cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Work in progress - MythSim: the mythical simulator for real students

MythSim is a cross-platform control-code simulator being used at the University of Illinois at Chicago. This mythical 8-bit processor gives students experience with concepts in computer architecture. MythSim has been redesigned from the ground up based on the changing needs of instructors and students. An improved multiwindowed interface, color-coding system and reference card allows students to learn the architecture quickly so they can focus on developing and debugging their programs. To facilitate future development, the source code is hosted online in a distributed development environment. Feedback from instructors and students has been positive. This paper presents improvements made in the new version, feedback from students and the support we provide for instructors.
Calibrating Pipe Wall Demand Coefficient for Chlorine Decay in Water Distribution System

Methodology and algorithm to calibrate pipe wall demand coefficients for chlorine decay using an input-output model framework are developed and applied. An input-output model of water quality in water distribution systems developed previously provides information that is not available using traditional simulation approaches: the various flow paths between particular input sources and output nodes, and their associated time delays and impacts on output node water quality. Such information constitutes a complete description of the input-output behavior under typical assumptions of first-order chemical decay or production reactions. With the input-output model, the chlorine concentration at output locations can be expressed explicitly as a function of the concentrations at upstream input locations, and pipe wall demand coefficients. Thus the sensitivity of water quality at the outputs to wall demand coefficients can be derived analytically and calculated efficiently. The sensitivity information is also used to study uncertainty in wall demand coefficient estimates that are caused by chlorine measurement errors.
Influence of the collector resistance on the performance of accumulation channel driven bipolar transistor

Abstract In this paper, the physical mechanism limiting the maximum controllable current density (Jmcc) and safe operating area (SOA) of the accumulation channel driven bipolar transistor (ACBT) is identified and analyzed for the first time. According to our analysis, the hole current flowing into the P+ collector at the shallow trench creates a bias opposing the built-in potential of the P+ collector/N-drift junction due to a finite resistance associated with the contact to the diffused P+ collector region. This lowers the potential barrier established in the narrow mesa region (in between the self-aligned trenches) by the built-in potential of the P+ collector/N-drift junction and the control gate potential and promotes electron injection from the N+ emitter into the N-drift region over the potential barrier. At the onset of electron injection over the potential barrier, gate control over the base drive of the vertical wide base PNP transistor in the ACBT is lost. This hypothesis has been verified through numerical simulations and confirmed by experimental measurements which indicated an increase of over 300% in Jmcc due to a reduction in the contact resistance to the P+ collector region after a post metallization anneal of the fabricated ACBT designs. Based upon these observations, a new ACBT structure with a Schottky collector junction is proposed. It is demonstrated that the proposed ACBT structure has a higher Jmcc and wider SOA in comparison to the ACBT structure with P+ collector region.
Simultaneous, single-detector fluorescence detection of multiple fluorescent dyes

Microfluidics has made great progress in integrating many aspects of biological analysis and testing into the microscale. One aspect which has proven challenging to miniaturize has been fluorescence testing, as a complete fluorescence system requires an integrated light source, detector and filters to filter out the excitation light (from the light source) from the detector. Here we demonstrate that with polarization filtering of the excitation light and multiple dye sources modulated at different frequencies, a high-sensitivity, multi-dye system with one detector can be realized. Simultaneous detection and quantition of a mixture of two different dyes is demonstrated with no physical change in the measurement setup. The degree of interaction of the dyes is measured. This system is readily adaptable to integrated lab-on-a-chip microfluorescence.
Quantifying errors without random sampling

All quantifications of mortality, morbidity, and other health measures involve numerous sources of error. The routine quantification of random sampling error makes it easy to forget that other sources of error can and should be quantified. When a quantification does not involve sampling, error is almost never quantified and results are often reported in ways that dramatically overstate their precision. We argue that the precision implicit in typical reporting is problematic and sketch methods for quantifying the various sources of error, building up from simple examples that can be solved analytically to more complex cases. There are straightforward ways to partially quantify the uncertainty surrounding a parameter that is not characterized by random sampling, such as limiting reported significant figures. We present simple methods for doing such quantifications, and for incorporating them into calculations. More complicated methods become necessary when multiple sources of uncertainty must be combined. We demonstrate that Monte Carlo simulation, using available software, can estimate the uncertainty resulting from complicated calculations with many sources of uncertainty. We apply the method to the current estimate of the annual incidence of foodborne illness in the United States. Quantifying uncertainty from systematic errors is practical. Reporting this uncertainty would more honestly represent study results, help show the probability that estimated values fall within some critical range, and facilitate better targeting of further research.
A picture is worth 1,000 pasts: how 3D virtual reconstructions can bridge the gap between visitor interest and scholarly debate

