cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sensors and Systems

Our capacity to understand the environmental system using remote sensing technologies is strongly dependent on the type and quality of information we obtain. As a data-driven process, understanding Earth’s environments and unraveling the patterns of interaction between people and the planet have been greatly facilitated by an increasing array of sensor systems each with contrasting spatial, temporal and radiometric resolutions. When we compare the situation today to the recent history of satellite-based remote sensing, the expansion of sensor platforms, while offering an impressive variety of data products, has also necessitated a more considered view of the technology surrounding the remote data collection. As new sensing systems are deployed, greater attention must be given to their capabilities and how their designed features support specific information needs. This is a sharp contrast to space-based remote sensing of 40 years ago, when analysis and mapping was limited in scope to the “one-size fits all” realities of the Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS). In this chapter we will explore the evolution and advances in remote sensing satellite data acquisition. Our purpose here is threefold: (1) highlight the satellite data collection technology, (2) connect the capability of existing systems relative to the goals of environmental sensing, and (3) review these data products and examine their usefulness as data that feed the objectives of environmental analysis.
Missing the mark: Cultural expressions of depressive symptoms among African-American women and men

ABSTRACTMany studies state that African Americans are underdiagnosed with major depressive disorder when compared to Whites, yet little research exists on the specific differences in symptom expression in African Americans. Even fewer studies explore gender-based differences in depressive symptom expression between African Americans. This article reviews literature on African-American symptom expression differences through a social determinants of health framework. While commonalities exist, the differences in symptom expression between African-American women and men should not be ignored. Based on research information presented, implications for social work and mental health intervention are discussed, and best practice recommendations are provided.
Differential signalling and glutamate receptor compositions in the OFF bipolar cell types in the mouse retina.

Key points Using whole-cell clamp methods, we characterized the temporal coding in each type of OFF bipolar cell. We found that type 2 and 3a cells are transient, type 1 and 4 cells are sustained, and type 3b cells are intermediate. The light-evoked excitatory postsynaptic potentials in some types were rectified, suggesting that they provide inputs to the non-linear ganglion cells. Visual signalling from the photoreceptors was mediated exclusively through the kainate receptors in the transient OFF bipolar cells, whereas both kainate and AMPA receptors contributed in the other cells. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that parallel visual encoding starts at the OFF bipolar cells in a type-specific manner. Abstract The retina is the entrance to the visual system, which receives various kinds of image signals and forms multiple encoding pathways. The second-order retinal neurons, the bipolar cells, are thought to initiate multiple neural streams by encoding various visual signals in different types of cells. However, the functions of each bipolar cell type have not been fully understood. We investigated whether OFF bipolar cells encode visual signals in a type-dependent manner. We recorded the changes in the bipolar cell voltage in response to two input functions: step and sinusoidal light stimuli. Type 1 and 4 OFF bipolar cells were sustained cells and responded to sinusoidal stimuli over a broad range of frequencies. Type 2 and 3a cells were transient and exhibited band-pass filtering. Type 3b cells were in the middle of these two groups. The distinct temporal responses might be attributed to different types of glutamate receptors. We examined the AMPA and kainate glutamate receptor composition in each bipolar cell type. The light responses in the transient OFF bipolar cells were exclusively mediated by kainate receptors. Although the kainate receptors mediated the light responses in the sustained cells, the AMPA receptors also mediated a portion of the responses in sustained cells. Furthermore, we found that some types of cells were rectified more than other types. Taken together, we found that the OFF bipolar cells encode diverse temporal image signals in a type-dependent manner, confirming that each type of OFF bipolar cell initiates diverse temporal visual processing in parallel.
Remembering the Values of Separatism and State Funding of Religious Organizations (Charitable Choice): To Aid is Not Necessarily to Protect

When we are thinking about whether we have moved beyond separatism, the non-constitutional implications of this observation are worth considering. Does the current turn in constitutional law towards a more deferential approach to aid to religion programs mean that the policy arguments against such programs also should be discounted? Or should we remember the values of separatism in making legislative choices? This essay concludes that the values of separatism should continue to inform legislative judgment. To aid religion is not always to protect it, and the protection of religion and religious freedom fostered by separatism should not be forgotten even as the constitutional barriers to state aid to religion continue to subside.Part I of this essay introduces this topic by discussing the values of separatism in their relation to current legislative attempts to provide state monies to religious institutions that offer social services -- legislative initiatives that popularly have been entitled “charitable choice.” Part II canvasses the constitutional background surrounding charitable choice and concludes that such programs would likely be found constitutional. Accordingly, the question of whether such programs should be adopted is more a matter of legislative choice than of constitutional mandate. Part III then addresses the legislative calculus. It begins by discussing why support for aid to religious programs is popular in the current political climate. The essay suggests that much of the political impetus behind such programs stems from the belief shared by many of defenders of religion that excluding religious institutions from the class of potential government beneficiaries reflects an anti-religious animus that warrants correction. The section contends, however, that this perception that anti-aid equates to anti-religion is misguided. The separationist objections to charitable choice noted in Part I demonstrate that the anti-aid position may be based on pro-religion values. Aid to religion does not always benefit religion. Remembering the values of separatism means understanding that government support of religion may harm, as well as assist, the religious mission.
Deutsche Lufthansa Ag: A Competitive History

