cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sign inverting and Delay Scheduling Control concepts with multiple rationally independent delays

In this paper we introduce a novel combination of Sign Inverting Control (SIC) and Delay Scheduling (DS) concepts for systems with multiple rationally independent and large delays. The combined scheme functions with a single premise that, the union of a proper choice of control and its sign inverted version (SIC) would provide a larger stable operating region in the domain of the delays. The outstanding question to properly perform this novel control strategy is the crisp knowledge of the stable operating regions for each of the two control schemes. This question is uniquely answered using the CTCR (Cluster Treatment of Characteristic Roots) paradigm. CTCR declares the stable regions very efficiently and exhaustively with no conservatism. The resulting switched operating mode renders more robust control performance against much larger delay variations vis-a-vis each of the schemes. For unstable delay compositions, a paradoxical scheme called the Delay Scheduling Control (DS) is deployed by increasing the present delays in order to regain stability. The crucial question of “how much increase in delays?” can also be answered by the CTCR without conservatism. The combination of Sign Inverting Control (SIC) and Delay Scheduling Control (DS) schemes provides previously-unexplored tools to control designers. Experimental validations of these methodologies are provided on a simple setup with a single-axis manipulator.
An extinction-induced increase in an aggressive response with humans

Nine subjects, 14 to 18 yr old, pulled a knob on a schedule of monetary reinforcement. Concurrently, they escaped or avoided periodic presentations of a tone by pressing a button that required 1.5 lb (6.67 N) of force or by punching a padded cushion that required 20 lb (88.96 N) of force. The punching response was designated as an aggressive response because the force of this response together with its topography was comparable to responses of humans that deface objects and produce escape or counter aggression from other humans. It was found that button pressing was the preferred concurrent avoidance response and there were few punches. However, when the monetary reinforcer was discontinued (extinction) punching increased for seven of the nine subjects, but there was no consistent change in the rate of button pressing. When the punching response was replaced by another non-preferred but non-aggressive response, neither this response nor button pressing increased during extinction. Hence, the increase in punching during extinction cannot be attributed solely to the fact that it was a concurrent response or a non-preferred response.
Incidence and Location of Pain in Young, Active Patients Following Hip Arthroplasty

Persistent pain following hip arthroplasty remains a concern, especially in young, active patients. Four hundred twenty patients less than 60 years of age with a pre-symptomatic UCLA score ≥ 6 (196 total hip arthroplasty [THA]; 224 surface replacement arthroplasty [SRA]) completed a pain-drawing questionnaire investigating the location, severity, and frequency of pain around the hip. At a mean of 2.9 years of follow-up, 40% reported pain in at least one location around the hip. There was no difference in the incidence of groin pain between SRA and THA patients (32% vs. 29%, P=0.6), but THA patients had a greater incidence of anterior (25% vs. 8%, P<0.001) and lateral (20% vs. 10%, P=0.01) thigh pain. A high percentage of young, active patients experience persistent pain following hip arthroplasty.
Comparison of Etest Method with Reference Broth Microdilution Method for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Yersinia pestis

The utility of Etest for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Yersinia pestis was evaluated in comparison with broth microdilution and disk diffusion for eight agents. Four laboratories tested 26 diverse strains and found Etest to be reliable for testing antimicrobial agents used to treat Y. pestis, except for chloramphenicol and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Disk diffusion testing is not recommended.
Pool Boiling of FC-87 Over Microchannel Surfaces at Atmospheric Pressure

Advances in technology and trends towards higher processing speeds have generated a greater need for thermal management. Two-phase cooling (boiling) has the ability to dissipate large amounts of heat and is attractive because of lower mass flow requirement and uniform substrate temperature. Further improvements can be obtained through passive surface enhancements. The objective of this work is to investigate the effect of microchannel surfaces on pool boiling performance at atmospheric pressure with FC-87. Being a dielectric fluid with a low normal boiling point, FC-87 has desirable characteristics for an electronics cooling fluid. A maximum heat flux of 550 kW/m 2 at a wall superheat of 37°C was obtained with the microchannel surface. Surface area increase is noted as the primary reason for the enhanced performance for FC-87 on microchannel surfaces.
A multi-level grid interactive bi-directional AC/DC-DC/AC converter and a hybrid battery/ultra-capacitor energy storage system with integrated magnetics for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

This study presents a bi-directional multi-level power electronic interface for the grid interactions of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) as well as a novel bi-directional power electronic converter for the combined operation of battery/ultra-capacitor hybrid energy storage systems (ESS). The grid interface converter enables beneficial vehicle-to-grid (V2G) interactions in a high power quality and grid friendly manner; i.e, the grid interface converter ensures that all power delivered to/from grid has unity power factor and almost zero current harmonics. The power electronic converter that provides the combined operation of battery/ultra-capacitor system reduces the size and cost of the conventional ESS hybridization topologies while reducing the stress on the battery, prolonging the battery lifetime, and increasing the overall vehicle performance and efficiency. The combination of hybrid ESS is provided through an integrated magnetic structure that reduces the size and cost of the inductors of the ESS converters. Simulation and experimental results are included as prove of the concept presenting the different operation modes of the proposed converters.
12 GHz low-noise MMIC amplifier designed with a noise model that scales with MODFET size and bias

