cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling the Photovoltage of Doped Si Surfaces

Doped Si(111) surfaces have been modeled with a Si slab, and their photovoltage has been calculated with a combination of ab initio electronic structure and density matrix treatments from the steady state solution of the electronic density matrix (DM) for electrons interacting with thermalized lattice vibrations. Densities of electronic states and photovoltage spectra of the silicon surfaces are drastically affected by the presence of p or n doping. We report results on the effect of surface doping by group III (B, Al, and Ga) and group V (N, P, and As) elements, of interest in the study of surface optical properties, for concentrations of doping atoms in the host lattice in the range of 0.5−1.5%, obtained from slab atomic models with several hundred atoms. Analysis of the results provides insight on trends relevant to the absorption of near IR, visible, and near UV light and to measurements of photovoltages and shows some of the trends found for doped bulk Si in experiments at lower dopant densities.
A Review of: “Understanding the Environment: Bridging the Disciplinary Divides”: Grafton, R. Quentin, Libby, Robin, and Robert J. Wesson, Eds. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 2005. 229 pp. (paper). ISBN 086840 912X.

Disciplinary fragmentation and overspecialization have been identified as the bane of those seeking to understand and protect the environment. In the face of almost unfathomable environmental compl...
Navigating the Criminal Justice System for Youth and Adults with Developmental Disabilities: Role of the Forensic Special Educator

AbstractThis article focuses on the criminal justice system and the manner in which it accommodates persons with developmental disabilities who have behavioral challenges and who have been charged with serious crimes. Individuals with intellectual deficits and challenges are often severely disadvant
Abstract 1613: BTK as a drug target for cancers that harbor inactivating mutations in the DPC4 gene

The Deleted in Pancreatic Cancer locus 4 (DPC4) is a tumor suppressor gene that is often inactivated in pancreatic and colorectal cancers. In pancreatic adenocarcinomas, the frequency of inactivation of DPC4 is approximately 55%, while in colorectal carcinomas has been reported to be 10% to 35%. The loss of DPC4 has been shown to be associated with the progression and malignancy of pancreatic cancer along with decreased patient survival. We employed a small interfering (siRNA) library based screening strategy to identify potential synthetic lethal partners of the DPC4 gene. We used a kinase focused siRNA library that consisted of two siRNA oligonucleotides for each of the 624 protein kinase genes. A DPC4 isogenic pair, BxPC3-Vector and BxPC3-DPC4 (Wang et al. 2006) were treated by the siRNA oligonucleotides in parallel and the effects of the siRNA oligonucleotides on the growth of the cell lines were then compared. siRNA oligonucleotides that selectively inhibited the cell growth of the BxPC3-Vector cell line were selected as potential positive hits. These genes, once validated, represented potential drug targets that are very specific to cancer cells harboring mutations in the DPC4 gene. One of the top-ranked hits we identified from this screening is the Bruton agammaglobulinemia tyrosine kinase (BTK). With BTK siRNA treatment, BxPC3-Vector cells, which are DPC4 null, showed ∼30% more cell growth inhibition than the BxPC3-DPC4 cells, which are DPC4 wildtype. This selectivity of BTK siRNA against DPC4 null cells was further confirmed in a confirmation screen using two pancreatic cancer cell lines, BxPC3 and PANC-1, which are DPC4 null and DPC4 wildtype, respectively. BTK siRNA also showed significant selectivity against DPC4 deficiency in another pair of DPC4 isogenic colon cancer cell lines, HCT-116 and HCT-116-DPC4-knockout. To validate the BTK siRNA selectivity findings, we evaluated the BTK inhibitor PCI-32765 in our cancer cell line models and observed the same selectively against DPC4 null pancreatic and colon cancer cell lines. These results indicate that BTK is a potential molecular target for pancreas, colon, and other cancers harboring inactivating mutations in the DPC4 gene. (The work was supported by a NCI grant P01CA109552.) Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1613.
Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: What is It and Does It Work in Our Criminal System

