cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Presentation of the 2001 Phil Kaufman Award to Professor Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli

It is a very special pleasure and an honor for me to present the eighth annual Phil Knufman Award to Professor Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli—acndemic, entrepreneur, businessman, and a personal friend for more than a quarter century.
Development of wet etch processing for InxAl1−xAsySb1−y solar cells grown on InP

Novel III–V multijunction solar cell concentrator devices grown on InP are potential candidates for achieving efficiencies under AM1.5D illumination of over 50%. Controlled fabrication of these structures involves a complete understanding of the interaction of different wet etch chemistries with the numerous combinations of alloys and semiconductor compounds in this material system. Selective etches for contact layer removal and non-selective etches for mesa isolation were studied for potential processing of an InAlAsSb device lattice-matched to InP. In addition to determining global etch rates for several materials grown on InP, two wet etch chemistries were analyzed in order to optimize a highly selective etch for effective lattice-matched InGaAs contact layer removal. We show that a citric acid-based solution etching of the InGaAs layer resulted in a lateral undercut that was five times greater than etching with a methylsuccinic acid-based solution.
Control of Aedes albopictus from the perspective of North America.

Aedes albopictus is a serious nuisance species and a potential vector of domestic arboviruses in the U.S. Public health and mosquito control agencies have taken numerous actions to address the problems posed by this species. Federally mandated programs of disinsection and inspection of tire casings imported into the U.S. are aimed at preventing additional introductions of this and other exotic mosquito species. Control programs, including the use of traditional chemical larvicides and adulticides, as well as the introduction of predatory copepods into larval habitats, have been developed and tested for population management. A few of the established populations in the northern areas of Ae. albopictus distribution in the continental U.S. have been successfully eradicated through source reduction and insecticide application.
Skin and soft tissue injuries of the hand in children.

This discussion focuses on three pediatric hand injury subtypes that, more often than not, present problems in surgical treatment. These subtypes are finger tip injuries, multiple digit trauma, and the burned hand. Principles of evaluation, surgical treatment, and management are provided.
Effect of intracellular pH on force development depends on temperature in intact skeletal muscle from mouse

The cellular mechanism of muscle fatigue is still in debate. Opposite conclusions regarding the role of intracellular pH (pHi) in fatigue have been drawn from skinned fiber vs. isolated perfused muscle studies. Because these experiments are typically performed at different temperatures, we tested the hypothesis that temperature alters the effects of pH on force. Tetanic force of isolated mouse extensor digitorum longus was measured at temperatures between 13 and 25 degrees C in either normocapnia (5% CO2) or hypercapnia (25% CO2). Hypercapnia decreased pHi (monitored by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) by the same amount at both 15 and 25 degrees C. However, inhibition of force by hypercapnia was greater at the lower temperature. A similar pattern of temperature-dependent inhibition of force by pH was observed in glycerinated fibers from rabbit psoas at maximum Ca2+ activation. We conclude that temperature differences are responsible for disparate conclusions on the role of pHi in muscle fatigue. Based on our results, we suggest that changes in pHi may have little or no role in the loss in force production associated with muscular fatigue at physiological temperatures.
The Potential of Building High School Students’ Vocabulary Using an iPod Touch and Gaming App

This study focused on the potential for building 25 high-school students' word knowledge by using a mobile learning device and gaming app. Using a game as an instructional tool is a portable way for students to engage with content. The amount of vocabulary mastered after using the app on the mobile device was examined in relation to a pre-test and a post-test, completed 3 weeks apart. The aspects investigated were the transfer potential of learning on a mobile device, and the variation in performance levels. The results indicated a direct correlation between the pre-test score as a predictor for the post-test score. Also, the choice of techniques used to play the app indicated that participants called upon the 'process of elimination' and 'roots/word parts' as tools to help them master the vocabulary. These findings point to the potential for incorporating a game as an instructional tool for vocabulary development.
Strict Regiospecificity of Human Epithelial 15-Lipoxygenase-2 Delineates Its Transcellular Synthesis Potential.

