cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Speed modulation of hippocampal theta frequency correlates with spatial memory performance

Hippocampal theta rhythm is believed to play a critical role in learning and memory. In animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), there is evidence that alterations of hippocampal theta oscillations are involved in the cognitive impairments observed in this model. However, hippocampal theta frequency and amplitude at both the local field potential (LFP) and single unit level are strongly modulated by running speed, suggesting that the integration of locomotor information into memory processes may also be critical for hippocampal processing. Here, we investigate whether hippocampal speed-theta integration influences spatial memory and whether it could account for the memory deficits observed in TLE rats. LFPs were recorded in both Control (CTR) and TLE rats as they were trained in a spatial alternation task. TLE rats required more training sessions to perform the task at CTR levels. Both theta frequency and power were significantly lower in the TLE group. In addition, speed/theta frequency correlation coefficients and regression slopes varied from session to session and were worse in TLE. Importantly, there was a strong relationship between speed/theta frequency parameters and performance. Our analyses reveal that speed/theta frequency correlation with performance cannot merely be explained by the direct influence of speed on behavior. Therefore, variations in the coordination of theta frequency with speed may participate in learning and memory processes. Impairments of this function could explain at least partially memory deficits in epilepsy.
Characterization of bovine conceptus proteins produced during the peri- and postattachment periods of early pregnancy.

Bovine conceptuses removed from the uterus during the pen- and postattachment periods of placentation (Days 17-24 and 26-38, respectively) were cultured in a modified minimum essential medium in the presence of L-[3H]leucine to characterize in vitro synthesis of proteins released into the medium. Patterns of protein production were analyzed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by flu orography of dried gels. Four groups of low molecular weight acidic proteins (LMWAP) were observed to be synthesized during the pen- and postattachment periods. The number and relative concentration of these changed with development. One group (A) consisted of three major and two or more minor isoelectric species (p1 u 5.8-6.8); these were the major synthesized proteins observed from Days 1 7-22. The major polypeptides of Group A were present at all time points examined through Day 38 and, in several preparations, appeared as doublets (Mr 22,000 and 24,000) through Day 29 but not thereafter. Group A polypeptides from Day 19 and 36 conceptus cultures were demonstrated by immunoblot analysis to cross-react with antiserum produced against ovine trophoblast protein-i (0TP-1). A second group of proteins (A’) and a single protein (B) in the 20,000-24,000 Mr range were observed between Days 17 and 22. These were acidic relative to Group A and were not detected after Day 22. A fourth group (C) of LMWAP (Mr 14,000-18,000) was first observed around Day 21 and appeared to increase relative to Group A through Day 29. One protein from this group, C3, was the predominant LMWAP at Day 38. Production of numerous proteins in the 30,000-70,000M,. range (Group E) was first observed between Days 21 and 24. Three of these-E,, E�, and E9 -were acidic (p1 5.0-5.8), with apparent molecular weights between 30,000 and 45,000, and became prominent secretory products around Day 29 and times thereafter. A very large (Mr > 200,000) acidic (p1 < � protein was present from Day 17 through at least Day 29, and several large (Mr � 100,000) were observed around Day 24 and afterwards. Group A proteins have been referred to as bovine trophoblast protein-I (bTP-1) and implicated in events associated with maternal recognition of pregnancy. The present study is the first to demonstrate continued production of these products beyond Day 24, and to report qualitative changes observed in bovine conceptus protein synthesis during the early postattachment period.
A Variational Method for Recovering Planar Lamé Moduli

For a planar, isotropic, linearly elastic square solid, the Lame moduli are determined by the displacement under a known edge traction, assuming the displacement satisfies a particular non-degeneracy condition. Estimates of the moduli are derived by minimizing a functional and an error bound for the estimated moduli is given.
Genomic data visualization on the Web

Many types of genomic data can be represented in matrix format, with rows corresponding to genes and columns corresponding to gene features. The heat map is a popular technique for visualizing such data, plotting the data on a two-dimensional grid and using a color scale to represent the magnitude of each matrix entry. Prism is a Web-based software tool for generating annotated heat map visualizations of genome-wide data quickly. The tool provides a selection of genome-specific annotation catalogs as well as a catalog upload capability. The heat maps generated are clickable, allowing the user to drill down to examine specific matrix entries, and gene annotations are linked to relevant genomic databases. Availability: http://noble.gs.washington.edu/prism
Dynamic fluorescence imaging of the free radical products of X-ray absorption in live cells