In all criminal trials defendants are innocent until proved guilty by the prosecution. Since the defendant faces incarceration and loses his constitutional freedoms, the justice system must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime. (Brock, 2011; Broemmet, 2011) To fulfill the prosecution’s duty to prove guilt they are required to prove two elements (1) a crime was committed (2) the intent was by the defendant. (Brock, 2011; Broemmet, 2011) Evidence is presented to prove or disprove the theory of guilt and jury instructions are given based upon the crime charged for a decision to be made of guilt or acquittal. The judge will make a determination of guilt or instruct the jury to weight the evidence and convict the defendant based upon evidence presented for that crime, draw inference to a lesser crime or acquit if there is any doubt of the true guilt of the defendant. However, within the last 60 years, political machines (Millheiser, 2011; Conan, 2010; Torpy 2011; Redmon, 2011), ethics violations and economic sectionalism has determined the fundamental fairness of a trial and the guilt or innocence of persons based upon ethnicity or socio-economic status. (Diamond, 2011; Millheiser, 2011; Dixon, 2011; News One Staff, 2011; Klein, 2011; Chen, 2010; Ravi & Starr, 2012) Therefore, this paper explores the elements behind the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard and how the erosion of Constitutional guarantees has almost made it a dead document. (Millheiser, 2011) Justice is no longer based upon the truth, but the worldview of the finder-of-facts, the media, (Phillipson, 2008) the political whims of the prosecutor (Dershowitz, 1996, p.219, 226-227; Cooley et al, 1996pp. 100-141, 187-213) and politicians (Simon, 2008 p. 208-212; Millheiser, 2011; Editor, 2011; Findlaw, 2011) leading to what some call “quantification.” (Tillers & Gottfried, 2006; see United States v. Fields [2], _ F.3d _ (1st Cir. Nov. 2, 2011) (No. 09-1108) (per curiam). (Editor, 2011)
Have diabetes, will travel.

Planning ahead for a trip is always wise, but it is especially important for patients with diabetes. A pretravel office visit gives physicians the opportunity to review diabetes management with pat...
Basal Plane Fluorination of Graphene by XeF2 via a Radical Cation Mechanism

Graphene fluorination with XeF2 is an attractive method to introduce a nonzero bandgap to graphene under mild conditions for potential electro-optical applications. Herein, we use well-defined graphene nanostructures as a model system to study the reaction mechanism of graphene fluorination by XeF2. Our combined experimental and theoretical studies show that the reaction can proceed through a radical cation mechanism, leading to fluorination and sp3-hybridized carbon in the basal plane.
Applications of Signatures Curves to Characterize Melanomas and Moles

In this paper, we focus on the application of an Euclidean invariant curve, called the signature curve, formed by taking curvature and derivative of curvature with respect to arc length of a closed curve, \(\Sigma = \{(\kappa (t), \kappa _{s}(t))\}\) to analyze the contour of melanomas and moles. We calculate the signature curves of the contours of the skin lesions to detect asymmetry, boundary irregularity and diameter size of the skin lesions. By analyzing the signature curves of 60 benign moles and 60 melanomas, we show that the benign and malignant lesions have different global and local symmetry patterns in their signature curves. We will also demonstrate that the regular moles show a high degree of global symmetry, whereas melanomas exhibit multiple types of local symmetry that are embedded within their signature curves. We then turn our attention to the C aspect of the ABCD method by analyzing the color of melanomas and moles. Finally, we use ROC Analysis, a key statistical tool, to analyze the performance of our method.
Separative Performance Transients in a Gas Centrifuge

A general method has been developed to calculate the behavior of the exit compositions from a gas centrifuge under unsteady conditions. The method utilizes the basic enrichment gradient equations derived by Cohen, which, in this case, contain time derivatives of the partial /sup 235/U inventories. These partial differential equations are converted to ordinary differential equations by a linear approximation to the axial concentration distribution for use in the inventory terms only. With this simplification, analytical solution is possible for the feed concentration transient. The transient driven by a change in the feed flow rate, however, requires numerical solution. For analysis of ideal cascades in the unsteady state, the transient flow and separation characteristics of the centrifuge must be combined with total uranium and /sup 235/U material balances on each stage.
Personal medical electronic devices and walk-through metal detector security systems: assessing electromagnetic interference effects

There have been concerns that Electromagnetic security systems such as walk-through metal detectors (WTMDs) can potentially cause electromagnetic interference (EMI) in certain active medical devices including implantable cardiac pacemakers and implantable neurostimulators. Incidents of EMI between WTMDs and active medical devices also known as personal medical electronic devices (PMED) continue to be reported. This paper reports on emission measurements of sample WTMDs and testing of 20 PMEDs in a WTMD simulation system. Magnetic fields from sample WTMD systems were characterized for emissions and exposure of certain PMEDs. A WTMD simulator system designed and evaluated by FDA in previous studies was used to mimic the PMED exposures to the waveform from sample WTMDs. The simulation system allows for controlled PMED exposure enabling careful study with adjustable magnetic field strengths and exposure duration, and provides flexibility for PMED exposure at elevated levels in order to study EMI effects on the PMED. The PMED samples consisted of six implantable cardiac pacemakers, six implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), five implantable neurostimulators, and three insulin pumps. Each PMED was exposed in the simulator to the sample WTMD waveforms using methods based on appropriate consensus test standards for each of the device type. Testing the sample PMEDs using the WTMD simulator revealed EMI effects on two implantable pacemakers and one implantable neurostimulator for exposure field strength comparable to actual WTMD field strength. The observed effects were transient and the PMEDs returned to pre-exposure operation within a few seconds after removal from the simulated WTMD exposure fields. No EMI was observed for the sample ICDs or insulin pumps. The findings are consistent with earlier studies where certain sample PMEDs exhibited EMI effects. Clinical implications were not addressed in this study. Additional studies are needed to evaluate potential PMED EMI susceptibilities over a broader range of security systems.
Rethinking dependence clones

