cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Limited utility of routine early postoperative radiography after primary ACL reconstruction

Abstract Background Given the overall success of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and the infrequent occurrence of complications detectable on radiographs, the clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of routine radiographs in the early postoperative setting is questionable. Methods Nine hundred thirty-three consecutive adult patients undergoing uncomplicated ACL reconstruction at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed to determine whether a postoperative knee radiograph was obtained within the first three months postoperatively. Images, reports and clinical notes were reviewed to determine if any clinical management change occurred due to x-ray findings. Radiograph charges, including imaging, technical and professional charges were calculated. Results Five hundred ninety-nine of 933 primary ACL reconstruction patients (64.8%) had postoperative knee radiography at an average of 6.3 ± 3.5 weeks postoperatively. A musculoskeletal radiologist read 97.7% of x-rays as normal. In the associated visit note, 70.3% of x-ray results were documented. Only 14.1% of patients with a postoperative x-ray had subsequent imaging. There were no significant management changes based on the routine postoperative radiographs using the defined criteria. A total of $336,683 ($562 per patient) was billed to patients for postoperative radiographs. Conclusions Routine early postoperative radiography after primary ACL reconstruction is of questionable utility. The significant per-patient expense is not balanced by the low yield of clinically meaningful data, as nearly all radiographs in the present series were normal and none resulted in significant changes in postoperative clinical management. These results suggest that routine radiographs after uncomplicated ACL reconstruction may be unnecessary although larger, multicenter studies are necessary to confirm these findings. Level of evidence Level IV, retrospective case series.
Transcriptomic Profile of Whole Blood Cells from Elderly Subjects Fed Probiotic Bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103 (LGG) in a Phase I Open Label Study

We examined gene expression of whole blood cells (WBC) from 11 healthy elderly volunteers participating on a Phase I open label study before and after oral treatment with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG-ATCC 53103 (LGG)) using RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq). Elderly patients (65–80 yrs) completed a clinical assessment for health status and had blood drawn for cellular RNA extraction at study admission (Baseline), after 28 days of daily LGG treatment (Day 28) and at the end of the study (Day 56) after LGG treatment had been suspended for 28 days. Treatment compliance was verified by measuring LGG-DNA copy levels detected in host fecal samples. Normalized gene expression levels in WBC RNA were analyzed using a paired design built within three analysis platforms (edgeR, DESeq2 and TSPM) commonly used for gene count data analysis. From the 25,990 transcripts detected, 95 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in common by all analysis platforms with a nominal significant difference in gene expression at Day 28 following LGG treatment (FDR<0.1; 77 decreased and 18 increased). With a more stringent significance threshold (FDR<0.05), only two genes (FCER2 and LY86), were down-regulated more than 1.5 fold and met the criteria for differential expression across two analysis platforms. The remaining 93 genes were only detected at this threshold level with DESeq2 platform. Data analysis for biological interpretation of DEGs with an absolute fold change of 1.5 revealed down-regulation of overlapping genes involved with Cellular movement, Cell to cell signaling interactions, Immune cell trafficking and Inflammatory response. These data provide evidence for LGG-induced transcriptional modulation in healthy elderly volunteers because pre-treatment transcription levels were restored at 28 days after LGG treatment was stopped. To gain insight into the signaling pathways affected in response to LGG treatment, DEG were mapped using biological pathways and genomic data mining packages to indicate significant biological relevance. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01274598","term_id":"NCT01274598"}}NCT01274598
Effect of anion secretion inhibitors on mucin content of airway submucosal gland ducts.

In porcine bronchi, inhibition of both Cl− and HCO 3 − transport is required to block the anion secretion response to ACh and to cause mucus accumulation within ACh-treated submucosal gland ducts [...
Study of Vehicle Seat Static Comfort

This paper introduces what static comfort is,and analyzes the affecting factors of the static comfort based on ergonomics, and by a detailed analysis of these factors applying them to the actual seat parameters design.
Direct Influence of Surface Science and Engineering in Nano-technology Development and Applications

Surface science and engineering has a special role in the development of nanomaterials and nanomanufacture et al.nanotechnology fields and its applications.This is mainly based on the fact that matter of small ratio of surface and volume is significantly increased and certain fundamental material properties e.g.chemical and physical properties are changed.Such property changes are being explored in almost engineering fields.Surface engineering is uniquely positioned to impact the advancement of nanotechnology,especially in the fields of nanomaterials and nanomanufacture.In nanomaterials field,the interface between nanocrystalline and amorphous phases of materials,the surface and interface problems during the molecule self-assembly are the challenge research work.On the other hand,in nanomanufacture field,the nanomanipulator design and the microscale problems of failure,tribology and lubrication will be the new development direction of surface science and engineering.
Site Directed Spin Labeling and EPR Spectroscopic Studies of Pentameric Ligand-Gated Ion Channels

