cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Some Realities and Results of Proficiency Testing of Laboratories Performing Toxicological Analyses

The results of proficiency testing and performance monitoring of laboratories that undertake the identification and quantitation of drugs present in physiological specimens on a fee-for-service basis are examined. In spite of an accompanying history strongly suggesting the presence of one or more specific compounds in a given specimen, a surprising number of laboratories failed in the identification of the compound or false identification was encountered. Similarly, a disappointing number of the reported quantitative results were outside an arbitrarily assumed acceptable range of 85 to 115% of the various target (putative) values. The results reported by referee laboratories were also less uniform than expected. Considering the charges made to customers for such analyses, it is reasonable to expect a better quality of performance. Some comments on the possible means of achieving this will be made. Language: en
Fumigation of Pollen with Ethylene Oxide and Its Effect on Brood Rearing of Honey Bees

Pollen fumigated with 450 or 850 mg/liter ethylene oxide failed to support brood rearing when it was fed to colonies of Apis mellifera L., as 10% of a pollen-invert-sugar mixture. This inhibition was reversed when unfumigated pollen or fumigated pollen fortified with L-histidine plus L-methionine was fed.
The Societal Importance of Embracing Counterintuitive Thought in Science: Assisted Exercise in Preterm Infants for Long-term Health Outcomes.

For research to lead to progressive change, scientists and society must embrace what may seem counterintuitive. While there is often resistance to changing views of what we presume to already understand, we must be open to evolving knowledge and evidence. Our research is examining the effect of a novel intervention designed to increase physical activity of premature babies in their first year of life on: (1) body composition, (2) associated biochemical and cellular mechanisms of growth and inflammation, and (3) quality of maternal care. This study is novel because it is counterintuitive to prevailing knowledge of the care and treatment of infants born prematurely. Traditionally, we swaddle infants and restrict their movement in order to minimize energy expenditure. We are proposing the opposite: to increase energy expenditure in a systematic, controlled way in order to increase muscle mass and bone density, with the ultimate goal of preventing diseases associated with lack of muscle mass or bone density. Our research actively engages the mothers in the study by learning about their perceptions and their experiences of doing the exercise with their infants because the mothers, too, are aware of the prevailing views that are counter to what they are being asked to do. The mothers have taught us, however, that they are willing to participate in this exercise study, while paradoxically also viewing their infants as “fragile” and are fearful of hurting their infants. Our thesis in this research-based paper is that science and society must work in tandem to be effective.
A New Species of the Bay Goby Genus Eucyclogobius, Endemic to Southern California: Evolution, Conservation, and Decline

A geographically isolated set of southern localities of the formerly monotypic goby genus Eucyclogobius is known to be reciprocally monophyletic and substantially divergent in mitochondrial sequence and nuclear microsatellite-based phylogenies relative to populations to the north along the California coast. To clarify taxonomic and conservation status, we conducted a suite of analyses on a comprehensive set of morphological counts and measures from across the range of Eucyclogobius and describe the southern populations as a new species, the Southern Tidewater Goby, Eucyclogobius kristinae, now separate from the Northern Tidewater Goby Eucyclogobius newberryi (Girard 1856). In addition to molecular distinction, adults of E. kristinae are diagnosed by: 1) loss of the anterior supratemporal lateral-line canals resulting in higher neuromast counts, 2) lower pectoral and branched caudal ray counts, and 3) sets of measurements identified via discriminant analysis. These differences suggest ecological distinction of the two species. Previous studies estimated lineage separation at 2-4 million years ago, and mitochondrial sequence divergence exceeds that of other recognized fish species. Fish from Santa Monica Artesian Springs (Los Angeles County) northward belong to E. newberryi; those from Aliso Creek (Orange County) southward constitute E. kristinae. The lagoonal habitat of Eucyclogobius has been diminished or degraded, leading to special conservation status at state and federal levels beginning in 1980. Habitat of the newly described species has been impacted by a range of anthropogenic activities, including the conversion of closing lagoons to open tidal systems in the name of restoration. In the last 30 years, E. kristinae has only been observed in nine intermittently occupied lagoonal systems in northern San Diego County; it currently persists in only three sites. Thus, the new species is in imminent danger of extinction and will require ongoing active management.
Model-Free Learning of Nash Games With Applications to Network Security