A scalable, bias-dependent FET noise model developed for monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) design is discussed. A three-stage, 12-GHz, MMIC low-noise amplifier (LNA) designed with the model is described. The LNA has a 1.6-dB noise figure and 25.6-dB gain. Lumped elements were used to design an LNA that was significantly smaller per stage (0.31 mm/sup 2/) than previous MMIC LNAs. >
International Health Electives: Strengthening Graduate Medical Education

An international health elective (IHE) can be an important component of the medical education and professional development of a physician. It provides essential global health skills that are crucial in a globalized society. Graduate medical education has an opportunity to deliver such skills to our health care workforce while addressing the pending workforce shortage and the uneven distribution of primary care physicians across the United States. Currently, there is a call for graduate medical education programs to create more training sites and to undergo reform that will help fill residency slots and train more primary care physicians. The author proposes that graduate medical education programs incorporate international health electives into their accredited residency programs. This addition could potentially strengthen their programs while making them more appealing to qualified candidates.
Characterization of the 8-Kilodalton Antigens of Taenia solium Metacestodes and Evaluation of Their Use in an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Serodiagnosis

The Western blot for cysticercosis, which uses lentil lectin purified glycoprotein (LLGP) antigens extracted from the metacestode of Taenia solium, has been the “gold standard” serodiagnostic assay since it was first described in 1989. We report that the diagnostic antigens at 14, 18, and 21 kDa, as well as some larger disulfide-bonded antigens, are actually all members of a very closely related family of proteins, the 8-kDa antigens. The genes for 18 unique, mature proteins have been identified. Nine of these were chemically synthesized and tested in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with a battery of defined serum samples, including 32 cysticercosis-positive serum samples reactive with the 8-kDa antigens of LLGP on Western blotting, 34 serum samples from patients with other parasitic infections, and 15 normal human serum samples. One of the 8-kDa antigens, TsRS1, is 100% sensitive and 100% specific. TsRS1 will be one component of a cocktail of three to four synthetic or recombinant antigens, based on the diagnostic bands of the Western blot, which will be used for the serodiagnosis of cysticercosis.
Using a Genetic Algorithm to Optimize the Fit of Cognitive Models

This paper analyzes the use of a genetic algorithm (GA) for auto-fitting a non-linear, multivariable model to data. The example model and task used to illustrate the effectiveness of a GA is the Tower of Nottingham task. Empirical data collected from adults completing the task were used to create an initial model. This model’s variables were adjusted with a GA to simulate the performance of a child completing the task. The optimized fit was better than the previous fit generated by hand. We note the steps required to duplicate the process with other models.
Noise in deep submicron digital design

As technology scales into the deep submicron regime, noise immunity is becoming a metric of comparable importance to area, timing, and power for the analysis and design of VLSI systems. This paper defines noise as it pertains to digital systems and addresses the technology trends which are bringing noise issues to the forefront. The noise sources which are plaguing digital systems are explained. A metric referred to as noise stability is defined, and a static noise analysis methodology based on this metric is introduced to demonstrate how noise can be analyzed systematically. Analysis issues associated with on-chip interconnect are also considered. This paper concludes with a discussion of the device, circuit, layout, and logic design issues associated with noise.
Inosine Improves Neurogenic Detrusor Overactivity following Spinal Cord Injury

Neurogenic detrusor overactivity and the associated loss of bladder control are among the most challenging complications of spinal cord injury (SCI). Anticholinergic agents are the mainstay for medical treatment of detrusor overactivity. However, their use is limited by significant side effects such that a search for new treatments is warranted. Inosine is a naturally occurring purine nucleoside with neuroprotective, neurotrophic and antioxidant effects that is known to improve motor function in preclinical models of SCI. However, its effect on lower urinary tract function has not been determined. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of systemic administration of inosine on voiding function following SCI and to delineate potential mechanisms of action. Sprague−Dawley rats underwent complete spinal cord transection, or cord compression by application of an aneurysm clip at T8 for 30 sec. Inosine (225 mg/kg) or vehicle was administered daily via intraperitoneal injection either immediately after injury or after a delay of 8 wk. At the end of treatment, voiding behavior was assessed by cystometry. Levels of synaptophysin (SYP), neurofilament 200 (NF200) and TRPV1 in bladder tissues were measured by immunofluorescence imaging. Inosine administration decreased overactivity in both SCI models, with a significant decrease in the frequency of spontaneous non−voiding contractions during filling, compared to vehicle−treated SCI rats (p<0.05), including under conditions of delayed treatment. Immunofluorescence staining demonstrated increased levels of the pan-neuronal marker SYP and the Adelta fiber marker NF200, but decreased staining for the C-fiber marker, TRPV1 in bladder tissues from inosine-treated rats compared to those from vehicle-treated animals, including after delayed treatment. These findings demonstrate that inosine prevents the development of detrusor overactivity and attenuates existing overactivity following SCI, and may achieve its effects through modulation of sensory neurotransmission.
Efficient computation on time-frequency wavelet representation

