cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impact of technology scaling on ESD robustness and protection circuit design

The trends in ESD robustness as a function of technology scaling, for feature sizes down to 0.25 /spl mu/m, have been experimentally determined using single finger nMOS transistors and full ESD protection circuits. It is shown that as feature sizes are reduced, good ESD performance can be obtained provided the negative effects of the shallower junctions are offset by the positive effects of the reduction in the effective channel lengths. Hence, processes and protection circuits with feature sizes as small as 0.25 /spl mu/m can be developed without degrading ESD robustness. >
Effect of Calcium Supplementation on the Risk of Large Bowel Polyps

Background Clinical trials have shown that calcium supplementation modestly decreases the risk of colorectal adenomas. However, few studies have examined the effect of calcium on the risk of different types of colorectal lesions or dietary determinants of this effect. Methods Our analysis used patients from the Calcium Polyp Prevention Study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled chemoprevention trial among patients with a recent colorectal adenoma. Nine hundred thirty patients were randomly assigned to calcium carbonate (1200 mg/day) or placebo. Follow-up colonoscopies were conducted approximately 1 and 4 years after the qualifying examination. We used general estimating equation (GEE) and generalized linear regression analyses to compute risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the effect of calcium treatment versus placebo on the risk of hyperplastic polyps, tubular adenomas, and more advanced lesions. Additionally, we used GEE analyses to compare the calcium treatment effects for various types of polyps with that for tubular adenomas. We also examined the interaction between calcium treatment and baseline intake of dietary calcium, fat, and fiber. All P values were obtained using Wald tests based on the corresponding models. All tests of statistical significance were two-sided. Results The calcium risk ratio for hyperplastic polyps was 0.82 (95% CI = 0.67 to 1.00), that for tubular adenomas was 0.89 (95% CI = 0.77 to 1.03), and that for histologically advanced neoplasms was 0.65 (95% CI = 0.46 to 0.93) compared with patients assigned to placebo. There were no statistically significant differences between the risk ratio for tubular adenomas and that for other types of polyps. The effect of calcium supplementation on adenoma risk was most pronounced among individuals with high dietary intakes of calcium and fiber and with low intake of fat, but the interactions were not statistically significant. Conclusion Our results suggest that calcium supplementation may have a more pronounced antineoplastic effect on advanced colorectal lesions than on other types of polyps.
Molecular mechanics (MM4) force field development for phosphine and its alkyl derivatives.

Based on the experimental structures and vibrational spectra of eight alkylphosphines, as well as ten ab initio calculated (MP2/6−31+g*) structures and five potential energy profiles, the MM4 force field has been extended to include this important functional group. The results are comparable to experimental values for phosphorus-containing compounds. The addition of various cross-terms significantly improved the MM4 calculated structures relative to its predecessor, MM3. The overall root mean square error in moments of inertia have been reduced from 1.65% in MM3 to 0.26% in MM4. MM4 was also successful in reducing the previously impressive root mean square error in vibrational frequencies from 35 cm−1 to 31 cm−1 for the eight compounds studied. Chirality 14:220–231, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Performance optimization of pipelined logic circuits using peripheral retiming and resynthesis

The problem of minimizing the cycle time of a given pipelined circuit is considered. The idea of simultaneous retiming and resynthesis is used to optimize a pipelined circuit to meet a given cycle time. An instance of the pipelined cycle optimization problem is specified by the circuit, a set of input arrival times relative to the clock, a set of required output times relative to the clock, and a given cycle time that it must meet. Given the instance of the pipelined performance optimization problem, the authors construct an instance of a combinational speedup problem. This is specified by a combinational logic circuit, a set of arrival times on the inputs, and a set of required times for the outputs which must be met. A constructive proof that the pipelined problem has a solution if and only if the combinational problem has a solution is given. This result shows that it is enough to consider only the combinational speedup problem, and all known techniques for that can be directly applied to generate a solution for the pipelined problem. >
Superconductors in confined geometries

The synthesis of nanoscale superconductors with controlled geometries is extremely challenging. In this paper we present results on synthesis and characterization of one-dimensional (1D) NbSe2 superconducting nanowires/nanoribbons. Our synthesis approach includes the synthesis of 1D NbSe3 nanostructure precursors followed by nondestructive and controlled adjustment of the Se composition to formulate NbSe2. The morphology, composition and crystallinity of the synthesized 1D NbSe2 nanostructures were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Transport measurements were carried out to explore the electronic properties of these confined superconducting nanostructures.
DISORDERLY DOCTRINES: RELIGION, RACE, AND THE FOUNTAINGROVE SEX SCANDAL OF 1891–1892

