cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Architecture, Fabrication, and Properties of Stretchable Micro-Electrode Arrays

Essential components of a stretchable microelectrode array (SMEA) to record from biological tissue include: a compliant and elastic substrate, stretchable conductors forming active electrodes and traces, and an electrical insulation layer. The materials and architecture of these SMEA components must be biocompatible, resistant to electrolytic environments, and electrically functional during and after mechanical stretching. While rigid MEA systems exist, many applications, such as retinal implants and sensitive skin, need soft, conformable, and stretchable electronic devices. This work focuses on the fabrication process, electromechanical characterization, and biocompatibility of stretchable micro-electrodes on silicone membranes. We deposit and pattern thin gold films on elastomeric silicone substrates, encapsulate them with an insulating photopatternable silicone layer, and show that the electrodes remain electrically conducting during stretch to >50% strain. The SMEA supports growths of organotypic brain slice cultures
Demand Forecast Sharing in Supply Chains

This paper examines the incentives of a manufacturer and a retailer to share their demand forecasts. The demand at the retailer is a linearly decreasing function of price. The manufacturer sets the wholesale price first, and the retailer sets the retail price after observing the wholesale price. Both players set their prices based on their forecasts of demand. In the make-to-order scenario, the manufacturer sets the production quantity after observing the actual demand; in the make-to-stock scenario, the manufacturer sets the production quantity before the demand is realized. In the make-to-order scenario, we show that sharing the forecast unconditionally by the retailer with the manufacturer benefits the manufacturer but hurts the retailer. We also demonstrate that a side payment contract cannot induce Pareto-optimal information sharing equilibrium, but a discount based wholesale price contract can. The social welfare as well as consumer surplus is higher under the discount contract, compared with under no information sharing. In the make-to-stock scenario, the manufacturer realizes additional benefits in the form of savings in inventory holding and shortage costs when forecasts are shared. If the savings from inventory holding and shortage costs because of information sharing are sufficiently high, then a side payment contract that induces Pareto-optimal information sharing is feasible in the make-to-stock scenario. We also provide additional managerial insights with the help of a computational study.
Performance analysis of location-based data consistency algorithms in mobile ad hoc networks

Many applications of mobile ad hoc networks require real-time data consistency among the moving nodes within a geographical area of interest to function correctly, e.g., battlefield command and control applications. While it is operationally desirable to maintain data consistency among nodes within a large geographical area, the time required to propagate state changes to all mobile nodes in that geographical area limits its size. This paper investigates the notion of location-based data consistency in mobile ad hoc networks, and analyzes the tradeoff between data consistency and timeliness of data exchange among nodes within a location-based group in a geographical area of interest. By utilizing a Petri net performance model, we analyze performance characteristics of location-based data consistency maintenance algorithms and identify design conditions under which the system can best tradeoff consistency for timeliness (reflecting the time to propagate a state change) while satisfying the imposed data consistency requirement, when given a set of parameters characterizing the application in the underlying mobile ad hoc network environment.
Guidelines to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infection: 1980 to 2010.

Objectives We set out to review and compare guidelines to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), examine the association between recent federal initiatives and CAUTI guidelines, and recommend practices for preventing CAUTI that are associated with strong evidence and are consistent across guidelines.
Decision support system in a Patient-Centered Medical Home

Patient-Centered Medical Home is a care delivery model to transform how primary care is delivered in the United States. The information technology revolution has brought about several advancements and solutions for medicine and care delivery, and medical homes are no exception to this. Traditionally, such information technology solutions tend to be isolated in development and fragmented in implementation. However, it is only through a robust decision support system that these medical homes can in fact provide truly coordinated and patient-centered care. The paper describes preliminary work that has been completed at the University of Missouri Health System and next steps in achieving high quality care delivery through a decision support system implementation.
Reliable broadcast in a computational hybrid model with Byzantine faults, crashes, and recoveries

This paper presents a formal model for asynchronous distributed systems with parties that exhibit Byzantine faults or that crash and subsequently recover. Motivated by practical considerations, it represents an intermediate step between crash-recovery models for distributed computing and proactive security methods for tolerating arbitrary faults. The model is computational and based on complexitytheoretic techniques from modern cryptography, which allows for reasoning about cryptographic protocols in a formal way. One of the most important problems in faulttolerant distributed computing, reliable broadcast, is then investigated in this hybrid model. A definition of reliable broadcast is presented and an implementation is given based on the protocol of Bracha (PODC ’84).
Atherosclerosis imaging methods: assessing cardiovascular disease and evaluating the role of estrogen in the prevention of atherosclerosis.