The authors describe efficient, fast numerical algorithms for computing wavelet transform representations. Methods presented include modified lattice and transform domain computation. The implementation of the wavelet transform is computationally intensive, since the number of computations required increases with the number of octaves. Various methods are applied to reduce the number of operations necessary for calculations of wavelet representation. Computational complexity per octave is compared to several algorithms described here. Modified lattice structure results in better efficiency for shorter wavelets, while transform domain filtering with incorporated sampling rate conversion leads to computationally efficient implementation of wavelet coefficients for longer wavelets. >
A 1 mu m CMOS/SOI 64 K SRAM with 10 nA standby current

Summary form only given. The successful design and fabrication of a 64 K SRAM on SIMOX material is discussed. The advantage of the small junction area resulting from mesa isolation is most evident in the very low standby current. An impressively high yield for first-pass material in a research wafer fabrication area was obtained. Aspects of the design relating to the SOI characteristics are discussed and full characterization results are presented. >
GLIMPSE: A Rapid Decision Framework for Energy and Environmental Policy

Over the coming decades, new energy production technologies and the policies that oversee them will affect human health, the vitality of our ecosystems, and the stability of the global climate. The GLIMPSE decision model framework provides insights about the implications of technology and policy decisions on these outcomes. Using GLIMPSE, decision makers can identify alternative techno-policy futures, examining their air quality, health, and short- and long-term climate impacts. Ultimately, GLIMPSE will support the identification of cost-effective strategies for simultaneously achieving performance goals for these metrics. Here, we demonstrate the utility of GLIMPSE by analyzing several future energy scenarios under existing air quality regulations and potential CO2 emission reduction policies. We find opportunities for substantial cobenefits in setting both climate change mitigation and health-benefit based air quality improvement targets. Though current policies which prioritize public health protection increase near-term warming, establishing policies that also reduce greenhouse gas emissions may offset warming in the near-term and lead to significant reductions in long-term warming.
Goodwill And Goodwill Write-Downs: Their Effects On Earnings Quality For 2008 And 2009

This paper examines goodwill on corporate balance sheets. Specifically, the paper measures the extent to which goodwill exists on corporate balance sheets and the degree of goodwill write-downs that have occurred recently. We report on our study and a study by Intangible Business, which show that many firms carry substantial amounts of goodwill on their 2008 balance sheets. Thus, because of the recent downturn in the economy and the markets, the potential for big bath earnings management for 2008 and 2009 exists. In addition, because of reductions in expected returns on pension plan assets, many firms are likely to record much higher pension expenses. We expect that the combination of goodwill impairments and increased pension expense will have significant effects on both the amount and the quality of earnings for 2008 and, possibly, 2009.
Erratum to: Chapter 15 Gynecological Cancer

Fig. 15.4 Contouring of the upper external and internal iliac lymph node target. ( a ) At the level just below the bifurcation of the common iliac arteries and veins, the right and left external and internal iliac arteries, veins and lymph nodes are seen medial to the psoas muscles. ( b ) Vessels and lymph nodes are contoured for reference ( aqua ). The CTV ( green ) adds a 0.7 cm margin to vessels and adjacent lymphatic tissue, excluding small bowel and psoas. ( c ) For the lymph node PTV ( red ) adds an additional margin of 0.7. In addition a 2 cm strip of tissue anterior to the sacrum ( arrow ) is added to include the presacrallymph nodes
Overview of pharmacologic treatment approaches for alcohol and other drug addiction. Intoxication, withdrawal, and relapse prevention.

Medication plays an increasingly important role in the treatment of alcohol and other drug addictions, in part because many patients do not respond to existing psychosocial treatment alone. This articie provides a conceptual overview of current pharmacologic treatment approaches, and covers all three aspects of drug abuse— intoxication, withdrawal, and relapse prevention.
Dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) as a predictor of response in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)

6007 Background: We wish to assess on a preliminary basis whether pretreatment DCE-MRI predicts response to chemoradiation in HNSCC. Methods: Tumor perfusion was assessed in 14 patients (median age, 56y; 13 M, 1 F; squamous cell cancer 13, poorly differentiated carcinoma 1; base of tongue 6; tonsil 6; larynx 1; nasopharynx 1) with nodal metastases (size >1 cc for DCE-MRI; N1, 3; N2a, 2; N2b, 4; N2c, 4; N3, 1; Stage III, 3; Stage IVa, 10; Stage IVb, 1) prior to platin-based concurrent chemoradiation therapy. Data were acquired on a 1.5 Tesla clinical scanner with a standard MRI protocol using a clinical contrast agent (Gd-DTPA). The two compartment model analysis measured the rate constants of the contrast agent transfer between the lesion and plasma compartments (kep) and elimination by the plasma (kel). Each patient was assigned a single MR imaging parameter of uptake slope and compartmental model (Akep) on the basis of the histogram analysis of all individually fit tumor voxels. Histogram analysis calcu...
The Pursuit of Intimacy and Parental Rights