Ion channel gating is a stimulus-driven orchestration of protein motions that leads to transitions between closed, open, and desensitized states. Fundamental to these transitions is the intrinsic flexibility of the protein, which is critically modulated by membrane lipid-composition. To better understand the structural basis of channel function, it is necessary to study protein dynamics in a physiological membrane environment. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is an important tool to characterize conformational transitions between functional states. In comparison to NMR and X-ray crystallography, the information obtained from EPR is intrinsically of lower resolution. However, unlike in other techniques, in EPR there is no upper-limit to the molecular weight of the protein, the sample requirements are significantly lower, and more importantly the protein is not constrained by the crystal lattice forces. Therefore, EPR is uniquely suited for studying large protein complexes and proteins in reconstituted systems. In this article, we will discuss general protocols for site-directed spin labeling and membrane reconstitution using a prokaryotic proton-gated pentameric Ligand-Gated Ion Channel (pLGIC) from Gloeobacter violaceus (GLIC) as an example. A combination of steady-state Continuous Wave (CW) and Pulsed (Double Electron Electron Resonance-DEER) EPR approaches will be described that will enable a complete quantitative characterization of channel dynamics.
Quinoa Seed Quality Response to Sodium Chloride and Sodium Sulfate Salinity.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is an Andean crop with an edible seed that both contains high protein content and provides high quality protein with a balanced amino acid profile in embryonic tissues. Quinoa is a halophyte adapted to harsh environments with highly saline soil. In this study, four quinoa varieties were grown under six salinity treatments and two levels of fertilization, and then evaluated for quinoa seed quality characteristics, including protein content, seed hardness, and seed density. Concentrations of 8, 16, and 32 dS m-1 of NaCl and Na2SO4, were applied to the soil medium across low (1 g N, 0.29 g P, 0.29 g K per pot) and high (3 g N, 0.85 g P, 0.86 g K per pot) fertilizer treatments. Seed protein content differed across soil salinity treatments, varieties, and fertilization levels. Protein content of quinoa grown under salinized soil ranged from 13.0% to 16.7%, comparable to that from non-saline conditions. NaCl and Na2SO4 exhibited different impacts on protein content. Whereas the different concentrations of NaCl did not show differential effects on protein content, the seed from 32 dS m-1 Na2SO4 contained the highest protein content. Seed hardness differed among varieties, and was moderately influenced by salinity level (P = 0.09). Seed density was affected significantly by variety and Na2SO4 concentration, but was unaffected by NaCl concentration. The samples from 8 dS m-1 Na2SO4 soil had lower density (0.66 g/cm3) than those from 16 dS m-1 and 32 dS m-1 Na2SO4, 0.74 and 0.72g/cm3, respectively. This paper identifies changes in critical seed quality traits of quinoa as influenced by soil salinity and fertility, and offers insights into variety response and choice across different abiotic stresses in the field environment.
The Complex Hues of Entrepreneurial Identity Amongst Women Owning Accounting Firms

Accounting firms in India are still largely male-dominated, and women are particularly under-represented in senior roles as partners, principals, and associates. However, there is a perceptible change with more and more women now pursuing an education in accountancy and aspiring to start off accounting firms of their own. In-depth interviews of women entrepreneurs running micro, small-sized and family-owned accounting firms in Chennai in south India reveal that women as entrepreneurs need to grapple with multiple identities in order to manage their business performance and family responsibilities. There seems to be a complex interplay of multiple identities including gender, caste, entrepreneurship orientation etc., with a new social identity emerging alongside the more traditional one.
Using the SEIPS Framework to Reveal Hidden Factors That Can Complicate a Vaccine Documentation Process

Health care organizations have deployed root cause analysis (RCA) method to identify trends and assess risks. RCA can be used whenever human error is suspected. An organization that appropriately t...
Obesity and Ovarian Cancer.

Ovarian cancer is the most fatal gynecologic cancer and is an important source of cancer-related mortality, particularly in developed countries. Despite substantial research examining adiposity (primarily adult body mass index [BMI]), the overall evidence suggests only a weak positive association between adiposity and risk of ovarian cancer, with stronger associations observed for population-based case–control studies compared to prospective studies. Ovarian cancer is not one disease and emerging data suggest that higher BMI may only be associated with risk of certain histologic subtypes, including low-grade serous and invasive mucinous tumors. Interestingly, some larger studies and meta-analyses have reported a stronger relationship with premenopausal ovarian cancers, which are more likely to be of these subtypes. Relatively few studies have conducted detailed examinations of other adiposity-related factors such as measures of abdominal adiposity, early-life body size and weight change. While the underlying mechanisms that may relate adiposity to risk are unclear, increased inflammatory biomarkers have been associated with risk and hormonal factors, including androgen levels, may be important for the development of mucinous tumors. Future research should leverage the large sample sizes of consortia to evaluate associations by key tumor characteristics as well as consider patterns of weight change over the life course with both ovarian cancer risk and survival.
Hardenability of Titanium Alloys Calculated from Composition: A Preliminary Examination

