cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low voltage bus interface logic: Constraints and challenges for the future

Microprocessors and memory designs have been the driving factor in pushing power supply voltages from 5 V to 3.3 V. As such, the need for the system logic to migrate to 3.3 V has spurred the creation of a multitude of low voltage TTL logic families such as LVC, LCX, and LVT. Innovations in process and design techniques have enabled these technologies to continually push faster propagation delays and reduced power while maintaining functionality and reliability at this reduced supply level. However, significant challenges are presented when interfacing these low voltage devices to a system bus or backplane. This paper focuses on the limitations or constraints of today's low voltage TTL logic in bus and backplane driving applications and addresses various challenges and solutions for future migrations from 3.3 V to 2.5 V and below.
"Immunoreactive dynorphin" in Escherichia coli: tracer degradation by a heat-stable endopeptidase.

Abstract Escherichia coli cells contain and secrete into the growth medium a heat-stable tryptic enzyme, which degrades the radiolabeled dynorphin tracer peptide during radioimmunoassay, simulating the presence of “immunoreactive dynorphin”. The validity of an immunoassay procedure, in each new application, must remain in doubt until tracer integrity has been proved.
Significance of incidental desmoids identified during surgery for familial adenomatous polyposis.

The behavior of intra-abdominal desmoids in familial adenomatous polyposis is incompletely understood. Findings range from typical mass lesions to flat sheets, termed the desmoid reaction or desmoid precursor lesion. The latter often are incidental findings of uncertain significance. The study was designed to describe the natural history of incidental intra-abdominal desmoid tumors with particular reference to the desmoid reaction. Patients who underwent laparotomy for familial adenomatous polyposis at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation were identified. The incidence of incidental intra-abdominal desmoid tumors was determined by review of operative records. Intra-abdominal desmoid tumors were classified as mass lesions if three-dimensional or desmoid reaction if two-dimensional. The incidence of clinically apparent intra-abdominal desmoid tumors (typical mass lesions on physical examination or cross-sectional imaging in symptomatic patients) was determined by chart review. The incidence of clinical intra-abdominal desmoid tumors between groups was compared by Fisher’s exact test. A total of 266 patients (153 females; median age, 26 (range, 9–63) years) underwent abdominal surgery for familial adenomatous polyposis. Incidental intra-abdominal desmoid tumors were identified in 34 patients: 8 at the index surgery and 26 at relaparotomy. These lesions influenced the planned procedure in eight cases (26 percent), including preventing ileoanal pouch in 3 of 19 patients in whom this was intended. The median follow-up from the time of identification of intra-abdominal desmoids was 42 (range, 2–178) months at which point four patients (11 percent) had developed clinical intra-abdominal desmoid tumors. There was no significant difference in incidence of clinical intra-abdominal desmoid tumors between mass and desmoid reaction groups (P = 0.27). Incidental intra-abdominal desmoid tumors are a common finding at relaparotomy in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. These lesions influence planned surgery in a minority of cases. Desmoid reaction may have little bearing on the subsequent development of clinically significant intra-abdominal desmoid tumors.
Foucault, Genealogy, Ethics

By establishing the sciences of life while, at the same time, forming a certain self-knowledge, the human being altered itself as a living being by taking on the character of a rational subject acquiring the power to act on itself, changing its living conditions and its own life .... [There is a] kinship between the discourse on limit-experience, when it was a matter of the subject transforming itself, and the discourse on the transformation of the subject itself through the construction of a knowledge. (Foucault, 2000, 296) 1 .
Surgical Therapy of Pulmonary Aspergillomas: A 30-Year North American Experience

Background Pulmonary aspergilloma is resected to control life-threatening complications such as massive hemoptysis. The role of prophylactic resection in asymptomatic patients is unclear. Methods A retrospective review was conducted of 60 patients treated at a tertiary center from 1980 to 2010. Results The mean age in 34 (56.7%) men and 26 (43.3%) women was 51 years. Immunosuppression, most commonly from chronic steroid use, was present in 17 (28.3%) patients, and preexisting lung disease was present in 47 (78.3%) patients. Hemoptysis occurred in 33 (55%) patients, whereas 9 (15.0%) patients were asymptomatic. Aspergilloma was simple in 13 (21.7%) patients and complex in 47 (78.3%) patients. Surgical approach was by thoracotomy (n = 51 [85.0%]), video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (n = 7 [11.7%]), or a cavernostomy (n = 2 [3.3%]). Sublobar resections (n = 28 [46.7%]) were most common, followed by lobectomy (n = 27 [45%]) and pneumonectomy (n = 3 [5%]). Postoperative morbidity occurred in 18 (30%) patients, with prolonged air leak the most frequent complication (n = 9 [15%]). Two (3.3%) patients experienced empyema, and 4 (6.7%) patients had bronchopleural fistulas (BPFs). Two patients died within 30 days (3.3%). During a mean follow-up of 54.1 ± 62.2 months, 3 patients had recurrent aspergillomas (5.0%). Actuarial 10-year survival was 62.5% for simple and 68.5% for complex aspergillomas (p = 0.858). Comorbid conditions (human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] positivity, malignancy) and male sex were associated with lower survival. Conclusions Selective surgical treatment favoring lesser pulmonary resection results in fungal eradication and control in most patients. Overall survival is similar after surgical management of simple and complex aspergillomas.
Students Classified as LD and the College Foreign Language Requirement A Quantitative Analysis