This paper explores whether parents’ rights to live with their children and to deny others access to those children are justified by the more basic right to form and maintain intimate relationships. Many theories treat parental rights as derivative – indirectly justified by children’s interests. This paper asserts a nonderivative justification based on the value of intimacy to parents.The paper initially explores the potential intimate relationship between a father and his newborn genetic child. It asks whether the interest in parental intimacy creates any reason to demand access to this particular child. Just as a right to intimacy provides no claim that a particular stranger become my friend, the right to become a parent seems to provide no justification for demanding access to a particular child. The paper argues that duties to care for genetic children – even controversial duties not widely accepted – provide a prima facie right to care for a genetic child. The right to establish an intimate relationship derives from a duty to do so.The paper next considers rights to maintain ongoing intimate relationships with children. These are often challenged when grandparents or step-parents seek visitation over a parent’s objection, or when a custodial parent seeks to relocate after divorce. I explore two common interpretations of these conflicts, which are pervasive in both legal and moral relationships: that people who knowingly make themselves vulnerable assume risks of loss, or that people who knowingly accept another’s vulnerability owe duties not unreasonably to disappoint those who rely on them.The paper concludes by considering whether broad parental authority – to exclude others and to direct the upbringing of children – can be justified by the parental right to intimacy. I do not believe intimacy can justify such rights. But I explore briefly alternative parental interests that could ground this right – interests that compare parents with artist and other creative workers.
Antibiotics for appendicitis! Not so fast.

BACKGROUND Emerging literature in acute appendicitis favors the nonoperative management of acute appendicitis. However, the actual use of this practice on a national level is not assessed. The aim of this study was to assess the changing trends in nonoperative management of acute appendicitis and its effects on patient outcomes. METHODS We did an 8-year (2004-2011) retrospective analysis of the National Inpatient Sample database. We included all inpatients with the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Patients with a diagnosis of appendiceal abscess or patients who underwent surgery for any other pathology were excluded from the analysis. Jonckheere-Terpstra trend analysis was performed for operative versus nonoperative management and outcomes. RESULTS A total of 436,400 cases of acute appendicitis were identified. Mean age of the population was 33 ± 19.5 years, and 54.5% were male. There was no significant change in the number of acute appendicitis diagnosed over the study period (p = 0.2). During the study period, nonoperative management of acute appendicitis increased significantly from 4.5% in 2004 to 6% in 2011 (p < 0.001). When compared with operatively managed patients, conservatively managed patients had a significantly longer hospital length of stay (3 [2-6] vs. 2 [1-3] days, p < 0.001), and in-hospital complications (27.8% vs. 7%, p < 0.001). On comparison of open and laparoscopic appendectomy, both had shorter hospital length of stay and rate of in-hospital complications. Overall hospital charges were lower in patients managed conservatively (15,441 [8,070-31,688] vs. 20,062 [13,672-29,928] USD, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Nonoperative management of appendicitis has increased over time; however, outcomes of nonoperative management did not improve over the study period. A more in-depth analysis of patient and system demographics may reveal this disparity in trends. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Epidemiologic/prognostic study, level III.
Selecting Expertise in Context Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ Selection of New Sources of Instructional Advice

Given prior research indicating that teachers can learn through their social network interactions with colleagues, it is important to understand more about the choices teachers make about whom to go to for advice. In this study, we investigated the degree to which middle school mathematics teachers change from whom they seek advice when confronting new teaching standards and external accountability pressures (e.g., standardized tests). We found that colleagues’ ability to improve student achievement was significantly related to advice seeking. In particular, teachers were more likely to seek new advice from colleagues who were better at improving student achievement. In contrast, relative differences in other types of expertise were not associated with advice seeking.
Seismic Evidence of Faulting at Three Different Geologic Scales in the Arbuckle-Simpson Aquifer, Oklahoma

Seismic reflections from boundaries within the Ordovician Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer correlate with boundaries seen in well logs and cores. Seismic surveys at different geologic scales within this karst aquifer display the same fault character regardless of the survey’s target depth. Faults observed at intermediate depths in the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer extend upward to the location of mapped fault traces, and such faults are seen clearly on ground penetrating radar and electrical resistivity imaging surveys. Some of these faults also extend downward cutting the basement, and, in one instance, form a graben at the aquifer/basement boundary. This suggests that mapped fault locations, confirmed by near-surface geophysics, may be a fingerprint of steeply dipping faults extending through the carbonate section into the basement.
Improving Assistive Technologies for the Visually Impaired: Minimizing the Side Effects of Magnification Products

