cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of system configurations for solid oxide fuel cell-based micro-combined heat and power generators in residential applications

The evaluation of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) combined heat and power (CHP) system configurations for application in residential dwellings is explored through modeling and simulation of cell-stacks including the balance-of-plant equipment. Five different SOFC system designs are evaluated in terms of their energetic performance and suitability for meeting residential thermal-to-electric ratios. Effective system concepts and key performance parameters are identified. The SOFC stack performance is based on anode-supported planar geometry. A cell model is scaled-up to predict voltage–current performance characteristics when served with either hydrogen or methane fuel gas sources. System comparisons for both fuel types are made in terms of first and second law efficiencies. The results indicate that maximum efficiency is achieved when cathode and anode gas recirculation is used along with internal reforming of methane. System electric efficiencies of 40% HHV (45% LHV) and combined heat and power efficiencies of 79% (88% LHV) are described. The amount of heat loss from small-scale SOFC systems is included in the analyses and can have an adverse impact on CHP efficiency. Performance comparisons of hydrogen-fueled versus methane-fueled SOFC systems are also given. The comparisons indicate that hydrogen-based SOFC systems do not offer efficiency performance advantages over methane-fueled SOFC systems. Sensitivity of this result to fuel cell operating parameter selection demonstrates that the magnitude of the efficiency advantage of methane-fueled SOFC systems over hydrogen-fueled ones can be as high as 6%. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Agents design for distributed consensus over networks of fixed and switching topologies

In this paper, we consider the problem of designing agents' dynamics such that the multi-agent system can reach consensus in a distributed fashion. Our design approach is independent of the network topology and the agents can be used in mobile networks or fixed networks with different topologies. We review our previous result valid for fixed network topologies and extend it to the case when the interconnection among the nodes changes over time. In particular we focus on average consensus and consider undirected connected switching graphs. We establish the convergence property of the system by mode separation and an application of the small gain theorem.
Means and Variances of Stochastic Vector Products with Applications to Random Linear Models

Applications in operations research often employ models which contain linear functions. These linear functions may have some components coefficients and variables which are random. For instance, linear functions in mathematical programming often represent models of processes which exhibit randomness in resource availability, consumption rates, and activity levels. Even when the linearity assumptions of these models is unquestioned, the effects of the randomness in the functions is of concern. Methods to accomodate, or at least estimate for a linear function the implications of randomness in its components typically make several simplifying assumptions. Unfortunately, when components are known to be random in a general, multivariate dependent fashion, concise specification of the randomness exhibited by the linear function is, at best, extremely complicated, usually requiring severe, unrealistic restrictions on the density functions of the random components. Frequent stipulations include assertion of normality of independence-yet, observed data, accepted collateral theory and common sense may dictate that a symmetric distribution with infinite domain limits is inappropriate, or that a dependent structure is definitely present. For example, random resource levels may be highly correlated due to economic conditions, and non-negative for physical reasons. Often, an investigation is performed by discretizing the random components at point quantile levels, or by replacing the random components by their means-methods which give a deterministic “equivalent” model with constant terms, but possibly very misleading results. Outright simulation can be used, but requires considerable time investment for setup and debugging especially for generation of dependent sequences of pseudorandom variates and gives results with high parametric specificity and computation cost. This paper shows how to use elementary methods to estimate the mean and variance of a linear function with arbitrary multivanate randomness in its components. Expressions are given for the mean and variance and are used to make Tchebycheff-type probability statements which can accomodate and exploit stochastic dependence. Simple estimation examples are given which lead to illustrative applications with dependent-stochastic programming models.
Interaction between Epstein-Barr virus and a T cell line (HSB-2) via a receptor phenotypically distinct from complement receptor type 2†

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), the causative agent of mononucleosis and several human cancers, infects cells via complement receptor type 2 (CR2, CD21) which also serves as the receptor for the third complement component, C3. Expression of this receptor is restricted to B lymphocytes, immature thymocytes, and certain epithelial cells. In the present investigation, we describe the presence of a seemingly novel EBV receptor which is phenotypically distinct from CR2. Among various leukemic T cells studied, one, HSB-2, demonstrates no reactivity to several anti-CR2 antibodies, yet it reacts strongly with EBV as detected by incubation with biotin-conjugated virus and streptavidin-phycoerythrin. The virus binding is specific as demonstrated by blocking with anti-EBV antibodies and with non-conjugated virus. Aggregated C3 also binds HSB-2 and is capable of partially inhibiting EBV binding. The absence of CR2 on HSB-2 is further supported by the lack of expression of specific mRNA, assessed by Northern blotting analysis and polymerase chain reaction. Viral internalization and infection is demonstrated with electron microscopy, with detection of EBV-DNA by Southern blotting, and with detection of EBNA-1 transcripts by the polymerase chain reaction. Even though HSB-2 does not express CR2, it nevertheless displays transcripts which have some homology to a CR2 cDNA probe under low stringency hybridization conditions. This probe encompasses approximately the N-terminal half of CR2 which includes the EBV-binding epitope(s). The HSB-2 message is 5.2 kb, a size distinct from the 4.7-kb message of B cell CR2s. In contrast, the 5.2-kb message in not seen, under similar hybridization conditions, with a probe comprising the C-terminal half of CR2. Collectively, the data indicate that a receptor molecule having distinct phenotypic characteristics from the known CR2 protein on B cells is utilized by EBV to target human T lymphocytes.
Functional and quality-of-life outcomes after reirradiation for head and neck cancer.