This note describes the competitive practices of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, the largest player in the German airline market, in response to challenges to its quasi monopoly on domestic routes. Starting in 1988, European governments deregulated the European airline industry in preparation for a single European market. In April 1997, the final phase of this process gave private airlines owned by a majority of EU nationals the right to operate freely on any of the domestic routes within the member states of the European Economic Area. From that time on, Lufthansa faced a series of challenges by both private entrepreneurs and established airlines, including Deutsche BA, Go-fly, Eurowings, Germania, and Preussag/TUI.
Exploring the Relationship Between Excess and System Evolutions Using a Stress-Test

Engineers understand that attaining a full service life can add value to an engineered system. Ensuring that this is possible requires that excess be embedded within the design to enable system evolution when new or changed requirements are placed on it during the service phase. However, since future needs are by definition unknown, knowing with certainty which excesses to embed is impossible. To address that challenge, this paper draws on an excess mapping method developed in previous work that demonstrated how to map component relationships based on excess interactions. This method is now used in a stress test approach to explore how a system design is affected when faced with various possible evolution scenarios. This study has two results: first, a judgment of whether the current system design possesses sufficient excess for it to respond to future needs. Second, quantitative estimates of excesses to add if the current design excess is judged to be insufficient. A demonstrative example is presented using a dart gun, which determines that the system as designed is likely adequate for a variety of possible future needs.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Transformer oil

THE HIGHLY COMPLEX NATURE of the material, the resulting difficulty in establishing significant tests for evaluation in a reasonable time, and the varying conditions of use have combined to make the study of oils used for the insulation and cooling of transformers a painfully slow process. It is the purpose of this article to review some of the very extensive efforts made in this study and to draw at least tentative conclusions as to the present status and future possibilities of one of the most important materials in the design, manufacture, and operation of transformers.
Single-molecule detection at high concentrations with optical aperture nanoantennas

Single-molecule detection has become an indispensable technology in life science, and medical research. In order to get meaningful information on many biological processes, single-molecule analysis is required in micro-molar concentrations. At such high concentrations, it is very challenging to isolate a single molecule with conventional diffraction-limited optics. Recently, optical aperture nanoantennas (OANs) have emerged as a powerful tool to enhance the single-molecule detection under a physiological environment. The OANs, which consist of nano-scale apertures on a metallic film, have the following unique properties: (1) nanoscale light confinement; (2) enhanced fluorescence emission; (3) tunable radiation pattern; (4) reduced background noise; and (5) massive parallel detection. This review presents the fundamentals, recent developments and future perspectives in this emerging field.
To develop a loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for quick detection of Listeria monocytogenes

Objective: To establish a loop-mediated isothermal amplification(LAMP) assay for the rapid and specific detection of Listeria monocytogenes.Methods: Four primers regions on the hlyA gene of Listeria monocytogenes were designed and used for LAMP assay.Listeria monocytogenes DNA was amplified under isothermal conditions(65℃)for 60 min in water bath,then the amplified product was judged by naked eye,SYBR Green l staining,and electrophoresis analysis.To evaluate the specificity of the assay,1 strain of Listeria monocytogenes and 10 strains of none-Listeria monocytogenes were tested by LAMP and conventional PCR assay.In addition,the detection limit of LAMP was compared with that of PCR by using the Listeria monocytogenes strain,that were serially diluted and were amplified by LAMP and PCR.Results: With one strain of Listeria monocytogenes,observation with naked eyes,SYBR Green I staining and electrophoretic analysis were able to detect the products in the LAMP assay,and amplification were not observed when 10 strains of non-Listeria monocytogenes were tested.The sensitivity of LAMP was higher than that of PCR assay.The detection limit of LAMP assay for Listeria monocytogenes was 3 cfu/ml and that of PCR was300 cfu/ml.LAMP method was superior to conventional PCR for its rapid detection of Listeria monocytogenes,which can complete in 60 min.Conclusion: LAMP for rapid and specific detection of Listeria monocytogenes was established in this study.
Clinical Analysis of 48 Cases of Endometrium Clear Cell Carcinoma