This study focused on determining and minimizing the effects of motion sickness caused by feelings of vection during the use of magnification assistive technology (AT) products by the visually impaired. A prototype was developed that minimized hypothesized causes of vection in current magnification products. Data were collected from respondents to determine their current use, satisfaction and sickness levels when using magnification AT products. Participants then interacted with the prototype and similar data were collected. Results indicated that the prototype significantly reduced feelings of sickness and vection as compared to conventional AT magnification devices. Further research is warranted on other aspects of such devices that may contribute to adverse side effects.
Variable-Fidelity Surrogate Modeling of Lambda Wing Transonic Aerodynamic Performance

A new approach to variable-fidelity, gradient-enhanced surrogate modeling using polynomial chaos expansions is presented. An advantage of the new approach is the simultaneous determination of least squares-optimal coefficients for additive and multiplicative low-fidelity corrections as well as the model of interest. This implies that the correction type need not be chosen a priori . The new approach is compared to variable-fidelity, gradient-enhanced kriging also using a hybrid additive-multiplicative bridge. Both methods are tested using two analytic test functions as well as the generation of an aerodynamic database of a vehicle in the transonic and supersonic regimes employing Cart3D and a linearized panel method. Surrogate training points are dynamically selected to reduce model error. Kriging produces greater reductions in root-mean-square-error (RMSE) than polynomial chaos in general, except when the underlying function is an exact polynomial. Both multifidelity approaches achieve reductions in RMSE similar to their monofidelity counterparts at reduced computational expense. The polynomial chaos method benefits more from a multifidelity approach than kriging in terms of error reduction versus computational cost. Forming variable-fidelity surrogates using function values alone tends to perform better than when using gradients in the low-dimensional cases considered here. On the whole, variable-fidelity kriging outperforms varible-fidelity polynomial chaos and monofidelity kriging, and has more favorable properties of training point selection and interpolatory/extrapolatory behavior near the domain boundaries compared to polynomial chaos.
Health behaviors in older adults: Considering age, affect, and attitudes.

Identifying psychological factors associated with engagement in healthy behaviors in later life is a key to effective behavior interventions. In all, 204 adults (Mage = 80) took a questionnaire ass...
KAT8 Regulates Androgen Signaling in Prostate Cancer Cells

Androgen receptor (AR) plays pivotal roles in prostate cancer. Upon androgen stimulation, AR recruits the Protein kinase N1 (PKN1), which phosphorylates histone H3 at threonine 11, with subsequent recruitment of tryptophan, aspartic acid (WD) repeat-containing protein 5 (WDR5) and the su(var)3-9, enhancer of zeste, trithorax/mixed-lineage leukemia (SET1/MLL) histone methyltransferase complex to promote AR target gene activation and prostate cancer cell growth. However, the underlying mechanisms of target gene activation and cell growth subsequent to WDR5 recruitment are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate an epigenetic cross talk between histone modifications and AR target gene regulation. We discovered that K(lysine) acetyltransferase 8 (KAT8), a member of the MOZ, YBF2/SAS2, and TIP 60 protein 1 (MYST) family of histone acetyltransferases that catalyzes histone H4 lysine 16 acetylation, colocalized with WDR5 at AR target genes, resulting in hormone-dependent gene activation in prostate cancer cells. PKN1 or WDR5 knockdown severely inhibited KAT8 association with AR target genes and histone H4 lysine 16 acetylation upon androgen treatment. Knockdown of KAT8 significantly decreased AR target gene expression and prostate cancer cell proliferation. Collectively, these data describe a trans-histone modification pathway involving PKN1/histone H3 threonine 11 phosphorylation followed by WDR5/MLL histone methyltransferase and KAT8/histone acetyltransferase recruitment to effect androgen-dependent gene activation and prostate cancer cell proliferation.
Influence of fetal pulmonary epithelium on thrombin activity

Epithelial injury and intra-alveolar fibrin are present in lung injury. To determine whether healthy fetal and neonatal lung epithelium could regulate thrombin activity (hence fibrin formation) we collected amniotic and postnatal endotracheal tube fluids from humans and directly sampled lung and amniotic fluids from fetal guinea piglets, rabbit pups, and lambs. The coagulant properties of the cell surface and media conditioned by rat fetal type II alveolar epithelium were assessed. All fluids contained glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), but mass and biological assays demonstrated only some (heparan sulfate and to a lesser extent dermatan sulfate) had antithrombin activity. The presence of proteoglycans (greater than 1,000 kDa) yielding active GAGs with less than 100 kDa after base elimination were demonstrated by Sepharose CL4B chromatography. Epithelial-derived fluids contained a factor VII-dependent procoagulant activity, but concentrated conditioned media overlying primary cultures of type II epithelium demonstrated a net antithrombin effect. These studies demonstrate that the lungs of human and nonprimate mammalian fetuses and fetal type II epithelium secrete GAGs, some of which possess antithrombin activity, which would oppose intra-alveolar fibrin formation.
A ‘world … runne quite out of square’: The 1596 Faerie Queene: Books Four to Six

