cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integration Issues for Diamond Like Carbon in a Copper Damascene Process Flow

Hydrogenated “diamondlike” carbon (DLC) is a potential candidate as a low k material for the back end interconnect (BEOL) dielectric for VLSI chips. The DLC material is an attractive dielectric due to its isotropic properties and the ability to deposit the films by CVD techniques, such as PECVD or HDP systems. Under suitable preparation conditions such materials can reach dielectric constant values below 2.8, even as low as 2.4. While the as-deposited films are not stable to exposure to subsequent processing temperatures of about 400 C, it appears that they can be stabilized, in terms of dimensional stability and material loss, by an initial anneal. The integration of DLC films in the BEOL structure further requires good adhesion with the materials in contact with the DLC dielectric, such as silicon nitride or silicon oxide, and liner metallurgy. As the potential application of the DLC films will be in Cu based damascene structures the behavior of the films under CMP conditions is also important. The talk will discuss the evaluation of DLC films and of integration issues such as adhesion under processing conditions, patterning, CMP behavior. Blanket and patterned structures built with DLC films will be presented.
Pollution evaluation of heavy metal content in cultivated soil in Qingzhen and Dejiang of Guizhou Province

In the experiment,the contents of heavy metal Pb,Cd and Hg of farming land soil were determined and analyzed to evaluate the present situation of heavy metal pollution in Qingzhen City and Dejiang County of Guizhou Province.The results showed that the content of heavy metals in different soil profile layers in the sampling site was not varied greatly,but there was great difference of heavy metals in different sampling sites.For four sampling sites,the heavy metal pollution of Gonghe village was in alert status,and the other three sampling sites Lazishu,Xindian and Quankou as polluted by heavy metal at different levels.In general,the farming land soil in Qingzhen City and Dejiang County was polluted by heavy metal lightly,Cd and Hg were the main pollution elements in the soil.Therefore,the pollution-free agricultural products could not be developed in Qingzhen and Dejiang.In the future,the control of pollution region should be strengthened to eliminate the potential pollution resources of heavy metals.
Dye-mediated photolysis is capable of eliminating drug-resistant (MDR+) tumor cells

We evaluated the potential role of photoradiation therapy with a benzoporphyrin derivative, monoacid ring A (BPD-MA), and dihematoporphyrin ether (DHE), for the ex vivo purging of residual tumor cells from autologous bone marrow (BM) grafts. BPD-MA and DHE photosensitizing activity was tested against two human large-cell lymphoma cell lines and colony-forming unit-leukemia (CFU-L) derived from patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In mixing experiments, 4-log elimination of tumor cell lines was observed after 1 hour of incubation with 75 ng/mL of BPD-MA or 30 minutes of treatment with 12.5 micrograms/mL of DHE followed by white light exposure. By comparison, using the same concentration of BPD-MA, the mean recovery of normal BM progenitors was 4% +/- 0.8% (mean +/- SD) for granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming unit (CFU-GM) and 5% +/- 0.8% for burst-forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E). Similarly, DHE treatment resulted in the recovery of 5.2% +/- 2% and 9.8% +/- 3% of CFU-GM and BFU-E, respectively. Furthermore, equivalently cytotoxic concentrations of both DHE and BPD-MA and light were found not to kill normal pluripotent stem cells in BM, as demonstrated by their survival in two-step long-term marrow culture at levels equal to untreated controls. The T-lymphoblastic leukemia cell line CEM and its vinblastine (VBL)-resistant subline CEM/VBL, along with the acute promyelocyte leukemia cell line HL-60 and its vincristine (VCR)-resistant subline HL-60/VCR, were also tested. BPD-MA at 75 ng/mL was able to provide a greater than 4-log elimination of the drug-sensitive cell lines, but only a 34% and 55% decrease of the drug-resistant HL-60/VCR and CEM/VBL cell lines, respectively. On the contrary, 12.5 micrograms/mL of DHE reduced the clonogenic growth of all the cell lines by more than 4 logs. Further experiments demonstrated decreased uptake of both BPD-MA and DHE by the resistant cell lines. However, all the cell lines took up more DHE than BPD-MA under similar experimental conditions. Our results demonstrate the preferential cytotoxicity of BPD-MA and DHE toward neoplastic cell lines and CFU-L from AML patients. In addition, DHE was slightly more effective in purging tumor cells expressing the p-170 glycoprotein. These results suggest that photoradiation with DHE would be useful for in vitro purging of residual drug-resistant leukemia and lymphoma cells.
Mini-open Lateral Thoracic Fusion