This study was conducted to determine whether students classified as learning disabled (LD) who were permitted to substitute courses for the college foreign language (FL) requirement at one university would display significant cognitive and academic achievement differences when grouped by level of discrepancy between IQ and achievement, by discrepancy between achievement according to different measures, and by level of performance on phonological-orthographic processing measures, on the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT), and in FL courses. Results showed that there were no differences among students with different levels of discrepancy (i.e., 1.50 SD) on MLAT and American College Testing (ACT) scores, graduating grade point average (GPA) or college FL GPA. Results also showed that among students who scored below versus at or above the 25th percentile on phonological-orthographic processing measures, there were no differences on measures of IQ, ACT, MLAT, and GPA, as well as most measures of academic achievement. Implications for the use of the LD label to grant FL course substitutions or waivers, use of the MLAT in the diagnostic and course substitution/waiver process, and the validity and reliability of traditional criteria for the classification as LD are discussed.
Reliability of the Superimposed-Burst Technique in Patients With Patellofemoral Pain: A Technical Report

Context: The superimposed-burst (SIB) technique is commonly used to quantify central activation failure after knee-joint injury, but its reliability has not been established in pathologic cohorts. Objective: To assess within-session and between-sessions reliability of the SIB technique in patients with patellofemoral pain. Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Setting: University laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 10 patients with self-reported patellofemoral pain (1 man, 9 women; age = 24.1 ± 3.8 years, height = 167.8 ± 15.2 cm, mass = 71.6 ± 17.5 kg) and 10 healthy control participants (3 men, 7 women; age = 27.4 ± 5.0 years, height = 173.5 ± 9.9 cm, mass = 78.2 ± 16.5 kg) volunteered. Intervention(s): Participants were assessed at 6 intervals spanning 21 days. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs [3,3]) were used to assess reliability. Main Outcome Measure(s): Quadriceps central activation ratio, knee-extension maximal voluntary isometric contraction force, and SIB force...
The Power of the Arts to Speak: The Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here Project at IUPUI

AbstractOn March 5, 2007, a car bomb exploded on al-Mutanabbi Street in Baghdad, destroying the heart and soul of Baghdad’s intellectual and cultural center. Compelled to take action, Beau Beausoleil, San Francisco bookseller and poet, rallied a community of international artists and writers to produce collections of letterpress-printed broadsides, artists’ books, an anthology of writing, prints, and a bookmark project all focused on expressing solidarity with Iraqi booksellers, writers, and readers. The coalition of contributing artists calls itself Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here. In June 2013, the Herron Art Library, branch library of IUPUI University Library in Indianapolis, Indiana, entered into an agreement with the coalition to serve as the US repository and coordinator for the traveling exhibitions and digital presence of the coalition’s collections. This article describes the project’s origins and activities.
THE EDGE OF ETHICS IN IPARADIGMS

In an attempt to stem a perceived rise in student plagiarism, educational institutions are increasingly turning to anti-plagiarism technologies. The use of these technological means to police student writings has been controversial, socially, politically, and legally. This article discusses the outcome of A.V. et al. v. iParadigms, to date the most important opinion on the legality of such technology's use. The author examines the case in detail and presents arguments against the technology's use, on the grounds that such use undermines educational policy by allowing the ethics of teachers to become a by-product of available technological means and by contributing to a detrimental framing of students as criminals. Some especially tony colleges, such as Harvard, do not subscribe to Turnitin or other plagiarism-detection software services but prefer to preach to their students about the evils of plagiarism. These schools are naive. [2] Let's be serious. [3] One can hardly spend a nanosecond within the walls of academia without hearing tell of the epidemic of student plagiarism. [4] While empirical evidence of an epidemic may remain wanting, it is clear that a collective perception of crisis has taken hold in educational circles. [5] A noteworthy reaction to this perception of escalating plagiarism has been the academic embrace of commercial anti-plagiarism systems. This article is an examination of a recent ruling, A.V. et al. v. iParadigms, [6] stemming from this embrace. In section I, I sketch the context for that legal controversy that foregrounds its entangled technological and social aspects. [7] Sections II-V comprise a discussion of the case's facts, and the case's rulings in the area of contract law and copyright law. A speculative exploration of the possible pitfalls of too quickly embracing the plagiarism epidemic mood along with the technological fixes subsequently touted as its solution constitute sections VI and VII. SECTION I: A TECHNOLOGICAL CONTEXT Even if only on the basis of the opinion's economical clarity, iParadigms contends for a place in the canon of teachable jurisprudence. In addition to its crystalline brevity and the clarity of its legal logic, the ruling presents its reader with an admirable map of the technological and social forces that are the field in which its legal questions take on their meaning and significance. But that map's merit has limits. And to more fully understand the field of forces at play, that map must be extended.
Integrating cavity ring-down spectroscopy (ICRDS) and the direct measurement of absorption coefficients

