cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acquaintance based soft location management (ABSLM) in MANET

A major challenge faced in mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) is locating the devices for communication, especially with high node mobility and sparse node density. Present solutions provided by the ad hoc routing protocols range from flooding the entire network with route requests, to deploying a separate location management scheme to maintain a device location database. In this work, we propose a novel scheme called acquaintance based soft location management (ABSLM) in MANET. In ABSLM, nodes make use of the real life concept of making acquaintances and keeping in touch with them regarding each other's current locations. ABSLM has a two-fold aim: to avoid the overhead of flooding: and to use a 'soft' location management setup that does not require a strict location management strategies and is thus computationally less expensive than the standard 'hard' location management schemes. Simulation results show that the ABSLM not only outperforms the existing flooding schemes in terms of throughput, overhead and location discovery latency, but also achieves a performance comparable to 'hard' grid based location management schemes with a much lower control overhead.
XIA: an architecture for an evolvable and trustworthy internet

Motivated by limitations in today's host-based IP network architecture, recent studies have proposed clean-slate network architectures centered around alternative first-class principals, such as content, services, or users. However, much like the host-centric IP design, elevating one principal type above others hinders communication between other principals and inhibits the network's capability to evolve. Our work presents the eXpressive Internet Architecture (XIA), an architecture with native support for multiple principals and the ability to evolve its functionality to accommodate new, as yet unforeseen, principals over time. XIA also provides intrinsic security: communicating entities validate that their underlying intent was satisfied correctly without relying on external databases or configuration.In this paper, we focus on core architectural issues in the XIA data plane. We outline key design requirements relating to native support for multiple principals and intrinsic security. We then use case studies to demonstrate how the XIA design facilitates evolvability and flexibility.
New concepts for building vocabulary for cell image ontologies.

There are significant challenges associated with the building of ontologies for cell biology experiments including the large numbers of terms and their synonyms. These challenges make it difficult to simultaneously query data from multiple experiments or ontologies. If vocabulary terms were consistently used and reused across and within ontologies, queries would be possible through shared terms. One approach to achieving this is to strictly control the terms used in ontologies in the form of a pre-defined schema, but this approach limits the individual researcher's ability to create new terms when needed to describe new experiments. Here, we propose the use of a limited number of highly reusable common root terms, and rules for an experimentalist to locally expand terms by adding more specific terms under more general root terms to form specific new vocabulary hierarchies that can be used to build ontologies. We illustrate the application of the method to build vocabularies and a prototype database for cell images that uses a visual data-tree of terms to facilitate sophisticated queries based on a experimental parameters. We demonstrate how the terminology might be extended by adding new vocabulary terms into the hierarchy of terms in an evolving process. In this approach, image data and metadata are handled separately, so we also describe a robust file-naming scheme to unambiguously identify image and other files associated with each metadata value. The prototype database http://sbd.nist.gov/ consists of more than 2000 images of cells and benchmark materials, and 163 metadata terms that describe experimental details, including many details about cell culture and handling. Image files of interest can be retrieved, and their data can be compared, by choosing one or more relevant metadata values as search terms. Metadata values for any dataset can be compared with corresponding values of another dataset through logical operations. Organizing metadata for cell imaging experiments under a framework of rules that include highly reused root terms will facilitate the addition of new terms into a vocabulary hierarchy and encourage the reuse of terms. These vocabulary hierarchies can be converted into XML schema or RDF graphs for displaying and querying, but this is not necessary for using it to annotate cell images. Vocabulary data trees from multiple experiments or laboratories can be aligned at the root terms to facilitate query development. This approach of developing vocabularies is compatible with the major advances in database technology and could be used for building the Semantic Web.
Agreement among glaucoma specialists in assessing progressive disc changes from photographs in open-angle glaucoma patients.

Purpose To determine the agreement among glaucoma specialists in assessing progressive disc changes from photographs in a cohort of patients with glaucomatous visual field loss. Design Retrospective cohort study. Methods Three glaucoma specialists, masked to chronological sequence, examined pairs of optic disc stereophotographs to determine whether the appearance of the optic disc had changed. Eyes for which the observers disagreed were adjudicated to reach a consensus about which discs had changed over time. Results Sequential stereophotographs, separated in time by a median of 26 months (range, five to 50), from 164 eyes of 111 patients were analyzed. Among the three observers, the number of interpretable discs judged to have changed was 11 of 155 (7%) for Observer 1, 17 of 155 (11%) for Observer 2, and 44 of 155 (28%) for Observer 3 (κ = 0.20). Sixty-six eyes (43%) required adjudication. After adjudication, the consensus was that 10 discs had changed, six eyes in which the disc was worse in the later photograph and four eyes in which the disc was judged to appear more glaucomatous in the earlier photograph. Conclusion Interobserver agreement among glaucoma specialists in judging progressive optic disc change from stereophotographs was slight to fair. After masked adjudication, in 40% of the cases in which the optic disc appeared to have progressed in glaucoma severity, the photograph of the "worse" optic disc was in fact taken at the start of the study. Caution must be exercised when using disc change on photographs as the "gold standard" for diagnosing open-angle glaucoma or determining its progression.
Measuring Children's Decision-Making Involvement Regarding Chronic Illness Management

