cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reliability of a rapid package prototyping technology based on a data driven chip first approach

To reduce manufacturing cost, lead time, process complexity, and enhance electrical and mechanical reliability performance, an embedded-active approach that targets rapid prototyping and low-volume production in micro-system packaging is being developed. The approach involves a rapid prototyping of micro-system packaging by a data-driven chip-first packaging process using direct printing of nano-particle metals. In the chip-first process, bare dice are first embedded into a copper or stainless steel carrier substrate, fixed by filling up the gap between the chips and the substrate with thermoplastic adhesives, and planarized to a common planar surface. On the coplanar substrate, polyimide or liquid crystal polymer (LCP) film is laminated to form a dielectric layer. Through the dielectric layer to the chip metal pads, micro vias are drilled by laser ablation. The vias are filled with nano-particle silver (NPS), which has high conductivity and good adhesion to copper, polyimide, and LCP. The NPS is deposited by screen printing and a three dimensional electrical circuit is formed. This packaging approach is data-driven, so requires no masks and reduces packaging turn-around time from months to days. It is also less limited by substrate composition and morphology, eliminates the need for special chip processing such as the need required for flip chip solder bumps, and permits using any chip technology and any chip supplier allowing mixed devices. The embedded-active process with nano-particle metals avoids the extreme processing conditions required for standard IC fabrication such as wet chemistry processing and vacuum sputtering. The nano-particle conductors typically measure around 5 nm in diameter and can be sintered at plastic-compatible temperatures as low as 220 C to form material nearly indistinguishable from the bulk metal. The embedded-active packaging shows an excellent reliability performance in terms of thermal shock, which is performed in the range of -45 and 125 degree Celsius. These results represent an important step to a system packaging characterized by high density, low cost, and data-driven fabrication for rapid package prototyping. This paper presents an electrical performance characterization of the nano-particle conductors, details of the rapid prototyping process sequence, an initial reliability characterization of the package architecture, and a failure mode analysis of the packages.
Expansin Message Regulation in Parasitic Angiosperms: Marking Time in Development

Parasitic strategies are widely distributed across the angiosperms and are estimated to have evolved at least eight different times. Within the obligate hemiparasitic and holoparasitic members, elaborate strategies for host selection have emerged. Here, we demonstrate that in the parasitic Scrophulariceae Striga asiatica, for which signal-mediated host detection is critical, expansin mRNA provides a reliable and accurate downstream molecular marker for the transition to the parasitic mode. Three different expansin genes, saExp1, saExp2, and saExp3, are regulated by xenognostic quinones. saExp3 appears to function as a seedling expansin, and its mRNA is depleted within minutes after induction of the host attachment organ. saExp1 and saExp2 share less homology with the known expansins, and their transcripts accumulate linearly over a critical induction period. The regulation of these genes suggests that the resources for developmental commitment must accumulate to a defined threshold before commitment to organogenesis is terminal. When the induction signal is removed prematurely, the accumulated message decays with a time constant that correlates with the time required for additional signal exposures to reinduce parasitic development. These results suggest that sophisticated controls exist for the accumulation of the necessary components for terminal commitment to the parasitic mode. Furthermore, building on the redox dependence of the inducing signal, they suggest a model akin to a “molecular capacitor” for clocking organogenesis in S. asiatica.
Percutaneous-Guided Pain Control: Exploiting the Neural Basis of Pain Sensation

Patients who are suffering from chronic gastrointestinal illnesses, particularly cancer, are human beings in the throes of physical, psychosocial, and spiritual crises that comprise their total pain [1–3]. The patient and primary care physician may seek the gastroenterologist to manage symptoms of advanced illnesses [4,5]. When cure is not feasible, palliative care tools are available to ease a patient’s suffering. When pain is a prominent symptom, the gastroenterologist may include percutaneous-guided techniques in the therapeutic toolbox. Help in this area may be as close as the nearest pain medicine specialist, anesthesiologist, or interventional radiologist. To date, no percutaneous procedure has replaced systemic analgesic therapy (SAT) with opioids. However, percutaneous-guided pain control interventions have earned a role in the multidisciplinary approach to pain therapy. Given that afferent sensory fibers of abdominal and pelvic organs travel in sympathetic ganglia, a chemical or surgical sympathectomy for visceral pain is analogous to a peripheral nerve block or dorsal rhizotomy for somatic pain. Most percutaneous-guided procedures in the abdomen are performed with imaging localization and local anesthetic or contrast medium injections to confirm effective spread [6]. Percutaneous techniques may be complex and highly operator-dependent, but time-tested procedures have demonstrated efficacy and safety in the hands of experienced clinicians. Although percutaneous neurolysis is usually performed to treat cancer pain, some investigators have approached noncancer pain with similar techniques.
Patient resistance as agency in treatment decisions.

