cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improved reliability of AlGaN-GaN HEMTs using an NH/sub 3/ plasma treatment prior to SiN passivation

A passivation method has been developed which reduces the degradation of AlGaN-GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) electrical properties caused by extended dc bias or microwave power operation. The key aspect of this passivation technique is exposure to a low-power NH/sub 3/ plasma prior to SiN deposition. Devices fabricated with the NH/sub 3/ treatment prior to SiN passivation show minimal gate lag and current collapse after extended dc bias operation. In addition, the rate of degradation of the microwave power output while under continuous microwave operation is improved by at least 100 times as compared to SiN passivated HEMTs that were not treated with the NH/sub 3/ plasma.
Equimolar Ammonia Interference in Potassium Measurement on the Osmetech OPTI Critical Care Analyzer

Ammonia is a toxic byproduct of amino acid metabolism, and increased blood concentrations of ammonia are associated with severe encephalopathy (1). In mammals, ammonia is detoxified in the liver via formation of urea (2). Hyperammonemia can result from hepatic failure, enzymatic deficiencies of the urea cycle or defects in ornithine transport [e.g., HHH syndrome (hyperornithinemia, hyperammonemia, hyperhomocitrullinuria)], or it may be secondary to other organic acidopathies (3). The hyperammonemia observed in methylmalonic acidemia is thought to arise because accumulated propionyl CoA interferes with formation of N -acetylglutamate, an obligatory activator of carbamyl phosphate synthase, the initial step in urea synthesis (4). The Osmetech (Roswell, GA) OPTI Critical Care Analyzer (CCA) is a point-of-care instrument used to monitor electrolytes and blood gases; at our institution it is used to monitor critically ill patients during transport from outside …
Acquisition and mobility operational scenarios in the MUOS system

The Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) is largely based on 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards, however, these standards are intended for terrestrial mobile communications networks. As a result of incorporating geosynchronous satellites into the design (e.g., extended propagation delays, power, cell size), modifications to the 3GPP procedures, such as moving control of cell selection, are needed. The operational scenarios related to acquisition and mobility are dictated by the operational mode of a MUOS radio - point-to-point, group, or Emissions Control (EMCON) - as well as whether a MUOS service (e.g., ‘voice call’) is currently active. This paper describes the operational implications of mobility and acquisition on MUOS radios, and the design challenges that are met to satisfy Customer anticipated levels of service. In order to support the three operational modes with common procedures, the MUOS design for acquisition and mobility has moved control of the mobility event from the radio (standard 3GPP operation) to the Ground Segment (GS); resulting in message and data flow modifications specific to MUOS. Additionally, whereas 3GPP operation does not notify users of a mobility event, the MUOS does provide that knowledge for the user involved in a mobility event as well as other users impacted (e.g., the talker in a group call informs the listeners of its mobility event).
DSP assisted low cost IQ mismatch measurement and compensation using built in power detector

This paper proposes a cost/time efficient accurate DSP based measurement and compensation methodology for I/Q imperfections in quadrature transceivers through phase-to-amplitude conversion using no hardware overhead. The proposed one-shot technique utilizes equation based optimum test stimulus estimation and power detection mechanisms. Circuit simulations presented show that both gain and phase mismatch can be measured with high accuracy. Hardware validation of the methodology provide for impairment estimation accuracy of within 0.5% for gain and 4.5% for phase.
Volvo and Infiniti drivers' experiences with select crash avoidance technologies

Objectives: Vehicle-based crash avoidance systems can potentially reduce crashes, but success depends on driver acceptance and understanding. This study gauged driver use, experience, and acceptance among early adopters of select technologies. Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted in early 2009 with 380 owners of Volvo vehicles equipped with forward collision warning with autobrake, lane departure warning, side-view assist, and/or active bi-xenon headlights and 485 owners of Infiniti vehicles with lane departure warning/prevention. Results: Most owners kept systems turned on most of the time, especially forward collision warning with autobrake and side-view assist. The exception was lane departure prevention; many owners were unaware they had it, and the system must be activated each time the vehicle is started. Most owners reported being safer with the technologies and would want them again on their next vehicles. Perceived false or unnecessary warnings were fairly common, particularly with side-v...
A compact direct detection receiver for L-band STAR radiometry

An L-band total power receiver for use in a synthetic thinned array radiometer (STAR) is described. The total power architecture of a radiometer receiver requires special considerations to control gain fluctuations due to small temperature drifts. The STAR application requires consistent passband and stable phase between receivers. The design presented incorporates direct detection to eliminate distributed local oscillators for phase stability, distributed ceramic interference reject filters for passband consistency and temperature compensating attenuators for gain stability. The receiver is packaged in a unique "winged-hex" shape to enable close packaging with the STAR antennas and to facilitate thermal management. The resulting low cost, compact receiver is made from COTS components.
Vibrational Properties of the Isotopomers of the Water Dimer Derived from Experiment and Computations