From data found in the literature, a method has been derived for calculating hardenability of titanium alloys from their composition. A single graph gives the contributions of each alloying element. These are simply added to a base hardenability for unalloyed titanium. Results agree satisfactorily with measured harden-abilities.
Giant cell tumor of the bone: aggressive case initially treated with denosumab and intralesional surgery

Giant cell tumor of the bone (GCTB) is a locally aggressive benign tumor, which has historically been treated with wide surgical excision. We report a case of a 29-year-old male with histology-proven GCTB of the distal ulna. The initial imaging study was a contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination of the left wrist, which was from an outside facility performed before presenting to our institution. On the initial MRI, the lesion had homogenous T2-hyperintense and T1-hypointense signal with expansive remodeling of the osseous contour. A radiographic study performed upon presentation to our institution 1 month later showed progression of the lesion with atypical imaging characteristics. After confirming the diagnosis, denosumab therapy was implemented allowing for reconstitution of bone and intralesional treatment. The patient was treated with five doses of denosumab over the duration of 7 weeks. Therapeutic changes of the GCTB were evaluated by radiography and a post-treatment MRI. This MRI was interpreted as suspicious for worsening disease due to the imaging appearance of intralesional signal heterogeneity, increased perilesional fluid-like signal, and circumferential cortical irregularity. However, on subsequent intralesional curettage and bone autografting 6 weeks later, no giant cells were seen on the specimen. Thus, the appearance on the MRI, rather than representing a manifestation of lesion aggressiveness or a non-responding tumor, conversely represented the imaging appearance of a positive response to denosumab therapy. On follow-up evaluation, 5 months after intralesional treatment, the patient had recurrent disease and is now scheduled for wide-excision with joint prosthesis.
Numerical Simulation of Simultaneous Electrostatic Precipitation and Trace Gas Adsorption: Electrohydrodynamic Effects

Quasi-1-D analytical expressions for predicting the performance of electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) were developed from first principles decades ago and still find use in the present day, although significant simplifying assumptions are employed and manufacturers and operators still incorporate adjustable parameters to match field data. ESPs tasked with simultaneous particulate removal and trace gas-phase pollutant removal, however, represent a significant departure from their original operational mission. The present study extends our previous study of such ESP operations and uses the same computational platform to examine details of the multi-phase flow phenomena within ESPs as a function of the strength of the electro-hydrodynamic (EHD) fluid flow phenomena that can occur under high current density operating conditions or low fluid velocities. In particular, the results show good agreement between numerical simulation and classical ESP performance prediction equations at low current densities, and increasing divergence in predicted performance at higher current densities. Under the influence of EHD phenomena, the acceleration of the fluid by electric body forces effectively increases average fluid velocities through the ESP channel with the expected reduction in PM removal efficiency. The impact on trace pollutant is mixed, with both promotion and inhibition mechanisms associated with EHD phenomena identified.
A Reconsideration of Old English fāh

The Old English (OE) adjective fāh—a word bearing a complex semantic profile and appearing in both poetic and non-poetic genres—has recently come under scrutiny. Filip Missuno argues that although fāh is usually listed in lexical aids as two separate lemmata, the words had actually fallen together into one polysemous lexeme bearing meanings of both lemmata, and that fāh 2 ‘particolored’ had disappeared as a separate lexeme in OE. Through diachronic evidence of pre-OE and post-OE forms, and through synchronic evidence that examines fāh’s place in the whole of the OE lexicon (rather than just poetry, as Missuno does), I demonstrate that fāh 1 ‘hostile’ and fāh 2 ‘particolored’ are in fact separate lexemes, and their lexical relationship is one of homophony and not polysemy. I also show that the allomorphic forms fāg 1 and fāg 2, previously thought to be the result of phonological processes in late OE, actually date from pre-Germanic and are beginning to show principled differentiation in OE records: allomorph fāg is being associated with the ‘particolored’ meaning while allomorph fāh is associated with the ‘hostile’ meaning. This association is loose in OE but produces distinct reflexes in late Middle English (foe from fāh, and fawe from fāg) with clearly differentiated semantics. Missuno is correct that the meanings of fāh 1 and fāh 2 show some overlap with one another, but I argue that this is an example of conventionalized word play, creating intentional associations between two distinct lexemes, rather than a seamless polysemous blend.
A New Ocean: The Legal Challenges of the Arctic Thaw

Arctic warming poses considerable legal challenges to the region. The fast disappearance of polar ice will increase economic activity, destabilize the environment, and create a host of security issues. Previous discussions have tended to focus on one of these facets in isolation. This Article aims instead to provide the reader with a comprehensive, up-to-date picture of the Arctic region’s legal needs. The Article first addresses navigation and natural resource disputes arising from the expected increase in Arctic shipping and hydrocarbon exploitation. It then examines the pollution and conservation challenges this increase in human activity will bring. Finally, it analyzes the human security, law enforcement, and military security issues brought about by the Arctic thaw. The Article concludes by critically evaluating the international community’s current institutional responses to Arctic warming and considering possible measures to address current response gaps, including the possibility of a holistic treaty.
Developing Teachers' Pedagogical Identities through a Community of Practice: Learning to Sustain the Use of a Student-Centered Inquiry as Curriculum Approach.

