cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What are the effects of changes in new source review programs upon power sector emissions and costs

The National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine has been asked by the U.S. Congress to evaluate the potential air quality, public health, and other impacts of the US Environmental Protection Agency's 2002 and 2003 changes to "new source review" (NSR) rules. These changes have been particularly controversial with respect to power generation facilities. Advocates of the changes state that the changes will promote efficiency and result in no significant increase in emissions of SO/sub 2/ and NO/sub x/, while critics state that emissions and their impacts will greatly increase. This presentation summarize the methodology and conclusions of the report of the NRC Committee on the Effects of Changes in NSR programs for stationary sources of air pollutants, which was released publicly in Spring of 2006. The focus was on the Committee's conclusions regarding the cost and criteria pollutant emission impacts of the rule change. A key factor is the interaction of the rule change with other air pollution programs, notably regional emissions caps under Title IV of the 1990 Clean Air Act, the NOx state implementation plan (SIP) call, and the 2005 clean air interstate rule (CAIR).
Inhibitory Interneurons, Oxidative Stress, and Schizophrenia

Translational studies are becoming more common in schizophrenia research. The past couple of decades witnessed the emergence of novel ideas regarding schizophrenia pathophysiology that originated from both human and animal studies. The findings that glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid transmission are affected in the disease led to the hypothesis of altered inhibitory neurotransmission as critical for cognitive deficits and to an exploration of novel therapeutic approaches aimed at restoring excitation-inhibition balance. Much is to be done yet to elucidate the ultimate mechanisms by which excitation and inhibition are affected in this disorder; a comprehensive translational effort is necessary to address what may cause altered GABA function, for example. Here, we present an overview of the excitation-inhibition imbalance hypothesis in schizophrenia and discuss ongoing efforts aimed at determining whether cortical inhibitory interneurons are affected by oxidative stress during development.
NEOICHNOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTS WITH THE FRESHWATER OSTRACODE HETEROCYPRIS INCONGRUENS: IMPLICATIONS FOR RECONSTRUCTING AQUATIC SETTINGS

Abstract Neoichnological experiments with freshwater ostracodes document different morphological types of traces, their associated behavior in various water depths and media ( = substrates) in controlled microcosms, and the potential for their identification in the fossil record. In uncompacted, very fine- to medium-grained sand, the nektobenthic freshwater ostracode Heterocypris incongruens produced seven trace types: three crawling trails, a swimming trail, a resting trace, a burrow, and a self-righting trace. The most common crawling trails (Type 1) are randomly sinuous with infrequent looping. Two other crawling trails are observed infrequently and were self-looping (Type 2) and zigzagging (Type 7). Swimming trails (Type 3) are straight to sinuous and composed of a parallel set of appendage scratch marks. Crawling and swimming trails likely indicate exploratory or foraging behaviors associated with locomotion. Oval-shaped depressions (Type 4) commonly occur and represent a resting behavior. Burrowing ...
Synthesis, molecular structure, and redox behavior of an oxo-bridged dimer of a ruthenium-bpb nitrosyl

Abstract We have prepared the oxo-bridged dimer [Ru(bpb)(NO]2(μ-O) in 60% isolated yield from the reaction of the known Ru(bpb)(NO)Cl with silver nitrite. The compound exhibits a υNO of 1758 cm−1 (KBr pellet). The crystal structure reveals a linear ON–Ru–O–Ru–NO fragment with the oxo atom serving as an inversion center in the molecule. The redox behavior in DMF is characterized by a reversible reduction followed by a second but irreversible reduction in this solvent.
Characterization of biofilm formed by human-derived nanoparticles

Aim: Microbial biofilm matrix contains polysaccharides and proteins and can require extracellular nucleic acids for initial formation. Experiments were designed to identify infectious pathogens in human aneurysms and to characterize biofilm formed by calcified human arterial-derived nanoparticles. Materials & method: A total of 26 different microbial pathogens were isolated from 48 inflammatory aneurysms. Consistent amounts (0.49 McFarland units) of nanoparticles derived from similar tissue were seeded into 24-well plates and cultured for 21 days in the absence (control) or presence of RNase, tetracycline or gentamicin. Results: Control biofilm developed within 14 days, as detected by concanavalin A and BacLight™ Green staining. The formation of biofilm in wells treated with RNase was not different from the control; however, gentamicin partially inhibited and tetracycline completely inhibited biofilm formation. Therefore, nanoparticle biofilm retains some characteristics of conventional bacterial biofilm ...
Recognition as a Patient-Centered Medical Home: Fundamental or Incidental?