Absorption of light at various wavelengths (i.e. absorption spectroscopy) is a powerful tool for identifying the presence of chemical compounds or specific substances in a sample. Cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS) is a well-known technique for very high sensitivity absorption spectroscopy. Another technique, integrating cavity spectroscopy has the additional unique feature of providing accurate absorption data even in the presence of severe scattering. This paper describes a combination of these two techniques that has led to an extremely powerful and useful new technology—integrating CRDS.
Diffusion and Distribution of Photoacid Generators in thin Polymer Films

Distribution and diffusion of two fluorinated ionic photoacid generators (PAGs) in thin polymer films have been investigated by depth profiling of the intrinsic label elements of both the PAGs and a silicon containing carrier polymer with Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) and dynamic Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS). Distribution and diffusion of the PAGs in a bilayer film stack, which consists of a thin silicon containing polymer film on top of a thick thermally cross-linked Novolak film on a silicon substrate, have been studied as a function of the Novolak cross-linking temperature. Deposition of the PAG containing polymer films on top of the cross-linked Novolak films by spin coating results in an interphase with enriched PAG. Subsequent annealing of the film stack causes expansion of the interphase and diffusion of the PAG into the underlying Novolak film when Novolak is cross-linked at lower temperatures. On the other hand, there is a uniform PAG distribution and no detectable diffusion of the PAG into Novolak when it is cross-linked at high temperatures. The variations in the PAG distribution and diffusion are attributed to the changes in the chemical and physical properties of Novolak during cross-linking.
Not Every K1-Embedded Subspace is K0-Embedded

All topological spaces under discussion are assumed to be Tychonoff. For any topological space X let τ(X) denote the topology of X. If X ᑕ Y then a function κ : τ(X) ⟶ τ(Y) is called an extender provided that κ(U) ∩ X = U for all U ∊ τ(X). In addition, X is said to be Kn-embedded in Y (cf. [3]) provided there is an extender κ : τ(X) ⟶ τ(Y) such that The extender κ is called a Kn -function (cf. [3]). Eric van Douwen has asked whether there is a space X with a subspace Z which is Ki -embedded but not K0 -embedded. The aim of this note is to answer this question.
Langmuir Probe Diagnostics of an Atmospheric-Pressure Microplasma

This paper presents the results of experimental characterization of the jet plume of a radio frequency atmospheric-pressure microplasma using single and double Langmuir probes. High-pressure Langmuir probe theories for different regimes of operation based on the bulk flow velocity and sheath thickness are applied. The plasma density and temperature vary from 5x10 16 – 1x10 19 m -3 and 2.3 – 4 eV depending on operating condition. The density decreases while the electron temperature increases with axial distance away from the jet exit. The maximum electron temperature is observed at the lowest power and highest flow rate tested. The behaviors are attributed to high collisionality and fluid dynamic effects.
Comprehensive Versus Targeted Genetic Testing in Children with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic disease of the sarcomere that can be found in both children and adults and is associated with many causative mutations. In children who are not the index case of HCM in their families, current recommendations call only for targeted genetic testing for familial mutations. However, clinical experience suggests that de novo mutations are possible, as are mutations inherited from apparently an unaffected parent. A chart review was conducted of all patients who received HCM genetic testing at Johns Hopkins from 2004 to 2013. In total, 239 patient charts were analyzed for personal and familial genetic findings. Eighty-one patients with sarcomere gene mutations were identified, of which 66 had a clinical diagnosis of HCM. Importantly, eight patients had >1 pathogenic or likely pathogenic mutation, including six patients who were diagnosed with HCM as children (18 or younger). In this analysis, when a sarcomere mutation is identified in a family, the likelihood of a child with HCM having >1 mutation is 25 % (6/24), compared to 4.8 % (2/42) for adults. The large number of children with multiple mutations suggests that broad panel rather than targeted genetic testing should be considered in HCM presenting during childhood even if the child is not the index case.
Die neue Ottomotorengeneration Duratec HE von Ford Teil 2

Im ersten Teil des Beitrags in der MTZ-Oktober-Ausgabe uber die neuen Duratec-HE-Motoren wurde die Entwicklung des Grundmotors beschrieben. Im zweiten Teil wird das Ansaug- und Abgassystem inklusive der Abgasnachbehandlung vorgestellt. Auserdem wird der Einfluss der Tumbleklappen auf das Verbrauchs- und Emissionsverhalten des Motors detailliert behandelt und das neue Motormanagement beschrieben.
Transgender Criminal Justice: Ethical and Constitutional Perspectives

People identifying as transgender or gender nonconforming (TGNC) face increased discrimination, harassment, and victimization compared to cisgender individuals (whose experienced gender matches the...
Lymphokine-induced phagocytosis in angiocentric immunoproliferative lesions (AIL) and malignant lymphoma arising in AIL