Semantic code clones are regions of duplicated code that may appear dissimilar but compute similar functions. Since in general it is algorithmically undecidable whether two or more programs compute the same function, locating all semantic code clones is infeasible. One way to dodge the undecidability issue and find potential semantic clones, using only static information, is to search for recurring subgraphs of a program dependence graph (PDG). PDGs represent control and data dependence relationships between statements or operations in a program. PDG-based clone detection techniques, unlike syntactically-based techniques, do not distinguish between code fragments that differ only because of dependence-preserving statement re-orderings, which also preserve semantics. Consequently, they detect clones that are difficult to find by other means. Despite this very desirable property, work on PDG-based clone detection has largely stalled, apparently because of concerns about the scalability of the approach. We argue, however, that the time has come to reconsider PDG-based clone detection, as a part of a holistic strategy for clone management. We present evidence that its scalability problems are not as severe as previously thought. This suggests the possibility of developing integrated clone management systems that fuse information from multiple clone detection methods, including PDG-based ones.
Model-set choice for multiple-model estimation

Abstract This paper deals with the choice of model set in the multiple-model (MM) approach to adaptive estimation. Most representative problems of model-set choice commonly encountered in model-set design for MM estimation and in model-set adaptation for variable-structure MM estimation are considered. Their solutions based on sequential hypothesis tests are presented. Some of these solutions are optimal in some practical, meaningful sense. They are also extremely efficient in computation and easy to implement. Their effectiveness is verified via simulation. How these results can be used for model-set design is also demonstrated.
When the Lawyer Knows the Client is Guilty: David Mellinkoff's 'the Conscience of a Lawyer', Legal Ethics, Literature, and Popular Culture

David Mellinkoff's 1973 book 'The Conscience of a Lawyer' concerned a classic puzzle in legal ethics: what should a criminal defense lawyer do when the lawyer is certain that the client is factually guilty, but the client insists on an all-out defense? Mellinkoff focused on the Courvoisier case, a notorious English trial in 1840 in which defense counsel's tactics created an enormous public scandal. Legal ethicists have struggled with these issues ever since that time and they remain unresolved. This article draws a distinction between strong and weak adversarialism and explains how these two normative positions guide a lawyer's tactical decisionmaking in the certainly-guilty client situation. The article suggests that lawyers should have discretion to choose between the strong and weak positions, depending on context and their personal conscience. Both popular culture and great literature provide surprisingly interesting perspectives on the strong vs. weak adversarialism dilemma. Literature casts doubt on whether a lawyer can ever know with the requisite certainty whether a client is guilty. It presents numerous models of successful strong adversarialists and unsuccessful weak adversarialists. Few literary lawyers manage to be both skilled advocates and decent human beings. American popular culture, on the other hand, presents an emphatic answer to the question of what a lawyer with a certainly guilty client should do. According to pop culture, the lawyer's job is to betray the client to make sure the guilty criminal is convicted, dishonored, or killed. Pop culture's no-adversarialism model is a universe few lawyers would care to inhabit but which reflects popular views on the relationship of lawyering to truth.
Fast Parallel Algorithm for Large Fractal Kinetic Models with Diffusion

Chemical kinetic simulations are usually based on the law of mass action that applies to behavior of particles in solution. Molecular interactions in a crowded medium as in a cell, however, are not easily described by such conventional mathematical treatment. Fractal kinetics is emerging as a novel method for simulating kinetic reactions in such an environment. To date, there has not been a fast, efficient, and, more importantly, parallel algorithm for such computations. Here, we present an algorithm with several novel features for simulating large (with respect to size and time scale) fractal kinetic models. We applied the fractal kinetic technique and our algorithm to a canonical substrate-enzyme model with explicit phase-separation in the product, and achieved a speed-up of up to 8 times over previous results with reasonably tight bounds on the accuracy of the simulation. We anticipate that this technique and algorithm will have important applications to simulation of intra-cell biochemical reactions with complex dynamic behavior.
Teaching Students About Violent Media Effects

Although violent entertainment has existed for centuries, the media have made it more accessible than ever before. In modern societies, people are immersed in media, like fish in water. Using hand-held devices, people can consume media just about anywhere they want, anytime they want. Moreover, violence is a common theme in the media, and research has consistently shown that violent media can have harmful effects on consumers, such as making them more aggressive and more numb to the pain and suffering of others. Teaching students about the harmful effects of violent media is challenging because many students love to consume violent media, and believe they are somehow immune to any harmful effects. This article reviews the scientific evidence on violent media effects, discusses some reasons why people deny violent media effects, and offers suggestions for how to teach students about violent media effects.
Engineering the Second Generation of Therapeutic Cells with Enhanced Targeting of Injured Tissues