Abstract Medication is critical to the management of medical problems, however relatively little attention has been paid to the treatment recommendation process where a new medication is first prescribed. This article argues that how and when a patient agrees to a physician’s treatment demonstrates a patient’s active involvement in decisions about treatment. Using 100 video recorded primary care visits across 10 internal medicine clinics in the Western United States, this paper uses conversation analysis to document the delivery and reception of treatment recommendations in acute medical visits with adult patients. Specifically, this article analyzes patients demonstrating active participation regarding treatment decisions as a limited form of agency. Starting from the premise that participants orient to physicians’ treatment recommendations as normatively requiring patient acceptance before moving to a next activity, this article argues that when patients resist a recommendation, they actively participate in how the treatment recommendation emerges as acceptable. This article argues that through resistance to a treatment recommendation, patients work to negotiate and collaboratively co-construct what counts as an acceptable recommendation. Overall, this article argues that patient resistance is an interactional resource for patients to assert their agency by ensuring the ensuing recommendation is acceptable and in accord with their treatment preferences and concerns.
Petroscirtes pylei , a new saber-toothed blenny from the Fiji Islands (Teleostei: Blenniidae)

Petroscirtes pylei is described from three specimens, 20.3–40.9 mm SL, obtained from a deepwater reef off Suva, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands. It is distinguished from all other congeners by its color pattern, including the presence of two dark body stripes, the lower one broadly extending onto the anal fin, and the dorsal fin with a broad, dark basal stripe, superimposed by a conspicuous white spot centered on the 4th spine. Among Petroscirtes, only the new species and P. springeri typically have 12 dorsal-fin spines but they are not closely related. The holotype was collected in 104–110 m, the second deepest depth record for a species of Petroscirtes. Discovery of this new species, and an apparently second new deep-water Petroscrites (uncollected), at a different Fijian reef indicates that our knowledge of the biodiversity of this habitat and of the saber-toothed blennies is very incomplete.
Subsurface bio-mediated reduction of higher-valent uranium and plutonium

Bio-mediated reduction of multivalent actinide contaminants plays an important role in their fate and transport in the subsurface. To initiate the process of extending recent progress in uranium biogeochemistry to plutonium, a side-by-side comparison of the bioreduction of uranyl and plutonyl species was conducted with Shewanella alga BrY, a facultative metal-reducing bacterium that is known to enzymatically reduce uranyl. Uranyl was reduced in our system, consistent with literature reports, but we have noted a strong coupling between abiotic and biotic processes and observe that non-reductive pathways to precipitation typically exist. Additionally, a key role of biogenic Fe 2+ , which is known to reduce uranyl at low pH, is suggested. In contrast, residual organics, present in biologically active systems, reduce Pu(VI) species to Pu(V) species at near-neutral pH. The predominance of relatively weak complexes of PuO2 + is an important difference in how the uranyl and plutonyl species interacted with S. alga. Pu(V) also led to increased toxicity towards S. alga and is also more easily reduced by microbial activity. Biogenic Fe 2+ , produced by S. alga when Fe(III) is present as an electron acceptor, also played a key role in understanding redox controls and pathways in this system. Overall, the bioreduction of plutonyl is observed under anaerobic conditions, which favors its immobilization in the subsurface. Understanding the mechanism by which redox control is established in biologically active systems is a key aspect of remediation and immobilization strategies for actinides when they are present as subsurface contaminants. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keyword: Actinide alloys and compounds
Beyond restoration: problems of imperial power in the 1870 famine relief efforts in Zhili

Based on a close examination of the 1870 government famine relief efforts in Zhili, this study reassesses some significant changes in Qing state power in the nineteenth century. Most previous research has sought to explain receding state power as a response to mounting pressures from an activist society. The famine relief efforts of 1870 demonstrate a less well‐known but equally important aspect of the problem. While social pressures had undoubtedly worn away at the 200‐year‐old state machine, they also stimulated responses from it. While local activism had indeed taken over the levers that had slipped from the imperial government's hands, the challenges it presented jump‐started the state machine, tightened its screws and set it on the path to restoration. In 1870, Imperial Commissioner Li Xingrui, under orders from his superior, Governor‐General Zeng Guofan, executed a textbook operation of famine relief in Zhili. Challenges arose as wealthy locals wrestled with Li for control of the relief operation; g...
Pediatric Autopsy: Fetus, Newborn, and Child