Abstract We propose novel mathematical frameworks for model-free learning algorithms for games on complex systems with application to network security. We will use cyber-physical systems with sparse communication that can however yield global mission and provide formal optimality and robustness guarantees. Given the presence of modeling uncertainties, the unavailability of the model, the possibility of cooperative/noncooperative goals, and malicious attacks compromising the security of networked teams, there is a need for completely model-free plug-and-play approaches that respond to situations not programmed or anticipated in the design, so as to guarantee mission completion. We will be inspired by the prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia of the human brain and will combine interdisciplinary ideas from different fields (ie, computational intelligence, game theory, control theory, and information theory) to develop new self-configuring algorithms for decision and control given the unavailability of a model, the presence of enemy components, and the possibility of actuation and jamming network attacks. Because of the adaptive nature of the algorithms, the systems will be capable of breaking or splitting into parts that are themselves autonomous and resilient. The algorithms will be characterized by strong abilities of self-learning and adaptivity and will be implemented locally, and not globally, which implies that fewer sensors will be used for measurements. The approaches will be based on machine learning and especially in distributed actor-critic neural network structures, where the actor neural networks will approximate the optimal policies and the critic neural networks will approximate the optimal cost for each agent in the network.
The dialectic of system and critique in recent interpretations of Kant's critical philosophy

L'A. etudie la position de Kant par rapport a la metaphysique, en reference notamment aux interpretations de Strawson et de Heidegger. L'A. montre qu'il ne faut pas s'arreter a la «Critique de la raison pure» ou le projet criticiste entrainait une destruction de la metaphysique traditionelle, mais qu'il faut voir le systeme a son achevement avec la troisieme «Critique» qui ouvre la voie a une nouvelle metaphysique
Varieties of Entrepreneurial Capitalism: The Culture of Entrepreneurship and Structural Inequalities of Work and Business Creation

As the labor market has changed over recent decades, a distinctive culture has evolved in tandem, epitomized by the innovation and dynamism of Silicon Valley. This culture of entrepreneurship celebrates autonomy and risk-taking, legitimizes a shift toward flexible, contingent, and precarious work, and compels workers to continuously network, self-improve, and self-promote. This culture has helped to disseminate entrepreneurial practices to sectors of the economy traditionally characterized by stability and job security. We shed light on these changes by putting forward a new typology distinguishing between four ideal types of entrepreneurial activity: Silicon Valley entrepreneurship, Main Street entrepreneurship, corporate entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurial self-employment. Each adopts the language and normative behaviors of the culture of entrepreneurship, but the ‘entrepreneurs’ working within these domains enjoy starkly different levels of creative and financial autonomy. Integrating scholarship on economic sociology, work and labor, cultural sociology, and critical theory, we explore the underlying dynamics of entrepreneurship that cut across institutional contexts in unexpected and sometimes contradictory ways. The conceptual understanding of entrepreneurship we put forward recognizes both entrepreneurship's relationship to past forms of business creation and its contemporary cultural influence, while also underscoring the various constraints and inequalities intrinsic to these forms of market activity.
Frozen Virtual Natural Orbitals for Coupled-Cluster Linear-Response Theory.

The frozen-virtual natural-orbital (NO) approach, whereby the unoccupied-orbital space is constructed using a correlated density such as that from many-body perturbation theory, has proven to yield compact wave functions for determining ground-state correlation energies and associated properties, with corresponding occupation numbers providing a guide to the truncation of the virtual space. In this work this approach is tested for the first time for the calculation of higher-order response properties, particularly frequency-dependent dipole polarizabilities using coupled-cluster theory. We find that such properties are much more sensitive to the truncation of virtual space in the NO basis than in the original canonical molecular orbital (CMO) basis, with truncation errors increasing linearly with respect to the number of frozen virtual NOs. The reasons behind this poor performance include the more diffuse nature of NOs with low occupation numbers as well as the reduction in sparsity of the perturbed singl...
SOME PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SPECIFIC POLYSACCHARIDES

This article described in detail the physical and chemical similarities between the antigenic polysaccharides in type I, type II, and type III pneumococcus. These experiments were part of Heidelberger's attempts to better understand how each type's unique polysaccharide capsule related to its virulence.
The Technological Entrepreneurs: Engineers, Accountants, and Hippies

Technology made the recorded music industry possible, and despite current pronouncements of doom from record company executives, over the past century innovative entrepreneurs have always adapted technology so that more and more people have been able to enjoy music created by a growing pool of musicians [62]. As technology advanced, new musical styles were created when musicians were able to interact with different musical genres. In turn, the musicians influenced the technology that was created. Leo Fender, who could not play or tune a guitar, would never have created his path-breaking Telecaster guitar had there not been a demand for such an instrument. New technologies brought lower cost means of producing recorded music, but, at the same time, threatened the distribution of music by older methods. The recorded music industry significantly decreased the demand for sheet music, much as the later rise of cassette tapes and CDs decreased the demand for earlier technologies. Technological invention and musical style innovation have gone hand-in-hand since the nineteenth century.
Improved interpretation of asphalt binder parallel plate dynamic shear rheometer fatigue tests

AbstractThe time sweep test, consisting of cyclic, torsional loading in the dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), has been employed for the fatigue characterisation of asphalt binders. The parallel plate ...
Invisible man: examining the intersectionality of disability, race, and gender in an urban community