The water dimer and its 11 deuterated isotopomers are investigated utilizing coupled cluster theory and experimental data as input for a perturbational determination of the isotopomer frequencies. Deuterium substitution reduces the H-bond stretching frequency by maximally 12 cm–1 from 143 to 131 cm–1, which makes a spectroscopic differentiation of H- and D-bonds difficult. However, utilizing the 132 frequencies obtained in this work, the identification of all isotopomers is straightforward. The CCSD(T)/CBS value of the binding energy De is 5.00 kcal mol–1. The binding energy D0 of the water dimer increases upon deuterium substitution from 3.28 to maximally 3.71 kcal mol–1 reflecting a decrease in the zero point energy contribution. The entropy values of the D-isotopomers increase from 73 to 77 entropy units in line with the general observation that a mass increase leads to larger entropies. All 12 isotopomers possess positive free binding energies at 80 K and a reduced pressure of 110 Pa, which means that they can be spectroscopically observed under these conditions.
Option pricing in the presence of random arbitrage return

We consider option pricing problems when we relax the condition of no arbitrage in the Black-Scholes model. Assuming random noise in the interest rate process, the derived pricing equation is in the form of stochastic partial differential equation. We used Karhunen-Loeve expansion to approximate the stochastic term and a combined finite difference/finite element method to effect temporal and “spatial” discretization. Computational examples in which the noise is assumed to be a Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process are provided that illustrate not only the discretization methods used, but the type of results relevant to option pricing that can be obtained from the model.
Structural control of lode gold deposits in the Pony mining district, Tobacco Root Mountains, Montana

Lode gold production in the Pony mining district has come principally from veins emplaced along faults and shear zones that strike northwest, west to west-northwest, northeast, and north. Host rocks are Archcan gneisses and amphibolites, Proterozoic diabase dikes, and Late Cretaceous granitic rocks of the Tobacco Root batholith. The faults and shear zones are interpreted to be related to east-west crustal shortening during the Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary Laramide orogeny that resulted in oblique left slip on the northwest-trending Mammoth fault, the principal zone of strain in the district. The west- to west-northwest-striking fractures are mostly characterized by reverse and left slip, and are interpreted as synthetic oblique-slip faults with respect to left slip on the Mammoth fault. Northeast-striking fractures are inferred to be antithetic strike-slip faults and the north-trending fractures are interpreted to be reverse and thrust faults. The vast majority of the gold production has been from the Boss Tweed, Clipper, and Mammoth mines that were developed on west- to west-northwest-trending veins in shear zones hosted by the metamorphic rocks.Initial movement on the Mammoth fault, and probably on the westerly to west-north-westerly trending shear zones, was prior to emplacement of Middle Proterozoic dikes. Early movement on the west- to west-northwest-striking shears resulted mainly in production of fine-grained cataclasite with minor amounts of mylonite. The shear zones were silicified, pyritized, and multiply reactivated. The youngest major episode of deformation, inferred to have occurred during the Laramide orogeny, resulted in brecciation of the silicified cataclasite and mylonite and provided permeability for mineralizing solutions.The most productive veins, also the longest and widest in the district, are nearly parallel to the direction of inferred maximum horizontal compressive stress during the Laramide and thus may be partly extensional fractures as well as having undergone contemporaneous oblique slip. Local undulations in the fault surfaces also affected the mineralization inasmuch as the ore zones are thickest where the hanging-wall dip is low and/or where the strike bends to the left. In addition, the largest stopes are found on the south sides of well-developed, easterly striking fractures that form a trailing extensional imbricate fan within the Boss Tweed fault zone.Deposition of chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, mackinawite, pyrrhotite, hessite, tetradymite, silver telluride, and gold is interpreted to have taken place in the Late Cretaceous during or shortly after emplacement of the Tobacco Root batholith and its satellite plutons. Ore minerals are found principally as replacements and in fractures in pyrite and thus appear to be dependent on the presence of pyrite and open fractures to provide permeability for mineralizing solutions. The source of the gold is not known, but it could have come from the igneous rocks or it might have been scavenged from the metamorphic rocks.
Monsoon Breaks and Subseasonal Sea Surface Temperature Variability in the Bay of Bengal

Abstract The Indian southwest monsoon directly affects the lives of over one billion people, providing almost 90% of the annual precipitation to the Indian subcontinent. An important characteristic of the southwest monsoon is variability on subseasonal timescales, with “active” periods of heavy rain interrupted by drier “break” periods. Both the number of monsoon breaks in a season and the timing of these breaks profoundly impact agricultural output from the Indian subcontinent. Most research on monsoon breaks has emphasized possible atmospheric mechanisms. However, new satellite data reveal large-amplitude basin-scale subseasonal sea surface temperature (SST) variability in the Bay of Bengal (BoB), in which northern BoB cooling precedes monsoon breaks by about 1 week. The relationship is statistically significant at the 95% level over the 3 yr examined, and so offers a potential statistical predictor for short-term monsoon variability. The basinwide averaged amplitude of SST changes is 1°–2°C and local c...
Foreword: The Legacy of Gault

