cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid Preliminary Design of Rectangular Linear Cellular Alloys for Maximum Heat Transfer

Design has traditionally involved selecting a suitable material for a given application. An understanding of structure‐property relationships provides a more rigorous and scientific basis for choosing an appropriate material for a given set of performance requirements. Improved designs may be possible if the material microstructures could be tailored for application-specific performance requirement. Honeycombs, two-dimensional prismatic cellular metals extended in the third direction, are emerging as an important material system for multifunctional applications. A specific example of designing prismatic cellular microstructure of rectangular cell topology is considered for optimum heat transfer via forced convection through its cells. As opposed to most existing designs, which assume uniform cell structures a priori, grading the cell structure is considered to achieve optimal heat transfer performance. A two-dimensional finite element methodology is developed to model convective heat transfer through a rectangular cellular structure in an approximate yet efficient way, enabling rapid exploration of the design space for purposes of preliminary design. Novel features of the finite element methodology are that it models the void and convection heat transfer due to fluid flow through it in an implicit manner and that it employs sink terms in the energy equation to address heat transfer due to convection down the length of the cells, employing an isothermal upper bound solution strategy for each cell. The finite element approach is used in conjunction with optimization algorithms to design uniform and graded rectangular cell structures.
Acute Myocarditis in Infants Initial Presentation

The authors reviewed the initial presentation of seven infants with acute myocarditis. All patients presented with respiratory distress including tachypnea (respiratory rate greater than or equal to 40) and intercostal retractions. Other findings included tachycardia (heart rate greater than or equal to 120) (7/7) and grunting (6/7). Lungs were clear to auscultation in six out of the seven patients. Cardiomegaly was seen in five of the initial chest roentgenograms. Each initial electrocardiogram had abnormal findings. Initial diagnoses were sepsis and shock in three patients, pneumonia and asthma in two, and congestive heart failure in two. Six patients required tracheal intubation. All required admission to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Two patients died. Myocarditis should be suspected in a child presenting with severe respiratory distress, tachycardia, cardiomegaly, and/or an abnormal electrocardiogram. Prompt stabilization and admission to a pediatric intensive care unit for further evaluation and treatment is essential.
B Cell Immunodeficiency Fails to Develop in CD4-Deficient Mice Infected with BM5: Murine AIDS as a Multistep Disease

The immunodeficiency syndrome murine AIDS (MAIDS), caused by the BM5 retrovirus preparation, involves the activation, division, and subsequent anergy of the entire CD4+ T cell population as well as extensive B cell hyperproliferation and hypergammaglobulinemia, resulting in splenomegaly and lymphadenopathy, followed many weeks later by death. The development of MAIDS requires CD4+ T cells and MHC class II expression by the infected host, supporting a role for T-B interaction in disease development or progression. To explore this possibility, we examined development of MAIDS in mice deficient in CD4 (CD4 knockout), in which T-B interactions are compromised. We find that in CD4 knockout hosts, BM5 causes T cell immunodeficiency in the remaining T cells but has only a limited ability to induce B cell phenotypic changes, hyperproliferation, hypergammaglobulinemia, or splenomegaly. There is also delayed death of infected mice. This implies that CD4 dependent T-B interaction is needed to induce the B cell aspects of disease and supports a multistep mechanism of disease in which B cell changes follow and are caused by CD4+ T cell effects.
Index mappings for multidimensional formulation of the DFT and convolution

The mapping of one-dimensional arrays into two- or higher dimensional arrays is the basis of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithms and certain fast convolution schemes. This paper gives the general conditions for these mappings to be unique and cyclic, and then considers the application to discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and convolution evaluation.
Jack A. Barney resident paper award: blood transfusions increase complications in moderately injured patients.