Conventional anterior surgical approaches to the thoracic spine for fusion, typically used to treat symptomatic thoracic disc herniation or pathology requiring corpectomy, are fraught with procedural morbidity that may result in pulmonary complications, incisional (post-thoracotomy) pain, diaphragm disfiguration, and significant blood loss. Posterior approaches to anterior pathology are limited by the spinal cord or nerve root. Thoracoscopic approaches, while generally resulting in lower blood loss, require surgical expertise, single lung intubation, and extensive cost and staffing and often have challenges in placing instrumentation, especially vertebral body replacement systems. Modern minimally disruptive (mini-open) approaches utilize conventional surgical techniques through small-incision exposures and limited soft tissue dissection to limit collateral damage while still effectively treating the thoracic pathology. In this chapter, we discuss the surgical technique and clinical considerations for mini-open lateral thoracic fusion secondary to thoracic disc herniation and corpectomy. Included are the surgical indications, contraindications, detailed surgical technique, pearls and pitfalls, avoiding and treating surgical complications, as well as postoperative care.
Chapter 5.4 – Implementation of Cognitive Controls for Robots

Engineers have long used control systems utilizing models and feedback loops to control real-world systems. Limitations of model-based controls led to a generation of intelligent control techniques such as adaptive and fuzzy controls. The human brain, on the other hand, is known to process a variety of inputs in parallel, ignoring distractions to focus on the task in hand. This process, known as cognitive control in psychology, is unique to humans and some higher classes of animals. We are interested in implementing such cognitive control functionality in robots. This chapter tries to answer the following question: How could cognitive control functionality be implemented in HAM-inspired robots?
On the Estimation of Porosity in Composites by Oblique Angle Illumination

Reported here are some preliminary computer simulation results on the feasibility of using oblique incidence ultrasound for the detection and estimation of porosity in composites. In the oblique incidence approach, the composite is illuminated at off normal angles in such a manner that the reflected returns from the fibers are in directions away from the illuminating transducer. Since the scattered returns from porosity tend to be more omnidirectional than the fiber returns, there is a larger received signal in the presence of porosity.
Maximal Green Sequences for Cluster Algebras Associated to Orientable Surfaces with Empty Boundary

Given a marked surface (S, M) we can add arcs to the surface to create a triangulation, T, of that surface. For each triangulation, T, we can associate a cluster algebra. In this paper we will consider orientable surfaces of genus n with two interior marked points and no boundary component. We will construct a specific triangulation of this surface which yields a quiver. Then in the sense of work by Keller we will produce a maximal green sequence for this quiver. Since all finite mutation type cluster algebras can be associated to a surface, with some rare exceptions, this work along with previous work by others seeks to establish a base case in answering the question of whether a given finite mutation type cluster algebra exhibits a maximal green sequence.
What Teens Do Not Know Can Hurt Them: An Assessment of Disease Knowledge in Adolescents and Young Adults with IBD.

BACKGROUND Although adequate disease-related knowledge is recognized as an important component of transition readiness, little empirical attention has been directed toward understanding the levels of disease knowledge of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) or factors associated with higher levels of knowledge. This study described disease knowledge in a sample of AYAs with IBDs and examined individual, family, and patient-provider relationship factors associated with higher knowledge. METHODS Seventy-five AYAs (ages 16-20) and their parents participated. AYAs and parents reported on demographics, parent autonomy granting behaviors, health care satisfaction, patient-provider transition-related communication, and disease knowledge. AYAs self-reported on disease self-efficacy. Disease information was abstracted from the medical record. RESULTS On average, AYAs answered 8.20 (SD = 1.75) of 12 knowledge questions correctly. Over 85% of AYAs correctly identified their type of IBD, number and type of IBD-related surgeries, and name of their current IBD medical provider. In contrast, knowledge about frequency of medication refills, effects of drugs and alcohol on IBD, and number to call to schedule medical appointments was suboptimal (i.e., 50% or fewer provided a correct response). Older AYA age, greater AYA health care satisfaction, higher AYA self-efficacy, and more frequent patient-provider transition-related communication were each associated with higher IBD-related knowledge. CONCLUSIONS To promote disease knowledge, providers should foster AYA self-efficacy by encouraging age-appropriate involvement in IBD management and make discussion of transition-related issues a priority during clinical appointments. Moreover, fostering collaborative and positive relationships with patients will improve satisfaction and may also enhance knowledge.
CFA and soft skill competencies for entry-level managers*

Post-recession employers will look for individuals possessing skills that increase their sales and clientele through friendly service and boost their productivity through problem solving and commun...
Limitations in the use of 18F-FDG PET in the pre-operative staging of gastric cancer: A case series.