Currently, pediatric autopsy is more accepted than adult autopsy because parents want more information about the death of their child and the implications for future pregnancies. These intricate, very valuable pathologic examinations can be performed from the embryonic stages through childhood. When combined with clinical information, this meticulous examination provides the necessary information to educate families concerning future pregnancies. The postmortem examination improves both treatment and the standard of care for the future. The normal anatomy of an adult and a child is similar; however, the prenatal/pediatric autopsy is significantly different. The variety and complexity of congenital anomalies found in perinatal and fetal autopsies are endless, and the prosector must be prepared to spend the necessary time demonstrating these anomalies. This detailed procedure can be altered to preserve any anomaly encountered, without deforming the body. The majority of the anomalies found in this population do not allow for survival to adulthood.
GPS Denied UAV Routing with Communication Constraints

A novel GPS denied routing problem for UAVs is described, where the UAVs cooperatively navigate through a restricted zone deployed with noncommunicating Unattended Ground Sensors (UGS). The routing algorithm presenting in this paper ensures the UAVs maintain strict contact with at least one UGS, which allows the UGS act as beacons for relative navigation eliminating the need for dead reckoning. This problem is referred to as the Communication Constrained UAV Routing Problem (CCURP). Two architectures for cooperative navigation of two or three UAVs are considered. For the two UAV problem, a 92$\frac {9}{2}$-approximation algorithm is developed. The three UAV problem is transformed into a one-in-a-set Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP), which is solved as a regular asymmetric TSP using existing methods after applying a second transformation. Computational results corroborating the performance bounds are presented.
Olympic Effort: Disability, Culture, and Resistance in the 2012 London Olympic Games

Disability scholars have long argued that the hegemonic constructions of “normal” bodies segregate, regulate, and demean people whose bodies are deemed disabled. Given that athletic competition sta...
Is C-reactive protein useful in the management of children with suspected bacterial meningitis?

C-reactive protein (CRP) was evaluated in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid in 119 patients to determine if either or both measurements were of clinical value in the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. CSF C-reactive protein is too insensitive (sensitivity = 66%) to be useful, while serum CRP is too nonspecific for routine application. Serum CRP may have a role if used selectively in those patients with a low-grade CSF pleocytosis and a negative Gram’s stain.
Multiple Fractures of the Silver Wire Strands as a Complication of the Silicone-Silver Wire Prosthesis

AbstractA review of 5 consecutive cases in which removal of the silicone-silver wire prosthesis was necessary within 2 years of implantation has revealed multiple breaks in all strands of the silver wire core in both of the paired cylinders.
Creating Robust and Reversible Cell-Gel Networks using Boronic Acid Chemistry

Current biosensor technologies typically use platforms mimicking intrinsic cell detection and response pathways (i.e., antibody-based detection). These approaches require signal amplification steps, resulting in decreased discrimination between pathogenic and non-pathogenic species. In contrast, cells have evolved highly efficient discriminatory mechanisms for detecting small quantities of pathogenicity factors and evoking biological responses. Due to the inability to retain the high-level sensitivity and selectivity of these mechanisms in ex vivo systems, the development of cell-based biosensors (CBB) is becoming increasingly explored, but often lack longevity and stability. The model organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, offers advantages for use in CBBs due to its robustness, controllable growth cycle, and ability to be lyophilized and stored. Yeast encapsulation strategies have been explored to increase stability and longevity; encapsulation, however, is often lengthy and requires several chemical additives. We present a simple approach to directly and rapidly form reversible cell-gel networks using a synthetic peptide displaying boronic acid (BA) residues. BAs covalently bind to most saccharides, in which binding is favored at high pH and reversible by lowering the pH. We hypothesized that the BA peptide would form cell-gel networks by binding to the various polysaccharides and glycoproteins decorating the cell wall. Here, we present that through binding of the BA groups to cell surfaces, yeast cells indeed act as BA crosslinkers, creating an infinite network of chemically-linked, viable cells. Furthermore, the gelation process is versatile with other organisms and fully reversible. Overall, this unique approach to forming viable cell-gel networks provides a promising path forward toward the development of useful CBBs.Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.
Viscosity of FeO-SiO2 slags

The viscosities of various FeO-SiO 2 slags were calculated using a previously developed structural-based model. Using hole theory and the atomic pair model, an expression was derived to relate the viscosity to temperature and the fraction of the bridging oxygen in silicate melts. The deduced equation was successfully applied to predict the viscosities of FeO-SiO 2 slags in the composition range of 0.1 < X S i O 2 < 0.423 for several temperatures. The calculated data agree well with the experimental viscosity data.
A four-dimensional model-based method for assessing cardiac contractile dyssynchrony in mice