In 1891, a moral reformer named Alzire Chevaillier launched an aggressive crusade to destroy Fountaingrove, a spiritualist utopian colony in Northern California with white and Japanese members. Chevaillier accused the colony's leader, Thomas Lake Harris, of promoting “disorderly doctrines” with sexual practices “worse than those of Mormonism.” This essay uses the little-known Fountaingrove scandal to examine the interrelationship of religion, race, and sexuality in California. As a mixed-race new religious movement accused of sexual immorality, Fountaingrove transgressed prevailing norms in multiple ways. The colony became Orientalized in the public imagination, showing how new religions and non-normative sexual practices were coded as racially other. Yet media representations of Fountaingrove reflected more than straightforward “yellow peril.” The Japanese members of Fountaingrove inhabited several unstable categories at once, viewed as neither “heathen” nor Christian, neither adults nor children, neither white nor Chinese, shedding light on the uncertain religio-racial status of early Japanese immigrants to the United States. The scandal also reveals the racist dimensions of white female reformers' attacks on male dominance. The wide range of public response to Chevaillier's campaign, from moral disgust to amusement to apathy, gives evidence of the cultural fissures beginning to break open in fin de siecle America.
Skills and Inequality: Partisan Politics and the Political Economy of Education Reforms in Western Welfare States

The culmination of five years' research on education politics, policies and institutions, Marius Busemeyer's Skills and Inequality sets itself the ambitious task of reintegrating the analysis of ed...
Nonlinear static and dynamic analyses of a low-rise steel building

Nonlinear static and nonlinear dynamic procedures in the Guidelines for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings (FEMA-273 1997) are used to analyze an existing fourstory steel moment frame building previously damaged in the Northridge earthquake. Results from both types of analyses are compared with the objective of exercising and evaluating the FEMA-273 (1997) procedures for low-rise steel moment frames. Introduction The Guidelines for the Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings (FEMA-273 1997) is the first publication in the U.S. to provide a uniform and comprehensive methodology that allows engineers to rehabilitate buildings with the objective of attaining specific performance characteristics when subjected to earthquakes of varying severity. Building performance objectives are defined in terms of damage states that have been selected to represent conditions that influence post-earthquake decisions to occupy the building. Examples of performance levels as defined in FEMA-273 (1997) include immediate occupancy, life safety, and collapse prevention. Earthquake severity is characterized using earthquake shaking hazard levels that have specified probabilities of exceedance. A structural model of the building to be rehabilitated together with the specified hazard level is used to estimate seismic demands based on one of 4 alternative analysis procedures: linear static, linear dynamic, nonlinear static (pushover analysis), and nonlinear dynamic analyses. The demands obtained from these analyses are compared to acceptance limits that are based upon the chosen performance level. Decisions can then be made regarding the rehabilitation scheme. The purpose of this paper is to exercise and evaluate the nonlinear static procedure (NSP) and nonlinear dynamic procedure (NDP) in FEMA-273 (1997) as applied to low-rise steel frames. Seismic demands computed from the NDP are compared to corresponding values calculated from the NSP. Both sets of demands are then compared to the acceptance criteria in FEMA-273 and conclusions regarding the provisions are drawn. Building Description The building chosen for analysis is a 4-story special moment-resisting steel frame designed using the 1988 UBC and built in 1993. The structure has two E-W 3-bay
Enabling Interactive Engagement Pedagogy Through Digital Technology

AbstractFor most college and university faculty, there seems to be no shortage of digital tools available for use in teaching. Think for a moment about such technology as presentation and communication tools, the internet, the laptop computer, and personal response systems (i.e. clickers) and what such tools have done to change the classroom learning environment. Such change, however, begs an important question for faculty to consider: In what ways have digital technologies enhanced student learning? Such a question is addressed in this paper as the authors explore the overall impact of digital technology on student learning in undergraduate biology courses in the U. S. More specifically, this paper weaves a historical, theoretical and philosophical perspective about life science education reform efforts aimed at providing undergraduates with interactive learning experiences, and in doing so offers readers a framework for a more focused understanding about how digital technology can lend itself to good te...
The Mechanisms of Salty and Sour Taste

Abstract When an animal first samples a food, it engages the gustatory system not only to assess the presence of critical nutrients but also to provide an early warning about potential toxins or other noxious compounds. Taste stimuli vary in their size from complex molecules such as carbohydrates (sweet taste) or amino acids (umami taste) to small ions like Na + (salty taste) or the protons of aversive acids (sour taste). The principal gustatory detector of sodium salts has been identified as the epithelial sodium channel, but the molecular mechanisms by which acids and nonsodium salts are transduced in the taste buds remains unclear. This chapter will review much of what we know, and what we do not, of the mechanisms by which the mammalian gustatory system detects salts and acids.
Automatic Collection Technology for State Monitoring Data of Power Transmission and Transformation Equipment and Its Application