Various interventions for cardiovascular disease (CVD) slow or reverse the progression of atherosclerosis and reduce the risk of clinical coronary events. Although the cardiovascular benefits of hormone replacement therapy have been demonstrated in observational studies in predominantly healthy women, no benefit has been found in a randomized clinical trial conducted in older women with established CVD. It is possible that the benefit of hormone therapy occurs when it is used relatively early in the progression of atherosclerosis. Techniques are now available to monitor the various stages of atherosclerosis. Quantitative coronary angiography, a technique used to evaluate relatively late-stage atherosclerosis, has been shown to predict the risk of subsequent clinical coronary events. B-mode ultrasonography of the intima-media wall thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery can assess the earlier stages of atherosclerosis and correlates with atherosclerosis risk factors, as well as with clinical cardiovascular and cerebrovascular outcome. This technique offers a relatively rapid and cost-effective method to test therapies for CVD and to screen for individuals who are at high risk for cardiovascular events. As an example of the use of atherosclerosis imaging to evaluate possible therapeutic interventions, measurements of IMT were performed in a randomized, controlled trial comparing oral 17β-estradiol with placebo. The results demonstrated that 17β-estradiol significantly reduces the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis in healthy, postmenopausal women when compared with placebo.
TOPOLOGY AND FREE SIZE OPTIMIZATION WITH MANUFACTURING CONSTRAINTS FOR LIGHT WEIGHT DIE CAST AUTOMOTIVE BACKREST FRAME

Finite element analysis, together with topology and free-size optimization is used to design a lightweight die cast automotive front seat backrest frame when subjected to loads prescribed by ECE R17 European government regulations and additional loads which are predicted in an event of crash. In particular, an effort is made here to study the characteristics of a die cast automotive front seat backrest frame and develop a method for predicting the optimized material and support rib distribution which provides a lightweight seat which satisfies both strength and deflection requirements in a design space which includes the action of multiple load cases. An existing commercially available die cast backrest frame serves as the reference design space. Both 3D surface and solid models are created for representation as shell and solid finite element models for analysis. The objective function for topology optimization of the 3D solid model is to minimize mass of the component subject to stress and deflection constraints and is used as a guide in determining optimal geometric distribution of stiffening ribs. When the shell model of the reference seat is subjected to free-size optimization with this same constraint and objective given, an optimized material distribution measured by shell element thicknesses is obtained. For the topology optimization, manufacturing constraints of preferred draw direction and symmetry are applied in order to obtain an optimized material distribution which can be manufactured in the die-cast process. The procedure followed in this work generated an optimal material distribution and stiffening ribs in a lightweight die cast automotive seat backrest frame when subjected to multiple load cases. An overall reduction in weight of 13% is achieved over a reference commercially available die cast backrest frame component.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Simulation of soil temperature in crops

Abstract This paper presents a model that simulates soil temperature realistically with variable crop cover and soil water content and is also sufficiently small and fast to be included in a crop simulator. The model is developed according to principles of energy balance and soil heat transfer. Net radiation, sensible, latent, and ground-conductive heat fluxes are modified by foliage cover and cumulative evaporation as a basis for calculating the energy balance at the soil surface. Soil temperature at various depths is estimated with Fourier's heat transfer equation. One experiment measuring relative humidity at the soil surface was conducted to develop an equation for predicting vapor pressure at the soil surface. Two other field experiments measuring air and soil temperatures and energy balance components were carried out for model validation. The model well predicts energy fluxes at the soil surface, soil surface temperature, and soil temperature at various depths in crops. Canopy cover and soil surface wetness strongly influence energy balance and soil temperature whereas variation in soil porosity and soil thermal conductivity have little effect on soil temperature.
Environmental determinants of unscheduled residential outages in the electrical power distribution of Phoenix, Arizona

The sustainability of power infrastructures depends on their reliability. One test of the reliability of an infrastructure is its ability to function reliably in extreme environmental conditions. Effective planning for reliable electrical systems requires knowledge of unscheduled outage sources, including environmental and social factors. Despite many studies on the vulnerability of infrastructure systems, the effect of interacting environmental and infrastructural conditions on the reliability of urban residential power distribution remains an understudied problem. We model electric interruptions using outage data between the years of 2002 and 2005 across Phoenix, Arizona. Consistent with perceptions of increased exposure, overhead power lines positively correlate with unscheduled outages indicating underground cables are more resistant to failure. In the presence of overhead lines, the interaction between birds and vegetation as well as proximity to nearest desert areas and lakes are positive driving factors explaining much of the variation in unscheduled outages. Closeness to the nearest arterial road and the interaction between housing square footage and temperature are also significantly positive. A spatial error model was found to provide the best fit to the data. Resultant findings are useful for understanding and improving electrical infrastructure reliability.
Chlorpyrifos Bioassay and Resistance Monitoring of San Joaquin Valley California Citricola Scale Populations