Four-dimensional (4D), or equivalently, 3D + time, analysis is useful for comprehensive assessment cardiac function, especially in the asymmetric left ventricle (LV) after myocardial infarction (MI). This paper presents a 4D-model-based method for ultrasound assessment of cardiac contractile function in mice. Echocardiographic image sequences were acquired at high frequency (30 MHz) from the hearts of C57Bl/6 mice. Image sequences were acquired at contiguous slice locations encompassing the entire 3D LV. In order to reconstruct continuous, dynamic 3D LVs from the images using a 4D mathematical cardiac model, endocardial and epicardial contours were segmented for all image slice locations through one cardiac cycle. In the 4D model, shape and continuity constraints were applied in order to normalize irregularities caused by noise or non-uniform distribution of image data. Root mean square error (RMSE) was calculated between the model-fitted 4D LV and the actual LV surface measured from image data. RMSE was 0.23 mm (~4.5% of epicardial diameter) for the epicardial surface, and 0.20 mm (6.4% of endocardial diameter) for the endocardial surface. 3D regional wall thickening was calculated from the 4D LV surface, and LV dyssynchrony was assessed by analyzing the time to peak strain (Tpeak). This 3D analysis of contractile function in post-MI mouse hearts revealed >80% reduction of peak radial displacement, a 10-15 ms delay in Tpeak in the infarct zone, and a SD_Tpeak of 6-10 ms over the entire 3D LV. In summary, the 4D-model-based method was successfully used for analyzing cardiac dyssynchrony in the 3D murine LV, and it proved advantageous over conventional 2D methods because it was more comprehensive and noise-robust.
Abstract 451: HPODE Upregulates the Expression of Secretory Phospholipase A2 Group IIA in Rat Smooth Muscle Cells. Potential Contribution to the Progression of Atherosclerosis

Introduction Peroxidized lipids have been suggested to contribute to atherosclerosis in a number of ways. Accumulating evidence indicates that Group IIA secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2-IIA) may contribute to the atherogenic process and serve as markers for cardiovascular diseases. However, the relationship between lipid peroxides and sPLA2-IIA remain poorly identified. Hypothesis Peroxidized lipids such as HPODEs might induce the expression of sPLA2-IIA and enhance the uptake of LDL, thereby contributing to lipid accumulation. Methods Different concentrations of HPODE (0 μM, 12.5μM, 25μM) or oxidized -LDL (ox-LDL) (25μg/ml) were incubated with SMCs at 37°C. Real-time PCR was used to assay gene expression. The degradation of HPODE and ox-LDL was also monitored by the loss of peroxides and conjugated dienes. The formation of HPODE decomposition products was followed by electrospray mass spectrometry. Results Incubation of SMCs with HPODE resulted in an up-regulation of sPLA2-IIA mRNA expression in a concentration dependent manner. However, ox-LDL had limited or no effects in the expression of sPLA2. In addition, SMCs and peritoneal mouse macrophages pretreated with HPODE for 8hrs followed by DiI-LDL (20μg/ml) showed an increase in accumulation of labeled LDL as compared to control. We also noted that HPODE was decomposed by SMCs in hours as compared to no cell incubations. However, incubation of peroxidized lipids in the form of ox-LDL resulted in poor decomposition of the peroxides. Conclusion SMCs may break down the peroxidized fatty acids leading to the formation of simple compounds such as aldehydes and carboxylic acids. HPODE or its decomposition products may induce the expression of sPLA2-II and enhance foam cell formation.
Client and Vendor Learning in Information Technology Outsourcing

This study investigates the factors influencing client and vendor learning and its downstream performance implications in Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) projects. We propose client system...
Influence of injected interstitials on the void swelling in two structural variants of 304L stainless steel induced by self-ion irradiation at 500 °C

Abstract Two variants of AISI 304L stainless steel (SS) with different grain size distributions were ion irradiated at 500 °C to a peak dose of ∼60 dpa. In the coarse-grained annealed variant, a peak swelling of ∼12% was observed closer to the specimen surface rather than at the depth of peak displacement damage. The forward shift in depth between peak swelling and peak dose is proposed to be a consequence of suppression of void nucleation by injected interstitials. The swelling behavior in the front portion of the ion range mirrors that of neutron-induced swelling in this steel, exhibiting significant curvature with increasing dose as the swelling rate approaches the terminal swelling rate of 1%/dpa. An ultrafine grain variant of this steel produced by severely plastic deformation exhibits a similar suppression of void nucleation in the injected interstitial region, but also shows a significantly extended transient regime, not reaching the terminal swelling rate by 60 dpa.
An integrated multilevel converter with sigma delta control for LED lighting