This manuscript illustrates the technical implementation of case study methodology to investigate the lived experiences of an urban, African-American male with cerebral palsy. Disability Critical R...
Cushing's disease in older patients: Presentation and outcome

BACKGROUND To define the symptoms, signs and treatment outcomes in a population of older patients with Cushing's disease (CD). METHODS We analysed the clinical presentation and treatment outcomes in 45 CD patients older than 60 years, in comparison with 90 CD patients younger than 60, and a control group of 45 older patients with nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas. We reviewed preoperative clinical characteristics, medical comorbidities, imaging findings and endocrine testing as well as surgical and endocrine outcomes. RESULTS Older CD patients had significantly lower body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.031), were more likely to have muscle wasting (P = 0.006) and women were less likely to have hirsutism (P = 0.033). Older patients with CD had more medical comorbidities than younger patients, which correlated with a higher ASA grade (P < 0.001), but the surgical complication rates were similar in both groups. Surgical remission was achieved in 38/45 (84.4%) older patients and 78/90 (86.7%) younger patients (P = NS). Recurrent disease was more frequent in younger patients (19.2%) in comparison with older patients (2.6%, P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS Older patients with CD appear to have a distinct phenotype with a more catabolic picture, including a lower BMI and greater prevalence of muscle wasting. Surgical outcomes are similar without a significant age-related increase in complications.
Hyocholic Acid and Muricholic Acids

The occurrence of a species-specific bile acid in pig bile [Haslewood (1); Haslewood and Sjovall (2)] and of two such acids in rat bile [Bergstrom and Sjovall (3); Hsia et al. (4); Matschiner et al. (5)] was observed almost simultaneously. After their isolation and characterization, these acids were found to be isomeric 3α,6,7-trihydroxy-5β-cholanic acids. The acid from pig bile was named hyocholic acid [Haslewood (6); Ziegler (7)], and the two acids from rat bile were named α- and β-muricholic acids [Hsia et al. (8)]. The fourth isomer of these glycols was identified as a metabolite of hyodeoxycholic acid (3α,6α-dihydroxy-5β-cholanic acid) in the rat [Matschiner et al. (9, 10)], and was named ω-muricholic acid [Hsia et al. (8)]. The vicinal glycol structures in ring B of these acids are unique features, but even more unique are their species-specific characteristics which are particularly demonstrated in the metabolic pathways that lead to their formation.
Metabolic and Structural Requirements for the Carcinogenic Potencies of Unsubstituted and Methyl-Substituted Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Extensive metabolism studies of many non-K-region dihydro-diols of unsubstituted and methyl-substituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by mammalian drug-metabolizing enzymes indicate that the extent of formation of vicinal dihydrodiol-epoxides is determined by the conformations and geometric location of the adjacent double bond of the dihydrodiol precursors. Unsubstituted PAH dihydrodiols with one (in the case of cis-dihydrodiols) or both (in the case of trans-dihydrodiols) of the hydroxyl groups preferentially in quasi- equatorial conformations can be further metabolized to the vicinal di- hydrodiol-epoxides. The trans-dihydrodiols with both of the hydroxyl groups preferentially or exclusively in the quasi-diaxial. conformations can also be enzymatically epoxidized to form vicinal dihydrodiol-epox- ides, but the extent of these formations is highly dependent on the geometric location of the adjacent double bond of the dihydrodiols. Quasi-diaxial trans-dihydrodiols with an adjacent double bond at the bay-regions are not or minimally metabolized to the vicinal dihydrodiol-epoxides. A methyl substituent at the hydroxylated carbons or at the adjacent double bonds of the quasi-diequatorial trans-dihydrodiols can substantially or completely inhibit the vicinal dihydrodiol-epoxide formations. These findings, along with the bay-region theory, provide the molecular basis for the observed carcinogenic potencies of many bay-region containing unsubstituted and methyl-substituted PAHs.
When Things Go Wrong—Balancing Technology’s Safety and Risk

This chapter concerns possible undesirable consequences of research in the agricultural field. It is compelling in the case of herbicides. The cited advantages of herbicides include: low cost, safety, high efficacy, labor saving, selectivity (weeds killed and crops not affected), persistence (weed control over time), energy efficiency, profitable to growers, and increased crop yield. Each of these was and is regarded as a good thing. It was only with the passage of time that questions were raised about each of these presumed advantages. None is a clear advantage because each can also be flamed as a disadvantage. Weed scientists learned that valid counter arguments could be made for every claimed advantage. Undesirable consequences were not only possible, they were common. There is harm to nontarget species, residues are present in soil and water, the cost of weed control to users is often decreased, but environmental costs are commonly externalized. Advantages, while real, were nearly always short-term for the benefit of this year's crop and this year's profit. Disadvantages, nearly always, reflected a long-term view. They tend to shift focus from short-term self-interest to long-term general welfare. A long-term view demands a planning horizon, an order of magnitude beyond the next election or a two-year research project. It also demands questioning the dominant view that whatever problems technology creates will be solved by new technology.
Technologies and Framework for Resource Recovery and Beneficiation from Human Waste