In order to establish an unified and standardized data platform for electric power equipment state monitoring and diagnosis system,a method which was based on unified information model and aimed to realize automatic collection for state monitoring data of various professional systems was studied.Firstly,a solution scheme for object coding of various data source systems and inconformity of object naming was put forward and an verification method for source system model was presented as well.Process steps of automatic data collection were stated and meanwhile,methods for automatic joint of production management system and information model of dispatching automation system,construction of online monitoring model,real-time data and alarming data collection were introduced and analyzed.Automatic collection technology was applied in Guangdong Power Grid Co.,Ltd.which was effectively realizing automatic collection,comprehensive integration and unified application of mass data of production management system,energy management system and online monitoring system.
The Legacy and Later Years of James Buchanan

James Buchanan’s ideas are invariably associated with a new school of political economy at the University of Virginia, and a school of economic thought. But for the academic year 1968–9, which he spent at the University of California Los Angeles and visiting semesters at the Florida State University and at the University of Tennessee, Buchanan spent much of his career in the state of Virginia, first at the University of Virginia, followed by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and, finally, at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, where he became the first Director for the Center for the Study of Public Choice.
Effective Strategies for Developing Reading Comprehension

This chapter focuses on instructional strategies for improving reading comprehension of students with learning disabilities (LD). It discusses the nature of reading comprehension and highlights comprehension difficulties experienced by students with LD. This discussion is followed by a selective overview of the research on cognitive and metacognitive strategies, with a focus on components of effective instruction gleaned from the research on reading comprehension.
The Narrow Conception of Temperance

As opposed to the tendency of the broad conceptions to overstate and conflate temperance with virtue in general, narrow conceptions of temperance tend to restrict and collapse the role of temperance to restraining or controlling specific forms of human physical desires. Plato’s initial effort to define a certain number of virtues working in concert with each other opened the way for the historical trend toward a more narrowly conceived virtue. Aristotle continued this trend and put the work of temperance largely in the domain of the physical sense of touch.
A Comparison of Near-Infrared Diffuse Optical Imaging and 18F-FDG PET/CT for the Early Prediction of Breast Cancer Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

In recent years, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) before surgery has become the standard of care for patients who present with advanced breast cancers or multiple lesions, in order to control distant metastases as well as reduce breast tumor size before surgery ([1][1]). The remaining medical oncology
Fabrication of ultrahigh aspect ratio silicon nanostructures using self-assembled gold metal-assisted chemical etching

We report the critical factors that control the geometry of silicon nanostructures produced by metal-assisted chemical etching (MacEtch) using self-assembled islands from an ultrathin film of gold. We have conducted a systematic study of the process parameters that control the geometry of the metal structures and the resulting etched nanostructures. Compared to prior reports, which have focused on the crystal orientation and solution stoichiometry, our study finds that the anisotropy of the etched nanostructures is primarily controlled by the deposited metal geometry, while solution stoichiometry and crystal orientation play relatively minor roles. Using an optimized self-assembled geometry and etch process, we demonstrate what we believe is the highest aspect ratio to date (greater than 5000∶1) for high density top-down etched silicon nanostructures. These structures, which we refer to as silicon nanowalls, are in the size regime where quantum confinement effects could potentially be exploited for next-generation optoelectronic components and devices.
Life satisfaction among Chinese elderly in Beijing

The present study examined correlates of life satisfaction among 350 Chinese elderly aged 65 or older. Subjects consisted of a clinic sample (n = 200) and a randomly selected community sample (n = 150) recruited from the same area in Beijing. Linear regression analysis was performed, using health, financial status, and family support as independent variables. Results showed that the regression model explained 38 percent of the variance in life satisfaction in the total sample, 34 percent and 43 percent of the variance respectively in the clinical and community samples. Life satisfaction was significantly predicted by health and financial status among community elderly and by health, financial status, as well as family support among outpatient elderly. Findings suggest that the socio-cultural context has exerted important impacts on the Chinese elderly's life satisfaction.
Pisces: An Accurate and Versatile Single Sample Somatic and Germline Variant Caller