LEDs are rapidly emerging as the dominant light source. As such, the lighting industry values power converters with high efficiency, unity power factor, minimal flicker, dimming, low cost, and small form factor. This paper presents an integrated circuit (IC) LED driver that is designed to achieve these goals. It also introduces multilevel converters with sigma delta modulation to the power IC space. The circuit features a pair of sigma delta controlled multilevel converters. The first is a multilevel rectifier responsible for power factor correction (PFC) and dimming. The second is a multilevel inverter used to cancel AC power ripple from the DC bus. The system also contains an output stage that powers the LEDs with DC and provides for galvanic isolation. The proposed IC LED driver has been simulated and prototyped on a silicon fabrication process. Its functional performance indicates that integrated multilevel converters are a viable topology for lighting and other similar applications.
Importance of Capital Adequacy Requirements in Basel III Framework for Commercial Banks in Kenya

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the importance of capital adequacy requirements in Basel III framework for commercial banks in KenyaMethodology: A descriptive survey design was applied to a population of 43 commercial banks operating in Kenya. The target population composed of the 159 management staff currently employed at the head offices of the various commercial banks in Kenya. The population was composed of Senior, Middle and Junior or Entry level Management staff. A sample of 30% was selected from within each group. Primary data was gathered using questionnaires which were dropped off at the bank’s head offices and picked up later when the respondents had filled the questionnaires.Descriptive analysis was used to analyze quantitative data while content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data.Results: The study concludes that capital adequacy requirement is perceived to be important in commercial banks. The study thus deduces that financial stability, credit risk management, reduced vulnerability to liquidity shocks balance sheet structure and deposit insurance affect the capital requirement of the commercial banks in Kenya. In addition, the study concluded that Basel III increases capital requirements for counterparty credit risk arising from derivatives, repurchase agreements and securities financing activities.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommends that banks should ensure a flexible Basel III management expertise that delivers speed, accuracy, and performance to deliver competitive advantage.
Can writing be used to study and improve the socio-cognitive functioning of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia?

Impairments in social and cognitive functioning are some of the most disabling features of the schizophrenia. They result in poorer communication with others, difficulties in maintaining employment status and decrease in community involvement. Recently, cognitive remediation therapy (CRT), which relies on computer-based drill and practice exercises, has emerged as a nonpharmacological intervention that aims to target and improve cognitive and social functions. Given the recent success of CRT based approaches, the question arises: can other nonpharmacological interventions which aim to augment and improve socio-cognitive functions be effective? Building upon Vygotsky's (1934) theorizing, we conducted an 8-week long study involving 19 participants. The study uses the methodology of narrative inquiry to examine participants’ ability to employ varied socio-cognitive functions (affect, causation, perceptive-taking, logical/hypothetical inference, etc.) when writing about everyday activities and attempting to resolve conflicts in narratives. Prompts employed in this study directed participants to write about three different socio-cultural contexts: (1) inpatient; (2) outpatient and (3) a fictional context. The fictional context aimed to examine participant's ability to imagine and express alternative futures/scenarios. Data show significantly higher frequency of occurrence of linguistic devices tied to cognitive functions in (3) fictional narrative context when compared to either (1) inpatient or (2) outpatient context. Use of affect was the only statistically significant difference between contexts (1) and (2). Findings indicate that individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia are able to vary the use of social and cognitive functions across narrative contexts, suggesting that future socio-cognitive interventions can be anchored in mindfully planned narrative activities.
Prizeless Wars, Invisible Victories: The Modern Goals of Armed Conflict

War used to be a lucrative business. It was waged as a matter of course to expand territory, convert the religion of populations, resolve disputes, collect an unpaid debt, restore property, or punish another sovereign for a treaty violation. This was not only true as a matter of practical statecraft. It was also the accepted ethical prescription of Just War Theory. The modern jus ad bellum has transformed our view of war: From an instrument of self-interest, enforcement and punishment war has been proclaimed an evil which must be carried out only as a last resort and in self-defense. Yet, in this undoubtedly progressive move, we have also lost something – our ability to articulate the precise goals of the war, and consequently, to determine when the war must end. When self-defense is the only legitimate justification for waging war, every goal must be articulated in terms of self-defense and self-defense, in turn, becomes articulated through an endless array of goals: installing a democratic government in enemy territory, improving child literacy, empowering girls and women through education, enhancing agricultural production, building infrastructure or eliminating all terrorist threats around the globe. While the question of whether a military campaign is justified as a matter of self-defense is often debated, the question of what goals actually promote self-defense remains largely unaddressed. The problem lies not so much in lack of attention; rather, it is that even where a just cause of self-defense exists, the law is inadequate in giving us sufficient guidance on what and how much counts as a legitimate security interest. As a result, we can have no consensual vision of what victory can or should look like. Nor do we have a clear metric by which we can argue about it. In a world of perpetual threats, our existing legal framework invites perpetual war.
Path planning on the TrueNorth neurosynaptic system

