cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A 5GHz low power receiver front-end RFIC with one tail current implemented in SiGe BiCMOS technology

This paper presents a novel RF receiver front-end using only one shared tail current for low power application. The 5 GHz receiver front-end RFIC includes a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), a double balanced mixer and a low noise amplifier (LNA) in a cascoded topology. The receiver RFIC was implemented in a 0.5 m SiGe BiCMOS technology. The VCO oscillation frequency is around 5 GHz, targeting at the WLAN 802.11a application. The VCO phase noise was measured around -105 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz frequency offset. Intermediate frequency (IF) output is centered at frequency of 600 MHz using a low-IF architecture and the conversion gain is measured more than 15 dB. The 1 dB gain compression point and sensitivity of the frontend is measured greater than -14 dBm and smaller than - 60 dBm respectively. The front-end core consumes 3.3 mA current from a 3.3 V power supply and occupies 1.4 mm2 area.
2.5 GHz microwave thermal ablation for performing thermosensitive polymer-chemotherapy for cancer

Microwave Ablation (MWA) is a promising technology for treating hepatic tumors. Combined macromolecular thermo-targeted chemotherapy and MWA are expected to provide better tumor control than either method independently. The MWA will heat and destroy the tumor core. It will also produces a hyperthermic zone for further destruction at the tumor margin by focal, loco-regional accumulation of thermo-sensitive biosynthetic and bio-organic polymer-gelanamycin (GA) conjugate to kill surviving cancer cells. This will produce a significant reduction in tumor recurrence and increased cancer eradication as evaluated by survival endpoints. The minimum temperature requirement at the tumor periphery for the polymer-GA to destroy the tumor cell is 43°. Microwave coaxial-cable interstitial antennas have been developed in the past for hyperthermia. Current technology limits a single ablated region to approximately 3 cm. [1] Several types of coaxial-based antennas, including the coaxial slot antenna [2], coaxial dipole antenna [3], coaxial monopole antenna [4], coaxial cap-choke antennas [5], [6], and others have been designed for MWA or microwave hyperthermia therapies in an attempt to prevent this backward heating while creating as large an ablation radius as possible. The cap-choke antenna seems to most efficiently prevent backward heating [5][8]. This paper describes the design of a microwave ablation device that can provide the required temperature distribution on the surface of the tumor. It also uses beamforming for multi-antenna ablation to more uniform and controlled heating.
Bridging the partisan divide: Self-affirmation reduces ideological closed-mindedness and inflexibility in negotiation.

Three studies link resistance to probative information and intransigence in negotiation to concerns of identity maintenance. Each shows that affirmations of personal integrity (vs. nonaffirmation or threat) can reduce resistance and intransigence but that this effect occurs only when individuals’ partisan identity and/or identity-related convictions are made salient. Affirmation made participants’ assessment of a report critical of U.S. foreign policy less dependent on their political views, but only when the identity relevance of the issue rather than the goal of rationality was salient (Study 1). Affirmation increased concession making in a negotiation over abortion policy, but again this effect was moderated by identity salience (Studies 2 and 3). Indeed, although affirmed negotiators proved relatively more open to compromise when either the salience of their true convictions or the importance of remaining faithful to those convictions was heightened, the reverse was true when the salient goal was compromise. The theoretical and applied significance of these findings are discussed.
Writing for Publication in Journals for Practitioners Suggestions for Teachers and Early Career Researchers

When writing for teachers as the audience, authors need to make sure their manuscripts have interest, value, and relevance for practitioners. This article offers direction and assistance to those who aspire to publish practical articles in professional journals related to the education of persons with disabilities. General suggestions for writing, eight components of practical writing, and comments on mentoring are provided.
Bottom-up rather than top-down processes regulate the abundance and activity of nitrogen fixing plants in two Connecticut old-field ecosystems

The maintenance of nitrogen limitation in terrestrial ecosystems remains a central paradox in biogeochemistry. Although plants that form a symbiotic association with nitrogen fixing bacteria should be at a competitive advantage over non-fixing plant species in N limited environments, N2 fixing plants are uncommon in most mid- to high-latitude ecosystems. Theory and observation suggest that preferential grazing on N-rich tissues by herbivores, resource limitations to growth, reproduction and N2 fixation, and temperature limitations to the activity of the N2 fixing enzyme nitrogenase, explain the rarity of N2 fixing plants. These ideas, however, have never been confronted by multifactor experiments in the field. In a 3 year field experiment, we found that the abundance, growth, reproductive output and fraction of plant-N derived from N2 fixation in temperate, old-field ecosystems was constrained by the availability of phosphorus (P). Although the availability of light was crucial to the performance of old-field N2 fixing plants, the largest gains in biomass and the rate of N2 fixation were observed in the plots fertilized with P. By contrast, herbivory had no effect on the abundance, biomass and activity of N2 fixing plants and inconsistent effects on foliar nitrogen concentrations (opposing directions, depending upon year), suggesting that herbivores do not affect the ecology of N2 fixing plants in old field ecosystems, at least not over the course of 3 years. Together with a recent study demonstrating that C limitation explains the absence of N2 fixing trees in temperate forests our analysis suggests that stand replacing disturbances shift the limitation on the abundance and activity of N2 fixing plants from P early in secondary succession to light later in succession, as the forest canopy closes and incident light levels decline precipitously.
Ensemble Kalman Filter Assimilation of HIWRAP Observations of Hurricane Karl (2010) from the Unmanned Global Hawk Aircraft