ABSTRACTThis collaborative self-study explores how educators’ pedagogical identities developed in the process of learning to use a Student-Centered Inquiry as Curriculum (SCIC) approach in activity...
Production of biofuel precursor chemicals from the mixture of cellulose and polyvinylchloride in polar aprotic solvent.

Abstract Polyvinylchloride (PVC) is the major halogen source in municipal solid waste (MSW) and its recycling is problematic. PVC can not only cause various environmental problems by releasing halogens, but also negatively impact other MSW compositions during waste to energy conversion. For instance, co-pyrolysis of biomass with PVC increases solid residue and promotes the formation of CO and CO2 from cellulose. Herein, we report an approach to dehydrochlorinate PVC while simultaneously enhancing the production of valuable chemicals from cellulose. Specifically, cellulose and PVC were co-converted in tetrahydrofuran (THF). It was found that co-conversion of cellulose with PVC significantly increased liquid yield from cellulose and shortened the conversion time compared to converting cellulose alone. Levoglucosan was the major product from cellulose and its highest yield of 40% was achieved with 2.5 wt% of PVC at 335 °C after only 8 min of reaction. We have shown that the in-situ generated HCl derived from PVC decomposition serves as acid catalyst to enhance glycosidic bond cleavage in cellulose. Moreover, using a THF/water co-solvent could further enhance the conversion rate and increased liquid yield to a maximum of 92.55%. Pyrolysis of the solid residue did not release chlorinated organics, suggesting that PVC was fully dechlorinated in THF. The present study may be applied to convert PVC-containing, cellulose rich MSW for higher valued products in environmentally friendly approach.
Fracture Prediction by Rayleigh Wave Scattering Measurement

An acoustic surface wave NDE technique for predicting the fracture stress of a solid containing a surface crack is described. The normalized stress intensity factor for a crack is determined by measuring the reflection coefficient of Rayleigh waves incident to the crack in the long wave-length limit. An acoustic surface wave wedge transducer was used to excite the incident wave and to measure the reflected wave intensity. The fracture stress of Pyrex glass discs containing the acoustically measured cracks was determined in biaxial flexure. Fracture toughness values obtained through post-fracture examination of the fracture surfaces were in excellent agreement with the values in the literature. The fracture stress predicted from the acoustic measurement of the stress intensity factor correlated very well with the measured value of the fracture stress. For surface cracks with crack radii varying between 50 and 500 microns, the average error between the acoustic prediction of fracture stress and the measured fracture stress is less than 20%.
Staying safe in the community: adaptation of WaySafe to help probationers make better decisions about their health risks

Transition from incarceration to the community is a critical time for offenders, especially those with substance abuse problems. Many succumb to temptation to return to drug use and possibly risky needle sharing, and engaging in risky sex activities. This critical time period entails substantial health risks for the offender as well as significant risks to public health. Well-established and consistent use of HIV/HBV/HCV risk reduction prevention programs with continuity of care do not exist in most criminal justice treatment systems because of lack of policy development and integration between institution and community-based corrections, health, and social service agencies. Interventions targeting re-entry are crucial because of the likelihood for risk behaviors to increase upon return to the community. Approaches for community correction populations are needed that have the capability of addressing motivational, social, and cognitive deficits. This presentation discusses an approach to translating ideas from the prison-based WaySafe curriculum into community settings for probationers who have recently completed residential, intensive outpatient, or prison-based substance abuse treatment. The adapted intervention, StaySafe, will be based on evidence-based cognitive principles, including TCU Mapping Enhanced Counseling techniques designed to improve decision-making skills regarding health risk behaviors during the critical first 6 months under community supervision. It is being designed to be self-administered by participating probationers during downtime, either prior to or following meetings with their probation officers. An important goal in the adaptation and testing of StaySafe is to have a sustainable, evidence-based product for probation departments that can be administered with minimal staff training and time that is engaging and easy to use by probationers, requires minimal maintenance, and is free to probation departments (other than the cost of the touch-screen computers). In this presentation, we describe the StaySafe intervention and the adaptation process from a prison-based group curriculum to a community corrections-based individualized approach. The adaptation process borrows ideas from the ADAPT-ITT framework [1]. We will describe initial results from focus groups and interviews with probationers and probation officers on problems and successes in probation, logistical issues with delivering interventions in probation settings, and results of a “theater” test of elements of StaySafe to gauge participant reactions.
Optical computing: how far can light waves penetrate computer technology?