A factor that augmented the phagocytosis of IgG-coated ox red blood cells by the human monocyte/macrophage line U937 was identified in cell culture supernatants from two of two patients with angiocentric peripheral T cell lymphomas, three of three patients with angiocentric immunoproliferative lesions that were not frankly malignant, and one of two patients with T lymphoblastic malignancies. The factor was not present in supernatants derived from 14 nonangiocentric peripheral T cell lymphomas of other histologic types nor in ten cases of B cell lymphoma and two cases of Hodgkin's disease. A similar factor was present in the supernatants of concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in the supernatants of IL-2- dependent T cell lines derived from normal peripheral blood. The factor had an apparent mol wt of greater than 50,000 daltons, was heat labile (100 degrees C for two minutes), and stable at pH 2.0. Its stimulation of phagocytosis was independent of any increase in number of Fc receptors. Thus, this factor is probably not gamma-interferon. This factor may play a pathogenetic role in the hemophagocytic syndromes associated with certain T cell malignancies and immunodeficient states.
Towards Unsupervised Canine Posture Classification via Depth Shadow Detection and Infrared Reconstruction for Improved Image Segmentation Accuracy

Hardware capable of 3D sensing, such as the Microsoft Kinect, has opened up new possibilities for low-cost computer vision applications. In this paper, we take the first steps towards unsupervised canine posture classification by presenting an algorithm to perform canine-background segmentation, using depth shadows and infrared data for increased accuracy. We report on two experiments to show that the algorithm can operate at various distances and heights, and examine how that effects its accuracy. We also perform a third experiment to show that the output of the algorithm can be used for k-means clustering, resulting in accurate clusters 83 % of the time without any preprocessing and when the segmentation algorithm is at least 90 % accurate.
Evaluation of the Anthropogenic Radionuclide Concentrations in Sediments and Fauna Collected in the Arctic

This study was performed to establish a quality controlled data set about the levels of anthropogenic radionuclide activity in the environment and in selected biota in the Arctic. Between 1993 and 1997 sediment and marine and terrestrial biota samples were collected in Alaska and in the surrounding waters. These samples were analysed at Los Alamos National Laboratory to identify the presence of the anthropogenic radionuclides, 90Sr, 137Cs, 238Pu, 239+240Pu, and 241Am. One goal of this study was to determine the amounts and origins of anthropogenic radionuclides present in sediments. The anthropogenic radionuclide content of the sediments was predominantly the result of deposition of global fallout from nuclear explosions. No other sources of anthropogenic radionuclides could be conclusively identified. Biota samples of subsistence and ecological value were analysed for evidence of bioaccumulation of radionuclides. The measurements were combined with food consumption rates based on survey results for populations residing in three north Alaskan communities and on published, age-dependent ingestion coefficients. This action was carried out to estimate the potential radiological impacts from the consumption of traditional animal foods harvested in this region. No plutonium or americium was detected in any of the fauna samples. The results of this study indicate that the committed equivalent doses to adults from 90Sr and 137Cs owing to consumption of traditional food sources are consistent with currently accepted estimates of average doses received by adults in North America from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing fallout.
Corrigendum: Data Citation in Neuroimaging: Proposed Best Practices for Data Identification and Attribution.

In our original article, we stated, “Annual DOI creation costs range from $500 (for non-degree granting departments) to $25,000 (for entire degree-granting institutions) per 1 million DOIs minted.” This is incorrect. The University of California EZID service offers annual DOI creation at $835 (for non-degree granting departments) to $2500 (for entire degree-granting institutions) per 1 million DOIs minted1. The authors apologize for the mistake. This error does not change the conclusions of the article in any way.
Combined effects of night-time temperature and allelochemicals on performance of a Solanaceae specialist herbivore

Abstract:To assess the influence of temperature on the impact of allelochemicals on the growth of insect herbivores, we examined the interactions between allelochemicals and warmer night-time temperatures on an insect herbivore, Manduca sexta (L.) and tomato plants. We compared the effects of four thermal regimes with a standard day-time temperature of 26°C and the night-time temperature varying from 14 to 26°C by increments of 4°C. Increasing concentrations of chlorogenic acid and tomatine reduced developmental rate linearly. At 26:22°C, there was also a quadratic effect, such that intermediate concentrations had a disproportionately large negative effect. Furthermore, the negative effects of the allelochemicals were less at the 26:14°C regime. These results differ from another study examining a different insect species, which suggests that the response to incremental changes in night-time temperature will vary with the allelochemicals and insect species tested. However, some consistent patterns for M. s...
A Comprehensive Study of Costs Associated With Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection

BACKGROUND Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the most common healthcare-associated infection and is associated with considerable morbidity. Recurrent CDI is a key contributing factor to this morbidity. Despite an estimated 83,000 recurrences annually in the United States, there are few accurate estimates of costs associated with recurrent CDI. OBJECTIVE We performed this study (1) to identify the health consequences of recurrent CDI including need for repeat hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and surgery; (2) to determine costs associated with recurrent CDI and identify determinants of such costs; and (3) to compare the outcomes and costs of recurrent CDI to those who develop reinfection. METHODS We identified all patients with confirmed recurrent CDI between January to December 2013 at a single referral center. Healthcare burden associated with recurrence including diagnostic testing, pharmacologic treatment, and inpatient and outpatient healthcare visits were identified in the 12 months following the first recurrence. Total healthcare costs were calculated, and the predictors of high healthcare utilization were identified. RESULTS Our study population included 98 patients with recurrent CDI. The median interval between the initial infection and recurrence was 37 days. The mean age of the cohort was 67 years, two-thirds were women (62%), and the mean Charlson index was 8.6. During the year following the first recurrence of CDI, each patient underwent a mean of 4.4 stool C. difficile toxin tests and received a mean of 2.5 prescriptions for oral vancomycin (range, 0-6). Most patients (84%) with recurrence had a CDI-related hospitalization, and 6% underwent colectomy. The mean total CDI-associated cost was $34,104 per patient, with hospitalization costs accounting for 68%, surgery 20%, and drug treatment 8% of this cost, respectively. Extrapolating to the United States overall, we estimate an annual cost of $2.8 billion related to recurrent CDI. CONCLUSION Recurrent CDI is associated with considerable morbidity and cost. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:196-202.
Arrangements: Flexibly Adapting Music Data for Live Performance

Human-Computer Music Performance for popular music - where musical structure is important, but where musicians often decide on the spur of the moment exactly what the musical form will be - presents many challenges to make computer systems that are flexible and adaptable to human musicians. One particular challenge is that humans easily follow scores and chord charts, adapt these to new performance plans, and understand media locations in musical terms (beats and measures), while computer music systems often use rigid and even numerical representations that are difficult to work with. We present new formalisms and representations, and a corresponding implementation, where musical material in various media is synchronized, where musicians can quickly alter the performance order by specifying (re-)arrangements of the material, and where interfaces are supported in a natural way by music notation.
Deterministic Approach to Identify Ordinary High Water Marks Using Hydrologic and Hydraulic Attributes

AbstractHydraulic design and environmental permitting require the knowledge of ordinary high water marks (OHWMs) because they determine the federal jurisdictional limits over nontidal waters. The U...
Semisupervised Endmember Identification in Nonlinear Spectral Mixtures via Semantic Representation

This paper proposes a new hyperspectral unmixing method for nonlinearly mixed hyperspectral data using a semantic representation in a semisupervised fashion, assuming the availability of a spectral reference library. Existing semisupervised unmixing algorithms select members from an endmember library that are present at each of the pixels; most such methods assume a linear mixing model. However, those methods will fail in the presence of nonlinear mixing among the observed spectra. To address this issue, we develop an endmember selection method using a recently proposed semantic spectral representation obtained via nonhomogeneous hidden Markov chain model for a wavelet transform of the spectra. The semantic representation can encode spectrally discriminative features for any observed spectrum, and therefore, our proposed method can perform endmember selection without any assumption on the mixing model. The experimental results show that in the presence of sufficiently nonlinear mixing, our proposed method outperforms dictionary-based sparse unmixing approaches based on linear models.
Frequency of Miniature End Plate Potentials Determined by an Extension of Campbell’s Theorem

A method based upon an extention of Campbell’s theorem is used to measure the time course, amplitude and frequency of occurence of miniature end plate potentials (mepp) at rapidly secreting neuromuscuIar junctions in frog cutaneous pectoris muscles. Measurements of the SKEW (third central moment), variance and power spectrum of the fluctuations in membrane potential are used to determine the mepp parameters. The resulting estimates of mepp amplitude and frequency are insensitive to slow drifts in membrane potential that preclude the conventional application of Campbell’s theorem, which uses the MEAN and variance. The new method fails at very high mepp frequencies because the distribution of the values of the membrane potential approaches a Gaussian, and the measurements of the SKEW lose statistical significance. The frequency at which this failure occurs is raised to about 104s-1 if the data are high-pass filtered. The method has been tested on computer-simulated data, applied to junctions exposed to La3+, and the effects of Ca2+ on the La3+-induced secretion have been explored. Some muscles were fixed after treatment with La3+, and the changes in nerve terminal intrastructure were assessed by morphometric analysis of electron micrographs. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was used to obtain direct information about vesicle recycling. Most experiments were done at room temperature (22–25°C) using solutions that contained 0.1mN La3+, a concentration that caused enormous increases in mepp frequency. When the rate of secretion was at its peak, these frequencies sometimes exceeded 5x10+3s-1 and mepp amplitudes were reduced by over 60%. Several million quanta were secreted from single nerve terminals during an hour, ie several times the number of synaptic vesicles in control terminals. The number of vesicles in the experimental terminals fell by 75% or more, the axolemma expanded to form extensive folds that penetrated deep into the axoplasm, and some of the remaining vesicles were labelled with HRP if this extracellular tracer had been present in the bathing solution. Ca2+-free solutions increased the rates at which these changes developed, but had relatively little effect on the final state of the terminals.
Solution properties of star polyelectrolytes having a moderate number of arms

