cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Call to action to prevent venous thromboembolism

Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, together called venous thromboembolism, remain a serious national health problem. Estimates suggest that over 900,000 cases occur in the United States per year, with 300,000 deaths per year. Because of the significant and serious nature of this problem, a workshop was held in May of 2006, which resulted in the Acting U.S. Public Health Service Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism. On September 15, 2008, Acting Surgeon General, Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, MD, MPH, and Elizabeth Nabel, MD, Director National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, announced the Call to Action. The Call to Action highlights public awareness about the risk factors, triggering events, and symptoms of venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, and encourages the development of evidence based practices for screening, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. It is designed to encourage new scientific investigation in an effort to obtain needed evidence to fill in the gaps of knowledge about venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. This knowledge should be quickly and easily disseminated to the public and put into practice by health professionals. The Surgeon General's Call to Action represents one of the most important advances in the field of venous thromboembolism and sets the stage for multidisciplinary efforts to combat this serious national health problem.
Testing Relational Database Using SQLLint

Database systems are an important element of any web based systems. As such, it is very important to test database systems adequately because if any defects go undetected in the design and/or implementation of database systems, it may jeopardize dependability of web based systems. Web-based systems are examples of systems that heavily relay on databases, they are expected to be highly available and reliable. From time to time, database may require changing. As such, any application that is relying on the database needs to be considered for the changes before any changes that can be made to databases. Examples of changes include semantics of the database query language. In this paper, we discuss an approach for generating test cases for queries whose meaning may have been altered by changes in query semantics.
Radiative and non-radiative decay of selected vibronic levels of the B state of alkoxy radicals

Abstract We have measured the lifetimes of some of the prominent bands observed in the moderate-resolution, jet-cooled laser induced fluorescence excitation spectra of the B ← X transition of ethoxy, all the structural isomers of propoxy and butoxy, and 1-pentoxy. Recent high-resolution, rotationally resolved studies on primary alkoxy radicals have given conformer specific assignments for the bands for which lifetimes have been measured. We report observed lifetime trends as a function of vibrational excitation for specific isomers and conformers. The implications of these observations for the dynamics of the B state will be discussed.
Using AOP to separate SOA security concerns from application implementation

Aspect-oriented programming (AOP) is a programming paradigm that increases modularity by enabling improved separation of concerns. Implementing modern Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) systems requires expertise from people in a variety of roles, including application developers and security experts. Ideally, the application developers should be fully isolated from, and independent of, security implementation. The virtues of AOP offer a practical programming framework in a SOA to ensure the separation of security concerns from both application code and application developers. This paper describes the application of aspect weaving to services in a SOA environment to address these concerns. We demonstrate several methods of aspect weaving to incorporate security code into deployed services, both at compile-time and load-time.
Progressive morphological changes and impaired retinal function associated with temporal regulation of gene expression after retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice

Retinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is an important cause of visual impairment. However, questions remain on the overall I/R mechanisms responsible for progressive damage to the retina. In this study, we used a mouse model of I/R and characterized the pathogenesis by analyzing temporal changes of retinal morphology and function associated with changes in retinal gene expression. Transient ischemia was induced in one eye of C57BL/6 mice by raising intraocular pressure to 120 mmHg for 60 min followed by retinal reperfusion by restoring normal pressure. At various time points post I/R, retinal changes were monitored by histological assessment with H&E staining and by SD-OCT scanning. Retinal function was also measured by scotopic ERG. Temporal changes in retinal gene expression were analyzed using cDNA microarrays and real-time RT-PCR. In addition, retinal ganglion cells and gliosis were observed by immunohistochemistry. H&E staining and SD-OCT scanning showed an initial increase followed by a significant reduction of retinal thickness in I/R eyes accompanied with cell loss compared to contralateral control eyes. The greatest reduction in thickness was in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and inner nuclear layer (INL). Retinal detachment was observed at days 3 and 7 post- I/R injury. Scotopic ERG a- and b-wave amplitudes and implicit times were significantly impaired in I/R eyes compared to contralateral control eyes. Microarray data showed temporal changes in gene expression involving various gene clusters such as molecular chaperones and inflammation. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining confirmed Muller cell gliosis in the damaged retinas. The time-dependent changes in retinal morphology were significantly associated with functional impairment and altered retinal gene expression. We demonstrated that I/R-mediated morphological changes the retina closely associated with functional impairment as well as temporal changes in retinal gene expression. Our findings will provide further understanding of molecular pathogenesis associated with ischemic injury to the retina.
Complementing CBT for depressed adolescents with learning through in vivo experience (live): Conceptual analysis, treatment description, and feasibility study

