cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A finite element model for predicting the distribution of drugs delivered intracranially to the brain

Drug therapy to the central nervous system is complicated by the presence of the blood-brain barrier. The development of new drug delivery techniques to overcome this obstacle will be aided by a clear understanding of the transport processes in the brain. A rigorous theoretical framework of the transport of drugs delivered locally to the parenchyma has been developed using the finite element method. Magnetic resonance imaging has been used to track the transport of paramagnetic contrast markers in the brain. The information obtained by postprocessing spin-echo, T1-weighted, and proton density images has been used to refine the mathematical model that includes realistic brain geometry and salient anatomic features and allows for two-dimensional transport of chemical species, including both diffusive and convective contributions. In addition, the effects of regional differences in tissue properties, ventricular boundary, and edema on the transport have been considered. The model has been used to predict transport of interleukin-2 in the brain and study the major determinants of transport, at both early and late times after drug delivery.
Anomalies of criticality

During the development of nuclear energy, a number of apparent anomalies have become evident in nuclear criticality. Some of these have appeared in the open literature and some have not. Yet, a nai...
Effects of Environmental Conditions on the Behavior of Graphite Epoxy Composite Coupons

A laboratory test apparatus, designed to subject a composite specimen to a low temperature and pressure environment and then load the specimen to failure in either tension or compression, is described. To demonstrate this apparatus, a static test program was conducted on 16-ply T300 graphite/epoxy coupons. Thirty-five coupons, consisting of five different ply configurations, were loaded in tension under either ambient or low temperature and pressure conditions. It was observed that environmental conditions do affect the elastic parameters as well as tensile strength and strain to failure. The effect was seen to be a function of ply orientation, with the greatest effects being measured on (±45)4s coupons where the response to load is dominated by the epoxy matrix, and least for unidirectional 016 specimens in which the fibers dominate the structural response. Elastic parameters obtained from the tests on the 016, (0/90)4s and (±45)4s specimens were input into a finite element program used to calculate stress-strain response of the two coupons with different ply configurations. Laboratory tests were conducted on these specimens and the experimentally measured results for stiffness were compared with predictions from the finite element analyses. Good agreement was obtained for both environmental conditions studied.
Distributed power control in full duplex wireless networks

In this paper, we consider the problem of distributed power control in a full duplex (FD) wireless network consisting of multiple pairs of nodes, within which each node needs to communicate with its corresponding node. We aim to find the optimal transmit powers for the FD transmitters such that the network-wide capacity is maximized. Based on the high signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) approximation and a more general approximation method for logarithm functions, we develop effective distributed power control algorithms with the dual decomposition approach. The proposed algorithms are validated with simulation studies.
Tinnitus loudness tracking: a "type V Békésy" pattern does not exist for pseudotinnitus.

BACKGROUND Evaluation tools are lacking for the identification of patients exhibiting pseudotinnitus. It was hypothesized that tinnitus loudness traces might show a separation between continuous and pulsed tones for participants exhibiting pseudotinnitus, that is, the "type V" pattern shown for threshold tracking among participants exhibiting pseudohypacusis. It was further hypothesized that tinnitus loudness tracking might reveal unreliable tinnitus loudness matches among participants exhibiting pseudotinnitus due to their lack of an internal tinnitus standard. PURPOSE To determine whether a tinnitus loudness tracking pattern exists for participants exhibiting pseudotinnitus. RESEARCH DESIGN Nonrandomized posttest-only control design. The experimental group participants were those without tinnitus, and the control group participants were those with tinnitus. STUDY SAMPLE There were 86 participants, including 45 with tinnitus and 41 without tinnitus. The participants' hearing varied from normal to severe hearing losses by pure-tone average at 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz. INTERVENTION Participants without tinnitus were asked to act as if they had tinnitus and to complete tinnitus loudness matching as if they were trying to convince the test (or computer) that they had tinnitus. DATA ANALYSIS t-tests RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences between individuals with tinnitus and participants acting out pseudotinnitus for any of six measures: (1) continuous tone tinnitus loudness tracking; (2) pulsed tone tinnitus loudness tracking; (3) differences between continuous and pulsed tone tinnitus loudness tracking; (4) continuous tone excursion width; (5) pulsed tone excursion width; and (6) differences between continuous and pulsed tone excursion width. CONCLUSIONS Tinnitus loudness tracking does not appear to hold promise as a clinical tool for the identification of participants exhibiting pseudotinnitus.
Membrane Surface Engineering for Protein Separations: Experiments and Simulations

A bisphosphonate derived ligand was successfully synthesized and grafted from the surface of regenerated cellulose membrane using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) for protein separations. This ligand has a remarkable affinity for arginine (Arg) residues on protein surface. Hydrophilic residues N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) was copolymerized to enhance the flexibility of the copolymer ligand and further improve specific protein adsorption. The polymerization of bisphosphonate derivatives was successful for the first time using ATRP. Static and dynamic binding capacities were determined for binding and elution of Arg rich lysozyme. The interaction mechanism between the copolymer ligand and lysozyme was elucidated using classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.
Characterization of melt-flow dynamics in selective laser melting (SLM) processes

High speed microscopic imaging and thermography of stainless steel microsphere assemblies exposed to high power laser light is analyzed to understand the melt-flow dynamics associated with selective laser melting processes.
113 IMPACT OF DELIVERY ROOM CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION ON AGE AT THE TIME OF DEATH IN INFANTS < 1,200 GRAMS.

