cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design and implementation of single voltage source converter based standalone microgrid

In this paper, a single VSC (Voltage Source Converter) based standalone microgrid is proposed consisting of a brushless SRG (Synchronous Reluctance Generator) based diesel engine-generator (DG) set, sensorless and brushless variable speed wind energy conversion and a battery storage. A simplified controller is designed and developed to regulate the voltage and frequency of the microgrid by coordinating all these sources. The mechanical sensorless control of WECS (Wind Energy Conversion System) is adding to the simplicity and low cost. The proposed controller of microgrid improves the power quality apart from voltage and frequency regulation. The proposed microgrid is tested under various disturbances such as static and dynamic load switching, unbalanced loads, varying wind speeds, and changes in reference power of DG set. The controller is performing well in all these cases. With only one VSC, the cost and complexity in control are reduced in proposed microgrid.
General Secure Function Evaluation using standard trusted computing hardware

In this paper, we show how Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs), standard security hardware devices, can be used with minor modification to efficiently support Secure Function Evaluation (SFE), a fundamental and extremely powerful cryptographic operation. Prior research by others has shown how SFE can benefit from using security hardware, but prior work has used either custom hardware tokens or powerful secure co-processors which require significant changes to current computing systems. In this paper we show that similar techniques can be supported by TPMs with enhancements that are at the level of a firmware upgrade (albeit a secure firmware upgrade endorsed by the TPM manufacturer) — specifically, no new physical devices would need to be purchased or added to most modern business-class systems. This paper describes the specific changes that need to be made, and evaluates efficiency for a simple example in location-based privacy. Our evaluation shows that performance is reasonable for supporting simple privacy-enhanced applications.
Embryonic heart rate as a predictor of first-trimester pregnancy loss in infertility patients after in vitro fertilization.

Objective To determine if embryonic heart rate (EHR) is useful to predict first-trimester pregnancy outcome after in vitro fertilization (IVF). Design Retrospective analysis. Setting University-based infertility center. Patient(s) Six hundred fifty patients who completed IVF with singleton implantations from October 2002 to September 2006 were identified. Intervention(s) Transvaginal sonography at 4–6 weeks' embryonic age. Main Outcome Measure(s) Embryonic heart rate at 4–6 weeks' embryonic age and first-trimester pregnancy outcome. Result(s) Ninety-five patients (14.6%) spontaneously aborted, and 555 (85.4%) patients had clinical pregnancies beyond the first trimester. Groups were similar regarding gravidity, parity, embryos transfered, embryonic age at time of sonogram for EHR, and infertility diagnosis. Mean maternal age was significantly higher in the group that spontaneously aborted. Mean EHR was significantly lower in the group that spontaneously aborted. Multivariate logistic regression confirmed the best predictors of poor pregnancy outcome: increasing maternal age (odds ratio [OR] 1.18) and lower EHR (OR 1.07). Conclusion(s) Embryonic heart rate, independent of maternal age, is useful to help predict first-trimester pregnancy prognosis after IVF. Infertility patients with a low EHR (≤110 bpm) at 4–6 weeks' embryonic age should be counseled that they are at increased risk for first-trimester pregnancy loss.
Utilization of Smoked Salmon Trim in Extruded Smoked Salmon Jerky

: During smoked salmon processing, the dark meat along the lateral line is removed before packaging; this by-product currently has little economic value. In this study, the dark meat trim was incorporated into an extruded jerky. Three formulations were processed: 100% smoked trim, 75% : 25% smoked trim : fresh salmon fillet, and 50% : 50% smoked trim : fresh salmon blends (w/w basis). The base formulation contained salmon (approximately 83.5%), tapioca starch (8%), pregelatinized potato starch (3%), sucrose (4%), salt (1.5%), sodium nitrate (0.02%), and ascorbyl palmitate (0.02% of the lipid content). Blends were extruded in a laboratory-scale twin-screw extruder and then hot-smoked for 5 h. There were no significant differences among formulations in moisture, water activity, and pH. Protein was highest in the 50 : 50 blend jerky. Ash content was highest in the jerky made with 100% trim. Total lipids and salt were higher in the 100% trim jerky than in the 50 : 50 blend. Hot smoking did not adversely affect docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) content in lipids from 100% smoked trim jerky. Servings of salmon jerky made with 75% and 100% smoked trim provided at least 500 mg of EPA and DHA. The 50 : 50 formulation had the highest Intl. Commission on Illumination (CIE) L*, a*, and b* color values. Seventy consumers rated all sensory attributes as between “like slightly” and “like moderately.” With some formulation and processing refinements, lateral line trim from smoked salmon processors has potential to be incorporated into acceptable, healthful snack products. Practical Application: Dark meat along the lateral line is typically discarded by smoked salmon processors. This omega-3 fatty acid rich by-product can be used to make a smoked salmon jerky that provides a convenient source of these healthful lipids for consumers.
Histones Activate the NLRP3 Inflammasome in Kupffer Cells during Sterile Inflammatory Liver Injury