PURPOSE Little is known about reasons why a medical group would seek recognition as a patient-centered medical home (PCMH). We examined the motivations for seeking recognition in one group and assessed why the group allowed recognition to lapse 3 years later. METHODS As part of a larger mixed methods case study, we conducted 38 key informant interviews with executives, clinicians, and front-line staff. Interviews were conducted according to a guide that evolved during the project and were audio-recorded and fully transcribed. Transcripts were analyzed and thematically coded. RESULTS PCMH principles were consistent with the organization’s culture and mission, which valued innovation and putting patients first. Motivations for implementing specific PCMH components varied; some components were seen as part of the organization’s patient-centered culture, whereas others helped the practice compete in its local market. Informants consistently reported that National Committee for Quality Assurance recognition arose incidentally because of a 1-time incentive from a local group of large employers and because the organization decided to allocate some organizational resources to respond to the complex reporting requirements for about one-half of its clinics. CONCLUSIONS Becoming patient centered and seeking recognition as such ran along separate but parallel tracks within this organization. As the Affordable Care Act continues to focus attention on primary care redesign, this apparent disconnect should be borne in mind.
Suboptimal partitioning of time-series data for anomaly detection

The concepts of symbolic dynamics and partitioning of time series data have been used for feature extraction and anomaly detection. Although much attention has been paid to modeling of finite state machines from symbol sequences, similar efforts have not been expended for partitioning of time series data to optimally generate symbol sequences. This paper addresses this issue and proposes a partitioning method based on maximum migration of data points across cell boundaries. Various aspects of the proposed partitioning tool, such as identification of evolution characteristics of dynamical systems and adaptive selection of alphabet size, are discussed. Experimental results on an electronic circuit apparatus implementing the Duffing equation show that maximum-migration partitioning yields significant improvement over existing partitioning methods (e.g., maximum entropy partitioning) for the purpose of anomaly detection.
BATF is required for normal expression of gut-homing receptors by T helper cells in response to retinoic acid.

CCR9 and α4β7 are the major trafficking receptors for lymphocyte migration to the gut, and their expression is induced during lymphocyte activation under the influence of retinoic acid (RA). We report here that BATF (basic leucine zipper transcription factor, ATF-like), an AP-1 protein family factor, is required for optimal expression of CCR9 and α4β7 by T helper cells. BATF-deficient (knockout [KO]) mice had reduced numbers of effector T and regulatory T cells in the intestine. The intestinal T cells in BATF KO mice expressed CCR9 and α4β7 at abnormally low levels compared with their wild-type (WT) counterparts, and BATF KO CD4+ T cells failed to up-regulate the expression of CCR9 and α4β7 to WT levels in response to RA. Defective binding of RARα and histone acetylation at the regulatory regions of the CCR9 and Itg-α4 genes were observed in BATF KO T cells. As a result, BATF KO effector and FoxP3+ T cells failed to populate the intestine, and neither population functioned normally in the induction and regulation of colitis. Our results establish BATF as a cellular factor required for normal expression of CCR9 and α4β7 and for the homeostasis and effector functions of T cell populations in the intestine.
Tourism: Lodging and foodservice

The concern for the tourists' wellbeing requires a host country to put special efforts into the development and maintenance of acceptable lodging and foodservice facilities, this is to say acceptable to the tourist. There is no doubt that investments in lodging and foodservice have to have priorities in tourism development. While there is probably no need to underline the importance of lodging facilities, only one writer so far has seen a similar need to underline the importance of foodservice in tourism.
Unusual glucose phosphate isomerase isozyme patterns in lymphocytes from two C57BL/6J ↔ A/J allophenic mice

