging

Immune system senescence is currently viewed as an ongoing state of altered immune dysfunction although not all of the lymphoid cells or their functions are found to decline with age (Fernandes et al., 1976a; Ernst et al., 1990; Russo et al., 1990). Though food restriction (FR) has been accepted by several investigators as an effective tool in delaying the aging process, the mechanism involved in the modulation of life span by FR in short-lived and long-lived strains of mice and rats is not clearly understood (Fernandes, 1984; Masoro, 1988; Weindruch et. al., 1986). We and others have proposed that FR acts effectively on the immune system, particularly on T-cell functions. A progressive decline in T-cell immune function, particularly cell-mediated immunity as a function of age, is well established (Hausman and Weksler, 1985; Miller, 1989). Further, loss of the T-cell surface antigen recognition system occurs much earlier than loss of B-cell function. We reported that FR prevents loss of interleukin-2 (IL-2) production and maintains vigorous T-cell-mediated function in autoimmune-prone mice (Jung et al., 1982). Other investigators have also reported the action of FR in other T-cell and natural killer (NK) cell function and life span extension in long-lived strains of mice (Weindruch et al., 1983; Miller and Harrison, 1985). In the past two decades, there has been considerable new interest in the role of FR in delaying the progression of immune deficiency and in preventing the rise in chronic diseases with aging (Jung et al., 1982; Hansen et al., 1982; Weindruch et al., 1983; Miller and Harrison, 1985; Fernandes, 1989).
Epidemiology of Age-Related Hearing Impairment

Hearing loss in older adults is an important problem affecting communication and quality of life, yet few epidemiological studies have been conducted to evaluate the magnitude of the problem, identify modifiable factors contributing to the risk of hearing impairment, or test potential prevention strategies. The purpose of this chapter is to summarize the available epidemiological data about the prevalence and incidence of age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and its risk factors. Although prevalent cases of hearing impairment in older adults may represent a wide range of causes or disorders, prospective studies of older adults that can identify new cases occurring at older ages offer great promise for identifying modifiable factors for ARHL. Longitudinal epidemiological studies can identify ways to reduce the burden of hearing loss among older adults.
Principles of Gene Therapy in Reconstructive and Regenerative Surgery

In November 2017, a group of investigators from Germany and Italy, led by Michele De Luca, published on Nature a case report on the use of tissue-engineered, genetically-modified keratinocyte sheets, to regenerate the entire epidermis of a pediatric patient affected by junctional epidermolysis bullosa [1]. The gene therapy-edited cells showed a sustained survival in vivo (>21 months), offering the possibility of a cure where other conventional therapies are lacking or have failed. This groundbreaking report highlights the enormous progresses that the field of gene therapy has been achieving over the last few years and its increasing potential to be translated from a laboratory bench to the clinical care of patients. In reconstructive and regenerative surgery, gene therapies have been the focus of an increasing interest for the last two decades, either as stand-alone therapeutic strategies or as adjuvant methods to boost the effectiveness of other treatments (e.g., stem cells therapies or tissue engineered products) [2, 3]. Virtually every tissue that is routinely repaired by reconstructive and regenerative surgeries can be further enhanced by gene therapies. These include the skin, bones, tendons and fascias, nerves, muscles, soft tissues, and more.
Hemodynamic instability during percutaneous ablation of extra-adrenal metastases of pheochromocytoma and paragangliomas: a case series