Cellular processes that drive sterile inflammatory injury after hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury are not completely understood. Activation of the inflammasome plays a key role in response to invading intracellular pathogens, but mounting evidence suggests that it also plays a role in inflammation driven by endogenous danger-associate molecular pattern molecules released after ischemic injury. The nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is one such process, and the mechanism by which its activation results in damage and inflammatory responses following liver I/R is unknown. In this article, we report that both NLRP3 and its downstream target caspase-1 are activated during I/R and are essential for hepatic I/R injury, because both NLRP3 and caspase-1 knockout mice are protected from injury. Furthermore, inflammasome-mediated injury is dependent on caspase-1 expression in liver nonparenchymal cells. Although upstream signals that activate the inflammasome during ischemic injury are not well characterized, we show that endogenous extracellular histones activate the NLRP3 inflammasome during liver I/R through TLR9. This occurs through TLR9-dependent generation of reactive oxygen species. This mechanism is operant in resident liver Kupffer cells, which drive innate immune responses after I/R injury by recruiting additional cell types, including neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes. These novel findings illustrate a new mechanism by which extracellular histones and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome contribute to liver damage and the activation of innate immunity during sterile inflammation.
Physical and genetic map of Streptococcus mutans GS‐5 and localization of five rRNA operons

The physical map of the 2.1 megabase chromosome of Streptococcus mutans GS-5 has been refined by including all ApaI and SmaI fragments of 5 kbp or greater, and by positioning the fragments generated by the endonuclease I-CeuI. Sixty-three new genetic loci have been added to the map, so that it now contains 90 loci. The new loci include those for 35 cloned streptococcal genes of established function and for 23 S. mutans genes of putative function. In addition, five rrn operons were identified and placed on the map of the chromosome. The presence of a SmaI site in each of the rrn operons allowed the direction of transcription of each operon to be deduced. The orientation of the rrn loci indicates that their transcription is directed away from a small region of the chromosome, identifying a possible region for the initiation of chromosome replication.
Androgenetic/biparental mosaicism in an infant with hepatic mesenchymal hamartoma and placental mesenchymal dysplasia

Androgenetic/biparental mosaicism, in which a subset of cells has complete paternal uniparental disomy, is associated with placental mesenchymal dysplasia (PMD), which is compatible with fetal development, indicating that fetal organs could also have androgenetic/biparental mosaicism, but few cases of somatic mosaicism have been described. A hepatic mesenchymal hamartoma (HMH) was resected from an otherwise healthy, nondysmorphic, 11-month-old girl, whose prenatal development was complicated by PMD. Placenta, HMH, histologically normal liver, and other tissues were examined for androgenetic/biparental mosaicism by analysis of (1) polymorphic DNA microsatellite markers, (2) the methylation status of an imprinted gene, SNRPN, and (3) immunohistochemically detectable protein products of the imprinted genes p57KIP2 and PHLDA2. The patient's liver, HMH, and 1 placental sample demonstrated an increased ratio of paternal to maternal alleles, indicating androgenetic/biparental mosaicism. The androgenetic componen...
Distributed and hardware accelerated computing for clinical medical imaging using proton computed tomography (pCT)

Proton computed tomography (pCT) is an imaging modality that has been in development to support targeted dose delivery in proton therapy. It aims to accurately map the distribution of relative stopping power. Because protons traverse material media in non-linear paths, pCT requires individual proton processing. Image reconstruction then becomes a time-consuming process. Clinical-use scenarios that require images from billions of protons in less than ten or fifteen minutes have motivated us to use distributed and hardware-accelerated computing methods to achieve fast image reconstruction. Combined use of MPI and GPUs demonstrates that clinically viable image reconstruction is possible. On a 60-node CPU/GPU computer cluster, we achieved efficient strong and weak scaling when reconstructing images from two billion histories in under seven minutes. This represents a significant improvement over the previous state-of-the-art in pCT, which took almost seventy minutes to reconstruct an image from 131 million histories on a single-CPU, single-GPU computer.
The Texas high school initiative aims at STEM education reform: Texas Tech University T-STEM Center—Putting the “E” in K-12 STEM education