There are at least three different paths through which optics has already had or can in the future have a measurable impact on computing technology.
On the Potential for Improved Measurement in the Human and Social Sciences

Geometry is the most ancient branch of physics. All linear measurement is essentially a form of practical geometry. Following Maxwell’s method of drawing analogies from geometry, Rasch conceptualized measurement models as analogous to scientific laws. Rasch likely absorbed Maxwell’s method via close and prolonged interactions with colleagues known for their use of it. Examination of the common form of the relationships posited in the Pythagorean theorem, multiplicative natural laws, and Rasch models leads to a new perspective on the potential unity of science. To be fully realized in the social sciences, Rasch’s measurement ideas need to be dissociated from statistics and IRT, and instead rooted in the Maxwellian sources Rasch actually drew from. Following through on the method of analogy from geometry may make human and social measurement more intuitive and useful.
Medicolegal Issues of Amyloidosis

Improved amyloidosis therapies require earlier and type-specific diagnoses. The traditional diagnostic paradigm for amyloidosis diagnosis is no longer acceptable medical practice. Physicians’ increased obligation to accurately diagnose amyloidosis carries with it an increased risk for amyloidosis-related medical malpractice lawsuits claiming that delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis caused inappropriate treatment or delayed treatment. An understanding of the basic legal theory of medical malpractice assists in considering and managing the medical-legal risk surrounding amyloidosis diagnosis, ultimately improving successful patient outcomes and reducing amyloidosis-related medical malpractice lawsuits.
THE ACETYLENZYME INTERMEDIATE OF ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a study to examine the acetylenzyme intermediate of acetylcholinesterase. This study measures the extent of acetylation of acetylcholinesterase during the steady state hydrolysis of acetylcholine using 3H acetylcholine. The results confirm the conclusions from kinetic studies that the deacylation step is the most important rate influencing step. The effects of added inhibitors have also been measured and the results bear on the question of whether there are multiple inhibitor binding sites per monomer of enzyme.
Busting the Gender Binary: Activities for Teaching Transgender Issues in Management Education:

There is a growing need to teach management students about the diverse gender identities they may face as managers and leaders in the workplace. Management educators are generally ill-equipped to t...
Altered gating of Kv1.4 in the nucleus accumbens suppresses motivation for reward

Deficient motivation contributes to numerous psychiatric disorders, including withdrawal from drug use, depression, schizophrenia, and others. Nucleus accumbens (NAc) has been implicated in motivated behavior, but it remains unclear whether motivational drive is linked to discrete neurobiological mechanisms within the NAc. To examine this, we profiled cohorts of Sprague-Dawley rats in a test of motivation to consume sucrose. We found that substantial variability in willingness to exert effort for reward was not associated with operant responding under low-effort conditions or stress levels. Instead, effort-based motivation was mirrored by a divergent NAc shell transcriptome with differential regulation at potassium and dopamine signaling genes. Functionally, motivation was inversely related to excitability of NAc principal neurons. Furthermore, neuronal and behavioral outputs associated with low motivation were linked to faster inactivation of a voltage-gated potassium channel, Kv1.4. These results raise the prospect of targeting Kv1.4 gating in psychiatric conditions associated with motivational dysfunction.
Polycomb-mediated repression compensates for loss of postnatal DNA methylation in excitatory neurons

Epigenetic modifications of DNA regulate gene expression throughout the lifespan in neurons. Two major epigenetic pathways of repression, DNA methylation and Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) mediated gene silencing, regulate neuronal physiology and function, but their relative contributions are unknown. We found that conditional loss of the de novo DNA methyltransferase Dnmt3a in mouse excitatory neurons altered expression of synapse-related genes, impaired the maturation of postsynaptic dendritic spines and dampened neuronal excitability. These phenotypes were accompanied by working memory and social interest deficits. To elucidate the epigenetic mechanisms, we performed deep sequencing of DNA methylation, transcription, and chromatin modifications in cortical excitatory neurons. Loss of Dnmt3a abolished postnatal accumulation of CG and non-CG DNA methylation, leaving neurons with an unmethylated, fetal-like epigenomic pattern at ~140,000 genomic regions. The PRC2 associated histone modification H3K27me3 increased at many of these sites, partially compensating for the loss of DNA methylation. Our results suggest a complex interaction between two key modes of epigenetic repression of gene expression during brain development that supports cognitive function in adulthood.
A Unified Virtual Battery Model for Responsive Assets

We propose a unified virtual battery (VB) model for the flexibility of various responsive assets including batteries, thermostatically controllable loads (TCLs), deferrable loads, shiftable loads, and photovoltaics (PVs), Such a unified model lays a foundation to apply transactive control to responsive assets for ancillary service provision. We generalize the VB model to shiftable loads and PVs and make changes to the VB model of TCLs to make them more suitable to ancillary service provision with transactive control methods. In the unified model, we select a set of parameters to represent the flexibility of different responsive assets to provide ancillary services related to active power. The set of parameters includes an energy state, an energy upper bound, an energy lower bound, a power upper bound, and a power lower bound. These parameters are selected to be as few as required to represent the ancillary service provision flexibility of different responsive assets. We explain the meaning of these parameters to those responsive assets. We provide simulation examples to show the efficacy of the general model to deal with various responsive assets in a unified way.
Applying the Design Process to Life Goals: An Experience Report from a Capstone Course