Based on a behavior-analytic interpretation of the skills acquisition process, a rationale is presented for augmenting a currently available cognitive-behavioral treatment (The Adolescent Coping With Depression course: CWD-A) with a newly developed therapy focusing on the interpersonal interactions and learning occurring in-session (Learning through In-Vivo Experience: LIVE). A description of the practice of LIVE is offered and the results from an initial feasibility study are presented. Using a single-subject methodology, two groups each consisting of 5 adolescents with significant symptoms of depression received the treatment. The intervention consisted of 16 2-hour group sessions occurring over an 8-week period. The first 1-hour of each meeting was taken directly from the CWD-A manual. The second hour was based on the LIVE manual. The adolescents who completed the treatment (n = 8) improved from pretreatment to posttreatment and those who discontinued treatment (n = 2) did not. Improvements were maintained at 3 months follow-up. The treatment produced strong group cohesion and both adolescents and their guardians rated the intervention positively. These results provide initial evidence of the efficacy of complementing CWD-A with LIVE.
Fast bus waveform estimation at the presence of coupling noise

With the technology scaling and shrinking feature sizes, coupling noise has become one of the most critical concerns in today's interconnect-centric design, especially for long global buses. A very common consequence of coupling is that the output signal waveform becomes non-monotonic. Traditionally, only through circuit simulation can the output waveform can be precisely acquired. However, this method suffers from low efficiency especially for today's super scale circuits. This paper proposes a fast algorithm to accurately estimate the output waveform for buses at the presence of coupling noise. Experimental results show that only a little more than 2% mean error is induced while, on average, the running time of the proposed algorithm is 23 times faster than HSPICE simulation.
Memory-intensive recognition for word articulation training

Deaf children may be helped to improve their articulation by using discrete utterance recognition techniques to match the words they pronounce with many template words pronounced by hearing children. This requires a multiple-speaker system, to accommodate the wide intra- and inter-speaker variations in "correct" pronunciations. With many different templates, time-warping techniques such as dynamic programming can lead to excessive computation time, and require very fast processing units for interactive applications. The system described here uses a large memory to hold the templates, and a very simple algorithm for recognition. By using recognition during training, and retaining a new template only if it is not recognized when compared with existing ones, it aims at capturing intra-speaker and inter-speaker pronunciation variations rather than attempting to model them mathematically. This approach can therefore be broadly characterized by two aspects: 1. Trade-off in favor of memory size versus processing speed. 2. Use of the recognition algorithm from the beginning of the system training phase.
NeuN+ neuronal nuclei in non-human primate prefrontal cortex and subcortical white matter after clozapine exposure

Increased neuronal densities in subcortical white matter have been reported for some cases with schizophrenia. The underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unresolved. We exposed 26 young adult macaque monkeys for 6 months to either clozapine, haloperidol or placebo and measured by structural MRI frontal gray and white matter volumes before and after treatment, followed by observer-independent, flow-cytometry-based quantification of neuronal and non-neuronal nuclei and molecular fingerprinting of cell-type specific transcripts. After clozapine exposure, the proportion of nuclei expressing the neuronal marker NeuN increased by approximately 50% in subcortical white matter, in conjunction with a more subtle and non-significant increase in overlying gray matter. Numbers and proportions of nuclei expressing the oligodendrocyte lineage marker, OLIG2, and cell-type specific RNA expression patterns, were maintained after antipsychotic drug exposure. Frontal lobe gray and white matter volumes remained indistinguishable between antipsychotic-drug-exposed and control groups. Chronic clozapine exposure increases the proportion of NeuN+ nuclei in frontal subcortical white matter, without alterations in frontal lobe volumes or cell type-specific gene expression. Further exploration of neurochemical plasticity in non-human primate brain exposed to antipsychotic drugs is warranted.
The induction of MAGE-1 mRNA and protein expression in the 888-mel human melanoma cell line treated with 5-fluoro-2’-deoxycytidine