Experimental approaches to improving tissue repair utilize cells and growth factors needed to restore the architecture and function of damaged tissues and organs. Key limitations of these approaches include poor delivery of therapeutic cells and growth factors into injury sites, as well as their short-term retention in target areas. In our earlier studies, we demonstrated that artificial collagen-specific anchor (ACSA) expressed on the surface of therapeutic cells directs them into collagen-rich sites of injury. Moreover, we demonstrated that the ACSA improves the retention of these cells in target sites, thereby promoting tissue repair. To advance the ACSA-based technology, we engineered the second generation of the ACSA-expressing cells able to deliver growth factors to target sites. In this study, we specifically focused on insulin growth factor 1 (IGF1), which enhances the repair of a number of collagen-rich connective tissues, including ligament and tendon. Utilizing gene engineering, we produced IGF1 in the ACSA-expressing cells. Using relevant experimental models, we demonstrated that recombinant IGF1 secreted by these cells maintains its specificity and biological activity. Moreover, our studies show that IGF1 produced by the ACSA-expressing cells cultured in three-dimensional environment promotes the formation of the collagen-rich fibrillar matrix. Furthermore, the engineered cells integrated well with the native collagen-rich tendon tissue. Our study provides strong evidence for the great potential of cells with rationally engineered target-specific receptors to restore damaged connective tissues. Future studies in relevant animal models will determine the utility of these cells in vivo.
When Place Names are Worth Bottling

Europe has recognized the value of wine geographical origins for more than a century. This paper outlines the historical background of wine geographical indications as derived from select European Union countries; also the international and domestic regulation of GIs in Europe, the United States of America and, principally, Australia. This paper identifies that the use of wine zones and regions, as defined by GIs, has been increasingly recognized as, amongst other things, an important brand marketing opportunity and, arguably increases the wine exporting opportunities for Australia. The author also suggests ways that the disjointed conflict between trademarks and GIs in Australia can be reconciled.
Changes in Brain Phosphorus Metabolism in Rats Following Fluid Percussion Injury

Fluid percussion impact produces a transient and rapid increase of intracranial pressure (ICP) hydraulically (Sullivan et al. 1976) and causes impairment of cerebral circulation and metabolism (Saunders et al. 1979, Lewelt et al. 1980) according to the magnitude of delivered impact pressure. However, study methodologies employed to date generally have been limited to evaluation of changes in brain metabolism at single points in time after fluid percussion injury. Phosphorus 31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31PNMR) allows us to determine the effects of fluid percussion injury on brain highenergy phosphate changes in rat in vivo sequentially and noninvasively.
Renal Component of Acid–Base Balance

The chapter begins with a brief overview of acid production by the body and distinguishes between the volatile acid, carbonic acid, and the fixed acids. It recapitulates the three layers of defense against acid: buffers, respiratory system, and renal system. It shows the Henderson–Hasselbalch equation and discusses Le Chatelier’s principle use in thinking about this system. It then discusses acid secretion by proximal tubule cells, and how this is linked to reabsorption of filtered bicarbonate, excretion of titratable acids, or ammonium. The term “titratable acid” is defined, and why ammonium does not contribute to it is explained. How the kidney can make new bicarbonate is explained. The mechanisms of acid or base excretion by the α- and β-intercalated cells of the distal tubule are discussed. Their reciprocal arrangement with K + is explained as the basis of hyperkalemic acidosis. The main stimulus for acid secretion is shown to be P a CO 2 P a CO 2 , and this forms the basis of explaining renal compensation for respiratory acidosis and alkalosis. The role of the kidneys in compensation of metabolic acidosis and alkalosis, with respiratory compensation, is also shown.
A chromatographically different form of the formyl-accepting methionine transfer RNA from Escherichia coli.

Abstract A study of the origin of two chromatographically distinct formyl-accepting species of methionine transfer ribonucleic acid from Escherichia coli shows that one arises from the other after isolation of the tRNA from the microorganism. No characteristic differences are noted in their physical or biological properties. A nucleoside analysis indicates a decreased 4-thiouridine content for the modified species.
Constitutional Regularity in Linear Condensation Polymers

Constitutional isomerism in chemical compounds arises from differences in the nature or sequence of bonding (e.g. Me2O is a constitutional isomer of EtOH). Linear polymer chains give rise to a constitutional isomerism if they contain ‘nonsymmetric’ monomeric units such that arrangements with different mutual orientations can be distinguished (a sufficient condition for this is that the ‘nonsymmetric’ units have no two-fold rotation axes unless they are parallel to the polymer backbone). This type of structural isomerism has been known to exist in vinyl polymers for almost 50 years1 and has been well studied; the terms ‘head-to-tail’ and ‘head-to-head/tail-to-tail’ are associated with it. For vinyl polymers it has been learned that constitutional isomerism is generally not controllable, since vinyl polymerization is almost always characterized by a high regioselectivity,2–4 which forces nearly perfect head-to-tail arrangements of monomeric units. It is possible to obtain regular head-to-head/tail-to-tail alignment by special synthetic routes (see, for instance, work by Vogl and collaborators5, 6). The properties of head-to-head/tail-to-tail vinyl polymers were observed to be remarkably similar to those of the usual head-to-tail versions, but for a vinylidene polymer stark differences in properties (such as melting point and glass transition temperature) were observed,6 thus the question of the potential influence of this type of isomerism on properties cannot be answered definitely.
Transsphenoidal Approaches for Microsurgical Resection of Pituitary Adenomas in Pediatric Patients.