The Texas High School Initiative aims at producing a leading innovative technical workforce in Texas by aligning the education efforts of high school, postsecondary, and economic development entities. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Micheal and Susan Dell Foundation, and other government and private sector partners have committed $180 million to STEM education reform in Texas. Texas Tech University was awarded funding to create one of five T-STEM Centers to develop innovative curriculum, professional development for teachers, classroom support, and other research-based educational resources in STEM areas. The Centers will identify, document, and disseminate best practices that demonstrate improved teaching and learning in STEM subjects as part of the Texas Innovation Network, which also includes 35 high school T-STEM Academies, and programs to train high school principals and administrators in STEM best practice. The special emphasis of the Texas Tech T-STEM Center is to research, create, and disseminate best practices for innovative teaching and learning using the engineering- design process as an instructional framework for engaging students in rigorous inquiry and project-based learning that emphasizes high level application of mathematics, science, and technology and develop problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, communication, and other skills needed to succeed in higher education and the workforce. The TTU T-STEM Center will also provide pedagogical training, professional development, and recruitment opportunities for K-12 teachers in STEM fields. With engineering design as its focus, the Texas Tech University T-STEM Center will train teachers to use engineering design in teaching applied math, science and technology. The center's design team, drawn from three successful programs at Texas Tech-the Center for Engineering Outreach, Howard Hughes Medical Institute/Center for the Integration of Science andEducation Research (CISER), and the Outdoor Learning Center-is in the process of developing curriculum and professional development that integrates a wide range of expertise and resources at Texas Tech and incorporates national and state STEM standards. This paper will discuss the design, development, and planned implementation of the Texas Tech T-STEM Center.
Expectation-based syntactic comprehension

This paper investigates the role of resource allocation as a source of processing difcult y in human sentence comprehension. The paper proposes a simple informationtheoretic characterization of processing dicult y as the work incurred by resource reallocation during parallel, incremental, probabilistic disambiguation in sentence comprehension, and demonstrates its equivalence to the theory of Hale (2001), in which the dicult y of a word is proportional to its surprisal (its negative log-probability) in the context within which it appears. This proposal subsumes and claries ndings that high-constraint contexts can facilitate lexical processing, and connects these ndings to well-known models of parallel constraint-based comprehension. In addition, the theory leads to a number of specic predictions about the role of expectation in syntactic comprehension, including the reversal of locality-based dicult y patterns in syntactically constrained contexts, and conditions under which increased ambiguity facilitates processing. The paper examines a range of established results bearing on these predictions, and shows that they are largely consistent with the surprisal theory.
EGF-mediated regulation of IGFBP-3 determines esophageal epithelial cellular response to IGF-I

IGF and EGF regulate various physiological and pathological processes. IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-3 regulates cell proliferation in IGF-dependent and -independent fashions. Recently, we identified IGFBP-3 as a novel EGF receptor (EGFR) downstream target molecule in primary and immortalized human esophageal epithelial cells, suggesting an interplay between the EGF and IGF signaling pathways. However, the regulatory mechanisms for IGFBP-3 expression and its functional role in esophageal cell proliferation remain to be elucidated. Herein, we report that IGFBP-3 mRNA and protein were induced upon growth factor deprivation in primary and immortalized human esophageal cells through mechanisms requiring p53-independent de novo mRNA transcription and protein synthesis. This occurred in the face of the activated phosphatidylinositol 3-OH-kinase (PI3K)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Secreted IGFBP-3 neutralized IGFs and prevented IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) activation. In contrast, EGF suppressed IGFBP-3 mRNA and protein expression through activation of MAPK in an EGFR-tyrosine kinase-dependent manner to restore the cellular response to IGF-I. When stably overexpressed, wild-type IGFBP-3 but not I56G/L80G/L81G (GGG) mutant IGFBP-3, which has a reduced affinity to IGFs, prevented IGF-I from activating IGF-IR and Akt as well as stimulating cell proliferation. However, unlike other cell types where IGFBP-3 exerts antiproliferative effects, neither wild-type nor GGG mutant IGFBP-3 alone affected cell proliferation or EGFR activity. These results indicate that IGF signaling is subject to negative regulation through IGFBP-3 and positive regulation by EGF, the latter of which suppresses IGFBP-3. This provides a platform for understanding the novel cross talk between EGF- and IGF-mediated pathways.
Impact of Azithromycin Resistance Mutations on the Virulence and Fitness of Chlamydia caviae in Guinea Pigs

Azithromycin (AZM) is a major drug used in the treatment and prophylaxis of infections caused by Chlamydia, yet no significant clinical resistance has been reported for these obligate intracellular bacteria. Nevertheless, spontaneous AZM resistance (Azm(r)) arose in vitro at frequencies ranging from 3 x 10(-8) to 8 x 10(-10) for clonal isolates of Chlamydia caviae, which is a natural pathogen of guinea pigs. Sequencing of the unique 23S rRNA gene copy in 44 independent Azm(r) isolates identified single mutations at position A(2058) or A(2059) (Escherichia coli numbering system). While SP(6)AZ(1) (A(2058)C) and SP(6)AZ(2) (A(2059)C) Azm(r) mutants showed growth defects in cell culture and were less pathogenic in the guinea pig ocular infection model than in the parent SP(6), the three isogenic C. caviae isolates grew equally well in the animal. On the other hand, coinoculation of the C. caviae parent strain with one of the Azm(r) strains was detrimental for the mutant strain. This apparent lack of association between pathology and bacterial load in vivo showed that virulence of the two Azm(r) mutants of C. caviae was attenuated. While chlamydial growth in vitro reflects the ability of the bacteria to multiply in permissive cells, survival in the host is a balance between cellular multiplication and clearance by the host immune system. The obligate intracellular nature of Chlamydia may therefore limit emergence of resistance in vivo due to the strength of the immune response induced by the wild-type antibiotic-sensitive bacteria at the time of antibiotic treatment.
ESp: Placement by simulated evolution