A key element in many computing and engineering capstone courses is a team or individual project. The project is often open-ended, requiring students to embrace ambiguity, consider constraints such as time, tools, and finances, and create one or more prototypes. One may also apply design thinking and the design process to their career and lives. This paper presents a "design your life" assignment, adapted from the Stanford Life Design Lab, that could be incorporated into any capstone course. The assignment had five parts: 1) three 5-year prototypes including professional and personal goals, 2) one 10-year plan, 3) a thank you note, 4) a gallery walk to observe and comment on other student's 10-year plans, and 5) reflection from a prototype conversation or experience. The goal of the prototype conversation or experience is to give students a low-stakes method to gather information about themselves. For example, if a student thinks they want to coach a robotics team but has not worked extensively with children, volunteering at an afterschool program would be a great prototype experience. The goal of the 5-year and 10-year plans is to make students create a coherent plan, so they have a roadmap for the first part of their professional journeys. The intention of the gallery walk is to build community. This paper presents the course context, details about the assignment, examples of student work, and suggestions for adoption.
Slab temperature evolution over the lifetime of a subduction zone

The thermal evolution of subducting slabs controls a range of subduction processes, yet we lack a robust understanding of how thermal structure develops over a subduction zone’s lifetime. We investigate the time-dependence of slab thermal structure using dynamically consistent, time evolving models. Pressure-temperature (P-T) conditions along the slab Moho and slab top exhibit substantial variability throughout the various phases of subduction: initiation, free sinking, mature subduction. This variability occurs in response to time-dependent subduction properties (e.g., fast vs. slow convergence) and thermal structure inherited from previous phases (e.g., due to upper plate aging). At a given depth, the slab cools rapidly during initiation, after which slower cooling occurs. In the case of the Moho, additional cooling occurs during the free sinking phase. We explore the implications of time-dependent thermal structure on exhumed rocks and slab dehydration. Modeled slab top P-T paths span much of the P-T space associated with exhumed rocks, suggesting a significant component of recorded variability may have dynamic origins. Coupling our P-T profiles with thermodynamic models of oceanic lithosphere, we show that dehydrating ultramafic rocks at the slab Moho provide the bulk of hydrous fluid at subarc depths during the earliest phases. Over subsequent phases, these rocks carry fluids into the deeper mantle, and it is mafic crust along the slab top that releases water at subarc depths. We conclude that varying subduction conditions, and non-steady-state thermal structure, challenge the utility of kinematically-driven models with constant subduction parameters, particularly for investigating thermal structure in the geological past.
Enhanced cell deconvolution of peripheral blood using DNA methylation for high-resolution immune profiling

Abstract DNA methylation microarrays can be employed to interrogate cell-type composition in complex tissues. Here, we expand reference-based deconvolution of blood DNA methylation to include 12 leukocyte subtypes (neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes, B cells, CD4+ and CD8+ naive and memory cells, natural killer, and T regulatory cells). Including derived variables, our method provides up to 56 immune profile variables. The IDOL (IDentifying Optimal Libraries) algorithm was used to identify libraries for deconvolution of DNA methylation data both for current and retrospective platforms. The accuracy of deconvolution estimates obtained using our enhanced libraries was validated using artificial mixtures, and whole-blood DNA methylation with known cellular composition from flow cytometry. We applied our libraries to deconvolve cancer, aging, and autoimmune disease datasets. In conclusion, these libraries enable a detailed representation of immune-cell profiles in blood using only DNA and facilitate a standardized, thorough investigation of the immune system in human health and disease.
BK channel activation by L-type Ca2+ channels CaV1.2 and CaV1.3 during the subthreshold phase of an action potential.

BK K+ channels are important regulators of firing. Although Ca2+ channels are required for their activation in excitable cells, it is not well understood how BK channels activate using these Ca2+ s...
A 300MHz-BW 38mW 37dB/40dB SNDR/DR Frequency-Interleaving Continuous-Time Bandpass Delta-Sigma ADC in 28nm CMOS

Bandpass CT DSMs offer essential advantages for RF and mm-wave systems, including digital I/Q mixing, innate anti-alias filtering, and an easy-to-drive input. However, existing CT DSMs lack the bandwidth for emerging applications, including 5G and radar. A practical frequency-interleaving architecture efficiently scales CT bandpass DSM bandwidth to break the CT DSM bandwidth bottleneck. A 28nm CMOS prototype frequency-interleaves two DSMs for 300MHz BW, 37dB SNDR at 1.5GHz while consuming 38mW.
Dairy Caretaker Perspectives on Performing Euthanasia as an Essential Component of Their Job.