Surgical manipulation of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) may induce large hemodynamic oscillations due to catecholamine release. Little is known regarding hemodynamic instability during percutaneous ablation of PPGLs. We examined intraprocedural hemodynamic variability and postoperative complications related to percutaneous ablation of extra-adrenal metastases of PPGL. From institutional PPGL registry we identified patients undergoing ablation of extra-adrenal PPGL metastases from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2016. We reviewed medical records for clinical characteristics and hospital outcomes. Tumors were categorized as functional or nonfunctional based on preprocedural fractionated catecholamine and metanephrine profiles. Twenty-one patients (14 female [67%]) underwent 38 ablations. Twenty-four ablations were performed in patients with functional metastatic lesions, and 14 were in nonfunctional lesions. Intraprocedural use of potent vasodilators for hypertension was higher for patients with functional tumors (P = 0.02); use of vasopressors for hypotension was similar for functional and nonfunctional tumors (P = 0.74). Mean (±SD) intraprocedural blood pressure range (maximum–minimum blood pressure) during 38 procedures was greater for functional than nonfunctional tumors [systolic: 106 (±48) vs 64 (±30) mm Hg, P = 0.005; diastolic: 58 (±22) vs 35 (±14) mm Hg, P = 0.002; mean arterial: 84 (±43) vs 47 (±29) mm Hg, P = 0.007]. Complications included 5 unplanned intensive care unit admissions (3 for precautionary monitoring, 1 for recalcitrant hypotension, and 1 for hypertensive crisis), 1 case of postoperative bleeding, and 1 death. Substantial hemodynamic instability may develop during ablation of functional and nonfunctional PPGL metastases. When anesthesia is provided for ablation of metastatic PPGLs in radiology suites, preparation for hemodynamic management should match standards used for surgical resection.
The adrenal gland as a sanctuary site of metastases after pembrolizumab treatment: A case series

Therapeutic agents targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis have shown durable clinical responses in patients with various cancer types. Although objective responses are common, intrapatient heterogeneous responses have been described, and the mechanism for the different organ responses remains unknown. We present a series of patients in whom a lack of response was noted solely in the adrenal glands. This is the first case series describing 3 patients with heterogeneous patterns of response to pembrolizumab with progression of adrenal metastatic disease despite objective response (complete or partial response) in all other sites of metastatic disease. Two patients, one with melanoma and one with uterine carcinosarcoma, underwent robotic adrenalectomy for enlarging adrenal metastases. An additional patient with melanoma underwent laparotomy with attempted resection, but infiltration of the adrenal tumor into the inferior vena cava prohibited safe excision. This report provides additional insight into the heterogeneous patterns of disease response to anti-PD-1 therapy, highlighting the adrenal gland as a potential sanctuary site for this immunotherapy. These cases display the potential benefit of early surgical resection in this scenario and the pitfalls of delaying referral to a surgeon for assessment of operative intervention.
Gender Differences in Article Citations by Authors from American Institutions in Major Radiology Journals.

Objective To investigate gender difference patterns in article citations, by first and last authors, in four radiology journals. Materials and methods Articles by authors published in four major radiology journals from 1984, 1994, 2004, and 2014 were categorized into 12 subspecialties. The number of citations, references used, co-authors, and length of the article (number of pages) were documented. The genders of first/last authors were determined. Data were analyzed using chi-square and logistic regression. Results The gender of the first author was determined in 2679 articles and that of the last author in 2717 articles. Over the selected years, 1984 to 2014, female first authorship grew from 13.0% to 31.5% (p<0.001), and female last authorship grew from 9.3% to 22.1% (p<0.001). Primary female authorship papers were cited less often as compared to males (OR 0.9972, 95% CI: 0.9948-0.9996, p=0.021), after adjusting for publication year and subspecialty. Across most subspecialties, female first authorship received fewer citations. In 1984, primary female authorship papers received on average 28.9 citations versus males at 39.1; in 1994, 50.4 versus 60.8; in 2004, 41.5 versus 44.4; and in 2014, 7.0 versus 7.8. The mean difference in the number of citations received by male and female first authors decreased from 10.47±6.09 in 1984 and 9.49±7.12 in 1994 to 1.93±5.63 in 2004 and 0.79±0.39 in 2014. However, there was no statistical difference demonstrated in article citations between male and female last authorship (OR 0.9990, 95% CI: 0.9966-1.0013, p=0.392). Conclusions Primary female authorship garnered fewer citations than men, despite the increasing frequency of authorships. However, this differential in the number of citations is narrowing.
Modeling of Free Chlorine Consumption and Escherichia coli O157:H7 Cross‐Contamination During Fresh‐Cut Produce Wash Cycles