A method for robustly and accurately detecting rare DNA mutations in tumor samples is critical to cancer research. Because many clinical tissue repositories have only FFPE-degraded tumor samples, and no matched normal sample from healthy tissue available, being able to discriminate low frequency mutations from background noise in the absence of a matched normal sample is of particular importance to research. Current state of the art variant callers such as GATK and VarScan focus on germline variant calling (used for detecting inherited mutations following a Mendelian inheritance pattern) or, in the case of FreeBayes and MuTect, focus on tumor-normal joint variant calling (using the normal sample to help discriminate low frequency somatic mutations from back ground noise). We present Pisces, a tumor-only variant caller exclusively developed at Illumina for detecting low frequency mutations from next generation sequencing data. Pisces has been an integral part of the Illumina Truseq Amplicon workflow since 2012, and is available on BaseSpace and on the MiSeq sequencing platforms. Pisces has been available to the public on github, since 2015. (https://github.com/Illumina/Pisces) Since that time, the Pisces variant calling team have continued to develop Pisces, and have made available a suite of variant calling tools, including a ReadStitcher, Variant Phaser, and Variant Quality Recalibration tool, to be used along with the core variant caller, Pisces. Here, we describe the Pisces variant calling tools and core algorithms. We describe the common use cases for Pisces (not necessarily restricted to somatic variant calling). We also evaluate Pisces performance on somatic and germline datasets, both from the titration of well characterized samples, and from a corpus of 500 FFPE-treated clinical trial tumor samples, against other variant callers. Our results show that Pisces gives highly accurate results in a variety of contexts. We recommend Pisces for amplicon somatic and germline variant calling.
Optical Techniques to Develop Transfer Functions to Remove Geometric Features in Acoustic Emission Signals

A measured acoustic emission signal depends upon three distinct factors: its source; component geometry and material properties; and receiving sensor and instrumentation. Each of these three elements must be understood in order to effectively identify and characterize measured acoustic emission waveforms.
HYBRID EXPANSION METHOD FOR FREQUENCY RESPONSES AND THEIR SENSITIVITIES, PART II: VISCOUSLY DAMPED SYSTEMS

Frequency responses and their sensitivities have been broadly applied to finite element model updating, structural damage detection, dynamic optimization, vibration control and so on. In this paper, the modal acceleration method for the frequency responses and the double-modal acceleration method for their sensitivities, which have been discussed in the previous paper for undamped systems, are extended to viscously damped systems. The two methods are based on the hybrid expansion, power series expansion and modal superposition, of the inverse of the complex dynamic system matrix. Three steps are required to calculate the sensitivities using the proposed method. Firstly, frequency responses of a system excited by external forces are calculated by using the modal acceleration. Pseudo-force vector is then computed from the production of the sensitivity matrix and the frequency response vector. Finally, a second modal acceleration is applied to obtain the general frequency responses under the pseudo-forces, that is, the sensitivities. Two modal truncation schemes, middle-high-modal and low-high-modal truncation schemes, are presented according to the values of the exciting frequencies. The modal truncation errors of the modal acceleration method for frequency responses and the double-modal acceleration method for the sensitivities are also given to show the convergence of the proposed methods. Although the frequency responses and their sensitivities are discussed in this paper, the proposed methods are also valid for the frequency response functions, responses in time domain and their sensitivities. The results of a floating raft isolation system show that the proposed modal acceleration methods are efficient, especially for the sensitivity analysis. The modal truncation errors of the frequency responses and their sensitivities will reduce quickly when the two-modal acceleration methods are adopted.
A Followership Perspective on Role Modelling and Mentorship

Followership characteristics and behaviours, such as co-cultural competence, self-regulation, and proactivity are widely desired attributes that are selected and perceived as meaningful through observation as individuals enact the cognitive processes of role modelling. Role modelling is an individual-level propensity for either a new skill or a different style without interacting with the target. Followership outcomes resulting from these attributes (for example, social identity, influence, organisational climate, and power) offer valuable insight towards understanding how role modelling shapes identity and provides motivation to achieve goals. Effective followers engage in mentoring by interactively providing co-worker advice and support, and during interactive processes, they pass on specific skills knowledge. From a followership perspective, role modelling and mentorship unfold differently, yet co-exist and function effectively for followers and organisations as well as competent leaders. In this chapter, the authors provide a conceptual foundation elucidating co-cultural competence, from a followership perspective, as it relates to role modelling and mentorship. More specifically, the authors explore how these associations influence individuals (identity, motivation to achieve goals, career and psycho-social support) and workplace processes (socialisation, effectiveness, and training).
Establishing a Comprehensive Bariatric Surgery Program

Establishing a successful bariatric surgery program requires administrative commitment at the highest level. Optimal patient selection is key. Utilizing the MBSAQIP criteria for “comprehensive center” is a useful blueprint to build the program. With proper planning, it is possible to initiate a new bariatric program and achieve high-quality outcomes.
The Generation of Liapunov Functions

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a variety of ways of generating Liapunov functions to determine a region of asymptotic stability. It discusses methods by which the second method of Liapunov may be used to give an estimate of the region of stability. The second method of Liapunov may be broadly classified as one of the modern approaches to the solution of stability problems in automatic control. The second method is the theoretical justification for the usual procedure of linearization about an operating point. The chapter reviews the study of regions of asymptotic stability for autonomous, nonlinear, and control systems. It discusses the actual generation of Liapunov functions for autonomous systems that includes five major divisions. The chapter outlines the procedure developed by Szego and this is shown to extend and complement the Aizerman approach. It explains the variable-gradient method of generating Liapunov functions.
Particular Reduce-or-Retreat Methods