Abstract Introduction Positron emission tomography (PET) is a mainstay in the preoperative evaluation of various cancers. In gastric cancer however, its role in the initial staging remains contentious. Presented is a case series of three gastric patients wherein the use of fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT (computer tomography) as part of the initial staging was inconsequential to treatment, demonstrating its limited role in the staging of primary gastric cancer. Methods We analyzed retrospective data from 12/1/2010 to 10/31/2016 of patient with gastric cancer whose initial staging included a PET/CT. Only patients 18 years and older with gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction cancers were included. The data was derived from a single institution. Management of patients involved both an academic institution and a community practice. Results Of the three cases reported, an FDG-avid mass with minimal FDG uptake was reported in a single case and no FDG-avid lesion was reported in the other two. Neither of the patients underwent an endoscopic ultrasound for lack of availability. Conclusion While various imaging studies such as endoscopic ultrasound have an established role in the initial staging, the role of FDG-PET is yet to be established and its routine use remains contentious. Based on our clinical experience and review of the literature, we believe FDG-PET/CT imaging is of limited clinical and cost effective value in the initial staging workup of gastric cancer.
The Academic Engineering Research Environment in the United States

Summary Many of the papers given at this symposium and other IFAC symposia by American authors are by U.S. professors from various academic institutions in the United States. The environment in which they work and the overall R and D situation in the U.S. has a nontrivial impact on the nature of their research efforts and way they perceive their role in the development of science and technology. The author recently had an unusual opportunity to examine this issue from a national perspective while serving at the National Science Foundation. This presentation is a synthesis of his observations and is offered as a rather objective statement of the current state of the U.S. engineering academic environment.
Persistent regional and racial disparities in nondirected living kidney donation

Nondirected living donors (NDLDs) are an important and growing source of kidneys to help reduce the organ shortage. In its infancy, NDLD transplantation was clustered at a few transplant centers and rarely benefited African American (AA) recipients. However, NDLDs have increased 9.4-fold since 2000, and now are often used to initiate kidney paired donation chains. Therefore, we hypothesized that the initial geographic clustering and racial disparities may have improved. We used Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data to compare NDLDs and their recipients between 2008-2015 and 2000-2007. We found that NDLD increased an average of 12% per year, from 20 in 2000 to 188 in 2015 (IRR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.11-1.13, P < .001). In 2000-2007, 18.3% of recipients of NDLD kidneys were AA; this decreased in 2008-2015 to 15.7%. NDLD transplants initially became more evenly distributed across centers (Gini 0.91 in 2000 to Gini 0.69 in 2011), but then became more clustered at fewer transplant centers (Gini 0.75 in 2015). Despite the increased number of NDLDs, racial disparities have worsened and the center-level distribution of NDLD transplants has narrowed in recent years.
Current Infection Control Recommendations for Prion Disease; A Difficult Problem for the Deployed Personnel of the Armed Forces

Background: Kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome, and fatal familial insomnia are a group of transmissible, progressive, and ultimately lethal neurodegenerative disorders caused by prion diseases. Prion disease may present in sporadic, inherited, and acquired forms. Fewer new cases of CJD are presenting themselves compared to the 1990’s when a surge of cases was recognized after an extended incubation period following dura mater and growth hormones replacement up to 25 years before. Currently, prion disease affects approximately 1 - 2 persons per million worldwide annually. In recent years, however, variant CJD has been associated with transfusions, making the possibility of transmission through operative procedures, blood, and tissue donations a real concern. Since the emergence of variant CJD, prion disease has become a considerable public health threat, not only because of their mysterious pathogenesis, but the lack of treatment options, limited diagnostic availability, and emerging transmission routes. Active surveillance of human prion diseases is critical for disease control and prevention considering the limited options for therapeutic and prophylactic interventions. Due to the risk to public health, CJD surveillance systems are now established in many countries; especially developing countries and deployed military units where healthcare is poor and infection control measures in the field are difficult to maintain. Several long-term multinational cooperative projects are on-going as well as reporting systems which protect military families from purchasing bovine in endemic countries. Objective: This paper reviews the epidemiological characteristics of various human prion diseases, infection control issues, current disinfection processes as well as recommended processes, and active surveillance systems in different countries. Conclusions: Prion disease represents a continued public health concern due to its insidious nature. Current practice continues to advance finding better ways at diagnosing earlier. Treatment options are still far from being anything but palliative. Prevention remains the primary component to neutralizing the spread of non-inherited forms of prion disease.
Does residency matter? Local residency as a predictor of arrest

Prior studies show that a number of offender characteristics impact police officer use of discretion. Although there are exceptions, characteristics such as race and gender have been shown to influ...
Identification of amino acids with sensitive nanoporous MoS2: towards machine learning-based prediction