AbstractThis study utilizes an ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) to assess the impact of assimilating observations of Hurricane Karl from the High-Altitude Imaging Wind and Rain Airborne Profiler (HIWRAP). HIWRAP is a new Doppler radar on board the NASA Global Hawk unmanned airborne system, which has the benefit of a 24–26-h flight duration, or about 2–3 times that of a conventional aircraft. The first HIWRAP observations were taken during NASA’s Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) experiment in 2010. Observations considered here are Doppler velocity (Vr) and Doppler-derived velocity–azimuth display (VAD) wind profiles (VWPs). Karl is the only hurricane to date for which HIWRAP data are available. Assimilation of either Vr or VWPs has a significant positive impact on the EnKF analyses and forecasts of Hurricane Karl. Analyses are able to accurately estimate Karl’s observed location, maximum intensity, size, precipitation distribution, and vertical structure. In addition, forecasts initialized f...
Phenol β‐glucosyltransferase and β‐glucosidase activities in the tobacco hornworm larva Manduca sexta (L.): Properties and tissue localization

Phenol β-glucosyltransferase (PGT; EC 2.4.1.35) was studied in feeding fifth stadium larvae of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, using reversed-phase HPLC with absorbance detection to separate and quantify both the model substrate, p-nitrophenol (PNP), and the product, p-nitrophenyl β-D-glucopyranoside (PNP-Glc). About 90% of total PGT activity in tissue homogenates was associated with the particulate fraction (15,000g), with the remainder in the microsomal fraction. PGT activity was observed in all tissues, with highest activities in the labial gland and fat body. Appreciable activity occurred in midgut and hindgut tissue but none was found in hemolymph. PGT activity was also observed in eggs and larval fat body at different times during development. Activity was optimal at pH 7.5–9 and was highest with UDP-Glc as a glucose donor. However, appreciable PGT activity was observed with dTDP-Glc or GDP-Glc in place of UDP-Glc. The divalent cations Ca2+, Co2+, Mg2+, and Mn2+ stimulated activity, whereas Zn2+ and Hg2+, as well as pretreatment with the detergent Triton X-100, were inhibitory. Endogenous β-glucosidase in PGT-enriched fractions, especially from the midgut, antagonized the β-glucossylation process, and interference was minimized with higher pH and the addition of D-gluconic acid lactone to the incubation mixtures. The possible role of transglucosylation in the detoxication of phenolic xenobiotics and biotransformation of endogenous phenolic compounds in insects is discussed. Comparisons of PGT with some glycosyltransferases involved in endogenous and xenobiotic conjugation in insects and other organisms are reviewed. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Development of a monoclonal antibody specific to the endonuclease domain of the human LINE-1 ORF2 protein

Background LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposons are common occupants of mammalian genomes representing about a fifth of the genetic content. Ongoing L1 retrotransposition in the germ line and somatic tissues has contributed to structural genomic variations and disease-causing mutations in the human genome. L1 mobilization relies on the function of two, self-encoded proteins, ORF1 and ORF2. The ORF2 protein contains two characterized domains: endonuclease and reverse transcriptase.
Stat3 and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (C/EBP-beta) regulate Jab1/CSN5 expression in mammary carcinoma cells