Lipoxins are an important class of lipid mediators that induce the resolution of inflammation and arise from transcellular exchange of arachidonic acid (AA)-derived lipoxygenase products. Human epithelial 15-lipoxygenase-2 (h15-LOX-2), the major lipoxygenase in macrophages, has exhibited strict regiospecificity, catalyzing only the hydroperoxidation of carbon 15 of AA. To determine the catalytic potential of h15-LOX-2 in transcellular synthesis events, we reacted it with the three lipoxygenase-derived monohydroperoxy-eicosatetraenoic acids (HPETE) in humans: 5-HPETE, 12-HPETE, and 15-HPETE. Only 5-HPETE was a substrate for h15-LOX-2, and the steady-state catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of this reaction was 31% of the kcat/Km of AA. The only major product of h15-LOX-2’s reaction with 5-HPETE was the proposed lipoxin intermediate, 5,15-dihydroperoxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (5,15-diHPETE). However, h15-LOX-2 did not react further with 5,15-diHPETE to produce lipoxins. This result is consistent with the specific...
Epidemiology of Sport-Related Concussion in an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Sample

Background:Concussions are common in football, and knowledge of their incidence rates across settings is needed to develop strategies to decrease occurrence.Purpose:To examine sports-related concussion rates in a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision sample based on the activity setting where injuries occurred, during which type of play, and when relative to the 2010 NCAA concussion management policy.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Methods:Medical records from January 2006 to January 2015 for an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision program were analyzed. Concussion rates (per 1000 athlete-exposures [AEs]) were compared among the following settings: spring practice, preseason training camp, regular season high-contact practice, regular season low-contact practice, bowl game practice, and game competition. Play-type analyses examined incidence rates during offensive, defensive, and special teams plays. Changes in concussion rate coinciding with...
Study on Current Status of Air Pollution Control for Coal-fired Power Plants in China

Power industry of China had made great achievements from 1978.By the end of 2010,the national installed power capacities and the electricity generation of China had reached 962.19 GW and 4.228 trillion kW·h respectively,ranking the second in the world since 1996.The air pollution of coal-fired power plants had been controlled significantly,and the emissions of major pollutants had been controlled effectively,with the emission performance declining year by year.The emission performance of the dust emission,SO2 and NOx decreased to 1.0,3.2 and 2.9 g(kW·h)respectively in the end of 2009.The power industry took proactive responses toward climate change,and the cumulative emission reduction of CO2 of power industry was about 951 million tons from 2006 to 2009,compared to the 2005 level.Looking forward to the Twelfth Five-Year Plan period(2011-2015),the power industry should insist on the control roadmap of combining the source control and end-of-pipe treatment,and the key work on the regional joint prevention and the multi pollutant control to control the air pollutants;and insist on optimizing the power structure and enhancing the energy saving to deal with climate change.
WE‐G‐204‐02: So You Want to Do Research: Two Approaches to Beginning a Career in Medical Physics Research

While many indicators for academic medical physics are distressing – jobs are tight, demands on clinical time are high (and getting worse) and national funding has been flat for several years (meaning less money in reality) the present is perhaps one of the most exciting times in cancer research history, and medical physicists have an opportunity to make a difference. Many of us predict the impact of medical physics on cancer research over the next decade to be more significant than ever. Why is that? First, medical imaging is used for every cancer patient in developed countries. Every improvement in the acquisition, processing or analysis of radiological images has the potential to impact patients. The use of radiation therapy is at an all-time high – and virtually cannot be performed without medical physics. Many of the advances in both biomedical imaging and radiation oncology are the result of the hard work of academic medical physicists who are thinking of the next generation of technologies that will be used against cancer or an even broader spectrum of diseases. A career in academic medical physics is demanding, particularly for those with clinical responsibilities. As the demands for justification of their clinical effort become increasingly metricized, the ability to do “unfunded research” will become even more difficult. This means that many will have to generate external salary support to justify their efforts in research and development. This comes at a time when funding for research is compressed and harder to obtain. Generally speaking, if you are not contributing 50% or more of your effort to research, you are competing at a disadvantage and it is very unlikely you will get an NIH/NCI/NIBIB grant. Furthermore, in the ongoing effort to improve patient care and safety, we have developed credentialing pathways that now require at least two-years of residency training. This full-time clinical training creates a gap in the research trajectory of graduate students who aspire to academic positions with an expectation for extramural funding. To address this, several residency programs have created hybrid programs where the two-years of clinical training is combined with one or two years of research effort to allow candidates to further establish an academic identity and to ensure adequate academic productivity to compete for a beginning faculty position. In conclusion, while the path to a successful career in academic medical physics is steep and sometimes hard to follow, reaching the apex is worth the journey. Different paths to a career in medical physics are available, you just have to decide which one is right for you. If improving cancer care is your goal as a physicist, then academic medical physics is the job for you!
Social Responsibility in IS/IT Project Management