The objectives of this study were to identify caretakers’ perceptions and stressors related to performing on-farm euthanasia as well as potential ideas for intervention strategies to alleviate negative effects of performing euthanasia on caretaker well-being. Additionally, we aimed to determine how euthanasia methods, procedures, and training correlate with dairy caretakers’ attitudes toward performing on-farm euthanasia and their job satisfaction and sense of well-being. Thirty-eight dairy caretakers (19 workers, 15 supervisors, 3 owners, 1 veterinarian) participated in focus groups or interviews conducted and recorded on five Northern Colorado dairies. Thematic analysis of focus group and interview transcripts revealed seven recurring themes. Variation in available training and euthanasia protocols among dairy farms was evident. There was a lack of awareness regarding available mental health resources and little communication between farm personnel about euthanasia-related stress. Training was correlated with caretaker knowledge about euthanasia procedures and the language used to refer to euthanasia. Human-animal bonds and empathy toward animals were evident in participants regardless of training, job position, or dairy experience. Interventions such as training programs, mental health resources, and other support systems should be tested for effectiveness in addressing euthanasia-related stressors, improving euthanasia decision-making and practice, and increasing animal wellbeing on dairy farms.
Experimental demonstration of directive Si 3 N 4 optical leaky wave antennas with semiconductor perturbations at near infrared frequencies

Directive optical leaky wave antennas (OLWAs) with tunable radiation pattern are promising integrated optical modulation and scanning devices. OLWAs fabricated using CMOS-compatible semiconductor planar waveguide technology have the potential of providing high directivity with electrical tunability for modulation and switching capabilities. We experimentally demonstrate directive radiation from a silicon nitride (Si3N4) waveguide-based OLWA. The OLWA design comprises 50 crystalline Si perturbations buried inside the waveguide, with a period of 1 μm, each with a length of 260 nm and a height of 150 nm, leading to a directive radiation pattern at telecom wavelengths. The measured far-field radiation pattern at the wavelength of 1540 nm is very directive, with the maximum intensity at the angle of 84.4° relative to the waveguide axis and a half-power beam width around 6.2°, which is consistent with our theoretical predictions. The use of semiconductor perturbations facilitates electronic radiation control thanks to the refractive index variation induced by a carrier density change in the perturbations. To assess the electrical modulation capability, we study carrier injection and depletion in Si perturbations, and investigate the Franz-Keldysh effect in germanium as an alternative way. We theoretically show that the silicon wire modulator has a -3 dB modulation bandwidth of 75 GHz with refractive index change of 3×10 -4 in depletion mode, and 350 MHz bandwidth with refractive index change of 1.5×10 -2 in injection mode. The Franz-Keldysh effect has the potential to generate very fast modulation in radiation control at telecom wavelengths.
Structural and Terrain Movements

This paper is to be Chapter 17 of the proposed Manual on Engineering Surveys now being prepared by the Committee on Engineering Surveying of the Surveying and Mapping Division. It is essentially an outline of survey procedures that are specifically applicable to the problem of measuring terrain movements and structural deformations. The scope is limited to the determination of absolute movement by precise survey methods. Emphasis is placed on designing a movement study so that propagated errors in position and elevation remain smaller than the minimum expected movement. Error propagation equations for some of the survey and computational methods used in movement studies and a comprehensive list of pertinent references are appended.
Silicon Germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor ESD power clamps and the Johnson Limit

Achieving radio frequency (RF) performance circuit objectives and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection will continue to challenge future technology. In this study, we use the ultimate limitation of the transistor (e.g., known as the Johnson Limit) as a means to provide an ESD power clamp by providing a first low breakdown trigger device and a second high breakdown clamp device. Using the inverse relationship between unity current gain cutoff frequency and breakdown voltage, ESD power clamps are constructed using epitaxial base pseudomorphic Silicon Germanium heterojunction transistors in a common-collector Darlington configuration. ESD experimental test results from human body model (HBM), machine model (MM) and transmission line pulse (TLP) testing demonstrate the scaling of ESD power clamps. Design studies of alternative implementations, resistor ballasting and alternative triggers will be discussed. As a comparative analysis, the SiGe-based ESD power clamps will be compared to CMOS MOSFET-based ESD power clamps. A new dimensionless group is defined to quantify the relationship between the power-to-failure and the maximum Johnson limit power.
Nitrogenase: VII. Effect of component ratio, ATP and H2, on the distribution of electrons to alternative substrates