The immediate products of x-ray absorption in aqueous biological samples are free radicals including *OH, H2O2, *H and solvated electrons. Because their lifetimes and diffusion ranges are dependent on the local bio-molecular environment, imaging these free radicals in real-time while they are produced by a scanning x-ray nanobeam may provide a biological microscopy method of high resolution. As a first step towards this goal, we investigated the feasibility of imaging the initial free radical products of x-ray absorption in live cells using fluorescent free radical sensors. We selected six commercially available fluorescent sensors for screening tests of their sensitivities towards x-ray radiation in solution form. Two of the six dyes were found to have high sensitivities. One of the two was successfully used for dynamic confocal fluorescence imaging of x-ray generated free radicals in the intracellular space of mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Time series of fluorescence images before and during x-ray radiation were acquired. The rate of increase of cellular fluorescence showed both the initial production of free radicals by the physical ionization events as well as stimulated biological production of reactive oxygen species later on. The implications of the results for future development of microscopy techniques are discussed.
Scalp EEG brain functional connectivity networks in pediatric epilepsy

This study establishes a new data-driven approach to brain functional connectivity networks using scalp EEG recordings for classifying pediatric subjects with epilepsy from pediatric controls. Graph theory is explored on the functional connectivity networks of individuals where three different sets of topological features were defined and extracted for a thorough assessment of the two groups. The rater's opinion on the diagnosis could also be taken into consideration when deploying the general linear model (GLM) for feature selection in order to optimize classification. Results demonstrate the existence of statistically significant (p<0.05) changes in the functional connectivity of patients with epilepsy compared to those of control subjects. Furthermore, clustering results demonstrate the ability to discriminate pediatric epilepsy patients from control subjects with an initial accuracy of 87.5%, prior to initiating the feature selection process and without taking into consideration the clinical rater's opinion. Otherwise, leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV) showed a significant increase in the classification accuracy to 96.87% in epilepsy diagnosis. Introducing a new data driven graph theory-based methodology for constructing brain functional connectivity networks.Proposing a decision support system for pediatric epilepsy diagnosis.Developing a framework to assess the functional connectivity networks alterations using scalp EEG time series.Evaluation of graph theory measures of brain functional connectivity in pediatric epilepsy diagnosis.
Power spectrum estimation with low rank beamforming

When the size of the training samples is limited the performance of the full rank minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer is deteriorated; and a low rank solution of the MVDR problem can yield a better performance. A new adaptive approach, indirect dominant mode rejection (IDMR), was introduced in previous work to solve the MVDR optimization problem. In the previous work the IDMR beamformer was used to extract the desired signal, while in this work we use the IDMR beamformer to estimate the power spectrum. We also introduce several modifications, which bring more robustness to the basic IDMR. These include root-music, forward/backward averaging of the sample covariance matrix and power window
Dietary Copper Influences Reproduction in Cats

The objective of this study was to determine the copper requirement of female cats (queens) for gestation. Cuproenzyme activities were evaluated to identify a noninvasive indicator of copper status. This study used a depletion-repletion model. Specific pathogen-free queens (n = 28) were adapted to a purified diet; after consuming a copper-depletion diet (0.8 mg Cu/kg diet) for 4 mo, they were randomly allocated to three dietary treatment groups receiving copper sulfate at 4.0, 5.8 or 10.8 mg Cu/kg diet. Four queens underwent liver biopsies at two time points during the study. Plasma samples were analyzed for copper concentrations, extracellular superoxide dismutase, ceruloplasmin and diamine oxidase activities. Only liver copper concentrations were responsive to dietary copper intake. The dietary concentration of copper had a significant effect on the time taken for queens to conceive (P = 0.04). There was a negative linear relationship between dietary copper (x = Cu mg/kg diet) and the mean time (y = days) for queens to conceive (y = 43.38-2.87x; R(2) = 0.97). The current NRC recommendation of 5 mg/kg diet copper for cats appears marginal for optimal reproduction.
Using COMSOL modeling to investigate the efficiency of PCMs at modifying temperature changes in cementitious materials – Case study

Abstract In recent decades, much research has investigated the efficiency of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) in improving the thermal properties of concrete. In buildings, increasing the thermal inertia of structural elements by incorporating PCMs decreases the energy required to keep the inside temperature in the comfort range. In concrete pavements, using PCMs decreases the number of freeze/thaw cycles experienced by the pavement and thus increases service life. In this study, COMSOL multi-physic modeling software was used to make a computational model of a concrete specimen containing PCM in order to simulate the temperature changes of a structural element under typical meteorological year (TMY2 and TMY3) data. Guarded Longitudinal Comparative Calorimetry (GLCC) tests were conducted to verify the accuracy of the COMSOL model. The results show that using a PCM with a melting point near the occupant comfort zone makes the inside temperature profile smoother and increases the length of time during which the temperature is in the comfort zone. In the cases of PCMs with melting temperatures close to the freezing point of water in concrete, the number of times that the core temperature of a simulated concrete pavement dropped below the freezing point decreased, thus reducing the number of freeze/thaw cycles experienced by the pavement.
Role of kallikrein-kinin system in pathogenesis of bacterial cell wall-induced inflammation.