Protein detection plays a key role in determining the single point mutations which can cause a variety of diseases. Nanopore sequencing provides a label-free, single base, fast and long reading platform, which makes it amenable for personalized medicine. A challenge facing nanopore technology is the noise in ionic current. Here, we show that a nanoporous single-layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) can detect individual amino acids in a polypeptide chain (16 units) with a high accuracy and distinguishability. Using extensive molecular dynamics simulations (with a total aggregate simulation time of 66 µs) and machine learning techniques, we featurize and cluster the ionic current and residence time of the 20 amino acids and identify the fingerprints of the signals. Using logistic regression, nearest neighbor, and random forest classifiers, the sensor reading is predicted with an accuracy of 72.45, 94.55, and 99.6%, respectively. In addition, using advanced ML classification techniques, we are able to theoretically predict over 2.8 million hypothetical sensor readings’ amino acid types. Molecular dynamics simulations combined with machine learning techniques enable the prediction of MoS2 nanopore sequencing capabilities. A team led by N. R. Aluru at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign used logistic regression, nearest neighbor, and random forest classifiers to develop a machine learning-based platform capable of predicting the sensing capabilities of nanoporous, atomically thin MoS2. The material was shown to be able to identify individual amino acids in polypeptide chains with high accuracy and distinguishability. Twenty amino acids could be detected and categorized in different classes based on current-residence time training data, with an accuracy of up to 99.6%. These results show promise for the development of amino acid detection platforms with atomically thin materials assisted by machine learning.
Addressing barriers to surgical evaluation for patients with epilepsy.

Abstract Objective Patients with poorly controlled seizures are at elevated risk of epilepsy-related morbidity and mortality. For patients with drug-resistant epilepsy that is focal at onset, epilepsy surgery is the most effective treatment available and offers a 50–80% cure rate. Yet, it is estimated that only 1% of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy undergo surgery in a timely fashion, and delays to surgery completion are considerable. The aim of this study was to increase availability and decrease delay of surgical evaluation at our epilepsy center for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy by removing process barriers. Methods For this quality improvement (QI) initiative, we convened a multidisciplinary team to construct a presurgical pathway process map and complete root cause analysis. This inquiry revealed that the current condition allowed patients to proceed through the pathway without centralized oversight. Therefore, we appointed an epilepsy surgery nurse manager, and under her direction, multiple additional process improvement interventions were applied. We then retrospectively compared preintervention (2014–2015) and postintervention (2016–2017) cohorts of patient undergoing the presurgical pathway. The improvement measures were patient throughput and pathway sojourn times. As a balancing measure, we considered the proportion of potentially eligible patients (epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) admissions) who ultimately completed epilepsy surgery. Results Following our intervention, patient throughput was substantially increased for each stage of the presurgical pathway (32%–96% growth). However, patient sojourn times were not improved overall. No difference was observed in the proportion of possible candidates who ultimately completed epilepsy surgery. Significance Although process improvement expanded the number of patients who underwent epilepsy surgical evaluation, we experienced concurrent prolongation of the time from pathway initiation to completion. Ongoing improvement cycles will focus on newly identified residual sources of bottleneck and delay.
Stilbene Cell Analysis for Radioxenon Monitoring

Radioxenon monitoring is one component of the verification regime for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. The systems in the field use hollow plastic scintillators for beta detection and NaI(Tl) detectors for gamma detection, where the plastic cell also contains the radioxenon gas sample. To advance the current detection systems, a stilbene cell is being developed to replace the plastic cell. The benefits of developing a new detector that uses stilbene include increased resolution of the beta spectrum and removal of radon interferences using pulse shape discrimination. This work compares measurements, to analyze the detector characteristics, made by a prototype stilbene cell with that of the presently used plastic cell. MCNPX-PoliMi modeled the experiment, and produced simulations will be used to optimize the final design of the stilbene cell.
A Population-Based Investigation of Health-Care Needs and Preferences in American Adults With Multiple Sclerosis.

Background:Comprehensive and effective multiple sclerosis (MS) health care requires understanding of patients’ needs, preferences, and priorities.Objective:To evaluate priorities of patients with M...
Reflecting on Digital Technology in Mathematical Problem-Solving Situations

This chapter reflects on the preceding six chapters of this section of the book, highlighting the diversity of research problems addressed and the empirical and theoretical responses to those problems. The chapter comments on how the responses suggest the important role of digital technology for supporting seeing mathematically and ends by suggesting an area of research involving the collaborative technologies of Web 2.0.
Rhetorical Emancipation: Apologia and Transcendence on Death Row

The last statement of a condemned prisoner is a compelling rhetorical moment. Rhetors are given the opportunity to answer for charges knowing they cannot alleviate their circumstances. The statements analyzed here suggests that in such cases rhetors rely on transcendence as their preferred form of apologia. These statements show how the rhetorically malleable and strategically vital qualities of the situation may be manipulated to the rhetors’ advantage. This analysis of the last statements of condemned prisoners shows how the purposeful enactment of transcendence may be used as a means of rhetorical emancipation through terminological control. Transcendence allows rhetors to align their interpretation of the situation with a broader communal value and escape answering the details of the charges against them.
Expert SHM and CM of Turbojet Engine FCU Using Instantaneous Angular Speed Signal