The c-Jun coactivator, Jun activation-domain binding protein 1 (Jab1) also known as the fifth component of the COP9 signalosome complex (CSN5), is a novel candidate oncogene whose aberrant expression contributes to the progression of breast carcinoma and other human cancers. The mechanism of Jab1 gene expression and its deregulation in cancer cells remains to be identified. We therefore investigated the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of Jab1 expression in human breast carcinoma cells. To identify potential regulators of Jab1 transcription, we cloned the 5' upstream region of the human Jab1 gene and mapped its transcriptional start site. We identified binding sequences for the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) and GATA, as well as a signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (Stat3) consensus sequence overlapping the C/EBP site, using 5'- deletion analysis and a gene reporter assay. Mutational analysis of these binding sites was performed to confirm their roles in promoting Jab1 transcription in breast cancer cells. We further confirmed these binding sites using electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. We also analyzed whether the siRNA-mediated inactivation of Stat3 and Src could reduce Jab1-promoter activity and whether interleukine-6 (IL-6) could mediate increased Jab1 expression through Stat3 signaling. We identified binding sequences for C/EBP, GATA, as well as a Stat3 consensus sequence overlapping the C/EBP site in the promoter region of Jab1. C/EBP-beta2 is a potential transcriptional activator of Jab1 and mutation of the C/EBP/Stat3 binding site significantly reduced Jab1-promoter activity. In addition, inhibiting Stat3 significantly reduced Jab1-promoter activation. EMSA and ChIP assays confirmed that C/EBP, GATA1 and Stat3 bind to Jab1 promoter in breast carcinoma cells. We also found that Src, an activator of Stat3, is involved in Jab1-promoter activation. siRNA knockdown of Src reduced the Jab1-promoter activity, similar to the results seen when Stat3 was inhibited in breast carcinoma cells. Interestingly, reactivation of Stat3 in normal mammary epithelial cells (MCF-10A, MCF-10F) is sufficient to reactivate Jab1 expression. Treatment with the cytokine IL-6 resulted in increased Jab1 expression that was blocked by inhibition of Stat3. These findings reveal a novel mechanism of Jab1 gene regulation and provide functional and mechanistic links between the Src/Stat3 and IL-6/Stat3 signaling axes that are involved in the activation of Jab1 transcription and regulation of this novel oncogenic protein.
DP²AC: Distributed Privacy-Preserving Access Control in Sensor Networks

The owner and users of a sensor network may be different, which necessitates privacy-preserving access control. On the one hand, the network owner need enforce strict access control so that the sensed data are only accessible to users willing to pay. On the other hand, users wish to protect their respective data access patterns whose disclosure may be used against their interests. This paper presents DP 2 AC, a Distributed Privacy- Preserving Access Control scheme for sensor networks, which is the first work of its kind. Users in DP 2 AC purchase tokens from the network owner whereby to query data from sensor nodes which will reply only after validating the tokens. The use of blind signatures in token generation ensures that tokens are publicly verifiable yet unlinkable to user identities, so privacy- preserving access control is achieved. A central component in DP 2 AC is to prevent malicious users from reusing tokens. We propose a suite of distributed techniques for token-reuse detection (TRD) and thoroughly compare their performance with regard to TRD capability, communication overhead, storage overhead, and attack resilience. The efficacy and efficiency of DP 2 AC are confirmed by detailed performance evaluations.
Temporary Threshold Shift for Masked Pure Tones

The present investigation examines the dependence of temporary threshold shift (TTS) on pre-exposure hearing level within the same group of normal hearers by simulating varying degrees of hearing loss via the addition of masking noise. The results confirm those of earlier studies and indicate that TTS decreases as hearing level increases. A model is developed which can account for the data of the present study as well as the results of previous investigations which utilized hearing-impaired subjects.
The Hazards of Dukes: The Substantive Consequences of a Procedural Decision

In Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes, the U.S. Supreme Court not only reversed the grant of class certification to one of the largest employment discrimination classes ever, but also indelibly altered the substance of employment discrimination law. While many scholars have lamented the fact that this potential class action was not allowed to move forward, this article is the first to look comprehensively at the possible substantive changes that the Dukes decision may effect on cases brought pursuant to Title VII. Specifically, this article examines the language of Dukes, as contrasted with Supreme Court precedent in the areas of unjustified disparate impact and systemic disparate treatment cases. The article also analyzes Dukes' potential effect on discrimination cases that rely on social framework evidence. The inevitable conclusion is nothing short of shocking: the Court, in this supposedly procedural decision, has rewritten much of the substance of employment discrimination law.
Cetuximab-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in a patient with a resected squamous cell carcinoma of the lip

14155 Background: Chemotherapy-associated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) has been described in the literature. However Cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody targeted to the EGF receptor, has ...
Treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis with biological agents

Traditional therapies for eosinophilic esophagitis have focused on dietary modifications and/or anti-inflammatory treatments, primarily systemic or topical glucocorticoids. However, both such approaches are difficult to maintain for both patients and clinicians. Elemental diets, containing amino acids as a protein substitute plus simple carbohydrates and fatty acids, are effective in up to 98% of children, but due to poor palatability and cost, these diets often are not sustainable. A six-food elimination diet is effective in up to 78% of children and of adults, but this diet is limited by significant noncompliance. Subsequently, clinicians have focused on the use of medications able to suppress inflammation for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). The biopsies from the distal esophagus appeared more resistant to fluticasone administration arguing that perhaps the resistance to this therapy was related to the route of administration. Presently, the efficacy of suspension and viscous formulations of steroids are under investigation for EoE. However, although the side effects seen in the recent trials of swallowed topical budesonide suspensions have been minimal and systemic absorption of budesonide and fluticasone from the gastrointestinal tract also is minimal, concerns remain over possible candidal esophagitis and adrenal suppression associated with prolonged use of steroids. Additionally, a substantial number of children and adults are refractory to steroid administration and continue to suffer from ongoing dysphagia and chest pain.
Variation in carbon isotope values among chimpanzee foods at Ngogo, Kibale National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda

Stable isotope values in primate tissues can be used to reconstruct diet in the absence of direct observation. However, in order to make dietary inferences, one must first establish isotopic variability for potential food sources. In this study we examine stable carbon isotope (δ(13) C) values for chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) food resources from two Ugandan forests: Ngogo (Kibale National Park), and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Mean δ(13) C values for plant samples are equivalent at both sites. Plant δ(13) C values are best explained by a multivariate linear model including plant part (leaves, pith, flowers, and fruit), vertical position within the canopy (canopy vs. ground), and taxon (R(2) = 0.6992). At both sites, leaves had the lowest δ(13) C values followed by pith and fruit. Canopy resources have comparable δ(13) C values at the two sites but ground resources have lower δ(13) C values at Ngogo than Bwindi (-30.7 vs. -28.6‰). Consequently, isotopic differences between ground and canopy resources (4.2 vs. 2.2‰), and among plant parts are more pronounced at Ngogo. These results demonstrate that underlying environmental differences between sites can produce variable δ(13) C signatures among primate food resources. In the absence of observation data or isotope values for local vegetation, caution must be taken when interpreting isotopic differences among geographically or temporally separated populations or species. Am. J. Primatol. 78:1031-1040, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Does residual wall size or technique matter in the treatment of Zenker's diverticulum?

Objectives/Hypothesis We aimed to compare three surgical techniques (open approach for diverticulectomy with cricopharyngeal myotomy [OA], endoscopic laser-assisted diverticulotomy [ELD], and endoscopic stapler-assisted diverticulotomy [ESD]) for treatment of Zenker's diverticulum with regard to validated swallowing outcomes, radiographic outcomes, complications, and revision rates. We statistically analyzed whether the size of residual postoperative party wall or the specific surgical technique correlates with swallowing outcomes. Study Design Retrospective chart review and radiographic study analysis. Methods A retrospective chart review and radiographic analysis of preoperative and postoperative contrast swallow studies were conducted on patients undergoing surgery for Zenker's diverticulum between 2002 and 2014 at our institution. A follow-up validated swallowing outcome questionnaire, the Eating Assessment Tool-10, was administered to measure and compare patients' symptomatic outcomes. Results Seventy-three patients were reviewed and grouped according to technique. Median follow-up was 1.6 years. ESD resulted in a significantly larger residual party wall than ELD and OA but yielded comparative swallowing outcomes. OA had the highest complication rate and ESD had the highest revision rate. There were no revisions after ELD nor OA. Conclusions Despite the predictably larger residual postoperative party wall following ESD, this technique produced statistically comparable swallowing outcomes. Given its low complication rate and comparable results, ESD should be considered first line therapy for medically high-risk patients with Zenker's diverticulum, while acknowledging a higher risk of symptom recurrence. ELD, with its slightly greater risk profile but low recurrence rate, is well suited for most in revision cases. OA may best be reserved for those patients in whom endoscopic approach is not feasible. Level of Evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 2016
Divorce and the duality of marital payoff

Empirical studies on the determinants of divorce are scarce in economics. The literature has focused on the impact of income differentials between partners. We extend the model of marital dissolution to integrate time-varying non-pecuniary quality of the match. We use a unique Russian dataset to measure shocks to the non-economic components of the value of marriage. Our estimates suggest that the monetary and non-monetary components enter additively into marriage surplus, but with gender-specific marginal rates of substitution: divorce hazard is more sensitive to the non-pecuniary dissatisfaction of the wife than to that of the husband; impacts of the monetary components are also gender-specific and highly non-linear. We link these findings to remarriage prospects and partial risk sharing.
Das genetische Material

Das zentrale Thema dieses Buches ist das genetische Material: seine Art, Struktur, Organisation, Replikation, Expression usw. In dieser Darstellung sollen die wichtigsten Befunde der Genetik unter Berucksichtigung der neueren Literatur und der dabei angewandten Methoden besprochen werden. Besonderes Gewicht liegt dabei auf der engen Verbindung von Genetik, molekularer Biologie und Biochemie.
CHAPTER 40 – Puberty in Nonhuman Primates* and Humans

This chapter discusses puberty in humans and nonhuman primates. In primates, as in other mammalian species, the state of having entered the development stage defined as puberty, which in catarrhines may span a time frame of several years, is recognized by the cascade of morphological, physiological, and behavioral sequela of increased gonadal and, in some cases, adrenal activity. Some of these biological changes are relatively discrete and therefore provide quantitative markers of this transitional phase in development. In males, maturation of the neural timing mechanism that governs pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion appears to be completed during fetal development, but in the female the ontogeny of this system may not be completed until after birth. The protracted brake on GnRH secretion from late infancy until puberty that is a developmental hallmark of higher primates is imposed primarily by extragonadal mechanisms. The rising circulating concentrations of sex steroids produced as a result of gonadarche, however, retard the pubertal resurgence in pulsatile GnRH release that, in the absence of gonadal steroids, appears to occur explosively. Thus, the tempo of puberty in humans and nonhuman primates is dictated by interplay of central and gonadal factors.
Money and Abstraction