Controlling the free chlorine (FC) availability in wash water during sanitization of fresh produce enhances our ability to reduce microbial levels and prevent cross-contamination. However, maintaining an ideal concentration of FC that could prevent the risk of contamination within the wash system is still a technical challenge in the industry, indicating the need to better understand wash water chemistry dynamics. Using bench-scale experiments and modeling approaches, we developed a comprehensive mathematical model to predict the FC concentration during fresh-cut produce wash processes for different lettuce types (romaine, iceberg, green leaf, and red leaf), carrots, and green cabbage as well as Escherichia coli O157:H7 cross-contamination during fresh-cut iceberg lettuce washing. Fresh-cut produce exudates, as measured by chemical oxygen demand (COD) levels, appear to be the primary source of consumption of FC in wash water, with an apparent reaction rate ranging from 4.74×10-4to7.42×10-4 L/mg·min for all produce types tested, at stable pH levels (6.5 to 7.0) in the wash water. COD levels increased over time as more produce was washed and the lettuce type impacted the rate of increase in organic load. The model parameters from our experimental data were compared to those obtained from a pilot-plant scale study for lettuce, and similar reaction rate constant (5.38 × 10-4 L/mg·min) was noted, supporting our hypothesis that rise in COD is the main cause of consumption of FC levels in the wash water. We also identified that the bacterial transfer mechanism described by our model is robust relative to experimental scale and pathogen levels in the wash water. Finally, we proposed functions that quantify an upper bound on pathogen levels in the water and on cross-contaminated lettuce, indicating the maximum potential of water-mediated cross-contamination. Our model results could help indicate the limits of FC control to prevent cross-contamination during lettuce washing.
A Full-Duplex Radio Using a CMOS Non-Magnetic Circulator Achieving +95 dB Overall SIC

Full-duplex (FD) wireless is an emerging wireless communication paradigm where the transmitter and the receiver operate simultaneously at the same frequency. One major challenge in realizing FD wireless is the interference of the TX signal saturating the receiver, commonly referred to self-interference (SI). Traditionally, self-interference cancellation (SIC) is achieved in the antenna, RF/analog, and digital domains. In the antenna domain, SIC can be achieved using a pair of separate TX and RX antennas, or using a single antenna shared by the TX and RX through a magnetic circulator, which is usually bulky, expensive, and not integrable with CMOS. Recent advances, however, have shown the feasibility of realizing high-performance non-reciprocal circulators in CMOS based on spatio-temporal modulation. In this work, we demonstrate a high power handling FD radio using a USRP SDR which employs SIC (i) at the antenna interface using a watt-level power-handling CMOS integrated, magnetic-free circulator, (ii) in the RF domain using a compact RF canceler, and (iii) in the digital domain. Our prototyped FD radio achieves +95 dB overall SIC at +15dBm TX power level. We analyze the effects of the circulator TX-RX non-linearity on the total achievable SIC.
Kelvin's 100-year-old Bubble Conjecture Burst

(1999). Kelvin's 100-year-old Bubble Conjecture Burst. Math Horizons: Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 21-21.
The Behavioral Health Needs of First-Time Offending Justice-Involved Youth: Substance Use, Sexual Risk, and Mental Health

This study examines substance use, emotional/behavioral symptoms and sexual risk among first-time offending, court-involved, non-incarcerated (FTO-CINI) youth. Youth and caregivers (N=423) completed tablet-based assessments. By time of first justice contact (average 14.5 years old), 49% used substances, 40% were sexually active and 33% reported both. Youth with co-occurring substance use and sexual risk had more emotional/behavioral symptoms; youth with delinquent offenses and females had greater co-occurring risk. Time of first offense is a critical period to intervene upon high rates of mental health need for those with co-occurring substance use and sexual risk to prevent poor health and legal outcomes.
Keeping the Lights on and the Wolves Outside: College Student Media Advisers in Communities of Practice:

This research advances communities of practice (CoPs) theory by documenting a role distinct to CoPs within student newsrooms. Using a survey (N = 127) of college student media advisers, the data su...
Systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions for operating room to intensive care unit handoffs.