Background Delayed mortality may be associated with prolonged suffering and also with emotional, economic, and resource costs. The age at the time of death in extremely low birth weight infants (ELBW) is widely variable. The influence on this variability of delivery room cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DR-CPR) has not been investigated. Objective To analyze if the age at the time of death in infants Design/Methods Analysis of all infants Results A total of 87 infants 28 d of age. The DR-CPR group was similar to the no DR-CPR group in birth weight (726 6 160 vs 731 6 176) and gestational age (24.8 6 1.9 vs 25.3 6 2.2). The average length of stay (ALOS) was widely variable (21.8 6 47 vs 30.7 6 56.9; p = .669). Death in the DR (27% vs 0%; p = .000), in the first 12 hours of life (38% vs 7%; p = .001) and in the first day (42% vs 20%; p = .047) was more frequent in the DR-CPR group. Death after 28 d was 11.5% in DR-CPR vs 26.6% in no DR-CPR infants (p = .2); and the median length of stay for these infants was 156.00 d vs 41.00 d, respectively. Conclusion A large proportion of the infants 28 days die after a prolonged length of stay. It remains to be determined if criteria can be identified to avoid delaying the inevitable.
465 NICOTINE REGULATES PLACENTAL MYOFIBROBLAST DIFFERENTIATION

Background Myofibroblasts are specialized mesenchymal cells that contribute to developmental fibrotic disorders, including placental fibrosis associated with intrauterine growth restriction. Although smoking is associated with abnormal placental vasculature and fibrosis, the effects of nicotine on the differentiation of placental myofibroblasts are poorly understood. Objective We hypothesize that nicotine regulates placental myofibroblast differentiation, thus inducing abnormal placental vascular structure and regulation. Design/Methods We developed a transgenic mouse line expressing EGFP driven by a smooth muscle actin enhancer-promoter region, in which myofibroblasts develop EGFP fluorescence. Primary fibroblasts were cultured, immortalized with an SV40 T antigen construct, and clonally expanded. Placental myofibroblasts were exposed to nicotine or nicotine plus hexamethonium bromide, a nicotinic ACh receptor antagonist, for up to 72 hours versus controls. Cultured cells were subjected to quantitative EGFP FACS analysis, confocal microscopy, immunohistochemistry with image analysis, Affymetrix microarray analysis, and RT-PCR to quantitate changes in gene and protein expression. Results Nicotine induced placental myofibroblast contraction, an effect antagonized by hexamethonium and associated with increased cytoplasmic calcium concentration. Placental myofibroblasts express α3 nACh receptor subunits. Exposure to nicotine resulted in an acute increase in EGFP cytoplasmic and nuclear fluorescence, followed by reduction in total EGFP positive cells over 72 hours. Nicotine induced accumulation of VEGF a and c mRNA and progressive expression of proteins associated with myofibroblast differentiation. Conclusion These results demonstrate that nicotine induces receptor mediated myofibroblast differentiation, contraction, and apoptosis. Myofibroblasts are major constituents of the labyrinthine zone of the murine placenta, and are strategically located to regulate placental angiogenesis, blood flow and extracellular matrix composition. Therefore, nicotine may directly and/or indirectly contribute to abnormal placental vasculature, placental fibrosis, and intrauterine growth restriction associated with smoking.
Ultrasonic tissue characterization: Integrated backscatter imaging for detecting myocardial structural properties and on-line quantitation of cardiac function

Quantitative myocardial tissue characterization is being developed as an adjunct to conventional echocardiography to delineate the physical state of myocardium under diverse pathophysiological states. Real-time quantitative integrated backscatter imaging has made possible clinical investigations carried out in the United States, Europe, and Japan in patients with ischemic heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and cardiac allograft rejection, among others. A modification of the imaging processing used for characterization of tissue facilitates automatic detection of endocardial blood interfaces and on-line quantification of ventricular size and function, which has been recently introduced in clinical practice. Further progress and developments in quantitative ultrasonic imaging will place in perspective the clinical use of tissue characterization based on myocardial backscatter.
Applications and Simulations of a Discontinuous Oral Absorption Pharmacokinetic Model