We report on the implementation of a path planning algorithm on the TrueNorth neurosynaptic system. Our implementation exploits processing in the temporal domain within the architectural constraints of the TrueNorth chip to deduce the optimal path. The optimal path is computed on the TrueNorth chip for grid maps with dimensions as large as 173 χ 168 nodes consuming 70.0mW at an operating voltage of 0.8V.
Deciphering Pathogenicity of Fusarium oxysporum From a Phylogenomics Perspective

Fusarium oxysporum is a large species complex of both plant and human pathogens that attack a diverse array of species in a host-specific manner. Comparative genomic studies have revealed that the host-specific pathogenicity of the F. oxysporum species complex (FOSC) was determined by distinct sets of supernumerary (SP) chromosomes. In contrast to common vertical transfer, where genetic materials are transmitted via cell division, SP chromosomes can be transmitted horizontally between phylogenetic lineages, explaining the polyphyletic nature of the host-specific pathogenicity of the FOSC. The existence of a diverse array of SP chromosomes determines the broad host range of this species complex, while the conserved core genome maintains essential house-keeping functions. Recognition of these SP chromosomes enables the functional and structural compartmentalization of F. oxysporum genomes. In this review, we examine the impact of this group of cross-kingdom pathogens on agricultural productivity and human health. Focusing on the pathogenicity of F. oxysporum in the phylogenomic framework of the genus Fusarium, we elucidate the evolution of pathogenicity within the FOSC. We conclude that a population genomics approach within a clearly defined phylogenomic framework is essential not only for understanding the evolution of the pathogenicity mechanism but also for identifying informative candidates associated with pathogenicity that can be developed as targets in disease management programs.
Wideband RF Self-Interference Cancellation Circuit for Phased Array Simultaneous Transmit and Receive Systems

With the growing demand for spectrum utilization, the concept of full duplex transceivers has become attractive. These simultaneous transmit and receive systems (STAR) are attractive as they double bandwidth utilization. To realize STAR, we must suppress self-interference (SI) between transmit and receive antennas. Doing this across a wide bandwidth presents an even greater challenge. Further, for antenna arrays, SI can be higher due to mutual coupling among neighboring elements. In this paper, we achieve 100 dB isolation for practical STAR, across a large 500 MHz bandwidth. Specifically, four stages of the self-interference cancellation are proposed. In addition to high isolation cross-polarized array elements, we employ multi-tap filters at the transceiver RF front-end for interference cancellation. These filters emulate direct SI coupling using frequency-domain optimization techniques. Measured results show an average of 25 dB filter cancellation is possible across 500 MHz.
Plasma fatty acid ethanolamides are associated with postprandial triglycerides, ApoCIII, and ApoE in humans consuming a high-fructose corn syrup-sweetened beverage

Epidemiological and clinical research studies have provided ample evidence demonstrating that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages increases risk factors involved in the development of obesity,...
Examining the Effects of an Otago-Based Home Exercise Program on Falls and Fall Risks in an Assisted Living Facility.

Background and purpose The Otago exercise program is a strengthening, balance, and walking program designed to decrease falls among community-dwelling older adults. Few studies have examined the effects of the Otago program in an assisted living environment. The purpose of the current study was to assess the effects of an Otago-based home exercise program in decreasing falls and the risk of falls among older adults living in an assisted living facility. Methods A retrospective chart review of 30 individuals residing at either of 2 assisted living facilities in central Florida was undertaken. Participants had a mean age of 87 years, were at risk for falls as determined by the Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA), and were provided with an Otago-based intervention by home health physical therapy. The outcome measures were the number of falls in the previous year, the number of falls in the year following the intervention, and Tinetti POMA scores pre- and post-intervention. Results and discussion The mean (SD) number of falls significantly decreased from 1.4 (0.9) to 0.5 (0.7) fall per person per year after home health physical therapy with the tailored Otago based-exercise intervention. The intervention resulted in a statistically significant improvement in Tinetti POMA scores from 11.8 (2.5) to 17.6 (3.8). Conclusions An Otago-based strengthening, balance, and walking home exercise program can potentially be used to decrease the number of falls and the risk of falling among older adults residing in an assisted living facility.
Band importance functions of listeners with sensorineural hearing impairment

The Speech Intelligibility Index (SII) includes a series of band importance functions for calculating the estimated intelligibility of speech under various conditions. Band importance functions describe the relative contribution of discrete spectral regions of speech to overall speech intelligibility. They are generally measured by filtering the spectrum into a series of frequency bands and determining intelligibility when each band is present, relative to intelligibility when other bands are present. The functions found in the SII are commonly used to provide estimations of intelligibility for listeners with hearing loss, even though they were developed with the use of normal-hearing listeners. In the current study, band importance functions were derived for individual listeners with sensorineural hearing impairment and a group of normal-hearing control participants. Functions were measured by filtering sentences to contain only random subsets of bands on each trial, and regressing speech recognition aga...
Isolation and non-arbitrary division : Frege's two criteria for counting