Upon reviewing the case of Gerald Francis Gault, the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision that recognized the due process rights of minors by applying the provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Bill of Rights to juveniles. This collection of articles helps provide a context for understanding the significance of the Gault decision. They provide an historical perspective that allows us to see the progression of recognizing children’s rights, but then they also identify the limitations of what the Supreme Court determined when issuing the Gault decision.
Adrenergic Modulation of GABAA Receptor-Mediated Inhibition in Rat Sensorimotor Cortex

Bennett, B. D., J. R. Huguenard, and D. A. Prince. Adrenergic modulation of GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition in rat sensorimotor cortex. J. Neurophysiol. 79: 937–946, 1998. The effect of adrenoce...
BAI strain A avian (myeloblastosis) leukosis virus from myeloblast tissue culture.

SummaryA combined culture-dialysis chamber was devised for producing BAI strain A virus in vitro in amounts greatly increasing the scope of physical and chemical studies of the agent. The yield of virus was approximately 15 mg dry wt/day/chamber. Infectivity of the culture virus was the same on a particle basis as that of virus from leukemic chicks. Properties of the culture virus were indicated by gradient centrifugation, gel electrophoresis and by the character of RNA extracted from the agent.
Turning Neurophobia into Neurophoria: A Needs Assessment of Medical Student Education (P2.370)

Objective: To measure levels of confidence of third year medical students before and after a four week clinical clerkship in neurology and identify reasons for this lack of confidence or “neurophobia” to direct future curriculum design. Background: There is a lack of confidence in clinical neurology often referred to as “neurophobia.” In our aim to build a curriculum for third year medical students seeking to directly address this “phobia” we designed a survey based study as a needs assessment. Methods: We administered voluntary, anonymous confidence surveys to six groups of third-year medical students on the first and last day of a four-week neurology clerkship at the University of Colorado School of Medicine from a 6 month period of April to October 2015. Both quantitative and qualitative data was obtained and analyzed. Chi-square was used when appropriate. IRB exemption was obtained. Results: Of the 86 medical students, 51 (59[percnt]) participated in the pre-clerkship survey and 37 (43[percnt]) took the post clerkship survey. The majority of students were not at all or only slightly confident in several areas including applying neuroscience (75[percnt]), clinical neuroanatomy (80[percnt]), and evaluating common neurologic complaints (75[percnt]). There was a significant increase in mean responses for confidence in all the above areas after the clerkship (p < 0.001). Codified qualitative analysis showed the most common themes associated with positive influence on confidence was teaching, practice and patient exposure during the clerkship as well as previous clinical experiences and mentorship. Negative factors on confidence were lack of clinical experience, neuroanatomy, and amount of knowledge necessary. Conclusions: The majority of medical students lack confidence in clinical neurology prior to the clerkship. Some of the major factors associated with this “neurophobia” include neuroanatomy and the complexity of the field. Our curriculum will focus on addressing confidence in these areas. Disclosure: Dr. Korb has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ables has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hawkins has nothing to disclose. Dr. Persenaire has nothing to disclose. Dr. Miravalle has nothing to disclose.
Differential Release of Prostaglandins and Leukotrienes by Sensitized Guinea Pig Urinary Bladder Layers Upon Antigen Challenge

AbstractThe relative contributions of mucosal/submucosal and detrusor layers to the release of inflammatory mediators were investigated in isolated, ovalbumin (OVA) sensitized guinea pig urinary bladders. Ovalbumin challenge of sensitized mucosa induced release of prostaglandins (PG): PGE2, PGD2 and PGF2α, in that order of magnitude. The total release of PGs was significantly higher from the mucosa/submucosa than from the detrusor/serosa. Under the same conditions, net release of leukotriene (LT) was observed predominantly from the detrusor. The total amount of histamine released from the mucosa was greater than that from the muscle layer. These results indicate differential production and release of inflammatory mediators from the mucosal/submucosal and detrusor smooth muscle layers. These results may have serious implications in disorders, such as interstitial cystitis, involving bladder mucosal damage. The cytoprotective effect of PGE2 is likely to be lost when the mucosa is damaged, and LT release fro...
The multicultural state and the protection of ethnic communities

As we saw in Chapter 4, the political order that was established after World War II enabled West European leaders to build a cohesive community of liberal democratic states in which citizenship was defined in secular terms. The end of the Cold War raised expectations among political leaders that this community could be expanded to include the former communist states of Eastern Europe and Eurasia. This expansion would involve extending Western institutions eastward and building a shared commitment to the values underlying these institutions. It was the prevailing belief that democratization, economic cooperation, and a commitment to protect human rights within the new and reorganized states of Eastern Europe would facilitate the integration of the continent. In short, the initial goal of the post-Cold War leadership was to build a new integrated European order based on the liberal state. However, soon after initiating this strategy, European and North American leaders realized that the integration of Europe would require the resolution of internal tensions that stemmed from competing definitions of “state,” “nation,” and “citizenry.” In this effort, the adoption of democratic institutions alone would be insufficient. The political geography of Eastern Europe had been established at Versailles seventy years earlier. Since both blocs agreed not to allow any significant border changes after World War II, the Versailles settlement remained frozen in time. As a result, the external borders and internal administrative boundaries of most East European and Eurasian states reflected the values and priorities of the post-World War I era.
Don't forget the developers! (and be careful with your assumptions).