The control quality and technical condition of the engine control system (fuel control unit, FCU) plays a key role in the safe operation of aircraft. The article presents a comprehensive approach to diagnosing FCU in transient states. At the beginning, examples of damage to aircraft engines caused by FCU’s incorrect work were presented, and the difference in perception of FCU by the designer and diagnostician was indicated. A transfer of the status observer was proposed for a reliable diagnosis of the FCU technical condition (reverse problem). Instead of registering and analysing several parameters (including pressure and fuel flow, exhaust temperature, pressure, etc.) and temperatures at the inlet to the combustion chamber) in steady states, the registration of the instantaneous angular speed (IAS) in the transient states of the engine and the analysis of its parameters on the phase plane is proposed. Next, the methodology of active experiments was discussed, in which the functions of FCU components and new diagnostic symptoms were identified. The methodology for creating expert software has been approximated. Finally, the experience of the long-term operation of the method in Poland has been presented. The very high efficiency of the diagnostic method in identifying hidden FCU failures and regulation errors has been demonstrated, which is also influenced by human factors. The topics discussed will be illustrated by examples.
Multistep block mapping on principal component uniformity repairs Landsat 7 defects

Abstract Landsat 7 Scan Line Corrector failure compromised 22% of pixels. Novel procedures were developed estimating missing data from means of pixels present within 2N–sized neighbouring blocks whose positions were defined by simultaneously minimizing heterogeneity of source imagery within blocks while satisfying need for sufficiently large size that some pixels remained near defects. Regions used to estimate missing data were defined in a stepwise process in which local standard error cut-offs for accepting particular 2N–sized regions of source imagery as representing missing pixels were progressively raised over a series of 51 cycles. For Landsat scenes of interest in western Oregon, averages of 34.7, 68.8, 95.4, and 99.0% of gaps in synthetic data were repaired by cycles 1, 6, 16, and 30. Standard deviations of differences between estimated and real values increased from an average of 9.0 digital numbers at cycle 1 to plateaus near 17.0 by cycle 25. This procedure performed well over a wide range of imagery dates, a consequence of its use of source imagery to identify homologous regions within landscapes rather than directly estimating pixels.
Immune System Stimulation Reduces the Efficiency of Whole-Body Protein Deposition and Alters Muscle Fiber Characteristics in Growing Pigs

The effects of immune system stimulation (ISS), induced by repeated injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide, on the whole-body protein synthesis versus degradation rates, the efficiency of protein deposition (PD), and muscle fiber characteristics in pigs were evaluated. Twelve growing gilts were assigned to two levels of amino acid intake that was predicted based on the potential of each group’s health status for PD and feed intake. Isotope tracer, nitrogen balance, and immunohistochemical staining techniques were used to determine protein turnover, PD, and muscle fiber characteristics, respectively. Protein synthesis, degradation, and PD were lower in immune-challenged pigs than in control pigs (p < 0.05). Strong tendencies for a higher protein synthesis-to-PD ratio (p = 0.055) and a lower protein synthesis-to-degradation ratio (p = 0.065) were observed in immune-challenged pigs. A decrease in muscle cross-sectional area of fibers and a shift from myosin heavy chain (MHC)-II towards MHC-I fibers (p < 0.05) were observed in immune-challenged pigs. These results indicated that ISS reduces PD not only by suppressing the whole-body protein synthesis and degradation rates, but also by decreasing the efficiency of PD in growing pigs. In addition, ISS induces atrophy in skeletal muscles and favors a slow-twitch oxidative fiber type composition.
Making Cables Disappear: Can Wireless Datacenter be a Reality?

Significant portion of the power consumption of datacenter is due to the power-hungry switching fabric necessary for communication. Additionally, the complex cabling in traditional datacenters pose design and maintenance challenges and increase the energy cost of the cooling infrastructure by obstructing the flow of chilled air. In this work, these problems of traditional datacenters are addressed by designing a server-to-server wireless datacenter network (S2S-WiDCN). It is estimated that by implementing S2S-WiDCN, power consumption is lower by five to seventeen times compared to a conventional DCN fabric.
“The Monetary Link”: Tocqueville on the Second Bank of the United States and Liberal Political Economy

Tocqueville is not considered a pioneer of political economy, though economic themes are prevalent throughout his work. However, through an analysis of his comments on the debate over whether or not to recharter the Second Bank of the United States, I argue Tocqueville demonstrates that governmental centralization is essential for a healthy liberal political economy. Governmental centralization is key because it allows for the implementation of the entrepreneurial spirit and provides a basic structure of rules and laws that facilitate commerce and are the basis for national bonds and distinctly American mores. For Tocqueville, the political economy of America is defined by both a spirit of commerce and a need for institutions that foster this spirit and prevent it from being overcome by problematic democratic passions.
Otospondylomegaepiphyseal Dysplasia: A Case Report of Clinical and Radiographic Findings.