ESP (evolution-based standard cell placement) is a program package designed to perform standard cell placement including macro-block placement capabilities. It uses the novel heuristic method of simulating an evolutionary process to minimize the cell interconnection wire length. While achieving comparable results to popular simulated annealing algorithms, ESP usually requires less CPU time. A concurrent version designed to run on a network of loosely coupled processors, such as workstations connected via Ethernet, has also been developed. For medium to large circuits (>250 cells per processor) concurrent ESP achieves linear speedup. >
Tandem Lewis acid/Brønsted acid-catalyzed conversion of carbohydrates to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural using zeolite beta

Abstract We conduct a combined experimental and computational study to reveal the kinetics of tandem glucose isomerization and fructose dehydration to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) over a bifunctional zeolite H-BEA-25 in water. The model accounts for multicomponent adsorption, homogeneous Bronsted acid catalyzed chemistry of fructose, intrinsic heterogeneous Lewis acid catalyzed isomerization, Bronsted acid catalyzed fructose dehydration, HMF rehydration, and humin formation chemistry. The octahedrally coordinated extra-framework Al sites catalyze glucose to fructose isomerization effectively. The activation energy for the isomerization in H-BEA-25 is between those reported for Ti-BEA and Sn-BEA. We reveal that tandem reactions exhibit multiple kinetic regimes. When a bifunctional catalyst with a fixed total number of acid sites is used (e.g., aluminosilicate zeolites), the HMF formation rate exhibits a volcano type curve vs. the Lewis to Bronsted acid site ratio. On the other hand, when the two types of sites are varied independently (e.g., in Sn-BEA and HCl), the HMF formation rate increases and then approaches a plateau with increasing Bronsted acid site density. These appear to be generic features of tandem reactions catalyzed by multiple or multifunctional catalysts. We show that materials with stronger sugar adsorption would produce HMF in significantly higher yields and higher rate than H-BEA. When HMF degradation reactions are suppressed, a ratio of Lewis to Bronsted acid sites of ∼0.3 maximizes the HMF rate produced from glucose and the HMF yield (which is predicted to be ∼60% at 130 °C). These predictions provide a framework for understanding and improving tandem reactions catalyzed by heterogeneous catalysts.
Calculation of Weak Matrix Elements: Some Technical Aspects

Since a report of the first results of this project has recently been published,1 we will confine this description of the conference talk to those points which are not covered or not covered fully in the published work. Therefore, the following should be read in conjunction with Ref. 1.
Current Treatment of Peripheral Arterial Disease: Role of Percutaneous Interventional Therapies

Despite advances in medical therapies to help prevent the development of atherosclerosis and improve the management of patients with established peripheral arterial disease (PAD), the prevalence of PAD and associated morbidity remains high. Over the past decade, percutaneous revascularization therapies for the treatment of patients with PAD have evolved tremendously, and a great number of patients can now be offered treatment options that are less invasive than traditional surgical options. With the surgical approach, there is significant symptomatic improvement, but the associated morbidity and mortality preclude its routine use. Although newer percutaneous treatment options are associated with lower procedural complications, the technical advances have outpaced the evaluation of these treatments in adequately designed clinical studies, and therapeutic options are available that may not have been rigorously investigated. Therefore, for physicians treating patients with PAD, an understanding of the various therapies available, along with the inherent benefits and limitations of each treatment option is imperative as a greater number of patients with PAD are being encountered.
Development of alpha4beta1+MBP-speific T cells in the GALT (BA15P.225)

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a CNS autoimmune disease caused by activated myelin-specific T cells. To examine how Myelin Basic Protein (MBP)-specific T cells spontaneously differentiate into encephalitogenic T cells, we created transgenic mice that express MS-associated HLA-DR, DRB5*0101, and MBP-specific TCR isolated from an MS patient. We found that the MBP-specific T cells differentiated into GM-CSF+ Th1 and Th17 cells in the thymus spontaneously and migrate into the periphery including mesenteric lymph nodes and the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT). Interestingly, we found that alpha4beta1 integrin was up-regulated in the GALT of spontaneous EAE mice although up-regulation of alpha4beta1 was not observed in mice that did not develop spontaneous EAE. Furthermore, reduction of gut commensal bacteria with antibiotics reduced the development of spontaneous EAE. This data suggest that commensal bacteria-mediated up-regulation of alpha4/beta1 integrin on the MBP-specific T cells in the GALT may be associated with the development of spontaneous EAE.
Crystalline and transport properties of Ga2Te3 synthesized by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Ga2Te3 films have been grown on GaAs(100) and (111) substrates using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) at temperatures ranging from 350°C to 450°C. Very uniform films were grown at lower temperatures of 350°C on GaAs(100) substrates. As the temperature increased the roughness of the films increased, with many hillocks observed on films deposited at 450°C. The Ga2Te3 films grown on GaAs(100) were determined to be single crystal by XRD characterization. On the other hand, XRD scans confirmed crystal twinning in the Ga2Te3 films grown on GaAs(111) and the surface morphology also indicated the presence of twin grains. The films were determined to be n-type by hot-point probe testing. The carrier concentration could not be measured precisely as after photoexcitation, Ga2Te3 exhibited the persistent photoconductivity (PPC) effect.
Ultrastructure of an Ovarian Dysgerminoma: Report of a Case Featuring Neurosecretory-tyjae Granules in Stromal Cells