3D reconstructions allow cultural institutions such as museums and historic sites a tool to vividly illustrate the past while educating the public about competing interpretations of history and change over time. 3D technology also offers many practical benefits including low cost, flexibility, and the potential for collaboration. This paper presents potential applications of 3D reconstructions for three example sites: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the Castillo San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida, and the Old North Church in Boston, Massachusetts.
Mutations of the Calcium Channel Gene cacophony Suppress Seizures in Drosophila

Bang sensitive (BS) Drosophila mutants display characteristic seizure-like phenotypes resembling, in some aspects, those of human seizure disorders such as epilepsy. The BS mutant parabss1, caused by a gain-of-function mutation of the voltage-gated Na+ channel gene, is extremely seizure-sensitive with phenotypes that have proven difficult to ameliorate by anti-epileptic drug feeding or by seizure-suppressor mutation. It has been presented as a model for intractable human epilepsy. Here we show that cacophony (cacTS2), a mutation of the Drosophila presynaptic Ca++ channel α1 subunit gene, is a particularly potent seizure-suppressor mutation, reverting seizure-like phenotypes for parabss1 and other BS mutants. Seizure-like phenotypes for parabss1 may be suppressed by as much as 90% in double mutant combinations with cacTS2. Unexpectedly, we find that parabss1 also reciprocally suppresses cacTS2 seizure-like phenotypes. The cacTS2 mutant displays these seizure-like behaviors and spontaneous high-frequency action potential firing transiently after exposure to high temperature. We find that this seizure-like behavior in cacTS2 is ameliorated by 85% in double mutant combinations with parabss1.
Utility of a single nasal polymerase chain reaction assay in predicting absence of skin and environmental contamination in hospitalized patients with past methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

We evaluated hospitalized patients with a history of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) for persistent colonization and need for contact precautions. Up to 3 daily cultures of nares, skin, and any present wounds were compared with a single nasal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Most patients (76.2%) were no longer colonized with MRSA. A single PCR assay was sufficient to exclude persistent colonization and environmental contamination and remove the contact precautions.
Moralization and Harmification: The Dyadic Loop Explains How the Innocuous Becomes Harmful and Wrong

Greek myths tell of the hero Theseus, who sailed to Knossos to face the fearsome Minotaur. The Minotaur lived within a maze, but it was no ordinary maze. Instead, this labyrinth was carefully const...
Sol-Gel Synthesis of the Strontium-Copper Oxycarbonate Superconductor Sr2CuO2(CO3)1−x(BO3)x

We have developed an ambient-pressure sol-gel synthetic route to superconducting borate-doped Sr2CuO2(CO3) using polyether alkoxide precursors. In our sol-gel preparation, the starting solutions contain strontium and copper alkoxide complexes in 2-(2-methoxy-ethoxy)ethanol. Boron is incorporated into the solution by using an aqueous boric acid solution for hydrolysis. Dried gels were examined by x-ray diffraction and thermal gravimetric analysis. By experimenting with various firing sequences and atmospheres we have established a successful route for reproducibly preparing relatively pure Sr2CuO2CO3 and boron-doped phases. Final products were characterized by x-ray diffraction, elemental analysis and magnetic susceptibility. Samples of nominal composition Sr2CuO2(CO3)0.85(BO2)0.15 are superconducting with a Tc(onset) of ∼25K. Subsequent treatment at 1100°C and 3 GPa for one hour increased Tc(onset) to ∼35K.
Notes on a brief encounter Critical realism, historical materialism and human geography

In human geography today little is heard any more about critical realism. A quarter of a century ago, it attracted attention because it seemed to offer a method for radical geographers and was acce...
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an emerging infectious disease that can present with flu-like symptoms. In individuals with comorbidities or who are immunosuppressed, it can be deadly. The disease is transmitted through contact with someone who has MERS-CoV. The occupational health nurse must be cognizant of and educate the workforce about MERS-CoV transmission, prevention, and treatment.
Unclassified renal cell carcinoma with tubulopapillary architecture, clear cell phenotype, and chromosome 8 monosomy: a new kid on the block

Accurate subtyping of renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) has become clinically important for therapy and prognostication. RCC subtypes are defined by distinct morphologic and immunohistochemical profiles, and in some instances recurrent cytogenetic and molecular properties. However, some tumors exhibit overlapping morphologic and immunophenotypic features, frequent enough to pose diagnostic dilemmas. This report concerns six histologically unusual RCCs that showed tubulopapillary architecture, clear cell phenotype, and non-diagnostic immunohistochemical profiles. Further investigation of these tumors utilized a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarray platform (OncoScan®, Affymetrix) that employed molecular inversion probe (MIP) technology to investigate genome-wide chromosomal copy number changes and loss of heterozygosity in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections. The six tumors were assayed in parallel with and in comparison to RCC with typical morphologic or immunohistochemical features for a specific subtype (clear cell, clear cell papillary, and microphthalmia transcription factor (MiT) family translocation RCC). Three of the unusual RCCs showed a molecular signature of clear cell RCC and one of papillary RCC. The remaining two showed monosomy of chromosome 8. Those two cases were tested via next-generation sequencing, and no pathogenic variants were detected, including those in the genes VHL, PBRM1, SETD2, KDM5C, or BAP1. The addition of molecular investigations such as reported here as applied to histologically and immunohistochemically unusual RCC may help to define additional subtypes and contribute to the development of targeted therapy for renal cancer.
The Detection Results of Urinary 2,5-hexanedione of Workers Exposed to N-hexane in electronic factory