BACKGROUND: Previous assessments linked transfusions in trauma to increased respiratory and infectious complications. However, these studies included patients with severe trauma, brisk hemorrhage, and shock. Thus, the potentially harmful impact of transfusion was difficult to determine. METHODS: A retrospective review of all trauma patients with an injury severity score (ISS) of 9 to 14 admitted to a Level 1 Trauma Center over a 5-year period was performed. Patients were stratified by transfusion history and injury severity. RESULTS: Records of 2,332 patients were reviewed; 208 (8.9%) received at least 1 packed red blood cell transfusion. The incidence of complications was significantly higher in patients receiving transfusions (42.3% vs 9.0%; P < .001), and transfusion was a significant independent predictor of the development of a complication (odds ratio, 5.85; P < .001). Further, the association of transfusion with complications was dose-dependent. Transfusion was associated with a significantly increased hospital length of stay (10.6 vs 3.9 days; P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Moderately injured trauma patients receiving transfusions suffered significantly more complications. Indications for transfusion in this population should be reassessed carefully.
Free fatty acids reduce splanchnic and peripheral glucose uptake in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Splanchnic glucose uptake (SGU) plays a major role in the disposal of an oral glucose load (OGL). To investigate the effect of an elevated plasma free fatty acid (FFA) concentration on SGU in patients with type 2 diabetes, we measured SGU in eight diabetic patients (mean age 51 ± 4 years, BMI 29.3 ± 1.4 kg/m2, fasting plasma glucose 9.3 ± 0.7 mmol/l) during an intravenous Intralipid/heparin infusion and 7–10 days later during a saline infusion. SGU was estimated by the OGL insulin clamp method: subjects received a 7-h euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp (insulin infusion rate = 100 mU · m−2 · min−1), and a 75-g OGL was ingested 3 h after starting the insulin clamp. After glucose ingestion, the steady-state glucose infusion rate during the insulin clamp was decreased appropriately to maintain euglycemia. SGU was calculated by subtracting the integrated decrease in glucose infusion rate during the 4-h period after glucose ingestion from the ingested glucose load (75 g). 3-[3H]glucose was infused during the 3-h insulin clamp before glucose ingestion to determine the rates of endogenous glucose production and glucose disappearance (Rd). Intralipid/heparin or saline infusion was initiated 2 h before the start of the OGL clamp. Plasma FFA concentrations were significantly higher during the OGL clamp with the intralipid/heparin infusion than with the saline infusion (2.5 ± 0.3 vs. 0.11 ± 0.02 mmol/l, P
Toward a Topic Maps Amanuensis

The CALO project at SRI International provides unique opportunities to explore the boundaries of knowledge representation and organization in a learning environment. A goal reported here is to develop methods for assistance in the preparation of documents through a topic map framework populated by combinations of machine learning and recorded social gestures. This work in progress continues the evolution of Tagomizer, our social bookmarking application, adding features necessary for annotations of websites beyond simple bookmark-like tagging, including the creation of new subjects in the topic map. We report on the coupling of Tagomizer with a Java wiki engine, and show how this new framework will serve as a platform for CALO's DocAssist application.
Bacteriophages: Nature and Reproduction

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses both subjects to build a unified concept of the nature and action of bacteriophages in relation to other viruses. The relatively simple nucleoproteins, such as the plant viruses can have virus characteristics, and the study of all viruses is bound together by a methodological unity, a similarity in biological activity, and a focus on nucleoprotein synthesis. The chemical and physical character of phage and to some extent the multiplication of phage is studied largely by the ordinary methods of protein chemistry in combination with the observation of biological phenomena. The fundamental problem of protein chemistry is the elucidation of structure in relation to biological function and mode of protein synthesis. This endeavor bacteriophage serves as a model system for the study as peptide synthesis.
Crystal Structure Anisotropy Explains Anomalous Elastic Properties of Nanorods

It is demonstrated that the frequency of the extensional vibrational mode of a nanorod made of an elastically anisotropic crystalline material deviates widely from the predictions of the theories based on the analysis of the long-wavelength limit. The dispersion relation for the fundamental extensional mode of a gold rod grown in the [100] direction is calculated and found to be in excellent agreement with experimental data obtained from the transient optical absorption measurements on gold nanorods. This explains an anomaly in the elastic properties of nanorods which was previously attributed to a 26% decrease in Young’s modulus for nanorods compared to its bulk value. The developed approach allows one to investigate the role of the crystal structure anisotropy for acoustic phonons in nanorods and nanowires made of any metal or semiconductor material having cubic crystal structure.
Microstructures and Properties of Metal Reinforced Zr57Nb5Al10Cu15.4Ni12.6Bulk Metallic Glass Composites

To increase toughness of a metallic glass with the nominal composition Zr57Nb5Al10Cu15.4Ni12.6, it was used as the matrix in the composites reinforced with W fiber, W particles, and W/Re particles. Microstructures of the composites are studied by scanning electron microscopy and electron microprobe. Compression results are presented. Dynamic deformation behavior of the composites is studied in ballistic tests. The tests were performed firing composite rods into 6061 T651 aluminum target and 4130 steel targets. The composite rods failed by localized adiabatic shear banding and exhibited self-sharpening behavior.
0427 A cohort study of workers exposed to PFOA

Objectives PFOA has been linked to several diseases, but findings are inconclusive, and there have been no incidence studies in worker populations. Method We interviewed 3700 workers or their next-of-kin in 2009–2011 for medical history, and sought medical records to validate self-reported disease. A job-exposure matrix based on over 2000 PFOA serum measurements was used to estimate serum levels over time for each worker, while a separate estimation was made for non-occupational exposure due to drinking PFOA-contaminated water. Cumulative dose in the serum (ng/ml-years) was the metric of interest. We studied 18 disease outcomes with 15 to 1430 cases; analyses were limited to confirmed cases. Results The median year of birth was 1951; 5% had died. The median measured serum level was 113 ng/ml in 2005 (n = 1900), compared to 4 ng/ml in the US population. Among 18 outcomes studied, only ulcerative colitis (10 year lag) showed a significant trend with increasing exposure (p = 0.05) (RRs by quartile 1.00, 3.00, 3.26, 6.57, p value trend 0.05), similar to earlier findings in a community cohort study in the same area. Positive but non-significant trends were also observed for prostate cancer and non-hepatitis liver disease, and female hypothyroidism, which have been implicated in other studies, No marked trends were seen for high cholesterol, which had been seen in the community study. Conclusions Ulcerative colitis was linked to PFOA exposure among workers. Analyses of other diseases did not show marked trends. Data were limited by small numbers, a largely survivor cohort, and few low exposed referents.
PERFORMANCE IMPACTS AND GRANULARITY SENSITIVITY OF DYNAMIC RESOURCE ALLOCATION ON DAMA NETWORKS