Project managers obviously have a responsibility to manage their projects. In this chapter we explore the question of social responsibility of project managers. We take it as given for purposes of this chapter that the project involves information systems and/or information technology. Social responsibility implies something beyond technical responsibility (the project, when completed, is technically efficient and reliable and meets the project specifications). In this chapter we will use the stakeholder approach, which is common in discussions of business ethics and the role of business in society (Donaldson & Preston, 1995; Evan & Freeman, 1983) to identify various groups to which project managers have social responsibility. We will discuss the difference between legal responsibility and moral or ethical responsibility. We will use a rights and duties approach to apply principles from business ethics to the problem of identifying project manager responsibilities. After this general discussion, we will identify five specific groups to whom IS/IT project managers have responsibilities. For each group, we will identify the project manager role or roles which connect to the rights of the group and discuss the duties which those rights impose on project managers. In concluding the chapter, we will briefly consider how the duties or responsibilities of project managers can be viewed in a positive light as opportunities which most employees and many managers do not have.
Radionuclide Migration Studies Associated with the WIPP Site in Southern New Mexico

Migration of radionuclides in ground water has been identified as the most likely pathway from a deep geologic nuclear waste repository to the biosphere. An important mechanism in retarding nuclide movement in ground water is sorption, a term which is used herein to encompass all mechanisms pertinent to interactions (which include ion exchange, absorption, and precipitation) between nuclides and the geomedia. Water exiting a repository at the WIPP site would encounter halite in the repository horizon, polyhalite and anhydrite beds, and finally sandstone and dolomite formations which are the upper bound of the repository. To a rough approximation, the concentration of a given nuclide per unit mass, C(solid), sorbed on a solid mineral phase can be related to the concentration per unit volume, C(liquid), in the liquid phase by the relation: $$C\left( {solid} \right) = Kd \cdot C\left( {liquid} \right)$$ where Kd is generally referred to as the distribution coefficient, with units of ml/g. The use of the term Kd implies an equilibrium state for a given reaction and is used, in that sense, in the mathematical modeling of long term radionuclide migration (1). In the interaction of a nuclide with a complex mineral assemblage, equilibrium conditions may not apply, and the symbol Kd is used as an empirical value applying only to the particular set of conditions used.
22nd JDC (La) Study Counts and Calculations

This paper is a spreadsheet of the counts and calculations underlying the 22nd JDC (LA) Study on Race, Homicides, and Prosecutions, 1976-2011.The article this report refers to can be found here: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2767851.
RESEARCH FOCUS: How Dynamic Weakening Makes Faults Stronger: The Role Of Melting In Post-Seismic Healing

faults strong throughout longer time scales encompassing the complete seismic cycle. The rock samples that Mitchell et al. collected in the field are mil lions of years old and exhumed from seismogenic depths (~5–15 km in the continental crust). But do processes alter the pseudotachylyte during exhumation (e.g., devitrification of quenched glass) and change the strength of the rock? Perhaps very little, according to Proctor and Lockner (2016, p. 1003 in this issue), who investigate the role of newly formed melt on strength recovery. In contrast to Mitchell et al., who tested the shear strength of natural PST, Proctor and Lockner started with standard saw-cut surfaces in cylindrical specimens of Westerly Granite—a standard fine-grained granite used in rock mechanics experiments worldwide—and observed stickslip events in the laboratory under dry and wet conditions and effective confining pressures ranging from 50 to 400 MPa. They followed these experiments by conducting constant normal stress re-strengthening experiments to investigate post-slip healing and concomitant strength recovery. During these re-strengthening experiments, dry samples with nearly complete stress drops showed significant strength recovery, such that the shear strength of the faults approached that of the virgin Westerly Granite, whereas wet samples and previously undeformed saw-cut samples were characterized by quasi-stable sliding. Microstructural examination of the post-mortem slip surfaces revealed evidence of thin melt patches in both dry and wet specimens, and for dry specimens, patches of the slip surface were completely welded together by melt. At lower confining pres sures, in the dry samples the melt was confined to isolated patches, but at higher confining pressures, during experiments for which stress drops and strength recovery were nearly complete, the entire slip surface was covered with melt. The lack of welded patches and absence of strength recovery under wet conditions was attributed to thermal pressurization, a process wherein heat generated during frictional sliding results in the expansion of
Foodborne Illness Caused by Escherichia coli : A Review.

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EEC) can be defined as any strain of E. coli that has the potential to cause diarrheal illness. Four major categories of EEC exist. Classical enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) commonly refers to serogroups of E. coli historically associated with outbreaks of diarrhea in young children and infants. Facultatively enteropathogenic E. coli (FEEC) are non-EPEC serogroups associated with sporadic diarrhea, and include many serogroups associated with the normal intestinal flora. Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) is commonly isolated from outbreaks of traveler's diarrhea, and includes those strains which produce a heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) only, a heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) only and those which produce both ST and LT. These organisms adhere to and colonize the epithelial cell surfaces of the proximal small intestine. This colonization is mediated by specific types of fimbriae which are host-specific. Toxigenicity is plasmid-related. Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) exert their pathogenic effect through an invasive infection of the gastrointestinal tract. Many techniques currently exist to determine the presence of enterotoxins produced by a particular strain of E. coli . These include bioassay, tissue culture and in vitro immunological techniques. Of the newer in vitro immunological methods, the staphylococcal coagglutination technique to detect LT seems to have potential for routine use in diagnostic microbiology laboratories. Since large numbers (106 - 109) of EEC are necessary for diarrhea, an unsanitary environment is needed for transmission of illness. Presence of EEC varies geographically; however, E. coli diarrhea is not likely to occur in the more hygenic areas of the world, except in occasional common-source outbreaks where the organism has time to replicate in food or water. The following foods have been implicated in documented E. coli diarrheal outbreaks worldwide: meat and meat products, fish, poultry, milk and dairy products, vegetables, baked products, rice formulations, coffee substitutes and water.
Chapter 15 Recreation Demand Models