The ultrastructure of an ovarian dysgerminoma in a 20-year-old woman was studied. Two types of cells were seen: a characteristic principal tumor cell of germ cell type with prominent nucleoli exhibiting an elaborate filamentous nucleonema, and a stromal cell. The latter lacked features of the principal tumor cell but often contained membrane-bounci granules of neurosecretory type. The significance of these granules is unknown, but they may be related to steroid hormone production in occasional cases of functioning germinal tumors of the ovary.
FTIR and Reaction Kinetics Studies of the Hydrodehalogenation of CF2Br2, CH2Br2, and CD2Br2 over a Pd/γ-Al2O3 Catalyst

A combination of FTIR and chemical reaction kinetics studies was employed to investigate the hydrodehalogenation of CF2Br2, CH2Br2, and CD2Br2 catalyzed by Pd/γ-Al2O3. The products of the CF2Br2+H2 reaction (CF2H2, CF3H, C1−C3 hydrocarbons) are typical for a reaction mechanism with the participation of :CF2 and :CH2 carbenes as the reaction intermediates. It was not possible to detect :CF2 carbenes by FTIR during the adsorption studies. It is proposed that the carbenes are unstable on the Pd surface in the absence of H2 and readily decompose to form carbonaceous deposits and adsorbed halogen atoms. Thus, room-temperature hydrogenation of the surface species formed during adsorption of CF2Br2 on Pd/γ-Al2O3 at room temperature yields only CH4, HBr, and HF. The :CD2 and :CH2 carbenes formed from dissociation of CD2Br2 and CH2Br2 adsorbed on the Pd surface are stable at room temperature, as indicated by the formation of CD2H2 upon hydrogenation of adsorbed species by H2 and D2, respectively.
Cotton Square: Increase in Density after Oviposition by the Boll Weevil and Its Possible Implications12

Cotton squares containing an egg deposited by Anthonomus grandis Boheman were significantly denser than cotton squares that did not contain an egg. This increased density may cause mortality of the egg stage.
Numerical modeling of heat-transfer and the influence of process parameters on tailoring the grain morphology of IN718 in electron beam additive manufacturing ☆

Abstract The fabrication of 3-D parts from CAD models by additive manufacturing (AM) is a disruptive technology that is transforming the metal manufacturing industry. The correlation between solidification microstructure and mechanical properties has been well understood in the casting and welding processes over the years. This paper focuses on extending these principles to additive manufacturing to understand the transient phenomena of repeated melting and solidification during electron beam powder melting process to achieve site-specific microstructure control within a fabricated component. In this paper, we have developed a novel melt scan strategy for electron beam melting of nickel-base superalloy (Inconel 718) and also analyzed 3-D heat transfer conditions using a parallel numerical solidification code (Truchas) developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The spatial and temporal variations of temperature gradient (G) and growth velocity (R) at the liquid-solid interface of the melt pool were calculated as a function of electron beam parameters. By manipulating the relative number of voxels that lie in the columnar or equiaxed region, the crystallographic texture of the components can be controlled to an extent. The analysis of the parameters provided optimum processing conditions that will result in columnar to equiaxed transition (CET) during the solidification. The results from the numerical simulations were validated by experimental processing and characterization thereby proving the potential of additive manufacturing process to achieve site-specific crystallographic texture control within a fabricated component.
The DNR Order after 40 Years.

In the 40 years since its introduction, the do-not-resuscitate order has become part of our society's ritual for dying. The concept expanded the domain of informed consent, while contributing to ongoing controversy over appropriate care for dying patients.
Fabrication of self-aligned multilevel nanostructures

Abstract Multilevel three-dimensional nanostructures are essential in many integrated nanoelectronic and nanophotonic applications. With the continued shrinking of critical device dimensions, extremely precise nanoscale overlay is required between multiple individual levels of these integrated devices. Multilevel nanoimprint lithography has been proposed in the literature as a potential solution to this overlay problem. In this context, s elf- a ligned (perfectly aligned) m ultilevel t emplates (SAMT) for multilevel nanoimprint lithography are proposed in this article. By combining nanolithography, atomic layer deposition, and highly selective reactive ion etch, SAMTs can enable the fabrication of sophisticated integrated devices. Four specific self-aligned multilevel fabrication techniques have been demonstrated that result in symmetric multilevel structures, bilaterally symmetric multilevel structures, tubular structures, and asymmetric multilevel structures, all in the sub-100 nm scale. When used in conjunction with a nanoimprint lithography process, the SAMTs can enable high-throughput patterning of various nanoelectronic and nanophotonic devices using a single patterning step with perfect alignment and overlay. SAMTs further enable large area patterning, such as wafer-scale patterning and roll-to-roll patterning on flexible substrates, without compromising perfect overlay.
Analysis of temporal constraints in qualitative eligibility criteria of cancer clinical studies