The enhancement in system performance provided by adaptive modulation and cod ing is investigated. The performance metric is the information transfer rate, or capacity. A simple rain attenuation model is developed to facilitate the analysis; the attenuation follows a log normal decay pattern as a function of radial distance from the center of the rain cell. Assuming uniformly distributed receivers, the average capacity averaged over the area of the rain cell is derived. Numerical results showing the effect of varying mode granularities are tabulated for several representative sets of system parameters.
An epidemiologic investigation on infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus in wild animals traders in Guangzhou

Objective To investigate status of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronovirus (SARS-CoV) in traders of wild animals wholesale markets in Guangzhou. Methods Serum antibody against SARS-CoV IgG was determined cross-sectionally and symptoms of respiratory infection were investigated retrospectively for part of traders of three wholesale markets for wild animals in Guangzhou. Results Overall rate of infection with SARS-CoV in 635 traders was 16.69%, varying in three different markets. Infection rate in market A mainly engaging in wild animals ranked the highest of 25.61%, significantly higher than that in markets B and C engaging in domestic fowls and snakes. Infection rate in traders only engaging in civet cats was 58.54%, significantly higher than that in traders engaging in snakes only (9.46%). In market A, infection rate varied in different persons, 59.34%, 20.59%, 16.00%, 15.22%, 10.40% and 9.68% in traders engaging in wild animals, managers, children of the traders, traders engaging in domestic fowls, traders engaging in snakes, and traders engaging in frozen food, respectively, in a decreasing pattern as their contact opportunities. During the period of SARS epidemic, detection rate of SARS-CoV antibody in people with symptoms of acute respiratory infection was higher (30.70%) than that in those without such symptoms (20.08%). Prevalence of symptoms of acute upper respiratory infection in people with positive antibody against SARS-CoV was higher (49.28%) than that in those with negative antibody (30.35%). Conclusions Infection with SARS-CoV in traders of animal markets possibly related to their direct exposure to wild animals, particularly to civet cats. During the period of SARS epidemic, some of the traders did infect with SARS-CoV, but they were neglected due to clinically inapparent manifestations.
Cre/loxP recombination system and gene targeting.

Embryonic stem (ES) cell technology has clearly established itself as a powerful technique for the examination of gene function in vivo. The vast majority of gene-targeting experiments to date have been designed simply to inactivate the function of the gene of interest by the targeted insertion of a selectable marker into the ES genome. Homologous recombinant ES cells are used without further modification for the generation of mice that bear a permanently modified allele in all cells from the onset of development. In contrast to this “conventional” gene-targeting strategy, in recent years, the use of the Cre/loxP recombination system in conjunction with gene targeting has greatly expanded the versatility and avenues with which biologic questions can be addressed in the mouse. In addition to the generation of subtle mutations, this system allows for a number of other genotypic options in ES cells or mice by strategically incorporating Cre recombinase recognition (loxP) sites into the genome and the subsequent expression of recombinase in vitro or in vivo. In particular, when Cre is expressed in mice harboring a loxP-containing target gene, the desired gene modification can be restricted to certain cell types or developmental stages of the mouse (conditional gene targeting) depending on the tissue specificity and timing of recombinase expression. There is no definitive rule to decide whether, for a particular experiment, conventional or conditional gene targeting is more appropriate since this depends on the specific biologic question and the peculiarities of the gene studied.
Parkour: parallel speedup estimates for serial programs

We present Parkour, a tool that creates parallel speedup estimates for unparallelized serial programs. Unlike previous approaches, it does not require any prior human analysis or modification of the program. Parkour automatically quantifies the parallelism of a given program and provides an approximate upper bound for performance, modeling fundamental parallelization constraints. For the evaluation, Parkour is applied to three benchmarks from the NAS Parallel benchmark suite running on a 32-core AMD multicore system, and three benchmarks running on the fine-grained MIT Raw processor. The results are compelling. Parkour is able to significantly improve the accuracy of parallel speedup estimates relative to the critical path analysis technique that it extends.
Using Charity Performance Metrics as an Excuse Not to Give

There is an increasing pressure to give more wisely and effectively. There is, relatedly, an increasing focus on charity performance metrics. Through a series of experiments, this paper provides a ...
Energy Security: Shaping the Consumer Decision Making Process in Emerging Economies