Abstract Travel cost recreation demand models stem from a simple, but penetrating, insight. Consumption of an outdoor recreation site's services requires the user to incur the costs of a trip to that site. Travel costs serve as implicit prices. These costs reflect both people's distances from recreation sites visited and their specific opportunity costs of time. Today, economic analyses of recreation choices are among the most advanced examples of microeconometric modeling of consumer behavior in economics. The primary focus of this chapter is on the methods used to describe individuals' recreation choices. We are interested in the economic assumptions made in descriptions of behavior and measures of the economic value of amenities. Before developing this summary, in Section 2 we discuss how outdoor recreation fits within consumers' overall expenditures. Section 3 describes how we might ideally like to estimate consumers' preferences for recreation resources and the compromises implied by the models currently being used. Econometric details are deferred until Section 5, after a discussion of the features of recreation data in Section 4. In Section 6 we turn to conceptual issues in welfare measurement. We close in Section 7 with a discussion of a few research opportunities that seem especially important for the future.
Evaluation and Treatment of Substance/Medication-Induced Sexual Dysfunction

Sexual dysfunctions occur fairly frequently with some medications such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, and cardiovascular drugs. Substance abuse-associated sexual dysfunction also occurs relatively frequently with some substances, such as tobacco and opioids. The etiology and pathophysiology of substance/medication-associated sexual dysfunction could be quite complex and is frequently complicated by the treated mental or physical illness which may also be associated with sexual dysfunction. It is also important to realize that the regulation of sexual functioning is complicated, and includes the central nervous system, peripheral nerves, blood vessels, hormones, and smooth muscles. Medications and substances of abuse can impact any organs, structures, or systems involved in the regulation of sexual functioning, some or all of them. Management of sexual dysfunction associated with medications requires considering and implementing various treatment strategies.
Antimicrobial Therapy for Pneumonia in the Emergency Department: The Impact of Clinical Pharmacists on Appropriateness.

Introduction: Pneumonia impacts over 4 million people annually and is the leading cause of infectious related hospitalization and moratlity in the United States. Appropriate empiric antimicrobial therapy decreases hospital length of stay and improves mortality. The objective of our study was to test the hypothesis that the presence of an emergency medicine (EM) clinical pharmacist improves the timing and appropriatness of empiric antimicrobial therapy for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP). Methods: This was a retrospective observational cohort study of all emergency department (ED) patients presenting to a Midwest 60,000 visit academic ED from July 1st 2008 and March 1st 2016, who presented to the ED with pneumonia and received antimicrobial therapy. The treatment group consisted of patients who presented during the hours an EM clinical pharmacist was present in the ED (Monday-Friday, 0900-1800). The control group included patients presenting during the hours when an EM clinical pharmacist was not physically present in the ED (Monday-Friday, 1800-0900, Saturday/Sunday 0000-2400). Appropriate empiric antimicrobial therapy was defined utilizing the Infectious Diseases Society of America consensus guidelines on the management of CAP, and management of HCAP. Results: Four hundred six patients were included in the final analysis (103 treatment patients and 303 control patients). During the hours of EM clinical pharmacist was present, patients were signifcantly more likely to receive appropriate empiric antimicrobial therapy (58.3% vs. 38.3%, p<0.001). Regardless of pneumonia type, patients seen while the EM clinical pharmacist was present were significantly more likely to receive appropriate antimicrobial therapy (CAP, 77.7% vs. 52.9%, p=0.008, HCAP, 47.7% vs. 28.8%, p=0.005). There was no significant differences in clinical outcomes. Conclusions: The presence of an EM clinical pharmacist significantly increases the likelihood of appropriate empiric antimcirobial therapy for patients presenting to the ED with pneumonia.
Interpreting Reverse Transcriptase Termination and Mutation Events for Greater Insight into the Chemical Probing of RNA.