Four particular examples of methods within our framework are explored in detail, including generalized line-search and trust-region methods, as well as a general pattern-search method and the classic Nelder–Mead method. In each case, we consider descent, and develop conditions ensuring lower-diminishing target-gaps and an approach to stationarity.
Spinal Cord Ischemia and Trauma

Therapeutic hypothermia as a potential treatment for spinal cord injury (SCI) has a long history. In early studies by Albin and colleagues (1, 2, 3), selective spinal cord cooling to approximately 12°C resulted in marked neurological and functional recovery after SCI. In a study by Green and colleagues (4), regional hypothermia (6–18°C) in cats initiated 1 hr post-injury decreased edema formation and hemorrhage. In studies by Wells and Hansebout (55), local cooling to 6°C was also reported to be effective in minimizing functional deficits in dogs, even when initiated 4 hr after spinal cord compression. Taken together, these early investigations support the use of profound hypothermia as a therapeutic strategy to protect the spinal cord after injury. Nevertheless, producing profound local hypothermia of the injured spinal cord presents various technical problems, and the alternative use of systemic hypothermia can lead to potentially serious complications. Because the beneficial effects of hypothermia have been somewhat inconsistent in laboratory experiments, and some clinical studies lacked adequate controls, it is currently difficult to determine the degree of benefit with hypothermic therapy after SCI.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration: An Overview

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a global disease without a definitive cure that leads to substantial vision loss and decreased quality of life. Our understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease has greatly evolved, allowing the development of interventions that improve visual acuity and/or delay visual decline in AMD patients. Given the tremendous escalating burden of the disease worldwide, the lack of definitive cure for either neovascular or non-neovascular AMD, and our increasingly sophisticated grasp of the genetic factors underlying the disease, the future holds both the urgency and the promise to elucidate preventive strategies, disease mechanisms, and treatment options.
Abstract B013: Combined molecular targeting Src and mTOR pathways to impair prostate cancer cell survival

Overexpression of oncoproteins Src and mTOR has been shown to be highly associated with prostate cancer progression and poor clinical outcomes; therefore, small-molecule Src or mTOR inhibitors are being extensively evaluated in clinical trials for advanced prostate cancer. However, clinical data suggest that single treatment with any of these inhibitors only yields limited effects in patients. One possibility is that redundant signaling pathways in tumor cells exist that allow tumor cell uninterrupted upon blockade of purely one pathway. We hypothesize that Src and mTOR are two compensatory pathways that may cooperate to promote prostate cancer survival. Here we studied treatment effects of combining inhibitors targeting Src (saracatinib) and mTOR (rapamycin) on functional behaviors associated with tumor growth in prostate cancer cells with high level expression of both kinases. Combination of both inhibitors was found to inhibit cell proliferation and clonogenic survival more strongly than either single agent, as assessed by MTT and colony formation assay, respectively. Western blot analysis demonstrated that co-targeting Src and mTOR kinases leads to not only inhibition on phosphorylation of these oncoproteins but also greater blockade of multiple downstream pathways such as focal adhesion kinase (FAK), Akt, ERK, S6K, and 4E-BP1. These data indicate that combined application of small-molecule inhibitors targeting two different key pathways may cause significant impairment of phenotypes associated with prostate cancer growth and survival, suggesting that this combinative intervention modality may serve as a potential anticancer strategy that could be further tested in advanced prostate cancer models in vivo. Citation Format: Yao Dai, Dietmar W. Siemann. Combined molecular targeting Src and mTOR pathways to impair prostate cancer cell survival [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Prostate Cancer: Advances in Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research; 2017 Dec 2-5; Orlando, Florida. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(16 Suppl):Abstract nr B013.
Detection of Carolina Geranium (Geranium carolinianum) Growing in Competition with Strawberry Using Convolutional Neural Networks