The responses to chlorpyrifos of six populations of citricola scale, Coccus pseudomagnoliarum (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Coccidae), were tested using a leaf dip bioassay, and two- to nine-fold resistances were found. LC50 responses of nymphs ranged from 7.5 to 68.9 ppm and LC90 responses ranged from 20 to 222 ppm chlorpyrifos. A population tested monthly during August-October showed up to 3.5-fold differences in LC50 responses but no differences in LC90 responses as scale size increased. A diagnostic concentration of 178 ppm chlorpyrifos was used to test 93 populations from throughout the San Joaquin Valley California during 2006-2009 by using a leaf dip bioassay. Of the populations tested, 41% showed > 20% survival after exposure to the diagnostic concentration of chlorpyrifos, indicating resistance problems. Research is needed to relate the level of survival of the scales in the bioassay to the field efficacy of the insecticide. Tulare County citrus growers applied a higher number of organophosphate and carbamate insecticides during the 15-yr period from 1994 to 2008, and these orchards showed a higher average scale survival of chlorpyrifos and a higher number of locations with resistant scale compared with the other San Joaquin Valley counties. Chlorpyrifos resistance is a significant issue for citricola scale management because biological control is ineffective in the San Joaquin Valley and the alternative neonicotinoid and insect growth regulator (IGR) insecticides require more frequent application.
Growth retardation and corneal vascularization with tyrosine and phenylalanine in a purified diet.

SummaryThe addition of 1% dl-phenylalanine and 1% l(-) tyrosine to a purified diet containing 10% casein produced growth retardation and external lesions. Phenylalanine is converted to tyrosine in the animal and so may add to the effect of the tyrosine. The addition of relatively large amounts of nicotinic acid or l(-)tryptophane will appre ciably alleviate the deleterious effects of these amino acids.
Measurement of the Neutron Spin Structure Function—Test of the Bjorken Sum Rule

An experiment to measure the neutron spin-dependent structure function g 1 n (x) over a range in x from 0.04 to 0.7 and with Q 2 >1 (GeV/c)2 is presented. The experiment consists of scattering a longitudinally polarized electron beam from the Stanford Linear Accelerator off a polarized 3He target and detecting scattered electrons in two magnetic spectrometers. The experiment will provide a critical test of the Bjorken sum rule and valuable information in understanding the nucleon spin structure and the violation of the Ellis-Jaffe sum rule.
Multi-color infrared sensing with superlattice quantum dot structures and absorption enhancements

A multi-color superlattice quantum dot infrared photodetector consisting of two quantum dot superlattices (QD-SLs) separated by a graded barrier is reported. In each QD-SL, self-assembled QDs with a 6 nm height and a 200 nm base are embedded in a GaAs/AlGaAs superlattice. This device structure enables photocurrent generation only in one superlattice depending on the applied bias voltage polarity. A preliminary device has shown two prominent response wavelength bands with peak wavelengths at 4.9 and 7.3 µm at temperatures up to 120 K for negative and positive bias voltages, respectively. As an approach to enhance the light absorption efficiency, the use of metal grating induced surface plasmons is also discussed. Although, this method is not suited for QDIPs due to present growth limitations, it can be readily applied for free-carrier based heterojunction detectors.
Dialectical Tensions of Speaking and Silence.

This essay is both conventional and non‐conventional. The function of silence in communication has been addressed in academic journals, so the topic is conventional. This essay makes no attempt to incorporate or extend those articles, with one exception. Such silence is not conventional for essays in academic journals. The deeper attempt to be non‐conventional, however, stems from placing in dialogue form a discussion of the functions of silence with what purports to be an Eastern attitude, specifically that derived from several Chinese texts. Posed in contrast to the Eastern portion, with an “apology” marking a transition, is a purportedly Western, didactic discussion. The intention is both to let the mingling of voices enrich the concept of silence and to test further possibilities for extending the understanding of communication by seeking westward in the East. In doing so, the ancient question of the relation of rhetoric and dialectic recurs.
Durable Goods Monopoly with Stochastic Costs

I study the problem of a durable good monopolist who lacks commitment power and whose marginal cost of production varies stochastically over time. Time-varying costs modify the results on the Coase conjecture. When the distribution of consumer valuations is discrete, the monopolist is able to exercise market power and the market outcome is ine¢ cient. In contrast, with a continuum of types the monopolist is unable to extract additional rents from buyers with higher valuations. Moreover, the market outcome is …rst best e¢ cient in this setting: the monopolist serves consumers sequentially as costs decrease, precisely at the point in time that maximizes total surplus. The model is set up in continuous time and the monopolist’s marginal cost evolves as a � :
Anodic Methods for Covalent Attachment of Ethynylferrocenes to Electrode Surfaces: Comparison of Ethynyl Activation Processes