Case We present a long-term follow-up on a woman with otospondylomegaepiphyseal dysplasia (OSMED). At the age of 46 years, she is one of the oldest patients with the syndrome in the literature to date. We focus on the musculoskeletal anatomy and orthopaedic interventions over her lifetime. Conclusion OSMED is a very rare syndrome. Arthritis and joint pains presented in her early adolescence and progressed to the point of requiring joint replacements by her 20s. Early intervention and monitoring improved the quality of life for this patient.
Machine Learning-Based Prediction of Distribution Network Voltage and Sensor Allocation

Increasing penetration levels of fast-varying energy resources might negatively affect power system operation. At the same time, sensor deployment throughout distribution networks improves system awareness and enables the development of new and advanced voltage control solutions. Such control techniques rely on accurate prediction in anticipation of voltage violation scenarios. This paper analyzes various approaches to voltage prediction in a distribution system, and it is shown that combining multiple techniques into a single regressor improves its predictive power. Moreover, a two-step regressor is proposed in which initial predictions based on a global regressor are refined by local regressors; in this case, prediction errors decrease significantly. Additionally, a clustering approach is employed to perform sensor allocation so that only the most influential buses are selected for monitoring without diminishing prediction accuracy.
Perioperative management and considerations in pediatric patients with connective tissue disorders undergoing cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND Marfan syndrome and Loeys-Dietz syndrome are connective tissue disorders associated with cardiac and vascular disease. Patients often require surgical repair, but limited data exist to describe their perioperative management. AIMS Our goals were to review the perioperative features of patients with Marfan and Loeys-Dietz syndrome that may affect anesthesia care and to describe the differences in preoperative clinical characteristics and intra-operative anesthetic management. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with Marfan and Loeys-Dietz syndrome who underwent cardiac surgery at a single institution. We collected demographic and perioperative data from the electronic medical record and performed descriptive statistics to characterize the patient populations and describe their anesthetic management. RESULTS In 71 patients (40 Marfan, 31 Loeys-Dietz), we found significant differences between the Marfan and Loeys-Dietz patients in airway difficulty, preoperative weight, blood utilization, valvular disease, and age at first cardiac surgery. Patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome had higher preoperative rates of severe noncardiac comorbidities, including gastroesophageal reflux and asthma that required chronic medical therapy. CONCLUSIONS Despite undergoing similar surgical procedures, patients with Marfan and Loeys-Dietz syndrome have different intrinsic patient characteristics and comorbidities that may affect their perioperative care. This retrospective cohort study identified some factors, but additional collection and reporting of patient data based on multicenter experience are essential for the ongoing optimization of perioperative care in these patient populations.
Managing a Global Retail Brand in Different Markets: Meta-Analyses of Customer Responses To Service Encounters

This study investigates how retailers can leverage their brand to shape customers’ satisfaction with service encounters. It develops and tests hypotheses about how brand, store, and consumer factors moderate customer responses to experience clues during retail service encounters. Six meta-regression analyses synthesize and compare results from 842 satisfaction equations describing customers’ encounters with a global retailer operating 400 stores in 32 countries. The results show how customers weigh their perceptions of service encounters differently depending on brand, store, and consumer factors. In markets where customers believe the retailer has high holistic brand quality, they place less weight on experience clues within the store. In markets where customers believe the retailer’s service brand promise, they place more weight on in-store experience clues. In markets where the retailer promises utilitarian value, customers weigh functional experience clues more heavily. In markets with an online purchasing channel, the effect of experience clues common to offline and online store environments is magnified, and unique clues are diminished. In addition, customers heavily weigh experience clues that fit their goals. In general, retail success factors include high brand quality (which makes customers more forgiving), a service brand promise that is mirrored in the store image (which makes customers attend to the experience clues aligned with them), and the careful monitoring and managing of retail touchpoints (to customize experience clues to each market). In this way, retailers can use customer-based strategies to effectively design and manage their global retail brand in different markets.
Agrovoltaics Farming Design and Simulation

Countries need to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels that heavily contribute to greenhouse gas emissions to meet the pledge made by the member countries at the Paris Climate Agreement (PCA). This paper proposes using agrovoltaics, i.e., combining photovoltaics (PV) panels with agriculture, reducing the distress among farmers, rural electrification, and reducing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emission in India, the third-largest contributor to greenhouse gas emission. The agrovoltaics presented in the paper is 1000kW, which produces a power of 2,061 MWh/year of power. Additionally, the project, in its life of 30 years, reduces the CO 2 emission by 57,834 tons. Furthermore, the farmers in the rural part of Vidarbha, India, can earn around $27,655 per annum by selling the generated power to the utility companies. The results obtained in the paper are generated and verified by using PVSyst software version 7.2.If replicated across the farming sector across India, such a project can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide uninterrupted power and employment.
Suicide in the Context of Adolescent Development: What Humanitarian Actors Can Do