Some kinetic properties of purified component I (Mo-Fe protein) and component II (Fe protein) of nitrogenase (EC 1.7.99.2) from Azotobacter vinelandii have been examined. The apparent Km values for reducible substrates (0.1 atm for N2, 0.01 atm for acetylene) and dithionite (0.5 mM) are similar for osmotically shocked cell lysates and purified components. However, the ATP dependence of acetylene and N2 reduction varies sigmoidally with ATP concentration and as a function of the relative and absolute concentration of components I and II in the assay. Acetylene is reduced in preference to N2 in competitive assays when component I is in relative excess. Acetylene reduction is not as dependent upon ATP concentration as is N2 reduction, so that acetylene is also a preferred substrate at lower ATP levels. Hydrogen specifically inhibits N2 reduction, diverting electrons to acetylene when both substrates are present in the assay. We propose a model of the enzyme activity, in which the substrates for reduction are bound to component I with electrons being activated by component II. ATP may be involved in activating electrons and in maintaining the appropriate conformation or reduction state of components to allow effective reduction of substrates. The relative rate of reduction of alternative substrates is dependent on the concentration of the particular state(s) capable of reacting with each substrate. The concentration of a particular state of component I is a function of components I, II and ATPL
The Interface Crack

The problem of a crack at the interface between dissimilar elastic media is of considerable contemporary importance in Elasticity, because of its relevance to the problem of debonding of composite materials and structures. Figure 24.1 shows the case where such a crack occurs at the plane interface between two elastic half-spaces. We shall use the suffices 1,2 to distinguish the stress functions and mechanical properties for the lower and upper half-spaces, z > 0, z 0, respectively.
Principles of Basic and Advanced Scanning Probe Microscopy

Understanding the behavior of complex materials such as organic self-assembled monolayers, molecular and nano wires, transition metal oxide thin films, is facilitated by probes of local properties. Recent extensions of scanning probe microscopy that extract electrical potential, capacitance, dielectric constant, electromechanical coupling coefficients and impedance, are described. In most cases, these complex properties are accessed by stimulations and/or response function detection with multiple frequency modulations. Several illustrative example include determination of the electronic structure of individual defects in a carbon nanotube, ferroelectric domain interactions in oxide thin films, and electric potential of an alkanethiol on metal.
Lipomatous metaplasia of superficial dermis

Lipomatous metaplasia is an uncommon phenomenon. After identifying the presence of a band of adipocytes in the superficial reticular dermis underlying two excisions for basal cell carcinoma, we prospectively reviewed all skin specimens accessioned in our laboratory over a 6-month period and identified eight additional cases. In each example there was a band of adipocytes in the upper dermis, at the level of solar elastosis that was widely separated from the subcutaneous fat by a normal appearing reticular dermis. The cells were positive for S100 and negative for CD163. No connection between the superficial band of adipocytes and the subcutaneous or periappendageal fat was seen. The alterations were flat in configuration without polypoid changes. Eyerich et al. reported lipomatous metaplasia in the dermis of a patient with acute generalized exanthematic pustulosis and psoriasis, and postulated this to be a postinflammatory phenomenon. Fatty metaplasia occurs within a variety of cutaneous neoplasms including nevi, adnexal tumors and peripheral nerve sheath tumors. However, superficial dermal fatty metaplasia beneath cutaneous neoplasms is a newly described phenomenon and we suspect this process represents fatty metaplasia within solar elastosis and that it may occur more frequently than recognized.
Complementary techniques to assess physical properties of a fine soil irrigated with saline water

Water flow and solute transport numerical modeling is strongly limited due to the lack and difficulty in obtaining hydraulic property data in saline soils. A comparison of different techniques for physical characterization of soil structure is carried out in this study aiming to emphasize the complementarities and the synergy of the different approaches and their suitability for soils affected by salinization. In situ measurements of hydraulic conductivity (HC) by tension disc infiltrometer, water retention (WR) characteristics and pore size distribution by image analysis on undisturbed soil samples and aggregates stability have been measured in lab on a light clay soil of an experimental field undergone to two extreme irrigation treatments, NS (not-saline water, ECw = 0.9 dS m−1) and S (saline water with 1% of NaCl; ECw = 15 dS m−1). Following, the replicates have been denoted with the under script 1 and 2. The results show: a strong reduction of the index of aggregate stability in water, equals to 37 and 34% for NS1 and NS2, respectively, against the values of 18.9% for S1 and 18.5% for S2, respectively. The water retention curves of the S soils, for all the pressure heads investigated, are above those measured on not-saline soils. The image analysis has showed a larger quantity of pores (>36 μm) on the not-saline soils with respect to the saline ones. The total porosity (>36 μm) was 21.8% for NS2 and 11.9% for S1. This porosity reduction (9.9%) was spread over the entire ranges of pores with the greatest reduction in pore classes lying in the size range between 700 and 2,000 μm. The unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the not-salines samples shows higher values respect to those of the saline samples. All the techniques applied showed converging results and provided a specific contribution towards the demonstration of a process of clogging of macropores under saline condition. Furthermore, the direct measurement of the pore changes provided by soil image analysis allowed a detailed interpretation of the mechanisms behind soil pore-structure worsening due to salinity. Combined use of the tension disc infiltrometer and image analysis methods showed the highest potential to overcome difficulties in hydraulic characterization close to saturation in salinized horizons.