The plasma kallikrein-kinin system is activated in Gram-negative sepsis and typhoid fever, two diseases in which bacterial products have been shown to initiate inflammation. Because a single intrap...
Spatially-resolved low-temperature photolumirnescence in GaInP 2

The spontaneous long range ordering observed in the ternary III-V semiconductor alloy GaxIni−x,P (x ≅0.52; written for the sake of simplicity as GalnP2) manifests itself as a monolayer superlattice of the alternating layers Ga(1+η,)/2In(1−η)/2P/Ga(1−η)/2In(1+η)/2P, where η, known as the order parameter, can vary between 0 and 1.
The pharmacist's interaction with the dying patient.

Most individuals, including health professionals, are reluctant to Interact with the terminally ill patient. In a study of 30 pharmacists In a metropolitan area, observers noted that pharmacists spent significantly more time discussing the patient's disease when they thought the patient was a non-terminally ill diabetic In contrast to a terminally ill cancer patient. Subjective evaluations by the observers and confederate patients also Indicated that the pharmacist was more reluctant to Interact with the dying patient. Other results of the study are presented and possible explanations of the findings are discussed. The authors conclude with suggestions for the pharmacist who interacts with terminally ill patients and stress that interaction is important unless patients or family members do not wish to discuss the illness.
The Role of Performance and Absenteeism in the Prediction of Turnover

The article discusses research pertaining to the role of performance and absenteeism in the prediction of labor turnover relative to other predictors. Absenteeism may have played the dual role of e...
The Transformation of Two Arbitrary Functions into Linear Functions

(1936). The Transformation of Two Arbitrary Functions into Linear Functions. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 43, No. 5, pp. 280-283.
The response of strain gages to longitudinally sweeping strain pulses

The current state-of-the-art for estimating the maximum rise time of a strain gage which is subjected to an axially sweeping strain pulse ist rg≤0.8L/c+0.5μsec wheret rg is the 10/90 rise time of the strain gage,* L is the gage length andc is the strain-pulse velocity. This paper shows that the effect of the 0.8L/c term can be significantly reduced by utilizing an analytical compensation technique. In addition, it is shown that the 0.5 μsec additive constant can be reduced to approximately 0.1 μsec by reinterpreting data published by a previous author.
The Inhibition of the Succinoxidase System Using Cysteine and Cystine. II. Nature of Inhibiting Substance.

SummaryCystine, without differentiating between the dimer and the free radical, inhibits the action of the succinoxidase system under the given conditions used in these experiments.
Psychological Climate: Relevance for Sales Managers and Impact on Consequent Job Satisfaction

This article examines the relationship between sales managers’ perceptions of the psychological climate of the organization and their overall job satisfaction. The study was conducted through a questionnaire mailed to a nationwide sample of sales managers in a variety of industries. The study found that sales managers who perceive high levels of autonomy and cohesion in the psychological climate of their companies have high levels of job satisfaction. Perceived pressure is negatively related to overall job satisfaction. The results suggest that companies need to ensure that the sales managers’ perceptions of the psychological climate of the firm are positive in order to ensure sales manager job satisfaction.
Dr. Seuss's Responses to Nazism: Historical Allegories or Political Parables?

In the summer of 1936, Theodore Seuss Geisel, now also known as Dr. Seuss, and his first wife, Helen Palmer Geisel, travelled to Europe where they visited Germany among other countries. This visit to Germany proved to be a disturbing experience for Seuss and his wife as what he saw of the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party appalled him. Seeing the impact of Nazism first-hand persuaded Seuss that Hitler posed a grave danger not only to Germany but also to the wider world. Seuss’s concern about the rise of Hitler led him to leave the world of advertising and, initially, become a political cartoonist, and would later result in several books encouraging readers to challenge structures of power: Yertle the Turtle , published in 1958, and The Sneetches , published in 1961.
Increasing access to health care providers through medical home model may abolish racial disparity in diabetes care: evidence from a cross-sectional study.

Objectives We hypothesized that the medical home model is an effective intervention to decreasing health care disparities in minority patients with diabetes. Setting Set in a community-based health initiative in Jacksonville, Florida, the study's mission was to support and enhance the primary care infrastructure in an effort to improve quality of care and increase access while reducing costs. Intervention We preformed a retrospective analysis of outcomes on 457 patients identified by registry specialists and enrolled in the diabetes rapid access program (DRAP). Data were obtained on 457 diabetic patients enrolled in the 6 clinic centers of the program between June 1, 2006, and December 31,2009. Main Outcome Measures: Improvements in hemoglobin A ]c and proportion of patients with hemoglobin Ai c of more than 8% according to gender, race, and clinic location. Results The average hemoglobin Ai c at the beginning of the study was 8.2% (±2.3), and decreased significantly by an average of 0.5% (p c did not differ significantly by clinic location, race, or gender. Both African American and Caucasian patients as well as men and women with a hemoglobin Ai c of at least 8% showed a significant improvement in their Ai c after the intervention (p Conclusions The DRAP medical home model presents an opportunity to decrease disparities in care and improve diabetes care.
Establishing Trusted Identities in Disconnected Edge Environments