Purpose. To illustrate the application of a discontinuous oral absorption model to cimetidine and ranitidine plasma concentration versus time data to demonstrate the use of the model for drugs which display discontinuous oral absorption profiles, and to illustrate the effect of various model parameters on plasma drug concentration versus time profiles and bioavailability. Methods. A discontinuous oral absorption model was used to fit ranitidine and cimetidine serum concentrations following oral and intravenous administration. The model was also used to simulate bioavailability and plasma concentrations versus time profiles for various parameter values. Results. Serum concentrations following administration of ranitidine and cimetidine were well described by the model, and parameter estimates obtained were in agreement with literature values. Simulations demonstrate the effects of various absorption parameters and gastrointestinal tract transit parameters on bioavailability and plasma concentration profiles. Conclusions. This discontinuous oral absorption pharmacokinetic model can be a useful tool in characterizing absorption phases, disposition, and bioavailability of drugs exhibiting two absorption peaks following oral administration.
Cladding in marine applications using direct-diode lasers

Case study describes the development of a procedure for robotic high-power direct-diode laser cladding of aluminum bronze onto steel-bearing plates.
Chilling-Induced Alterations in the Photosynthetic Capacity of Chilling-Tolerant and Chilling-Sensitive Cultivars of Zea Mays

An inhibition of photosynthetic capacity is commonly observed when plants of tropical and subtropical origin are subjected to temperatures between 0°C and 15°C. Chilling-induced alterations in photosynthetic processes are one of the first manifestations of chilling stress and have often been characterized by declines in the rate of CO2 uptake over time (1–3). This inhibition of photosynthetic capacity appears to be the result of many different interacting factors and the contribution of these factors varies among plant species and with the light intensity, relative humidity, and oxygen partial pressure during chilling. Our primary objective was to examine the effects of short-term chilling stress (5°C, 48 h) on photosynthesis in chilling-sensitive (CS) and chilling-tolerant (CT) cultivars of Zea mays using leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements. In addition, recovery from chilling stress was examined.
The effects of transfer laws on youth with sexual or robbery offenses

This study examines the effects of juvenile transfer laws on youth charged with sex offenses and youth charged with robbery offenses. Using matched samples of youth charged in South Carolina betwee...
Radial growth of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in aligned sheets through cyclic carbon deposition and graphitization

Abstract Carbon coated aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube (AMWCNT/C) sheets were used for studying the controlled radial growth of MWCNTs. Pyrolytic carbon (PyC) was deposited on the surface of nanotubes using multiple cycles of chemical vapor infiltration. Morphological and structural characterization showed that when graphitization was done in one step, after the deposition of multiple cycles of PyC, the presence of a large amount of disordered carbon on the surface of nanotubes led to a poorly graphitized coating structure that did not resembled nanotube walls anymore. Graphitization of the AMWCNT/C sheets after each deposition cycle prevented the development of disordered carbon during the subsequent PyC deposition cycles. Using the cyclic-graphitization method, thick PyC coating layers were successfully graphitized into a crystalline structure that could not be differentiated from the original nanotube walls. TEM observation and X-ray data confirmed radial growth of nanotubes, while spectra collected from Raman spectroscopy revealed that radially grown CNTs had the same quality as graphitized pristine nanotubes. The focus of this study was to compare the effect of cyclic graphitization with a one-step graphitization method to gain insight on the necessary parameters needed to radially grow high quality CNTs.
Moving Toward a Better Balance Stanford School of Medicine’s Lifestyle Medicine Course Is Spearheading the Promotion of Health and Wellness in Medicine

Stanford Medical School has created a class in lifestyle medicine that any student in the university can attend for credit. It is based on the foundational principles of lifestyle medicine and also informs students about topics such as Chinese medicine, naturopathic medicine, and wearable devices. The popularity of the course at Stanford speaks to the growing interest in the field of lifestyle medicine for medical students, undergraduate students, business students, and even engineers.
A Partial Calcium-Free Linker Confers Flexibility to Inner-Ear Protocadherin-15

Tip links of the inner ear are protein filaments essential for hearing and balance. Two atypical cadherins, cadherin-23 and protocadherin-15, interact in a Ca2+-dependent manner to form tip links. The largely unknown structure and mechanics of these proteins are integral to understanding how tip links pull on ion channels to initiate sensory perception. Protocadherin-15 has 11 extracellular cadherin (EC) repeats. Its EC3-4 linker lacks several of the canonical Ca2+-binding residues, and contains an aspartate-to-alanine polymorphism (D414A) under positive selection in East Asian populations. We present structures of protocadherin-15 EC3-5 featuring two Ca2+-binding linker regions: canonical EC4-5 linker binding three Ca2+ ions, and non-canonical EC3-4 linker binding only two Ca2+ ions. Our structures and biochemical assays reveal little difference between the D414 and D414A variants. Simulations predict that the partial Ca2+-free EC3-4 linker exhibits increased flexural flexibility without compromised mechanical strength, providing insight into the dynamics of tip links and other atypical cadherins.
A highly compact wideband continuous-time transimpedance low-pass filter