Weed interference during crop establishment is a serious concern for Florida strawberry [Fragaria × ananassa (Weston) Duchesne ex Rozier (pro sp.) [chiloensis × virginiana]] producers. In situ remote detection for precision herbicide application reduces both the risk of crop injury and herbicide inputs. Carolina geranium (Geranium carolinianum L.) is a widespread broadleaf weed within Florida strawberry production with sensitivity to clopyralid, the only available POST broadleaf herbicide. Geranium carolinianum leaf structure is distinct from that of the strawberry plant, which makes it an ideal candidate for pattern recognition in digital images via convolutional neural networks (CNNs). The study objective was to assess the precision of three CNNs in detecting G. carolinianum. Images of G. carolinianum growing in competition with strawberry were gathered at four sites in Hillsborough County, FL. Three CNNs were compared, including object detection–based DetectNet, image classification–based VGGNet, and GoogLeNet. Two DetectNet networks were trained to detect either leaves or canopies of G. carolinianum. Image classification using GoogLeNet and VGGNet was largely unsuccessful during validation with whole images (Fscore < 0.02). CNN training using cropped images increased G. carolinianum detection during validation for VGGNet (Fscore = 0.77) and GoogLeNet (Fscore = 0.62). The G. carolinianum leaf–trained DetectNet achieved the highest Fscore (0.94) for plant detection during validation. Leaf-based detection led to more consistent detection of G. carolinianum within the strawberry canopy and reduced recall-related errors encountered in canopy-based training. The smaller target of leaf-based DetectNet did increase false positives, but such errors can be overcome with additional training images for network desensitization training. DetectNet was the most viable CNN tested for image-based remote sensing of G. carolinianum in competition with strawberry. Future research will identify the optimal approach for in situ detection and integrate the detection technology with a precision sprayer.
Cooperative Simultaneous Arrival of Unmanned Vehicles onto a Moving Target in GPS-Denied Environment

In this paper, we address the problem of synchronized convergence of multiple Unmanned Vehicles (UVs) onto a single moving and maneuvering target in a GPS-denied environment with each agent having fractionated information and sensing constraints. The UVs (or agents) are considered to be distributed over a topographical region with limited sensing range and field-of-view (FOV) as compared to the expanse of the region under consideration. These constraints are addressed using cooperative localization technique augmented with Proportional Navigation (PN) guidance law. Using nonlinear observability analysis, it is shown that the combined algorithm proposed in this paper keeps the states of target and UVs observable as long as the observability criteria are not violated. Further, simulations are performed to show that the theory is consistent and is able to perform simultaneous convergence.
The Fighting Sullivans: How Hollywood and the Military Make Heroes

Review of: "The Fighting Sullivans: How Hollywood and the Military Make Heroes," by Bruce Kuklick.
TRANSP-based closed-loop simulations of current profile optimal regulation in NSTX-Upgrade

Abstract Active control of the toroidal current density profile is critical for the upgraded National Spherical Torus eXperiment device (NSTX-U) to maintain operation at the desired high-performance, MHD-stable, plasma regime. Initial efforts towards current density profile control have led to the development of a control-oriented, physics-based, plasma-response model, which combines the magnetic diffusion equation with empirical correlations for the kinetic profiles and the non-inductive current sources. The developed control-oriented model has been successfully tailored to the NSTX-U geometry and actuators. Moreover, a series of efforts have been made towards the design of model-based controllers, including a linear-quadratic-integral optimal control strategy that can regulate the current density profile around a prescribed target profile while rejecting disturbances. In this work, the tracking performance of the proposed current-profile optimal controller is tested in numerical simulations based on the physics-oriented code TRANSP. These high-fidelity closed-loop simulations, which are a critical step before experimental implementation and testing, are enabled by a flexible framework recently developed to perform feedback control design and simulation in TRANSP.
Thromboinflammatory effects of RBC microvesicles.

In this issue of Blood, Noubouossie et al provide new insights into potential mechanisms for thromboinflammatory complications associated with red blood cell (RBC) transfusions. By using leukoreduced RBC units to isolate RBC microvesicles (RBC-MVs), they document that RBC-MVs activate factor IX (FIX) via 2 distinct pathways: (1) the canonical intrinsic pathway in which activated FXII (FXIIa) activates FIX in an FXI-dependent manner and (2) a noncanonical pathway in which plasma kallikrein directly activates FIX, which ultimately results in thrombin generation.
Hypofractionated Stereotactic Radiosurgery (HF-SRS) in the Treatment of Brain Metastases

Single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SF-SRS) is widely employed to safely and effectively treat small intracranial lesions. However, for large metastases or those in close proximity to critical structures, it can be difficult to obtain an acceptable balance of tumor control while avoiding damage to normal tissue when single-fraction SRS is utilized. Treating a lesion in two to five fractions of SRS (termed hypofractionated SRS, HF-SRS) potentially permits treatment of brain metastases with a total dose of radiation that yields both adequate tumor control and acceptable toxicity. Indeed, studies of HF-SRS in large brain metastases suggest that a superior balance of tumor control and toxicity is observed compared to single-fraction SRS. Nonetheless, a great deal of effort remains to understand mechanisms for HF-SRS driving the dose-volume-response relationship for tumors and normal tissues and to exploit this fundamental knowledge clinically. In particular, the application of HF-SRS in the setting of immunomodulating cancer therapies offers special challenges and opportunities.
Causality and Batch Reinforcement Learning: Complementary Approaches To Planning In Unknown Domains.