Since the 1980s, the economy of the United States has been shaken by crises, mostly centering around the financial domain. Recessions and depressions are hardly new, but this period witnessed the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s (in which the government intervened), the sudden fall of Long-Term Capital Management, which was quickly covered by the banking sector, and the dot-com stock bubble in the 1990s. They were harbingers of the next decade when in 2008 the housing bubble, the stock market bubble, and a financial bubble led to an economic crash in the United States and throughout the world that reminded many of the Great Depression. The effects persisted into the next decade. Around the globe, unemployment rose, wages were frozen, homes were repossessed, economic inequality grew, and many experienced heightened emotional distress. The financial sector almost was brought to a halt in the United States, and from Iceland, to Ireland, to Italy, to Greece, and across the Euro zone, the banking sector almost collapsed. To quell the financial crisis and counter the commercial recession, the United States and other countries relied on government spending and stepping into markets to stabilize them. The United States adopted a two-pronged approach to combating the crisis. The Federal Reserve pumped money into the financial sector via banks and commercial debt. To combat the commercial recession, the government engaged in massive deficit spending to revive the production and consumption of goods and services. We avoided the term, but the U.S. government partially nationalized the automobile and banking sectors. The mortgage crisis that left some people without houses received far less attention. In spite of the distress it brought, I was fascinated by the crisis. It reflects my cross-cultural model of five economic spheres. The spheres overlap and are connected through media of exchange. As capital develops, they are increasingly abstracted from material life in the house and community but mediated through the use of money. The uses of money change with this abstraction. It remains a media of exchange, a unit of account (or tool for commensuration), and a store of value. With capitalism and the expansion of the financial spheres, however, specification or definition of money becomes fuzzy as other implements from credit cards, to gift cards, to coupons assume new uses.
Large-Scale Analysis of Viewing Behavior: Towards Measuring Satisfaction with Mobile Proactive Systems

Recently, proactive systems such as Google Now and Microsoft Cortana have become increasingly popular in reforming the way users access information on mobile devices. In these systems, relevant content is presented to users based on their context without a query in the form of information cards that do not require a click to satisfy the users. As a result, prior approaches based on clicks cannot provide reliable measurements of user satisfaction with such systems. It is also unclear how much of the previous findings regarding good abandonment with reactive Web searches can be applied to these proactive systems due to the intrinsic difference in user intent, the greater variety of content types and their presentations. In this paper, we present the first large-scale analysis of viewing behavior based on the viewport (the visible fraction of a Web page) of the mobile devices, towards measuring user satisfaction with the information cards of the mobile proactive systems. In particular, we identified and analyzed a variety of factors that may influence the viewing behavior, including biases from ranking positions, the types and attributes of the information cards, and the touch interactions with the mobile devices. We show that by modeling the various factors we can better measure user satisfaction with the mobile proactive systems, enabling stronger statistical power in large-scale online A/B testing.
Use of Cardioplegia to Guide Alcohol Ablation for Incessant Ventricular Tachycardia

Incessant scar-related reentrant ventricular tachycardia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. In patients not amenable to emergent radiofrequency catheter ablation, selective transcoronary alcohol ablation has been successfully performed. In our case study, we introduce the novel use of cardioplegia as a mapping technique for identification of the critical ventricular tachycardia isthmus to guide efficient transcoronary alcohol ablation and prevent unnecessary myocardial damage.
200 mm silicon wafer processing for large area strip detectors

We developed large silicon single-sided strip detectors made of 200 mm float-zone Si wafers. The single-sided silicon strip detectors have an effective active area of 156 cm2 and 725 μm in thickness and were fully depleted. Basic performance was measured using Am-241 and Co-57 sources. The leakage current varied from strip to strip due to some contaminations during the processing.
Past and Future Directions for the Study of Change Judgments

We are now ready in this chapter to assess the ground that has been gained thus far in understanding intuitive change judgments and to survey the ground that lies ahead. The studies presented in the foregoing chapters by no means provide a comprehensive assessment of even the limited set of theses proposed here, but they do provide a systematic, if incomplete, guide to an important and otherwise unexplored topic. In the first part of the present chapter, our current understanding of change judgments will be summarized and laid out in systematic fashion. The second part of the chapter, which is devoted to outlining directions for future research, will describe a sampling of important problems that remain for investigation.
Comments on Session on Glucose Metabolism