We investigate polyelectrolyte stars having a moderate number of arms by molecular dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained model over a range of polyelectrolyte concentrations, where both the counter-ions and solvent are treated explicitly. This class of polymeric materials is found to exhibit rather distinct static and dynamic properties from linear and highly branched star polyelectrolyte solutions emphasized in past studies. Moderately branched polymers are particle-like in many of their properties, while at the same time they exhibit large fluctuations in size and shape as in the case of linear chain polymers. Correspondingly, these fluctuations suppress crystallization at high polymer concentrations, leading apparently to an amorphous rather than crystalline solid state at high polyelectrolyte concentrations. We quantify the onset of this transition by measuring the polymer size and shape fluctuations of our model star polyelectrolytes and the static and dynamic structure factor of these solutions o...
Abstract TMP100: Outpatient Statin Adherence is Associated with Reduced Recurrent Stroke Risk in Patients with or without Atrial Fibrillation

Outpatient statin use is known to reduce the risk of recurrent ischemic stroke of atherothrombotic etiology, but it is not known whether statins have similar effects in ischemic stroke associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). We examined the relationship between outpatient statin adherence and the risk of recurrent ischemic stroke in patients with or without AF in a large integrated healthcare delivery system. Among 6,283 patients with ischemic stroke discharged on a statin over a 5 year period, 1,486 (23.7%) had a diagnosis of AF at discharge. Statin adherence rates, measured as percentage of days covered (PDC), averaged 85% (88% for AF patients and 84% for non-AF patients). We observed up to three years after the initial stroke, with an average of two years follow up. In multivariable survival models, after controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and key medical comorbidities, higher statin adherence was found to strongly predict a reduced risk of recurrent ischemic stroke (Figure). In the second year post-stroke, the hazard ratio (HR) associated with a 10% increase in PDC was 0.93 (95% C.I. 0.89-097). The relationship between statin adherence and reduced stroke rates was similar in AF patients (HR 0.94, 95% C.I. 0.84-0.98) and non-AF patients (HR 0.93, 95% C.I. 0.88-0.98). These findings support the use of outpatient statins in all ischemic stroke patients, irrespective of stroke etiology (atherothrombotic vs. atrial fibrillation).
How to Assess Students: Rewarding Results or Rewarding Efforts?

The main objective of teaching is to make sure that the students learn the required material. From this viewpoint, it seems reasonable to reward students when they learn this material. In other words, it seems reasonable to assign the student’s rewards (such as grades) based on their level of knowledge.
Understanding the Reactive Adsorption of H2S and CO2 in Sodium‐Exchanged Zeolites

Purifying sour natural gas streams containing hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide has been a long-standing environmental and economic challenge. In the presence of cation-exchanged zeolites, these two acid gases can react to form carbonyl sulfide and water (H2 S+CO2 ⇌H2 O+COS), but this reaction is rarely accounted for. In this work, we carry out reactive first-principles Monte Carlo (RxFPMC) simulations for mixtures of H2 S and CO2 in all-silica and Na-exchanged forms of zeolite beta to understand the governing principles driving the enhanced conversion. The RxFPMC simulations show that the presence of Na+ cations can change the equilibrium constant by several orders of magnitude compared to the gas phase or in all-silica beta. The shift in the reaction equilibrium is caused by very strong interactions of H2 O with Na+ that reduce the reaction enthalpy by about 20 kJ mol-1 . The simulations also demonstrate that the siting of Al atoms in the framework plays an important role. The RxFPMC method presented here is applicable to any chemical conversion in any confined environment, where strong interactions of guest molecules with the host framework and high activation energies limit the use of other computational approaches to study reaction equilibria.
GIANT CELL MYOCARDITIS: STILL A CONUNDRUM

Giant cell myocarditis is a rare, life-threatening disease affecting young adults. To date, no standard therapy has been defined. A 51-year-old male with Crohn's disease was admitted with palpitations and shortness of breath. EKG showed ventricular tachycardia (RBBB morphology, heart rate of 122
Low-Order Models and Their Uses

I have been asked by the organizer of this multidisciplinary gathering to present a few closing remarks. I could attempt to summarize everything that has transpired here, but any such effort would necessarily be superficial. Instead I shall discuss a specific topic which appears to be of fairly general relevance.
Overcomplete Wavelet Transform

This chapter deals with discrete wavelet transforms that are formed from the general samples of a continuous wavelet transform. Conceptually, there are few constraints on the spacing between sample points throughout the time—scale plane; however, computational consideration is restricted here to an interesting subclass of sampling sets that allow for the fast computation of the forward and inverse transforms.1 In this case, the freedom of choice of analyzing wavelets remains nearly unrestricted by the implementation. In general, the resulting transform is one that has underlying atoms that are nonorthogonal, and even more important, may be overcomplete. Consequently, such atomic functions have associated redundant (inner product) representations. For these reasons, the term overcomplete wavelet transform (OCWT) is used to describe the transform.
Individualizing fortification of human milk using real time human milk analysis.