Objective: To investigate the clinical features, management, and prognosis of endometrium clear cell carcinoma. Methods: A total of 48 cases of endometrium clear cell carcinoma and 601 cases of endometrioid adenocarcinoma seen in our hospital from January 1997 to December 2006 were analyzed retrospectively. Results: The mean age of the patients with endometrium clear cell carcinoma and patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma was 54.1 years and 51.7 years, respectively, with a significant difference(P0.05). Compared with the endometrioid adenocarcinoma, endometrium clear cell carcinoma presented with higher metastasis rate of pelvis lymphoid node and vessel and infiltrate rate of muscular layer(P0.05). These 48 cases of endometrium clear cell carcinoma all underwent surgery. After surgery, 14 patients had chemotherapy, 13 patients had radiation therapy(RT), two patients had hormone therapy, six patients had a combination of RT and chemotherapy, one patient had a combination of chemotherapy and hormone therapy, two patients had a combination of RT and hormone therapy, and 10 patients didn't receive any adjuvant therapies. Conclusion: Endometrium clear cell carcinoma comprises a small percentage of endometrial cancers. The onset age is higher than that of endometrioid adenocarcinoma. It has been shown to be associated with high metastasis rate and poor survival. Patients with endometrium clear cell carcinoma should be treated with complete staging surgery and combination of regional RT and chemotherapy.
Structure and Properties of 9,14,15,16,17,18,19,20-Octahydro-9,14[1′,4′]-benzenobenzo[b]triphenylene

The compound 9,14,15,16,17,18,19,20-octahydro-9,14[1′,4′]-benzenobenzo[b]triphenylene, C28H24, was prepared by hydrogenation of the photocycloadduct of dibenz[a,c]anthracene and 1,3-cyclohexadiene with Pt/C in ethyl acetate. The X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group with the geometric parameters of = 11.0090(17) A, = 13.733(2) A, = 13.091(2) A, and = 109.583(13)°. In addition to several close intramolecular contacts involving hydrogens derived from the dibenzanthracene moiety, long interannular C–C single bonds of about 1.593 A are present. These bonds are shorter by about 0.18 A than the corresponding bonds in the unsaturated precursor, which can be attributed to reduced strain in the more saturated polycyclic ring system. Anisotropic shielding of the four endo-methylene hydrogens in the 1H NMR spectrum is larger for the two hydrogens lying above the phenanthrene unit, which resonate at 1.03 ppm, than those above the benzenoid ring, which resonate at 1.24 ppm. Theoretical calculations reproduce the geometry with good agreement.
Abstract 18212: Relationship Between Aortic Distensibility and Coronary Blood Flow in Patients with Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm

Introduction: We have observed coronary slow flow in patients with aortic aneurysms in the absence of coronary artery disease (CAD). Other observations have identified that aortic wall distensibility influences coronary blood flow. In order to further evaluate this phenomenon, we sought to study the relationship between aortic distensibility and coronary blood flow among the patients with ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (ATAA). Methods: Evaluation of consecutive patients referred for surgical repair of ATAA who had non- obstructive CAD ( Results: Out of 96 patients with angiographic slow flow, 89 (92.7%) patients had involvement of the ascending aorta with or without arch and/or descending aorta and non-obstructive CAD. Analysis of the 89 ATAA patients showed a significant correlation between decreased ascending aortic distensibility and prolonged TIMI frame count in all the three coronary arteries. Correlation coefficient between ascending aortic distensibility and LAD flow is r = -0.23, p = 0.03, LCX is r = -0.28, p = 0.007, RCA is r = -0.30, p = 0.005. A significant inverse correlation, r = -0.23, p = 0.04 is also observed between aortic arch distensibility and LAD flow. Conclusion: As the distensibility of the aorta decreases in patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm, the coronary blood flow also decreases. Our study for the first time shows that among the patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms, aortic distensibility does impact coronary blood flow in the absence of significant CAD, possibly through alteration in coronary blood flow mechanics and microvascular dysfunction. The clinical impact of this finding warrants further studies.
Public Journalism Movement

The public journalism movement, which began in the early 1990s and lost momentum a decade later, sought to revitalize public life and civic engagement by encouraging the press to promote and improve opportunities for public debate and discussion. It invited journalists to find ways, through their coverage of local issues, to empower the community. Keywords: empowerment; journalism studies; media and society; political communication; public participation
Role of Pulmonary Evaluation in Diagnosis of Neurosarcoidosis

Background: Neurosarcoidosis is a serious extra pulmonary manifestation of sarcoidosis. Its presentation ranges from peripheral or cranial neuropathy to central nervous system dysfunction. It can mimic stroke or multiple sclerosis. Due to the variation in clinical presentation, diagnosis is difficult and often delayed. Objective: Determine the proportion of patients with neurosarcoidosis who have positive findings on chest CT, lung biopsy or lymph node biopsy. Methods: Retrospective study at the Sarcoidosis and Interstitial Lung Disease Center at Wayne State University–Detroit Medical Center in Detroit, MI. Medical records of 424 patients were reviewed and 69 patients with neurosarcoidosis identified. Results: We found that most patients diagnosed with neurosarcoidosis had normal PFT values except for reduction in DLCO. However, we also found that 71% of the patients had abnormal findings on chest CT consistent with sarcoidosis. Additionally, 57% of the patients had non-caseating granuloma on hilar lymph node biopsy. Conclusion: Patients with neurosarcoidosis may not have any pulmonary symptoms. However, they are most likely to have abnormal chest CT, hilar lymphadenopathy and reduction in DLCO. These data suggest that pulmonary evaluation is warranted in patients who are suspected to have neurosarcoidosis.
Preoperative Antibiotic Orders: Protocol-Initiated Pharmacist Order Entry