This chapter is not about data science for software engineering specifically; it is rather a general reflection about the broad set of techniques whose goal is to help developers perform software engineering tasks more efficiently and/or effectively. As a representative of these techniques, we studied spectra-based fault localization (SBFL), an approach that has received a great deal of attention in the last decade. We believe that studying SBFL, how it evolved over the years, and the way in which it has been evaluated, can teach us some general lessons that apply to other research areas that aim to help developers, including software analytics.
Research at marketing interface to advance entrepreneurship theory

The knowledge base for the emerging field of entrepreneurship should be interfunctional and interdisciplinary. Yet the functional discipline of marketing has contributed to the entrepreneurship fie...
A pH-Gradient Flow Cell for Converting Waste CO2 into Electricity

The CO2 concentration difference between ambient air and exhaust gases created by combusting fossil fuels is an untapped energy source for producing electricity. One method of capturing this energy is dissolving CO2 gas into water and then converting the produced chemical potential energy into electrical power using an electrochemical system. Previous efforts using this method found that electricity can be generated; however, electrical power densities were low, and expensive ion-exchange membranes were needed. Here, we overcame these challenges by developing a new approach to capture electrical power from CO2 dissolved in water, the pH-gradient flow cell. In this approach, two identical supercapacitive manganese oxide electrodes were separated by a nonselective membrane and exposed to an aqueous buffer solution sparged with either CO2 gas or air. This pH-gradient flow cell produced an average power density of 0.82 W/m2, which was nearly 200 times higher than values reported using previous approaches.
Semiparametric single-index model for estimating optimal individualized treatment strategy

NSF [DMS-1555244, DMS-1309507, DMS-1418172]; NCI [P01 CA142538]; NIH [U01-NS082062, R01GM047845]; NSFC [11571009]
Degradation-Related Changes in Ballast Gradation and Aggregate Particle Morphology

AbstractBallast degradation or fouling often associated with deteriorating railroad track performance refers to the condition of a new ballast layer changing its aggregate particle size and shape p...
Is (digital) history more than an argument about the past

Digital history is one more historiographical development since World War II that has challenged professional historians’ definition of scholarship. While oral history and quantitative social history questioned the primacy of the written document and an elite focus, they and public history challenged the centrality of the researcher trained in academic history departments, and postmodernism undermined the authority of categories.[1] Of central concern is not whether the online world has infected humanities scholars in the United States with intellectual challenges (and status anxiety) but what new forms these are taking and the new professional and intellectual questions that digital history poses for historians.[2] As younger scholars worry about what “counts” as scholarship in an online universe, fearing that their senior colleagues will not respect anything other than monographs published by university presses, they partly replay previous waves of concern about professional legitimation.
High-rate Ka-band modulator for the NISAR mission

In order to meet ever-increasing data return requirements, more satellites are using the near-Earth Ka-band (25.5–27.0 GHz) to achieve higher downlink rates. The paper discusses the Universal Space Transponder — Ka-band Modulator (UST-KaM) developed at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) mission, which is capable of transmitting up to 1.74 Gbps with 7/8 LDPC encoding. The UST-KaM utilizes OQPSK with both baseband and RF filtering to contain the 1 Gsps transmission spectrum within the 1.5 GHz Ka-band, even with the use of an external, saturated amplifier. Due to the high data rates involved, several technical hurdles were overcome in both the digital and RF designs. The UST-KaM is a software defined radio with two digital circuit board assemblies: a low speed housekeeper board for commanding and telemetry, and a high-rate signal processing board known as the Signal Processing Module (SPM). The SPM receives data from the spacecraft via a SERDES interface at up to 2 Gbps, processes and encodes the data using a Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA, and produces 1 Gsps OQPSK I and Q waveforms via synchronized, multiplexed DACs. The RF Electronics in the UST-KaM employ a heterodyne architecture in which the I/Q digital waveforms are filtered and then up-converted using a sub-harmonic IQ mixer. The LO of the converter, which is included in the exciter assembly, is at 13.125GHz, and the RF output is a 26.25GHz carrier which is modulated with the OQPSK waveforms. The output of the mixer is then filtered using low loss quartz thin-film edge coupled Chebyshev filters and amplified through a series of low gain Ka-Band amplifiers. The exciter assembly also has a 2GHz, low-phase-noise, PLL synthesizer to supply the clock to the DACs for the high rate digital waveforms.
Simultaneous retrieval of coherently illuminated defocused objects