In §54 of the Grundlagen, Frege advances an interesting proposal on how to distinguish among different sorts of concepts, only some of which he thinks can be associated with number. This paper is devoted to an analysis of the two criteria he offers, isolation and non-arbitrary division. Both criteria say something about the way in which a concept divides its extension; but they emphasize different aspects. Isolation ensures that a concept divides its extension into discrete units. I offer two construals of this: isolation as discreteness, i.e. absence of overlap, between the objects to be counted; and isolation as the drawing of conceptual boundaries. Non-arbitrary division concerns the internal structure of the units we count: it makes sure that we cannot go on dividing them arbitrarily and still find more units of the kind. Non-arbitrary division focuses not only on how long something can be divided into parts of the same kind; it also speaks to the way in which these divisions are made, arbitrarily or non-arbitrarily, as well as to the compositional structure of the objects divided.
Predicting asthma in older adults on the basis of clinical history.

Abstract Background The diagnosis of asthma is not always straightforward and can be even more challenging in older adults. Asthma is ideally confirmed by demonstration of variable expiratory airflow limitation. However, many patients with asthma do not demonstrate airflow obstruction nor show bronchodilator reversibility. We aimed to investigate predictors for a positive bronchial challenge test with methacholine in older adults being evaluated for asthma. Methods This is a diagnostic accuracy study with a cross-sectional design. Participants ≥60 years with suspected asthma and a negative postbronchodilator response on spirometry were included. All participants underwent a methacholine challenge test (MCT). We assessed the value of standard asthma screening questions and additional clinical questions to predict the MCT results. A multivariable logistic regression model was developed to assess the variables independently impacting the odds of a positive MCT result. Results Our study included 71 participants. The majority were female (n = 52, 73.2%) and the average age was 67.0 years. Those with a positive MCT (n = 55, 77.5%) were more likely to have wheezing or coughing due to allergens (n = 51, 92.7% vs. n = 12, 75.0%; P = 0.004) and difficulty walking several blocks (n = 14, 25.5% vs. n = 1, 6.3%, P = 0.009). After adjustment, having wheezing or coughing due to allergens (OR = 4.2, 95% CI 1.7–7.8, P = 0.012) remained the only significant independent predictor of a positive MCT. Conclusions In older adults with suspected asthma, questioning about wheezing or coughing due to allergens provides a modest independent value to predict a MCT result in those who previously had a negative postbronchodilator response on spirometry.
The Making of a Human Rights Issue: A Cross-National Analysis of Gender-Based Violence in Textbooks, 1950-2011:

In the past few decades, awareness around gender-based violence (GBV) has expanded on a global scale with increased attention in global treaties, organizations, and conferences. Previously a taboo ...
And Even More of Us Are Brave: Intersectionality & Sexual Harassment of Women Students of Color

Events in 2017 highlighted both celebrations of and contests over intersectionality and civil rights. In September 2017, the U.S. Department of Education rescinded Obama-era guidance on sexual harassment and replaced it with interim guidance that allows schools to set different evidentiary standards for investigations of sexual and racial harassment, creating an intersectional legal conflict, particularly for women students of color. This occurred nine months after the 2017 Women's March, a protest organized and led primarily by women of color, became the largest single-day protest in world history and kicked off a year of increased women's political participation unprecedented in the U.S.-and less than two months before #MeToo changed the global conversation about sexual harassment. This article responds to the conflicting narratives preceding and resulting from such events by delving into evidence suggesting that women students of color reported sexual harassment at disproportionately high rates. Further research to confirm this suggestion found much indirect evidence of women of color's greater vulnerability, particularly in the workplace and criminal contexts, and confirmed that very few published articles commenting on campus sexual harassment used intersectional analyses. Instead, commentary on how race factors into this epidemic renders women victims of color virtually invisible, despite the aforementioned evidence that women students of color are disproportionately targeted. This article therefore discusses several interventions drawn from Social Justice Feminism that seek to prevent this erasure of women of color and place women of color's experiences of sexual harassment and violence at the center of our analysis and solutions to the problem.
Emotional Arousal Predicts Voting on the U.S. Supreme Court

Do judges telegraph their preferences during oral arguments? Using the U.S. Supreme Court as our example, we demonstrate that Justices implicitly reveal their leanings during oral arguments, even before arguments and deliberations have concluded. Specifically, we extract the emotional content of over 3,000 hours of audio recordings spanning 30 years of oral arguments before the Court. We then use the level of emotional arousal, as measured by vocal pitch, in each of the Justices’ voices during these arguments to accurately predict many of their eventual votes on these cases. Our approach yields predictions that are statistically and practically significant and robust to including a range of controls; in turn, this suggests that subconscious vocal inflections carry information that legal, political, and textual information do not.
Going Viral: Emerging Opportunities for Phage-Based Bacterial Control in Water Treatment and Reuse.