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the antibiotic selection of preoperative orders before and after a pharmacist order entry protocol for patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of orthopedic surgery procedures on patients with MRSA colonization at a free-standing, academic pediatric hospital, between February 2010 and February 2012. RESULTS: Procedures that were performed pre protocol (n = 27) implementation had a 63% rate of appropriate antibiotic selection compared to 81% in the postprotocol group (n = 32; p = 0.1155). The preprotocol group dose accuracy was 96% compared to 97% in the postprotocol group (p = 0.81). Two procedures, 1 in each group, were redosed appropriately for extended surgery duration. Correct timing of antibiotic administration occurred in 82% of cases pre protocol versus 68% post protocol (p = 0.42). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with MRSA colonization had a greater rate of appropriate drug selection after the implementation of a pharmacist-initiated preoperative protocol. Correct antibiotic dose and redose remained consistent between the study groups. Most of the orthopedic procedures performed included patients on antibiotic coverage at steady state for ongoing infections, which impacted the analysis of preoperative timing. Further studies should be conducted to assess whether the increase in the number of appropriate antibiotic selections decreases the rate of postoperative MRSA infections.
Bioresponsive Polymer Coated Drug Nanorods for Breast Cancer Treatment

Ineffective drug release at the target site is among the top challenges for cancer treatment. This reflects the facts that interaction with the physiological condition can denature active ingredients of drugs, and low delivery to the disease microenvironment leads to poor therapeutic outcomes. We hypothesize that depositing a thin layer of bioresponsive polymer on the surface of drug nanoparticles would not only protect drugs from degradation but also allow the release of drugs at the target site. Here, we report a one-step process to prepare bioresponsive polymer coated drug nanorods (NRs) from liquid precursors using the solvent diffusion method. A thin layer (10.3 ± 1.4 nm) of poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) polymer coating was deposited on the surface of camptothecin (CPT) anti-cancer drug NRs. The mean size of PCL-coated CPT NRs was 500.9 ± 91.3 nm length × 122.7 ± 10.1 nm width. The PCL polymer coating was biodegradable at acidic pH 6 as determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. CPT drugs were released up to 51.5% when PCL coating dissolved into non-toxic carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. Trastuzumab (TTZ), a humanized IgG monoclonal antibody, was conjugated to the NR surface for breast cancer cell targeting. Combination treatments using CPT and TTZ decreased the HER-2 positive BT-474 breast cancer cell growth by 66.9 ± 5.3% in vitro. These results suggest effective combination treatments of breast cancer cells using bioresponsive polymer coated drug delivery.
Chemical Attractants of the Rat Preputial Gland

The interest in olfaction and the relationship to animal behavior has brought attention to the preputial and other glands as a source of chemical attractants. The molecules, synthesized by one animal, affect the physiology and behavior of another of the same species.
Rapidity gap signals in Higgs-boson production at the SSC.

We examine the structure of the underlying event in neutral Higgs boson production at the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC). Gaps, regions of rapidity containing no soft particle production, can provide a clean signature for [ital W] boson fusion to the heavy Higgs boson. We first examine the physical basis of gap production and estimate the survival probability of gaps in the minijet model. Then, using PYTHIA and HERWIG, we compare gap events to [ital W] pair production from top quark decay and [ital q] [bar q] fusion. We find that, if experimental problems can be overcome, gaps should provide a small, but clean, signal for heavy Higgs boson production at the SSC.
Macroscopically Degenerate Exactly Solvable Point in the Spin- 1 / 2 Kagome Quantum Antiferromagnet

Frustrated quantum magnets are a central theme in condensed matter physics due to the richness of their phase diagrams. They support a panoply of phases including various ordered states and topological phases. Yet, this problem has defied a solution for a long time due to the lack of controlled approximations which make it difficult to distinguish between competing phases. Here we report the discovery of a special quantum macroscopically degenerate point in the XXZ model on the spin-1/2 kagome quantum antiferromagnet for the ratio of Ising to antiferromagnetic transverse coupling J_{z}/J=-1/2. This point is proximate to many competing phases explaining the source of the complexity of the phase diagram. We identify five phases near this point including both spin-liquid and broken-symmetry phases and give evidence that the kagome Heisenberg antiferromagnet is close to a transition between two phases.
Cranial arterial patterns of the alpaca (Camelidae: Vicugna pacos).