Reinforcement learning algorithms have had tremendous successes in online learning settings. However, these successes have relied on low-stakes interactions between the algorithmic agent and its environment. In many settings where RL could be of use, such as health care and autonomous driving, the mistakes made by most online RL algorithms during early training come with unacceptable costs. These settings require developing reinforcement learning algorithms that can operate in the so-called batch setting, where the algorithms must learn from set of data that is fixed, finite, and generated from some (possibly unknown) policy. Evaluating policies different from the one that collected the data is called off-policy evaluation, and naturally poses counter-factual questions. In this project we show how off-policy evaluation and the estimation of treatment effects in causal inference are two approaches to the same problem, and compare recent progress in these two areas.
Developmental Differential Impact of Child Maltreatment: The Practitioner's Perspective

Although the negative impact of child maltreatment on child development is well-established in the literature, little research has explored potential developmental differences in the impact of child maltreatment on child outcomes. The primary aim of this qualitative study was to explore the impact of child maltreatment from the perspective of practitioners who serve maltreated children, including variation in impact and manifestation due to the developmental stage of the child. In this study, 27 in-depth interviews were conducted with practitioners who directly serve maltreated children in an urban Midwestern city in the United States. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The four themes of developmental differential on the impact of maltreatment included (1) impact manifestation; (2) behavioral expression; (3) locus of control; and, (4) complexity. The findings from this study offer valuable insight to inform developmentally-appropriate interventions for children who have experienced child maltreatment. Our discoveries encourage agencies and those working with maltreated children to consider the child's developmental level to acknowledge how the child will process and react to the maltreatment.
Elder mistreatment and psychological distress among U.S. Chinese older adults.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the associations between different types of elder mistreatment, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms among U.S. Chinese older adults. Methods: Data were ...
Distal Radius Fracture: Combination of Volar Plating/Dorsal Bridge Plate

We present the case of a 26-year-old male laborer, who sustained a high-energy, intra-articular distal radius and ulna styloid fracture. He developed subsidence and loss of fixation after index open reduction and internal fixation with a volar locking plate construct and was referred for revision surgery. Given a history of new onset seizure disorder and disuse osteopenia 6 weeks after the original injury, we performed revision ORIF via a volar approach utilizing fragment-specific fixation and augmentation of the construct with a dorsal bridge plate (DBP).
The solvation of electrons by an atmospheric-pressure plasma

Free, or solvated, electrons in a solution are known to form at the interface between a liquid and a gas. Here, the authors use absorption spectroscopy in a total internal reflection geometry to probe solvated electrons generated at a plasma in contact with the surface of an aqueous solution
Localization of Fos and Jun proteins in rat aortic smooth muscle cells after vascular injury.

Abstract The availability of specific reagents to measure gene activity has provided important tools and potential new directions for the study of smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation in vivo. In this report, we have measured steady-state mRNA levels of several fos and jun family members in aortic tissue by Northern blotting after vascular injury. In addition, protein products of these genes were analyzed by immunocytochemistry. Within 15 minutes of balloon injury, mRNA levels of c-fos, fosB, c-jun, junB, and junD were elevated severalfold. In contrast, fos-related antigen (fra-1) mRNA showed a delayed onset of expression. The expression kinetics of these immediate early genes was similar to those in cultured cells stimulated to undergo proliferation by growth factors, suggesting that such SMC gene activation in vivo reflects permeation of blood-derived growth factors into the vessel wall or intravascular release of preformed growth factors. Translation of fos and jun genes into immunoreactive products was demonstrated 2 hours after balloon injury with antisera to Fos and Jun proteins. Treating rats with cycloheximide abolished this immunoreactivity. The distribution of Fos and Jun products was concentrated in SMC nuclei at the luminal border of the rat aorta. Such focal expression may have consequences for the initiation of SMC DNA synthesis and migration after vascular injury. Furthermore, the expression of Fos and Jun proteins in SMC after vascular balloon injury may be used as an index of SMC activation under a variety of experimental settings.
Aluminum Nitride-Silicon Carbide Alloy Crystals Grown on SiC Substrates by Sublimation

AlN-SiC alloy crystals, with a thickness greater than 500 µm, were grown on 4H- and 6H-SiC substrates from a mixture of AlN and SiC powders by the sublimation-recondensation method at 1860-1990 °C. On-axis SiC substrates produced a rough surface covered with hexagonal grains, while 6H- and 4H- off-axis SiC substrates with different miscut angles (8° or 3.68°) formed a relatively smooth surface with terraces and steps. The substrate misorientation ensured that the AlN-SiC alloy crystals grew two dimensionally as identified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed that the AlN-SiC alloys had the wurtzite structure. Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrated that the resultant alloy crystals had non-stoichiometric ratios of Al:N and Si:C and a uniform composition throughout the alloy crystal from the interface to the surface. The composition ratio of Al:Si of the alloy crystals changed with the growth temperature, and differed from the original source composition, which was consistent with the results predicted by thermodynamic calculation of the solid-vapor distribution of each element. XPS detected the bonding between Si-C, Si-N, Si-O for the Si 2p spectra. The dislocation density decreased with the growth, which was lower than 106 cm−2 at the alloy surface, more than two orders of magnitude lower compared to regions close to the crystal/substrate interface, as determined by TEM.
Diffusions of mobile cellular phones in East, Southeast, and South Asia