Chemical probing has the power to provide insight into RNA conformation in vivo and in vitro, but interpreting the results depends on methods to detect the chemically modified nucleotides. Traditionally, the presence of modified bases was inferred from their ability to halt reverse transcriptase during primer extension and the locations of termination sites observed by electrophoresis or sequencing. More recently, modification-induced mutations have been used as a readout for chemical probing data. Given the variable propensity for mismatch incorporation and read-through with different reverse transcriptases, we examined how termination and mutation events compare to each other in the same chemical probing experiments. We found that mutations and terminations induced by dimethyl sulfate probing are both specific for methylated bases, but these two measures have surprisingly little correlation and represent largely nonoverlapping indicators of chemical modification data. We also show that specific biases f...
Hegel on Second Nature in Ethical Life

What does it take to be subjectively free in an objectively rational social order? In this book Andreja Novakovic offers a fresh interpretation of Hegel's account of ethical life by focusing on his concept of habit or 'second nature'. Novakovic addresses two central and difficult issues facing any interpretation of his Philosophy of Right: why Hegel thinks that it is is better to relate unreflectively to the laws of ethical life, and which forms of reflection, especially critical reflection, remain available within ethical life. Her interpretation draws on numerous parts of Hegel's system, particularly on his 'Anthropology' and his Phenomenology of Spirit, and also explores connections between his account and those of other philosophers. Her aim is to argue that Hegel has a compelling conception of the ordinary ethical standpoint which takes seriously both the virtues and the perils of reflection.
Provider communication with adolescent and young females during sexual and reproductive health visits: findings from the 2011-2015 National Survey of Family Growth.

Abstract Objective This study assesses provider communication with adolescent and young women about birth control, emergency contraception and condoms during sexual and reproductive health visits. Study design Using data from sexually active 15–24-year-old women in the 2011–2015 National Survey of Family Growth, we examined provider communication about contraception and condoms at sexual and reproductive health services in the past year and assessed differences by demographics, sexual behavior and source of care. Results Approximately two thirds of women received provider communication about condoms (65.0%) and birth control (64.0%–66.8%). Communication was higher among Title-X-funded clinic vs. private providers. Differences by age, race/ethnicity, mother’s education, number of partners and condom use were also found. Conclusion Most sexually active young women attending sexual and reproductive health visits received provider communication about condoms and birth control, but communication is not universal and varies by source of care, demographics and sexual behavior.
Accuracy, repeatability, and interplatform reproducibility of T1 quantification methods used for DCE-MRI: Results from a multicenter phantom study

Purpose To determine the in vitro accuracy, test-retest repeatability, and interplatform reproducibility of T1 quantification protocols used for dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI at 1.5 and 3 T. Methods A T1 phantom with 14 samples was imaged at eight centers with a common inversion-recovery spin-echo (IR-SE) protocol and a variable flip angle (VFA) protocol using seven flip angles, as well as site-specific protocols (VFA with different flip angles, variable repetition time, proton density, and Look-Locker inversion recovery). Factors influencing the accuracy (deviation from reference NMR T1 measurements) and repeatability were assessed using general linear mixed models. Interplatform reproducibility was assessed using coefficients of variation. Results For the common IR-SE protocol, accuracy (median error across platforms = 1.4–5.5%) was influenced predominantly by T1 sample (P < 10−6), whereas test-retest repeatability (median error = 0.2–8.3%) was influenced by the scanner (P < 10−6). For the common VFA protocol, accuracy (median error = 5.7–32.2%) was influenced by field strength (P = 0.006), whereas repeatability (median error = 0.7–25.8%) was influenced by the scanner (P < 0.0001). Interplatform reproducibility with the common VFA was lower at 3 T than 1.5 T (P = 0.004), and lower than that of the common IR-SE protocol (coefficient of variation 1.5T: VFA/IR-SE = 11.13%/8.21%, P = 0.028; 3 T: VFA/IR-SE = 22.87%/5.46%, P = 0.001). Among the site-specific protocols, Look-Locker inversion recovery and VFA (2–3 flip angles) protocols showed the best accuracy and repeatability (errors < 15%). Conclusions The VFA protocols with 2 to 3 flip angles optimized for different applications achieved acceptable balance of extensive spatial coverage, accuracy, and repeatability in T1 quantification (errors < 15%). Further optimization in terms of flip-angle choice for each tissue application, and the use of B1 correction, are needed to improve the robustness of VFA protocols for T1 mapping. Magn Reson Med, 2017. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS : IS RESURGENCE DUE TO REACTIVATION OR NEW INFECTION ?