2612 5-Fluoro-2’-deoxycytidine (FdCyd) inhibits DNA methyltransferases which are responsible for methylation of the C-5 position of cytosine in CpG dinucleotides. FdCyd is able to induce expression of some genes silenced by DNA methylation through the reduction of methylation at their promoter region. The human MAGE-1 gene is not expressed in any normal adult tissue except in testis and its CpG-rich 5’-region is methylated in normal cells. The MAGE-1 negative human melanoma cell line 888-mel was used as a model for studying the effects of FdCyd on the expression of MAGE-1 mRNA and protein. Based on bisulfite sequencing methodology, we reported previously that the degree of methylation in a 5’-CpG island of untreated 888-mel cells varied substantially among the 17 individual CpGs. Overall, FdCyd decreased the methylation substantially at CpGs which were highly methylated to begin with. Because FdCyd caused demethylation of CpGs in MAGE-1 gene 5’-region, we studied the expression of MAGE-1 mRNA in 888-mel by real-time RT-PCR. MAGE-1 mRNA was detected after 2 weeks of treatment with 10 and 100 μM FdCyd treatment. The expression increased gradually with longer exposure to 10 and 100 μM FdCyd. The level of MAGE-1 expression with 100 μM treatment was higher than with 10 μM FdCyd treatment at each time point. The results from real-time RT-PCR indicated that expression of MAGE-1 mRNA increased as function of both FdCyd concentration and time of exposure. Since MAGE-1 mRNA in 888-mel cells was induced by FdCyd treatment, we investigated the MAGE-1 protein. MAGE-1 Ab-4 (Clone MA454, ThermoScientific) was used to detect the gene product. The immunoblot analysis was performed on extracts from 888-mel treated with 10 and 100 μM FdCyd for 8 and 10 weeks. MAGE-1 protein was detected in 888-mel treated with 10 μM FdCyd for 10 weeks or with 100 μM FdCyd for 8 and 10 weeks. In conclusion, FdCyd reduced the methylation of CpGs within MAGE-1 5’-CpG island, induced the expression of MAGE-1 mRNA, and increased MAGE-1 protein. Our results indicated that FdCyd has similar effects on DNA methylation and gene expression as 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine, although it is less potent. (Supported by DOD grant W81XWH-04-1-0538.)
Seasonal Changes in Testicular Function and Seminal Characteristics of the Male Eastern Spotted Skunk (Spilogale putorius ambarvilus)

Seasonal changes in testicular physiology were studied in seven captive, male eastern spotted skunks ( Spilogale putorius ambarvilus ) that were maintained on a natural photoperiod for 1 year in 1991. Electro-ejaculation resulted in successful fluid collection in 34 of 61 attempts (56%), and 28 (85%) of these samples contained sperm. Increasing serum concentrations of testosterone were observed from early March through late April, and the lowest concentrations occurred in mid-December. Testis size increased from January through March, and testes regressed in August and September. Mean volume of ejaculate was 19.2 ± 4.7 µl ( n = 61), number of sperm was 12.1 ± 0.31 × 106 sperm/ ejaculate ( n = 33), motility was 68 ± 4% ( n = 28), and 64.3 ± 1.7% of the sperm were morphologically normal ( n = 25). Serum testosterone was highly correlated with testis size, but none of the semen characteristics was found to be correlated with either serum testosterone or testis size ( P > 0.05). The results suggest that the potential for interbreeding between this species and the western spotted skunk ( Spilogale gracilis ) is low.
Advances in Head and Neck Surgery

Head and neck cancers (HNC) encompass a diverse group of tumors in terms of clinical behavior and involved subsites. There are an estimated 55,000 new cases of HNC diagnosed each year in the USA, and worldwide represents the sixth most common cancer. The vast majority of HNC is caused by squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), with tobacco and alcohol abuse being the two most common risk factors. However, over the last 20 years, there has been an emergence of a biologically distinct disease in HPV-related oropharyngeal SCC. This virally related carcinoma is increasing at epidemic rates within the USA and is not associated with typical risk factors. Along with these changes have come technological advancements in the treatment of this disease and other head and neck cancers. Minimally invasive surgical options, including transoral laser microsurgery (TLM), transoral roboti surgery (TORS), and endoscopic skull base surgery (ESBS), have allowed for surgical treatment of disease processes with decreased morbidity and side effects. Similarly, the nonsurgical treatment of HNC has advanced as well. Image-guidance and more precise treatment planning options have advanced head and neck radiation treatment, while new chemotherapeutic and biologic regimens have allowed for decreased treatment-related morbidity. Genomic and molecular advances will continue to drive future improvements in the care for patients with head and neck cancers as well.
Application of Secondary Shear Effects in the Extrusion Machining Process to Explore Recrystallization Mechanics during Conventional Extrusion of 7050 Aluminum

Extrusion machining combines cutting with simultaneous extrusion using an additional constraining tool to induce very large and well-characterized strains. Unlike conventional extrusion, accurate analytical models exist for extrusion machining to calculate values of effective strain, strain rate, and temperature rise as a function of processing parameters. Additionally, the size, shape, and microstructural effects of a secondary shear zone that forms due to friction during extrusion machining have been characterized. This secondary shear zone can be manipulated by varying processing parameters, and can produce a severely inhomogeneous microstructure. This microstructure is also seen during conventional extrusion, as the material on the outside of the extrudate is strained more than the inside material, potentially causing an incomplete recrystallization across the face of the product. The secondary shear effect in the extrusion machining process is utilized to reproduce the inhomogeneous microstructure seen in conventional extrusion in order to better understand the recrystallization behavior during AA7050 extrusion.
Using Crowd Sourcing to Measure the Effects of System Response Delays on User Engagement