The electrochemical oxidation of ferrocenes having an H- or Li-terminated ethynyl group has been studied, especially as it relates to their covalent anchoring to carbon surfaces. The anodic oxidation of lithioethynylferrocene (1-Li) results in rapid loss of Li+ and formation of the ethynyl-based radical FeCp(η5-C5H4)(C≡C), (1, Cp = η5-C5H5), which reacts with the electrode. Chemically modified electrodes (CMEs) were thereby produced containing strongly bonded, ethynyl-linked monolayers and electrochemically controlled multilayers. Strong attachments of ethynylferrocenes to gold and platinum surfaces were also possible. The lithiation/anodic oxidation process is a mirror analogue of the diazonium/cathodic reduction process for preparation of aryl-modified CMEs. A second method produced an ethynylferrocene-modified electrode by direct anodic oxidation of the H-terminated ethynylferrocene (1-H) at a considerably more positive potential. Both processes produced robust modified electrodes with well-defined fer...
Taxing Carried Interest: The Problematic Analogy to 'Sweat Equity'

The enormity of the earnings reported by some private equity fund managers has drawn sustained public attention to how such earnings are treated under the income tax. Reformers call for eliminating the preferential capital gains treatment accorded to the carried interest portion of fund managers' service compensation. One of the most prominent and thus far successful arguments against reform compares the tax advantage of carried interest to the supposed tax advantage routinely enjoyed by business owners who work in their own business and compensate themselves with sweat equity rather than salary. This paper argues that sweat equity is not only an inapt analogy for carried interest, but is, on its own terms, misconceived. The tax advantage of carried interest is a matter of exploiting differences in the marginal tax rates of fund managers and fund investors. The tax advantage to sweat equity is largely nonexistent.
Crafting a positive professional digital profile to augment your practice

A digital profile is the sum content about a person on the Internet. A digital profile can be composed of personal or professional information shared on public Web sites posted personally or by others. One of the most effective ways to build a positive professional digital profile is through social media. It is increasingly important to maintain a positive digital profile as others mine the Internet to find out about a professional prior to meeting him or her. As the digital environment continues to grow, it will become increasingly difficult to neglect a professional digital profile without potential negative consequences. There are many benefits to creating a digital presence and using the tools available to learn about neurology and interact with other professionals and patients in ways that were not possible in the past. The spread of social media to a large part of the population makes it unlikely to go away.
Power/Energy Minimization Techniques for Variability-Aware High-Performance 16-nm 6T-SRAM

Power and energy minimization is a critical concern for the battery life, reliability, and yield of many minimum-sized SRAMs. In this paper, we extend our previously proposed hybrid analytical-empirical model for minimizing and predicting the delay and delay variability of SRAMs, VAR-TX, to a new enhanced version, exVAR-TX, to minimize and predict the power/energy and power/energy variability of a 16-nm 6T-SRAM under the influence of the three major types of variations: Fabrication, Operation, and Implementation. Using exVAR-TX for architectural optimization [exhaustively computing and comparing the range of feasible architectures subject to interdie (die-to-die/D2D) and intradie (within-die/WID) process and operation variations (PVT), electromigration (EM), negative bias temperature instability (NBTI), and soft-errors, among others] on top of deploying the most recent state of the art effective mitigation techniques we show that energy and energy-delay-product ( EDP ) of 64KB 16-nm 6T-SRAM could be reduced by $\sim 12.5\text{X}$ and $\sim 33$ %, respectively, as compared to the existing conventional designs.
Foxp3-mediated inhibition of Akt inhibits Glut1 (glucose transporter 1) expression in human T regulatory cells

CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) Tregs have a diminished capacity to activate the PI3K/Akt pathway. Although blunted Akt activity is necessary to maintain Treg function, the consequences of this altered signaling are unclear. Glut1 is a cell-surface receptor responsible for facilitating glucose transport across plasma membranes, whose expression is tightly coupled to costimulatory signals and Akt phosphorylation. Freshly isolated human Tregs were unable to up-regulate Glut1 in response to TCR and costimulatory signals compared with Tconv. Consequently, the ability of Tregs to use glucose was also reduced. Introduction of Foxp3 into Tconv inhibited Akt activation and Glut1 expression, indicating that Foxp3 can regulate Glut1. Finally, pharmacologic activation of Akt in Tregs can induce Glut1, overcoming the effects of Foxp3. Together, these results illustrate the molecular basis behind differential glucose metabolism in Tregs.
The Biology of Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). IV. Environmental Control of Mating

Among adults of Trichoplusia ni (Hubner) exposed to naturally fluctuating environmental conditions, few matings occurred on nights when the midnight temperature was less than 14°C. In the laboratory, T. ni adults mated at temperatures as low as 10°C, after having been held for 4 days at 26±1°C. The threshold-temperature range for mating in the laboratory was similar to the threshold-temperature range for male responses to female sex pheromone extracts. Light influenced both the occurrence and the timing of mating. Mating was inhibited at light intensities greater than 0.3 lux. The mean time of mating in the field and in the laboratory was after midnight. Although the timing of mating was found to be influenced slightly by the circadian rhythm of responsiveness in the male, the timing was primarily controlled by a light: dark-cycle-entrained rhythm in the female.
Does diversity matter? Evidence from a survey of political science faculty