Artiodactyl cranial arterial patterns deviate significantly from the standard mammalian pattern, most notably in the possession of a structure called the carotid rete (CR)—a subdural arterial meshwork that is housed within the cavernous venous sinus, replacing the internal carotid artery (ICA). This relationship between the CR and the cavernous sinus facilitates a suite of unique physiologies, including selective brain cooling. The CR has been studied in a number of artiodactyls; however, to my knowledge, only a single study to date documents a subset of the cranial arteries of New World camelids (llamas, alpacas, vicugnas and guanacoes). This study is the first complete description of the cranial arteries of a New World camelid species, the alpaca ( Vicugna pacos ), and the first description of near-parturition cranial arterial morphology within New World camelids. This study finds that the carotid arterial system is conserved between developmental stages in the alpaca, and differs significantly from the pattern emphasized in other long-necked ruminant artiodactyls in that a patent, homologous ICA persists through the animal9s life.
Palliative Care and the Family Caregiver: Trading Mutual Pretense (Empathy) for a Sustained Gaze (Compassion).

In this conceptual piece, we survey the progress of palliative care communication and reflect back on a chapter we wrote a decade ago, which featured the communication concept of mutual pretense, first described by Glaser and Strauss (1965). This work will include an update on family caregivers and their role in cancer caregiving as well as a review of current palliative care communication curriculum available for providers. And finally, we will spotlight the conversation and research going forward on the subject of health literacy for all stakeholders; patients, families, providers, and systems. We feature one family’s story of incurable cancer and end of life to revisit the needs we identified ten years ago, which are still present. Goals for going forward in chronic and terminal illness are suggested in a health care context still too void of palliative care communication resources for providers, patients, and especially family caregivers.
Adoption as a Support System for Orphaned, Abandoned, or Voluntarily Placed Children

Although adoptions represent a small portion of family growth, from a demographer’s point of view it is significant. The United Nations (2009, p. xv) estimates that approximately 260,000 children are adopted each year; of these in 2001 the United States (U. S.) adopted 127,000 children; next in frequency is China, with 46,000 adoptions and the Russian Federation, with 23,000 adoptions. This book focuses on the U. S. the country that consistently adopts the largest number, approximately 120,000 children annually (Nickman et al., 2005).
New developments in immunotherapy for pediatric leukemia.

Purpose of reviewImmunotherapy for the treatment of cancer has advanced at a tremendous pace over the last decade. In this review, we provide an overview of recent progress in immunotherapy for the treatment of leukemia, focusing on antibody–drug conjugates (ADC), bi-specific T-cell engagers (BiTE),
Stressed Teachers Don’t Make Good Implementers: Examining the Interplay Between Stress Reduction and Intervention Fidelity

Correlational research indicates that stress due to work overload may represent an alterable factor that impacts certain teachers’ willingness and ability to implement innovative practices. The purpose of this study was to experimentally examine the impact of a well-being-promoting intervention (ACHIEVER Resilience Curriculum [ACHIEVER]) delivered via coaches to reduce teachers’ stress and concomitantly improve their delivery of evidence-based classroom management practices with fidelity. Four teachers from an urban elementary school located in an economically disadvantaged area of the city were nominated by their administrators as experiencing high amounts of work-related stress to participate in this study. A multiple baseline design was used to demonstrate the interplay between teacher stress reduction and improved fidelity of evidence-based classroom management practices implementation. Results indicated that the ACHIEVER reduced teacher ratings of stress due to work overload across all four participants. In addition, all teachers displayed improvements in implementing evidence-based practices with fidelity following application of ACHIEVER. Findings from this study suggest that attending to implementer stress due to work overload represents a promising avenue to translate evidence-based practices to school settings. Moreover, this study contributes to the limited number of individually focused implementation support strategies.
Two Are No Different Than One: Ureteral Duplication Appears to Have No Effect on Ureteroscopy Outcomes

Abstract Introduction: Ureteral duplication is the most common ureteral anomaly, occurring in 0.6%–0.7% of the population. Our objective was to compare urolithiasis treatment outcomes in patients w...
The Geography of Anonymous Communications: Predicting Escalation of Anonymity Networks During Events of Civil Unrest

Civil unrest can trigger uptake of anonymous communication to protect user identity and location or to circumvent censorship. Anonymity networks such as the Tor Network can support planning, orchestrating, or responding to protest events. This research aimed to understand this relationship between protest events and Tor usage. A methodology was developed to discover the best supervised learning method for predicting Tor usage in response to protest events. Twelve classification algorithms were evaluated using data representing the different conflict event types, number of events per day, source and target actor categories, fatalities, and Tor usage. Experiments were conducted using over five years of conflict event data from nine countries selected from the Africa-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Dataset (ACLED). This research produced unique quantitative results predicting Tor escalation during conflict events with an F1 Score of over 86%. Results are significant given the multitude of use cases for Tor, with the strongest signal occurring in authoritarian regimes.
24.2 A 7nm 2.1GHz Dual-Port SRAM with WL-RC Optimization and Dummy-Read-Recovery Circuitry to Mitigate Read- Disturb-Write Issue