It is well established that delays in system response time negatively impact productivity, error rates and user satisfaction. What is less clear is the degree to which these effects deter users from engaging with a system. Usability guidelines provide rough response time targets for minimizing these effects across various types of interactions. However, developers faced with technical limitations or cost constraints that prevent them from meeting such targets are given no data with which to estimate the impact that system response delays will have on user engagement. In this work, we demonstrate a methodology for using crowd sourcing platforms to examine (1) the relative impacts of different delay types and (2) the effects of marginal changes in system response times. We compare two common network delay types, those caused by limited bandwidth (increased download times) and those caused by network latency (lag in responsiveness), and present how these delays reduce engagement in the context of a crowd sourced image classification task. Furthermore, we model how financial incentives interact with system response delays to impact user engagement. Finally, we show how such models can be used to optimize the cost of system design choices.
72 Impact of violence risk on adolescent physical and mental health

Statement of purpose To determine whether risk for future violence perpetration is associated with mental and physical health problems. Methods A community based survey exploring multiple violence characteristics was conducted prior to implementation of a Community that Cares model targeting reduction in youth violence. All youth living in high risk communities were eligible. Surveyors went door – to door to invite youth to participate. Surveyors asked questions in a confidential setting, recording answers on a computer. The Violence Injury Protection and Risk Screen (VIPRS) – predicting future violence perpetration, as well as standard violence measures – perpetration, victimisation, dating, and delinquency – were administered. Health and wellness measures – overall health, presence of chronic illness, and mental health diagnoses were collected. Chi-square analysis determined which health and wellness outcomes were associated with a positive VIPRS score. Logistic Regression determined which factors influenced the outcomes of interest. U. Colorado IRB approved the study. Results 1722 youth eligible/1100 participated: 53% female, 45% Hispanic, 25% Black. 20% were VIPRS +. Youth 13–17 were more likely VIPRS + than youth 10–12: 25.8% vs. 11.0% (p = 0.000);and males > females, 27.8% vs. 13.3% (p = 0.000). There were significant associations between VIPRS + and health outcomes. VIPRS + youth had worse general health, 50% vs. 40% (p Conclusions Screening positive for future violence risk is strongly associated with multiple physical and mental health conditions. Significance/contributions Clinicians identifying youth at risk for future violence should consider assessing for a range of health issues; likewise, as physical and mental health issues are identified, clinicians should assess youth for violence risk.
WE‐H‐BRA‐03: Development of a Model to Include the Evolution of Resistant Tumor Subpopulations Into the Treatment Optimization Process for Schedules Involving Targeted Agents in Chemoradiation Therapy

Purpose: To develop a model that includes the process of resistance development into the treatment optimization process for schedules that include targeted therapies. Further, to validate the approach using clinical data and to apply the model to assess the optimal induction period with targeted agents before curative treatment with chemo-radiation in stage III lung cancer. Methods: Growth of the tumor and its subpopulations is modeled by Gompertzian growth dynamics, resistance induction as a stochastic process. Chemotherapy induced cell kill is modeled by log-cell kill dynamics, targeted agents similarly but restricted to the sensitive population. Radiation induced cell kill is assumed to follow the linear-quadratic model. The validation patient data consist of a cohort of lung cancer patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors that had longitudinal imaging data available. Results: The resistance induction model was successfully validated using clinical trial data from 49 patients treated with targeted agents. The observed recurrence kinetics, with tumors progressing from 1.4–63 months, result in tumor growth equaling a median volume doubling time of 92 days [34–248] and a median fraction of pre-existing resistance of 0.035 [0–0.22], in agreement with previous clinical studies. The model revealed widely varying optimal time points for the use of curative therapy, reaching from ∼1m to >6m depending on the patient's growth rate and amount of pre-existing resistance. This demonstrates the importance of patient-specific treatment schedules when targeted agents are incorporated into the treatment. Conclusion: We developed a model including evolutionary dynamics of resistant sub-populations with traditional chemotherapy and radiation cell kill models. Fitting to clinical data yielded patient specific growth rates and resistant fraction in agreement with previous studies. Further application of the model demonstrated how proper timing of chemo-radiation could minimize the probability of resistance, increasing tumor control significantly.
Molecular Origin of Photovoltaic Performance in Donor-block-Acceptor All-Conjugated Block Copolymers

All-conjugated block copolymers may be an effective route to self-assembled photovoltaic devices, but we lack basic information on the relationship between molecular characteristics and photovoltaic performance. Here, we synthesize a library of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) block poly((9,9-dialkylfluorene)-2,7-diyl-alt-[4,7-bis(alkylthiophen-5-yl)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole]-2′,2″-diyl) (PFTBT) donor-block-acceptor all-conjugated block copolymers and carry out a comprehensive study of processing conditions, crystallinity, domain sizes, and side-chain structure on photovoltaic device performance. We find that all block copolymers studied exhibit an out-of-plane crystal orientation after deposition, and on thermal annealing at high temperatures the crystal orientation flips to an in-plane orientation. By varying processing conditions on polymer photovoltaic devices, we show that the crystal orientation has only a modest effect (15–20%) on photovoltaic performance. The addition of side chains to the PFTBT block ...
Frequency of large in-channel wood in eastern Oklahoma ecoregions and its association with channel morphology