Objectives: To develop a measure of decision-making involvement in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and asthma.
Concept representation in natural and artificial languages: Axioms, extensions and applications for fuzzy sets

This paper reports research related to mathematics, philosophy, computer science and linguistics. It gives a system of axioms for a relatively simple form of fuzzy set theory, and uses these axioms to consider the accuracy of representing concepts in various ways by fuzzy sets. By-products of this approach include a number of new operations and laws for fuzzy sets, parallel to those for ordinary sets, and a demonstration that all the basic operations are intrinsically determined. In addition, the paper explores both hierarchical and algorithmic extensions of fuzzy sets, and then applications to problems in natural language semantics and combinatorics. Finally, the paper returns to the problem of representing concepts, and discusses some implications for artificial intelligence.
Disposition of nicotine and eight metabolites in smokers and nonsmokers: identification in smokers of two metabolites that are longer lived than cotinine.

The disposition of a single intravenous dose of 14C-nicotine was investigated in six cigarette smokers and six nonsmokers. Plasma and urinary elimination of both nicotine and cotinine was faster in smokers than in nonsmokers. In the urine of both smokers and nonsmokers, we identified nicotine and eight metabolites, including two new metabolites: metabolite A (3-hydroxycotinine glucuronide) and metabolite G (demethylcotinine Δ2′,3′ -enamine). Metabolites A and G were of particular interest because, in smokers, they both persisted longer than cotinine. This property renders them more sensitive than cotinine as potential indicators of passive exposure to cigarette smoke. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1990) 48, 641–651; doi:10.1038/clpt.1990.208
Drying of Uncoated Paper with Gas-Fired Infrared Emitters—Optimum Emitters’ Location Within a Paper Machine Drying Section

This article theoretically investigates the drying of uncoated paper with gas-fired infrared (IR) emitters installed within the drying section of a given commercial paper machine. Specifically, it presents the ideal location of two opposing IR emitters within the drying section. The ideal location of the two opposing IR emitters corresponds to the highest machine speed with specified average moisture content of paper sheet at the end of the drying section. This article also presents the average evaporation rate, temperature, and moisture content of the paper sheet as it travels through the drying section with the two opposing IR emitters operating at the optimum location. In addition, the temperature and moisture profiles in the sheet thickness direction, before and after the IR emitters, are provided. This article is not concerned with the potential effects of drying with IR emitters on paper sheet properties and machine runnability issues.
Cenozoic Basin Development in Hispaniola: ABSTRACT

Four distinct generations of Cenozoic basins have developed in Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic) as a result of collisional or strikeslip interactions between the North America and Caribbean plates. First generation basins formed when the north-facing Hispaniola arc collided with the Bahama platform in the middle Eocene; because of large post-Eocene vertical movements, these basins are preserved locally in widely separated areas but contain several kilometers of arc and ophiolite-derived clastic marine sediments, probably deposited in thrust-loaded, flexure-type basins. Second generation basins, of which only one is exposed at the surface, formed during west-northwesterly strike-slip displacement of southern Cuba and northern Hispaniola relative to central Hispani la during the middle to late Oligocene; deposition occurred along a 5-km (3-mi) wide fault-angle depression and consisted of about 2 km (1 mi) of submarine fan deposits. Third generation basins developed during post-Oligocene convergent strike-slip displacement across a restraining bend formed in central Hispaniola; the southern 2 basins are fairly symmetrical, thrust-bounded ramp valleys, and the third is an asymmetrical fault-angle basin. Fourth generation basins are pull-aparts formed during post-Miocene divergent strike-slip motion along a fault zone across southern Hispaniola. As in other Caribbean areas, good source rocks are present in all generations of basins, but suitable reservoir rocks are scarce. Proven reservoirs are late Neogene shallow marine and fluvial sandstones in thi d generation basins. End_of_Article - Last_Page 503------------
Cloud properties derived from surface MFRSR measurements and comparison with GOES results at the ARM SGP Site