Energy security is a universal concern among all countries, with all nations struggling for a sustainable solution. Solar technologies are a particularly beneficial utility for emerging economies due to both geography and affordability. Solar Photovoltaics (PV) is one of the highest potential growth markets in emerging economies due to the ability for small-scale systems to be placed on residential rooftops. Distribution of PV to individual homeowners is a new buying and selling process for what has traditionally been a business-to-business marketplace. Because the consumer market is at an infant stage in emerging economies, the messages that PV companies send to consumers will ultimately shape consumer perception about renewable energy. Through content analysis of websites from 12 companies in two of the BRICS markets, this research explores the similarities and differences with regard to consumer-facing messages among companies of various sizes in the two markets.
Multifactorial Dynamics of White Matter Connectivity During Adolescence

Studying developmental changes in white matter connectivity is critical for understanding neurobiological substrates of cognition, learning, and neuropsychiatric disorders. This becomes especially important during adolescence when a rapid expansion of the behavioral repertoire occurs. Several factors such as brain geometry, genetic expression profiles, and higher level architectural specifications such as the presence of segregated modules have been associated with the observed organization of white matter connections. However, we lack understanding of the extent to which such factors jointly describe the brain network organization, nor have insights into how their contribution changes developmentally. We constructed a multifactorial model of white matter connectivity using Bayesian network analysis and tested it with diffusion imaging data from a large community sample. We investigated contributions of multiple factors in explaining observed connectivity, including architectural specifications, which promote a modular yet integrative organization, and brain9s geometric and genetic features. Our results demonstrated that the initially dominant geometric and genetic factors become less influential with age, whereas the effect of architectural specifications increases. The identified structural modules are associated with well-known functional systems, and the level of association increases with age. This integrative analysis provides a computational characterization of the normative evolution of structural connectivity during adolescence.
Effects of high temperature on space charge distributions in direct-fluorinated bistratal polyimide film

This Polyimide film has excellent electrical properties and it serves as an important insulating material which is widely used in the variable-frequency motor and wind generator. Since high temperature is a significant reason for degradation in insulation, the space charge distributions of polyimide (PI) films in high temperature condition is worth investigating. Under different temperature, the conductivity changes differently with different modified PI films, which influences space charges accumulating at the interface bistratal PI films. Previous studies found that surface fluorination could modify the surface layer properties of polyimide and nanocomposites in PI films could prove its corona-resistant property. In this paper, to investigate how space charges behave in bistratal PI film, double-layered samples were prepared for the experiment. The samples were made by one piece of non-fluorinated original or corona-resistant PI film and one piece of original or corona-resistant PI film which were surface-fluorinated for 15, 45 and 75 min respectively. In the experiment, the charge injecting process was held under 40, 80, 120 and 160 °C. In order to present the distributions of space charge in the 25 pm thick samples, a laser-induced thermal pulse measurement was set up. Results show that direct-fluorination and temperature change the conductivities of PI films, and that influences the space charges at the interface and the space charge behaviors in the sample. The space charges at the interface can be modulated with different fluorination time, and with the rising of the temperature, fewer space charges accumulate in the bistratal samples.
Private payer value initiatives: The Michigan Model

Abstract The recent national emphasis on improving value in healthcare delivery has placed increasing responsibility for health care value improvement on individual hospitals through financial incentives. Private Payer Initiatives are partnerships between providers and hospitals with payers that are intended to improve quality and value of health care. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has been a pioneer in the development and financial support of “The Michigan Model.” The Michigan Model is a is a longstanding multifaceted initiative that has successfully improved quality of healthcare delivery throughout the state through the development of collaborations between providers and acute care hospitals.
Mile High WiFi: A First Look At In-Flight Internet Connectivity

In-Flight Communication (IFC), available on a growing number of commercial flights, is often received by consumers with both awe for its mere availability and harsh criticism for its poor performance. Indeed, IFC provides Internet connectivity in some of the most challenging conditions with aircraft traveling at speeds in excess of 500 mph at 30,000 feet above the ground. Yet, while existing services do provide basic Internet \em accessibility, anecdotal reports rank their quality of service as, at best, poor. In this paper, we present the first characterization of deployed IFC systems. Using over 45 flight-hours of measurements, we profile the performance of IFC across the two dominant access technologies -- direct air-to-ground communication (DA2GC) and mobile satellite service (MSS). We show that IFC QoS is in large part determined by the high latencies inherent to DA2GC and MSS, with RTTs averaging 200ms and 750ms, respectively, and that these high latencies directly impact the performance of common applications such as web browsing. While each IFC technology is based on well studied wireless communication technologies, our findings reveal that IFC links experience further degraded link performance than their technological antecedents. We find median loss rates of 7%, and nearly 40% loss at the 90th percentile for MSS, 6.8x larger than recent characterizations of residential satellite networks. We extend our IFC study exploring the potential of the newly released HTTP/2 and QUIC protocols in an emulated IFC environment, finding that QUIC is able to improve page load times by as much as 7.9 times. In addition, we find that HTTP/2»s use of multiplexing multiple requests onto a single TCP connection performs up to 4.8x \em worse than HTTP/1.1 when faced with large numbers of objects. We use network emulation to explore proposed technological improvements to existing IFC systems finding that high link losses, and not bandwidth, account for the largest factor of performance degradation with applications such as web browsing.
Picosecond Sampling with Josephson Junctions