Abstract Regional climate, geology, vegetation, and land use influence hydrogeomorphic processes, which influence stream channel form and the recruitment and transport of wood in streams. We studied relationships between channel morphology and frequencies of large in-channel wood in three upland ecoregions of eastern Oklahoma where streams contain high fish diversity and valuable sport fisheries. We surveyed 138 streams for wood within the Boston Mountains ( n = 30), Ozark Highlands ( n = 30), and Ouachita Mountain ( n = 78) ecoregions. Our study investigated whether (1) the frequency of large wood differed among ecoregions; (2) channel morphology influenced the distribution of large wood within and among ecoregions; and (3) a relationship existed between the frequency and size of trees in the riparian zone and the frequency of large wood within and among ecoregions. The frequency of single large wood pieces did not differ among ecoregions or vary with drainage area. However, the presence of one or more wood accumulation (2 to 4 pieces) increased with drainage area and increased at a higher rate in the Boston Mountains and Ozark Highlands than in the Ouachita Mountains. The frequency of single wood pieces decreased in narrower channels with larger substrates but increased in larger stream channels overall. No association existed between riparian tree density and in-channel wood in study reaches. We discuss these results in the context of wood recruitment and transport, and highlight key questions that remain regarding wood in eastern Oklahoma streams.
Effect of Energy Monitoring Activities on Climate Change Beliefs and Intentions: Replication of Findings at Multiple Project Locations

Analysis of data gathered from 234 middle school students attending four schools in three US states indicated that students participating in Going Green! Middle Schoolers Out to Save the World (MSOSW) energy monitoring activities acquired stronger beliefs about the existence of climate change and generally became more positive in their intentions to take action to slow the pace of climate change. Findings regarding beliefs were replicated at all four sites (p
Dynamic Strains for Earthquake Source Characterization

ABSTRACT Strainmeters measure elastodynamic deformation associated with earthquakes over a broad frequency band, with detection characteristics that complement traditional instrumentation, but they are commonly used to study slow transient deformation along active faults and at subduction zones, for example. Here, we analyze dynamic strains at Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) borehole strainmeters (BSM) associated with 146 local and regional earthquakes from 2004–2014, with magnitudes from M 4.5 to 7.2. We find that peak values in seismic strain can be predicted from a general regression against distance and magnitude, with improvements in accuracy gained by accounting for biases associated with site–station effects and source–path effects, the latter exhibiting the strongest influence on the regression coefficients. To account for the influence of these biases in a general way, we include crustal‐type classifications from the CRUST1.0 global velocity model, which demonstrates that high‐frequency strain data from the PBO BSM network carry information on crustal structure and fault mechanics: earthquakes nucleating offshore on the Blanco fracture zone, for example, generate consistently lower dynamic strains than earthquakes around the Sierra Nevada microplate and in the Salton trough. Finally, we test our dynamic strain prediction equations on the 2011 M 9 Tohoku‐Oki earthquake, specifically continuous strain records derived from triangulation of 137 high‐rate Global Navigation Satellite System Earth Observation Network stations in Japan. Moment magnitudes inferred from these data and the strain model are in agreement when Global Positioning System subnetworks are unaffected by spatial aliasing.
Assessment of Vascular Reactivity

Vascular reactivity encompasses many types of responses, under many conditions, in virtually every tissue, a multitude of experimental techniques exist to assess vascular reactivity. This chapter will focus exclusively upon alterations in vessel caliber, and its greater purpose is threefold. First , the appropriate organizational levels of the vasculature to properly characterize vascular reactivity will be identified. Second , common techniques of vascular reactivity assessment will be discussed and compared. Third , alterations in vascular reactivity and their impacts on hemodynamics will be discussed.
Polydnavirus Gene Expression Profiling: What We Know Now

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the polydnavirus gene expression profiling. PDVs are divided into bracoviruses (BVs) and ichnoviruses (IVs), which are associated with wasps in selected subfamilies of the Braconidae and Ichneumonidae. The hosts for most PDV-carrying wasps are larval-stage Lepidoptera. Each PDV from a given wasp species is genetically distinct and exists in two states: a proviral form that is integrated into the wasp genome and is transmitted to offspring through the germ line; and an encapsidated form, which is produced only in the ovaries of females and which wasps inject into hosts when they oviposit. Importantly, the genes required for replication are not packaged into virions, which instead contain DNAs that encode a mixture of single-copy genes and multimember gene families whose products affect the physiology of hosts. One consequence of the differences in gene content between the proviral and encapsidated genomes of PDVs is that viruses injected into hosts cannot replicate.
Study of the fundamental phase formation mechanism of sol-gel sulfurized Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films using in situ Raman spectroscopy