We describe a family of inversion methods to infer the optical depth, τ, of warm clouds from surface measurements of spectral irradiance. Our most complex retrieval also uses the total liquid water path measured by a microwave radiometer to obtain the effective radius, re, of the cloud droplets. We apply these retrievals to data from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program, and compare our results to those produced by the GOES satellite for episodes where total overcast was observed. Our surface-based estimates of τ agree with those from GOES when the optical depths are <10, but are consistently larger by as much as a factor of 2 when optical depths are greater. We show that the uncertainties associated with the surface-based retrievals are less than those done from a satellite, and argue from the time series of the observations and the statistics of the measurements that the disagreement is not merely a consequence of the larger spatial average sampled by the satellite.
Effects of Load and Contact Time on the Stability of Bimolecular Integrin-Fibrinogen Bonds Under a Constant Tensile Force

The regulated ability of integrin alphaIIbbeta3 to bind fibrinogen plays a crucial role in platelet function, thrombosis, and hemostasis. Previously, we found that the rupture force distribution of individual integrin alphaIIbbeta3-fibrinogen interactions under ramp loads display at least two components that differ in kinetics, loading rate dependence, and susceptibility to activation/inhibition of the integrin, which suggests that specific binding and unbinding of the integrin alphaIIbbeta3 with fibrinogen is a complex multi-step process (Litvinov et al., Biophys J. 2005; 89:2824). Employing a new laser tweezers-based electronic force clamp (Litvinov et al., Biophys J. 2008, 94, Suppl., Abstract, 1724-Pos.), we now study interactions of purified integrin alphaIIbbeta3 and fibrinogen under constant tensile force, mimicking the effect of hydrodynamic blood flow on an adherent platelet. Under a constant tensile force of 50 pN, the distribution of durations of the alphaIIbbeta3 and fibrinogen bonds is bimodal, with specific integrin-fibrinogen interactions mostly lasting more than 2 sec. At the same constant unbinding force, the bond lifetimes increase as the duration of contact between alphaIIbbeta3- and fibrinogen-coated interacting surfaces is increased from 0.1s to 2s, again suggesting that the initial interaction of fibrinogen with alphaIIbbeta3 is followed by reorganization of the binding interface, enhancing the strength and stability of binding. In further experiments, the average bond lifetimes exponentially decrease as tensile force is increased from 0 to 30 pN, suggesting that in this force range the alphaIIbbeta3-fibrinogen interactions represent classical “slip bonds”. Taken together, these data provide important quantitative characteristics of the alphaIIbbeta3-fibrinogen binding and unbinding, which underlie the dynamics of platelet adhesion and aggregation in the blood flow.
Compliance Behavior and Long-Term Maintenance Dialysis

Compliance with the therapeutic regimen is a critical and frequently confusing concept both for chronic renal failure patients and for care-givers. A panel group of maintenance dialysis patients was followed over a period of 9 years to identify the variables associated with positive or negative compliance behavior. Individual patient changes in adherence to the therapeutic regimen over time were also examined. Significant differences related to social support, especially when the demographic variable of education was controlled, were found. Serendipitous and surprising results were also documented when compliance behavior was evaluated in relation to patient mortality. From the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, a typology of "ritual" versus "reasoned" compliance was derived.
A cascade of evolutionary change alters consumer-resource dynamics and ecosystem function

It is becoming increasingly clear that intraspecific evolutionary divergence influences the properties of populations, communities and ecosystems. The different ecological impacts of phenotypes and genotypes may alter selection on many species and promote a cascade of ecological and evolutionary change throughout the food web. Theory predicts that evolutionary interactions across trophic levels may contribute to hypothesized feedbacks between ecology and evolution. However, the importance of ‘cascading evolutionary change’ in a natural setting is unknown. In lakes in Connecticut, USA, variation in migratory behaviour and feeding morphology of a fish predator, the alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), drives life-history evolution in a species of zooplankton prey (Daphnia ambigua). Here we evaluated the reciprocal impacts of Daphnia evolution on ecological processes in laboratory mesocosms. We show that life-history evolution in Daphnia facilitates divergence in rates of population growth, which in turn significantly alters consumer-resource dynamics and ecosystem function. These experimental results parallel trends observed in lakes. Such results argue that a cascade of evolutionary change, which has occurred over contemporary timescales, alters community and ecosystem processes.
The Relationships between Select Situational and Dispositional Constructs and Informal Accountability for Others

This paper further enhances the field’s understanding of informal accountability for others (IAFO) by examining both its antecedents and some possible mediating and moderating conditions. In this paper, we test a model wherein employees’ value congruence and position (embeddedness), as well as their senses of organization-based self-esteem (OBSE), predicts IAFO. In addition, and consistent with existing literature on accountability, we examine the degree to which control (defined here in terms of self-regulation) influences individuals’ senses of whether or not they feel accountable for the attitudes and behaviors of others in their organizations. Our results indicate that a partially mediated condition exists between embeddedness, organization-based self-esteem and IAFO. Furthermore, our results identify a statistically significant moderating effect for control on the OBSE-IAFO relationship.
Thermodynamic properties of indan: Experimental and computational results