It is demonstrated here that the exit wave-field of objects from two different planes along the wave propagation axis can be retrieved from their coherently summed far-field diffraction intensity. This is achieved through the application of an iterative projection algorithm developed previously in [1]. Simulations show that given such an intensity data, the algorithm can successfully retrieve the exit wave-field of the two objects simultaneously, provided the objects are translated far enough away from each other in the transverse direction to the propagation axis.
New Statistical Methods for Shape

In this chapter I propose statistical analyses of data which preserve the full rich information store of the outline as late as possible into the analysis. We can only deal ultimately, it is true, with a finite-dimensional space of parameters; but when shape is represented by a continuous function it is possible to sample from that function instead of discarding information earlier by sampling from the points of the outline. Distinctions between the methods I shall describe, and between them and the conventional approaches, can be summarized in the three schemes of Fig. IV-1. Sketch (a) indicates the conventional method of extracting shape variables from landmark locations alone, ignoring both the curving of the outline and the geometric order of the image. Sketch (b) corresponds to the tangent angle method, which follows the outline all the way around. Sketch (c) is a useful modification, the medial axis method, in which we pass up the “middle” of the form, in a sense to be defined objectively, and investigate the boundary on both sides simultaneously.
Applicants' Perspectives of the Urology Residency Match Process

AbstractIntroduction:Despite the competitiveness and high stakes of the urology residency match little research has focused on the application process from the applicants' perspective.Methods:In Ap...
Face Threat Mitigation in Feedback: An Examination of Student Feedback Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, and Perceived Emotional Support

This experimental study examined the effects of an instructor’s face threat mitigation tactics on student self-efficacy for learning and perceived emotional support from the instructor in a written feedback setting. Participants (N = 401) were randomly assigned to one of two feedback scenarios in which level of face threat was manipulated. Student feedback anxiety was measured prior to being exposed to the feedback scenario. Results indicate that high face threat mitigation is positively associated with student self-efficacy for learning and perceived emotional support from the instructor. Results also revealed that feedback anxiety predicts lower self-efficacy for learning and less perceived emotional support from the instructor. Implications regarding theory, the measurement of feedback apprehension, and student–instructor communication are discussed.
The imaging photopolarimeter experiment on Pioneer 11

For 2 weeks continuous imaging, photometry, and polarimetry observations were made of Jupiter and the Galilean satellites in red and blue light from Pioneer 11. Measurements of Jupiter's north and south polar regions were possible because the spacecraft trajectory was highly inclined to the planet's equatorial plane. One of the highest resolution images obtained is presented here along with a comparison of a sample of our photometric and polarimetric data with a simple model. The data seem consistent with increased molecular scattering at high latitudes.
Declining brachytherapy utilization for cervical cancer patients - Have we reversed the trend?

Abstract Objective Studies examining temporal trends in cervical brachytherapy use are conflicting and examined different health insurance populations. This study examined brachytherapy utilization over time by health insurance type and whether reported declines in brachytherapy have reversed. Methods The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for patients with FIGO IIB-IVA cervical cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy between 2004 and 2014, identifying 17,442 patients. Brachytherapy utilization over time and by insurance type and other sociodemographic factors were compared using binary logistic regression. A sensitivity analysis was done in a sub-cohort of patients using the boost modality variable in the NCDB. Results Brachytherapy utilization declined during 2008–10 (52.6%) compared to 2004–2007 (54.4%; odds ratio [OR] 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.86–1.01) and declines were disproportionately larger for patients with government insurance (49.4% vs 52.3%, respectively) than privately-insured patients (57.6% vs 58.9%, respectively). However, rates of brachytherapy use subsequently recovered during 2011–14 in all insurance groups (58.0%, OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.16–1.34) and was especially improved for Medicaid (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.26–1.65) and uninsured patients (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.03–1.57). Sensitivity analysis using the boost modality variable confirmed these trends. Conclusions In patients with FIGO IIB-IVA cervical cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy from 2004 to 2014, brachytherapy utilization declined during the late 2000s and disproportionately affected patients with government insurance, but subsequently recovered in the early 2010s. Since government insurance covers vulnerable patient populations at-risk for future declines in brachytherapy use, proposed alternative payment models should incentivize cervical brachytherapy to solidify gains in brachytherapy utilization.
Understanding Aktywność in Ethnographic Contexts: Aging, Memory, and Personhood in Poland

The increasing popularity of programs promoting aktywnośc (activity) in old age in contemporary Poland is part of regional and global attempts to encourage health and economic productivity in old age. In order to understand this interest in aktywnośc in old age, such practices must be seen within broader sociocultural and political-economic contexts. This drive for aktywnośc cannot be fully explained without understanding its status as an unquestioned moral good in opposition to illness, disability, and frailty in old age. Seeking commonalities across such seemingly opposite experiences can reduce marginalization in old age. Side-stepping binary constructions of health and illness in old age creates a more holistic perspective that demonstrates how older Poles in a range of contexts create moral lives.
Photophysical and Dynamical Properties of Doubly Linked Cy3 - DNA Constructs