The Faerie Queene is the ultimate test case in Elizabethan poetry for the ways in which power seeks to control language. It is a poem expressly dedicated to the praise of the queen, her court, and the cultural practices by which the Elizabethan regime established and maintained its power. Spenser accepts his role as that of the Orphic bard, praising, warning, and celebrating the society that not only rewarded but in a real sense created him. Thus his poem’s central figure is the queen — as head of the Church as well as the State, triumphing over heresy on the one hand and political dissent on the other, and as the inspiration of the poem itself. The queen’s response to the poem, at least to the three books published in 1590, was to reward Spenser with a pension. From Spenser’s viewpoint, such a reward was appropriate, an acknowledgment not only of his poetic achievements but of poetry’s usefulness as part of the nation’s ideological underpinning. More consciously than any other poem in the last two decades of the century, The Faerie Queene is ‘Art become a work of State’, asserting that beneath the contingent world the values of the regime are without contradiction and that when its norms are transgressed, chaos will result. The poem is offered as a microcosm of this truth.
An energy efficient memory device based on fixed magnetic skyrmions switched with an electric field

Magnetic skyrmions are topologically protected chiral spin structures which can be found in bulk materials with non-inversion symmetry as well as in thin films interfaced with a heavy metal with high spin orbit coupling [1-3]. We propose a novel memory device based on electric field mediated switching of a magnetic skyrmion without using a magnetic field. While several memory and logic device proposals based on movement of skyrmions with a current (for example a “Skyrmion race-track like memory”) have been proposed and experimentally demonstrated [4], this is the first time that a memory device based on fixed skyrmions that can be completely reversed with an electric field has been proposed and its feasibility theoretically established [5].
Multistage Model of Hurricane Evacuation Decision: Empirical Study of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

AbstractThis study extends previous research by testing the protective action decision model (PADM) on hurricane evacuation decisions during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. An examination of this medi...
Screening Breast MRI Outcomes in Routine Clinical Practice: Comparison to BI-RADS Benchmarks.

Rationale and Objectives The BI-RADS Atlas 5th Edition includes screening breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcome benchmarks. However, the metrics are from expert practices and clinical trials of women with hereditary breast cancer predispositions, and it is unknown if they are appropriate for routine practice. We evaluated screening breast MRI audit outcomes in routine practice across a spectrum of elevated risk patients. Materials and Methods This Institutional Review Board-approved, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant retrospective study included all consecutive screening breast MRI examinations from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2013. Examination indications were categorized as gene mutation carrier (GMC), personal history (PH) breast cancer, family history (FH) breast cancer, chest radiation, and atypia/lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). Outcomes were determined by pathology and/or ≥12 months clinical and/or imaging follow-up. We calculated abnormal interpretation rate (AIR), cancer detection rate (CDR), positive predictive value of recommendation for tissue diagnosis (PPV2) and biopsy performed (PPV3), and median size and percentage of node-negative invasive cancers. Results Eight hundred and sixty examinations were performed in 566 patients with a mean age of 47 years. Indications were 367 of 860 (42.7%) FH, 365 of 860 (42.4%) PH, 106 of 860 (12.3%) GMC, 14 of 860 (1.6%) chest radiation, and 8 of 22 (0.9%) atypia/LCIS. The AIR was 134 of 860 (15.6%). Nineteen cancers were identified (13 invasive, 4 DCIS, two lymph nodes), resulting in CDR of 19 of 860 (22.1 per 1000), PPV2 of 19 of 88 (21.6%), and PPV3 of 19 of 80 (23.8%). Of 13 invasive breast cancers, median size was 10 mm, and 8 of 13 were node negative (61.5%). Conclusions Performance outcomes of screening breast MRI in routine clinical practice across a spectrum of elevated risk patients met the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System benchmarks, supporting broad application of these metrics. The indication of a personal history of treated breast cancer accounted for a large proportion (42%) of our screening examinations, with breast MRI performance in this population at least comparable to that of other screening indications.
The Role of Dipeptide Repeats in C9ORF72-Related ALS-FTD.