Sampling oscilloscopes are the instruments with the best time resolution for the investigation of electrical waveforms. Their operation principle is the same as that of the stroboscope. For sampling a waveform, a fast switch is required to take a sample of the waveform, and a short pulse to operate the switch. By scanning the waveform point by point with a variable time delay, it can be reconstructed on a recording device. Josephson junctions are well suited for this purpose because they are not only picosecond switches but have a sharp switching threshold, too. Today, time resolution of Josephson samplers approaches 2 ps.
Agreement between lens thickness measurements by ultrasound immersion biometry and optical biometry

Purpose To compare lens thickness measurements provided by immersion ultrasound (US) biometry and optical biometry. Setting IRCCS-Fondazione Bietti, Rome, Italy. Design Evaluation of diagnostic technology. Methods Immersion US biometry and optical biometry were performed in a consecutive series of eyes having cataract surgery. Three optical biometers (OA-2000, Aladdin, and Galilei G6) were used. To assess how the differences in lens thickness measurements influenced intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation, the lens thickness values were entered into the Olsen formula. Results Eighty-eight eyes were analyzed. Ultrasound immersion biometry yielded significantly higher lens thickness values than all of the optical biometers (P Conclusions Lens thickness measurements by immersion US biometry and optical biometry cannot be considered interchangeable. Minor, but still significant, differences between the 3 optical biometers tested were also found.
The pure rotational spectrum of the ZnBr radical (X2Σ+): Trends in the zinc halide series.

The pure rotational spectrum of ZnBr (X2Σ+) has been recorded in the frequency range 259–310 GHz using millimeter-wave direct absorption techniques. This study is the first quantitative spectroscopic investigation of this free radical. ZnBr was synthesized in a DC discharge by the reaction of zinc vapor in argon with one of three reagents: BrCH3, Br2CH2, or Br2. Eight rotational transitions were measured for six isotopologues (64Zn79Br, 64Zn81Br, 66Zn79Br, 66Zn81Br, 68Zn79Br, and 68Zn81Br), all of which exhibited spin-rotation interactions. Furthermore, transitions originating in the v = 1 through 3 excited vibrational states were obtained for certain isotopologues. Five rotational transitions were also recorded for 67Zn79Br, in which hyperfine splittings were observed arising from the 67Zn nucleus (I = 5/2). The spectra were analyzed using a Hund’s case (bβJ) Hamiltonian, and rotational, spin-rotation, and 67Zn magnetic hyperfine constants were determined. Equilibrium parameters were also derived for the 64Zn79Br, 64Zn81Br, 66Zn79Br, and 66Zn81Br isotopologues, including the vibrational constant, ωe = 286 cm−1. The equilibrium bond length was derived to be re = 2.268 48(90) A. Analysis of the 67Zn hyperfine parameters suggest a decrease in ionic character in ZnBr from the other known zinc halides, ZnF and ZnCl.The pure rotational spectrum of ZnBr (X2Σ+) has been recorded in the frequency range 259–310 GHz using millimeter-wave direct absorption techniques. This study is the first quantitative spectroscopic investigation of this free radical. ZnBr was synthesized in a DC discharge by the reaction of zinc vapor in argon with one of three reagents: BrCH3, Br2CH2, or Br2. Eight rotational transitions were measured for six isotopologues (64Zn79Br, 64Zn81Br, 66Zn79Br, 66Zn81Br, 68Zn79Br, and 68Zn81Br), all of which exhibited spin-rotation interactions. Furthermore, transitions originating in the v = 1 through 3 excited vibrational states were obtained for certain isotopologues. Five rotational transitions were also recorded for 67Zn79Br, in which hyperfine splittings were observed arising from the 67Zn nucleus (I = 5/2). The spectra were analyzed using a Hund’s case (bβJ) Hamiltonian, and rotational, spin-rotation, and 67Zn magnetic hyperfine constants were determined. Equilibrium parameters were also derived for the...
Mitochondrial Morphology, Dynamics, and Function in Human Pressure Overload or Ischemic Heart Disease With Preserved or Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Background: The FOXO3a (forkhead box O3a)-BNIP3 (B-cell lymphoma 2/adenovirus E1B 19kDa interacting protein 3) pathway modulates mitochondrial dynamics and function and contributes to myocardial re...
Simultaneous wick and fluid selection for the design of minimized-thermal-resistance vapor chambers under different operating conditions