Objectives/Hypothesis To examine functional and quality-of-life outcomes for patients treated by reirradiation to the head and neck for recurrent or new primary cancers. Study Design Retrospective review. Methods The University of Washington Quality of Life Instrument (UW-QOL) scores were reviewed with swallow evaluations for 17 patients with biopsy-proven recurrent or new primary squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck treated with reirradiation who were clinically without evidence of disease at a minimum follow-up of 1 year. All patients had received their initial radiation therapy to a median dose of 66 Gy (range, 60–72 Gy). The median interval between radiation courses was 30 months (range, 6–132 months). The median reirradiation dose was 60 Gy (range, 54–70 Gy). Results At 1 year after reirradiation, the mean UW-QOL composite score was 67.0 (range, 22.1–83.5), which did not differ significantly from baseline (P = .57). The proportion of patients who rated their global quality of life as “very good” or “outstanding” at 1 year after reirradiation was 35%. The percentage of patients who reported their global quality of life as “good/fair” and “poor/very poor” were 59% and 6%, respectively. Conclusions The majority of survivors in this highly selected series were devoid of new impairment after reirradiation and were satisfied with their functional status. Although nearly all patients had side effects from their prior radiation course prior to reirradiation, no patient reported a decline in global quality of life from before reirradiation to 1 year post-treatment. Level of Evidence 2c Laryngoscope, 124:1807–1812, 2014
Wittgenstein’s philosophy of mind

The teaching and writings of Ludwig Wittgenstein were largely responsible for bringing the philosophy of mind into its central position in philosophy in the English-speaking countries in the 1950s and 1960s. But other works which were thought to derive from his ideas often exerted a more immediate and a more specific influence on the topics discussed and on the way the subject was pursued. Gilbert Ryle’s The Concept of Mind [1] was perhaps predominant. It determined both the form and the content of most treatments of particular issues in the philosophy of mind in Oxford and therefore in Britain and in much of America for more than a decade after its appearance in 1949. What came to be called “Wittgensteinian” positions, like those of Norman Malcolm in his accounts of the problem of other minds [2] and of dreaming [3], were also widely discussed, if less widely believed. Chapter Three of P.F. Strawson’s Individuals: an Essay in Descriptive Metaphysics [4] was also extremely influential throughout the 1960s in its emphasis on the primacy of the person over the body or the mind and on the special character of psychological predicates.
From History to Histology: The Case Correlation Assignment

This report describes novel uses of a writing assignment in which senior veterinary students incorporate general pathology, histology, and anatomy to explain clinical data from a deceased, previously hospitalized veterinary case. The resulting papers generated by the senior students have been used to help teach veterinary students in preclinical, didactic courses. The use of these papers continues to evolve.
Teaching and learning limits in engineering education

The proposal by Bucciarelli and Drew for Liberal Studies in Engineering (LSE) programs responds to the growing call for more broadly educated engineers. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET) EC2000 criteria call for exactly this change in engineering education, but change has been slow in coming. Is the problem that engineering students need to learn everything about everything? Or is the problem that these students need to learn the limits of their knowledge and how and when to reach out to experts in other areas? Both questions are important. Bucciarelli and Drew focus on the first, but the second is perhaps more important. In particular, LSE programs are ideally suited to explore the limits of engineering.
Analogico-deductive generation of Gödel's first incompleteness theorem from the liar paradox

Godel's proof of his famous first incompleteness theorem (G1) has quite understandably long been a tantalizing target for those wanting to engineer impressively intelligent computational systems. After all, in establishing G1, Godel did something that by any metric must be classified as stunningly intelligent. We observe that it has long been understood that there is some sort of analogical relationship between the Liar Paradox (LP) and G1, and that Godel himself appreciated and exploited the relationship. Yet the exact nature of the relationship has hitherto not been uncovered, by which we mean that the following question has not been answered: Given a description of LP, and the suspicion that it may somehow be used by a suitably programmed computing machine to find a proof of the incompleteness of Peano Arithmetic, can such a machine, provided this description as input, produce as output a complete and verifiably correct proof of G1? In this paper, we summarize engineering that entails an affirmative answer to this question. Our approach uses what we call analogico-deductive reasoning (ADR), which combines analogical and deductive reasoning to produce a full deductive proof of G1 from LP. Our engineering uses a form of ADR based on our META-R system, and a connection between the Liar Sentence in LP and Godel's Fixed Point Lemma, from which G1 follows quickly.
Seasonal Flight Patterns of the Omnivorous Leafroller 1 and Grape Leaffolder 2 in Central California Vineyards as Determined by Blacklight Traps 3