Objective Pituitary adenomas are uncommon in the pediatric population. Although medical treatment can be effective in treating prolactinomas and some growth hormone-secreting tumors, resection is indicated in the setting of pituitary apoplexy, large or giant pituitary adenomas causing mass effect or visual loss, or when medical therapy becomes ineffective or intolerable. Modern microsurgical transsphenoidal approaches are potential avenues for resection in pediatric patients. We evaluated the outcomes and safety of this approach. Methods A retrospective cohort analysis was performed from February 2002 through May 2017 for patients younger than 19 years of age that underwent a transsphenoidal approach for pituitary adenoma resection. Results Among a total of 634 patients who underwent transsphenoidal approach for pituitary adenoma resection, 24 pediatric cases were identified. Prolactinomas (29.2%) and adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting (20.8%) pituitary adenomas were the most commonly encountered histologies. Gross total resection was achieved in 75.0% of patients, and complete hormone function normalization was seen in 91.7% of patients. Eight patients (33.3%) required postoperative hormone replacement therapy. Twelve patients (50.0%) underwent fat/fascia use and 1 patient (4.2%) underwent lumbar puncture perioperatively for management of cerebrospinal fluid leak. There were no tumor recurrences during a follow-up period of 24.7 ± 32.1 months. Conclusions A modern transsphenoidal microsurgical approach proved to be a safe, well-tolerated, and effective modality in the setting of pediatric pituitary adenomas.
Early Attachment and Narcissistic Entitlement: Tracing the Roots of Adolescent Proactive Criminal Thinking

The principal objective of this study was to determine whether insecure attachment leads to narcissistic entitlement/proactive criminal thinking versus cognitive impulsivity/reactive criminal thinking. It was predicted that insecure attachment would predict narcissistic entitlement but not cognitive impulsivity and that this effect would be mediated by peer delinquency. Participants were 1700 (868 boys, 832 girls) members of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Child-mother attachment was assessed with a Q-sort completed by the child’s mother when the child was 3 years old. Attachment sorts were organized into a latent factor score and correlated with measures of adolescent-reported narcissistic entitlement and cognitive impulsivity at age 15. Findings from a linear regression analysis revealed that insecure attachment at age 3 predicted narcissistic entitlement but not cognitive impulsivity at age 15, controlling for the effects of race, gender, household income, family structure, maternal bonding, peer delinquency, and participant delinquency. A second analysis showed that maternal ratings of peer delinquency when the child was 9 years old mediated the relationship between age 3 insecure attachment and age 15 narcissistic entitlement. The current results suggest that insecure attachment is directly and indirectly (via delinquent peer associations) linked to narcissistic entitlement, a facet of proactive criminal thinking.
Click Chemistry Conjugations

Click chemistry has found wide application in bioconjugation, enabling control over the site of modification in biomolecules. Demonstrations of this chemistry to construct chemically defined antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have increased in recent years, following studies that support benefits of homogeneity and site-specificity of drug placement on the antibody. In this chapter, a brief history of early applications of this chemistry in ADCs is presented. Examples of click chemistries that are utilized for ADC synthesis, including those currently undergoing clinical investigations, are enumerated. Protocols for two common conjugation methods based on carbonyl-aminooxy coupling and strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition are described.
Entrepreneurial success revisited: what Hofstede's dimensions and GEDI missed in evaluating the entrepreneurial potential in three pilot countries

This concept paper examines entrepreneurial culture and its national cultural fit according to Hofstede's dimensions and the Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index (GEDI). The authors compared expectations with the actual entrepreneurial outcomes in Pakistan, Egypt, and Zambia; three Global Entrepreneurship Program (or in-country partners) pilot beneficiaries. Although the three countries have lower GEDI rankings, they have shown considerable entrepreneurial potential based on their pertinent milestone reports. Using two of Hofstede's cultural dimensions to assess their openness for entrepreneurial initiatives, the three countries did not offer a cultural ecosystem conducive to entrepreneurship, yet the social, economic, and political contexts seemed to neutralise the cultural discord. Start-ups are seen as a counter-cyclical cushion in low-income countries to survive periods of economic downturn even when the culture does not support new ventures and risk-taking. The paper calls for an entrepreneurial construct that incorporates socio-cultural perspectives, and politico-economic factors into the innovation-led definition.
Lytic cell death in specific microglial subsets is required for preventing atypical behavior in mice