Abstract Measurements leading to the calculation of thermodynamic properties in the ideal-gas state for indan (Chemical Abstracts registry number [496-11-7], 2,3-dihydro-1 H -indene) are reported. Experimental methods were adiabatic heat-capacity calorimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, comparative ebulliometry, and vibrating-tube densitometry. Molar thermodynamic functions (enthalpies, entropies, and Gibbs energies) for the condensed and ideal-gas states were derived from the experimental studies at selected temperatures. Statistical calculations were performed based on molecular geometry optimization and vibrational frequencies calculated at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d, p) level of theory. Computed ideal-gas properties derived with the rigid-rotor harmonic-oscillator approximation are shown to be in excellent accord with ideal-gas entropies derived from thermophysical property measurements of this research, as well as with experimental heat capacities for the ideal-gas state reported in the literature. Literature spectroscopic studies and ab initio calculations report a range of values for the barrier to ring puckering. Results of the present work are consistent with a large barrier that allows use of the rigid-rotor harmonic-oscillator approximation for ideal-gas entropy and heat-capacity calculations, even with the stringent uncertainty requirements imposed by the calorimetric and physical property measurements reported here. All experimental results are compared with property values reported in the literature.
White Matter Tracts

While neurosurgeons have paid a great deal of attention to the anatomy of the cortex, less attention has been paid to the anatomy of the cerebral white matter. Where the cortical gray matter is conveniently divided into discrete segments by fairly regular sulci, the white matter appears to be amorphous. The named white matter tracts seem to define predominant directions of axon flow. Most of these tracts contain multiple subcomponents as demonstrated by a recent report on Meyer’s loop [1]. The anatomy of several “eloquent” tracts has been elucidated through clinical pathologic correlation, anatomic dissections, imaging studies, and intraoperative electrical stimulation. As with the cerebral cortex where certain input and output areas have been found to be essential and designated eloquent, certain white matter pathways have also been found to be essential for basic neurological functions [2, 3].
Generalized Fiducial Inference: A Review and New Results

AbstractR. A. Fisher, the father of modern statistics, proposed the idea of fiducial inference during the first half of the 20th century. While his proposal led to interesting methods for quantifying uncertainty, other prominent statisticians of the time did not accept Fisher’s approach as it became apparent that some of Fisher’s bold claims about the properties of fiducial distribution did not hold up for multi-parameter problems. Beginning around the year 2000, the authors and collaborators started to reinvestigate the idea of fiducial inference and discovered that Fisher’s approach, when properly generalized, would open doors to solve many important and difficult inference problems. They termed their generalization of Fisher’s idea as generalized fiducial inference (GFI). The main idea of GFI is to carefully transfer randomness from the data to the parameter space using an inverse of a data-generating equation without the use of Bayes’ theorem. The resulting generalized fiducial distribution (GFD) can ...
Induction of Sexual Sterility in Bolloworms and Tobacco Budworms by Heat Treatment of Pupae

Continuous exposures of 1-, 3-, 5-, 7-, and 9-day-old pupae of the bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), and the tobacco budworm, H. virescens (F.), at constant 35 completely sterilized resulting male moths without affecting mating frequency or adult longevity of either sex. No egg hatch occurred when these sterile males were allowed to mate with untreated females, but when the treated females were allowed to mate with untreated males some hatch always occurred.
Epidemiological analysis on characteristics of HIV/AIDS newly received highly active antiretroviral therapy in Jiangsu Province,2013

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of the HIV/AIDS patients who newly received highly active antiretroviral therapy in Jiangsu Province,2013.Methods According to the base data of HIV/AIDS patients newly received HAART in 2013,Excel database was established and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 16.0software.Results There were 2 065 patients newly received HAART in 2013 totally,87.8%of them were from local province;the ratio of male to female was 6.2:1;the average age was 39.8±13.2years old;50.0%of the patients married;the patients were mainly detected and diagnosed in hospital;95.8%of the patients were infected with HIV through sexual transmission;the median of CD4+T cell counts of cases was only 218counts/μL;50.5%of them were treated in the CDC;3.0months as the median of the interval between the time of HIV confirmation and HAART started;the age,transmission route,CD4+T baseline and WHO disease stage influenced the time interval.Conclusion Its still late for the HIV/AIDS to start HAART in Jiangsu Province,2013.In view of the AIDS patients diagnosis delayed,earlier detection and diagnosis of HIV positive cases still should be strengthened.
Analysis of Clinical Care of Children With Scarlet Fever