The current model of human fecal waste and wastewater treatment is primarily focused on a systematic removal of the primary contaminants of interest, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. It is the sheer energy required that renders the current mode of wastewater treatment prohibitively expensive almost all over the world. On the other hand, if the focus can be on recovery rather than on removal, then wastewater treatment and the provision of sanitation could be made resource and energy neutral and positive. In this review, examples of alternate process flow sheets and technologies for engineered resource recovery, biorefining, and beneficiation from human fecal waste are presented along with examples of practical technologies and an array of end products.
Diels–Alder reaction

The Diels–Alder reaction, inverse electronic demand Diels–Alder reaction, as well as the hetero-Diels–Alder reaction, belong to the category of [4+2]-cycloaddition reactions, which are concerted processes.
End-to-End Design of Efficient Ultrasonic Power Links for Scaling Towards Submillimeter Implantable Receivers

We present an analytical framework for optimizing the efficiency of ultrasonic wireless power links for implantable devices scaled down to sub-mm dimensions. Key design insights and tradeoffs are considered for various parameters including the operating frequency, the transmission depth, the size of the transmitter, the impedance and the aperture efficiency of the miniaturized receiver, and the interface between the receiver and the power recovery chain on the implant. The performance of spherically focused transducers as ultrasonic transmitters is analyzed to study the limits and the tradeoffs. Two optimization methods are presented: “Focal Peak” sets the focus of transducers at target depths, and “Global Maximum” maximizes the efficiency globally with off-focus operation. The results are also compared to phased array implementations. To investigate the efficiency of implants, miniaturized receivers made from single crystalline piezoelectric material, PMN-PT, are used as they have resonances in the derived optimal carrier frequency range (∼1–2 MHz). A methodology to achieve an efficient interface to the power electronics is then provided using an optogenetic stimulator as an example platform. The analytical results are verified through both simulations and measurements. Finally, an example ultrasonic link using a spherical transmitter with a radius of 2 cm is demonstrated; link efficiencies of 1.93–0.23% are obtained at 6–10 cm depths with sub-mm receivers for the optogenetic application.
Dacryocystorhinostomy: Indications and surgical technique

The following article reviews the clinical presentation, evaluation, and surgical treatment of patients with nasolacrimal duct obstruction, with an emphasis placed on the surgical techniques of external and internal/endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy.
Clairvoyant state machine replications

We propose a new protocol for the generalized consensus problem in asynchronous systems subject to Byzantine server failures. The protocol solves the consensus problem in a setting in which information about conflict between transactions is available (such information can be in the form of transaction read and write sets). The use of non-skipping timestamps permits servers to commit transactions as soon as they know that no conflicting transaction can be ordered earlier. Unlike most prior proposals (for generalized or classical consensus), which use a leader to order transactions, this protocol is leaderless, and relies on non-skipping timestamps for transaction ordering. Being leaderless, the protocol does not need to pause for leader elections. For n servers of which f may be faulty, this protocol requires \(n > 4f\).
Driver Drowsiness Detection System Based on Binary Eyes Image Data

In this paper, driver drowsiness detection algorithm based on the state of eyes of the driver which is determined by his iris visibility has been implemented. If eyes remain in one state either open or closed longer than expected time as well as if the driver is not looking straight front, it is an indication that driver is drowsy and then the system warns the driver. System is capable of detecting the state of eyes with or without the regular glasses. Matlab with image processing tools has been used to process the image provided by a camera. Matlab creates System Object using Viola_Jones algorithm to detect the objects such as nose, mouth or upper body. After capturing an image, rectangular eyes area was adjusted to reduce the noise. RGB to Gray scale and finally to Binary image conversion is with a suitable threshold value. A median filter was used to reduce the noise and then the image was smoothened. The drowsiness detection is done based on the conditions like Black to White pixels ratio, number of pixels in the column greater than the threshold value and eye's shape. Light and position of the driver plays an important role. System can be set to self-learn at startup to setup threshold values.
Drugs Contributing to Anticholinergic Burden and Risk of Fall or Fall-Related Injury among Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment, Dementia and Multiple Chronic Conditions: A Retrospective Cohort Study