Abstract The thermal resistance of a vapor chamber is primarily governed by conduction across the evaporator wick and the saturation temperature gradient in the vapor core. The relative contributions of these two predominant resistances can vary dramatically with vapor chamber operating conditions and geometry. In the limit of very thin form factors, the contribution from the vapor core thermal resistance dominates the overall thermal resistance of the vapor chamber; recent work has focused on working fluid selection to minimize overall thermal resistance in this limit. However, the wick thermal resistance becomes increasingly significant as its thickness increases to support higher heat inputs while avoiding the capillary limit. It therefore becomes critical to simultaneously consider the contributions of the wick and vapor core thermal resistances in the development of a generalized methodology for vapor chamber working fluid selection. The current work uses a simplified thermal-resistance-network-based vapor chamber model to explore selection of working fluids and wick structures that offer the minimum overall thermal resistance as a function of the vapor chamber thickness and heat input. An illustrative example of working fluid selection, for cases with and without the contribution of wick thermal resistance, is first used to demonstrate the potential significance of the wick thermal resistance on fluid choice. This influence of the wick on working fluid selection is further explained based on the wick properties (effective pore radius, permeability, and effective thermal conductivity). The ratio of effective pore radius to wick permeability is found to be the most critical wick parameter governing the overall vapor chamber resistance at thin form factors where minimizing the wick thickness is paramount; the wick conductivity becomes an equally important parameter only at thicker form factors. Based on this insight, a new approach for vapor chamber design is demonstrated, which allows simultaneous selection of the working fluid and wick that provides minimum overall thermal resistance for a given geometry and operating condition.
A constrained spline dynamics (CSD) method for interactive simulation of elastic rods

In this paper, we present constrained spline dynamics (CSD) as a unified framework for the elastodynamic simulation of elastic rods subjected to constraints at interactive rates. The geometry of the rod and its kinematics are discretized using smooth spline functions and the rod's centerline co-ordinates as degrees of freedom (DOF). Interpolating B-spline shape functions are used to take advantage of the smooth basis and the Kronecker delta property. The formulation is developed from Hamilton's principle with bending and twisting energies represented as compliant constraints. The bend-twist coupled behavior is modeled using the concept of holonomy of curves utilizing the smooth and accurate curvature and bi-normal vector fields, eliminating rotational director frames as degrees of freedom. By enforcing uniform arc-length parametrization, high accuracy is achieved in modeling bend, twist, and bend-twist coupling. Several numerical examples are presented that demonstrate the convergence behavior, computational accuracy and efficiency of the formulation.
Joint Communication and Computing Optimization for Hierarchical Machine Learning Tasks Distribution

In this paper, a joint latency and energy minimization problem is considered for hierarchical machine learning tasks distribution (HMLTD) with mobile edge computing (MEC). Firstly, we propose a MEC based HMLTD framework enabling mobile devices embedded with shallow neural network (SNN) model to offload latency-sensitive computing-intensive tasks to a nearby MEC server (MES), which has a more powerful deep neural network (DNN) model. Then, we formulate the offloading strategy as a piecewise convex optimization problem to minimize the weighted-sum of latency and energy. A closed-form solution of the optimal tasks partition strategy is derived analytically for different scenarios, and then an optimal partial offloading strategy (OPOS) is proposed. As proof of concept, some insights are gained to demonstrate the key parameters affecting the task partition strategy. Numerical results are given to illustrate that the proposed offloading scheme outperforms the baseline scheme.
Aging with Care: Your Guide to Hiring and Managing Caregivers at Home

The purpose of Aging with Care: Your Guide to Hiring and Managing Caregivers at Home is to provide a guide for caregivers. The intertwining of personal experiences from two different caregiving per...
Communal Coping and Self-Care in Black and White Individuals Living with Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is both prevalent and profoundly impactful, and how people cope with the illness is related to a variety of individual and relational outcomes. The goal of this investigati...
Economic Impact Analysis for an Energy Efficient Home Improvement Program

Many residential property owners in the US have received financial assistance for energy-efficient products and services through the energy efficient home improvement programs such as the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE). However, it is unclear about the spatial distribution of their impacts on regional economy. This research intends to estimate the economic impacts of the residential energy efficient programs through a metropolitan input-output model. As one of the most widely adopted residential PACE Programs, the Home Energy Retrofit Opportunity (HERO) Program of Renovate America, Inc. in Southern California is selected as an empirical case to demonstrate the economic impact analysis for a large metropolitan area. The Southern California Planning Model (SCPM) is used to trace all the regional economic impacts of the HERO program in the five county Los Angeles region at a high level of sectoral and spatial disaggregation. The results show that the economic impacts of the HERO program are not limited to the directly impacted areas. They spread out to the whole Los Angeles region and even go further beyond the region. The spatial patterns of the economic impacts are useful to assist the efficient allocation of the scarce resources.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome and COVID-19: A case report.