A highly compact continuous-time transimpedance low-pass filter (TILPF) topology is proposed that achieves a low input impedance and a 2nd-order transfer function in a single stage. This is suitable to perform current-to-voltage conversion with a built-in filtering characteristic in a passive mixer based wireless receiver. A 4th-order Butterworth prototype is designed with a cascade of the proposed TILPF and a self-coupled source follower based biquad in a 65nm CMOS. Operating with a 1.3V supply, the filter achieves 30MHz bandwidth while consuming 0.5mA total current. The simulated in-band IIP3 is +17.1dBm, and the average output noise is 14.2nV/√Hz.
Surface Tension of Solid Silver

The surface tension of solid silver is measured by a refinement of the Udin, Shaler, and Wulff technique. The tests were made in a purified helium atmosphere at four different temperatures and various times. The average of the results is γ = 1140 ± 90 dynes per cm for the range 875° to 932°C.
Rapid Construction of Antitumor T-cell Receptor Vectors from Frozen Tumors for Engineered T-cell Therapy

T cells genetically engineered with tumor antigen-specific T-cell receptor (TCR) genes have demonstrated therapeutic potential in patients with solid tumors. In order to achieve broader application, an efficient method to identify TCR genes for an array of tumor antigens and HLA restriction elements is required. Here, we have developed a method to construct a TCR-expression library from specimens, including frozen tumor biopsies, that contain antigen-specific T cells. TCR-expressing cassettes were constructed and cloned in a retroviral plasmid vector within 24 hours by unbiased PCR amplification of TCR α and β chain variable regions assembled with TCR constant regions. The method was validated by constructing TCR-expressing vectors from tumor antigen-specific T-cell clones and functionally assessing TCR gene-transduced T cells. We applied this method to frozen ovarian tumor specimens that were infiltrated by tumor antigen-specific T cells. The tumor-derived TCR libraries were expressed in peripheral T cells from healthy volunteers and screened for tumor antigen-specific TCR pairs with the use of an MHC/peptide tetramer reagent. Tumor antigen-specific TCR-expressing transgenes were recovered from isolated tetramer-positive T cells. Peripheral T cells that were engineered with library-derived TCR gene showed potent therapeutic antitumor effect in a tumor xenograft model. Our method can efficiently and rapidly provide tumor-specific TCR-expressing viral vectors for the manufacture of therapeutic and personalized antitumor T-cell products.
A Peer Review Feedback Method of Promoting Compliance with Preventive Care Guidelines in a Resident Ambulatory Care Clinic

Article-at-a-Glance Background Simple distribution of clinical practice guidelines to physicians does not change practice behavior. A low-cost, continuous peer review feedback method was used to promote resident physicians' compliance with nine preventive care guidelines at the ambulatory care clinic at the Marshall University School of Medicine (Huntington, West Virginia). Methods Preventive care guidelines were distributed and a peer review feedback program was instituted in the resident physician primary care practice. The frequency of resident physician use of nine preventive care services was assessed and compared during three periods: preguideline (September 1, 1993, to March 1, 1994; 148 patients), guideline (September 1, 1994, to March 1, 1995; 148 patients), and one-year follow-up (September 1, 1995, to March 1, 1996; 150 patients). The patients in the three periods were similar in age, gender, and risk for influenza and pneumococcal infection. Results During the guideline period, resident physicians offered patients four preventive care services—tetanus toxoid immunization, clinical breast examination, Papanicolaou smear testing, and hemoccult testing significantly more often than during the preguideline period. All services were offered significantly more often during the one-year follow-up period compared with the preguideline period and as often as in the guideline period. Conclusion A low-cost, continuous peer review feedback program significantly and durably improves resident physician compliance with clinical practice guidelines on preventive care services. However, the effectiveness of the peer review feedback method may not generalize to private practice or other settings. Research on other methods to promote compliance with clinical practice guidelines and to influence physician behavior in general should continue.
The Cast of the News

In this paper, we analyze a newscast for the narrative perspectives within it, using the work of Russian critic Mikhail Bakhtin on voicing. A Bakhtinian analysis of a newscast offers a richness rarely found in studies of media bias, for reasons we discuss in the body of the paper. Our question is not, "How do we eliminate perspectival news reporting?" (which is impossible), but "How do we analyze perspectives in the news?" and "Why does news reporting nevertheless seem objective?" Comments Suggested Citation: Locher, M.A and Wortham, S. (1994). "The Cast of the News". Pragmatics, Volume 4, Issue 4, December 1994, pages 517-533. Publisher URL: http://ipra.ua.ac.be/ This journal article is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/gse_pubs/105 Pragmatics 4:4.517 -533 International Prasmatics Association THE CAST OF THE NEWS] Michael A. Locher Stanton E.F. Wortham
Construction of a whole body blood flow model for use in positron emission tomography imaging with [15O]water.