Analysis of C57BL/6J in equilibrium A/J allophenic mice for their lymphocyte composition, using H-2 antigens as external markers, and glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) isozymes as internal markers, has led to the discovery of two unusual mice. Both mice showed heterodimers of GPI isozymes upon electrophoresis of the lymphocyte lysate. Specific anti-H-2 antisera confirmed that the cells of the mice were of C57BL/6J and A/J origin, as expected, but that the "A/J" cells seemed to behave as F1 hybrids containing the Gpi-1a and Gpi-1b alleles. Possible origins of the Gpi-1b allele in the "A/J" cells are discussed.
Subpicometer Length Measurement Using Semiconductor Laser Tracking Frequency Gauge

We have demonstrated heretofore unattained distance precision of 0.14 pm (2 pm) incremental and 14 nm (2.9 μm) absolute in a resonant (nonresonant) interferometer at an averaging time of 1 s, using inexpensive telecommunications diode lasers. We have controlled the main source of error, that due to spurious reflection and the resulting amplitude modulation. In the resonant interferometer, absolute distance precision is well under λ/6. Therefore, after an interruption, an absolute distance measurement can be used to return to the same interferometer order.
Rice xa13 Recessive Resistance to Bacterial Blight Is Defeated by Induction of the Disease Susceptibility Gene Os-11N3

The rice (Oryza sativa) gene xa13 is a recessive resistance allele of Os-8N3, a member of the NODULIN3 (N3) gene family, located on rice chromosome 8. Os-8N3 is a susceptibility (S) gene for Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzae, the causal agent of bacterial blight, and the recessive allele is defeated by strains of the pathogen producing any one of the type III effectors AvrXa7, PthXo2, or PthXo3, which are all members of the transcription activator-like (TAL) effector family. Both AvrXa7 and PthXo3 induce the expression of a second member of the N3 gene family, here named Os-11N3. Insertional mutagenesis or RNA-mediated silencing of Os-11N3 resulted in plants with loss of susceptibility specifically to strains of X. oryzae pv oryzae dependent on AvrXa7 or PthXo3 for virulence. We further show that AvrXa7 drives expression of Os-11N3 and that AvrXa7 interacts and binds specifically to an effector binding element within the Os-11N3 promoter, lending support to the predictive models for TAL effector binding specificity. The result indicates that variations in the TAL effector repetitive domains are driven by selection to overcome both dominant and recessive forms of resistance to bacterial blight in rice. The finding that Os-8N3 and Os-11N3 encode closely related proteins also provides evidence that N3 proteins have a specific function in facilitating bacterial blight disease.
A novel approach in remote monitoring and assessment of patient balance

Balance disorders are prominent in the elderly population and also occur in patients of any age due to complications in the vestibular system which are often of idiopathic origin. Although there are no origin specific statistics, the National Institutes of Health data indicates that over 90 million of adult Americans experience dizziness and balance related problems. Worldwide, hearing or balance disorders affect close to 700 million people (1). A variety of sensory information and the brain interaction affect the complexity of balance mechanism. Therefore, an assessment of bal-ance, awareness to patients, continuous feedback to assist in maintaining equilibrium, and overall monitoring with a capability of an alarm to a patient and/or patient caring staff are essential and demand technological solutions (2). Current rehabilitation strategies monitor the patient move-ment to observe specific patterns that occur before a fall (3). While this type of rehabilitation strategy has been proven effective it leads to higher patient costs, due to observation, as well as increased use of medical facility resources. A useful test should be inexpensive to implement, easy to administer, usable in different environments and simple to interpret (4).
Proportional-type NLMS algorithm with gain allocation providing maximum one-step conditional PDF for true weights

In this paper, we present a proportionate-type normalized least mean square algorithm which operates by choosing adaptive gains at each time step in a manner designed to maximize the conditional probability that the next-step coefficient estimates reach their optimal values. We compare and show that the performance of the maximum conditional probability density one-step algorithm is superior to the normalized least mean square algorithm and the proportionate normalized least mean square algorithm. Additionally, we argue that the algorithm we present operates for any impulse response.
A Class of Algorithms for Fast Digital Image Registration