It is not known whether drugs with different anticholinergic ratings contribute proportionately to overall anticholinergic score. Our objective was to assess the risk of falls or fall-related injuries as a function of the overall anticholinergic score resulting from drugs with different anticholinergic ratings among people with impaired cognition. This was a retrospective cohort study of adults aged ≥ 65 years with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia and two or more additional chronic conditions (N = 10,698) in an integrated delivery system. Electronic health record data, including pharmacy fills and diagnosis claims, were used to assess anticholinergic medication use, quantified using the anticholinergic cognitive burden (ACB) scale, falls and fall-related injuries. During a median follow-up of 366 days, 63% of the cohort used one or more ACB drug; 2015 (18.8%) people experienced a fall or fall-related injury. Among patients with a daily ACB score of 5, the greatest increase in risk of falls or fall-related injuries was seen when level 2 and level 3 drugs were used in combination [hazard ratio (HR) 2.06; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.51–2.83]. Multiple ACB level 1 drugs taken together also increased the hazard of a fall or fall-related injury (HR 1.16; 95% CI 1.03–1.32). The risk of fall or fall-related injury as a function of exposure to ACB level 2 drugs (HR 1.56; 95% CI 1.16–2.10) was higher than that for ACB level 1 or 3 drugs. The same daily ACB score was associated with a different degree of risk, depending on the ACB ratings of the individual drugs comprising the score. Combinations of level 2 and level 3 drugs had the greatest risk of fall or fall-related injury relative to other individuals with the same daily ACB score. Low-potency anticholinergic drugs taken together modestly increased the hazard of a fall or fall-related injury.
Cold parenting is associated with cellular aging in offspring: A retrospective study

Abstract Background Early life stress is a known risk factor for diseases and premature death. We tested whether parenting style impacts telomere length (TL), a cellular aging biomarker. Methods Information on parents’ style of parenting was obtained from 199 participants in the Adventist Health Study-1 (AHS-1) who 27+ years later also enrolled in the AHS-2 where blood was collected for relative TL (rTL) assessment. Results Subjects describing their mothers’ parenting style as cold had on average 25% smaller rTL compared to subjects not reporting a cold mother (1.89 vs 2.53). This association was greatest among those with less education, and those who stayed overweight/obese or put on weight during follow-up. Conclusions These results support previous findings that early life stress may have health implications by promoting cellular aging, and expands these stressors to include cold parenting during an individuals’ formative years. Higher education and normal weight seem to provide some resilience.
Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Developmental Courses at the Community College: An Unexplored Terrain

The domain of Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) has provided theoretical and empirical advancements to teacher education scholarship. Today, MKT is widely recognized as a critical component...
A Co8 metallacycle stabilized by double anion–π interactions

Self-assembly reactions of CoII ions in the presence of the 2,2-bipyrimidine (bpym) ligand produced both a dinuclear and an octanuclear cation with the nuclearity being governed by hydrogen-bonding versus anion-π interactions between the anions and the ligands.
Gaming the Gamer: Adversarial Fingerprinting of Gaming Apps using Smartphone Accelerometers

A wide range of mobile applications continuously access motion and orientation sensor data to learn patterns for their operations. This unfeterred access to rich streams of data from multiple sensors raises the question of whether sensitive personal information might be inferred by these sensor-oriented applications. In this paper, we demonstrate a previously unexplored privacy threat that could be posed by a rogue background mobile app accessing sensor data on a smartphone. The core driving mechanism behind the attack is that the unique GUI components of different apps cause unique sensor data patterns during routine usage of the apps. This in turn makes it possible to fingerprint a specific app and identify it based on its associated sensor signature. Using the most popular mobile gaming apps as a case study, we show the attack to attain up to 75% in one attempt and about 93% in the three attempts. The paper further questions the idea of apps having access to motion and orientation sensor data without asking for permission from the end-users.
MEMS Wideband Energy Harvesting using Array of Linear and Nonlinear Generators

A MEMS wideband energy harvesting array design using linear and nonlinear generators is reported in this paper. An array comprising of four electrostatic energy harvesters using linear, softening, hardening springs and mechanical stoppers connected in parallel can work over a wide frequency range. Novel nonlinear spring design produces spring softening and hardening behaviors. Mechanical stoppers further enhance the operating frequency range of the hardening spring energy harvester. Mathematical model of the electromechanical system is derived and optimized using MATLAB. The system is built using Coventorware/MEMS+®. Simulation results indicated a maximum normalized power density of 1.97 µWs4/cm3-m2 is achieved over 600 Hz-1350 Hz frequency range. Moreover, following the method developed in this work, the device size is reduced by 89% compared to traditional array design technique.
Efficient Heterojunction Thin Film CdSe Solar Cells Deposited Using Thermal Evaporation