• Reports of Guillain-Barre Syndrome in the setting of a COVID-19 viral infection are increasing. • Dysautonomia in Guillain-Barre Syndrome and COVID-19. • Guillain-Barre Syndrome and COVID-19 in the critically-ill patient.
Nasal Foreign Body, an Unanticipated Complication of COVID-19 Care: A Case Report.

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has changed the way we practice medicine. Standards of care are evolving in an effort to diagnose, manage, and treat the cause of this global pandemic, as well as to protect the health care workforce. These practices can have unexpected and potentially dangerous consequences, particularly for patient populations with confounding factors that put them at increased risk for complications and poor outcomes. Case Report A 52-year-old previously healthy woman presented with 4 days of nasal pain and discharge after using a home collection kit in an attempt to obtain a nasopharyngeal viral sample for COVID-19 testing. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? With treatments, policies, and procedures that are rapidly evolving and often deviating from established, evidence-based, usual care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency physicians must be cognizant of and monitor for poor outcomes and potential downstream complications, especially in underserved patient populations.
Tribological behavior of the PDA/PTFE + Cu-SiO2 nanoparticle thin coatings

Abstract Cu-SiO2 core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) were added to the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) top layer of polydopamine (PDA)/PTFE thin coatings to improve the durability of the coatings. Three very low weight percentages of Cu-SiO2 NPs (0.005 wt%, 0.0075 wt%, 0.01 wt%) were added to a PTFE dispersion, which was then used to dip-coat the PTFE + Cu-SiO2 NPs onto PDA-coated stainless steel substrates to form PDA/PTFE + Cu-SiO2 NP thin coatings. The resulting thin coatings were less porous and had smaller surface roughness compared to PDA/PTFE thin coatings, revealing the effect of Cu-SiO2 NPs in making more compact thin coatings with interconnected PTFE fibrils. The compaction of the coatings led to improved adhesion and durability of the PDA/PTFE + Cu-SiO2 NP thin coatings.
Attitudes Based on Feelings: Fixed or Fleeting?:

Researchers and practitioners want to create opinions that stick. Yet whereas some opinions stay fixed, others are as fleeting as the time it takes to report them. In seven longitudinal studies with more than 20,000 individuals, we found that attitudes based more on emotion are relatively fixed. Whether participants evaluated brand-new Christmas gifts or one of 40 brands, the more emotional their opinion, the less it changed over time, particularly if it was positive. In a word-of-mouth linguistic analysis of 75,000 real-world online reviews, we found that the more emotional consumers are in their first review, the more that attitude persists when they express it again even years later. Finally, more emotion-evoking persuasive messages create attitudes that decay less over time, further establishing emotion's causal effect. These effects persist above and beyond other attitude-strength attributes. Interestingly, we also found that lay individuals generally fail to appreciate the relation between emotionality and attitude stability.
Allocating fixed costs using multi-coalition epsilon equilibrium

Abstract In this paper, a multi-coalition fixed cost allocation (MCFCA) is considered. The problem is solved using epsilon equilibrium (also called e-Nash equilibrium) concept and data envelopment analysis framework. The MCFCA epsilon equilibrium involves tradeoffs between satisfying objectives of cooperative coalitions and conflicts arising from inter-coalitions objectives. First, it is shown that a simple single objective fixed cost allocation problem is an easy problem to solve and multiple solutions satisfying traditional Nash equilibrium can be trivially obtained. Second, the MCFCA problem is proposed by using different coalitions’ objective criteria highlighted in previous studies. Third, the MCFCA problem is solved using a genetic algorithm (GA) procedure. Several real-world datasets from different domains are used to test the procedure and two different types of GA fitness functions – raw and scaled – are used. The results indicate that different fitness functions perturb solutions around the epsilon equilibrium so that multiple statistically similar solutions can be obtained to aid subjective managerial solution selection among multiple similar solutions.
Remark in Regard to Bidelman’s Data-Bank Project

The concept of a general stellar data bank is not a new idea, but the desirability of this project at the present time has been emphasized by a number of astronomers (Bidelman, Jaschek, Cayrel, Hauck and others) and work is proceeding both in the United States and elsewhere. The status of my own activities in this direction is as follows:
Invasive Bladder Cancer: Combined Modality Treatment

Invasive bladder cancer is associated with a cure rate of only 50 %, when all stages are considered. The pattern of relapse is dominated by systemic spread, with metastases occurring despite local control. In the past three decades, new approaches to treatment have been predicated on the use of systemic chemotherapy before, during or after loco-regional management in an attempt to control occult systemic disease. In parallel, more aggressive surgical approaches and modified radiation techniques in association with systemic chemotherapy have been employed to secure improved local control. More recently, molecular prediction has been applied to this clinical problem, with gene expression being studied as a prognostic and predictive marker. Of particular importance, P53 mutation and expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor may predict for natural history and/or response to treatment. Novel therapies are being tested in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting.
Equilibrating Cations under Stable Ion Conditions