ABSTRACTDoes diversity in political science departments matter? In addressing the question, this article helps assess the value of increasing diversity in the discipline overall. Members of gender, race, and sexual orientation minority groups remain underrepresented in political science departments. What effects does underrepresentation have? To answer this question we rely upon a 2009 American Political Science Association (APSA)-sponsored survey of all faculty in U.S. political science departments. We study responses to questions about the number of female; racial minority; and lesbian, gay, or bisexual faculty members in political science departments. We test hypotheses about the relationship between the degree of departmental diversity and the friendliness, collegiality, and productivity of the associated faculty. We find that diversity, significantly affects intra-departmental relations, productivity, and perceptions of the treatment of female and racial/ethnic minorities. For both attitudes toward r...
Liquefied Natural Gas Vapor Hazard Mitigation with Expansion Foam Using a Research-Scale Foam Generator

The flammable vapor cloud is the primary hazard caused by a liquefied natural gas (LNG) spill on land. If it is not properly mitigated, an ignition of the vapor cloud will result in a fire or explosion hazard. High expansion foam is recommended by NFPA 11 and NFPA 471 for LNG spill hazards mitigation. This work studied the physical interaction of the LNG and expansion foam system using a foam generator and a foam test apparatus that are built in-house. The performance of the foam generator was characterized in terms of the foam expansion ratio and generation rate. The temperature profile in the foam zone quantitatively confirmed the warming effect of foam on LNG vapor. The foam breaking rate was determined at the initial stage and steady state. The boil-off effect was studied quantitatively with more details using this novel foam generator. The vapor channel formation and vapor concentration were also investigated for the mitigation effect.
Studying progress of lactobacillus' s responses in a variety of stress

Lactobacillus growed and survived, or played a role in a variety of different environments, often subjected to a variety of stress factors and constraints.Various stresses including salt stress,freezing,heat,dry,acid stress,etc.,which inevitably resulted in damage to the lactobacillus in the process of growth,storage,preservation,etc.,and even to death. This paper reviewing the damaging mechanism of all kinds of stress on lactobacillus was not only necessary for taking appropriately protective measures to reduce the physiological damage on lactobacillus,but also providing theoretical basis for industrial production such as the production of direct-vat-starter.
Observations of Transient ISS Floating Potential Variations During High Voltage Solar Array Operations

The International Space Station (ISS) continues to be a world-class space research laboratory after over 15 years of operations, and it has proven to be a fantastic resource for observing spacecraft floating potential variations related to high voltage solar array operations in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Measurements of the ionospheric electron density and temperature along the ISS orbit and variations in the ISS floating potential are obtained from the Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU). In particular, rapid variations in ISS floating potential during solar array operations on time scales of tens of milliseconds can be recorded due to the 128 Hz sample rate of the Floating Potential Probe (FPP) pro- viding interesting insight into high voltage solar array interaction with the space plasma environment. Comparing the FPMU data with the ISS operations timeline and solar array data provides a means for correlating some of the more complex and interesting transient floating potential variations with mission operations. These complex variations are not reproduced by current models and require further study to understand the underlying physical processes. In this paper we present some of the floating potential transients observed over the past few years along with the relevant space environment parameters and solar array operations data.
A Model for Synaptic Refinement in Visual Thalamus

How the developing brain specifies precise neural connectivity has long interested neuroscientists. Because of the immense number of cells and synapses in the CNS, it seems unlikely that each individual cell’s identity and connectivity is intrinsically or genetically specified. Both neural activity and molecular cues provide possible mechanisms by which network properties of the developing brain can emerge from relative disorder. Emphasizing the visual system as a model for synaptic development, we review the role of various factors in synaptic maturation, including sensory activity. Furthermore, we elucidate why the mouse visual system could prove advantageous for investigation of mechanisms governing circuit development.
The Genetics and Epigenetics of PTSD: Overview, Recent Advances, and Future Directions

This paper provides a brief summary and commentary on the growing literature and current developments related to the genetic underpinnings of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We first briefly provide an overview of the behavioral genetic literature on PTSD, followed by a short synopsis of the substantial candidate gene literature with a focus on genes that have been meta-analyzed. We then discuss the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) that have been conducted, followed by an introduction to other molecular platforms used in PTSD genomic studies, such as epigenetic and expression approaches. We close with a discussion of developments in the field that include the creation of the PTSD workgroup of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, statistical advances that can be applied to GWAS data to answer questions of heritability and genetic overlap across phenotypes, and bioinformatics techniques such as gene pathway analyses which will further advance our understanding of the etiology of PTSD.
Political contestation and discourses of meaning: Revising Minnesota’s school integration revenue statute