Objective To investigate the care of children with scarlet fever. Methods January 2012-August 2014 were treated 18 cases of scarlet fever in children with clinical isolation, general care, skin care, emergency measures were analyzed nursing. Results After treatment of fever, pharyngitis, rash and other symptoms subside 1 to 4 days. 7 to 10 days all cured. Conclusion According to the specific circumstances of children separated scarlet fever, observation, careful and reasonable care and actively cooperate with treatment, to improve the quality of life of children.
Automotive Chassis/Suspension Materials

This article examines the large number of elements connected to the vehicle frame that steer and stop the vehicle and support/suspend/isolate the body (and passengers) from road vibrations, from design considerations, to the criteria for materials selection.
Advanced analytics for outcome prediction in intensive care units

In this paper we present a new expert knowledge based clinical decision support system for prediction of intensive care units outcome based on the physiological measurements collected during the first 48 hours of the patient's admission to the ICU. The developed CDSS algorithm is composed of several stages. First, we categorize the collected data based on the physiological organ that they represent. We then extract clinically relevant features from each data category and then rank these features based on their mutual information with the outcome. Then, we design an artificial neural network to serve as a classifier to detect patients at high risk of critical deterioration. We use the eight-fold cross validation method to test the developed CDSS classifier. The results from the classification show that the newly designed CDSS outperforms the widely used acuity scoring systems, SOFA and SAPS-III. The F-score classification result of our developed algorithms is 42% while the F-score results for SOFA and SAPS-III are 26% and 29% respectively.
High hemoglobin A1c associated with increased adverse limb events in peripheral arterial disease patients undergoing revascularization

Abstract Objective Diabetes and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are independently associated with increased risk of amputation. However, the effect of poor glycemic control on adverse limb events has not been studied. We examined the effects of poor glycemic control (high hemoglobin A 1c level) on the risk of amputation and modified major adverse limb events (mMALEs) after lower extremity revascularization. Methods Patients undergoing PAD revascularization who had hemoglobin A 1c (HbA 1c ) levels available within 6 months were identified in the Veterans Affairs database of 2003 to 2014 (N = 26,799). The diagnosis of preoperative diabetes mellitus (PreopDM) was defined using diabetes diagnosis codes and evidence of treatment. Amputation and mMALE risk was compared for HbA 1c levels using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Cox proportional hazards models were created to assess the effect of high HbA 1c levels on amputation and mMALE (adjusted for age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, comorbidities, cholesterol levels, creatinine concentration, suprainguinal or infrainguinal procedure, open or endovascular procedure, severity of PAD, year of cohort entry, and medications) for all patients and stratified by PreopDM. Results High HbA 1c levels were present in 33.2% of the cohort, whereas 59.9% had PreopDM. Amputations occurred in 4359 (16.3%) patients, and 10,580 (39.5%) had mMALE. Kaplan-Meier curves showed the worst outcomes in patient with PreopDM and high HbA 1c levels. In the Cox model, incremental HbA 1c levels of 6.1% to 7.0%, 7.1% to 8.0%, and >8% were associated with 26% (hazard ratio [HR], 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.39), 53% (HR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.37-1.7), and 105% (HR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.87-2.26) higher risk of amputation, respectively. Similarly, the risk of mMALE also increased by 5% (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.99-1.11), 21% (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.13-1.29), and 33% (HR, 1.33, 95% CI, 1.25-1.42) with worsening HbA 1c levels of 6.1% to 7.0%, 7.1% to 8.0%, and >8%, respectively (vs HbA 1c ≤6.0%). In stratified analysis by established PreopDM, the relative risk of amputation or mMALE was much higher with poor glycemic control (HbA 1c >7.0%) in patients without PreopDM. Conclusions PAD patients with worse perioperative glycemic control have a significantly higher risk of amputation and mMALE. Incremental increases in HbA 1c levels are associated with higher hazards of adverse limb outcomes independent of PreopDM status. Poor glycemic control (HbA 1c >7.0%) in patients without a PreopDM diagnosis carries twice the relative risk of amputation and mMALE than in those with good glycemic control. These results suggest that screening of diabetic status and better management of glycemic control could be a target for improvement of perioperative and long-term outcomes in PAD patients.
Receding Horizon control with two planning horizons for a class of discrete event systems with real-time constraints

There exists a class of discrete event systems involving the control of tasks with real-time constraints. It has been shown that in an on-line setting where event times are unknown, Receding Horizon (RH) approaches can be utilized to control such systems. In order to guarantee the real-time constraints, worst-case estimation needs to be used in the planning horizon of the RH controller. The direct effect of worst-case estimation is increased cost, which is highly undesirable, especially when the tasks' arrival rate is low. In this paper, we design a new RH control mechanism with relaxed worst-case estimation. We prove that using the new approach, feasibility can still be guaranteed. Simulation results show that the performance of the new RH controller can be over 50% better than that of the original RH controller.
Ion-damage-free planarization or shallow angle sectioning of solar cells for mapping grain orientation and nanoscale photovoltaic properties