When establishing communication between two nodes, identification, authentication, and authorization provide the information and assurances necessary for the nodes to trust each other. A common solution for establishing trust between two nodes is to create and share credentials in advance, and then use a third-party, online trusted authority to validate the credentials of the nodes. However, the characteristics of tactical environments — such as those in which first responders, search and rescue teams, and military personnel operate — do not consistently provide access to that third-party authority or certificate repository because they are DIL environments (disconnected, intermittent, limited). The goal of this paper is to present a solution for establishing trusted identities in disconnected environments based on secure key generation and exchange in the field. For the implementation and evaluation of the solution we use our open source implementation of a tactical cloudlets system that is targeted at supporting disconnected operations.
Morphological awareness and spelling in Spanish heritage language learners

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of morphological awareness (MA) in Spanish heritage language speakers in terms of two cognitive processing components—analysis of linguistic knowledge and control of linguistic processes—as well as the effects of these two components in the processing of orthography. Forty-one Spanish heritage language college students participated in the study. Participants completed two MA tasks and one spelling task. The results show that the control component played a bigger role in the MA tasks than analysis did. The results also identify some strategies employed by the participants when facing conflicting phonemic, morphemic, and graphemic demands. Finally, results evidence the interaction between morphological awareness and spelling, supported by the correlation found between the MA and the spelling task.
On the Edge: Writing the Border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic

In what Samuel Martinez has aptly described as the “fatal conflict model,” Haitian–Dominican relations are frequently cast as inevitably bellicose, as if linguistic, demographic, and developmental ...
Modular low-power, low-noise, low-cost, wirelessly networked data acquisition system

Data acquisition systems used as Internet of Things (IoT) devices are generally developed for applications such as renewable energy, vehicles, or biological data collection. Methodology adapted from IoT can be used in numerous applications including sensors for underwater vehicles. Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) have become more prevalent for military use. Coincidentally, modular sensor attachments are in need of development to make use of the AUVs. This paper demonstrates the viability of a mobile, low-power, low-noise, low-cost, wirelessly networked data acquisition system for seawater data collection of electric and magnetic fields.
Nanofiber composites in vascular tissue engineering

Patients with cardiovascular diseases have greatly benefited from the development of various vascular procedures and devices such as tissue engineered vascular graft (TEVG). TEVGs have successfully been used clinically in the low-pressure venous circulation system of pediatric patients. However, small-diameter arterial TEVGs have not yet been successfully translated into clinical applications. Electrospun nanofiber TEVGs have strong potential for use in the arterial circulation system due to their excellent mechanical properties, bioactivity, and biocompatibility. However, despite their promising potential, the precise mechanisms of vascular remodeling and neotissue formation in electrospun TEVGs have yet to be elucidated. Thus, a multidisciplinary approach involving the positive translational participation of biologists, engineers, and clinicians is needed to fully understand and incorporate this technology to the clinic.
Study on the association between Physical growth and Socio-economic condition of North-West and South-West Khasi children in the State of Meghalaya.

This Paper makes an attempt to understand how the under-nutrition of children is associated with age, sexand certain socio-economic factors. In the study we include 495 girls and 557 boys aged 3 to 18 years inwhich their weight and height were taken and their socio economic status was recorded. Certain socioeconomicvariables were collected and classified arbitrarily into different groups or categories with a view tounderstanding their influence on demographic variables i.e. base on income group, educational level andfamily size. The data collected for the present study were quantified and analyzed statistically, using SPSSWindow software. These variables were considered as risk factors of under-nutrition as indicated by oddsratios derived from logistic regression analysis. The present study has revealed that the prevalence of undernutrition,especially underweight, is significantly associated with household income and parental education. Itis evident that household income is an important factor in influencing the prevalence of stunting in thepresent population. Unlike in the case of underweight and stunting, the effects of socioeconomic factors onwasting are not statistically significant in the present population.
Target Site—Based and Non—Target Site Based Resistance to ALS Inhibitors in Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri)

Resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibitor herbicides due to continuous and repeated selection is widespread in many troublesome weed species, including Palmer amaranth, throughout the United States. The objective of this research was to investigate the physiological and molecular basis of resistance to ALS inhibitors in a chlorsulfuron-resistant Palmer amaranth population (KSR). Our results indicate that the KSR population exhibits a high level of resistance to chlorsulfuron compared with two known susceptible populations, MSS and KSS from Mississippi and Kansas, respectively. MSS is highly susceptible to chlorsulfuron, whereas KSS is moderately sensitive. Dose—response analysis revealed that KSR was more than 275-fold more resistant compared with KSS. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the ALS gene from the plants that survived chlorsulfuron treatment revealed the possibility of evolution of both target site—based and non—target site based resistance to ALS inhibitors in the KSR population. The most common mutation (Pro-197-Ser) in the ALS gene associated with resistance to the sulfonylureas in many weed species was found only in 30% of the KSR population. A preliminary malathion study showed that the remaining 70% of resistant plants might have cytochrome P450—mediated non—target site resistance. This is the first report elucidating the mechanism of resistance to ALS inhibitors in Palmer amaranth from Kansas. Presence of both target site— and non—target site based mechanisms of resistance limits the herbicide options to manage Palmer amaranth in cropping systems.Nomenclature: Chlorsulfuron; Palmer amaranth, Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats. AMAPA
Breaking the Mold: Lessons Learned from a Teacher Education Program's Attempt to Innovate.