Objective To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to ascertain the impact of operating room (OR) to intensive care unit (ICU) handoff interventions on process-based and clinical outcomes. Method We included all English language, prospective evaluation studies of OR to ICU handoff interventions published as original research articles in peer-reviewed journals. The search was conducted on 11 November 2019 on MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases, with no prespecified criteria for the type of comparison or outcome. A meta-analysis of similar outcomes was conducted using a random effects model. Quality was assessed using a modified Downs and Black (D&B) checklist. Results 32 studies were included for review. 31 studies were conducted at a single site and 28 studies used an observational study design with a control. Most studies (n=28) evaluated bundled interventions which comprised information transfer/communication checklists and protocols. Meta-analysis showed that the handoff intervention group had statistically significant improvements in time to analgesia dosing (mean difference (MD)=−42.51 min, 95% CI −60.39 to −24.64), fewer information omissions (MD=−2.22, 95% CI −3.68 to –0.77), fewer technical errors (MD=−2.38, 95% CI −4.10 to –0.66) and greater information sharing scores (MD=30.03%, 95% CI 19.67% to 40.40%). Only 15 of the 32 studies scored above 9 points on the modified D&B checklist, indicating a lack of high-quality studies. Discussion Bundled interventions were commonly used to support OR to ICU handoff standardisation. Although the meta-analysis showed significant improvements for a number of clinical and process outcomes, the statistical and clinical heterogeneity must be accounted for when interpreting these findings. Implications for OR to ICU handoff practice and future research are discussed.
Complete Genomic Sequences of Campylobacter coli Strains Isolated from Poultry Sold in Pennsylvania Farmers' Markets.

ABSTRACT Campylobacter strains were collected in a survey of fresh chicken carcasses in Pennsylvania farmers’ markets. Three Campylobacter coli strains were observed to have unique sequence variations in their gyrase subunit B genes, compared with other Campylobacter strains. The strains were sequenced and analyzed, producing genome sequences consisting of single closed chromosomes.
Die geplante Neuordnung des EU-Rahmenwerks für gedeckte Bankschuldverschreibungen und Verbriefungen

A major aim of the Capital Market Union targeted by the EU Commission is stimulating cross-border flows of financial sources in the EU capital markets. Covered Bonds proved to be a reliable and stable funding source for European banks during the financial crisis 2007 - 2009. This is why this segment has been identified as a priority target for harmonisation. The Commission expects that a framework at EU level would enhance their use as a stable and cost-efficient source of funding for credit institutions. It will also provide investors with a wider and safer range of investment opportunities and would help preserve financial stability. Implementation of this initiative will provide for an EU-wide harmonised framework by yearend 2020/beginning of 2021. The proposals in respect of other debt instruments, in particular asset backed securities issued by special purpose vehicles, are less far-reaching but still under consideration.
The Emergence of Neutrality

This Article traces two interwoven jurisprudential genealogies. The first of these focuses on the emergence of neutrality in speech and press doctrine. Content and viewpoint neutrality are now the bedrock principles of modern First Amendment law. Yet the history of these concepts is largely untold and otherwise misunderstood. Scholars usually assume that expressive-freedom doctrine was mostly undeveloped before the early twentieth century and that neutrality was central to its modern rebirth. But this view distorts and sometimes even inverts historical perspectives. For most of American history, the governing paradigm of expressive freedom was one of limited toleration, protecting speech within socially defined boundaries. And the modern embrace of content and viewpoint neutrality, it turns out, occurred only in the 1960s as the Supreme Court merged earlier strands of rights jurisprudence in novel ways. The emergence of neutrality, this Article shows, was more gradual, more contested, and more contingent than we now assume. Recovering this history exposes the novelty of the modern neutrality paradigm, and it casts new light on the history of other First Amendment concepts, like prior restraints, low-value speech, and overbreadth. To understand these developments, it is necessary to trace a second doctrinal genealogy focusing on the very idea of fundamental rights. Older views of expressive freedom, this Article reveals, were embedded in a different conceptual framework for thinking about rights. And once again, the role of neutrality was radically different. Today, neutrality is ubiquitous in rights discourse, reflecting the prevailing view that rights are domains in which people can make their own moral choices. Thus defined, rights need not be absolute, but they at least demand governmental neutrality with respect to values—a view that is reinforced by the undesirable alternative of judges defining non-neutral boundaries. Yet this neutrality-based view of rights also emerged well into the twentieth century, reflecting a transmogrified synthesis of earlier ideas. Recovering these older paradigms powerfully illustrates how deeply our own perspective shapes the way that we view the Constitution. Things that appear natural when reading the First Amendment, it turns out, are refracted through a distinctively modern lens. Integrating history into modern rights jurisprudence thus poses a substantial and unresolved challenge, warranting further engagement by scholars and judges.
Childhood Maltreatment and Mid-Life Adult Sexuality: A 10-Year Longitudinal Study.