The integration of students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds in public schools has been an issue of educational policy concern for several decades. Most school desegregation programs implemented in the United States post- Brown that relied on student busing and race-based school assignment were discontinued by the 1990s. In Minnesota, these were replaced with an approach that encouraged voluntary school integration efforts, supported with funding provided through State Statute 124D.86 to districts with racially identifiable schools or whose schools were racially isolated relative to neighboring communities. A legislatively mandated Integration Revenue Replacement Advisory Task Force was convened from November 2011 to February 2012 to frame the role of the state’s schools in addressing racial inequities and to recommend changes to existing policy. This article applies Fairclough and Fairclough’s (2012) analytic framework of political discourse as argumentation to examine the revision of this statute as a site of ideological contestation. The appointed members of this task force included professional educators, former legislators, faith leaders, and lawyers, and presented distinct epistemological beliefs regarding the purposes and roles of schools and of policy. Two competing claims for action were identified, summarized as “Bipartisan Compromise” and “Conservative Dissent.” This analysis reveals the effect of underlying values on developing particular claims for action made by Task Force members, and connects these values to divergent understandings of the purpose of state educational funding and the outcomes that public schooling should achieve.
Corrections to “Energy-Efficient Controller Design for a Redundantly-Actuated Hybrid Feed Drive With Application to Machining” [Aug 16 1822-1834]

Presents corrections to " Energy-efficient controller design for a redundantly-actuated hybrid feed drive with application to machining" (Duan, M. and Okwudire, C.) IEEE/ASME Trans. on Mechatronics, vol. 3, no. 4, Aug. 2016.
Optimizing the mechanical properties of cellulose nanopaper through surface energy and critical length scale considerations

Cellulose nanopaper exhibits outstanding stiffness, strength, and toughness that originate from the exceptional properties of constituent cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). However, it remains challenging to link the nanoscale properties of rod-like CNCs and their structural arrangements to the macroscale performance of nanopaper in a predictive manner. Here we address this need by establishing an atomistically informed coarse-grained model for CNCs via a strain energy conservation paradigm and simulating CNC nanopaper properties mesoscopically. We predict how the mechanical properties of CNC nanopaper with nacre-inspired brick-and-mortar structure depend on CNC overlap length and interfacial energy. We show that the modulus and strength both increase with increasing overlap length, but saturate at different critical length scales where a transition from non-covalent interfacial sliding to CNCs fracture is the key influencing mechanism. Maximum toughness is achieved when the interface and CNC failure are tuned to occur at the same time through balanced failure. We propose strategies for maximizing nanopaper mechanical performance by tuning interfacial interactions of constitutive CNCs through surface modifications that improve shear transfer capability. Our model generates broadly applicable insights into factors governing the performance of self-assembling paper materials made from 1D nanostructures.
50th Anniversary Perspective: A Perspective on Polyelectrolyte Solutions

From the beginning of life with the information-containing polymers until the present era of a plethora of water-based materials in health care industry and biotechnology, polyelectrolytes are ubiquitous with a broad range of structural and functional properties. The main attribute of polyelectrolyte solutions is that all molecules are strongly correlated both topologically and electrostatically in their neutralizing background of charged ions in highly polarizable solvent. These strong correlations and the necessary use of numerous variables in experiments on polyelectrolytes have presented immense challenges toward fundamental understanding of the various behaviors of charged polymeric systems. This Perspective presents the author’s subjective summary of several conceptual advances and the remaining persistent challenges in the contexts of charge and size of polymers, structures in homogeneous solutions, thermodynamic instability and phase transitions, structural evolution with oppositely charged polyme...
Rat T cell subpopulations: Effect of environmental and microbial antigens

Extensive studies by Mosmann et al. [1,2] using cloned murine T cells have defined two different subsets of CD4+ T cells based on their lymphokine production and functional properties. However, the existance of similar subsets of CD4+ cells in other systems is still unclear. In the rat, it has been reported [3–5] that the monoclonal antibody OX22 which exhibits specificity for a high molecular weight form of the leukocyte common antigen (L-CA) divides CD4+ T cells into two subpopulations, with the OX22 monoclonal antibody binding to two-thirds of the T helper (Th) cells in the thoracic duct lymph. Recently, Powrie and Mason [6,7] also suggested that upon exposure of OX22+, CD4+ cells to antigen, the OX22 marker is lost and that these OX22−, CD4+ T cells represent memory cells.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Athletic Pubalgia and the Sports Hernia: Current Understanding and Practice