A whole body blood flow model (WBBFM) was developed and tested using STELLA II, an icon-driven mathematical simulation software package. The WBBFM uses parallel chambers to represent gray and white areas of the brain, body organs such as lungs, heart (right and left halves), injection site, and blood sampling sites. Input values to the WBBFM include organ blood flows, organ volumes, tissue:blood partition coefficients, injected activity, and data acquisition times for a positron emission tomography (PET) camera. Input variables included an injection function (e.g., bolus), and a blood flow function (e.g., transient variations in flow). The kinetic behavior of [15O]water, a freely diffusible radiotracer employed in PET to characterize blood flow was examined by the WBBFM. The physiologic behavior of water in the human body was emulated using the WBBFM and the model's predictive value was verified by comparing calculated results with the following properties of water: diffusibility, tissue:blood partition coefficient of [15O]water, and the mixing of [15O]water with total body water. The WBBFM simulated Kety's autoradiographic method used in the estimation of regional cerebral blood flow by PET using [15O]water. The application of the model to a cognitive activation study paradigm based on Kety's method is presented and its results compared to published literature data. With appropriate modification in the half-life, tissue:blood partition coefficient, and the amount of administered radioactivity, the WBBFM should prove useful as a tool to examine kinetics of other freely diffusible radiotracers used in PET.
Introduction Overview: World Energy Resources and the Need for Biomass for Energy and Lower Fossil Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Most of the world’s petroleum is located in politically unstable regions, while the United States’ production has continued to decline since 1970 as its reserves are depleted. The resulting large petroleum imports have significant strategic and economic consequences, and fossil fuels contribute most to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Thus, development and commercialization of sustainable energy technologies are critical to (1) reduce our dependence on imported petroleum, and (2) reduce GHG emissions. Biofuels provide the only option we have for large-scale production of sustainable liquid transportation fuels that are vital to such uses as air travel, heavy truck transport, and long-distance travel. Fortunately, cellulosic biomass is plentiful and low in cost and can be converted into a range of products suitable for transportation by biological and thermochemical processes. Through combining more efficient use of fuels with advances in biomass production technologies, we could potentially replace a large fraction, even all, of the petroleum directly used for transportation as well as that consumed for its processing to fuels. Government policy is vital to break the log jam and accelerate applications that can build a foundation for new energy systems for transportation, particularly in light of the high volatility of petroleum prices.
The Psychology of Aggression: Insights and Issues

A traveler visiting the United States will be cautioned about entering particular areas in our urban centers, especially at night. Even if he does not find himself the direct object of assault, he might well be the victim of a stray bullet, fired during the course of a drive-by shooting or an exchange of gunfire between rival gangs. He may discover that violence is not restricted to the evening or to inner city streets, and be struck by television reports of vandalism, extortion, physical attack, guns, and knives and other indices of aggression in the public schools.
SOLUBLE TNFR1 AS A NEW NOVEL BIOMARKER OF CARDIO-RENAL DYSFUNCTION

Inflammatory processes play a central role in the pathophysiology of heart failure. We recently demonstrated that urine IL-6 is strongly correlated with multiple measures of cardio renal dysfunction (CRD) including diuretic responsiveness (DR), RAAS activation, and lower eGFR. TNF-α, a pleotropic
Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of stress and morphology evolution in polycrystalline thin films

Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations have been used to model the evolution of the morphology and the stress in a polycrystalline film. Stress is incorporated into the simulation by considering the processes that occur at the grain boundary as the film grows, in the same way that has been used for analytical models. A section of a grain is simulated by assuming the grain boundary can act as a sink and a source for atoms on the surface; the relative rates of diffusion into and out of the boundary depend on the surface kinetics and the stress. This approach allows the complex interaction between the film growth kinetics, surface morphology evolution, and stress to be investigated. For a decreasing growth rate, the growth mode changes from being dominated by nucleation of new clusters to step-flow. This affects the flux of atoms into the grain boundary and makes the corresponding stress more compressive. The effect of growth interrupts and a barrier to interlayer diffusion are also investigated.Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations have been used to model the evolution of the morphology and the stress in a polycrystalline film. Stress is incorporated into the simulation by considering the processes that occur at the grain boundary as the film grows, in the same way that has been used for analytical models. A section of a grain is simulated by assuming the grain boundary can act as a sink and a source for atoms on the surface; the relative rates of diffusion into and out of the boundary depend on the surface kinetics and the stress. This approach allows the complex interaction between the film growth kinetics, surface morphology evolution, and stress to be investigated. For a decreasing growth rate, the growth mode changes from being dominated by nucleation of new clusters to step-flow. This affects the flux of atoms into the grain boundary and makes the corresponding stress more compressive. The effect of growth interrupts and a barrier to interlayer diffusion are also investigated.
A Low Complexity Space-Time Algorithm for Green ITS-Roadside Unit Planning

Roadside Unit (RSU) planning and management is not a straightforward task. Usually, the problem is modeled as an NP-hard mixed-integer combinatorial optimization problem especially when the planner ought to incorporate various problem components. For large-scale problems, heuristic approaches that achieve a trade-off between execution time and planning performance, can be good enough for making planning decisions. In this paper, we design an iterative reduction heuristic algorithm to maximize the coverage efficiency of a network of RSUs in an urban setting, given a daily amortized budget and other planning constraints. The framework also incorporates capture-and-use solar panels to offset operational electricity costs. We perform a sensitivity analysis, to study the model response to variations. The heuristic shows that variations in both financial as well as communication-related parameters have expected model solution response. We find that in 10% to 50% of the convergence time of the optimal solution, the heuristic found solutions that had a coverage efficiency around 10% of the optimal solution.
EP393 Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy (N2Cryo) for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)