CdSe is potentially an important material for making tandem junction solar cells with Si and CIGS. Thermodynamic calculations reveal the potential Shockley-Queisser efficiency of such a tandem cell to be in the 45% range. CdSe has the optimum bandgap (1.72eV) for a tandem cell with Si. In this paper, we show that this material system is indeed capable of achieving good electronic properties and reasonable devices can be made in the material. We report on fabricating CdSe materials and heterojunction CdSe solar cells in both superstrate and substrate configurations on FTO/glass and metal substrates. CdSe layer was deposited using thermal evaporation and then was post-treated with CdCl2 to enhance the grainsize and passivate grain boundaries. The device was an ideal heterojunction structure consisting of glass/FTO/n+CdS/ n-CdSe/p organic layer/NiO/ITO. The n+ CdS layer acted to prevent hole recombination at the n+/n interface, and the p organic layer (such as PEDOT:PSS or P3HT) acted to prevent electron recombination at the p+/n interface. The NiO layer was deposited on top of the organic layer to prevent decomposition of the organic layer during ITO deposition. World-record open-circuit voltages exceeding 800 mV and currents of ~15 mA/cm2 were obtained in devices. Detailed material measurements such as SEM revealed large grain sizes approaching 8 micrometer in some of the films after grain enhancement. Optical measurements and QE measurements show the bandgap to be 1.72 eV. XPS measurements showed the CdSe film to be n type. Space-charge limited current was used to measure electron mobilities which were in the range of 1-2 cm2/V-s. Capacitance spectroscopy showed the doping densities to be in the range of a few x 1015/cm3. For substrate devices, the quantum efficiency obtained was in the 90% range.
Gallium oxide techno-economic analysis for the wide bandgap semiconductor market

More than 30% of electrical energy passes through power electronics today with speculation that in the next decade this could grow to 80%. The wide bandgap semiconductor market is already approaching $1 billon USD in 2019 and is projected to be almost $7 billion USD in 2028. Even with its high cost, SiC, is starting to dislodge the incumbent Si technology in some applications, such as hybrid and electric vehicles, due to smaller size, and higher efficiency. We review and report the IHS Markit’s market predictions for wide bandgap semiconductor technologies, and highlight the technoeconomic analysis results for the manufacturing cost of Ga2O3 wafers. Specifically, we focus on the potential for Ga2O3 to be more economically advantageous than SiC using current manufacturing methods and then identify opportunities where research can further reduce the volume cost of Ga2O3 wafers.
Saving an amputated glans: Role of winter shunt.

Summary We report the a case of a four-year old male child with a glans amputation secondary to circumcision, in whom a spongiocavernosal shunt, also called “winter shunt” was practiced. The aim of this report is to review the role of this technique in postoperative viability.
Value Proposition of Untapped Wet Wastes: Carboxylic Acid Production through Anaerobic Digestion

Although traditional anaerobic digestion (AD) process to produce methane-rich biogas from wet waste is deep-rooted, high carbon footprint and its low value as compared with other renewable sources demand advanced strategies to avoid its production. An emerging conversion pathway to arrest methanogenesis for producing value-added fuels and chemicals instead of biogas is sought as a sustainable alternative. This research provides a comprehensive analysis on current technology development, process challenges, applications, and economics for producing high-value short-chain carboxylic acids from AD of wet wastes. We show that (1) the theoretical energy yields of acids equal or exceed biogas, and (2) the cost of these acids is competitive with those produced from chemical markets, making this economically viable for mass production. With global abundance of wet waste feedstocks, this process of short-chain acid production provides a promising alternative to conventional biogas production technology, while achieving waste management and carbon mitigation goals.
Low Complement C4 Predicts Improvement of Kidney Function After Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy for Hepatitis C Virus.

Direct-acting antiviral therapies (DAAs) may improve kidney function and proteinuria in certain patients with hepatitis C infection (HCV) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). To improve our understanding of HCV-mediated kidney dysfunction, we aimed to evaluate the baseline predictors of improvement in proteinuria after DAAs in a single-arm, pilot, clinical trial of ledipasvir 90 mg/sofosbuvir 400 mg once daily for patients with HCV genotype 1 or 4 infection and proteinuric CKD (≥300 mg proteinuria per gram creatinine). Plasma biomarkers of complement system (C3 and C4) and urinary kidney injury biomarkers were measured at baseline, 8 weeks on treatment, 12 weeks following treatment, and 1 year following treatment. We then conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients at Partners Healthcare who had baseline complement component 4 (C4) measured before DAAs for HCV and evaluated the change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) before and after therapy. Ten patients with HCV and proteinuric CKD were enrolled in the trial. The mean age was 64 years, 70% male, 70% white, and 30% black. Baseline creatinine was 1.25 mg/dL (SD 0.44), eGFR was 65 mL/min/1.73 m2 (SD 29), and proteinuria was 0.98 g/g creatinine (SD 0.7). Sustained virologic response at 12 weeks was achieved by 80% of patients. Patients with low baseline C4 had improved proteinuria, urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, and interleukin-18 after ledipasvir and sofosbuvir treatment. The retrospective study included 50 patients with CKD and HCV. Twenty patients (40%) had low baseline C4; these patients significantly improved their eGFR (+3.4 ± 11.2 mL/min/1.73 m2) compared to those with normal baseline C4 (-4.4 ± 12.2 mL/min/1.73 m2; P = 0.028). Conclusion: Low C4 may be a marker of kidney dysfunction that improves with DAA therapy.
Comparing static and dynamic measures of affect intensity and affective lability: do they measure the same thing?