Expansion of a hexanucleotide (GGGGCC) repeat in the gene C9ORF72 is the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Three non-exclusive mechanisms have been proposed to contribute to the pathology initiated by this genetic insult. First, it was suggested that decreased expression of the C9orf72 protein product may contribute to disease. Second, the recognition that C9ORF7¬2-related disease is associated with accumulation of GGGGCC repeat-containing RNA in nuclear foci led to the suggestion that toxic gain of RNA function, perhaps related to sequestration of RNA-binding proteins, might be an important driver of disease. Third, it was subsequently appreciated that GGGGCC repeat-containing RNA undergoes unconventional translation to produce unnatural dipeptide repeat proteins that accumulate in patient brain early in disease. Dipeptide repeats translated from all six reading frames in either the sense or antisense direction of the hexanucleotide repeat result in the expression of five dipeptide repeats: glycine–alanine, glycine–arginine, proline–alanine, proline–arginine, and glycine–proline (glycine–proline is generated from both the sense and antisense reading frames). However, the relative contribution of each dipeptide repeat to disease pathogenesis remains unclear. Here, we review evidence for the contribution of each specific dipeptide repeat to pathogenesis and examine the probable mechanisms through which these dipeptide repeats induce neurodegeneration. We also consider the association of the toxic dipeptide repeats with impaired RNA metabolism and alterations to the liquid-like state of non–membrane-bound organelles. .
Fabrication strategy for micro soft robotics with semiconductor devices integration

We report a general method to fabricate miniaturized soft robots. For the first time, a freestanding microscale robotic finger/tentacle has been realized by heterogeneous integration of soft material polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), liquid metal (LM), and silicon chips. Unlike the existing methods to make soft electronics or soft robotics, our technique of heterogeneous integration enables large-area parallel manufacturing of micro soft robotics armed with distributed crystalline silicon, deformable microfluidic channels, and flexible electrical interconnections, bridging the gap between the state-of-the-art soft electronics on a continuous film and soft robotics spanned in centimeters.
Erythropoietin Signaling Regulates Heme Biosynthesis

Abstract Heme plays a fundamental role in a diverse array of cellular processes and is required for the survival of all cells. During erythropoiesis, heme production is drastically upregulated to support the production of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin. This increase in heme production is mediated by transcriptional induction of heme metabolism genes including ferrochelatase (FECH), which is the enzyme that catalyzes the rate-limiting insertion of ferrous iron into protoporphyrin IX in the mitochondria of erythroid cells. However, how heme production is coordinately regulated by extracellular cues is currently unknown. Here, using complementary biochemical and genetics approaches, we show that erythropoietin (EPO) signaling regulates heme biosynthesis via a protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent mechanism. In its inactive state, PKA is a tetrameric complex consisting of two catalytic subunits (C) that are bound to and inhibited by two regulatory subunits (R). The C subunits become activated to phosphorylate downstream target proteins when they dissociate from the R subunits. We demonstrate that EPO-induced JAK2 (janus kinase 2) activity leads to release of the C subunits from the R subunits. We also find that phosphorylated STAT5 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 5) forms a molecular complex with PKA-C. This suggests that phospho-STAT5 can outcompete PKA-R to release PKA-C to directly phosphorylate FECH at a highly conserved threonine residue located in the catalytic site. We examined the importance of FECH phosphorylation in vivo by taking advantage of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing to knock-in the analogous Thr115Ala substitution into the endogenous Fech gene in murine RBCs. Erythroid cells harboring the homozygous Thr115Ala Fech mutation exhibited a block in hemoglobin production and concomitant intracellular accumulation of upstream protoporphyrin intermediates. Strikingly, this phenotype bears resemblance to erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), a human hematologic disorder typically associated with FECHmutations. Together, our results support a model where EPO signaling during erythroid maturation activates PKA by a previously unrecognized JAK2/STAT5-dependent mechanism. Phosphorylation of FECH is required for full activity to support elevated heme biosynthesis and hemoglobin production. Furthermore, our data implicates aberrant EPO/JAK2/PKA signaling in the pathogenesis of human EPP. Download : Download high-res image (81KB) Download : Download full-size image Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Self-Referenced Method for Estimating Refractive Index and Absolute Absorption of Loose Semiconductor Powders

The absolute absorption coefficient, α(E), is a critical design parameter for devices using semiconductors for light harvesting associated with renewable energy production, both for classic technologies such as photovoltaics and for emerging technologies such as direct solar fuel production. While α(E) is well-known for many classic simple semiconductors used in photovoltaic applications, the absolute values of α(E) are typically unknown for the complex semiconductors being explored for solar fuel production due to the absence of single crystals or crystalline epitaxial films that are needed for conventional methods of determining α(E). In this work, a simple self-referenced method for estimating both the refractive indices, n(E), and absolute absorption coefficients, α(E), for loose powder samples using diffuse reflectance data is demonstrated. In this method, the sample refractive index can be deduced by refining n to maximize the agreement between the relative absorption spectrum calculated from bidire...
Approaches for Measuring Software Project Management Effectiveness.

Evaluating, monitoring, and improving the effectiveness of project management can contribute to successful acquisition of software systems. According to our empirical studies on a range of software development projects, half of the variation in software project success ratings may be explained by project management effectiveness measurements. To improve the quality of the management, to focus our improvement efforts on the right issues, and to increase the odds of success in software projects, it is essential to measure the effectiveness of software project management. In this paper, we introduce four different approaches for measuring software project management effectiveness. Two of these approaches discussed in this paper were successfully used in the development of a metric for software project management effectiveness. The contribution of this paper is the introduction of these approaches for guiding the researchers for the development of other project management metrics.
Oceanographic drivers of the vertical distribution of a highly migratory, endothermic shark.