[Objective] To understand occupational hazard status of N-hexane exposure,and provide scientific evidence for occupational sanitation surveillance and supervision.[Methods] Gas chromatography method was applied to determine 2,5-hexanedione of workers' end-shift urine and N-hexane levels in welding flux.[Results] 20 samples of end-shift urine were detected,contents of all samples were lower than the national standard value(4.0 mg/L),N-hexane levels in welding flux was 30.73 μg/μl.[Conclusion]N-hexane damage to the company staff was lighter,but it still cannot be relaxed,management should be strengthened to form a good protection.
An ontology-based approach for developing data exchange requirements and model views of building information modeling

Each domain industry requires the detailed specifications for sharing and exchanging building information models throughout the design, construction, and operation phases. Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) Model View Definitions (MVDs) specify required information for exchanges of building model data among building project experts. The data involves the identification of model semantics shared by two or more applications. However, since no robust standard for defining building semantics and requirements for data exchange has been agreed upon, information embedded in domain-specific MVDs are generated separately and are vague in scope, which results in a lack of consistency. In addition, the Information Delivery Manual (IDM) that includes exchange specifications needed for each exchange process of a product model is manually defined in a paper-based document. Because there is no clear logical link between the units of information in the exchange requirements of an IDM, and those of MVDs, the mapping that translates requirements of an IDM into ones of an MVD is open to various interpretation, without semantic and logical consistency. Such challenges might result in redundant requirements and rules for data exchange that are not supposed to be handled in the process of MVDs. To ameliorate this situation, this research proposes the new approach of formalizing domain knowledge and defining accurate data modules for model views. To achieve this goal, the authors employed ontological principles for generating an IDM for the precast concrete domain and for linking its MVD with formal information models. The formalized structure of domain knowledge is expected to support defining explicit data modules and developing manageable relationships among entities using semantic reasoning so that domain professionals and software vendors can identify the intents of the requirements of mapped MVDs and keep track of mapping problems. Moreover, to integrate IDM and MVD development processes, the ontology-based IDM is parsed and translated from OWL/XML to mvdXML, which automatically generates MVD documentation in the IfcDoc tool.
Does This Woman Have Gestational Trophoblastic Disease

The review of the histology slides revealed predominantly decidual tissue with exaggerated placental site and a small focus of trophoblastic tissue composed of cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast with mild atypia (Figure 1). However, no necrosis or tissue invasion was identified. No villi were seen.
Biosynthesis and Biophysical Studies of Domains of sTE2P, a Yeast G Protein-Coupled Receptor

The yeast G protein coupled-receptor (Ste2p) is essential for the mating of MAT a cells with their counterpart MATα cells. Mutation of Proline 256 located in the 6th transmembrane domain of this receptor constitutively activates it in the absence of the α-factor pheromone that is the normal agonist [1]. This phenotype indicates that the single amino acid change in residue 256 may change the overall structure of this membrane protein. Based on this conclusion, attempts are being made to determine the structure of the domain of Ste2p comprising the 5th and 6th transmembrane domains joined by the third intracellular loop (M5I3M6), and to correlate its molecular arrangement with the genetic results mentioned above. In order to produce this domain we inserted it into an expression plasmid that fused M5I3M6 to an N-terminal leader protein called TrpALE. The resulting fusion protein can be overexpressed in E. coli, isolated, and purified using affinity chromatography and/or HPLC. The link between the TrpΔLE and M5I3M6 occurs at a methionine residue, allowing cleavage of the fusion junction with CNBr. Therefore, naturally occurring methionines located in the 5th and the 6th transmembranes were mutated to leucines or alanines. After characterization of the biological activity and ligand binding affinities of these mutant receptors, it was decided to study the receptor containing the double mutation Met218Leu, Met250Ala, since it exhibited characteristics most similar to those of wild-type Ste2p.
Teaching for Social Justice: Motivations of Community College Faculty in Sociology

This article evaluates the reasons for career choice and job satisfaction among community college faculty who teach sociology, in relation to a social justice motivation for teaching. Using closed- and open-ended response data from a 2014 national survey of community college sociology faculty, this study finds that a preponderance of faculty do not see themselves as pushed into their careers through external factors but, rather, describe being pulled into community college instruction through a set of personally meaningful internal motivations. Those motivations include serving a diverse and underserved student body. Despite difficult working conditions, most faculty indicated that they likely will teach at a community college until retirement and would do so again if they could. Nearly half of sociology faculty discuss their motivations and satisfactions in community college careers in terms that are consistent with a social justice orientation.
Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon Healing: Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Therapies