Objective To use real-time human milk macronutrient analysis to calculate final composition following fortification. Study design Preterm HM (PHM) and pooled donor human milks (DHM) were analyzed by mid-infrared spectroscopy for protein, fat and lactose. Energy content was calculated from macronutrient results. Three lactation stages were constructed. DHM was compared to PHM. Four milk sample profiles were selected to demonstrate individualized fortification results. Results Lactose was similar in PHM and DHM. Protein in PHM showed the expected decline as lactation progressed. DHM protein was significantly lower vs. PHM. Fat was highly variable and lowest in DHM. Using standard fortification protocols, not all fortified milks met targets for protein and energy. Individualized fortification resulted in milks closer to target recommendations. Conclusions Real-time analysis of HM provides assessment of the macronutrient content of the milk and can guide fortification. Individualized protocols, based on actual milk macronutrient profiles, may need to be considered to avoid unexpected nutrient content.
Thermal atomic layer etching of HfO2 using HF for fluorination and TiCl4 for ligand-exchange

Thermal atomic layer etching (ALE) can be accomplished using sequential fluorination and ligand-exchange reactions. HF has been a typical fluorination reactant. Various metal reactants have been used for ligand-exchange, such as Sn(acac)2, Al(CH3)3, AlCl(CH3)2, and SiCl4. This study explored TiCl4 as a new metal chloride reactant for ligand-exchange. Thermal HfO2 ALE using HF and TiCl4 as the reactants was studied using in situ quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements from 200 to 300 °C. The HfO2 films were etched linearly versus the number of HF and TiCl4 reaction cycles. The sequential HF and TiCl4 reactions were also self-limiting versus reactant exposure. The QCM studies observed a mass change per cycle (MCPC) of −10.2 ng/(cm2 cycle) at 200 °C and −56.4 ng/(cm2 cycle) at 300 °C. These MCPCs correspond to HfO2 etch rates of 0.11 A/cycle at 200 °C and 0.59 A/cycle at 300 °C. To explore the selectivity of thermal ALE using HF and TiCl4 as the reactants, spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements were also employed to survey the etching of various materials. The SE results revealed that HfO2 and ZrO2 were etched by HF and TiCl4. In contrast, Al2O3, SiO2, Si3N4, and TiN were not etched by HF and TiCl4. The etching selectivity can be explained by the reaction thermochemistry and the stability and volatility of the possible etch products. Al2O3 can also serve as an etch stop for HfO2 ALE.
An Active Learning Exercise on Sustainability and the Water Footprint of Food: The Dinner Party Menu Challenge

Sustainability is an important topic of discussion in geography as society faces increasing challenges from depletion of natural resources and degradation of the natural environment (Yates 2012; Go...
New necessary conditions for Payley type PDS in Abelian groups

In this paper we prove that if there is a regular Paley type partial difference set in an Abelian group $G$ of order $v$, where $v=p_1^{2k_1}p_2^{2k_2}\cdots p_n^{2k_n}$, $n\ge 2$, $p_1$, $p_2$, $\cdots$, $p_n$ are distinct odd prime numbers, then for any $1 \le i \le n$, $p_i$ is congruent to 3 modulo 4 whenever $k_i$ is odd. These new necessary conditions further limit the specific order of an Abelian group $G$ in which there can exist a Paley type partial difference set. Our result is similar to a result on Abelian Hadamard (Menon) difference sets proved by Ray-Chaudhuri and Xiang in 1997.
Cultivar Resistance to Common Scab Disease of Potato Is Dependent on the Pathogen Species.

Common scab of potato is a superficial tuber disease caused by Streptomyces species that produce the phytotoxin thaxtomin. Because common scab development is highly dependent on the effects of this...
Unintentional firearm deaths in the United States 2005-2015.

Unintentional gun death occurs four times more often in the United States than other high-income countries. Research on these deaths typically has a narrow scope. We believe this is the first study describing the circumstances of these deaths in the United States that covers more than a single state or municipality. We use data on all unintentional firearm fatalities in the sixteen states reporting to the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) for all years 2005–2015. Our final count of unintentional firearm deaths in these states and years is 1260. The detailed nature of the data allows us to categorize and compare the circumstances of the incident. We estimate 430 unintentional firearm fatalities in the United States per year. The rate is highest for older children to young adults, ages 10 to 29, and the vast majority of the victims are male. Common circumstances include playing with the gun (28.3% of incidents), thinking the gun was unloaded (17.2%), and hunting (13.8%). The victim is suspected to have consumed alcohol in nearly a quarter of the deaths and in 46.8% of deaths among those aged 20–29. Certain circumstances, such as consuming alcohol, playing with the gun, and hunting, are common settings for unintentional firearm deaths. Firearm safety instructors, firearm manufacturers, and firearm owners can all contribute to preventing these deaths.
Dexamethasone induced cardiac hypertrophy in newborn rats is accompanied by changes in myosin heavy chain phenotype and gene transcription.