Spread of tuberculosis consists of three phases: In the transmission phase, Mycobacterium tuberculosis is transferred from a source of a host via aerosolization of respiratory secretions. During the infective phase, the organism establishes itself within the lung of the new host. In the pathogenetic phase, organism- and host-related mechanisms bring about clinical disease. In the past, the vast majority of cases of tuberculosis in the United States were assumed to be reactivation of dormant disease. However, the pathogenesis has increasingly shifted to progressive primary disease. This shift may be due to the low endogenous resistance to tuberculosis in native-born Americans. In addition, various social problems, especially in large cities, favor person-to-person transmission. Infectivity of M tuberculosis itself may be increasing as strains resistant to multiple agents become more common.
Research Quality Evaluation: The Case of Legal Studies

Among SSH, legal studies create difficult challenges for the evaluation process. Legal scholarship is based on systematic analysis of legislation and jurisprudence, using a hermeneutic and logical approach that usually leads to a variety of formulations. Consequently the practices of citation have a different epistemic meaning than in STEM disciplines. Over time differences in interpretation consolidate in schools and research traditions. In light of the international literature on research assessment in Law, the chapter examines the main issues at stake. While bibliometrics are usually rejected, a number of criteria used in peer review are recommended.
Sexual Abuse and Forgiveness

Confusion abounds in the religious community regarding the relationship between sexual abuse and forgiveness. Often, religious leaders fail to recognize the complexity of the biblical doctrine of f...
Effects of Different Stratospheric SO2 Injection Altitudes on Stratospheric Chemistry and Dynamics

Strategically applied geoengineering is proposed to reduce some of the known side effects of stratospheric aerosol modifications. Specific climate goals could be reached depending on design choices of stratospheric sulfur injections by latitude, altitude, and magnitude. Here we explore in detail the stratospheric chemical and dynamical responses to injections at different altitudes using a fully coupled Earth System Model. Two different scenarios are explored that produce approximately the same global cooling of 2°C over the period 2042–2049, a high‐altitude injection case using 24 Tg SO_2/year at 30 hPa (≈25‐km altitude) and a low‐altitude injection case using 32 Tg SO_2/year injections at 70 hPa (between 19‐ and 20‐km altitude), with annual injections divided equally between 15°N and 15°S. Both cases result in a warming of the lower tropical stratosphere up to 10 and 15°C for the high‐ and low‐altitude injection case and in substantial increases of stratospheric water vapor of up to 2 and 4 ppm, respectively, compared to no geoengineering conditions. Polar column ozone in the Northern Hemisphere is reduced by up to 18% in March for the high‐altitude injection case and up to 8% for the low‐altitude injection case. However, for winter middle and high northern latitudes, low‐altitude injections result in greater column ozone values than without geoengineering. These changes are mostly driven by dynamics and advection. Antarctic column ozone in 2042–2049 does not recover from present‐day (2002–2009) values for both cases.
Large-eddy simulation of supersonic jet noise emanating from an F404 nozzle at model scale

Large-eddy simulations of supersonic jet noise emanating from an F404 nozzle at the model scale have been carried out using the JENRE flow solver. A wall-model method that was previously validated for a high subsonic flow over a flat plate is used to model the boundary layer effect inside the nozzle. The nozzle geometry is a faceted bi-conic convergent-divergent nozzle with a design Mach number equal to 1.65 and the nozzle-exit diameter equal to 5.07 inches. Both mildly and highly overexpanded conditions are tested for heated jets. The time averaged flow field, turbulence intensities, and the far-field noise are compared with available experimental data. The effects of both the boundary-layer thickness and turbulence intensity at the nozzle exit are investigated to assess their impact on jet noise generation and the noise source characteristics.
Role of Regenerative Braking in Velocity Trajectory Optimization of Electrified Powertrains over varying Road Grades

Eco-driving via velocity trajectory optimization and regenerative braking can both reduce the energy demand of an electric vehicle (EV). However, eco-driving can save more energy than can be recovered via regenerative braking due to the total roundtrip efficiency of the motor/generator. The optimal velocity trajectory would always avoid braking if the constraints allow. This paper investigates energy optimal velocity profiles for various electric ground vehicles over varying road grades, where the autonomous vehicles can adjust their velocity trajectory. The optimal velocity trajectories, numerically obtained from Dynamic Programming, significantly reduce the total energy demand by the motor compared to a constant cruising operation for the same travel distance and time. The optimized velocity trajectories, thus increase vehicle range without a change in battery size or trip time.
Beam Quality Factor Analysis for Coherently-Coupled Vertically-Emitting Laser Arrays

We report on a method for determining the beam quality factor (M2) for all or selected lobes of coherently-coupled vertically-emitting laser arrays, such as on-wafer photonic crystal vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (PhC VCSEL) arrays.
Effects of power pulsations on natural convection from discrete heat sources.