Photophysical measurements are reported for Cy3 - DNA constructs in which both Cy3 nitrogen atoms are attached to the DNA backbone by short linkers. While this linking was thought to rigidify the orientation of the dye and hinder cis-isomerization, the relatively low fluorescence quantum yield and the presence of a short component in the time-resolved fluorescence decay of the dye indicated that cis-isomerization remained possible. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and transient absorption experiments showed that photoisomerization occurred with high efficiency. Molecular dynamics simulations of trans dye system indicated the presence of stacked and unstacked states, and free energy simulations showed that the barriers for stacking/unstacking were low. In addition, simulations showed that the ground cis state was feasible without DNA distortions. Based on these observations, a model is put forward in which the doubly linked dye can photoisomerize in the unstacked state.
Management of Severe Asthma Beyond the Guidelines

Asthma is one of the most common chronic respiratory diseases worldwide, yet only a small percentage of patients are categorized as having severe disease. Severe asthmatics, however, are responsible for the largest burden of healthcare costs and lost productivity. Several recent guidelines have addressed disease pathogenesis and treatment modalities for these complex patients. Herein, we review the severe asthma guidelines, compare the existing guidelines, address key areas that are yet to be addressed in the guidelines, and discuss future directions for severe asthma research. This is a narrative review of the 2019 European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society (ERS/ATS) and Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines that specifically address the diagnosis and management of severe asthma. The pathophysiological mechanisms that underlie severe asthma are reviewed, and novel therapies that target specific pathophysiological pathways in severe asthma are discussed in detail. Although the guidelines address the use of novel biological therapies for patients with T2-mediated disease, data comparing these agents remain sparse. This review addresses several areas that are topics beyond the guidelines and highlight key areas where future research is warranted. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of severe asthma treatment and discusses potential avenues for future research for this patient population.
Trajectories of Short Physical Performance Battery Are Strongly Associated with Future Major Mobility Disability: Results from the LIFE Study

Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) assessment is a widely used measure of lower extremity function, strength, and balance. In the Lifestyles Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) Study, baseline SPPB and changes throughout the trial were strongly associated with major mobility disability (MMD). This study further investigated this association by identifying trajectories of SPPB and evaluating the predictive validity of SPPB trajectories for future MMD. Participants (n = 1635) aged 70-89 years were randomized to a physical activity or health education intervention and assessed every 6 months for MMD. We used group-based trajectory models (GBTMs) to identify trajectories of a binary outcome for a decrease from baseline SPPB of ≥1. Multinomial logistic regression explored baseline factors associated with group membership. Survival analyses evaluated the association between trajectories with MMD. The GBTM identified a 3-group model which included a "No Decline" group (46.0%), "Late Decline" group (27.7%), and an "Early Decline" group (26.3%). Adjusting for all other baseline characteristics, group assignment during the previous follow-up visit was strongly associated with MMD at the subsequent period. Comparisons between groups showed a 2-to-3-fold increase in MMD comparing the "Late" to "No" decline group and a 4-to-5-fold increase in MMD comparing the "Early" to "No" decline group. Group membership and impact on MMD was not different between intervention arms. Group-based trajectories of SPPB scores identified distinct subgroups in LIFE Study participants. Using these group assignments in outcome models were highly associated with MMD. GBTMs have potential to identify and improve prediction of aging-related decline to better design and identify patients for interventions.
Observation of Second-Order Spectral Phase Transition in Optical Parametric Oscillator

We demonstrate second-order phase transition in optical parametric oscillators corresponding to a transition from degenerate to non-degenerate oscillation at a critical cavity detuning which can be utilized for enhanced sensing, and information processing.
Wildflower plantings in commercial agroecosystems promote generalist predators of Colorado potato beetle

Abstract Wildflower plantings in agroecosystems can support arthropod predators, and may have the potential to increase conservation biological control of pest species in nearby crops. Colorado potato beetle (CPB) is a significant defoliator of potato that is resistant to many forms of management. Promoting natural enemies of CPB by establishing perennial wildflower plantings in field margins may provide a measure of control for this pest. We examined the impacts of floral plantings on the abundance of known CPB predators, predation of CPB egg masses, and CPB populations in a commercial agroecosystem. Floral plantings increased the abundance of CPB predators, but did not significantly increase the rate of predation of sentinel CPB egg masses within field margins. Within nearby potato fields, predator abundance and predation rates on CPB eggs were unaffected by the presence of flowers. Colorado potato beetle abundance in potato fields was also not impacted by floral plantings. However, floral margins may provide improved overwintering opportunities for CPB, and further investigation is needed. Perennial wildflower plantings show potential for attracting predators that prey on CPB, but these benefits do not extend into nearby potato crops.
Design of a Grid-Forming, Multi-Loop Control Scheme for Parallel Connected Three-Phase Quasi-Z-Source Inverters