Studies conducted in the vineyards of central California by using blacklight traps indicated 3 moth-catch peaks of the omnivorous leafroller, Platynota stultana Walshingham, during 1969 and 5 during 1970. Perhaps 1 or more flights were missed during 1969, because the study was discontinued earlier. There were 3 moth-catch peaks of the grape leaffolder, Desmia funeralis (Hubner), during both 1969 and 1970, which fact indicated the possibility of 3 distinct generations of this insect. About 85% of the omnivorous leafroller and 75% of the grape leaffolder trapped were males.
Comparison of storm wave spectra from the Gulf of Alaska

In the fall of 1973 a 10-day surface wave record was obtained in the northern Gulf of Alaska. Marked spectral changes occurred over the first half of the record. Using the linearized expression for the group velocity of surface gravity waves, these changes are correlated with two successive storms in the North Pacific. The first storm, associated with the greatest spectral peak, moved into the Gulf of Alaska before dissipating. The second storm, the stronger of the two, moved more northward, where its waves were partially blocked from the gauge location by the Aleutian Islands. A comparison of the spectra from these two storms shows differences in the width and power of the main peak caused by this difference in storm path.
Cutbacks in Daycare Services: Implications for Recipients

Several previous works have explored the effects of daycare provision (1, 2, 3). Very little effort has been expended to examine the potential effects of cutbacks in daycare services that might result from attempts to reduce government funding of social programs. Persons who have been receiving subsidized daycare and are then deprived of it may respond quite differently from those who have never received such support. This analysis was designed to examine the possible effects of daycare cutbacks on those receiving them. An attempt was made to determine whether short- versus longterm recipients differ in their perceived ability to cope without the subsidy and whether their actual financial situations differed. The subjects were clients of the Department of Social Services (DSS) in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Fifty "long-term" recipients (those who had received subsidized daycare for an average of 27 mo.) were randomly selected from DSS rolls. Eighty-two "recent" recipients (those receiving subsidies for 8 mo. or less) were similarly selected. Of the 25 "long-term" recipients and 11 "recent" recipients from whom complete data were obtained, 95 % were female, 84% were black, and 86% were single parents. Information about clients' income and demographic characteristics was obtained from DSS records. Information about clients' perceived future needs for daycare and how they would cope with funding cutbacks was obtained from telephone interviews. Compared to recent recipients, the long-term recipients had higher monthly incomes ($720 vs $433) (t~ = 231, p < .05) and older children (t = 5.94, df = 34.97. p < .0001), although the two groups did nor differ in number of children. Recent and long-term recipients did not differ in how they thought they would deal with cutbacks, and 46% indicated that they would have to quit working. Those who believed that they could make other arrangements anticipated that this would demand such sacrifices as finding cheaper housing and cutting back on food expenses, which would cause some emotional stresses in the family. Recent recipients of daycare perceived themselves as needing daycare subsidies for an average of 17 mo. while long-term recipients saw themselves as needing 23 mo. in addition to the 27 mo. they had already received subsidies, although this difference was not significanc. This suggests that the recent recipients' expectations regarding their needs for daycare subsidies might be unrealistically low.
Electronic Structure and Surface Science of delta Plutonium

High resolution photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) studies were conducted on a δ-phase Plutonium sample cleaned by laser ablation and gas dosed with O2 and H2. The measurements were made with an instrument resolution of 60 meV and with the sample at 77 K. The PES data strongly support a model with Pu2O3 growth on the metal and then PuO2 growth on the Pu2O3 layer at this temperature. In vacuum, the PuO2 reduces to Pu2O3 at room temperature with a pressure of 6×10−11 Torr. In the case of H2 dosing the hydrogen appears to penetrate the surface and disrupt the valence band as evidenced by a drop in intensity of the peak at EF which is not accompanied by a drop in the main 5f manifold at ~2eV.
Detecting Optical Heterogeneities in Turbid Media Using Contrast Agents: Fluorescence vs Absorption

The use of exogenous fluorophores has been explored as a means to enhance the sensitivity and specificity for the detection of heterogeneities in thick turbid media [1,2]. This approach relies on the fact that the fluorophore will preferentially accumulate in tumors, and that the fluorophore lifetime may vary with environmental factors such as tissue oxygenation, pH and glucose level.
Legislation's Culture