Abstract In the current work, the results of the in situ Raman monitoring of phase formation of copper zinc tin sulfide (Cu2ZnSnS4, CZTS) material from room temperature up to 350 °C are presented. Cu-Zn-Sn oxide precursors were sulfurized for up to 180 min using a 100 ppm H2S+4%H2+N2 gas mixture (by volume). The results showed that CZTS phase formed in about 30 min via a reaction between the metal oxide precursor film and the H2S-H2 gas mixture at intermediate temperature of 350 °C and remained stable upon extended exposure. In comparison, at lower temperature such as 170 °C, the oxide precursor film had to be reduced first (e.g., in 4% H2+N2 forming gas) and then the CZTS phase emerged. However, continued sulfurization at lower temperature (e.g., 170 °C) led to the disintegration of CZTS and the formation of CuS impurity, which remains stable upon cooling the sample down to room temperature. The correlation between the in situ Raman monitoring data and the information from other ex situ characterization techniques provided useful information regarding the reaction pathways leading to the formation of sol-gel based CZTS thin films as well as other related phases under different sulfurization conditions. The outcomes of the current study also set the directions for optimizing the CZTS film structure and stoichiometry toward developing high performance CZTS solar cells in future.
Management of Renal Anemia in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease

Renal anemia management is on the cusp of ­dramatic changes due to development of novel erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and new understandings of iron metabolism. As a result of a greater understanding of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) regulation and erythropoietin receptor binding site kinetics, the next generation of ESAs are being developed. The adverse effects of erythropoietin, which has been the treatment standard for renal anemia, have become more apparent and concerning. The increased risk of cardiac death associated with normalizing hemoglobins in adult dialysis patients and the lack of a survival benefit for cancer patients have pharmaceutical corporations “smelling blood in the water.” The mechanism of action of hepcidin, a new iron-regulating molecule produced by the liver, provides a better understanding of why dialysis patients do not absorb oral iron well. There is also great interest in exploring how new ESAs, and particularly the prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors, impact hepcidin levels.
Multiple Personality Order: Physical and Personality Characteristics of the Self, Primary Avatar and Alt

One hundred and four participants, all of whom had multiple avatars in the 3D virtual world of Second LifeTM, completed a set of measures to assess how physical characteristics, activity preferences, personality features, and social-emotional processes are similar or different across various combinations of the physical self, the primary avatar, and the sole or most frequently used alt. Data was also obtained on the frequency of alt use, motivations for constructing alts, and the main forms of identity experimentation engaged in with alts. The combined results were then used to construct a model of how personality systems composed of multiple offline and online identities operate and form a “multiple personality order.” As 3D virtual worlds and the global population of avatars continue to grow, creating and coordinating a system of multiple offline and online identities will increasingly become a normative feature of human development and, like a choreographer managing a company of dancers or a conductor leading an orchestra, the operation of personality will take on a quality of performance art.
Upsetting Deals and Reform Loop: Can Companies and M&A Law in Europe Adapt to the Market for Corporate Control?

This paper sheds light on a structural problem affecting all M&A laws: deals are complex and unique, while the law is general. In particular, target companies have a particular ownership structure that must fit the paradigm contemplated by the law, which in the European Union consists almost entirely of bright-line rules. In the paper, I show that oftentimes the law does not get the ownership structure and the deal right, and dissatisfaction in the M&A market, public opinion, and local politics ensue. Legislatures typically try to fix past mistakes with new one-size-fits-all regimes that are overreactive in nature, stymie the market, and create new opportunities for regulatory arbitrage. This is not surprising: takeover regimes formed for the most part by specific bright-line rules are bound to create dissatisfaction and ultimately fail. I suggest that adaptability of the regime to the specific features of the target (its ownership structure in particular) and of the deal itself is key for better success in regulating the market for corporate control. To that end, private ordering, as well as ex post adjudication via standards, are routes that national laws should seriously contemplate if they want to escape the “reform loop” into which they put themselves.
Directly Reprogrammed Neurons Still Have Some Growing Up to Do

Direct lineage conversion offers a fast and simple method to study mature neurons in vitro, but its utility for investigating neurodevelopment has remained unclear. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Chanda et al. (2019) use Ngn2-induced neurons to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms of the teratogenic compound valproic acid.
Acoustic noise and vision differentially warp the auditory categorization of speech.