Introduction/Background In general patients with ASC-US/LSIL cytology will be followed periodically with three or six month interval. We performed liquid nitrogen cryotherapy (N2Cryo) of less than thirty second duration for the purpose of clearance of abnormal cytology and persistent HPV infection. Methodology Between April 2015 to May 2019, retrospectively we analyzed patients with abnormal cytology of ASC-US/LSIL into the groups: A group of 37 cases with just follow-up without any treatment, B group of 39 cases with N2Cryo according to colposcopic and/or cytological abnormality and HPV infection. Furthermore, 26 patients with HSIL undergone N2Cryo were also compared to the effectiveness of clearance of abnormal cytology and HPV infection. Patients performed N2Cryo three times every four weeks with written informed consent. Results Among 37 patients with ASC-US/LSIL followed by no treatment, 2 cases recovered spontaneously with normal cytology (NILM) and HPV negative (complete regression: CR), 15 cases with partial regression (PR) (CR+PR Regression Rate (RR): 45.9%) including NILM or HPV negative, 6 cases with persistence, 2 cases with progressed to HSIL. However, 12 cases were missed with no visit during follow-up. Among 39 patients with ASC-US/LSIL treated by N2Cryo, 14 cases showed CR, 10 cases showed PR, with RR: 61.5%, including 8 cases with persistence. Furthermore, 26 cases with HSIL treated by N2Cryo, 8 cases showed CR, 12 cases showed PR with RR: 76.9%, and 4 cases with persistence. Conclusion Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy (N2Cryo) might be useful for the CIN regression, especially with avoidance of cone biopsy for cases with HSIL. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.
Targeted Needs Assessment of Treatment Planning Education for United States Radiation Oncology Residents.

Purpose Prior surveys suggest almost one-third of chief residents report insufficient exposure to treatment planning. We evaluated the state of treatment planning education among United States residents. Methods and Materials A web-based survey was sent to current residents identified using the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology directory. Results The response rate was 33%. Twenty-six percent of residents reported a mandatory treatment planning rotation. Seventy-one percent of residents reported reviewing ≤50% of plans with an attending. Twenty-three percent of respondents were not at all or only slightly comfortable (1 or 2 on a 1-5 scale) evaluating treatment plans. Residents with mandatory treatment planning rotations were more comfortable evaluating plans compared with those without mandatory rotations (P = .045). Overall, 60% reported insufficient exposure to treatment planning. Among postgraduate year 5 residents, this rate was 52%. Ninety-two percent of residents expressed interest in free supplemental treatment planning resources. Conclusions A significant proportion of residents surveyed report insufficient exposure to treatment planning. Development of a practical treatment planning curriculum would offer the opportunity to improve resident education, and ultimately quality of care, at the national level.
Pathophysiology of Renal Obstruction

Renal obstruction is one of the most commonly managed conditions by urologists, and the pathophysiology of this ailment lies at the intersection of urology and nephrology. In the acute setting, this situation can cause significant pain, places the patient at risk for severe sepsis if associated with infection, and when bilateral (or in a solitary kidney) can result in acute renal failure requiring dialysis. When it becomes chronic, tubular atrophy, inflammatory processes resulting in fibrosis, and an irreversible loss of nephrons and renal function will ultimately occur.
Power Cycling of Three-Level Inverters for Low Speed Operation

Low speed operation of inverters can cause high maximum temperature that results in the necessity of over rating design of power modules. Operating the converter in fundamental frequencies higher than zero can have worse results than the DC output due of the high temperature ripple. Temperature ripple can stress the bond wires and chips. This paper investigates the possibility of using different topologies (two- level and three-level) and semiconductor types for lowering losses and distributing the losses between the power semiconductors.
Where the Boss Sits Matters: Work Interactions Among Employees and Physical Proximity in the Office

This paper examines how work-related interactions between employees are shaped by two elements of the formal organizational structure: office space design and hierarchical relationships. We exploit...
Pose, Wobble, and Flow: The Experiences of Three First-Year Teachers

Using case study methodology, this study follows three elementary teachers transitioning from their teacher education programs through their first year of teaching. Guided by the tenets of Pose, Wo...
Viral elements and their potential influence on microbial processes along the permanently stratified Cariaco Basin redoxcline