The rationale, process, critical features, and lessons learned by faculty members during the redesign and implementation of our previously existing special education teacher education program into ...
Cell Surface Antigens: Prognostic Implications in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Lymphoblasts from 93 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were characterized by immunologic cell surface markers. These patients were treated on a single protocol, featuring adriamycin therapy during remission, and have been followed from 2 to 6.5 yr (median 4 yr). Three classes of patients were defined serologically: HTA+ Ia- CALLA-, Ia+ CALLA+ HTA-, and Ia+ CALLA- HTA-. Disease-free survival and sites of relapse were assessed within immunologic subsets. Similar to the findings of others, T-cell (HTA+ Ia-) patients fared poorly as compared to non-T-cell (Ia+ HTA-) patients (median disease-free survival was 12 and 47 mo. respectively; p = 0.0004). The majority of relapses in the HTA+ patients occurred at extramedullary sites. Late testicular relapse was rare among Ia+ patients. In addition, the "common ALL antigen" (CALLA) may identify a relatively favorable subset within the Ia+ population. The prognostic value of the immunologic markers was compared with traditional clinical factors. There was much overlap between HTA+, older age, and elevated WBC. However, neither age nor WBC alone were of prognostic significance among the Ia+ patients. We conclude that surface markers define both biologic and prognostic characteristics. The course of childhood ALL must be viewed in the context of homogeneous subsets and within particular therapeutic programs.
Noise for Health: Phage-Based Rapid Bacterial Identification Method

Recently, the authors have developed and demonstrated a novel sensing technology, named SEPTIC (SEnsing of Phage-Triggered Ion Cascades), for the rapid, inexpensive and specific identification of bacteria. The method combines the specificity and fast response of the bacteriophage (“phages”; viruses that specifically detect and kill bacteria) with the sensitivity of the nano-scale fluctuation-enhanced sensing. In its prototype form based on a nanowell chip, SEPTIC has already been shown to be capable of unambiguous identification of live bacteria on a time scale of seconds to minutes, many times faster than any other system. The technology is based on using noise analysis to detect the massive ionic fluxes associated with the initial step of bacteriophage infection, the injection of the phage DNA into the cell. Ultimately, sensors based on this new technology would be able to save many lives.
THE EFFECTS OF ANTIOXIDANTS ON HEMOPROTEIN FUNCTION

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the effects of antioxidants on hemoprotein function. Dietary antioxidants are reported to exert a protective effect on the induction of lung, stomach, liver, and intestinal tumors. In an analysis described in the chapter, in vivo feeding of the antioxidants BHA or ethoxyquin increased the activity of the detoxification enzymes glutathione-S-transferase and epoxide hydrase. It has been shown that a number of antioxidants can inhibit the metabolism and mutagenicity of benzpyrene with rat liver microsomes. Antioxidants also inhibit partially BP metabolism in human placenta and in a variety of rat tissues. It has been demonstrated that cyt P-450 can act as a peroxidase and that organic hydroperoxides can effectively replace NADPH, NADPH-cyt P-450 reductase, and oxygen in hydroxylating drugs and carcinogens. This chapter illustrates that antioxidants can inhibit the cyt. P-450 and other hemoprotein catalyzed oxidation of drugs and carcinogens in a number of ways. It also describes the role of antioxidants as peroxidase donors and as free radical scavengers.
The Wave Packet Theory

In this chapter we discuss the basic theory of the wave packet, beginning with a representation of an arbitrary disturbance system in the form of the wave packet. It will be shown that the single wave can be considered a special case of the wave packet. Hence, the wave theory, in general, can be considered the basic ingredient of the wave packet theory. In Section 2.3, the asymptotic behavior of wave is discussed and it is to be consistent with the wave packet representation of the disturbance system. That is, the energy of the disturbance system propagates at the group velocity. The WKB approximation is another way of looking at the disturbance system in the form of the wave packet. This material is addressed in Section 2.4.
A Practical Irradiance Model for Bifacial PV Modules

A model, suitable for a row or multiple rows of photovoltaic (PV) modules, is presented for estimating the backside irradiance for bifacial PV modules. The model, which includes the effects of shading by the PV rows, is based on the use of configuration factors to determine the fraction of a source of irradiance that is received by the backside of the PV module. Backside irradiances are modeled along the sloped height of the PV module, but assumed not to vary along the length of the PV row. The backside irradiances are corrected for angle-of-incidence losses and may be added to the front side irradiance to determine the total irradiance resource for the PV cell. Model results are compared with the measured backside irradiances for NREL and Sandia PV systems, and with results when using ray tracing software.
Effect of Al2O3 Seed-Layer on the Dielectric and Electrical Properties of Ultrathin MgO Films Fabricated Using In Situ Atomic Layer Deposition.