This paper will examine the patterns of diffusion of mobile phones of 25 countries in the East, Southeast, and South Asia (ESS Asia) for the period between 1995 and 2010. We will first examine the growth patterns in the number of mobile phones in the world and in the ESS Asia. We will then examine mobile and fixed phone uses per 100 inhabitants. Comparisons of the total number of mobile phone uses between countries are not as useful because of the differences in their population sizes. We will examine how mobile phones per 100 inhabitants fared relative to their fixed phone per 100 housefolds at several different points in time. We will then examine how the rankings of the countries with respect to mobile phone per 100 changed at different points in time and explore their implications. Finally, we will carry out the usual multivariate statistical analysis to identify the economics and cultural variable that may influence the behavior of mobile phone uses.
Forest biomass energy: assessing atmospheric carbon impacts by discounting future carbon flows

Although forest biomass energy was long assumed to be carbon neutral, many studies show delays between forest biomass carbon emissions and sequestration, with biomass carbon causing climate change damage in the interim. While some models suggest that these primary biomass carbon effects may be mitigated by induced market effects, for example, from landowner decisions to increase afforestation due to higher biomass prices, the delayed carbon sequestration of biomass energy systems still creates considerable scientific debate (i.e., how to assess effects) and policy debate (i.e., how to act given these effects). Forests can be carbon sinks, but their carbon absorption capacity is finite. Filling the sink with fossil fuel carbon thus has a cost, and conversely, harvesting a forest for biomass energy – which depletes the carbon sink – creates potential benefits from carbon sequestration. These values of forest carbon sinks have not generally been considered. Using data from the 2010 Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences ‘Biomass sustainability and carbon policy study’ and a model of forest biomass carbon system dynamics, we investigate how discounting future carbon flows affects the comparison of biomass energy to fossil fuels in Massachusetts, USA. Drawing from established financial valuation metrics, we calculate internal rates of return (IRR) as explicit estimates of the temporal values of forest biomass carbon emissions. Comparing these IRR to typical private discount rates, we find forest biomass energy to be preferred to fossil fuel energy in some applications. We discuss possible rationales for zero and near-zero social discount rates with respect to carbon emissions, showing that social discount rates depend in part on expectations about how climate change affects future economic growth. With near-zero discount rates, forest biomass energy is preferred to fossil fuels in all applications studied. Higher IRR biomass energy uses (e.g., thermal applications) are preferred to lower IRR uses (e.g., electricity generation without heat recovery).
Skyfall, James Bond's Resurrection, and 21st-Century Anglo-American Imperial Nostalgia

This article provides readers with an ideological critique of the latest James Bond installment, Skyfall. The author argues that the director of the film, Sam Mendes, has succeeded in creating a highly popular movie by tapping into societal desires for Anglo-American imperial nostalgia. Several characters in the movie, including Bond and M, suffer falls from grace that parallel the loss of British imperial power, but in the end, both Bond and the empire are resurrected when they return to the old and true ways of dealing with cyberterrorist dangers. The 2012 release of Skyfall became a part of the British pageantry that swirled around the London Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, and the nostalgic imperialism of this latest Bond film allowed Anglo-American audiences to celebrate Britain's continued relevance and the need for MI6, the British Secret Service.
Voiding patterns in patients with post-prostatectomy incontinence: Urodynamic and demographic analysis

ABSTRACTPurpose: A significant percentage of patients with post-prostatectomy incontinence have been reported to void by Valsalva’s maneuver, which is our observation as well. We determine the mechanism of voiding in patients with post-prostatectomy incontinence and correlate this to demographic data, urodynamic parameters and outcome after artificial urinary sphincter implantation, and identify possible risk factors.Materials and Methods: Videourodynamic data from 61 consecutive patients with post-prostatectomy incontinence were reviewed to determine voiding patterns. The causes of incontinence were radical prostatectomy in 58 patients and transurethral resection of the prostate followed by radiation therapy in 3. The relationship between voiding patterns and demographic data (age, diabetes mellitus, degree and duration of incontinence, history of radiation therapy or treated bladder neck contracture) as well as urodynamic parameters (bladder capacity, compliance, instability, sensation, leak point press...