In recent years the pioneering work of Olah, Saunders, Brouwer, and Hogeveen has made possible the direct spectroscopic observation of many cations.1–3 It was natural to apply this new technique to the nonclassical ion problem. Indeed, Olah has concluded that “… the long standing controversy as to the nature of the norbornyl cation is unequivocally resolved in favor of the nonclassical carbonium ion.”4 Consequently, it appears appropriate to subject the studies and conclusions in this area to careful scrutiny to see if they support this conclusion.
Fault tolerant distributed process-control systems

Distributed processing is a cost-effective way of enabling critical process-control systems to react to emergencies in real-time. We discuss methods of making the system robust based on the use of self-stabilizing fault tolerance techniques. The control entities are organized in a hierarchical control structure. Upper level nodes deal with more abstract information and decompose the task of the system into a series of intermediate subtasks. These subtasks are further decomposed into a set of decentralized subtasks which are assigned to lower level nodes which operate without excessive coordination. Decentralized decomposition also makes the system inherently fault tolerant and simplifies the code. Other nodes are made fault tolerant using telescopic replication which provides economical redundancy without compromising system reliability.
Evaluation of a predictive curve-fitting method for processing data from flow systems

Abstract This paper describes the evaluation of a curve-fitting predictive approach to processing data from a flow system with a well-stirred mixing chamber. The method utilizes data from the leading edges of response peaks to predict the response that would be measured if sufficient sample were used to give a steady-state response. Advantages of the method under optimal conditions include a 10-fold reduction of dependency on sample volume relative to a peak-height method, a 20- to 65-fold reduction of dependency on flow-rate relative to a peak-area method, and extended linear ranges in situations involving nonideal detector response and situations involving slow reaction kinetics. Limitations include a requirement for larger sample volumes and degraded error coefficients for flow-rate relative to a peak-height method and chamber volume relative to a peak-area method. The new approach is judged to offer complementary features relative to peak-height and peak-area methods.
Effective use of the web to expand a summer predoctoral program: the St. Jude experience.

Abstract Background. Since 1978, the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has oncology education (POE) program for medical and other health professional students to do two‐to‐four‐month clinical and/or basic research rotations in pediatric oncology. Limitations in funding, recruitment capability, and faculty interest held student numbers to 0‐18 per year. Methods. In early 1997, the program announcement and an on‐line application were put on the Web site, . An applicant's online submission is delivered immediately to the program director's e‐mail inbox, promptly acknowledged via e‐mail, transferred to a digital database, and forwarded electronically to prospective institutional preceptors. Results. The program accepted 36 of 61 applicants (56% minority) in 1997. A supplemental funding award enabled expansion of the program to include students preparing for health professions or biomedical sciences careers. In 1999, 75 of 139 applicants were accepted (47% minority) from 39 schoo...
Effect of soil stratification on the development and migration of headcuts in upland concentrated flows

[1] Experiments were conducted to examine the effect of vertical stratification in soil erodibility on the development and migration of steady state headcut scour holes in upland concentrated flows typical of agricultural fields. Packed soil beds with a preformed step were subjected to identical simulated rainstorms and clear-water overland flow rates, which resulted in predictable, actively migrating headcut scour holes with nearly identical characteristics. When an erosion-resistant layer was incorporated into the packed soil bed at a depth that exceeded this expected plunge pool scour depth, the erosion and hydraulic processes of the migrating headcuts remained unchanged. When the erosion-resistant layer was placed so as to intersect this potential headcut scour depth, the erosivity of the reattached wall jet was unable to erode this layer, and the depth of scour, the nappe entry angle, and sediment efflux all were reduced inversely proportional to the relative depth of the resistant layer. These data were successfully predicted using modified jet impingement theory for headcut scour holes and demonstrate further the effects of soil management and tillage practices on total soil losses from agricultural fields.
Policy Narratives and Policy Processes

The Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) has influenced a generation of policy scholars with its emphasis on causal drivers, testable hypotheses, and falsification. Until recently, the role of policy narratives has been largely neglected in ACF literature partially because much of that work has operated outside of traditional social science principles, such as falsification. Yet emerging literature under the rubric of Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) demonstrates how the role of policy narratives in policy processes is studied using the same rigorous social science standards initially set forth by Paul A. Sabatier. The NPF identifies theories specifying narrative elements and strategies that are likely useful to ACF researchers as classes of variables that have yet to be integrated. Examining this proposition, we provide seven hypotheses related to critical ACF concepts including advocacy coalitions and policy beliefs, policy learning, public opinion, and strategy. Our goal is to stay within the scientific, theoretical, and methodological tradition of the ACF and show how NPF's empirical, hypotheses, and causal driven work on policy narratives identifies theories applicable to ACF research while also offering an independent framework capable of explaining the policy process through the power of policy narratives. In doing so, we believe both ACF and NPF scholarship can contribute to the advancement of our understanding of the policy process.