Until recently, it was difficult to critically evaluate tendon healing in vivo. Superficial digital flexor tendon injuries were considered healed when the injured tendon was cold, non-painful, adequate time had passed for tendon healing to occur, and no recurrence of the injury was detected when the horse returned to athletic work. This article discusses how ultrasonography has revolutionized the diagnosis, treatment, and management of tendon injuries.
Wideband arrays and polarization synthesis

Array antennas may be required to produce arbitrary polarizations for best match to far field sources or receivers at arbitrary angles. A common presumption is that this requires radiating elements with phase center coincidence (PCC). This paper shows the results of extensive numerical experiments with three dual-polarization radiator types, two with phase center coincidence and one without. The three have comparable polarization performance as measured by the extent of the angular region and bandwidth over which low cross-polarization is maintained. Therefore, the added expense and/or loss of PCC radiating elements does not appear to be justified.
Photometric classification and redshift estimation of LSST Supernovae

Supernova (SN) classification and redshift estimation using photometric data only have become very important for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), given the large number of SNe that LSST will observe and the impossibility of spectroscopically following up all the SNe. We investigate the performance of an SN classifier that uses SN colours to classify LSST SNe with the Random Forest classification algorithm. Our classifier results in an area-under-the-curve of 0.98 which represents excellent classification. We are able to obtain a photometric SN sample containing 99 per cent SNe Ia by choosing a probability threshold. We estimate the photometric redshifts (photo-z) of SNe in our sample by fitting the SN light curves using the SALT2 model with nested sampling. We obtain a mean bias (⟨z_(phot) − z_(spec)⟩) of 0.012 with σ((z_(phot) − z_(spec))/(1+z_(spec)) = 0.0294 without using a host-galaxy photo-z prior, and a mean bias (⟨z_(phot) − z_(spec)⟩) of 0.0017 with σ((z_(phot) − z_(spec))/(1 + z_(spec)) = 0.0116 using a host-galaxy photo-z prior. Assuming a flat ΛCDM model with Ωm = 0.3, we obtain Ωm of 0.305 ± 0.008 (statistical errors only), using the simulated LSST sample of photometric SNe Ia (with intrinsic scatter σ_(int) = 0.11) derived using our methodology without using host-galaxy photo-z prior. Our method will help boost the power of SNe from the LSST as cosmological probes.
Managing Student Self-Disclosure in Class Settings: Lessons from Feminist Pedagogy

The present article describes difficulties and opportunities associated with students’ disclosure of their personal experiences in university class settings. In classes that deal with topics such as violence, racism, family dynamics, mental health or social justice, students with first-hand experience of these topics can bring valuable real-life experience to class discussion. However, bringing intimate information to class may also raise issues of appropriate boundaries and the role of the classroom setting for sharing potentially upsetting information. Drawing on principles of feminist pedagogy and using examples from classes I teach about women and psychology, I detail the challenges related to students’ personal biographies and beliefs about their experiences, and outline some strategies that may usefully find balance between respecting their experiences and providing a learning environment while teaching about the values and ethics of an academic discipline.
Sub-diffusive spatial frequency domain imaging: light scattering as a biomarker (Conference Presentation)

In spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI), a spatially modulated intensity pattern is projected on to tissue, with the demodulated reflectance having more superficial sensitivity with increasing spatial modulation frequency. With sub-diffusive SFDI, very high (>0.5 mm-1) spatial modulation frequencies are projected yielding sensitivity to the directionality of light scattering with only few scattering events occurring and sub-millimeter penetration depth and spatial resolution. This technique has been validated in a series of phantom experiments, where fractal distributions of polystyrene spheres were imaged, and through a model based inversion, the size scale distribution versus overall density of these particles could be separated and visualized in spatially resolved maps. With sensitivity to localized light scattering over a wide field of view (11 cm x 14 cm), this technique is being translated for the application of intraoperative breast tumor margin assessment. To test sensitivity to changes in human breast tissue morphology, a cohort of over 30 freshly excised human breast tissue specimens, including adipose, fibroglandular, fibroadenoma, and invasive carcinoma, have been imaged and co-registered to whole specimen histology. Statistical analysis of the distributions of both textual raw reflectance parameters and model based optical properties for each type of tissue will be presented. Furthermore, classification algorithm development and analysis to predicted likelihood of cancer on the surface of the tissue will also be presented. Reflectance maps, optical property maps, and probability likelihood maps of spatially heterogeneous samples with multiple tissue types will also be shown.
Inverse Predictive Modeling of Radiation Transport Through Optically Thick Media in the Presence of Counting Uncertainties