Salmon sharks Lamna ditropis are highly migratory, upper trophic level predators in North Pacific ecosystems. We analysed a multi-year satellite tag dataset to investigate the habitat use of female salmon sharks across their broad range in the eastern North Pacific (NEP) and identified key environmental factors that influence vertical distribution. Salmon sharks displayed remarkable plasticity in habitat use across disparate oceanographic regions in the NEP and increased utilization of deeper waters in offshore habitats. Diel shifts in vertical distribution and behaviour were consistently observed across their range and likely reflect shifts in their foraging ecology. Salmon sharks utilized a broad thermal niche and exhibited submergence behaviour, possibly for thermal refuge, when encountering sea surface temperatures outside their preferred temperature distribution. Moreover, the vertical distribution of salmon sharks indicates they were able to exploit low dissolved oxygen environments (<1–3 ml l−1), occasionally for extended periods of time in offshore habitats. However, salmon sharks generally reduced their use of deeper waters when encountering the combination of cold temperatures (<6 °C) and low dissolved oxygen concentrations (<1–3 ml l−1). Combining vertical distribution with high-resolution horizontal movements furthers our understanding of the ecological and environmental drivers of movement across short (diel) and long-term (migratory) scales.
Venous thromboembolism after laparoscopic or robotic biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch. Ninety-days outcome of a 10 years' experience.

Abstract Background Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a feared complication after bariatric surgery. Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD-DS) is a complex bariatric procedure that is offered typically to super morbidly obese patients. Scarce data exist in reporting VTE outcome and identifying the risk factors associated with it after BPD-DS. Objective To determine the risk factors for VTE after BPD-DS at 90-day follow-up. Setting A nonprofit regional referral center and teaching hospital in Pennsylvania. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed on prospectively collected data over 10 years, between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2016. Patients who underwent laparoscopic or robotic BPD-DS were included. Preoperative variables, selected risk factors, and methods of VTE prophylaxis were analyzed. Results A total of 662 patients who underwent BPD-DS were identified. The mean age was 44.7 ± 10.4 (20–72) years; 474 patients were female (71.7%), and the mean body mass index of the cohort was 50.5 ± 7.5 (34–98) kg/m 2 . Overall, 16 patients (2.4%) experienced VTE complication at 90-days follow-up post–BPD-DS with 100% follow-up rate; deep vein thrombosis was experienced by 10 patients (1.5%), and 6 patients (0.9%) experienced pulmonary embolism (1 patient experience both). None of those patients had a previous history of VTE. Only operative time ( P value=.009) and length of stay ( P value ≤ .001) were associated with VTE events. Other factors such as age, sex, body mass index, previous history of VTE, preoperative heparin injection, preoperative inferior vena cava filter insertion, intermittent compressive device use, interval heparin time, and postoperative chemical prophylaxis did not show a statistical association. A logistic regression analysis showed a statistically significant increase of VTE outcome with length of stay; odds ratio of 1.161, (95% confidence interval, 1.048–1.285), P value=.004. Conclusion With proper preoperative evaluation and aggressive VTE prophylaxis protocol, the risk of VTE post–BPD-DS is comparable to other bariatric procedures. Every effort should be adopted to shorten the length of stay, and thus reduce VTE risk.
The probabilistic vehicle routing problem with service guarantees

Abstract We develop a two-phase approach to solving the capacitated routing problem (CVRP) with stochastic demand. A nonlinear chance-constrained optimization model is solved to determine delivery quantities, and a tabu search metaheuristic is used to determine vehicle routes. The goal of this research is to assure that a logistics company would satisfy the demands of customers with a high probability, while minimizing the overall transportation cost. We introduce the concept of premium customers, who are guaranteed a higher level of service. We show that our chance-constrained method has some strategic advantages over the CVRP with recourse approach. We examine the possibility of the logistics company charging customers selectively with an additional service fee to assure a high level of service. Moreover, we provide managerial insight on when the best time is to pay for the premium membership. We present computational results on commonly studied small to large-scale CVRP instances. A simulation study is conducted to explore the performance of the proposed chance-constrained approach using the CVRP with recourse. We conclude that our chance-constrained CVRP model could serve a logistics company well when resource costs and service guarantees are of concern.
Predictive dynamic digital holography and image sharpening

Digital holography is often combined with image sharpening for wavefront estimation and correction, and this combination has received recent attention for many imaging and sensing applications. A significant obstacle for digital holography and image sharpening in high-speed real-time applications is the fact that the process is computationally intensive, requiring iterative virtual wavefront propagation and hill-climbing algorithms to optimize sharpness criteria. This paper introduces a method for accelerating dynamic digital holography and image sharpening by wavefront prediction. The approach here integrates optimal state-space prediction filters with digital holography and image sharpening to short-circuit the computationally intensive process of virtual wavefront propagation and sharpness optimization.