The author reflects from his own personal experience as a survivor, child psychologist and humanitarian on causes of suicidality among adolescents and prevention strategies. Suicide ideation or attempted suicide is a symptom of underlying issues that complicates developmental tasks. This personal reflection summarises the developmental tasks facing adolescents, carrying out a mental review and the search for self and separation from parents. The author describes major factors that complicate the completion of these developmental tasks in humanitarian contexts. He then discusses action for prevention on two levels: (1) Prevention through the creation of a social ecology that provides the basis for children’s healthy mental and psychosocial development and in which they have the highest chance of succeeding at resolving complicated development tasks. (2) Prevention of further harm when an adolescent has reached the level of ideation, has planned suicide or has already made a suicide attempt. For the first level, he uses Winnicott’s concept of “the holding environment” to guide various humanitarian aid sectors on suicide prevention. For the second level, he stresses the importance of overcoming a sense of isolation and the need for a long-term engagement in which verbal and nonverbal approaches are combined.
A metaschema of the UMLS based on a partition of its semantic network.

Abstract The Unified Medical Language System's (UMLS's) Semantic Network (SN) provides an important conceptual abstraction that helps orient users to the vast knowledge content of its Metathesaurus. However, the SN is itself large and complex, and can also benefit from an additional abstract view of its own. In this paper, we present a metaschema that serves such a purpose. This metaschema is derived from a previously developed partitioning methodology for the SN. The metaschema is formally defined, and used to provide partial compact views of the SN.
Optimization and Analysis of Chemical Synthesis Routes for the Production of Biofuels

Abstract In this work we extend a recently proposed method to concurrently select biofuel blends which satisfy ASTM standards and their optimal synthesis routes by using thermochemistry based post-processing analysis to compare these routes. Gas phase thermochemistry, estimated from group additivity, was used to calculate the equilibrium extent of reaction for each synthesis step. Situations of reaction, phase, and site coupling were subsequently identified to overcome equilibrium limited steps and reduce the number of reaction systems required. This method can aid process designers in screening and ranking large numbers of potential biofuel candidates and synthesis routes simultaneously from an energetic, thermochemical, economic, or kinetic standpoint.
Path integral formulation for eigenfunctions

We generalize the path integral technique of quantum mechanics to provide direct expressions for energy eigenfunctions. We illustrate our technique with the harmonic oscillator.
Effect of sodium glutamate on leucine-induced hypoglycemia: clinical and electroencephalographic study.

The clinical and electroencephalographic signs of leucine-induced hypoglycemia in the infant can be alleviated with oral or intravenous administration of sodium glutamate. The improvement occurs in spite of low glucose levels in plasma after intravenous administration; this supports the view that glutamic acid is rapidly metabolized by the brain during hypoglycemia.
The Design of CMOS Radio-Frequency Integrated Circuits: A REVIEW OF MOS DEVICE PHYSICS

INTRODUCTION This chapter focuses attention on those aspects of transistor behavior that are of immediate relevance to the RF circuit designer. Separation of first-order from higher-order phenomena is emphasized, so there are many instances when crude approximations are presented in the interest of developing insight. As a consequence, this review is intended as a supplement to – rather than a replacement for – traditional rigorous treatments of the subject. In particular, we must acknowledge that today's deepsubmicron MOSFET is so complex a device that simple equations cannot possibly provide anything other than first-order (maybe even zeroth-order) approximations to the truth. The philosophy underlying this chapter is to convey a simple story that will enable first-pass designs, which are then verified by simulators using much more sophisticated models. Qualitative insights developed with the aid of the zeroth-order models enable the designer to react appropriately to bad news from the simulator. We design with a simpler set of models than those used for verification. With that declaration out of the way, we now turn to some history before launching into a series of derivations. A LITTLE HISTORY Attempts to create field-effect transistors (FETs) actually predate the development of bipolar devices by over twenty years. In fact, the first patent application for a FET-like transistor was filed in 1926 by Julius Lilienfeld, but he never constructed a working device. Before co-inventing the bipolar transistor, William Shockley also tried to modulate the conductivity of a semiconductor to create a field-effect transistor.
Purification and properties of a bacterial carbamyl phosphate synthetase.