American statutes can seem like labyrinthine mazes when compared to some countries’ legislation. French codes are admired for their intellectual elegance and clarity. Novelists and poets (Stendhal, Valery) have considered the Code civil to be literature. Swedish legislation might be based on empirical research into problems the legislation is intended to remedy, and the drafting style, though modern today, is descended from an oral tradition of poetic narrative.Comparing these legislative cultures with our own reveals that the main problem with American legislation is not too many words. It is too many ideas — a high ratio of concepts per legislative goal. When American, French, and Swedish legislatures address similar problems, the French and Swedes draft using far fewer concepts than Americans do. In both countries, simple solutions are preferred over convoluted ones. The drafters of the Code civil thought the highest intellectual and legislative accomplishment to be simplicity. The Swedes got to approximately the same place through a cultural value that law be understandable to the public. Where the American legislative process can seem chaotic, there has been some respect for Cartesian rationality in France and for empirical evidence in Sweden.Even if American statutes were to be translated into ordinary English, they would still be labyrinths because our legislatures insist on addressing every conceivable detail that legislators can imagine. The result is excessively conceptualized legislation, imposing large numbers of duties. Statutory concepts cost money. They create issues, which must be decided by publicly funded courts and agencies with additional costs to the parties involved. Every unnecessary statutory concept wastes social and economic resources. And to the extent law seems incomprehensible to the public, it loses moral authority.
Study on Ferrite Transformation Obtained by Dynamic Transformation of Undercooled Austenite of Low Carbon Steel

The ferrite transformation and its peculiarities based on dynamic transformation of undercooled austenite(DTUA) were investigated by uniaxial hot compression tests on Gleeble1500 simulation test machine.The results show that the grain size of ferrite is refined to 2～3 μm through DTUA.Moreover,the addition of Al can accelerate the transformation of γ→α during DTUA.Except the diffusion of C takes place,substitutional elements can not diffuse during DTUA.The high concentration of substitutional elements in ferrite results in distorting lattice of ferrite and thus the diffraction peaks of ferrite deviate to little angle.
Risks of Venous Thromboembolism After Cesarean Sections: A Meta-Analysis

Background Cesarean sections (CS) are believed to be associated with greater risks of postpartum VTE. Our objective was to systematically review the evidence on this association and on the absolute risk of VTE following CS. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, and conference proceedings from 1980 to November 2015 for reports on the associations of delivery methods with postpartum VTE and on the incidence of VTE following CS. Studies on thrombophilia or recurrent VTE were excluded, and the search was restricted to prospective studies when assessing the incidence of VTE. Pooled relative and absolute risks were estimated with random effects models. Results The search retrieved 28 mostly retrospective observational studies comparing risks of VTE following CS and following vaginal deliveries (VD) (> 53,000 VTE events) and 32 prospective studies reporting risks of VTE following CS (218 VTE events). Compared with VD, the relative risk of VTE following CS ranged from 1 to 22, with a meta-analytic OR of 3.7 (95% CI, 3.0-4.6). Adjustment for age and BMI had a marginal influence on the estimated pooled OR. Associations were observed for both elective and emergency CS, with stronger estimates of associations for emergency CS. The pooled incidence was 2.6 VTE per 1,000 CS (95% CI, 1.7-3.5) and was greater in studies with a longer and better follow-up in the postpartum period (4.3 per 1,000 CS). Conclusions The risk of VTE was fourfold greater following CS than following VD; seemed independent of other VTE risk factors; and was greater following emergency CS than following elective CS. On average, three in 1,000 women will develop a VTE following CS.
Hegel's temporalization of the absolute

From late medieval nominalism to Kant, the critique of metaphysics was conducted in many different ways and on the basis of a wide variety of epistemic interests and orientations. As those with only a scant knowledge of history will know, the period between the late fourteenth century and the late eighteenth century witnessed such momentous developments as the rise of experimental, quantitative natural science, the Reformation, the downfall of theocracy, and the rise of liberal political institutions, as well as the emergence of a capitalist system of exchange with its new set of bourgeois values of independence, privacy, and individual rights. From having been viewed, in the Catholic ordo , as a logical expression of God's eternal essence, nature was progressively disenchanted and its languages stripped of predicates that did not conform to the prevailing materialist, commercial, and mathematical-scientific desire to understand and relate to what there is in terms that are expressive not of revelation but of empirical verifiability, instrumental reason, and formal (mainly mathematical) models of thought. Not only did the appeal to the divine lose its explanatory power in most areas of human engagement, but the very idea of there being a divine reality at all that could command absolute authority in issues ranging from the operations of the visible world to the ideal structure of society and the individual's correct conduct within it, slowly but steadily declined and disintegrated, while continuing to do so well into the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The Argument and Significance of Disraeli’s Last Novels