Speech perception requires grouping acoustic information into meaningful linguistic-phonetic units via categorical perception (CP). Beyond shrinking observers' perceptual space, CP might aid degraded speech perception if categories are more resistant to noise than surface acoustic features. Combining audiovisual (AV) cues also enhances speech recognition, particularly in noisy environments. This study investigated the degree to which visual cues from a talker (i.e., mouth movements) aid speech categorization amidst noise interference by measuring participants' identification of clear and noisy speech (0 dB signal-to-noise ratio) presented in auditory-only or combined AV modalities (i.e., A, A+noise, AV, AV+noise conditions). Auditory noise expectedly weakened (i.e., shallower identification slopes) and slowed speech categorization. Interestingly, additional viseme cues largely counteracted noise-related decrements in performance and stabilized classification speeds in both clear and noise conditions suggesting more precise acoustic-phonetic representations with multisensory information. Results are parsimoniously described under a signal detection theory framework and by a reduction (visual cues) and increase (noise) in the precision of perceptual object representation, which were not due to lapses of attention or guessing. Collectively, findings show that (i) mapping sounds to categories aids speech perception in “cocktail party” environments; (ii) visual cues help lattice formation of auditory-phonetic categories to enhance and refine speech identification.Speech perception requires grouping acoustic information into meaningful linguistic-phonetic units via categorical perception (CP). Beyond shrinking observers' perceptual space, CP might aid degraded speech perception if categories are more resistant to noise than surface acoustic features. Combining audiovisual (AV) cues also enhances speech recognition, particularly in noisy environments. This study investigated the degree to which visual cues from a talker (i.e., mouth movements) aid speech categorization amidst noise interference by measuring participants' identification of clear and noisy speech (0 dB signal-to-noise ratio) presented in auditory-only or combined AV modalities (i.e., A, A+noise, AV, AV+noise conditions). Auditory noise expectedly weakened (i.e., shallower identification slopes) and slowed speech categorization. Interestingly, additional viseme cues largely counteracted noise-related decrements in performance and stabilized classification speeds in both clear and noise conditions sugge...
2.1 – 2.2 eV AlGaInP solar cells grown by molecular beam epitaxy

2.1 – 2.2 eV top cells are an essential and challenging part of future high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells. In this work, we report 2.1 and 2.2 eV AlGaInP solar cells grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaAs. As-grown cells exhibit strong trap-assisted recombination, resulting in high bandgap-voltage offset (W OC ) values and compromised carrier collection. Bringing the space charge region of the solar cell closer to the front surface by eliminating extra thickness improves carrier collection due to short minority carrier diffusion length. Another consequence of insufficient diffusion length is that field-assisted carrier collection (FACC) significantly degrades the fill factor of the AlGaInP solar cells presented here. Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) leads to increased photoluminescence intensity and shows the potential for improved cell performance.
Emergent social cohesion for coping with community disruptions in disasters.

Social cohesion is an important determinant of community well-being, especially in times of distress such as disasters. This study investigates the phenomena of emergent social cohesion, which is c...
Comparing Provider-Led Sexual Health Counseling of Male and Female Patients Undergoing Radical Cystectomy.

Abstract Background Sexual dysfunction is a common quality-of-life issue among patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer, but patients report deficiencies in sexual health counseling. Aim We sought to characterize provider-led sexual health counseling of patients undergoing RC and whether provider practice differs by patient gender. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of members of the Society of Urologic Oncology to assess topics included in provider-led sexual health counseling and barriers to counseling. Outcomes Nonroutine counseling regarding each sexual health topic was compared for female vs male patients using chi-squared tests. Modified Poisson regression was used to examine associations between provider characteristics and nonroutine counseling of female patients. Results Among 140 urologists, the majority did not routinely counsel patients about sexual orientation, partner sexual dysfunction, or referral options to sexual health services. Providers were significantly more likely to not provide routine counseling to female patients compared to male patients about the following topics: baseline sexual activity (20.6% vs 9.7%, respectively, P = 0.04), baseline sexual dysfunction (60.8% vs 20.2%, respectively, P Clinical Implications Urologists acknowledge key deficiencies and gender disparities in sexual health counseling of patients undergoing RC. Strengths and Limitations Although cross-sectional, to our knowledge, this is the first study to examine provider practice patterns regarding sexual health counseling of patients undergoing RC. Conclusion Future efforts should be directed towards reducing barriers to sexual health counseling of patients undergoing RC to improve deficiencies and gender disparities. Gupta N, Kucirka LM, Semerjian A, et al. Comparing Provider-Led Sexual Health Counseling of Male and Female Patients Undergoing Radical Cystectomy. J Sex Med 2020;17:949–956.
Accelerating Deep Neural Network In-Situ Training With Non-Volatile and Volatile Memory Based Hybrid Precision Synapses