Ion beam milling is the most common modern method for preparing specific features for microscopic analysis, even though concomitant ion implantation and amorphization remain persistent challenges, particularly as they often modify materials properties of interest. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), on the other hand, can mechanically mill specific nanoscale regions in plan-view without chemical or high energy ion damage, due to its resolution, directionality, and fine load control. As an example, AFM-nanomilling (AFM-NM) is implemented for top-down planarization of polycrystalline CdTe thin film solar cells, with a resulting decrease in the root mean square (RMS) roughness by an order of magnitude, even better than for a low incidence FIB polished surface. Subsequent AFM-based property maps reveal a substantially stronger contrast, in this case of the short-circuit current or open circuit voltage during light exposure. Electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD) imaging also becomes possible upon AFM-NM, enabling direct correlations between the local materials properties and the polycrystalline microstructure. Smooth shallow-angle cross-sections are demonstrated as well, based on targeted oblique milling. As expected, this reveals a gradual decrease in the average short-circuit current and maximum power as the underlying CdS and electrode layers are approached, but a relatively consistent open-circuit voltage through the diminishing thickness of the CdTe absorber. AFM-based nanomilling is therefore a powerful tool for material characterization, uniquely providing ion-damage free, selective area, planar smoothing or low-angle sectioning of specimens while preserving their functionality. This enables novel, co-located advanced AFM measurements, EBSD analysis, and investigations by related techniques that are otherwise hindered by surface morphology or surface damage.
Shared inter-generational collaborative problem solving play spaces

We designed a five-week family program where seven parent-child dyads ages 9 to 12 played Quest Atlantis, a multi-user 3D educational computer-game used in middle schools internationally as part of the school curriculum, in an informal setting. Our goal was to understand the challenges, opportunities, and collaborative work that result when both parent and child are immersed within a shared collaborative problem solving play space.
Low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and particle concentrations are associated with greater levels of endothelial activation markers in Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants

Background High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are well characterized for their role in reverse cholesterol transport but may confer other cardiovascular benefits—specifically, HDL may suppress the endothelial activation cascade in the initiating stages of atherogenesis. Objective It was the primary aim of this study to examine the relations of HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), total HDL particle (HDL-P) concentrations, and HDL-P subclasses with circulating levels of endothelial activation markers in a subcohort of Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants. Methods HDL-C was measured by enzymatic assay, and total HDL-P and subclass concentrations were assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Concentrations of circulating endothelial activation markers were determined through immunoassay. Multivariable linear regression was used to determine the cross-sectional associations between HDL variables and endothelial markers with statistical adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, sex, education, systolic blood pressure, hypertension medication use, body mass index, smoking status, lipid-lowering medication use, serum creatinine, diabetes, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and coronary artery calcium. Results HDL-C and HDL-P were found to be inversely associated with soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, soluble vascular intracellular adhesion molecule-1, sL-selectin, and sP-selectin; HDL-P was additionally inversely associated with sE-selectin. Participants with low levels of HDL-C ( P Conclusion Coupled with previous evidence, our findings suggest a modest to moderate relation of HDL and circulating levels of endothelial activation markers in humans. Whether this relationship may have clinical implications in suppressing atherogenesis or coronary heart disease development requires additional research.
Developing a platoon-wide Eco-Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) system

Connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology has become increasingly popular. As an example, Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) systems are of high interest, allowing CAVs to communicate and cooperate with each other to form platoons, where one vehicle follows another with a predefined spacing or time gap. Although numerous studies have been conducted on CACC systems, very few have examined the protocols from the perspective of environmental sustainability, not to mention from a platoon-wide consideration. In this study, we propose a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication based Eco-CACC system, aiming to minimize the platoon-wide energy consumption and pollutant emissions at different stages of the CACC operation. A full spectrum of environmentally-friendly CACC maneuvers are explored and the associated protocols are developed, including sequence determination, gap closing and opening, platoon cruising with gap regulation, and platoon joining and splitting. Simulation studies of different scenarios are conducted using MATLAB/Simulink. Compared to an existing CACC system, the proposed one can achieve additional 2% energy savings and additional 17% pollutant emissions reductions during the platoon joining scenario.
Scaling Effects on the Electrochemical Stimulation Performance of Au, Pt, and PEDOT:PSS Electrocorticography Arrays