Disraeli’s final novels, Lothair (1870) and Endymion (1880), are generally consigned to oblivion or treated as footnotes to his later years as a political figure. Not only has their merit been ignored, but their importance to students of Disraeli and the Victorian era has been underestimated.1 Lothair is Disraeli’s last effort to cope with the pluralism and dubiety which was becoming so much a part of Victorian life in the late 1860s, while his final novel Endymion is an elder statesman’s nostalgic reminiscence of what seemed the less complex period of his youth. The Reform Bill of 1867 with its extension of the franchise, the Hyde Park demonstrations in favour of extending the franchise, the insurrection and brutal suppression in Jamaica in 1865, and the subsequent trial of the British Governor of that colony, the financial crisis of 1866, the controversy over Irish Disestablishment, and the concomitant disturbances about Irish matters, all made the 1860s a particularly turbulent period. As Ian Gregor has noted, the ‘uneasiness, so general a characteristic of these years’, found expression not only in Arnold’s Culture and Anarchy, but in Bagehot’s The English Constitution, Marx’s Das Kapital and Carlyle’s Shooting Niagara: And After?.2
Accelerated Degradation of Poly(ε-caprolactone) by Organic Amines

The solid-state degradation of poly(e-caprolactone) catalyzed by primary, secondary and tertiary alkylamines was investigated. The degradation process was monitored by weight loss and molecular weight change measured by gel permeation chromatography. Degradation studies were conducted at 37°C in methanol solutions of the alkylamines. Primary alkylamines caused rapid weight loss (i.e., ~90% weight loss in 30 days) that depended on alkylamine concentration, molar ratio of alkylamine to poly(e-caprolactone) monomer and alkyl chain length. The secondary alkylamines caused less rapid polymer weight loss (i.e., ~90%) weight loss within 80 days). One tertiary alkylamine (N,N-diisopropylethylamine) showed little catalytic effect while a bicyclic tertiary alkylamine (quinuclidine) was about as catalytic as the primary alkylamines. The degradation products isolated when primary alkylamines were used include both esters and amides indicating that nucleophilic attack by the alkylamines competed with the amine-catalyzed methanolysis reaction. Only ester moieties could be identified in the products from reactions containing secondary and tertiary alkylamines, which indicated that they acted as nucleophilic catalysts. All of the primary alkylamines reduced poly(e-caprolactone) molecular weight from about 25,000 to 10,000 within 10 days after which the molecular weight of the remaining solid leveled off even though weight loss continued.
Power-Log Optimization and Positively Skewed Option Returns Reduce Risk and Raise Portfolio Performance

The current low-interest-rate, low-volatility environment demands a more innovative approach to investment management than the allocation to stocks and bonds that is practiced widely today. Options, with their significantly positively skewed returns, offer us the opportunity of boosting returns while controlling downside risk. Power-log optimization gives us the means to incorporate options into the asset allocation process effectively and requires only one input parameter, the downside power, to specify investor preferences. Using data for the last 20 years for a Treasury security, the S&P 500 Index, and a call option on the index, the authors find that optimal power-log portfolios reduce downside risk and the standard deviation of return for both conservative and risky portfolios, which results in positively skewed returns for the portfolios. The authors also deliver higher geometric average returns for riskier portfolios than matched mean–variance-efficient portfolios. In addition, they provide much better downside protection against unanticipated market shocks, such as the down markets in 2002 and 2008, and as a result deliver better performance for both conservative and risky portfolios in bad markets.
Moving Past Anti-VEGF: Novel Therapies for Treating Diabetic Retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in working age adults, and is projected to be a significant future health concern due to the rising incidence of diabetes. The recent advent of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibodies has revolutionized the treatment of diabetic retinopathy but a significant subset of patients fail to respond to treatment. Accumulating evidence indicates that inflammatory cytokines and chemokines other than VEGF may contribute to the disease process. The current review examines the presence of non-VEGF cytokines in the eyes of patients with diabetic retinopathy and highlights mechanistic pathways in relevant animal models. Finally, novel drug targets including components of the kinin–kallikrein system and emerging treatments such as anti-HPTP (human protein tyrosine phosphatase) β antibodies are discussed. Recognition of non-VEGF contributions to disease pathogenesis may lead to novel therapeutics to enhance existing treatments for patients who do not respond to anti-VEGF therapies.
Determining crystal structures through crowdsourcing and coursework.