Abstract This session brings together most of the kinds of data which have been amassed in this field as well as examples of the principal models which have been applied. Some of the data display a richness not hitherto found, and so present a challenge to mathematical description. The question of the appropriate boundaries of the system also arises. Though this question is probably best resolved in terms of the heuristic value of a given model, it raises the possibility of a general description of glucose metabolism which can meet the needs of multiple applications through a process of successive simplifications. This session reveals that no such description is available at present, and offers the opportunity to set a common set of goals for laboratories which already have evinced a common set of interests.
Reprocessing Nuclear Fuels of the Future: A Radiological Assessment of Advanced (Th, U) Carbide Fuel

The radiological dose associated with the use of (Th, U) carbide fuel in the core and thorium carbide in the blankets of a fast breeder reactor (FBR) has been investigated. Analysis of the estimate...
An Unusual Presentation of Left Atrial Myxoma in an Adolescent

Cardiac myxoma presents an important diagnostic challenge as it may clinically resemble cardiovascular, neurological or systemic diseases. We report an unusual presentation of left atrial myxoma in a 15-year-old girl with features mimicking encephalitis. The tumor was detected by echocardiography incidentally during an episode of hemodynamic instability and an emergency surgical excision was done successfully. Int J Clin Pediatr. 2017;6(3-4):46-50 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/ijcp282w
Nanoporous polyethylene microfibres for large-scale radiative cooling fabric

Global warming and energy crises severely limit the ability of human civilization to develop along a sustainable path. Increasing renewable energy sources and decreasing energy consumption are fundamental steps to achieve sustainability. Technological innovations that allow energy-saving behaviour can support sustainable development pathways. Energy-saving fabrics with a superior cooling effect and satisfactory wearability properties provide a novel way of saving the energy used by indoor cooling systems. Here, we report the large-scale extrusion of uniform and continuous nanoporous polyethylene (nanoPE) microfibres with cotton-like softness for industrial fabric production. The nanopores embedded in the fibre effectively scatter visible light to make it opaque without compromising the mid-infrared transparency. Moreover, using industrial machines, the nanoPE microfibres are utilized to mass produce fabrics. Compared with commercial cotton fabric of the same thickness, the nanoPE fabric exhibits a great cooling power, lowering the human skin temperature by 2.3 °C, which corresponds to a greater than 20% saving on indoor cooling energy. Besides the superior cooling effect, the nanoPE fabric also displays impressive wearability and durability. As a result, nanoPE microfibres represent basic building blocks to revolutionize fabrics for human body cooling and pave an innovative way to sustainable energy. Energy-saving innovations, such as fabrics with cooling effects, contribute to sustainability. This study reports the large-scale extrusion of uniform and continuous nanoporous polyethylene microfibres with cotton-like softness for wearable fabrics. The fabric can lower human skin temperature by 2.3 °C with over 20% savings on indoor cooling energy.
The cryoprotectant system of Cope’s gray treefrog, Dryophytes chrysoscelis: responses to cold acclimation, freezing, and thawing

Cope’s gray treefrog (Dryophytes chrysoscelis) is one of few freeze-tolerant frogs that mobilize glycerol as a cryoprotectant, yet cold and freezing-induced accumulation of this and other osmolytes has received little attention in this species. This study investigated the development of freeze tolerance in D. chrysoscelis, analyzing the response of the cryoprotectant system to cold acclimation, freezing, and thawing. Glycerol production was low and unresponsive to acclimation temperature, or duration of acclimation to 5 °C, except for one cold-acclimated frog that presented elevated glycerol in plasma, liver, and skeletal muscle. Curiously, glycerol concentration in skeletal muscle was higher than that of plasma and liver, in both warm- and cold-acclimated frogs, suggesting glycerol synthesis in muscle. Urea concentration in plasma doubled in response to cold acclimation but did not change during freezing. Freezing induced hepatic glycogen catabolism and an increase in glycerol and glucose in several tissues, although the mobilization dynamics differed between these cryoprotectants, possibly as a result of different transport mechanisms. Although hepatic glucose mobilization was of considerable magnitude, glucose accumulation in peripheral tissues was low and was surpassed by that of glycerol and urea. The muscle production of glycerol and the cold-induced accumulation of urea imply a role for skeletal muscle metabolism in the mobilization of cryoprotective solutes in D. chrysoscelis. The cryoprotectant system of D. chrysoscelis is complex, highly variable, and unique, with glycerol, glucose, and likely urea serving as cryoprotectants.
A Visual Analytics Approach to Combat Confirmation Bias for a Local Food Bank

In the fight against hunger, Food Banks must routinely make strategic distribution decisions under uncertain supply (donations) and demand. One of the challenges facing the decision makers is that they tend to rely heavily on their prior experiences to make decisions, a phenomenon called cognitive bias. This preliminary study seeks to address cognitive bias through a visual analytics approach in the decision-making process. Using certain food bank data, interactive dashboards were prepared as an alternative to the customary spreadsheet format. A preliminary study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the dashboard and results indicated dashboards reduced the amount of confirmation bias.
Hereditary Nephritis and Genetic Disorders