The efficacy of electrical brain stimulation in combatting neurodegenerative diseases and initiating function is expected to be significantly enhanced with the development of smaller scale microstimulation electrodes and refined stimulation protocols. These benefits cannot be realized without a thorough understanding of scaling effects on electrochemical charge injection characteristics. This study fabricates and characterizes the electrochemical stimulation capabilities of Au, Pt, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS/Au), and PEDOT:PSS/Pt electrode arrays in the 20–2000 µm diameter range. This study observes substantial enhancement in charge injection capacity up to 9.5× for PEDOT:PSS microelectrodes compared to metal ones, and 88% lower required power for injecting the same charge density. These significant benefits are strongest for electrode diameters below 200 µm. Detailed quantitative analyses are provided, enabling optimization of charge injection capacity with potential bias and symmetric and asymmetric pulse width engineering for all diameters. These systematic analyses inform the optimal design for acute and potentially chronic implants in regards to safety and clinically effective stimulation protocols, ensure the longevity of the electrodes below critical electrochemical limits of stimulation, and demonstrate that the material choice and pulse design can lead to more energy efficiency stimulation protocols that are of critical importance for fully implanted devices.
Examining Guided and Directed Cues in Strategy Training and Usual Rehabilitation

Therapist approach and feedback during rehabilitation may influence patient outcomes. It is unclear how much guided cueing, the approach used in strategy training, is present in usual rehabilitation care. We compared the frequency of guided and directed cueing in strategy training sessions with cueing in usual care occupational and physical therapy. We videotaped strategy training, occupational therapy, and physical therapy sessions among 20 patients admitted to inpatient rehabilitation after stroke. Using a standardized coding scheme, we coded and analyzed frequencies of therapists' cues (guided or directed). The proportion of guided cues was significantly higher in strategy training intervention (42%) compared with occupational therapy (4%) and physical therapy (3%). Preliminary research suggests that guided cueing may be more prevalent in strategy training than in usual care. Given that guided cueing provides more opportunity for patients to take an active role in their rehabilitation, guided cueing may lead to superior outcomes.
Managing Race and Race-ing Management: Teachers’ Stories of Race and Classroom Conflict

Background/ContextResearch exploring suspension and expulsion practices suggests that teachers may play a key role in perpetuating racial disproportionality in school discipline by interpreting stu...
Beyond Number of Bit Erasures: New Complexity Questions Raised by Recently Discovered Thermodynamic Costs of Computation

Recent advances in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics have led to a deeper understanding of the thermodynamic cost of computation than that put forth by Landauer and then studied extensively in the computational complexity community. In particular, Landauer's work led to a focus on the number of bit erasures in a computation, due to its relation to the change in entropy between input and output. However new advances in physics|which have been experimentally con rmed|mean we can now calculate additional thermodynamic costs beyond merely the change in entropy between input and output. As a consequence, we now understand that while logically reversible computing can have some thermodynamic bene ts, it is far from the end of the story. The purpose of this paper is to highlight new open questions in computational complexity raised by consideration of these new thermodynamic costs. Beyond leading to a revised viewpoint on the bene ts of logical reversibility, these questions touch on randomized algorithms, average-case complexity, the thermodynamic cost of error correcting codes, and noisy/inexact/approximate computation.
Repurposing suramin for the treatment of breast cancer lung metastasis with glycol chitosan-based nanoparticles

Abstract Suramin (SM), a drug for African sleeping sickness and river blindness therapy, has been investigated in various clinical trials for cancer therapy. However, SM was eventually withdrawn from the market because of its narrow therapeutic window and the side effects associated with multiple targets. In this work, we developed a simple but effective system based on a nontoxic dose of SM combined with a chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). SM and glycol chitosan (GCS) formed nanogels because of the electrostatic effect, whereas doxorubicin (DOX) was incorporated into the system through the hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions between DOX and GCS as well as the ionic interactions between DOX and SM to yield GCS-SM/DOX nanoparticles (NPs). GCS-SM/DOX NPs have a size of approximately 186 nm and a spherical morphology. In vitro experiments showed that GCS-SM NPs could effectively inhibit cancer cell migration and invasion, as well as angiogenesis. Furthermore, in a TNBC lung metastasis animal model, GCS-SM/DOX NPs significantly reduced tumor burden and extended the lifespan of animals, while not inducing cardio and renal toxicities associated with the DOX and SM, respectively. As all the components used in this system are biocompatible and easy for large-scale fabrication, the GCS-SM/DOX system is highly translatable for the metastatic breast cancer treatment. Statement of Significance The doxorubicin-loaded glycol chitosan-suramin nanoparticle (GCS-SM/DOX) is novel in the following aspects: SM acts as not only a gelator for the first time in the preparation of the nanoparticle but also an active pharmaceutical agent in the dosage form. GCS-SM/DOX NP significantly reduced tumor burden and extended the lifespan of animals with triple-negative breast cancer lung metastasis. GCS-SM/DOX NPs attenuate cardio and renal toxicities associated with the DOX and SM. The GCS-SM/DOX system is highly translatable because of its simple, one-pot, and easy-to-scale-up preparation protocol.
Eqtesād-e Siyāsi-ye Sanduq-hā-ye Qarz al-Hasaneh va Muʾasessāt-e Eʿtebāri: Soqut-e Yek Ideolozhi [The political economy of interest-free funds and credit institutions: the fall of an ideology]