We show here that computer game players can build high-quality crystal structures. Introduction of a new feature into the computer game Foldit allows players to build and real-space refine structures into electron density maps. To assess the usefulness of this feature, we held a crystallographic model-building competition between trained crystallographers, undergraduate students, Foldit players and automatic model-building algorithms. After removal of disordered residues, a team of Foldit players achieved the most accurate structure. Analysing the target protein of the competition, YPL067C, uncovered a new family of histidine triad proteins apparently involved in the prevention of amyloid toxicity. From this study, we conclude that crystallographers can utilize crowdsourcing to interpret electron density information and to produce structure solutions of the highest quality. Building crystal structures into the electron density is an important step in protein structure solution. Here, the authors recruit online game players, students, and experienced crystallographers to compete in a competition to solve a new structure, and find that crowdsourcing model-building works.
Coronal Hamate Fracture Associated With Carpometacarpal Dislocations of All of the Fingers: Review of the Literature and Case Report.

Background: Dislocation of all 5 carpometacarpal (CMC) joints of a single hand is a rare injury. Methods: The literature regarding CMC fracture-dislocations was reviewed and a case was presented. Results: The relevant literature was consolidated to clinically relevant categories including ‘Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis,’ ‘Management of CMC Fracture Dislocation and Hamate Fractures,’ and ‘Outcomes.’ Conclusions: The mechanism associated with this injury is often high energy that causes multiple simultaneous life- or limb-threatening injuries that could distract the examiner from identifying this injury. The case we present involves an axial dislocation of the carpus that resulted in dorsal dislocations of all CMC joints, dislocation of the hamate-capitate articulation, as well as fractures of the first metacarpal and the hamate.
Selective Abrogation of STAT5 Expression Impairs the Proliferation of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells with Various Cytogenetic Alterations

STAT5 is a key common downstream mediator of multiple signaling pathways which are often dysregulated in various hematologic malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Due to the heterogeneity and high relapse rate of the disease, the treatment options for AML are currently limited. Although the approach of treating the disease by inhibiting upstream kinases such as FLT3 within these signaling pathways appeared promising, the clinical efficacy of these drugs as mono-therapy have been disappointing. We hypothesized that this lack of efficacy might be due to the residual STAT5 activity that is present even in the presence of these inhibitors in vivo . Therefore, abrogating the expression of the final regulator of these pathways, STAT5, might be a much more efficient way of blocking signaling, thus inhibiting the proliferation and survival of AML cells. In this study, we first investigated the role of STAT5 in the proliferation of AML cells by selectively suppressing the expression of the gene using 2 nd -Generation antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). Suppression of STAT5 following ASO treatment (>80% over control ASO) led to a significant inhibition of cell proliferation (50~70% over control ASO), a decrease in colony formation, and a modest induction of apoptosis in a range of AML lines including KG-1α, MV-4-11, and MOLM-13. STAT5 ASO treatment was highly specific for the STAT5 target and produced predictable effects on gene expression, as demonstrated by the downregulation of Pim-1 and cyclin D1, well-known STAT5 regulated genes. No changes in the expression levels of Bcl-XL, STAT1, and STAT3 were observed. Furthermore, relative anti-proliferative activity within the various AML lines correlated well with the relative levels of STAT5 activity. Interestingly, there was a strong correlation between the extent of STAT5/Pim-1 downregulation and the degree of anti-proliferation, suggesting a possible role of Pim-1 as a downstream effector of STAT5 ASO anti-proliferative activity. Studies comparing the relative effects of the STAT5 ASO inhibitor with the potent multi kinase inhibitor CEP701 in various AML cell lines demonstrated potent anti-proliferative activity for the STAT5 inhibitor in the cell lines including KG-1α that display resistance to the multi kinase inhibitor. Taken together, these results suggest that a STAT5 ASO therapeutic approach may have utility for the treatment of AML and related hematologic disorders.
Virtual Synchronous Machines: A unified interface for grid integration

Power systems are going through a paradigm change from centralized generation to distributed generation and further on to smart grids. More and more renewable-energy sources, electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and so forth are being connected to power systems through power electronic converters. Moreover, the majority of loads are expected to connect to the grid through power electronic converters as well. This article shows that these converters, either on the supply side or on the load side, can all be controlled to behave like virtual synchronous machines (VSMs) and possess the dynamics of synchronous machines, providing a unified interface for smart grid integration. Synchroconverter technology and its developments are the focus of this article because the mathematical model of synchronous machines is embedded in the controller of synchronverters to provide close imitation.
Attention under repair: asceticism from self-care to care of the self

This essay examines the contemporary mindfulness movement as a cultural response to a larger problem of attention in the United States. As raw material for both capital (re)production and subjectivity, attention is a zone of indeterminacy and struggle for workers in a so-called immaterial economy. This essay suggests that the rise of concern around “paying attention” from the 1950s onward is driven by post-Fordist labor requirements more than networked technologies. First, it examines mindfulness as a technique of attention management for businesses and gives a broad survey of its current popularity and prevalence in US culture. Second, it proposes viewing techniques of attention like mindfulness through a triple lens of repair: (1) as managerial tools to repair psychic labor capacity for capital; (2) as practices that subjects use to repair alienation; and (3) as sites for reparative reading. Third, the essay illuminates the ties between Eve Sedgwick’s repair and Michel Foucault’s care of the self in ord...
Introduction to the Issue on Distributed Information Processing in Social Networks