Metal/insulator/metal (M/I/M) trilayers of Al/MgO/Al with ultrathin MgO in the thickness range of 2.20-4.40 nm were fabricated using in vacuo sputtering and atomic layer deposition (ALD). In order to achieve a high-quality metal/insulator (M/I) interface and hence high-quality dielectric ALD-MgO films, a 5 cycles (∼0.55 nm) thick ALD-Al2O3 seed layer (SL) was employed to demonstrate the dielectric constant (er) is ∼8.82-9.38 in 3.30-4.95 nm thick ALD-MgO/SL films, which is close to that of single-crystal MgO er ∼ 9.80. In contrast, a low er of 3.55-4.66 for the ALD-MgO films of a similar thickness without a SL was observed. The effective oxide thickness (EOT) of ∼1.40 nm has therefore been achieved in the ultrathin ALD-MgO films, which are comparable to the EOTs of high-K dielectrics such as HfO2. In addition, the leakage current through the M/I/M structure is reduced by more than 1 order of magnitude with implementation of the SL. The high leakage current in the samples without a SL can be attributed to the nonuniform nucleation of the ALD-MgO on the Al surface with a significant portion of the Al surface remaining conductive as confirmed using in vacuo scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). With the SL, the STS study has confirmed a tunnel barrier height of 1.50 eV on 0.55 nm MgO with 0.55 nm Al2O3 SL with almost 100% coverage. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations point out the importance of deposition of ultrathin SL that has a significant effect on the initial nucleation of the Mg precursor. This result not only illustrates the critical importance of controlling the M/I interface to obtain high-quality dielectric properties of ultrathin ALD films but also provides an approach to engineering incompatible M/I interfaces using a SL for a high-quality dielectric required for applications in M/I/M tunnel junctions and complementary metal oxide semiconductors.
Cardio-Pulmonary Substructure Segmentation of CT Images Using Convolutional Neural Networks

Radiotherapy doses to some cardio-pulmonary substructures may be critical factors in the observed early mortality following radiotherapy for nonsmall cell lung cancer patients. Our goal is to provide an open-source tool to automatically segment cardio-vascular substructures for consistent outcomes analyses, and subsequently for radiation treatment planning of thoracic patients. Here, we built and validated a multi-label Deep Learning Segmentation (DLS) framework for accurate auto-segmentation of cardio-pulmonary substructures. The DLS framework utilized a deep neural network architecture to segment 12 cardio-pulmonary substructures from Computed Tomography (CT) scans of 217 patients previously treated with thoracic RT. The model was robust against variability in image quality characteristics, including the presence/absence of contrast. A hold-out dataset of additional 24 CT scans was used for quantitative evaluation of the final model against expert contours using Dice Similarity Coefficients (DSC) and 95th Percentile of Hausdorff Distance (HD95). DLS contours of an additional 10 CT scans were reviewed by a radiation oncologist to determine the number of slices in need of adjustment for each of the non-overlapping substructures. The DLS model reduced segmentation time per patient from about one hour of manual segmentation to 10 s. Quantitatively, the highest accuracy was observed for the Heart (median DSC = (0.96(\(0.91-0.93\))) and HD95 = (4.3 mm(3.8 mm − 5.5 mm)). The median DSC for the remaining structures was \(0.80-0.92\). The expert judged that, on average, 85% of the contours were equivalent to state-of-the-art manual contouring and did not require any modifications.
The Effect of Surface Hydroxylation on MOF Formation on ALD Metal Oxides: MOF-525 on TiO2/Polypropylene for Catalytic Hydrolysis of Chemical Warfare Agent Simulants

Metal–organic framework (MOF) fibrous composites were synthesized in a variety of methods in attempt to incorporate the highly effective reactivity of MOFs into a more facile and applicable format....
Copulatory behavior and its relationship to genital morphology

Abstract In internal fertilizers, copulatory behavior and genital morphology are intricately connected because there are many functional and morphological challenges that genitalia must overcome for successful transfer of male gametes into the female reproductive tract. In addition, selective forces can act either on copulatory behavior and genitalia independently or concurrently. However, collecting data on copulatory behavior can be challenging, and there are relatively few studies of genital morphology in Amniotes, which include reptiles, birds, and mammals. As a result, we know little about the relationship between copulation and genitalia in this group. Here we examine copulatory behavior in Amniotes using particularly well-known examples, and add information about the morphology and function of their genitalia to lay a framework for further research on the integration of these traits.
Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia in Neurologic Disorders: Is Prophylaxis Necessary?