Microglial cells are known to contribute to brain development and behaviors, but the mechanisms behind such functions are not fully understood. Here, we show that mice deficient in inflammasome regulators, including caspase-1 (Casp1), Nlrp3, IL-1 receptor (Il-1r), and gasdermin D (Gsdmd), exhibit behavior abnormalities characterized by hyperactivity and low anxiety levels. Furthermore, we found that expression of Casp1 in CX3CR1+ myeloid cells, which includes microglia, is required for preventing these abnormal behaviors. Through tissue clearing and 3D imaging, we discovered that small numbers of Cx3cr1-GFP+ fetal microglial cells formed clusters and underwent lytic cell death in the primitive thalamus and striatum between embryonic days E12.5 and E14.5. This lytic cell death was diminished in Casp1-deficient mice. Further analysis of the microglial clusters showed the presence of Pax6+ neural progenitor cells (NPCs); thus, we hypothesized that microglial lytic cell death is important for proper neuronal development. Indeed, increased numbers of neurons were observed in the thalamic subset in adult Casp1-/- brains. Finally, injection of drug inhibitors of NLRP3 and CASP1 into wild-type pregnant mice from E12.5 to E14.5, the period when lytic cell death was detected, was sufficient to induce atypical behaviors in offspring. Taken together, our data suggests that the inflammasome cascade in microglia is important for regulating neuronal development and normal behaviors, and that genetic or pharmacological inhibition of this pathway can induce atypical behaviors in mice. Significance Statement Microglia support brain development, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we show that mice deficient for inflammasome cascade protein genes, including Nlrp3, Casp1, Il-1r, and Gsdmd, develop behavior abnormalities characterized by hyperactivity and low anxiety. Lytic cell death occurs downstream of inflammasomes and was observed to appear in microglia in spatiotemporal and Casp1-dependent manners. Microglial death may be important for the proper differentiation of NPCs, as indicated by increased neuron numbers in specific regions of the brain in Casp1-deficient mice. Importantly, injection of NLRP3 and CASP1 inhibitors into pregnant mothers during this lytic death window resulted in offspring with behavior abnormalities. Overall, the death of discrete microglial subsets may be essential for proper NPC development and normal behaviors.
Integrated Actuation and Self-Sensing for Twisted-and-Coiled Actuators with Applications to Innervated Soft Robots

Traditional soft robots require separate sensors and actuators to precisely control their motion. A twisted-and-coiled actuator (TCA) is a new artificial muscle with both actuation and self-sensing capability that can simultaneously serve both as a sensor and an actuator allowing to control the motion of TCAs without external sensors. This paper investigates the integrated sensing and actuation for TCAs, and the self-sensing function is realized by only measuring the TCA’s electrical resistance change. The closed-loop control of a single TCA is realized, and an innervated soft finger that can respond to external load without extra sensors is demonstrated. Our results will lay a foundation for integrated sensing and control by directly using the actuator, paving the way for self-contained smart robotic systems (e.g., untethered soft robots).
Postprocedural Cognitive Load Measurement With Immediate Feedback to Guide Curriculum Development

Abstract Background Methods to assess competency in cardiothoracic training are essential. Here, we report a system that allows us to better assess competency from the perspective of both the trainee and educator. We hypothesized that postprocedural cognitive burden measurement (by the trainee) with immediate feedback (from the educator) could aid in identifying barriers to the acquisition of skills and knowledge so that training curricula can be individualized. Methods The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), a validated instrument to measure cognitive load, was administered with an online platform after bronchoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for 11 residents. Immediate postprocedure feedback and standardized debriefing occurred for each procedure. Results Mean NASA-TLX scores were highest (indicating greater cognitive load) for esophagogastroduodenoscopy and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (P Conclusions Longitudinal assessment of cognitive load in combination with postprocedural feedback identified barriers to skill acquisition for both residents and educators. This information allows for individualized rotation development as a step toward a competency-based curriculum.
The Velocity Dispersion of the Giant Molecular Clouds: A Viscous Origin

The energy source is proposed and the details of the acceleration mechanism for the random motion of the giant molecular clouds (GMCs) in the Galaxy are discussed. Specifically, it is proposed that gravitational scattering of the massive clouds off each other in the differentially rotating Galactic disk constitutes an effective gravitational viscosity, which causes an increase in the random kinetic energy of the GMCs at the expense of their ordered, rotational kinetic energy in the Galactic disk. The energy input due to this gravitational viscosity is calculated, and the other terms contributing to the energy balance of the GMCs are computed. These results are used to determine the steady state cloud velocity dispersion and its dependence on the cloud mass and radius and on the galactocentric radial distance.
Automatic measurement plane placement for 4D Flow MRI of the great vessels using deep learning