Little is known about viruses in oxygen-deficient water columns (ODWCs). In surface ocean waters, viruses are known to act as gene vectors among susceptible hosts. Some of these genes may have metabolic functions and are thus termed auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs). AMGs introduced to new hosts by viruses can enhance viral replication and/or potentially affect biogeochemical cycles by modulating key microbial pathways. Here we identify 748 viral populations that cluster into 94 genera along a vertical geochemical gradient in the Cariaco Basin, a permanently stratified and euxinic ocean basin. The viral communities in this ODWC appear to be relatively novel as 80 of these viral genera contained no reference viral sequences, likely due to the isolation and unique features of this system. We identify viral elements that encode AMGs implicated in distinctive processes, such as sulfur cycling, acetate fermentation, signal transduction, [Fe-S] formation, and N-glycosylation. These AMG-encoding viruses include two putative Mu-like viruses, and viral-like regions that may constitute degraded prophages that have been modified by transposable elements. Our results provide an insight into the ecological and biogeochemical impact of viruses oxygen-depleted and euxinic habitats.
Piety and Theocentric Naturalism

The virtue of piety is central to religious life, with ultimate piety owed to the conditions for the very possibility of existence. Anything less than this ultimate reality cannot be a worthy refer...
Good Choices: Technological and Ethical Considerations to Increase Trust in UASs

This work discusses how public trust in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs, or drones) could be increased through the implementation of ethical guidelines in drone behaviors. It elaborates the challenges of transparency, ethical decisions in current drone use, and potential ways forward to increase public trust before drones become ubiquitous to people’s daily lives.
Air Traffic Control

The sections in this article are 1 Historical Development of the ATM System 2 Operations Within the ATM System 3 Future ATM Developments 4 Global ATM
Mode II delamination failure mechanisms of polymer matrix composites

The failure process of mode II delamination fracture is studied on the basis of the microscopic matrix failure modes (microcracks and hackles) as well as fracture mechanics principles. The crack tip matrix stresses leading to delamination is analysed by examining an adhesive bond with a crack analogous to a delamination crack in the resin layer of a composite. Such crack tip stresses induce matrix microcracks involving two major events: (a) single microcrack initiation and (b) development of multiple microcracks with regular spacing. The microcrack initiation shear stress τ* is found by the use of fracture mechanics to be related to certain resin properties (shear modulus G and mode I fracture toughness GIC) and microcrack length of the order of the resin layer thickness t (related to resin content).
A Mass-Conservation Model for Stability Analysis and Finite-Time Estimation of Spread of COVID-19

The COVID-19 global pandemic has significantly impacted people throughout the United States and the World. While it was initially believed the virus was transmitted from animal to human, person-to-person transmission is now recognized as the main source of community spread. This article integrates data into physics-based models to analyze stability of the rapid COVID-19 growth and to obtain a data-driven model for spread dynamics among the human population. The proposed mass-conservation model is used to learn the parameters of pandemic growth and to predict the growth of total cases, deaths, and recoveries over a finite future time horizon. The proposed finite-time prediction model is validated by finite-time estimation of the total numbers of infected cases, deaths, and recoveries in the United States from March 12, 2020 to December 9, 2020.
Flailing, Hailing, Prevailing: Perceptions of Multi-Robot Failure Recovery Strategies

We explored different ways in which a multi-robot system might recover after one robot experiences a failure. We compared four recovery conditions: Update (a robot fixes its error and continues the task), Re-embody (a robot transfers its intelligence to a different body), Call (the failed robot summons a second robot to take its place), and Sense (a second robot detects the failure and proactively takes the place of the first robot). We found that trust in the system and perceived competence of the system were higher when a single robot recovered from a failure on its own (by updating or re-embodying) than when a second robot took over the task. We also found evidence that two robots that used the same socially interactive intelligence were perceived more similarly than two robots with different intelligences. Finally, our study revealed a relationship between how people perceive the agency of a robot and how they perceive the performance of the system.
BUDESONIDE COMPATIBILITY STUDY WITH EXCIPIENTS FOR PREPARATION OF NANOPARTICLE

Objective: As a condition of acceptance and approval of any pharmaceutical product, stability studies ensuring the durability of the consistency, stability and efficacy of the product during the shelf life are taken into consideration. These studies should be conducted according to the guidelines provided by ICH, WHO and other agencies as intended. Methods: The aim of this research was to evaluate the stability of the budesonide solution in some solutions and excipients and to further study the production of budesonide nanoparticles. In order to study the Budesonide stability mixture of solvent and polymers were used. To study the effect of temperature and relative humidity on the stability of budesonide preparations, prepared mixtures were stored under Accelerated (40 °C±2 °C/75 percent RH±5 percent RH), Intermediate (30 °C±2 °C/65 percent RH±5 percent RH), Long-term (25 °C±2 °C/60 percent RH±5 percent RH) and at 2-8 °C. Results: Budesonide showed good compatibility at defined stability conditions in one month. Such type of preformulation compatibility study is necessary in preparation of nanoparticles. Conclusion: It would be helpful in screening and identifying a suitable solvent, polymer and mixture at a desired concentration.
EEG biomarkers of free recall