The proposed work designs and implements a control scheme for a three phase, qZSI enabling the inverter to operate in a grid-forming role. Through PLECS simulations, the proposed control scheme is shown to operate the qZSI with inherent power sharing, when operating in parallel with other qZSIs, and tight frequency/voltage regulation capabilities. The system is benchmarked against a conventional boost-cascaded VSI system.
The 1980 UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods: A Comparative Analysis of Consequences of Accession by the Republic of Korea

This Article seeks to apply a “Gershenkronian” approach to China’s developing administrative law by considering what we see in China today in light of how administrative law developed in China’s Northeast Asian neighbors. Current research and commentary on China’s administrative law is largely China-centered. Though such work is indispensable, the premise of this Article is that much can be learned from considering China’s administrative law in light of the “uniformities,” “typical situations,” and “typical relationships” that can be derived from studying how administrative law developed in China’s Northeast Asian neighbors.
Brief Report: Examining the Links Between Language Processes and Working Memory Impairments in Toddlers and Preschoolers with ASD

Deficits in working memory have not been fully explored in toddlers and preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We investigated the relationship between language (verbal ability, verbal self-talk) and visuospatial working memory in 2- and 4-year-olds with ASD (n = 65) and typical development (TD) (n = 54). Children with ASD displayed impairments in working memory and verbal ability, but not verbal self-talk, compared to TD peers. Verbal ability and working memory were positively correlated; this association was stronger for children with ASD. For 2-year-olds, self-talk and working memory were negatively correlated. Results suggest that verbal ability and working memory are linked, especially for young children with ASD. Self-talk may be a compensatory strategy for toddlers with less developed working memory.
Lorlatinib Exposure-Response Analyses for Safety and Efficacy in a Phase I/II Trial to Support Benefit–Risk Assessment in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lorlatinib is a small molecule inhibitor of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and c-ROS oncogene 1 (ROS1) tyrosine kinases and is approved for the treatment of patients with ALK-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the phase I/II study (NCT01970865), potential exposure-response (E-R) relationships between lorlatinib and selected safety and efficacy end points were evaluated in patients with NSCLC. E-R relationships were assessed for safety end points with incidence > 10% in all treated patients (n = 328). In total, 4 safety end points were assessed: hypercholesterolemia grade ≥ 3, hypertriglyceridemia grade ≥ 3, weight gain grade ≥ 2, and treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) grade ≥ 3. Using logistic regression, significant relationships were identified between lorlatinib plasma exposure and risk of hypercholesterolemia grade ≥ 3 (odds ratio (OR) 5.256) and risk of TEAE grade ≥ 3 (OR 3.214). The covariates baseline cholesterol and time on study prior to the event (TE) were associated with the probability of hypercholesterolemia grade ≥ 3. Baseline cholesterol and TE were found to have a statistically significant correlation with TEAE grade ≥ 3. Exposure-efficacy relationships were assessed for objective response rate (ORR; n = 197) and intracranial objective response rate (IC-ORR; n = 132). Lorlatinib plasma exposure was not identified as a statistically significant factor related to either efficacy end point. The only significant E-R relationships identified for efficacy were between baseline alkaline phosphatase and baseline amylase with IC-ORR (ORs 0.363 and 1.015, respectively). These findings support the lorlatinib indicated dose and dose modification guidelines regarding the management of lorlatinib-related AEs.
Cellular retinoid-binding proteins transfer retinoids to human cytochrome P450 27C1 for desaturation.

Cytochrome P450 27C1 (P450 27C1) is a retinoid desaturase expressed in the skin that catalyzes the formation of 3,4-dehydroretinoids from all-trans retinoids. Within the skin, retinoids are important regulators of proliferation and differentiation. In vivo, retinoids are bound to cellular retinol-binding proteins (CRBPs) and cellular retinoic acid–binding proteins (CRABPs). Interaction with these binding proteins is a defining characteristic of physiologically relevant enzymes in retinoid metabolism. Previous studies that characterized the catalytic activity of human P450 27C1 utilized a reconstituted in vitro system with free retinoids. However, it was unknown whether P450 27C1 could directly interact with holo-retinoid-binding proteins to receive all-trans retinoid substrates. To assess this, steady-state kinetic assays were conducted with free all-trans retinoids and holo-CRBP-1, holo-CRABP-1, and holo-CRABP-2. For holo-CRBP-1 and holo-CRABP-2, the kcat/Km values either decreased 5-fold or were equal to the respective free retinoid values. The kcat/Km value for holo-CRABP-1, however, decreased ∼65-fold in comparison with reactions with free all-trans retinoic acid. These results suggest that P450 27C1 directly accepts all-trans retinol and retinaldehyde from CRBP-1 and all-trans retinoic acid from CRABP-2, but not from CRABP-1. A difference in substrate channeling between CRABP-1 and CRABP-2 was also supported by isotope dilution experiments. Analysis of retinoid transfer from holo-CRABPs to P450 27C1 suggests that the decrease in kcat observed in steady-state kinetic assays is due to retinoid transfer becoming rate-limiting in the P450 27C1 catalytic cycle. Overall, these results illustrate that, like the CYP26 enzymes involved in retinoic acid metabolism, P450 27C1 interacts with cellular retinoid-binding proteins.
Development of male social justice allies of women in college: A case study investigation of possibilities for change