Abstract A glutamine-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthetase was purified from Escherichia coli B. The enzyme has a molecular weight of approximately 700,000. This enzyme can use either ammonia or glutamine as the amino group donor in carbamyl phosphate synthesis. Estimated values of the Michaelis constant for each of these substrates indicate that glutamine is probably the true amino group donor in vivo. The stoichiometry for the case where glutamine serves as a substrate indicates that 2 moles of adenosine triphosphate are required for the formation of 1 mole of carbamyl phosphate. The reaction is reversible, although the rate of the back reaction is about one-tenth as fast as that of the forward reaction. This reverse reaction, the formation of ATP from carbamyl phosphate and ADP, does not proceed in the absence of glutamic acid and orthophosphate. The single omission of glutamate or of orthophosphate reduces the synthesis of ATP to one-half the amount observed when both are present. We have suggested that these data indicate that the reaction may involve more than one step.
EARNINGS MANAGEMENT AMONG FIRMS DURING THE PRE-SEC ERA: A BENFORD'S LAW ANALYSIS

ABSTRACT This paper examines the existence of financial statement manipulation in the U.S. during a time period when many of the current motivations did not exist. The study looks for types of manipulations that would be motivated by the pre-SEC operating environment. To examine this issue, a sample of U.S. firms from the 1915 Moody's Analyses of Investments is divided into industrial firms, railroads, and utilities. The railroad and utility companies faced rate regulation during this time period, providing incentives to manipulate the financial reports so as to maximize the rate received. Industrial firms were not regulated. These companies wanted to attract investors, motivating manipulations to increase income and net assets. To determine if manipulations are occurring, a Benford's Law analysis is used. This analysis examines the frequency of numbers in certain positions within an amount to determine if the distribution of the numbers is similar to the pattern documented by Benford's Law. Some manipula...
Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Integrated Conservation and Development Projects and Local Perceptions of Conservation in Madagascar

This paper explores local perceptions of internationally financed conservation and development projects in Madagascar and the success of these projects at influencing perceptions. Interviews, surveys, and focus group sessions were conducted in the peripheral zones of three Malagasy national parks: Ranomafana, Andohahela, and Masoala. Relevant questions explored community demographics, socioeconomic status, and local perceptions of the parks. The principal finding is that while a majority of people living in the peripheral zones do find conservation a valuable goal, they see it as a luxury they cannot afford. Despite their efforts and innovation, conservation and development projects have had a minimal impact on socioeconomic or associational life in the Ranomafana and Andohahela peripheral zones, and a significant but modest impact in the Masoala peripheral zone, by providing economic alternatives to destructive resource use. As a result, they are limited in their success at promoting conservation outcomes.
Best practices for the care and feeding of a program committee, and other thoughts on conference organization

I provide several lessons learned from running a number of conference program committees over the past decade, as well as some additional thoughts on conference organization and the reviewing process. Topics include how to deal with poor or absent reviewers, inbreeding among PC members, starting a new conference, and several other issues.
Future Issues and Approaches to Health Monitoring and Failure Prevention for Oil-Free Gas Turbines

Recent technology advances in foil air bearings, high temperature solid lubricants and computer based modeling has enabled the development of small Oil-Free gas turbines. These turbomachines are currently commercialized as small (<100 kW) microturbine generators and larger machines are being developed. Based upon these successes and the high potential payoffs offered by Oil-Free systems, NASA, industry, and other government entities are anticipating Oil-Free gas turbine propulsion systems to proliferate future markets. Since an Oil-Free engine has no oil system, traditional approaches to health monitoring and diagnostics, such as chip detection, oil analysis, and possibly vibration signature analyses (e.g., ball pass frequency) will be unavailable. As such, new approaches will need to be considered. These could include shaft orbit analyses, foil bearing temperature measurements, embedded wear sensors and start-up/coast down speed analysis. In addition, novel, as yet undeveloped techniques may emerge based upon concurrent developments in MEMS technology. This paper introduces Oil-Free technology, reviews the current state of the art and potential for future turbomachinery applications and discusses possible approaches to health monitoring, diagnostics and failure prevention.
Learning When to Trust Which Experts

The standard model for prediction using a pool of experts has an underlying assumption that one of the experts performs well. In this paper, we show that this assumption does not take advantage of situations where both the outcome and the experts' predictions are based on some input which the learner gets to observe too. In particular, we exhibit a situation where each individual expert performs badly but collectively they perform well, and show that the traditional weighted majority techniques perform poorly.
A study of human hand tendon kinematics with applications to robot hand design

Current trends in robotics are pointing to the design of dextrous manipulators patterned after human hands. This article reports on some studies of the human hand and how it relates to the design of anthropomorphic manipulators. We discuss hand anatomy and a mathematical model that relates tendon displacement to joint angle. This enables the understanding of the role of the tendons in normal hand function as well as in disability. This information may be used to design robot or hand prosthesis tendons after their human counterparts. We present an example of a shape memory alloy actuator based design. The actuators emulate human tendon mechanisms.
An all-in-one silicon Odometer for separately monitoring HCI, BTI, and TDDB

An on-chip reliability monitor capable of separating the aging effects of HCI, BTI, and TDDB with sub-ps precision is presented. A pair of stressed ring oscillators is implemented in which one ages due to both BTI and HCI, while the other suffers from only BTI. Frequency degradation is monitored with a beat frequency detection system achieving sub-μ s measurement times. Measurement results are presented from a 65nm test chip over a range of stress conditions.