Abstract Background: The incidence of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) in patients with underlying neurological conditions is not well established, and the necessity of PJP prophylaxis for immunocompromised patients with neurological disorders is uncertain. Methods: Single-center retrospective analysis of non-HIV PJP patients at a tertiary referral center from 2007-2016 to determine the incidence of PJP in patients with primary neurological disorders Results: The study included 142 non-HIV PJP patients. Twenty patients had primary neurological diagnoses and 122 had non-neurological conditions. Associated neurological diagnoses included brain malignancies (N=16), myasthenia gravis (MG) (N=2), myopathy (N=2), neuromyelitis optica (NMO) (N=1) and central nervous system vasculitis (N=1). Estimated incidences of PJP were 0.7% for NMO and 0.3% for MG patients for the 10-year study period, while 4.6% of NMO and 3.8% of MG patients were placed on PJP prophylaxis. A survey of 24 neurologists who prescribe immunotherapy or chemotherapy confirmed an infrequent occurrence of PJP in their practice. Malignancy or parenchymal organ failure was present in 90% of neurological PJP patients and coexisting infections occurred in 45%. Conclusion: The overall incidence of PJP in patients with non-neoplastic neurological disorders is exceedingly low, raising doubt about the value of routine PJP prophylaxis in neurological patients outside neuro-oncology. PJP infection occurs frequently in patients with malignancy or parenchymal organ failure, indicating that overall health status may serve as a predisposing factor for PJP.
Impact of air, water, and dock microbial communities on boat microbial community composition

Aims This study explores the microbial diversity of sources which may influence boat microbial communities. We investigated the impact of dock, air, and water microbial communities on the hull, transom, and bilge microbial communities over the span of 11 days. Methods and results Using source tracking software, we investigated the extent to which each of our potential sources (air, water, and dock) influenced the overall microbial community. This study concluded that the dock impacted 14-64% of the hull and transom microbial community. Microorganisms from the water were shown to impact 5.6% the bilge microbial community but had minimal impact on hull and transom microbial communities. Microorganisms from the air had minimal impact in all areas of the boat. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that microorganisms from sources other than water can influence the microbial community of a boat, suggesting that terrestrial microorganisms can impact the boat microbial community. Significance and impact of the study Outside of ballast tanks, microbial diversity on boats is largely unexplored. While ballast water is widely recognized as a route for dispersal of allochthonous microorganisms, comparatively little is known about the microbial diversity on other areas of the boat. If the organisms on a boat originate from sources other than water, there is potential that terrestrial microorganisms could be dispersed by shipping activity.
Rule-based reinforcement learning methodology to inform evolutionary algorithms for constrained optimization of engineering applications

Abstract For practical engineering optimization problems, the design space is typically narrow, given all the real-world constraints. Reinforcement Learning (RL) has commonly been guided by stochastic algorithms to tune hyperparameters and leverage exploration. Conversely in this work, we propose a rule-based RL methodology to guide evolutionary algorithms (EA) in constrained optimization. First, RL proximal policy optimization agents are trained to master matching some of the problem rules/constraints, then RL is used to inject experiences to guide various evolutionary/stochastic algorithms such as genetic algorithms, simulated annealing, particle swarm optimization, differential evolution, and natural evolution strategies. Accordingly, we develop RL-guided EAs, which are benchmarked against their standalone counterparts. RL-guided EA in continuous optimization demonstrates significant improvement over standalone EA for two engineering benchmarks. The main problem analyzed is nuclear fuel assembly combinatorial optimization with high-dimensional and computationally expensive physics. The results demonstrate the ability of RL to efficiently learn the rules that nuclear fuel engineers follow to realize candidate solutions. Without these rules, the design space is large for RL/EA to find many candidates. With imposing the rule-based RL methodology, we found that RL-guided EA outperforms standalone algorithms by a wide margin, with > 10 times improvement in exploration capabilities and computational efficiency. These insights imply that when facing a constrained problem with numerous local optima, RL can be useful in focusing the search space in the areas where expert knowledge has demonstrated merit, while evolutionary/stochastic algorithms utilize their exploratory features to improve the number of feasible solutions.
Lumbar Spine Sagittal Mismatch Deformity Negatively Affects Total Knee Arthroplasty Outcomes.