A. Branchiootorenal syndrome B. Alport syndrome C. Alstrome syndrome D. Fechtner syndrome E. Nail-patella syndrome
Nematode Parasites of Spiders

Nematode parasites of spiders can be discussed under two aspects. The first constitutes nematode infections which occur naturally and have been reported in the literature for over a century. All of these reports refer to nematodes of the family Mermithidae (order Mermithida), a large group which parasitize exclusively invertebrates, especially arthropods.
Critical Percolation Probabilities

This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge of critical probabilities in percolation models. There are four common definitions of critical probability in the literature, which are known to be unequal for some graphs. A heuristic method of Sykes and Essam [17] has produced correct critical probability values for a few planar lattice models. However, counterexamples have been constructed to some conclusions of the Sykes and Essam method, and the method is valid only for two-dimensional graphs. Exact critical probabilities have been rigorously determined for a few two-dimensional percolation models, using techniques of Seymour and Welsh [15], Russo [14], and Kesten [10] involving crossing probabilities of rectangles.
Task-Based Design of Modular Robots: Evolutionary Approach

In an attempt to solve the problem of finding a set of multiple unique modular robotic designs that can be constructed using a given repertoire of modules to perform a specific task, a novel synthesis framework is introduced based on design optimization concepts and evolutionary algorithms to search for the optimal solution. The discrete optimization procedure is based on the use of assembly incidence matrix to represent modular robotic designs. Fitness function is formulated for each task separately to incorporate task-specific performance evaluation criteria. The fitness of every design is measured in simulation. Solution evaluation can be carried out in parallel in order to reduce synthesis time, because evaluating a certain design is independent of evaluating other designs. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated by several examples.
Combustion Flame Speeds and Stability of Associated Natural Gas with High Concentrations of C2–C4 Alkanes

Associated gas worth of tens of billions of dollars is flared annually during oil and gas production, which leads to resource waste and environmental issues. The combustion characteristics of assoc...
Clipping of High-Risk Dural Arteriovenous Fistula of the Posterior Fossa: 3-Dimensional Operative Video.

Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) represent 10%–15% of all intracranial arteriovenous malformations. 1 DAVFs located in the posterior cranial fossa are rare and often present with intracranial hemorrhage and myelopathy. 2 Arterial supply could be provided by the meningeal branches of the vertebral artery and external and internal carotid arteries. 3 A 68-year-old man presented with progressive lower-extremity weakness ( Video 1 ). Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a patchy longitudinal cord signal abnormality extending from the cervicomedullary junction to C7. A tentorial DAVF supplied by the right posterior meningeal artery with drainage via dorsal and ventral perimedullary veins was identified on angiography. According to the Cognard classification, the patient's DAVF was determined to be high risk as a type V lesion with spinal venous drainage and progressive myelopathy. 4 The fistula was embolized with 50% ethanol resulting in near-complete occlusion. However, follow-up angiography revealed a persistent arteriovenous shunt and slightly worsening symptoms for the patient. He underwent a sitting supracerebellar approach with a torcular craniotomy for successful clip ligation of the dural arteriovenous fistula. The patient was discharged with improvements in lower-extremity strength and no residual arteriovenous shunting in postoperative imaging.
Precision Determination of |Vub|

The last two years have seen an impressive improvement in the determination of | V ub | , especially from inclusive decays. The error on | V ub | measured with inclusive decays was reduced from 18% (PDG 2004) to 8% (PDG 2006). This progress is a result of combined experimental and theoretical efforts. In this talk, the theoretical framework (BLNP) that enabled such progress is reviewed, as well as other approaches to an inclusive determination of | V ub | (DGE, MX − q2 etc.). The prospects of improving | V ub | are discussed, addressing issues of weak annihilation, implications of leptonic B decays, and determination of | V ub | with exclusive decays.
“Good Night, Good Day, Good Luck”:

This article presents the results of a pilot project that tested the application of algorithmic topic modeling to chat reference conversations. The outcomes for this project included determining if this method could be used to identify the most common chat topics in a semester and whether these topics could inform library services beyond chat reference training. After reviewing the literature, four topic modeling algorithms were successfully implemented using Python code: (1) LDA, (2) phrase-LDA, (3) DMM, and (4) NMF. Analysis of the top ten topics from each algorithm indicated that LDA, phrase-LDA, and NMF show the most promise for future analysis on larger sets of data (from three or more semesters) and for examining different facets of the data (fall versus spring semester, different time of day, just the patron side of the conversation).
Reframing Technology's Role in Language Teaching: A Retrospective Report