Clinical studies, especially randomized controlled trials, generate gold-standard medical evidence. However, the lack of population representativeness of clinical studies has hampered their generalizability to the real-world population. Overly restrictive qualitative criteria are often applied to exclude patients. In this work, we develop a lexical-pattern-based tool to structure qualitative eligibility criteria with temporal constraints, with which we analyzed over 10,800 cancer clinical studies. Our results showed that restrictive temporal constraints are often applied on qualitative criteria in cancer studies, limiting the generalizability of their results.
Implementation of a Stress Intervention with Latino Immigrants in a Non-traditional Migration City

Stress negatively impacts health outcomes across all racial and ethnic groups, but the health disparities experienced by Latino immigrants in nontraditional migration cities are exacerbated by undeveloped infrastructure and weak social support networks. Immigrants in new migration cities can be difficult to engage in health interventions and are therefore underrepresented in the very research where their inclusion is most crucial. To effectively engage Latino immigrants, a team of academic and community researchers collaborated on a community-based participatory research project to design and implement a stress and coping intervention. Top stressors reported were family, children, and work, but health was most commonly identified as the primary stressor. Participants overwhelmingly chose physical activity goals for stress reduction. Pre- to post- intervention results revealed significant improvements in social support and stress management. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of a peer-led, community-partnered approach to implementing a stress intervention with Latino immigrants in a nontraditional migration city.
The Imperative of Context in the Age of Globalization in Creating Equity in Science Education

In this theoretical chapter I address the critical factor of context in creating equity in education in general and in the teaching and learning of science education in particular in a globalized world. I argue that education alone cannot be effective in improving the human condition as prevailing contextual factors such as poverty, racism, sexism, classism and inequitable attention to social justice issues are inextricably intertwined within the context in which they are enacted. I further argue that the negative forces of globalization far outnumber the positive outcomes of globalization and that the unequal distribution of limited resources among the powerful and the disenfranchised, the haves and the have-nots, cannot be equalized until stakeholders consider the implications of the prevailing context and its associated sociohistorical legacy in the acquisition of cultural, economic, social, and political capital of the learner in the age of globalization.
The pathophysiology of circulating immune complexes: their role in host-tumor interactions and removal by immunoadsorption therapy.

Circulating immune complexes (CIC) have received much attention during the past few years, and many different techniques have been devised to measure and isolate them. As our knowledge of immunology has expanded, so has our understanding of these entities, which in reality are aggregates of floating immunological debris, having the potential not only to cause damage to a number of different organs but also to play a role in immune regulation.
Kalman-Filter Accelerated k-Space Tomography

A Kalman filter is applied to the k-space tomography imaging modality for state-space prediction of radio frequency (RF) sources. By seeding the Kaczmarz computed tomography algorithm with Kalman filtered predictions, spatial-spectral reconstruction of the RF environment is accelerated. This technique enables an N/M decrease in reconstruction time, where M is the standard number of iterations required to fully reconstruct the RF image and N is the number of iterations required when the algorithm is seeded with a correct Kalman filter input.
Approximate multivariate distribution of key performance indicators through ordered block model and pair-copula construction

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) play an important role in comprehending and improving a manufacturing system. This article proposes a novel method using Ordered Block Model and Pair-Copula Constr...
Abstract 24: Helping to Educate Women About the Risk of Stroke (HER-Stroke): Initial Results from a Teaching Intervention

Introduction: Recent studies reveal deficiencies in educating women about stroke. The vast majority of stroke education is presented as gender neutral or with a male bias. This study examined if a ...
The tumor suppressor RASSF1A modulates inflammation and injury in the reperfused murine myocardium.

Inflammation is a central feature of cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction and heart failure. Reperfusion of the ischemic myocardium triggers a complex inflammatory response that can exacerbate injury and worsen heart function, as well as prevent myocardial rupture and mediate wound healing. Therefore, a more complete understanding of this process could contribute to interventions that properly balance inflammatory responses for improved outcomes. In this study, we leveraged several approaches, including global and regional ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), genetically modified mice, and primary cell culture, to investigate the cell type–specific function of the tumor suppressor Ras association domain family member 1 isoform A (RASSF1A) in cardiac inflammation. Our results revealed that genetic inhibition of RASSF1A in cardiomyocytes affords cardioprotection, whereas myeloid-specific deletion of RASSF1A exacerbates inflammation and injury caused by I/R in mice. Cell-based studies revealed that RASSF1A negatively regulates NF-κB and thereby attenuates inflammatory cytokine expression. These findings indicate that myeloid RASSF1A antagonizes I/R-induced myocardial inflammation and suggest that RASSF1A may be a promising target in immunomodulatory therapy for the management of acute heart injury.
Self-Passivation of 2D Ruddlesden-Popper Perovskite by Polytypic Surface PbI2 Encapsulation.