Despite the great potential and flexibility of 4D flow MRI for hemodynamic analysis, a major limitation is the need for time-consuming and user-dependent post-processing. We propose a fast four-step algorithm for rapid, robust, and repeatable flow measurements in the great vessels based on automatic placement of measurement planes and vessel segmentation. Our algorithm works by (1) subsampling the 3D image into 3D patches, (2) predicting the probability of each patch containing individual vessels and location/orientation of the vessel within the patch via a convolutional neural network, (3) selecting the predicted planes with highest probabilities for each vessel, and (4) shifting the plane centers to the maximum velocity within each plane. The method was trained on 283 scans and evaluated on 40 unseen scans by comparing algorithm-derived processing times, plane locations, and flow measurements to those of two manual observers (graduate students) using t-tests, Pearson correlation, and Bland–Altman analysis. The average processing time for the algorithm (18 s) was shorter than observer 1 (362 s; P < 0.001) and observer 2 (317 s; P < 0.001). The distance between planes placed by the algorithm and those placed by manual observers was slightly greater (O1 vs. algorithm: 9.0 mm, O2 vs. algorithm: 10.3 mm) than the distance between planes placed by the two manual observers (8.3 mm). The correlation between flow values for planes placed by the algorithm and those placed by manual observers was slightly lower (O1 vs. algorithm: R = 0.68, O2 vs. algorithm: R = 0.72) than the flow correlation between the two manual observers (R = 0.81). Our method is a feasible and accurate approach for fast, reproducible, and automated flow measurement and visualization in 4D flow MRI of the great vessels, with similar variability compared to a manual annotator as the variability between two manual observers. This approach could be applied in other anatomical regions.
Cerebral oximetry: a developing tool for monitoring cerebral oxygenation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Despite improvements in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), survival and neurologic recovery after cardiac arrest remain very poor because of the impact of severe ischemia and subsequent reperfusion injury. As the likelihood of survival and favorable neurologic outcome decreases with increasing severity of ischemia during CPR, developing methods to measure the magnitude of ischemia during resuscitation, particularly cerebral ischemia, is critical for improving overall outcomes. Cerebral oximetry, which measures regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2 ) by near-infrared spectroscopy, has emerged as a potentially beneficial marker of cerebral ischemia during CPR. In numerous preclinical and clinical studies, higher rSO2 during CPR has been associated with improved cardiac arrest survival and neurologic outcome. In this narrative review, we summarize the scientific rationale and validation of cerebral oximetry across populations and pathophysiologic states, discuss the evidence surrounding its use to predict return of spontaneous circulation, rearrest, and neurologic outcome, and provide suggestions for incorporation of cerebral oximetry into CPR practice.
VPeak: exploiting volunteer energy resources for flexible peak shaving

Traditionally, utility companies have employed demand response for large loads or deployed centralized energy storage to alleviate the effects of peak demand on the grid. The advent of Internet of Things (IoT) and the proliferation of networked energy devices have opened up new opportunities for coordinated control of smaller residential loads at large scales to achieve similar benefits. In this paper, we present VPeak, an approach that uses residential loads volunteered by their owners for coordinated control by a utility for grid optimizations. Since the use of volunteer resources comes with hard limits on how frequently they can be used by a remote utility, we present machine learning techniques for carefully selecting which days to operate these loads based on expected peak demand. VPeak uses a distributed and heterogeneous pool of volunteer loads to implement flexible peak shaving that can either selectively target hotspots within the distribution network or perform grid-wide peak shaving. Our results show that VPeak is able to shave up to 26% of the total demand when selectively shaving peaks at local hotspots and up to 46.7% of the demand for grid-wide peak shaving.
Policy Considerations Relevant to Intercountry Adoption Reform

To protect the best interests of the children, the Hague Convention has required legislators to create new regulatory bureaucracies that, while necessary, tend by their very nature to result in systemic delays. Too often Convention countries fail to provide their adoption authorities with the resources necessary to fulfill these Hague-mandated obligations in a timely manner. The result in many countries is open-ended investigations that continue indefinitely while tens of thousands of adoptable children are relegated to state-run institutional systems. To counter this trend, the process of reform requires a candid assessment of whether a child’s interests are better served by an exhaustive and time-consuming regulatory process designed to preserve a child’s cultural identity, or a more expeditious process that will result in speedier placements into permanent families abroad. This is not to say that the Hague Convention itself is inherently flawed, or that third-party States or organizations have the right to second-guess a home country’s well-considered definitions of a child’s best interests. It is to say, however, that the balance so far seems to have been struck too far in favor of domestic placements, and that countries could better protect their children’s interests by viewing intercountry adoption as a viable and desirable alternative to prolonged institutionalization. The solution is to engage in a careful balancing test on a country-by-country basis, to assess realistically what investigative measures each country can reasonably undertake within an acceptable time period, and to provide whatever assistance may be necessary to ensure that an expedited intercountry adoption process remains consistent with the Hague mandate.
The Interaction Between Quality Control and Production