Continued transistor scaling increases random $V_{t}$ variation, and wire routing resistance and capacitance; it degrades SRAM performance and results in SRAM design difficulties. Although dual-port (DP) SRAM is useful, because it can offer simultaneous read and write operations with two asynchronous clocks, circuit design is more complex than for a single-port (SP) SRAM when considering worst-case operation. In particular, WL resistance and capacitance (RC) degradation caused by process scaling and read-disturb-write (RDW) problem in a DP-SRAM bitcell are major challenges for DP-SRAM design in advanced technology nodes.
Innervating the image sphere

ABSTRACTHow can Benjamin’s sensuous wanderings through Ibiza illuminate his commitment to the revolutionary mimetic potential of media? This article will follow Benjamin to a place where, for him, ...
Pregnancy and Kidney Transplantation

Although limited, the available data suggest that in the appropriate candidate, the majority of pregnancies in transplant recipients lead to healthy offspring. It is important that counseling commence pretransplant and continue through the posttransplant period in women of childbearing age. Care of a gravid transplant recipient should include a transplant nephrologist working closely with a high-risk obstetrician. More studies are needed to clarify the many remaining uncertainties of pregnancy in the kidney transplant recipient.
A new high-T c superconductor containing thallium and its crystal structure: The ?1212? phase (Tl1-x Bi x )1.33Sr1.33Ca1.33Cu2O6.667+?

Joining YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 6.5 + delta/ (123 phase) and Bi/sub 4/Sr/sub 4/Ca/sub 2/Cu/sub 4/O/sub 16 + delta/ (4424 phase) as structurally characterized high-T/sub c/ superconductors, the thallium-containing superconductor (Tl/sub .75/Bi/sub .25/)/sub 1.33/Sr/sub 1.33/Ca/sub 1.33/Cu/sub 2/O/sub 6.67 + delta/ with the ideal stoichiometry (Tl, Bi)/sub 1/Sr/sub 2/Ca/sub 1/Cu/sub 2/O/sub 6.5 + delta/ (1212 phase) is reported here. As prepared from the component oxides, 1212 has an initial deviation from resistance linearity at 120 K, a superconducting onset temperature of 92 K, and zero resistance at 75 K. The tetragonal unit cell (P4/mmm, a = 3.800 /angstrom/; c = 12.072 /angstrom/, deduced from powder data) contains double copper oxygen sheets (like 4424 and 123) that alternate with single thallium-bismuth oxygen sheets (in contrast to 4424, which contains double bismuth oxygen sheets), resulting in a total of three stacked perovskite-like cells (as in 123). The copper oxide sheets (with intersheet spacing 3.38 /angstrom/) are separated by Ca/sup 2 +/ and the Cu oxide sheets and (Tl, Bi) oxide sheets (with spacing 4.35 /angstrom/) are separated by Sr/sup 2 +/, Ca/sup 2 +/, and excess (Tl, Bi)/sup 2 +/. The 1212 cell constitutes the building block for the centered, more complex 4424 cell.more » The 1212 structure persists to Bi contents as low as 1% and can also be stabilized by Pb instead of Bi; Tl cuprates also from other superconductors with lower T/sub c/.« less
Photoactivatable fluorophores for single-molecule localization microscopy of live cells

Photochemical reactions can be designed to convert either irreversibly or reversibly a nonemissive reactant into an emissive product. The irreversible disconnection of a photocleavable group from an emissive chromophore or the reversible interconversion of a photochromic component is generally exploited to implement these operating principles for fluorescence switching. In both instances, the interplay of activating radiation, to convert the nonemissive state into the emissive species, and exciting radiation, to produce fluorescence from the latter, can be exploited to switch fluorescence on in a given area of interest at a precise interval of time. Such a level of spatiotemporal control provides the opportunity to reconstruct sub-diffraction images with resolution at the nanometer level. Indeed, closely-spaced emitters can be switched on under photochemical control at distinct intervals of time and localized independently at the single-molecule level. In combination with appropriate intracellular targeting strategies, some of these photoactivatable fluorophores can be switched and localized inside live cells to permit the visualization of sub-cellular structures with a spatial resolution that would be impossible to achieve with conventional fluorophores. As a result, photoactivatable fluorophores can become invaluable probes for the implementation of super-resolution imaging schemes aimed at the elucidation of the fundamental factors controlling cellular functions at the molecular level.
Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (VPAHPND), a chronic disease in shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) population raised in latin America.