This was the first study to our knowledge to examine whether dispositional scales of affect intensity and affective lability map on to corresponding momentary affective dynamics. Specifically, we assessed whether the Affect Intensity Measure (AIM) and Affective Lability Scale (ALS) are differentially associated with mean, variability, and instability of negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA). Young adults (n = 135) completed the AIM, ALS, and 7 days of experience sampling assessments. Higher scores on the AIM were associated with variability and instability of NA and PA whereas the ALS was associated with mean levels of NA and PA. Neither the AIM nor the ALS were associated with reactivity to stressful, negative, or positive experiences in the moment. The AIM and ALS accounted for little variance in momentary affective dynamics and effects were generally small. Findings highlighted that static measures of dynamic phenomena poorly map onto momentary measures of affect in daily life. Theoretical and methodological implications are discussed.
Fast Starters and Slow Starters After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement: Correlation of Early Postoperative Pain and 2-Year Outcomes.

Background:Patients experience varying degrees of pain and symptoms during the early recovery period after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Some “fast starters” report minima...
Can sell-side analysts’ experience, expertise and qualifications help mitigate the adverse effects of accounting reporting complexity?

We examine the relation between accounting reporting complexity and analysts’ performance and whether analysts’ qualifications, experience, and expertise in specific financial domains help them more effectively process complex information. We document an inverse relation between complexity and analysts’ performance. Further, we show that analysts’ firm-specific experience, industry focus, and CFA certification alleviate some of the adverse effects of complexity, whereas analysts’ general experience does not appear to do so. Using an XBRL-based approach, we also develop new measures of analysts’ expertise and find that expertise in the areas of fair value, derivatives and pension are more valuable than other analyst characteristics in attenuating the negative effects of complexity arising from transactions and events in these areas. Overall, this study underscores the importance of analyst characteristics and the need to simplify the complex disclosures in the notes to the financial statements.
Dynamics Studies of Polarization Switching in Ferroelectric Hafnium Zirconium Oxide

In this paper, we review the ultrafast direct measurement on the transient ferroelectric polarization switching in hafnium zirconium oxide with crossbar metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structures including materials development, device fabrication, structure optimization and ultrafast electrical pulse measurement setup. Observation of a record low sub-nanosecond characteristic switching time of 925 ps was achieved on a single crossbar structure and a record fast polarization switching of 360 ps was achieved with 0.1 μm2 crossbar array device structure respectively. The impact of electric field, film thickness and device area on the polarization switching speed is systematically studied and the results are supported by a framework of nucleation limited switching model.
While Most Information Literacy Research Is Included in the Fields of Library Science and Education, a Considerable Amount Is Found in Medicine and Health

A Review of: Aharony, N. (2010). Information literacy in the professional literature: An exploratory analysis. ASLIB Proceedings: New Information Perspectives, 62(3), 261-282. https://doi.org/10.1108/00012531011046907 Abstract Objective – To describe the published literature on information literacy from 1999-2009. Design – Statistical descriptive analysis and content analysis. Setting – N/A Subjects – 1,970 publications from the Web of Science database. Methods – The Web of Science database was searched using the term “information literacy” in the advanced search under “topic,” and was limited to articles published from 1999-2009. Next, information such as document type, subject areas, authors, source titles, publication years, languages, countries, keywords, and abstracts was collected from each document. A statistical descriptive analysis was conducted using the data. A content analysis was performed on the keywords and abstracts from a sampling of the results. Main Results – Information science/library science and education were the top subject areas of the identified articles, while the third largest subject area was “public, environmental and occupational health.” Nine out of ten journal titles focused on library science, however the journal title containing the second largest number of articles was Patient Education and Counseling. The content analysis revealed that the most common categories for keywords were “miscellaneous,” “health and medicine,” followed by “education.” Conclusion – The results indicated that information literacy research had been published mainly in journals associated with library science and education; however, a considerable amount of literature was published in health and medicine.
Redefining Primum Non Nocere to Include Reproductive Autonomy: A New Paradigm in Subspecialty Medicine

People with chronic medical illnesses are at particularly high risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, yet current clinical approaches largely fail to identify and support their individualized reprodu...
Evaluating User Effectiveness in Exploratory Search with TouchGraph Google Interface

TouchGraph Google Browser displays connectivity of similar pages around search results returned by Google. A major research question is: to what extent does this graph help improve user effectiveness during exploratory search? This paper reports on our user study with TouchGraph visualization. This study has interesting implications for designing user interfaces of search applications.
Design of Autonomous, Distributed Systems