There is currently a paucity of data regarding the potential relationships between preexisting spinal deformity and clinical outcomes following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We sought to expand upon this deficit. We hypothesize that lumbar sagittal mismatch deformity (MD) will correlate with a decrease in functional outcomes after TKA. This retrospective cohort comparison of 933 TKAs was performed between January 2017 and 2020. TKAs were excluded if they were not performed for primary osteoarthritis (OA) or if preoperative lumbar radiographs were unavailable/inadequate to measure sagittal parameters of interest: pelvic incidence, sacral slope, pelvic tilt, lumbar lordosis, and deformity mismatch. Ninety-four TKAs were subsequently available for inclusion and divided into two groups: those with MD as defined by |PI-LL| > 10 degrees and those without MD. The following clinical outcomes were compared between the groups: total postoperative arc of motion (AOM), incidence of flexion contracture, and need for manipulation under anesthesia (MUA). In total, 53 TKAs met the MD criteria, while 41 did not have MD. There were no significant differences in demographics, body mass index, preoperative knee range of motion (ROM), preoperative AOM, or opiate use between the groups. TKAs with MD were more likely to have MUA (p = 0.026), ROM <0 to 120 (p < 0.001), a decreased AOM by 16 degrees (p < 0.001), and a flexion contracture postoperatively (p = 0.01). Preexisting MD may adversely affect clinical results following TKA. Statistically and clinically significant decreases in postoperative ROM/AOM, increased likelihood of flexion contracture, and increased need for MUA were all noted in those with MD. This is a Level 3 study.
F.Y.Edgeworth’s Two Reviews of Keynes’s a Treatise on Probability Easily Refutes G. Wheeler’s 2012 Claim About ‘…How Far Kyburg Went Beyond Keynes…’ (Wheeler, 2012, p.443):On the Need for Philosophers to Read Parts II, III, IV and V of the A Treatise on Probability or Edgeworth’s Two Reviews

H. E. Kyburg never read beyond chapter 6 of Keynes’s A Treatise on Probability. From 1959 till his death in 2007, Kyburg continually based his assessment of Keynes’s accomplishments on pp. 30 and 34 of Chapter III of the A Treatise on Probability. Edgeworth’s careful and judicious reading of Keynes’s chapter III allowed him to conclude that Keynes’s theory was an interval valued theory of probability, as opposed to Kyburg’s claims that Keynes merely had made some comments that would lead one to conclude that Keynes had made some interesting “suggestions, hints, notions,i ntuitions, ideas,” that would lead to an interval valued theory of probability if they were developed mathematically and logically. Wheeler ‘s evaluation of Keynes is simply a repetition of Kyburg’s nearly 50 years of evaluations ,which are vastly inferior to Edgeworth’s evaluation, which skipped Part II of Keynes’s A Treatise on Probability. A study of Part II of A Treatise on Probability reveals that Keynes had a very advanced mathematical and logical theory of interval valued probability based on Boole’s original presentation on pp.265-268 of The Laws of Thought that was presented in chapters 15,16, and 17 of Part II. This was accepted by the American mathematician E .B. Wilson, who acknowledged this grudgingly in his second, disguised review of the A Treatise on Probability that concentrated on chapter 17 of Part II, while ignoring the crucial chapter 15 in the September, 1934 issue of the Journal of the American Statistical Association. Wilson’s 1934 paper has never been cited by any academic in any field in the 20th or 21st centuries. It also leads to a total rejection of Ramsey’s two reviews of Keynes’s A Treatise on Probability, as well as Wheeler’s assessment about “… Ramsey's brilliant critique of Keynes's ideas about probability…” (Wheeler, 2012,p. 443).
Low Overhead Codebook Design for mmWave Roadside Units Placed at Smart Intersections

In order to meet the high data rate requirements of emerging roadway use cases, mmWave vehicular communications will be needed. This work studies the ability of vehicles to communicate with a Roadside Unit (RSU) placed at an intersection. Practical mmWave radios utilize a codebook, a discrete set of analog beams, that is periodically searched during runtime to find the optimal beam to use for each receiver. This search creates overhead as the wireless channel is not used for communication while this beam search is happening. This work focuses on reducing the overhead of beam training by optimizing the site-specific codebook design of a RSU. Owing to the sparsity of the mmWave channel and the user distribution for vehicles, it is found that 85% of beams can be removed from the codebook with zero-impact. By carefully selecting the usage of wide beams the codebook size can be further reduced to just 64 beams while still providing omni-directional coverage for an intersection. Other research thrusts have focused on attempting to augment or remove beam training entirely; however, this necessitates a change to the PHY layer. Codebook optimization achieves approximately 80% of the communications performance that would be achieved if beam training overhead could be completely removed while only requiring a radio configuration update. Thus, this work finds that today’s commercial mmWave radios are sufficient for deployments in RSUs. To validate the proposed codebook optimization algorithm, a detailed mmWave ray tracing framework that encompasses 3D environmental information and material properties of reflectors is developed.
Concept for a high voltage solar array with integral power conditioning.

Description of a general case solution that synthesizes a high voltage solar array system from a switchable building block concept which makes possible system optimization for specific load requirements. A specific optimized solution is demonstrated, with performance estimates relating array area, weight, and power. Significant technology problems peculiar to a high-voltage switchable solar array design are discussed, along with special requirements anticipated during a hardware development effort.