One important long-term outcome of childhood maltreatment is thought to be impairments in intimate relationships. However, the specific nature of these impairments is not well understood. To address this gap, we examined the long-term relation of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse/neglect to four key aspects of sexuality in women and men: importance of sex, intimacy in sex, pain during sex, and pleasure during sex. As part of the U.S. longitudinal National Survey of Midlife Development, 807 participants in their mid-life (410 women, 397 men) completed measures of recollected childhood maltreatment and current aspects of adult sexuality. These measures were obtained at baseline (at which time the mean age was 53.28 years (SD = 10.97) and again 10 years later. For women at baseline, emotional abuse was positively associated with pleasure, emotional neglect was negatively associated with intimacy and with pleasure, physical abuse was positively associated with pain, and physical neglect was associated with importance of sex. For men, no significant associations were found. Prospectively, for women, sexual abuse predicted increases in pleasure during sex, and physical abuse significantly predicted increases in pain during sex. For men, physical neglect significantly predicted increases in pain. We discuss these sex differences and the role these results may play in the detrimental long-term effects of childhood maltreatment.
Data on predictive resilience of interdependent water and transportation infrastructures: A sociotechnical approach.

Abstract Interdependent infrastructure systems are vulnerable to the cascading effect of failures resulting from random failures and natural disasters. The data provided in this work is the processed data used for the proposed resilience assessment framework for interdependent water and transportation networks dealing with both types of failure [1] . The case study is the interconnected networks of water and transportation in Tampa, Florida. The data for the random failure is obtained from the developed algorithmic framework and the land use and social vulnerability data provided by the U.S. Census datasets. We then used a subset of this produced data to construct predictive models for the network resilience to random failures. As for the natural disaster scenario, we focused on hurricane Irma in 2017 as it directly affected the focused region in Florida. We used the specific guidelines and the raw flooding data for this hurricane, provided by FEMA, to estimate the standing water for each geographical area (polygons) and the associated network components. We labeled the areas as failed and undamaged based on the estimated water levels. Finally, we used this data for developing a geospatial Geographical Weighted Regression (GWR) model to predict the resilience in each polygon. We present the final dataset for water and transportation networks to facilitate reusability for any future resilience study in the selected urban area.
Major adverse cardiac events after ED evaluation of chest pain patients with advanced testing: systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES Our primary objective was to describe the risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 1, 6, and 12 months after a negative coronary computed tomography angiogram (cCTA), electrocardiogram (ECG) stress test, stress echocardiography, and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) in low- to intermediate-risk patients. METHODS Initially, 952 articles were identified for screening, 81 met criteria for full-text review, and once risk of bias was assessed, 33 articles were included in this meta-analysis. We utilized a random-effects model to assess pooled MACE event proportion for patients undergoing evaluation of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) when risk stratified to a low- to intermediate-risk category after undergoing standard testing. Heterogeneity analysis was performed using Cochrane's Q-test and I2 statistic. RESULTS Twenty-one studies evaluated follow-up at 1 month with cCTA having a 0.09% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.03% to 0.26%) pooled MACE compared to 0.23% (95% CI = 0.01% to 5.8%) of the exercise stress testing (p = 1). MPS and cCTA had an overall event rate of 0.15% (95% CI = 0.06% to 0.41%) at 6 months (I2 = 0%). At 12 months, a subgroup analysis found a pooled cCTA MACE of 0.16% (95% CI = 0.04% to 0.65%) compared to 1.68% (95% CI = 0.01% to 2.6%) for stress echocardiography with low within-group heterogeneity (I2 = 0%). Subgroup analysis of cCTA with no disease versus nonobstructive disease (<50% stenosis) did not find statistical difference in the MACE at both 1 month (0.17% [95% CI = 0.04% to 0.67%] vs. 0.06% [95% CI = 0.01% to 0.34%]) and 12 months (0.44% [95% CI = 0.09% to 2.2% vs. 0.54% [95% CI = 0.19% to 1.5%]). CONCLUSIONS Patients presenting with chest pain who have a coronary CTA showing < 50% stenosis, negative ECG stress test, stress echocardiography, or stress myocardial perfusion scan in the past 12 months can be discharged without any further risk stratification if their ECG and troponin are reassuring given low MACE.
LINEAR SCHEDULING METHOD FOR HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION

A state-of-the-art report is presented on a graphical method for scheduling construction projects. Sometimes called the linear balance method or linear scheduling method, the method is particularly applicable to linear projects such as highways, runways, railways, tunnels and pipelines. A critical review and assessment is made of the method, including its possibilities for use in United States highway construction and maintenance projects.
Ultra-low constant-current generation with MOS interface-trap charge pump

We explore the MOS interface-trap charge-pump (ITCP) as an ultra-low constant-current generator for analog CMOS applications. Switched-capacitor (SC) techniques are generally suitable for ultra-low current generation because the current can be linearly controlled by frequency regardless of the level of current. ITCP has the same property but the minimum charge it puts out per cycle is at least two orders of magnitude smaller than that of an SC core. This helps generate the same current more accurately at a much higher frequency with a much smaller filter capacitance. The paper presents an optimized current generator configuration of rail-to-rail output range, zero temperature coefficient and very high output resistance. Transconductor circuits built with the charge pump are presented and experimentally evaluated.
Visual field progression in patients with initially unilateral visual field loss from chronic open-angle glaucoma.

Abstract Purpose To investigate visual field progression in patients with initially unilateral glaucomatous visual field loss, and to determine risk factors for progression. Design Retrospective observational case series. Participants Forty-eight consecutive patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, pseudoexfoliative glaucoma, or pigmentary glaucoma, seen over an 18-month period, who initially had unilateral visual field loss as defined by use of modified Anderson criteria. Patients were followed with standard Humphrey perimetry for a minimum of 2 years. Methods Progression was defined by use of modified Anderson criteria, and Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS) and Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study scores. Main outcome measure Visual field progression. Results Three patients (6.2%) had fellow eye progression over a mean follow-up of 76 months and duration of disease of 8.7 years. Fellow eye progression correlated with progression of the first-affected eye ( P = 0.044). Ten patients (21%) had progression of the first-affected eye; these eyes had a larger initial cup/disc ratio compared with stable eyes ( P = 0.041). Increasing initial AGIS score was associated with progression ( P = 0.003). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis estimated the risk of progression at 5 years to be 25% in first-affected eyes and 7.2% in fellow eyes. Conclusions In this population, the risk of fellow eye progression in patients with initially unilateral visual field loss from open-angle glaucoma is low. Progression is higher in eyes with visual field loss at initial testing, and the risk of progression increases as the level of initial visual field loss increases.
An efficient successive elimination algorithm for block-matching motion estimation

Summary form only given. Low power VLSI video compression processors are in high demand for the emerging wireless video applications. Video compression processors include VLSI implementation of a motion estimation algorithm. Many motion estimation algorithms are found in the literature. Some of them are fast but cannot guarantee an optimal solution; they can be stuck in local optima. Such algorithms are fast, consumes less power when implemented in VLSI, but they can result in high levels of distortion that cannot be accepted in many applications. On the other hand the full search block matching algorithm (FSBM) is computationally intensive and a VLSI implementation of such an algorithm has high power consumption. This paper presents an exhaustive search algorithm for block matching motion estimation. The proposed algorithm reduces the computational load with successive elimination of non-candidate blocks in the search window. Our proposed algorithm assigns each pixel to a category depending on its value. The number of categories is predetermined. The algorithm consists of number of stages, the first of which has the fewer categories, eliminating those search points that are the farthest from the match. The last stage is the FSBM but with fewer search points. This computational reduction leads to low-power VLSI implementation of the algorithm. Also, it leads to faster efficient motion estimation procedure. The correctness of this algorithm and its complexity are proved.
The relation between implementability and the core

This paper proves a simple and general theorem on resource-allocation mechanisms that achieve Pareto efficiency. We say that a mechanism (game form) is normal if at any action profile, an agent who obtains his endowments neither pays nor receives a positive amount. In the context of auctions, this simply means that losers receive no bill. We prove that for any normal mechanism, if its Nash equilibrium allocations are Pareto efficient for all preference profiles, then the equilibrium allocations are necessarily in the core. The result holds for a large class of allocation problems in which monetary transfers are feasible and the consumption space is discrete except for the space of transfers. Examples include auctions with any number of objects, economies with indivisible public goods, marriage problems, and coalition formation. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: C71, C72, C78, D51, D60, D71, D82.