Cardiac hypertrophy has been observed in newborn infants treated with dexamethasone (DEX). This study was undertaken to examine whether DEX-induced hypertrophy in newborn rats is associated with redistribution of cardiac myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms and if so, the effects involve transcriptional regulation. Newborn rats were injected with either DEX (1 mg/kg/day; s.c.) or equivalent volume normal saline for 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 days. Hypertrophy was quantified by heart dry/wet wt ratios, heart/body wt ratios, and total protein content of the myocardium. Changes in the expression of cardiac MHC mRNA were characterized by northern blot and slot blot analyses, using isoform specific probes for a- and β-MHC genes. DEX effect on α-MHC gene transcription was analyzed by transiently transfecting various α-MHC promoter/CAT reporter constructs into primary cultures of cardiac myocytes derived from one day old rat pups. DEX administration into newborn rats produced significant cardiac hypertrophy ranging from 23% at day 1 to 59% at 9 days. The hypertrophy was accompanied by immediate increase (83%) in steady state level of the α-MHC mRNA within one day and a maximum increase (148%) at 7 days of treatment. The steady state level of β-MHC mRNA declined by 25% at day 1 and a maximum decrease of 54% at day 7 of DEX treatment. The changes in MHC mRNA were also reflected in their protein levels as determined by V1 and V3 isozyme analysis. DEX treatment of primary cultures of cardiomyocytes following transfection with a-MHC promoter/CAT reporter constructs resulted in increased CAT expression in a dose dependent manner. The minimum α-MHC gene sequences responding to DEX treatment were located between the -200 to -74-bp region of the gene, resulting in 2-fold and 6-fold activation of CAT reporter after 0.05 and 0.1 mM doses of DEX, respectively. Our data indicate that DEX induced cardiac hypertrophy in newborn rats is accompanied by increased expression of α-MHC and decreased expression of β-MHC. The α-MHC effects are mediated in part through transcriptional mechanisms.
SimVAE: Simulator-Assisted Training forInterpretable Generative Models.

This paper presents a simulator-assisted training method (SimVAE) for variational autoencoders (VAE) that leads to a disentangled and interpretable latent space. Training SimVAE is a two-step process in which first a deep generator network(decoder) is trained to approximate the simulator. During this step, the simulator acts as the data source or as a teacher network. Then an inference network (encoder)is trained to invert the decoder. As such, upon complete training, the encoder represents an approximately inverted simulator. By decoupling the training of the encoder and decoder we bypass some of the difficulties that arise in training generative models such as VAEs and generative adversarial networks (GANs). We show applications of our approach in a variety of domains such as circuit design, graphics de-rendering and other natural science problems that involve inference via simulation.
Stability of Wireless Random Access Systems

We characterize the stability, metastability, and the stationary regime of traffic dynamics in a single-cell uplink wireless system. The traffic is represented in terms of spatial birth-death processes, in which users arrive as a Poisson point process in time and space, each with a file to transmit to the base station. The service rate of each user is based on its signal to interference plus noise ratio, where the interference is from other active users in the cell. Once the file is fully transmitted, the user leaves the cell. We derive the necessary and sufficient condition for network stability, which is independent of the specific path loss function as long as it satisfies mild bound- edness conditions. A novel observation, shown through mean- field analysis and simulations, is that for a certain range of arrival rates, the network appears stable for possibly a long time, but can suddenly become unstable. This property is called metastability which is widely known in statistical physics but rarely observed in wireless communication. Finally, using mean- field analysis, we propose a heuristic characterization of the network steady-state regime when it exists, and demonstrate that it is tight for the whole range of arrival rates.
Evaluating kratom alkaloids using PHASE.

Kratom is a botanical substance that is marketed and promoted in the US for pharmaceutical opioid indications despite having no US Food and Drug Administration approved uses. Kratom contains over forty alkaloids including two partial agonists at the mu opioid receptor, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, that have been subjected to the FDA’s scientific and medical evaluation. However, pharmacological and toxicological data for the remaining alkaloids are limited. Therefore, we applied the Public Health Assessment via Structural Evaluation (PHASE) protocol to generate in silico binding profiles for 25 kratom alkaloids to facilitate the risk evaluation of kratom. PHASE demonstrates that kratom alkaloids share structural features with controlled opioids, indicates that several alkaloids bind to the opioid, adrenergic, and serotonin receptors, and suggests that mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are the strongest binders at the mu opioid receptor. Subsequently, the in silico binding profiles of a subset of the alkaloids were experimentally verified at the opioid, adrenergic, and serotonin receptors using radioligand binding assays. The verified binding profiles demonstrate the ability of PHASE to identify potential safety signals and provide a tool for prioritizing experimental evaluation of high-risk compounds.