ConspectusWater security to protect human lives and support sustainable development is one of the greatest global challenges of this century. While a myriad of water pollutants can impact public health, the greatest threat arises from pathogenic bacteria that can be harbored in different components of water treatment, distribution, and reuse systems. Bacterial biofilms can also promote water infrastructure corrosion and biofouling, which substantially increase the cost and complexity of many critical operations.Conventional disinfection and microbial control approaches are often insufficient to keep up with the increasing complexity and renewed relevance of this pressing challenge. For example, common disinfectants cannot easily penetrate and eradicate biofilms, and are also relatively ineffective against resistant microorganisms. The use of chemical disinfectants is also curtailed by regulations aimed at minimizing the formation of harmful disinfection byproducts. Furthermore, disinfectants cannot be use...
Emotions and Affective Polarization: How Enthusiasm and Anxiety About Presidential Candidates Affect Interparty Attitudes:

In the context of an increasingly divided populace, this article considered how the emotions (enthusiasm and anxiety) partisans feel toward U.S. presidential candidates may heighten or diminish aff...
Timing of the Diagnosis of Autism in African American Children

OBJECTIVES: African American (AA) children affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience delays in diagnosis and obstacles to service access, as well as a disproportionate burden of intellectual disability (ID) as documented in surveillance data recently published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our objective in this study was to analyze data from the largest-available repository of diagnostic and phenotypic information on AA children with ASD, and to explore the wide variation in outcome within the cohort as a function of sociodemographic risk and specific obstacles to service access for the purpose of informing a national approach to resolution of these disparities. METHODS: Parents of 584 AA children with autism consecutively enrolled in the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange across 4 US data collection sites completed event history calendar interviews of the diagnostic odysseys for their children with ASD. These data were examined in relation to developmental outcomes of the children with autism and their unaffected siblings. RESULTS: The average age of ASD diagnosis was 64.9 months (±49.6), on average 42.3 months (±45.1) after parents’ first concerns about their children’s development. The relationship between timing of diagnosis and ASD severity was complex, and ID comorbidity was not predicted in a straightforward manner by familial factors associated with cognitive variation in the general population. CONCLUSIONS: These findings document significant opportunity to expedite diagnosis, the need to further understand causes of ID comorbidity, and the necessity to identify effective approaches to the resolution of disparities in severity-of-outcome for AA children with autism.
Real-world comparative effectiveness of shockwave lithotripsy versus ureterorenoscopy for the treatment of urinary stones

To identify clinical and non-clinical predictors of treatment failure and perioperative complications following ureterorenoscopy versus shockwave lithotripsy. The New York State Department of Health Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database was used to identify 226,331 patients who underwent index ureteroscopy or shockwave lithotripsy for renal stones from 2000 to 2016. Propensity-matched generalized linear-mixed modeling was utilized to compare failure and complication rates between the two procedure groups. 219,383 individuals meeting inclusion criteria who underwent either ureterorenoscopy (n = 124,342) or shockwave lithotripsy (n = 95,041) in New York State between 2000 and 2016 were included in our analysis. After propensity score matching, patients undergoing shockwave lithotripsy were found to have decreased odds of experiencing any type of 30-day complication (P < 0.001 for all) but increased odds of treatment failure at both 90 (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.64–1.77) and 180 (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.76–1.89) days (P < 0.001 for both). Patients undergoing shockwave lithotripsy experienced significantly higher odds of treatment failure, although this undesirable outcome appears to be partially offset by lower 30-day complication rates.
Evaluation of Techniques for Estimating Metal Leachability from Solid Wastes Blended with Granular Materials

Combining solid wastes with granular materials is commonly performed for various recycling applications. Traditional methods for assessing risk from land-applied waste materials involve a batch-lea...
Lessons in Failure: Peacebuilding in Sudan/South Sudan

Common to most protracted conflicts that relapse into war is a disconnect between elites and local communities, which typically suffer the most when the former undermine peace agreements to further their own narrow interests. The central argument in this chapter, drawing heavily on the recent history of Sudan/South Sudan and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), is that African conflict resolution and peacebuilding relies too heavily on political agreements between politico-military elites. These deals focus largely on elite power and resource-sharing arrangements. Mostly ignored are the communal and societal dynamics that initially fed the violence. Sudan/South Sudan’s persistent conflict and instability is a prime example of what happens when peace agreements are signed without due regard for the true nature and genesis of the conflict.