The natural convection heat transfer response of discrete heaters flush mounted on a vertical test surface immersed in water to periodic input power has been investigated. The test surface consisted of a plexiglass substrate containing a single column of fifteen heat sources. Identical periodic input power patterns are generated within selected heaters using a computer controlled DC power supply. The mean power levels were varied in the range 0.2–3.0 W, the amplitude to mean ratios of power pulsations in the range 0.17–1.0 and the pulsation frequencies from 0.025–0.1 Hz. The resulting heater temperatures over several cycles were measured and compared with corresponding responses for steady input power equal to the mean of the periodic variation. For a single heater powered case a triangular wave input power pattern was examined. Two types of periodic input power variations were examined with a column of heat sources powered: a triangular wave and an approximate square wave. The responses clearly indicated heat transfer enhancement due to the power pulsation for certain conditions. With the triangular wave pattern, enhancement was most pronounced when the ratio of amplitude to mean power input was the the largest and for the highest pulsation frequency. For the square wave power input the maximum temperature during the cycle was never below the response to steady input power, in contrast to the triangular input power pattern.
Soul, Afrofuturism & the Timeliness of Contemporary Jazz Fusions

The rise of jazz-R&B-hip hop fusions in contemporary Los Angeles offers an opportunity to reflect on the ways jazz matters to black audiences today. Drawing on recent Afrofuturist art and theory as...
How Many Radiographs Does It Take to Screen for Femoral Cam Morphology?: A Noninferiority Study.

Abstract Purpose To compare a 2-view radiograph series (AP of the pelvis and 45° Dunn of the hip) with a 5-view radiograph series for sensitivity in identifying femoral cam morphology. Materials and Methods This is a retrospective review of consecutive patients with a 5-view radiograph series (AP pelvis and AP, 45° Dunn, frog lateral, and false profile of the affected hip) from 2016 to 2017. Three fellowship trained radiologists blindly and independently evaluated 2 views (AP pelvis and Dunn) for a femoral cam lesion, acetabular rim calcification, Tonnis grade, and important incidental findings. Two weeks later, the same assessment was made on all 5 views. A noninferiority test of the 2-view series vs the 5-view series for sensitivity in identifying femoral cam morphology was conducted. Individual reader sensitivity calculations were performed and agreement was determined with the kappa statistic. Results The 2-view series was noninferior to the 5-view series for cam identification (P value = 0.010). In comparing the 2-view vs 5-view series for individual readers, there was no difference in the sensitivities (84%-100% vs 85%-98%, P = 0.85-1.0) or specificities (11%-56% vs 7%-56%, P = 0.58-1.0) for cam identification. There was fair to excellent 2-view intrareader agreement (k = 0.38-0.93) and similar inter-reader agreement between the 2-view and 5-view (k = 0.33 vs 0.37). Conclusions A 2-view radiograph series (AP pelvis and Dunn hip) is noninferior to a 5-view radiograph series for sensitivity in identifying femoral cam morphology.
Identifying Symptom Clusters in Breast Cancer and Colorectal Cancer Patients using EHR Data

Patients with chronic conditions such as breast cancer and colorectal cancer often present with different symptoms, such 'fatigue', 'pain' and 'depression'. These symptoms add to patients' distress and functional impairment if left untreated. In this research, we investigate a symptom clustering and association mining framework to firstly extract and cluster the symptoms from the Electronic Health Record (EHR) clinical reports, then secondly to analyze the associations between symptom clusters and clinical attributes. The universal sentence coder and a modified seed based k-means algorithm are used for symptom coding and clustering. The results show that the symptom clusters have different associations between breast cancer and colorectal cancer, as well as for different time frames after chemotherapy. The results also show that breast cancer patients have slightly more symptoms from these three symptom clusters compared to the colorectal cancer patients within 12 months after the chemotherapy. Whereas, the colorectal cancer patient cohort has slightly more depression on average between 48 months and 54 months after the chemotherapy. Through applying the association rule mining, we find some informative rules, such as 'if a patient is at a higher cancer stage of colorectal cancer (3B), but no fatigue symptom, he or she likely doesn't have depression and peripheral neuropathy'. Our methods can be generalized to analyze symptom clusters of other chronic diseases where symptom management is critical.
Enemies with benefits: integrating positive and negative interactions among terrestrial carnivores.