Using the problem of inverse prediction from detector responses in the presence of counting uncertainties of the thickness of a homogeneous slab of material containing uniformly distributed gamma-e...
Isomer-Specific Hydrogen Bonding as a Design Principle for Bidirectionally Quantitative and Redshifted Hemithioindigo Photoswitches

A new class of bidirectionally quantitative photoswitches based on the hemithioindigo (HTI) scaffold is reported. Incorporation of a pyrrole hydrogen-bond donor leads to a bathochromic shift allowing for quantitative bidirectional isomerization. Additionally, extending conjugation from the electron-rich pyrrole results in quantitative visible-light photoswitches, as well as photoswitches that isomerize with red and near-infrared light. The presence of the hydrogen bond leading to the observed redshift is supported by computational and spectroscopic evidence.
The PC3 Framework: A Formal Lens for Analyzing Interactive Narratives across Media Forms

This article presents the PC3 framework, an analytical lens for dissecting interactive narrative systems across different media forms, such as in theatre, digital media, and board games. It proposes the use of process, content, control, and context as the important components of an interactive system that must be considered when comparing it to the makeup of other systems. It describes each component, the rationale behind the component, and relates them to interactive narrative systems in a variety of media forms and contexts.
Dental pulp stem cell-derived chondrogenic cells demonstrate differential cell motility in type I and type II collagen hydrogels.

Abstract Background Context Advances in the development of biomaterials and stem cell therapy provide a promising approach to regenerating degenerated discs. The normal nucleus pulposus (NP) cells exhibit similar phenotype to chondrocytes. Because dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) can be differentiated into chondrogenic cells, the DPSCs and DPSCs-derived chondrogenic cells encapsulated in type I and type II collagen hydrogels can potentially be transplanted into degenerated NP to repair damaged tissue. The motility of transplanted cells is critical because the cells need to migrate away from the hydrogels containing the cells of high density and disperse through the NP tissue after implantation. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the motility of DPSC and DPSC-derived chondrogenic cells in type I and type II collagen hydrogels. Study Design/Setting The time lapse imaging that recorded cell migration was analyzed to quantify the cell migration velocity and distance. Methods The cell viability of DPSCs in native or poly(ethylene glycol) ether tetrasuccinimidyl glutarate (4S-StarPEG)-crosslinked type I and type II collagen hydrogels was determined using LIVE/DEAD cell viability assay and AlamarBlue assay. DPSCs were differentiated into chondrogenic cells. The migration of DPSCs and DPSC-derived chondrogenic cells in these hydrogels was recorded using a time lapse imaging system. This study was funded by the Regional Institute on Aging and Wichita Medical Research and Education Foundation, and the authors declare no competing interest. Result DPSCs showed high cell viability in non-crosslinked and crosslinked collagen hydrogels. DPSCs migrated in collagen hydrogels, and the cell migration speed was not significantly different in either type I collagen or type II collagen hydrogels. The migration speed of DPSC-derived chondrogenic cells was higher in type I collagen hydrogel than in type II collagen hydrogel. Crosslinking of type I collagen with 4S-StarPEG significantly reduced the cell migration speed of DPSC-derived chondrogenic cells. Conclusions After implantation of collagen hydrogels encapsulating DPSCs or DPSC-derived chondrogenic cells, the cells can potentially migrate from the hydrogels and migrate into the NP tissue. This study also explored the differential cell motility of DPSCs and DPSC-derived chondrogenic cells in these collagen hydrogels.
Death by Suicide in the First Year After Irregular Discharge From Inpatient Hospitalization

Objective:Single-site studies indicate irregular hospital discharges are associated with elevated suicide risk. As part of ongoing analytics in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system, the authors ...
Africa’s First “High Tech” War: The Technological Impact of World War One on Africans

Although some scientific innovations and technologies came to their continent during the process of colonization, only during the First World War did Africans experience the full potential of new weapons and engineering breakthroughs as well as transformative transportation methods and medical possibilities. The resulting encounters sometimes left them awe-struck, but Africans frequently seized the newer technologies and turned them into opportunities. Only a few rejected them as antithetical to tradition, though occasionally some Africans expected what seemed to be revolutionary advances alone to change and improve their lives. Ultimately few Africans were unaffected by the awesome wartime scientific and technological alterations brought to their lands and peoples as a result of the First World War.
Phylogeny and Comparative Physiology of Mucosal Immunoglobulins

Abstract The evolution of mucosal immunoglobulins (Ig's) dates to the early origins of the adaptive immune system in jawed vertebrates. The concurrent emergence of genes encoding Ig heavy and light chains and the J chain in cartilaginous fish provided a mechanism for the polymerization of IgM, the primordial mucosal Ig. The emergence of IgT as a specialized mucosal Ig in bony fish was accompanied by the appearance of the polymeric Ig receptor, providing a mechanism for transport of polymeric Ig's into mucosal secretions. Divergence of the tetrapod lineage was accompanied by the emergence of IgX in amphibians, which evolved into IgA in birds and mammals (and possibly also reptiles). Although IgA is the predominant mucosal Ig in higher vertebrates, IgG, IgE, and even IgD contribute to the protection of mucosal surfaces. The evolution of mucosal Ig's, with their diverse structures and functions, has been a central theme in the development of mucosal homeostasis.
Fundamentals of Electromagnetic Shielding