The papers in this special section focus on distribution information processing in social network services. The research aims to contribute to the progress of signal processing and data analytics methods for social networks.
A Multithreaded Algorithm for Sparse Cholesky Factorization on Hybrid Multicore Architectures

Abstract We present a multithreaded method for supernodal sparse Cholesky factorization on a hybrid multicore platform consisting of a multicore CPU and GPU. Our algorithm can utilize concurrency at different levels of the elimination tree by using multiple threads in both the CPU and the GPU. The elimination tree is a tree data structure describing the workflow of the factorization. Our experiments results on a platform consisting of an Intel multicore processor along with an Nvidia GPU indicate a significant improvement in performance and energy over single-threaded supernodal algorithm.
I Wish: Multigenerational Regrets and Reflections on Teaching Children About Money

Millennials are struggling to meet current financial challenges. As we strive to improve financial capability in future generations, it is important that we look to the primary source of financial education: parents. This qualitative, multigenerational study explored what Millennials and their parents and grandparents (N = 153) wish they had been taught about finances by their parents, as well as what parents and grandparents wish they had taught their children. Thematic content coding of the interviews revealed three core “I Wish” themes: “Practical Knowledge,” “Financial Stewardship,” and “Open Communication.” These findings can assist researchers, family life educators, financial educators, parents, and future parents to enhance the financial education provided by parents in the home.
Unravelling Solid-State Redox Chemistry in Li1.3Nb0.3Mn0.4O2 Single-Crystal Cathode Material

Recent reports on high capacities delivered by Li-excess transition-metal oxide cathodes have triggered intense interest in utilizing reversible oxygen redox for high-energy battery applications. To control oxygen electrochemical activities, fundamental understanding of redox chemistry is essential yet has so far proven challenging. In the present study, micrometer-sized Li1.3Nb0.3Mn0.4O2 single crystals were synthesized for the first time and used as a platform to understand the charge compensation mechanism during Li extraction and insertion. We explicitly demonstrate that the oxidation of O2– to On– (0 < n < 2) and O2 loss from the lattice dominates at 4.5 and 4.7 V, respectively. While both processes occur in the first cycle, only the redox of O2–/On– participates in the following cycles. The lattice anion redox process triggers irreversible changes in Mn redox, which likely causes the voltage and capacity fade observed on this oxide. Two drastically different redox activity regions, a single-phase be...
Beyond the bong: Edible marijuana use among college students

Marijuana use is a prevalent behavior among college students. Little is known regarding edible marijuana use among this population. Further, limited research on attitudes towards legalization among edible users is available. The present study examines edible marijuana use among college students and attitudes towards use and legalization. A survey instrument was developed by the research team to investigate the study purpose. Participants included a total of 291 students at one Midwestern, urban university. Results indicated that one in four (26.3%) college students reporting using edible marijuana in their lifetime. No significant differences were found based on sex and race/ethnicity. Significant differences were found based on driving behaviors, family use of marijuana, and friends’ use of marijuana. In addition, edible users were significantly more likely than non-users to want marijuana to be legal for recreational and medicinal purposes and were more likely to vote in an upcoming election due to marijuana being on the ballot. Such high rates of edible marijuana use may be a cause for concern for health professionals. Prevention and risk reduction programs may be warranted. DOI: 10.26828/cannabis.2018.01.003
Educational Intervention to Improve Delirium Recognition by Nurses.

BACKGROUND Delirium poses increased morbidity and mortality risks for hospitalized patients. Underrecognition by health care providers contributes to poor outcomes for patients. Little has been published about methods used to teach health care providers how to screen for delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU). OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of a multimodal educational intervention for nurses in the medical intensive care unit to improve their knowledge and skills regarding delirium and delirium recognition. METHODS An educational intervention was done in the medical intensive care unit of an academic medical center. Effectiveness was evaluated via a quasi-experimental design and using preintervention and postintervention assessments. Procedural correctness of performing the CAM-ICU delirium screening also was measured. RESULTS Nurses participated in 1 small-group session (n = 34). Fifteen sessions were conducted from June to September 2016, and assessments were completed before and after the intervention. The sample consisted of predominantly nurses with a bachelor's degree (56%) who had 1 to 5 years' experience (59%). Mean scores overall and on the knowledge subscale differed significantly (P < .001) from before to after the intervention. No correlation was found between demographic groups and score differences. Seventy-nine percent of participants used the tool correctly after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS The educational intervention provided for these nurses further validated published reports of the benefits of an educational program about delirium. The content of the educational intervention should be targeted for the setting, the risk factors for the patient population in question, and the specific delirium screening tool used.
Genome Analysis, YACs

Yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) have been an important tool to dissect the mechanism of chromosomal maintenance in eukaryotic cells. Furthermore, YACs have served as vectors for cloning megabase-sized DNA fragments, thus facilitating the study of human genes that are often longer than the size accommodated by the conventional vectors such as bacterial plasmids.
Muscle strengthening in a post-polio subject through a high-resistance weight-training program

A 48-year-old woman started experiencing increased muscle weakness and fatigue at age 44, 40 years after the onset of acute poliomyelitis. The acute poliomyelitis resulted in severely weak lower limb muscles and as a result, she had used crutches for more than 40 years. Computer-aided force transducer systems were used to determine isometric muscle strength. Both quadriceps and left ankle dorsiflexors were severely weak and could not generate any measurable force. Isometric muscle strength of her right ankle dorsiflexors was 77 Newtons (N) (approximately 1/3 normal); isometric muscle strength of right elbow flexors (171N) and left elbow flexors (160N) were within normal range, although she complained of weakening based on her inability to climb two stairs at a time with crutches as she was used to. She underwent high-resistance weight training of her right ankle dorsiflexors and left elbow flexors for one year. Weight training was three times per week, five sets of ten repetitions per session; total duration of muscle contraction (excluding rest periods) was two and one half minutes per session, 30 minutes per month. Muscle strength (N) was remeasured after four, eight, and 12 months. Muscle strength of right ankle dorsiflexors increased by 61%, whereas that of the left elbow flexors increased by 32% after one year of weight training. She also expressed a subjective feeling of increased muscle strength. High-resistance, short duration muscle strengthening exercise programs should therefore be given a serious consideration in the rehabilitation management of moderately weak muscles of post-polio subjects.
Data-Locality-Aware User Grouping in Cloud Radio Access Networks

Cellular base band units of the future are expected to reside in a cloud data center which provides computation resources, content storage and caching, and a natural place to perform multi-user precoding, thus addressing both cost and performance concerns of cellular systems. Multi-user precoding relies on efficient user grouping schemes to maximize multiplexing gains. However, traditional user grouping schemes are unaware of data center constraints, and may induce a large number of data transfers across racks when fetching requested data to a certain rack for precoding. When congestion occurs in the data center network, the delay of data transfers across racks may exceed the channel coherence time. This would kill multi-user MIMO transmissions as channel state information becomes outdated. In this paper, we design a novel data-locality-aware user grouping schemes which preferentially group users whose requested data are located under the same rack. We also design user grouping algorithms which adapt to the congestion level in the cloud data center. Specifically, a regularized spectral efficiency maximization problem is proposed where the number of data transfers across racks is introduced as a regularization term. By adjusting the weight of the regularization term according to the congestion level, we gradually suppress data transfers across racks in forming user groups when congestion occurs. We reduce the above problem to a soft-capacitated facility location problem, and we devise a 2-approximation user grouping algorithm. At last, we conduct simulations which show that our proposed algorithm performs close to the optimal in practical scenarios, and study the tradeoff between higher spectral efficiency and lower data transfer cost.
Multiregion gene-expression profiling to reveal heterogeneity in molecular subtypes and immunotherapy response signatures in lung cancer.

e20077Background: Intra-tumor heterogeneity (ITH) may be present in all molecular levels. Genomic ITH at the exome level has been reported in many cancer types, but comprehensive gene expression IT...
Information Systems: Success or Failure?

In many situations, the “management” of the technology is the limiting cause of information systems projects versus the “technology” itself. Information systems have, in general, failed more than they have succeeded. A major contributor of IS failure deals with management and organizational-related issues. To help shed further insight in this area, a Delphi survey of U.S. leading IS managers in major organizations was conducted. This paper describes the results from this survey, as well as provides some background material on the need for IS success measurements and associated methodologies.
A Universal DM/CM Physical Model for Power Transformer EMI Analysis within both Conducted and Radiated Frequency Ranges

Transformer modeling is important for EMI prediction and suppression. Existing modeling techniques only focus on either differential mode (DM) model or common mode (CM) model. However, these models are inaccurate for high-frequency range above 10MHz. This paper proves that the inaccuracy is mainly due to the current coupling between DM path and CM path. This paper proposes a simple physical model. It also quantifies how the DM components can influence the CM impedance and how the CM parasitic components can influence the DM impedance. The effects of different ground connections can also be analyzed with the model. Experimental results verify that the proposed model is accurate within both conducted and radiated frequency ranges from 150 kHz to 100 MHz.