Interactions among terrestrial carnivores involve a complex interplay of competition, predation and facilitation via carrion provisioning, and these negative and positive pathways may be closely linked. Here, we developed an integrative framework and synthesized data from 256 studies of intraguild predation, scavenging, kleptoparisitism and resource availability to examine global patterns of suppression and facilitation. Large carnivores were responsible for one third of mesocarnivore mortality (n = 1,581 individuals), and intraguild mortality rates were superadditive, increasing from 10.6% to 25.5% in systems with two vs. three large carnivores. Scavenged ungulates comprised 30% of mesocarnivore diets, with larger mesocarnivores relying most heavily on carrion. Large carnivores provided 1,351 kg of carrion per individual per year to scavengers, and this subsidy decreased at higher latitudes. However, reliance on carrion by mesocarnivores remained high, and abundance correlations among sympatric carnivores were more negative in these stressful, high-latitude systems. Carrion provisioning by large carnivores may therefore enhance suppression rather than benefiting mesocarnivores. These findings highlight the synergistic effects of scavenging and predation risk in structuring carnivore communities, suggesting that the ecosystem service of mesocarnivore suppression provided by large carnivores is strong and not easily replaced by humans.
Endothelial Surface Protrusion by a Point Load

During leukocyte rolling on the endothelium, two types of mechanical deformation, surface protrusion and membrane tether extraction, occur consecutively on leukocytes. Both surface protrusion and tether extraction of leukocytes stabilize leukocyte rolling, but for tether extraction to initiate, a crossover force has to be overcome in advance. Tethers can also be extracted from endothelial cells (ECs), but whether there exists surface protrusion before tether extraction from ECs is still unknown. In this study, we found that surface protrusion did exist when a point force was imposed on an endothelial cell. Both the protrusional stiffness and the crossover force of EC surface protrusion were dependent on the force loading rate, but neither of them was dependent on tumor necrosis factor α stimulation. The effects of latrunculin treatment, α-actinin knockdown, and temperature were also studied. Theoretically, a three-parameter solid model was used to simulate EC surface protrusion and all material constants were calculated. When a neutrophil was employed to impose the pulling force on the EC, simultaneous surface protrusion from both cells occurred and it can be modeled as two “springs” connected in series. Therefore, EC surface protrusion is an integral aspect of leukocyte rolling and it is essential to be considered when leukocyte rolling stability is studied systematically.
pH dependent inhibition from ammonium ions in the Pseudomonas mevalonii HMG-CoA Reductase crystallization environment

ABSTRACT HMG-CoA reductase (Pseudomonas mevalonii) utilizes mevalonate, coenzyme A (CoA) and the cofactor NAD in a complex mechanism involving two hydride transfers with cofactor exchange, accompanied by large conformational changes by a 50 residue subdomain, to generate HMG-CoA. Details about this mechanism such as the conformational changes that allow intermediate formation, cofactor exchange and product release remain unknown. The formation of the proposed intermediates has also not been observed in structural studies with natural substrates. Having been shown to be an essential enzyme for the survival of gram-positive antibiotic resistant pathogenic bacteria, studying its mechanism in detail will be beneficial in developing novel antibacterials. The enzyme has been shown to be catalytically active inside the crystal with dithio-HMG-CoA and NADH but curiously is found to be inactive in the reverse direction in the structure bound to mevalonate, CoA and NAD. To understand the factors limiting activity in the HMGR crystal with mevalonate, CoA and NAD, we studied the effect of crystallization components and pH on enzymatic activity. We observed a strong inhibition in the crystallization buffer and an increase in activity with increasing pH. We attribute this inhibitive effect to the presence of ammonium ions present in the crystal since inhibition is also observed with several other ammonium salt buffers. Additionally, the lack of inhibition was observed in the absence of ammonium. The effect of each ligand (mevalonate, CoA and NAD) on the rate of the enzymatic reaction in the crystallization environment was further investigated by measuring their Km in the crystallization buffer. The Km measurements indicate that the hydride transfer step between NAD and mevalonate is inhibited in the crystallization environment. To test this further, we solved a crystal structure of pmHMGR bound to the post-hydride transfer intermediate (mevaldehyde) and cofactor Coenzyme A. The resulting turnover with the formation of a thiohemiacetal indicated that the crystallization environment inhibited the oxidative acylation of mevalonate and the reaction intermediate mevaldyl-CoA.
Vaccines against parasites

Abstract: Because of the ability of parasites to evade the immune system, relatively few effective vaccines have been developed. Vaccines are widely employed against coccidiosis in chickens, leishmaniasis in dogs, and babesiosis and theileriosis in cattle. Many recently developed protozoan vaccines have, however, proved disappointing. Few vaccines have been developed against helminth parasites with the exception of lungworm and the recently developed vaccine against Hemonchus. Vaccines have also been developed against Boophilus ticks. In all these cases, the benefits come from reducing parasite burdens, but not from complete elimination of the parasite.
Echocardiographic Guidance of Transcatheter Mitral Valve Edge-To-Edge Repair

Transcatheter edge to edge mitral valve repair is an established, minimally invasive treatment option for selected patients with moderate-to-severe or severe mitral regurgitation. Although transcat...