The shielding effectiveness (SE) is typically defined as the ratio of the magnitude of the incident electric field, E i , to the magnitude of the transmitted electric field, E t : $$ SE = \left| {\frac{{\vec E_i }} {{\vec E_t }}} \right| SE\left( {dB} \right) = 20 \cdot \log _{10} \left( {\frac{{E_i }} {{E_t }}} \right) $$ (3.1)
Cerebrospinal Fluid Acetylcholinesterase in Psychosis and Movement Disorders

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) has been identified in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (Kalsbeek et al., 1950; Svensmark, 1961; Johnson and Domino, 1971; Yaksh et al., 1974). The majority of CSF AChE has been shown to derive from the brain with little if any contribution from the plasma (Yaksh et al., 1975). The possibility of a large contribution to CSF AChE from the spinal cord is unlikely as histochemical studies of spinal tracts have failed to demonstrate appreciable staining for AChE (Koelle, 1963). The caudate nucleus contains the highest concentrations of AChE (Yaksh et al., 1975). Its proximity to the lateral ventricles suggests that this structure makes a sizeable contribution to total CSF AChE.
History of Phase Change Memories

This chapter reviews the history of phase change materials particularly in the applications of information storage. The chapter starts with the discovery of a one way resistance transformation phenomenon in a chalcogenide, namely molybdenite (MoS2). Then the evolution of the understanding of the underlying physics governing the phase change characteristics by various investigators is reviewed along with the applications of the phase change characteristics in information storage applications. The chapter ends with a table summarizing critical events in the phase change memory developments.
A Prospective, Randomized Trial of Mobilization Protocols Following Ligament Reconstruction and Tendon Interposition.

Background:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hypothesis that an increased duration of immobilization following trapeziectomy with ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition (LRTI) leads to improved patient-reported outcomes compared with an early mobilization protocol.Methods:At 2
Liquid hydrogen pump performance and durability testing through repeated cryogenic vessel filling to 700 bar

Abstract This paper reports the results of a comprehensive test of liquid hydrogen (LH2) pump performance and durability conducted while cycle testing a prototype thin-lined cryogenic pressure vessel 456 times to 700 bar. This extensive LH2 pump experimental data set provides a wealth of information vital for a complete evaluation of the future potential of this promising technology for ambient temperature and cryo-compressed vessel refueling. The experiment was conducted at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Livermore, CA)'s hydrogen test facility, specifically built for this experiment and including a containment vessel for safe testing of the prototype vessel and a control room for efficient monitoring. Original pump and storage instrumentation was complemented with an electric power analyzer and a boil-off mass flow meter for more complete pump characterization. The results of the experiment confirm most of the expected virtues of the LH2 pump: rapid (3 min) refueling of the 65-liter prototype vessel at high flow rate (1.55 kgH2 per minute on average), unlimited back to back refueling, low electricity consumption (1.1 kWh/kg H2), no measurable degradation, and low maintenance. High cryogenic vessel fill density is another key performance metric that was demonstrated in an earlier publication. These virtues derive from the high density of LH2 enabling pressurization to high density with relatively little energy consumption and high throughput from a small displacement pump. Boil-off losses as high as 27.7% of dispensed hydrogen were measured, at experimental conditions not representative of operation at a hydrogen refueling station. These losses drop to 15.4% for operation that may be representative of a small station (332 kg/day), while we anticipate less than 6% boil-off with the existing pump and Dewar with improved LH2 delivery truck operations and a more favorable arrangement of the LH2 pump relative to the Dewar.
SyntaViz: Visualizing Voice Queries through a Syntax-Driven Hierarchical Ontology

This paper describes SyntaViz, a visualization interface specifically designed for analyzing natural-language queries that were created by users of a voice-enabled product. SyntaViz provides a platform for browsing the ontology of user queries from a syntax-driven perspective, providing quick access to high-impact failure points of the existing intent understanding system and evidence for data-driven decisions in the development cycle. A case study on Xfinity X1 (a voice-enabled entertainment platform from Comcast) reveals that SyntaViz helps developers identify multiple action items in a short amount of time without any special training. SyntaViz has been open-sourced for the benefit of the community.
Predictive kinetics for the thermal decomposition of RDX