The paper describes an approach to organizing a collection of spatially distributed entities into a system capable of carrying out different complex missions. The entities are devices (artifacts like vehicles, sensors, actuators, computing and communications equipment) or agents or controllers, which control devices or other agents. The systemlevel capabilities concern complicated activities such as reconnaissance and logistics, requiring optimization, planning, and real-time control. The approach is to construct a system-level capability by appropriately organizing (composing) agents that can execute a small set of tasks. Agents are organized in a hierarchy: those at upper layers have authority over those at lower layers. The capability to conduct different missions is achieved by changing the agent architecture. The hybrid system specification and simulation language SHIFT is convenient for describing devices and agents, and their interaction. The paper gives two illustrative designs, one specified in SHIFT. To deploy systems organized in this way poses several research challenges, one of which is indicated here-the need for an exception-handling facility that provides a 'fallback' mechanism if an agent is unable to complete the task assigned to it.
Algorithms for Stochastic Mixed-Integer Programming Models

Abstract In this chapter, we will study algorithms for both two-stage as well as multi-stage stochastic mixed-integer programs. We present stagewise (resource-directive) decomposition methods for two-stage models, and scenario (price-directive) decomposition methods for multi-stage models. The manner in which these models are decomposed relies not only on the specific data elements that are random, but also on the manner in which the integer (decision) variables interact with these data elements. Accordingly, we study a variety of structures ranging from models that allow randomness in all data elements, to those that allow only specific elements (e.g. right-hand-side) to be influenced by randomness. Since the decomposition algorithms presented here are based on certain results from integer programming, the relevant background is also provided in this chapter.
The Instructional Message: A Theoretical Perspective.

This article presents a theoretical model for message design proved capable of improving the quality of instruction while increasing cost effectiveness. Integrating classical rhetoric, information theory, contemporary media criticism, social psychology, and the psychology of human information processing, the model directs the designer to design a block of time that optimizes the information load and message complexity within the constraints of the receiver’s abilities and experience, the requirements of the source, and the capabilities and limitations of the medium.
Regaining Composure: A Defence Of Prototype Compositionality.

Beginning in the late 1960s, psychologists began to challenge the view the definitional theory of concepts. According to that theory a concept is a mental representation comprising representations of properties (or “features”) that are individually necessary and jointly sufficient for membership in a category. In place of the definitional view, psychologists initially put forward the prototype theory of concept, according to which concepts comprise representations of features that are typical, salient, and diagnostic for category membership, but not necessarily necessary. The prototype theory gained considerable support in the 1970s, but came under attack in the 1980s. One objection, most forcefully advanced by Jerry Fodor, is that prototypes do not combine compositionally. Compositionality is said to be an adequacy condition on a theory of concepts. If prototypes don’t compose, then prototypes are not concepts. Or so the argument goes. In this chapter, I will argue that prototypes are sufficiently compositional to overcome the objection. I will not, however, advance the claim that prototypes
Laboratory tests for spacecraft charging and discharging: from Hertz, Millikan and de Broglie to today's questions

Hertz (1887) generated reasonably narrow-band radio frequency oscillations in metal dipoles using air discharges between the dipole elements. Nearly 50 years later technologists working with high voltage particle accelerators and gamma-irradiators noticed arc-discharge trees entirely inside solid insulating dielectrics (glass) stimulated by irradiation alone, without applied voltage. B. Gross et al. performed an early scientific study of the phenomena and related the onset of internal discharges to the quantity, in coulombs, of irradiation charge stopped inside the dielectric and held there for long time periods. Recent international studies have related the charge-induced electric field strength in the dielectric to the propagation of the internal discharge tree. When it exits a surface of the dielectric into vacuum, gas from the tree provides a conductive path across the vacuum. Higher conductivity is produced by higher quantities of gas. Whereas Hertz air arcs were low impedance, /spl Lt/70 Ohms, generating resonant responses, the irradiated unbiased dielectric arcs appear to be high-impedance, low-Q, phenomena. Recent researches address practical questions for spacecraft subjected to space radiations: (1) How many discharge trees are initiated in the dielectric per unit time? (2) How much electric current is conducted as a function of time? (3) What is the charge decay time constant in the dielectric? (4) Over spacecraft lifetimes, how is the charge distributed in the dielectric? (5) How does the initial dielectric discharge evolve to short out a HV power system? (6) How can discharges propagate along the vacuum surface of a dielectric? (7) How does the discharge current distribute among spacecraft electronic circuits. (8) Can a discharge burn out sensitive electronic devices and how can this be prevented?.
Selective detection of aldehydes and ketones by derivatization/secondary ion mass spectrometry

Abstract The combination of chemical derivatization and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is shown to be a powerful analytical technique. The specific example reported here is the derivatization of aldehydes and ketones to form quaternary ammonium salts that are analyzed by SIMS. The method enables the selective detection of carbonyl-containing compounds at picomole levels. The method is widely applicable and provides significant enhancement of detection limits. The use of itosopically labeled internal standards for quantitation is demonstrated. Finally, an application of this technique to the analysis of paint vapors is described.