Compute-in-memory (CIM) with emerging non-volatile memories (eNVMs) is time and energy efficient for deep neural network (DNN) inference. However, challenges still remain for DNN in-situ training with eNVMs due to the asymmetric weight update behavior, high programming latency and energy consumption. To overcome these challenges, a hybrid precision synapse combining eNVMs with capacitor has been proposed. It leverages the symmetric and fast weight update in the volatile capacitor, as well as the non-volatility and large dynamic range of the eNVMs. In this article, DNN in-situ training architecture with hybrid precision synapses is proposed and system level benchmarked is conducted. First, the circuit modules required for in-situ training with hybrid precision synapses are designed and the system architecture is proposed. Then, the impact of different weight precision configurations, weight transfer interval and limited capacitor retention time on training accuracy is investigated by incorporating hardware properties into Tensorflow simulation. Finally, the system-level benchmark is conducted at 32nm technology node in the modified NeuroSim simulator for hybrid precision synapse, in comparison with the baseline designs that are solely based on eNVMs or SRAM technology. The benchmark results show that CIM accelerator based on hybrid precision synapse achieves at least 3.07x and 2.89x better energy efficiency for training compared with its eNVM counterparts and SRAM technology at 32nm node, respectively. 227x and 33.8x better energy efficiency are obtained when compared to GPU and TPU. The scaling trend of hybrid precision synapse is projected towards 7nm node and comparison with state-of-the-art 7nm SRAM technology is made.
Chapter 98 – Muscle Channelopathies: Periodic Paralyses and Nondystrophic Myotonias

The periodic paralyses and nondystrophic myotonias are prototypic channelopathies, sharing features such as disease fluctuation based on environmental factors, age-related changes in disease activity, and episodicity. Mutations of the muscle ion channel genes alter the excitability of the muscle membrane, leading to either muscle hyperexcitability (myotonia) or hypoexcitability (paralysis). This chapter reviews the fascinating clinical features of these diseases and discusses the underlying molecular genetics and relevant pathophysiology.
Integrated AC to AC Converters for Single-phase Input to Two-phase Output Motor Drives

The single-phase to two-phase converters have become attractive for low-power motor drives due to the full electromagnetic isolation between phases of two-phase motors. One of the commonly used topologies is the ac/dc/ac pulse width modulation (PWM) converter which contains twelve active power semiconductor switches and a common dc link. To minimize the system cost and size for low power applications, an integrated ac/ac converter with a single-phase input and a two-phase output which reduces the switch count to six is proposed in this paper. Additionally, modulation scheme and filters for the proposed converter are developed and modeled in details. In this paper a systematic comparison among the conventional ac/dc/ac converters, matrix converters, and the proposed integrated ac to ac converters for single-phase input to two-phase output motor drives applications is performed in terms of the output voltage/current capability, total harmonics distortion (THD), and system cost. Furthermore, closed-loop speed controllers are developed for the three topologies, and the maximum operation range and output phase currents are investigated. Simulation and experimental results validated the effectiveness of the developed converters and control strategies.
c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling contributes to cystic burden in polycystic kidney disease [preprint]

Polycystic kidney disease is an inherited degenerative disease in which the uriniferous tubules are replaced by expanding fluid-filled cysts that ultimately destroy organ function. Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common form, afflicting approximately 1 in 1,000 people. It primarily is caused by mutations in the transmembrane proteins polycystin-1 (Pkd1) and polycystin-2 (Pkd2). The most proximal effects of Pkd mutations leading to cyst formation are not known, but pro-proliferative signaling must be involved for the tubule epithelial cells to increase in number over time. The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway promotes proliferation and is activated in acute and chronic kidney diseases. Using a mouse model of cystic kidney disease caused by Pkd2 loss, we observe JNK activation in cystic kidneys and observe increased nuclear phospho c-Jun in cystic epithelium. Genetic removal of Jnk1 and Jnk2 suppresses the nuclear accumulation of phospho c-Jun, reduces proliferation and reduces the severity of cystic disease. While Jnk1 and Jnk2 are thought to have largely overlapping functions, we find that Jnk1 loss is nearly as effective as the double loss of Jnk1 and Jnk2. Jnk pathway inhibitors are in development for neurodegeneration, cancer, and fibrotic diseases. Our work suggests that the JNK pathway should be explored as a therapeutic target for ADPKD. Author SummaryAutosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is a leading cause of end stage renal disease requiring dialysis or kidney transplant. During disease development, the cells lining the kidney tubules proliferate. This proliferation transforms normally small diameter tubules into fluid-filled cysts that enlarge with time, eventually destroying all kidney function. Despite decades of research, polycystic kidney disease remains incurable. Furthermore, the precise signaling events involved in cyst initiation and growth remain unclear. The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), is a major pathway regulating cellular proliferation and differentiation but its importance to polycystic kidney disease was not known. We show that JNK activity is elevated in cystic kidneys and that reducing JNK activity decreases cyst growth pointing to JNK inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for treating polycystic kidney disease.
Red China’s Green Revolution: Technological Innovation, Institutional Change, and Economic Development Under the Commune by Joshua Eisenman

Eisenman, Joshua. Red China’s Green Revolution: Technological Innovation, Institutional Change, and Economic Development Under the Commune. New York: Columbia University Press, 2018.