A real options model of resource extraction is considered where management controls both the extraction rates as well as the quality of extracted material earmarked for processing into final product. The minimum quality of material acceptable for processing is called the cutoff grade. If the cutoff is too high, much of the extracted material will go to waste exacting an opportunity cost. If the cutoff is too low, then input capacity constraints will be fully utilized, but with poor revenues at output. The optimal strategy finds a balance between these considerations. It is found that the opportunity costs associated with extracting the marginal unit of resource play a crucial role in finding the optimal strategic balance. Particularly important is the realization that such opportunity costs have a structure analogous to a European call option on the commodity in question. The model is developed in the presence of input and output processing stage constraints, and the set of candidate optimal policies is identified. Simulations are then used to expound on the nature of the optimal policies and the important role played by the opportunity costs.
The Role of the Child in Adult Development

This paper provides theoretical and empirical support for the view that children play a large and often underappreciated role in adult development. Fifty parents and teachers were asked to discuss occasions when they learned something valuable from a child or when a child changed them in some significant way. Adults reported that children can cause them to (a) shift their values or priorities, (b) integrate memories or experiences previously disowned or repressed, (c) become more creative and cognitively flexible, or (d) look at the world with more wonder, awe, or curiosity. Werner's concept of “genetic stratification” (H. Werner, 1957) and Labouvie-Vief, Chiodo, Goguen, Diehl, and Orwoll's concept of “dynamic intersubjectivity” (G. Labouvie-Vief, L. M. Chiodo, L. A. Goquen, M. Diehl, & L. Orwoll, 1995) are used to explain the results.
Changes in the Electrical Properties of Supraoptic Nucleus Oxytocin and Vasopressin Neurons during Lactation

Magnocellular oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) neurons adopt different firing patterns in response to relevant physiological stimuli. OT neurons selectively display short (2-4 sec), high-frequency bursts of action potentials that are highly synchronized and correlated with OT release during lactation. The present experiments were done to determine whether the electrophysiological properties of OT neurons differ from those of VP neurons, and whether these properties are modulated during lactation to support short bursting activity. Intracellular recordings in vitro were obtained from immunochemically identified supraoptic neurons of diestrous or lactating female rats. Resting membrane potential, input resistance, membrane time constant, and the depolarizing afterpotential did not differ among groups. However, near spike threshold, OT, but not VP, neurons expressed a sustained outward rectification that was removed by small hyperpolarizing pulses and a rebound depolarization that occurred at the offset of these hyperpolarizing pulses. The rebound depolarization was short ( < 2 sec), supported brief bursts of action potentials, and was significantly larger during lactation. Neurons expressing the outward rectification also exhibited strong spike frequency adaptation during prolonged (1-4 sec) depolarization. Spike width, the Ca(2+)- dependent afterhyperpolarization, and the degree of spike broadening of OT, but not VP, neurons were also larger during lactation, suggesting an increase in Ca2+ influx per spike. The results indicate that OT neurons possess properties favoring the expression of short spike trains, and that some of these properties are enhanced during lactation. In addition, spikes in OT neurons may promote more Ca2+ influx in this state.
Sex-Specific Differential in Risk of Diabetes-Related Macrovascular Outcomes

Reports from recent studies suggest that diabetes confers a higher risk of cardiovascular disease in women compared to men. Larger studies, including meta-analyses, report that women with diabetes have a 44 % greater risk of incident coronary heart disease and a 27 % greater risk of incident stroke compared to men with diabetes. In this article, we summarize results from longitudinal studies that examine sex differences in risk factors for and rates of macrovascular complications from diabetes. We also discuss possible mechanisms for increased cardiovascular risk associated with diabetes in women compared to men, including the clustering of hypertension, obesity, and elevated triglycerides, the possible contribution of hormonal differences, and sex differences in the prescription of and adherence to pharmacologic treatment. In conclusion, diabetes is associated with a slightly higher risk of cardiovascular disease in women compared to men. Future studies should further explore the reasons underlying imperfect use of medications that lower cardiovascular risk in both women and men with diabetes.
The Pond Betwixt: Differences in the U.S.-EU Data Protection/Safe Harbor Negotiation

This article analyzes the differing perspectives that animate US and EU conceptions of privacy in the context of data protection. It begins by briefly reviewing the two continental approaches to data protection and then explains how the two approaches arise in a context of disparate cultural traditions with respect to the role of law in society. In light of those disparities, Underpinning contemporary data protection regulation is the normative value that both US and EU societies place on personal privacy. Both cultures attribute modern privacy to the famous Warren-Brandeis article in 1890, outlining a "right to be let alone." But decades passed before the impact of the article was felt. Both privacy and data protection are today part of the fundamental rights system of Europe, a component of the amalgamated constitution of the European Union. Both are part of the legislative and regulatory state at the national and federal level.