Abstract In Latin American shrimp farming, acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) does not cause the acute mortalities observed in SE Asia. Herein we report for the first time a new phase of infection of AHPND, a chronic phase based on two experimental AHPND-challenge trials using shrimp lines from Latin America. Three shrimp lines of Penaeus vannamei were challenged with a highly pathogenic strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus causing AHPND (VPAHPND). PCR and histopathology assays were used for confirmation of AHPND in the trials. The first study was to compare survival between the lines. A follow-up trial was conducted to document hepatopancreas heterotrophic bacterial count and to measure the expression of VPAHPND binary toxin genes (pirAB genes) at 24 h.p.i. One of the Latin American shrimp lines, APE1, had significantly higher survival than recorded for the other two lines (APE2 & APE3) and the specific-pathogen-free positive control line. Histopathology showed typical AHPND acute and terminal phase lesions in VPAHPND challenged groups, although destructive cellular changes were more pronounced in the SPF line. Histopathology of animals surviving AHPND revealed a unique chronic phase of infection that resembles septic hepatopancreatic necrosis (SHPN), recognized as diagnostic of digestive tract vibriosis. Data to support our finding, including a quantitative RT-PCR assay, confirmed the expression of pirAB genes and the differential hepatopancreas heterotrophic plate count (HPC) among the different lines challenged. The results explain in part why the shrimp industry in some Latin American countries continues to grow despite the presence of AHPND. In addition, the biology and pathology of AHPND resistant/tolerant shrimp appear to be quite unique in this Latin American shrimp population.
HIPEC with cisplatin in a patient with a prior hypersensitivity reaction to systemic oxaliplatin

Platinum-based chemotherapeutic agents are commonly used in the treatment of several cancers. While effective, they are often discontinued due to toxicities and hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) that occur more frequently with repeated exposure. Following discontinuation of one agent, therapy may be continued with a second platinum salt, though the cross-reactivity between agents in this class is not well understood. This is particularly true for alternative routes of administration such as hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). In this case report, we describe the use of cisplatin during HIPEC in a patient who previously experienced an HSR to systemic oxaliplatin. The patient tolerated HIPEC including 200 mg cisplatin for 1 hour without any adverse effects and did not require a desensitization protocol prior to therapy. This case suggests that HIPEC with platinum-based agents can be performed in patients with prior HSRs to systemic therapy, though further studies are needed to understand safety parameters, the cross-reactivity between agents and the necessity of skin testing or desensitization protocols.
Understanding congressional coalitions: A discourse network analysis of congressional hearings for the Every Student Succeeds Act

The purpose of this study is to investigate policy coalitions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) at U.S. congressional hearings. This study is grounded in the advocacy coalition framework, which argues that advocacy coalitions are forged by policy actors who have similar policy preferences. To identify the coalitions, according to the policy claims articulated by policy actors, discourse network analysis was performed to examine 30 testimonies in the congressional hearings on ESSA since its passage in 2015. The policy actors fall into eight categories: (1) federal administrative and executive offices, (2) state administrative and executive offices, (3) teachers unions, (4) interest groups, (5) superintendents, (6) teacher, (7) education professor, and (8) Congress members. The results of discourse network analysis suggest four coalitions based on the actors’ policy claims on (1) equity, (2) assessment and accountability, (3) states have changed/passed legislation to align the state accountability systems with ESSA goals, and (4) the U.S. Department of Education’s state plan approval was inconsistent with the ESSA statutory provisions. The findings provide timely insights into the ongoing process of ESSA implementation at the federal, state, and local levels.
The Effect of Medicaid Expansion on Caregiver's Quality of Life.

Medicaid expansion has been shown to improve access to care, health, and finances in general populations. Until now no studies have considered how Medicaid expansion may affect informal family care...
Spherical Convolutional Neural Networks: Stability to Perturbations in SO(3).

Spherical convolutional neural networks (Spherical CNNs) learn nonlinear representations from 3D data by exploiting the data structure and have shown promising performance in shape analysis, object classification, and planning among others. This paper investigates the properties that Spherical CNNs exhibit as they pertain to the rotational structure inherent in spherical signals. We build upon the rotation equivariance of spherical convolutions to show that Spherical CNNs are stable to general structure perturbations. In particular, we model arbitrary structure perturbations as diffeomorphism perturbations, and define the rotation distance that measures how far from rotations these perturbations are. We prove that the output change of a Spherical CNN induced by the diffeomorphism perturbation is bounded proportionally by the perturbation size under the rotation distance. This stability property coupled with the rotation equivariance provide theoretical guarantees that underpin the practical observations that Spherical CNNs exploit the rotational structure, maintain performance under structure perturbations that are close to rotations, and offer good generalization and faster learning.
Monitoring autophagy-dependent ferroptosis

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death, driven by the accumulation of lipid peroxidation. Autophagy is a lysosome-dependent degradation process that can be used to remove and recover intracellular components, such as dysfunctional proteins and damaged organelles. By regulating iron storage and oxidative stress, excessive autophagy is involved in the induction and execution of ferroptosis. In particular, several types of selective autophagy (e.g., ferritinophagy, lipophagy, clockophagy, and chaperone-mediated autophagy) increase the susceptibility to ferroptotic cell death by degrading anti-ferroptotic regulators (e.g., ferritin, GPX4, ARNTL, and lipid droplets). These two integrated biological processes play a pathological role in the occurrence and development of human diseases, such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, ischemia and reperfusion injury. Therefore, it is important to develop reliable methods to evaluate the kinetics of autophagosome formation, iron accumulation, and lipid peroxidation. Here, we introduce some protocols (such as western blotting, lipid peroxidation assay kits and probes, and iron probes) to monitor the process of autophagy-dependent ferroptosis.
Functional Comparison of Different Exome Capture-based Methods for Transcriptomic Profiling of Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tumor Samples