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become the standard imaging modality for activity-related groin pain. Lesions, including rectus abdominis/adductor aponeurosis injury and osteitis pubis, can be accurately identified and delineated in patients with clinical conditions termed athletic pubalgia, core injury, and sports hernia. A dedicated noncontrast athletic pubalgia MRI protocol is easy to implement and should be available at musculoskeletal MR imaging centers. This article will review pubic anatomy, imaging considerations, specific lesions, and common MRI findings encountered in the setting of musculoskeletal groin pain.
The Problem of Correlation Imposed Barriers

In the previous chapters we identified two extreme types of chemical reactions, i.e., reactions proceeding via thermal aromatic paths where interpacket interactions prevail and reactions proceeding via thermal antiaromatic paths where intrapacket interactions produce the final shapes of the P.E. surfaces. It is interesting to inquire how this picture developed on the basis of the LCFC method compares with the Woodward-Hoffmann approach which employs correlation diagrams in connection with wavefunctions which are delocalized over the entire reaction complex.
Dangers from Earthquakes and Faults

Chapter 5 shows ways to recognize earthquake hazards using aerial photographs. Earthquake hazards include (a) faults, (b) ground shaking, (c) landslides, (d) liquefaction, and (e) tsunami and seiches. Building structures to withstand large differential displacements can be done, I suppose – but why try? Hence, our first rule is don’t build across an active fault. Most of the chapter deals with recognizing active faults using contrasts in lithology, vegetation, moisture, topography, and erosion. In addition ways to estimate fault age, and likely earthquake magnitudes are provided. Recognition keys for ground shaking, landslide, liquefaction, and tsunami/seiche hazards are provided with photographic examples.
Variable side conditions and greatest relations in algebraic separation logic

When reasoning within separation logic, it is often necessary to provide side conditions for inference rules. These side conditions usually contain information about variables and their use, and are given within a meta-language, i.e., the side conditions cannot be encoded in separation logic itself. In this paper we discuss different possibilities how side conditions of variables--occurring e.g. in the ordinary or the hypothetical frame rule--can be characterised using algebraic separation logic. We also study greatest relations; a concept used in the soundness proof of the hypothetical frame rule. We provide one and only one level of abstraction for the logic, the side conditions and the greatest relations.
NUMERICAL METHODS FOR FUNCTIONAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter presents numerical methods for functional differential equation. The survey of numerical methods is divided into three parts: (1) initial-value problems for functional ordinary differential equations, (2) boundary-value problems for functional ordinary differential equations, and (3) functional partial differential equations. In discussing the part 1 of the surveys, the author considered several cases, namely: (1) ordinary differential equations, (2) retarded and neutral differential equations, (3) Volterra integro-differential equations, and (4) functional differential equations of retarded type. For each special case of (1) several aspects of numerical methods are considered, such as Euler's method, one-step methods: general theory, Runge–Kutta methods, block methods, Splines and Hermte methods, multistep methods, Chebyshev series and the tau method, nonsmooth solutions, extrapolation and deferred correction, efficiency, highly stable methods, and special methods. It was pointed out by Bailey and Shampine that in the case of ordinary differential equations, the shooting method and the method of finite differences complement one another in the sense that the shooting method gives good results when the finite-difference method gives poor results and vice versa. Under suitable hypotheses, Thompson shows that the Lax–Richtmyer theory for difference approximations to initial-value problems for partial differential equations.
Endoscopic sinus surgery in geriatric population.

BACKGROUND With the baby boomers getting older, endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) is being performed more on elderly people than before. We compared patients undergoing ESS who were >65 years of age with those <65 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed our database of cases who had ESS between 1992 and 2002. Demographics and patient characteristics and complications encountered intraoperatively and immediately postoperatively were reviewed. RESULTS Forty-six (8.1%) patients were older than 65 years of age compared with 522 patients who were 18-64 years old. The older group had a 24% revision rate compared with 34% in the younger group. Complication rates were 21.7% for the elderly compared with 12.8% for the younger group. There was a significantly higher complication rate in the older group of people who were having revision ESS. CONCLUSION The elderly people who were having revision surgery had a higher risk for complications compared with those having primary surgery or those <65 years old.
A dog-assisted reading programme’s unanticipated impact in a special education classroom

Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) have been shown to positively affect students’ academic abilities as well as their overall behaviour and social skills. In typically developing students, dog-ass...
Sporadic DUX4 expression in FSHD myocytes is associated with incomplete repression by the PRC2 complex and gain of H3K9 acetylation on the contracted D4Z4 allele