The politics of credit has merited relatively little attention from scholars of contemporary Iran. But, as protests that flared up during December 2017‒January 2018 bore out vividly, this is a seri...
Synthesis of Scintillating Ce3+-Doped Lu2Si2O7 Nanoparticles Using the Salt-Supported High Temperature (SSHT) Method: Solid State Chemistry at the Nanoscale

The synthesis of lutetium silicate nanoparticles doped with Ce3+ using the new salt-supported high temperature (SSHT) method is reported. This mechanochemical–thermal method enables the synthesis o...
The resilience work of institutions

Abstract Institutions make critical contributions to the resilience of infrastructures. We develop a framework for analyzing and classifying the diverse forms of work performed by institutions in support of infrastructure resilience: designing, building, operating, maintaining, and upgrading systems. The framework incorporates the kinds of resilience work done—constitutional, regulatory, and operational—the goals and strategies to which resilience work contributes, the temporal and spatial scales on which it occurs within infrastructure systems, and the forms of knowledge and uncertainties that characterize each. We illustrate this framework in a case study of water-energy nexus in Arizona.
Immunotherapy for Infectious Diseases, Cancer, and Autoimmunity

Immunotherapy uses advances from the field of immunology to exploit the immune system in clinical practice. The goal is the use of directed immunotherapy with minimal side effects to combat infection, cancer, and autoimmunity. Although immunotherapy was first used as passive transfer of serum containing polyclonal antibodies, the development of monoclonal antibodies has provided reagents that are targeted, specific, and completely uniform. Monoclonal antibodies are used against several infectious organisms, including respiratory syncytial virus. Monoclonal antibodies in cancer immunotherapy were first directed against tumor cells. Later they targeted immune molecules that modulate immune response against cancer cells. For instance, starting in 2011, checkpoint inhibitors were developed that block inhibitory receptors on immune cells involved in immune regulation. This had a dramatic impact on survival in a subset of patients with cancers such as melanoma and lung cancer. Checkpoint inhibition is associated with risks in a subset of patients that develop neurological, respiratory, musculoskeletal, cardiac, ocular, and/or autoimmune side effects. Management of autoimmune diseases with cytokines and cytokine inhibitors has revolutionized the field, although treatment failure is not uncommon. This may be due to an initial unresponsiveness to the agent, a later tolerance to that agent, or adverse events such as activation of latent infections.
Spatial variability of sediment methane production and methanogen communities within a eutrophic reservoir: Importance of organic matter source and quantity

Freshwater reservoirs are an important source of the greenhouse gas methane (CH4) to the atmosphere, but global emission estimates are poorly constrained (13.3-52.5 Tg C yr-1), partially due to extreme spatial variability in emission rates within and among reservoirs. Spatial heterogeneity in the availability of organic matter (OM) for biological CH4 production by methanogenic archaea may be an important contributor to this variation. To investigate this, we measured sediment CH4 potential production rates, OM source and quantity, and methanogen community composition at 15 sites within a eutrophic reservoir in Ohio, USA. CH4 production rates were highest in the shallow riverine inlet zone of the reservoir, even when rates were normalized to OM quantity, indicating that OM was more readily utilized by methanogens in the riverine zone than in the transitional or lacustrine zones. Sediment stable isotopes and C:N indicated a greater proportion of terrestrial OM in the particulate sediment of this zone. Methanogens were present at all sites, but the riverine zone contained a higher relative abundance of methanogens capable of acetoclastic and methylotrophic methanogenesis, likely reflecting differences in decomposition processes or OM quality. While we found that methane potential production rates were negatively correlated with autochthonous carbon in particulate sediment OM, rates were positively correlated with indicators of autochthonous carbon in the porewater dissolved OM. It is likely that both dissolved and particulate sediment OM affect CH4 production rates, and that both terrestrial and aquatic OM sources are important in the riverine methane production hot spot.
Effect of primary tumor size in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

8041 Background: Primary tumor size is a known prognostic factor for patients with early stage NSCLC treated with either surgery or radiation therapy. Although tumor volume has been associated with...