Two-dimensional Ruddlesden–Popper (2D RP) halide perovskites, C2MAn–1PbnI3n+1 (C = bulky ammonium cation; MA = methylammonium) with low n-members (n < 5), have been garnering sensational attention ...
Central Plasticity of Cutaneous Afferents Is Associated with Nociceptive Hyperreflexia after Spinal Cord Injury in Rats

Electrical stimulations of dorsal cutaneous nerves (DCNs) at each lumbothoracic spinal level produce the bilateral cutaneus trunci muscle (CTM) reflex responses which consist of two temporal components: an early and late responses purportedly mediated by Aδ and C fibers, respectively. We have previously reported central projections of DCN A and C fibers and demonstrated that different projection patterns of those afferent types contributed to the somatotopic organization of CTM reflex responses. Unilateral hemisection spinal cord injury (SCI) was made at T10 spinal segments to investigate the plasticity of early and late CTM responses 6 weeks after injury. Both early and late responses were drastically increased in response to both ipsi- and contralateral DCN stimulations both above (T6 and T8) and below (T12 and L1) the levels of injury demonstrating that nociceptive hyperreflexia developed at 6 weeks following hemisection SCI. We also found that DCN A and C fibers centrally sprouted, expanded their projection areas, and increased synaptic terminations in both T7 and T13, which correlated with the size of hemisection injury. These data demonstrate that central sprouting of cutaneous afferents away from the site of injury is closely associated with enhanced responses of intraspinal signal processing potentially contributing to nociceptive hyperreflexia following SCI.
Performance Comparison of Machine Learning Methods with Distinct Features to Estimate Battery SOC

As the world is moving towards using renewable energy sources for a greener environment, battery energy storage systems (BESS) has become an important issue because of the intermittent nature of renewable sources. The quantity associated with the amount of energy stored in battery at a certain time is called the battery’s State of Charge or SOC. Typically it is estimated with the assumption that it changes linearly with the quantities such as voltage, current etc. which can be measured effortlessly. But actually no such linear relationship exists. Machine learning techniques have proven to be useful for measuring SOC. Though the features that are conventionally used often suffer from a phenomenon called multicollinearity. Ridge and lasso regression methods have shown to counter the effects of multicollinearity. In this paper, these methods have been used along with linear regression, support vector machine (SVM) and artificial neural network (ANN). Besides readily available conventional features some nonconventional features are explored too that can be derived from conventional features. Results exhibit that nonconventional features boost the performance of all the methods except for SVM. Ridge regression method with nonconventional features has shown to generate the best outcome among all the scenarios taking both accuracy and speed of computation into account.
O-GlcNAcylation Dampens Dpp/BMP Signaling to Ensure Proper Drosophila Embryonic Development

Summary BMP (bone morphogenetic protein) signaling activity is precisely controlled by both pathway agonists and antagonists. Here, we identify a previously unrecognized BMP signaling antagonist. We demonstrate that the Drosophila BMP type I receptor Sax (Saxophone) functions as a Dpp (Decapentaplegic) receptor in Drosophila embryos, but that its activity is normally inhibited by the O-linked glycosyltransferase Sxc (Super sex combs). In wild-type embryos, Sax activity is inhibited, and the BMP type I receptor Tkv (Thickveins) is the sole conduit for Dpp. In contrast, in sxc mutants, the Dpp signal is transduced by both Tkv and Sax, and elevated Dpp signaling results in embryonic lethality. We also demonstrate that Sxc O-glycosylates Sax and observe elevated Dpp signaling in response to maternal restriction of dietary sugar. These findings link fertility to nutritive environment and point to Sax signaling as the nutrient-sensitive branch of BMP signaling.
Computational study of the adsorption of bimetallic clusters on alumina substrate

Abstract We performed computational investigation of the adsorption of bimetallic Pd3M2 (where M changes from Ag, Au, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pt, and Ru) cluster on the hydroxylated alumina surface. Previously, it was shown that small silver cluster can control the rate of discharge at the cathode of lithium-oxygen battery. The gap near the fermi energy was shown to control the oxygen reduction, an important reaction for LiO2 formation. Controlling the gap would ultimately control the rate of LiO2 formation. One can vary the size of the cluster to vary the gap, however, this “knob” provides limited variance in the gap. Alloying, in combination with size variation offer a much wider control of the gap, hence the LiO2 formation. Using Density Functional Theory (DFT), we determined the most stable geometry of the bimetallic clusters Pd3M2 and calculated the binding energies of these clusters on the alumina substrate which ranges from 0.2 eV to 0.25 eV depending upon the composition of the alloy-cluster, its orientation and the adsorption site. We also find that Pd atoms bind strongly with the substrate oxygen atoms with an average short bond-length of about 2.2 A. We explored how the gap at the Fermi level of the system varies as a function of elemental composition and the calculated gap ranges from 0 meV to 90 meV. Charges distribution using Bader analysis was also performed to probe how charges are transferred between the cluster and the substrate. These preliminary results will open the door for more systematic studies of alloy clusters of different size and stoichiometry for Li-O2 battery cathode design.
Metagenomic analysis of human-biting cat fleas in urban northeastern United States of America reveals an emerging zoonotic pathogen