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy 1 (FSHD1) has an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance and primarily affects skeletal muscle. The genetic cause of FSHD1 is contraction of the D4Z4 macrosatellite array on chromosome 4 alleles associated with a permissive haplotype causing infrequent sporadic expression of the DUX4 gene. Epigenetically, the contracted D4Z4 array has decreased cytosine methylation and an open chromatin structure. Despite these genetic and epigenetic changes, the majority of FSHD myoblasts are able to repress DUX4 transcription. In this study we hypothesized that histone modifications distinguish DUX4 expressing and non-expressing cells from the same individuals. FSHD myocytes containing the permissive 4qA haplotype with a long terminal D4Z4 unit were sorted into DUX4 expressing and non-expressing groups. We found similar CpG hypomethylation between the groups of FSHD-affected cells suggesting that CpG hypomethylation is not sufficient to trigger DUX4 expression. A survey of histone modifications present at the D4Z4 region during cell lineage commitment revealed that this region is bivalent in FSHD iPS cells with both H3K4me3 activating and H3K27me3 repressive marks present, making D4Z4 poised for DUX4 activation in pluripotent cells. After lineage commitment, the D4Z4 region becomes univalent with H3K27me3 in FSHD and non-FSHD control myoblasts and a concomitant increase in H3K4me3 in a small fraction of cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) for histone modifications, chromatin modifier proteins and chromatin structural proteins on sorted FSHD myocytes revealed that activating H3K9Ac modifications were ~ fourfold higher in DUX4 expressing FSHD myocytes, while the repressive H3K27me3 modification was ~ fourfold higher at the permissive allele in DUX4 non-expressing FSHD myocytes from the same cultures. Similarly, we identified EZH2, a member of the polycomb repressive complex involved in H3K27 methylation, to be present more frequently on the permissive allele in DUX4 non-expressing FSHD myocytes. These results implicate PRC2 as the complex primarily responsible for DUX4 repression in the setting of FSHD and H3K9 acetylation along with reciprocal loss of H3K27me3 as key epigenetic events that result in DUX4 expression. Future studies focused on events that trigger H3K9Ac or augment PRC2 complex activity in a small fraction of nuclei may expose additional drug targets worthy of study.
Fast local registration measurements for efficient e-beam writer qualification and correction: EMLC18 Best Paper (Conference Presentation)

Mask manufacturers are facing major reticle metrology challenges, driving the need for cost‐effective solutions that provide tighter registration specifications and on‐device registration qualification. E‐beam mask writers’ local registration error may have a critical impact on the error contribution of the reticles to wafer overlay, as it is very local and most likely is not revealed with standard quality control schemes and sampling. The reticle error signatures are, of course, writing‐strategy‐dependent, but may also be caused by residual deflector alignment issues, thus leading to a very local but potentially critical non‐correctable overlay error on the wafer. Since the e‐beam writer strategy does not differ significantly between ArFi masks and EUV masks, we expect a similar error signature for both mask types. We will present data which demonstrates local registration errors that can be correlated to the writing swathes of state‐of‐the‐art e‐beam writers and multi‐pass strategies, potentially leading to systematic device registration errors versus design of close to 2nm. Furthermore, error signatures for local charging and process effects are indicated by local registration measurements resulting in systematic error, also on the order of 2nm. A unique measurement methodology, Local Registration Metrology, is presented that allows for dense sampling of reticle dies to characterize the local e‐beam registration error. Several thousand sites in a region of interest with length and width of a few hundred microns are measured. LMS IPRO metrology algorithms enable parallel registration measurement of all individual sites for fast and accurate metrology. High throughput allows completion of Local Registration measurement within a few minutes instead of exceeding a day of measurement time with conventional registration metrology strategies. This capability enables mask users to add local registration quality control to ensure the local wafer pattern placement error contribution by a mask is within the acceptable tolerance. In addition, based on the results of Local Registration Metrology, e‐beam mask writer corrections via feed forward can now be developed to significantly reduce local overlay error on wafer caused by the reticles.
A comparative study of shear band tracking strategies in three-dimensional finite elements with embedded weak discontinuities

Abstract We present a computational framework for the treatment of shear localization in metallic materials under dynamic loading, based on the integration of a shear band tracking strategy into an explicit 3D finite element formulation with embedded weak discontinuities. Within this computational framework, an embedded shear band's mid-surface is represented by an iso-surface of a level set function, which is obtained by solving a heat-conduction type boundary value problem (BVP). The solution of this BVP is carried out either globally over the entire problem domain, or locally at the level of individual elements in the mesh. In this paper, we present a detailed comparison of these global and local algorithmic implementations of the shear band tracking strategy. Numerical results obtained using these two implementations, and using a simplified formulation without shear band tracking, are presented and compared. Moreover, we compare the computational efficiency and parallel scaling performance of the local and global implementations. This comparative study shows that both implementations can simulate the initiation of two independent shear bands and their propagation past each other without merging, whereas only the global implementation can successfully simulate the merging of two branches of a single shear band. This study also confirms that the global implementation is more computationally intensive, since it requires a global system of linear equations associated with the level set BVP to be solved at each time step. Both implementations exhibit very good scalability in domain decomposition-based parallel simulations.