Abstract The application of Variable Reaction Coordinate Transition State Theory for an energetic material is presented. The homolysis of the N–N bond in RDX is characterized using an embedding methodology in which key atoms in the bond-dissociation process are computed using CASPT2(10e,7o)/jun-cc-pVTZ, while the rest of the molecule is computed using M06-2X/jun-cc-pVTZ. Microcanonical rate theory is used to quantify the temperature and pressure dependent rate constants. The cleavage of the N–N bond is by far the dominant channel, with HONO elimination a distant second. The predicted rate constants are in excellent agreement with the experimental data. The computational approach can be used to provide accurate models for the combustion properties of novel energetic materials.
Rutile Alloys in the Mn-Sb-O System Stabilize Mn3+ to Enable Oxygen Evolution in Strong Acid

Electrocatalysis of the oxygen evolution reaction is central to several energy technologies including electrolyzers, solar fuel generators, and air-breathing batteries. Strong acid electrolytes are desirable for many implementations of these technologies, although the deployment of such device designs is often hampered by the lack of non-precious-metal oxygen evolution electrocatalysts, with Ir-based oxides comprising the only known catalysts that exhibit stable activity at low overpotential. During our exploration of the Mn–Sb–O system for precious-metal-free electrocatalysts, we discovered that Mn can be incorporated into the rutile oxide structure at much higher concentrations than previously known, and that these Mn-rich rutile alloys exhibit great catalytic activity with current densities exceeding 50 mA cm–2 at 0.58 V overpotential and catalysis onset at 0.3 V overpotential. While this activity does not surpass that of IrO2, Pourbaix analysis reveals that the Mn–Sb rutile oxide alloys have the same ...
The problem of multiple margins.

ABSTRACT: The papers in this collection extend the work of John Wennberg and colleagues on variations in the use of health care services and the relationships between variations and health outcomes...
Communication Rate Increase in Drill Strings of Oil and Gas Wells Using Multiple Actuators

Wireless data communication and telemetry during drilling deep oil and gas wells are important enablers for safe and timely drilling operations. The transmission of information through drill strings and pipes using sound waves is a useful and practical approach. However, given the limited available bandwidth, transmission rates are typically smaller than what is needed. In this paper, a new method and system are proposed to increase the transmission rate over the same bandwidth, by deploying more than one actuator. Upon using multiple actuators, several data streams can be transmitted simultaneously. This increases the data rate without the need for additional bandwidth. The experimental results of a testbed with two actuators are presented, where the transmission rate is doubled with no bandwidth increase. A strain sensor receiver and accelerometer receivers are used to separate and demodulate the two data streams. It is demonstrated that it is possible to recover the data in the new faster system benefiting from two actuators, while having about the same bit error probability performance as a one-actuator system. Various combinations of strain and acceleration sensors are considered at the receive side. Due to some properties of strain channels (e.g., smaller delay spreads and their less-frequency-selective behavior) presented in this paper, it appears that a strain sensor receiver and an accelerometer receiver together can offer a good performance when separating and demodulating the two actuators’ data in the testbed. Overall, the experimental results from the proposed system suggest that upon using more than one actuator, it is feasible to increase the data rate over the limited bandwidth of pipes and drill strings.
Surgical Size Reduction of Zebrafish for the Study of Embryonic Pattern Scaling

In the developmental process, embryos exhibit a remarkable ability to match their body pattern to their body size; their body proportion is maintained even in embryos that are larger or smaller, within certain limits. Although this phenomenon of scaling has attracted attention for over a century, understanding the underlying mechanisms has been limited, owing in part to a lack of quantitative description of developmental dynamics in embryos of varied sizes. To overcome this limitation, we developed a new technique to surgically reduce the size of zebrafish embryos, which have great advantages for in vivo live imaging. We demonstrate that after balanced removal of cells and yolk at the blastula stage in separate steps, embryos can quickly recover under the right conditions and develop into smaller but otherwise normal embryos. Since this technique does not require special equipment, it is easily adaptable, and can be used to study a wide range of scaling problems, including robustness of morphogen mediated patterning.
New experimental studies on the phase diagram of the Al-Cu-Fe quasicrystal-forming system

Abstract Phase diagrams of quasicrystal-forming alloy systems, such as Al-Cu-Fe, are essential to the continued development and fundamental understanding of quasicrystalline alloys, especially for the synthesis of single quasicrystals. Isothermal sections of the Al-Cu-Fe system at 700, 800, and 1000 °C were constructed over the whole composition range by investigations of three Cu/Fe/Al5Fe2 diffusion triples and forty-seven equilibrated alloys using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Based on experimental measurements and reasonable assumptions, eleven, eight, and six three-phase equilibria were obtained at 700, 800, and 1000 °C, respectively. The existence of the ternary I-Al6Cu2Fe icosahedral quasicrystalline phase was confirmed at both 700 and 800 °C, and the ternary ω-Al7Cu2Fe phase was only found at 700 °C. The stable composition range of the I phase was measured to be Al67-56Cu24-31Fe9–13 and Al66-58Cu23-28Fe11–14 at 700 and 800 °C, respectively. A wide continuous solution region formed among the α-Fe, β-AlFe, and Cu3Al phases at 800 and 1000 °C. A sufficiently large amount of new experimental phase equilibrium data was collected for the Al-Cu-Fe system that will help improve future thermodynamic description of this ternary system within the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagrams) framework for designing Al-Cu-Fe-based quasicrystals.
Mitochondrial Defects Drive Degenerative Retinal Diseases

Mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in the pathology of two major blinding retinal diseases, diabetic retinopathy (DR) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). These diseases accumulate mitochondrial defects in distinct retinal subcellular structures, the vascular/neural network in DR and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in AMD. These mitochondrial defects cause a metabolic crisis that drives disease. With no treatments to stop these diseases, coupled with an increasing population suffering from AMD and DR, there is an urgent need to develop new therapeutics targeting the mitochondria to prevent or reverse disease-specific pathology.
Non-invasive monitoring is coming the full circle, making our patients safer!

Non-invasive monitoring is becoming more accurate, more available and mobile. The clinical advantage that this developing technology provides is that the data may be monitored continuously; relatively unobtrusively, and transmitted directly to the caregiver. The downside of being non-invasive has been the potential loss of accuracy in the data displayed. This has been overcome in the measurement of oxygen saturation of hemoglobin by pulse oximetry, in that treatment will be instigated by a decline in oxygen saturation without necessarily an arterial blood gas analysis being performed. The development of pulse oximetry to measure hemoglobin levels (SpHb) has relied on “trend accuracy” to indicate the need for a confirmatory laboratory analysis of hemoglobin level. The study by Applegate et al. [1] confirms the trend accuracy of SpHb as an indication to perform a laboratory confirmation of hemoglobin level. This will lead to earlier laboratory screening, so that developing adverse conditions, such as postoperative bleeding, may be identified at a time that major events, such as failure to rescue can be avoided. This increased availability of non-invasive technology will make patients safer both in our hospitals and at home.
Mesoporous Copper Nanoparticle/TiO2 Aerogels for Room-Temperature Hydrolytic Decomposition of the Chemical Warfare Simulant Dimethyl Methylphosphonate

Mesoporous copper–titanium dioxide (Cu/TiO2) composite aerogels with <5-nm-diameter copper (Cu) nanoparticles hydrolyze the chemical warfare (CW) simulant dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) under ae...
Revisiting medication: listening to lived experiences from persons in mental health recovery without ongoing medication use

This qualitative study used a grounded theory approach to explore the lived experience of psychotropic medication use in the recovery process of 18 participants who had a diagnosis of schizophrenia...
The serendipity of connections and their consequences

This essay is an account of how, throughout my 40-year career as an educational researcher and professor of Sociology and Education, mostly at the University of California, San Diego, I have tried to live my commitments to excellence and equity in practice to create a more just educational system. These values permeate my story, which is presented here in two parts. In the first part, broadly spanning 20 years, I focused on uncovering the roots of the seemingly inexorable social fact of educational inequality in US K-12 education, mainly through studying some of the policies and practices that produce those inequalities. My findings showed consistently that students of color from low-income backgrounds did not fare as well as their middle-income “majority” contemporaries. In the last 20 years, I have attempted to build educational environments that might produce more equitable possibilities for underprivileged young people based on the research that uncovered the stratifying practices that produced educational inequalities. Many of the directions that my professional career took were not thoughtfully and carefully planned. My participation in various projects was not entirely free, totally independent, or completely rational. They were often not entirely of my own making. Instead, I often responded to opportunities presented to me. In fact, I think that the concept of serendipity accounts well for the relationships that shaped my career trajectory.
Reconceptualizing Social Distancing: Teletherapy and Social Inequality During the COVID-19 and Loneliness Pandemics

The purpose of this article is to highlight the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic amid a preexisting loneliness epidemic, as well as argue in favor of the reconceptualization of social distancing as ...
QuPath. A new digital imaging tool for geropathology

Translational research regularly utilizes immunohistochemistry (IHC) to investigate pathological differences in the clinical or laboratory setting. However, the majority of these studies require the extensive work of a trained pathologist to analyze slides in a meaningful way. In order to explore new ways to quantitate IHC stains in a manner that is reproducible and efficient for both pathologists and research scientists, QuPath was explored as a new digital imaging tool. The hippocampal area of brains from older sleep deprived mice were stained using established IHC protocols to explore biomarker levels that would be insightful for measurable differences. Application features of QuPath are described that quantitatively show sleep deprived mice had robust differences in staining intensity for four different biomarkers compared to non-sleep deprived mice. These observations provide the rationale for QuPath as a digital imaging tool to enhance the quantitative and qualitative usefulness of IHC staining in the field of geropathology. Keywords: Digital imaging, QuPath, immunohistochemistry, geropathology, neuropathology, machine learning