An infestation of cat fleas in a research center led to the detection of two genotypes of Ctenocephalides felis biting humans in New Jersey, USA. The rarer flea genotype had an 83% incidence of Rickettsia asembonensis, a recently described bacterium closely related to R. felis, a known human pathogen. A metagenomics analysis developed in under a week recovered the entire R. asembonensis genome at high coverage and matched it to identical or almost identical (> 99% similarity) strains reported worldwide. Our study exposes the potential of cat fleas as vectors of human pathogens in crowded northeastern U.S, cities and suburbs where free-ranging cats are abundant. Furthermore, it demonstrates the power of metagenomics to glean large amounts of comparative data regarding both emerging vectors and their pathogens.
Diagnosis and discernment between eccentricity and demagnetization faults in PMSM drives

This paper proposes a new approach that allows the diagnosis and the ability of discernment between the frequency signatures of eccentricity faults and those of demagnetization in a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). This approach is based on the application of a very selective band-pass filter in the stator current. A judicious calculation of the parameters of this filter makes it possible to extract only the frequency signatures of searched faults. The use of the relevant information on the magnitude and phase angle of the signatures, obtained by filtering, makes it possible to distinguish between both of the studied faults. The simple monitoring of the plotting in terms of polar coordinates of the combined information (magnitude/phase angle) of the signature’s characteristic of these two faults allows for this discernment. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach when it comes to the diagnosis reliability of demagnetization and the eccentricity faults in a PMSM.
Model Mis-specification and Johansen's Cointegration Analysis: An Application to the U.S. Money Demand

This paper examines the consequences of mis-specifying the deterministic components of a cointegration model estimated with the Johansen's multivariate maximum likelihood approach. Using the U.S. long-run money demand model as our example, we show that when a linear deterministic time trend is excluded from the cointegration model, we obtain very robust results suggesting the cointegration of the real M1 and the real M2 with their determinants. When a linear deterministic time trend is included, however, we find generally unfavorable results. Next, using a procedure discussed in Johansen (1992) that jointly determines the cointegration rank and the deterministic components of a model, we find that the preferred models for the real M1 and the real M2 are generally not cointegrated with their determinants. Our study suggests that great care should be exercised in the initial stages of model specification. The inclusion or exclusion of the linear deterministic time trend should be justified formally. Otherwise, the results may be misleading.
Broadening the migratory portfolio of altitudinal migrants.

Movement is among the most important adaptations of animals living in seasonal environments. Movement allows animals to exploit spatially and temporally variable resources; these resources in turn influence individual fitness and demographic rates of populations (Fryxell et al. 1988, Bolger et al. 2008, Mueller and Fagan 2008, Hebblewhite and Merrill 2009). A diverse movement portfolio, wherein a variety of movement behaviors are represented across space and time and among individuals in a population, likely is important for population persistence in the face of environmental change (Lowrey et al. 2020) and may be especially important for managers to re-establish in populations of endangered species.
Reconciliation of theoretical and empirical brain criticality via network heterogeneity

Inspired by heterogeneity in biological neural networks, we explore a heterogeneous network consisting of receipt, transmission and computation layers. It reconciles the dilemma that the data analysis scheme for empirical records yields non-power laws when applied to microscopic simulation of critical neural dynamics. Detailed analysis shows that the reconciliation is due to synchronization effect of the feedforward connectivity. The network favours avalanches with denser activity in the first half of life, and the result is consistent with the experimental observation. This heterogeneous structure facilitates robust criticality against external stimuli, which implies the inappropriateness of interpreting the subcritcality signature as an indication of subcrtical dynamics. These results propose the network heterogeneity as an essential piece for understanding the brain criticality.
Marking men, affect and care work: a study of middle-class Bengali masculinity in Jhumpa Lahiri's The Lowland

This article examines Pulitizer prize-winning Indian American writer Jhumpa Lahiri's engagement with masculinity and care-work in The Lowland (2013). Situated in a middle-class Bengali family, the ...
Text Analysis for Understanding Symptoms of Social Anxiety in Student Veterans.

A significant portion of the veteran population suffers from PTSD, a mental illness that is often accompanied by social anxiety disorder. Student veterans are especially vulnerable as they struggle to adapt to a new, less structured college lifestyle. In order to assist psychologists and social workers in the treatment of social anxiety disorder we use machine learning to analyze transcribed interview text and apply topic modelling to highlight common stress factors for student veterans. The results detailed in this paper also have broader impacts in fields such as pedagogy and public health.