As the field of applied linguistics ponders and even embraces the myriad roles technology affords language education, we frame this critical report within the context of the Modern Language Association's 2007 report, along with earlier state-of-the-field Annual Review of Applied Linguistics (ARAL) pieces (e.g., Blake, 2007; 2011) to consider not only where we've come from but also, crucially, where the field is headed. This article begins with an overview of the field, examining the role of technology and how it has been leveraged over decades of language teaching. We also explore issues such as the goals established by the Modern Language Association (MLA) with respect to shaping technological vision and the role of technology in enhancing the field of language education. We use this critical assessment to offer insights into how the field of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) can help shape the future of language teaching and learning.
Interrupted Work: An Integrated Review of Task Transitions and Future Directions

Frequent interruptions and task transitions are an inescapable reality of modern organizational life, yet the relevant research spans across numerous seemingly disconnected domains that paint an in...
Neural Taskonomy: Inferring the Similarity of Task-Derived Representations from Brain Activity

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) trained for object classification have been widely used to account for visually-driven neural responses in both human and primate brains. However, because of the generality and complexity of object classification, despite the effectiveness of CNNs in predicting brain activity, it is difficult to draw specific inferences about neural information processing using CNN-derived representations. To address this problem, we used learned representations drawn from 21 computer vision tasks to construct encoding models for predicting brain responses from BOLD5000---a large-scale dataset comprised of fMRI scans collected while observers viewed over 5000 naturalistic scene and object images. Encoding models based on task features predict activity in different regions across the whole brain. Features from 3D tasks such as keypoint/edge detection explain greater variance compared to 2D tasks---a pattern observed across the whole brain. Using results across all 21 task representations, we constructed a ``task graph’’ based on the spatial layout of well-predicted brain areas from each task. A comparison of this brain-derived task structure to the task structure derived from transfer learning accuracy demonstrate that tasks with higher transferability make similar predictions for brain responses from different regions. These results---arising out of state-of-the-art computer vision methods---help reveal the task-specific architecture of the human visual system.
Parental Perceptions About Alcohol Use for Their Adolescent with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Objective Alcohol use can worsen attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, interfere with treatment, and worsen outcomes. Our objective was to describe parental perceptions of alcohol use for their adolescents with ADHD. Methods Parents of adolescents with ADHD completed an online survey about perceptions of adolescent alcohol use for adolescents with ADHD. We described the level of parental concern about the impacts of alcohol use on their adolescent's functioning. We assessed whether specific covariates were associated with the level of parental concern. Results Of 290 parents who completed the survey, 96.5% were women, and 66.1% had an educational attainment of college degree or higher. Most adolescents (75.4%) took ADHD medication, and 59.9% had comorbid anxiety or depression. Almost one-third (30.3%) of parents perceived that their adolescent was more likely to use alcohol because of ADHD, whereas 34.8% of parents disagreed with this and 34.8% of parents were neutral. Parents who suspected their adolescent regularly used alcohol were less likely to report concern about the impact of alcohol on their adolescent's school performance or ADHD medication effectiveness compared with parents who did not suspect regular adolescent alcohol use. Almost half of the parents (48.5%) did not report discussing the impact of alcohol use on ADHD with their adolescent. Conclusion Many parents of adolescents with ADHD do not understand the unique risks of alcohol use for their adolescents. In addition, if alcohol use harm is not obvious, parents may not perceive there to be concerns about alcohol use on functioning. Parental education about alcohol use and ADHD is needed.
Capturing the dynamics of creative daydreaming

Abstract Artists and scientists have often linked our tenacious tendency to mind-wander or daydream (i.e., think about something other than the here and now) to our ability to generate creative ideas and artistic works. But not all daydreams lead to creative ideas. So what is the relationship between mind wandering and creativity? To answer this question, we start by examining what happens when our mind is disengaged from a problem: A number of studies suggest that stepping away from a problem and letting the mind wander freely facilitates unconscious memory processes that support the generation of new ideas and creative insights. We discuss the circumstances under which such “incubation” effects are likely to occur and why. Then, we turn our attention to the question of what a mind that is disengaged from the here and now is in fact engaged in: Research has shed a light on various different qualities of spontaneous thoughts. Moreover, people also differ in the contents that habitually occupy their spontaneous thoughts. We review how these different qualities and contents of mind wandering relate to creativity.
Forecasting risk in the US Dollar exchange rate under volatility shifts

Abstract Recent evidence suggests that volatility shifts (i.e. structural breaks in volatility) in returns increases kurtosis which significantly contributes to the observed non-normality in market returns. In this paper, we endogenously detect significant shifts in the volatility of US Dollar exchange rate and incorporate this information to estimate Value-at-Risk (VaR) to forecast large declines in the US Dollar exchange rate. Our out-of-sample performance results indicate that a GARCH model with volatility shifts produces the most accurate VaR forecast relative to several benchmark methods. Our contribution is important as changes in US Dollar exchange rate have a substantial impact on the global economy and financial markets.