Abstract Brain activity in the moments leading up to spontaneous verbal recall provide a window into the cognitive processes underlying memory retrieval. But these same recordings also subsume neural signals unrelated to mnemonic retrieval, such as response-related motor activity. Here we examined spectral EEG biomarkers of memory retrieval under an extreme manipulation of mnemonic demands: subjects either recalled items after a few seconds or after several days. This manipulation helped to isolate EEG components specifically related to long-term memory retrieval. In the moments immediately preceding recall we observed increased theta (4-8 Hz) power (+T), decreased alpha (8-20 Hz) power (-A), and increased gamma (40-128 Hz) power (+G), with this spectral pattern (+T-A+G) distinguishing the long-delay and immediate recall conditions. As subjects vocalized the same set of studied words in both conditions, we interpret the spectral +T-A+G as a biomarker of episodic memory retrieval.
Ductile intermetallic toughened carbide matrix composites

Ductile Ni{sub 3}Al alloys have been used as binder phase for fabrication of TiC and WC matrix composites. Ni{sub 3}Al has good corrosion resistance to aqueous acidic environments, and its yield strength increases with temperature to a max at 700-800 C; this combined with high tensile ductilities (up to 50% strain) make Ni{sub 3}Al attractive for replacing Co in cemented carbides. Materials have been fabricated by both hot pressing and vacuum sintering, with Ni{sub 3}Al contents of 15 to 95 vol%. Vacuum sintering cycles, similar to those used for WC/Co and TiC/Ni (1450-1600 C), resulted in sintered densities >95% theoretical. WC/Ni{sub 3}Al materials showed an order of magnitude improvement in corrosion resistance over WC/Co, in sulfuric/nitric acid. These materials also had improved high temperature strength retention compared to WC/Co cermets, though initial RT strengths were lower. Fracture toughness varied between 8 and 25 MPa.m{sup 1/2} and depended primarily on Ni{sub 3}Al content and composition.
Throughput and coverage improvement in wireless mesh networks

In a wireless mesh network, nodes known as transit access points (TAPs) cooperatively forward traffic from users that may be multiple wireless hops apart. A limited number of TAPs also have a connection directly to the Internet, serving as gateway nodes that provide Internet connectivity to the entire mesh network. Wireless mesh networks are gaining in importance as an alternative to cable and DSL and are envisioned to provide fixed, nomadic, portable, and---eventually mobile---wireless broadband connectivity. In this thesis, I provide solutions to two important problems in wireless mesh networks and evaluate these solutions through simulation experiments. The two solutions, improving throughput and coverage, can simultaneously coexist and can complement each other in a single mesh network. Nevertheless, both the techniques can also exist independent of each other in a wireless mesh network and can individually prove advantageous. First, I present two novel traffic-aware routing metrics that take into account existing user traffic flows in the network. Previous routing metrics have been traffic-unaware, often causing routes with poor throughput to be selected when other better routes are available. These new traffic-aware metrics use information captured through measurements at the medium access control (MAC) layer, which is then exposed to the routing layer. I compare these traffic-aware metrics with existing traffic-unaware metrics under different network scenarios. Second, I present the design and analysis of a new technique for increasing the coverage of a wireless mesh network through deployment of small, low-cost booster TAPs (bTAPs). These bTAPs are strategically deployed and controlled by the system operator to wirelessly forward traffic between users and TAP nodes. This deployment model is especially suitable for wide area wireless access networks that use centralized management of radio resources. I analyze the use of bTAPs across different frequency reuse patterns typical of those used in multi-cell wireless environments for efficient management of costly radio spectrum. The bTAP architecture provides dramatic improvements in outage performance and a sufficient capacity gain to compensate for the radio resources required for forwarding user traffic via bTAPs.
Familial resemblance for measures of reading performance in families of reading-disabled and control twins

In order to assess familial resemblance for measures of reading performance, data from 314 pairs of twins in which at least one member of each pair is reading-disabled [142 monozygotic (MZ) and 172 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs], 273 matched control pairs (131 MZ and 142 DZ pairs), and their parents were subjected to both correlation and regression analyses. Results indicate that parent-offspring resemblance in families of reading-disabled probands does not differ substantially from that in families of controls. In general, the correlations and regressions for MZ twin pairs are greater than those for DZ twins; thus, individual differences in reading performance are due at least in part to heritable influences. As expected, regression coefficients are consistently larger than correlation coefficients for both parent-offspring and proband-cotwin comparisons in the reading-disabled sample, illustrating that regression analyses are more appropriate than correlations for assessing familial resemblance in selected samples.
Two new regularized AdaBoost algorithms

AdaBoost rarely suffers from overfitting problems in low noise data cases. However, recent studies with highly noisy patterns clearly showed that overfitting can occur. A natural strategy to alleviate the problem is to penalize the distribution skewness in the learning process to prevent several hardest examples from spoiling decision boundaries. In this paper, we describe in detail how a penalty scheme can be pursued in the mathematical programming setting as well as in the Boosting setting. By using two smooth convex penalty functions, two new soft margin concepts are defined and two new regularized AdaBoost algorithms are proposed. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithms is demonstrated through a large scale experiment. Compared with other regularized AdaBoost algorithms, our methods can achieve at least the same or much better performances.