BackgroundThe need for fresh frozen (FF) tissue limits implementing RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) in the clinic. The majority of clinical samples are processed in clinical laboratories and stored as formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. Exome capture has recently emerged as a promising approach for RNA-seq from FFPE samples. Multiple exome capture platforms are now available. However, their performances have not been systematically compared. MethodsTranscriptomic analysis of 32 FFPE tumor samples from 11 patients was performed using three exome capture-based methods: Agilent SureSelect V6, TWIST NGS Exome, and IDT XGen Exome Research Panel. We compared these methods to TruSeq RNA-seq of fresh frozen (FF-TruSeq) tumor samples from the same patients. We assessed the recovery of clinically relevant biological features, including the expression of key immune genes, expression outliers often associated with actionable genes, gene expression-based subtypes, and fusions using each of these capture methods. ResultsThe Spearmans correlation coefficients between global expression profiles of the three capture-based methods and matched FF tumor samples, analyzed using TruSeq RNA-seq, were high (rho = 0.72-0.9, p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between the expression of key immune genes between individual capture-based methods and FF-TruSeq (rho = 0.76-0.88, p < 0.05). All three exome capture-based methods reliably detected the outlier expression of actionable genes, including ERBB2, MET, NTRK1, and PPARG, initially detected in FF-TruSeq. In urothelial cancer samples, the Agilent assay was associated with the highest molecular subtyping agreement with FF-TruSeq (Cohens k = 0.7, p < 0.01). Both Agilent and IDT detected all the clinically relevant fusions which were initially identified in FF-TruSeq. ConclusionAll exome capture-based methods had comparable performance and concordance with FF-TruSeq. These findings provide a path for the transcriptomic profiling of vast numbers of FFPE currently stored in biobanks. For specific applications such as fusion detection and gene expression-based subtyping, some methods performed better. By enabling the interrogation of FFPE tumor samples, our findings open the door for implementing RNA-seq in the clinic to guide precision oncology approaches.
Unusual Mn5 cluster with a ‘twisted bow-tie’ topology and MnIIMnIII2MnIV2 oxidation states: Synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties

Abstract The ‘reductive aggregation’ procedure involving the reaction of MnO4- in MeOH in the presence of a carboxylic acid has been extended for the first time to the use of a dicarboxylic acid and the additional presence of a chelate, namely phthalic acid (phthH2) and 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy), respectively. The MnO4-:phthH2:bpy = 1:2:1 reaction in MeOH has led to isolation of [Mn5O4(phth)3(phthH)(bpy)4](phthH2)(phthH) (1), whose Mn5 cation possesses a ‘twisted bow-tie’ topology comprising two near-perpendicular MnII,III,IV3 scalene triangles fused at the MnII ion. Each triangle is bridged by a central μ3-O2- and a μ2-O2- on the MnIIIMnIV edge. Peripheral ligation is provided by the phthalate groups bridging in various modes, and a chelating bpy on each MnIII and MnIV ion. The cation is a rare example of a cluster with three Mn oxidation states, and it is also the first MnIV-containing phthalate complex. Fitting of variable-temperature, solid-state dc magnetic susceptibility data collected in a 0.1 T field in the 5.0–300 K range gave J1 = J(MnIIIMnIV) = − 116(3) cm−1, J2 = J(MnIIMnIV) = − 6.0(4) cm−1, J3 = J(MnIIMnIII) = +3.8(8) cm−1, and g = 1.95, with TIP = 500 × 10-6 cm3 mol−1. These indicate an S = 7/2 spin ground state, which was confirmed by a fit of magnetization data collected in the 0.1–7.0 T and 1.8–10.0 K ranges, and by ac in-phase susceptibility data in zero dc field and a 3.5 G ac field at a 1000 Hz frequency.
Forward optical coherence tomography endoscope for percutaneous nephrostomy guidance

Percutaneous renal access remains the cornerstone initial step in varied clinical settings. For obtaining the best surgical outcome and minimizing patient morbidity, an appropriate access to the target calyx is needed. In our study, we built a forward-view endoscopic OCT system for PCN guidance. Pig kidneys were imaged to demonstrate the feasibility of the imaging system. Different parts of pig kidneys (cortex, medulla and renal pelvis) can be clearly differentiated. Furthermore, machine learning based computer aided diagnosis platform was developed to distinguish different tissue types automatically and the accuracy of recognition was as high as 90%.