College students have been socialized within a patriarchal, male dominated system and have accumulated many life experiences prior to arriving on campus. These experiences could present challenges in communication, may limit the students’ ability to develop intimate and meaningful relationships with others, and create struggles during and after college, personally and professionally, for students, their peers and community. This descriptive, embedded, multiple-case study was conducted to explore the effect a half-semester course titled Gender Justice has on male college students’ perceptions, beliefs, and actions regarding gender role assignments and their ability to be social justice allies of women. The course provided students the opportunity to critically analyze what they believe about gender roles, how these beliefs support or limit interpersonal relationships, and how future relationships might be affected. Interviews were conducted with students enrolled in the course and after successfully completing the course. Students’ course assignments were analyzed along with information from interviews with course facilitators to determine how the course affected students. Findings indicate that students can develop an awareness of social injustice, an understanding of inequity, and the skills to become social justice allies of women. Barriers remain that discourage these ally actions in covert and overt ways. The cost and consequence of being a social justice ally of women may be personally too great. However, the participants in this study did gain an understanding of the costs and consequences of acknowledging new awareness and responding in ways to support equity and social justice.
Hippocampal Subfield Analysis in MCI Patients: Comparing FreeSurfer on 3T MRI with Hand Segmentation on 7T Data (P6.224)

OBJECTIVE: To compare structure-behavior correlations for hippocampal subfields, segmented automatically using Freesurfer 5.3 on 3T images versus manually using 7T MRI. BACKGROUND: Kerchner et al. (2012, 2013) have previously demonstrated that patients with AD dementia or amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) exhibit strong correlations between neuropsychological metrics of delayed recall and hippocampal CA1 stratum radiatum / stratum lacunosum-moleculare (CA1-SRLM) thickness, visualized using 7.0T MRI. In a larger study of 40 subjects (14 aMCI, 26 cognitively healthy controls) we hypothesized that the FreeSurfer hippocampal subfield segmentation algorithm may be able to identify hippocampal subfield atrophy that correlates with memory function. DESIGN/METHODS: 40 patients underwent multi-domain neuropsychological evaluations that included three tests of episodic memory, yielding composite scores for immediate recall, delayed recall, and delayed recognition memory. Additionally, 3T (T1 FSPGR 1mm isotropic) and 7.0T (T2 FSE 0.22 x 0.22 x 1.5 mm) MRI were performed. FreeSurfer 5.3 with hippocampal subfield processing was performed on the 3T T1 images. The 7T images were analyzed as described by Kerchner et al. (2012). Correlations and t-tests were performed, adjusting for age and total intracranial volume. RESULTS: 7T data revealed that aMCI patients exhibited thinner CA1-SP and CA1-SRLM than controls. Among aMCI patients, bilateral CA1-SRLM and right entorhinal cortex correlated with delayed recall. Freesurfer data revealed that patients with aMCI exhibited reduced CA1, CA2/3, fimbria, and CA4/DG volumes than controls. Among patients with aMCI, left hippocampal volume, entorhinal cortex, CA1, CA2/3, CA4/DG, and subiculum correlated with delayed recall, as did right CA2/3. No Freesurfer or 7T hippocampal subfield measurement correlated with delayed recall in normal control patients. CONCLUSIONS: Automated FreeSurfer- hippocampal subfield metrics and manual 7T- metrics both differentiated aMCI patients from healthy controls and correlated with memory performance among aMCI patients. There were some similarities and some differences with respect to the actual subfields identified as significant by the two techniques. Study Supported by: NIH-NIA (K23AG042858), McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience, Alzheimer’s Association (NIRG-11-205493) Disclosure: Dr. Soman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Furst has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kerchner has received personal compensation for activities with Phloronol, Inc. as an advisory board member.
Science and Its Discontents: Is There an End to Knowing?

Is there an end to our scientific quest? This question that continues to divide the scientific community between those who believe that the progress of science is infinite and those who think that we already understand how the universe works and no major discoveries are to be expected in the future. This article explores the philosophical worldview of modern science that has given rise to this question. It argues that an approach to knowledge that focuses on the process of construction of knowledge rather than its products offers a possibility of definitively answering this question and opening paths for a more rational approach in advancing and managing the scientific progress. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.