The automatic determination of local similarity between two structured data sets is fundamental to the disciplines of pattern recognition and image processing. A class of algorithms, which may be used to determine similarity in a far more efficient manner than methods currently in use, is introduced in this paper. There may be a saving of computation time of two orders of magnitude or more by adopting this new approach. The problem of translational image registration, used for an example throughout, is discussed and the problems with the most widely used method-correlation explained. Simple implementations of the new algorithms are introduced to motivate the basic idea of their structure. Real data from ITOS-1 satellites are presented to give meaningful empirical justification for theoretical predictions.
Rehabilitating Unconstitutional Statutes: An Analysis of Cotton v. Fordice, 157 F.3d 388 (5th Cir. 1998)

Among the former Confederate states, Mississippi was a leader in disenfranchising African Americans. The Mississippi Constitution of 1890 was filled with provisions designed "to obstruct the exercise of the franchise by the Negro race" as Mississippi's supreme court explained in 1896. In 1998, the 5th Circuit held that the felon disenfranchisement provision was constitutional in spite of its tainted origins. They found that the plaintiff, an incarcerated prisoner acting pro se, had failed to make his case, and therefore that a provision which disenfranchises 28% of African American men in Mississippi could continue in force. While the court recognized that the provision was unconstitutional when adopted, the court reasoned that two amendments, a restriction on the provision in 1950 and an expansion in 1968, purged any discriminatory intent, and therefore any constitutional infirmity. This essay challenges the reasoning and conclusion.The 5th Circuit treated the amendment process as creating an entirely new provision, with a fresh start to the legislative history. The court, however, did not account for the interpretive principle that amendments do not change the meaning of the unamended portions of a statute, or the tremendous practical problems that would result if technical recodification or revision were deemed to cut off prior understandings of a statute.The 5th Circuit also regarded the acts of the Mississippi legislature in proposing amendments in 1950 and 1968 and of the Mississippi voters in approving them as presumptively non-discriminatory. The problem with this is that Mississippi had the worst record of excluding African Americans from the franchise of any state in the Union; about one percent of voting-age African Americans were registered in 1950; no African Americans served in the legislature between 1892 and 1967; from 1968 to 1975, there was one. As a matter of historical fact, the court's attribution of anti-racist motives to Mississippi decisionmakers in this period seems unjustifiable.There is an additional problem with the court's analysis. They hold that a provision unconstitutionally disenfranchising voters because of their race can be validated in an election in which those voters are unconstitutionally prevented from participating.
Role of thrombospondin-1 in a mouse model of breast cancer

6129 Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) has been shown to be an effective anti-angiogenic and anti-tumorigenic protein in vitro and in many xenograft mouse models. These models are limited in the information they provide because they don’t recapitulate the natural progression of the tumor at the correct body site. We were interested to know how TSP-1 inhibits breast cancer progression in vivo. The approach we decided to take was to develop a transgenic mouse model for breast cancer in order to enable us to study tumor progression at different stages (ie. initiation to metastasis). We crossed TSP-1 +/+ and TSP-1 -/- female mice with male polyomavirus middle T Antigen (PyT)/mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) transgenic mice to generate progeny that are PyT +/−, TSP-1 +/+ and PyT +/−, TSP-1 -/-. At 60 days of age when tumors are becoming palpable, we found that tumors in the PyT +/−, TSP-1 -/- mice are 50% larger than tumors found in the PyT +/−, TSP-1+/+. In our preliminary analysis on blood vessel density, TSP-1+/+ mice at 60 days of age have fewer tumor vessels/mm2. This suggests that TSP-1 may play role in inhibiting early tumor progression through an anti-angiogenic mechanism. By contrast, at 90 days of age when tumors are very well established, tumors from the PyT +/−, TSP-1 -/- mice are only slightly larger than tumors found in the PyT +/−,TSP-1 +/+ mice. We also found that there was a higher incidence of overt lung metastasis in the PyT +/−, TSP-1+/+ mice suggesting that TSP-1 played an important role during lung metastasis in this model. This data was confirmed using real time PCR on RNA isolated from mice lungs. This indicates that TSP-1 may not be as an effective inhibitor of tumor growth as in earlier stages. The effects of TSP-1 parallels those of TGF-beta which reportedly inhibits early stages of tumor progression, but promotes metastasis. Since TSP-1 is known to activate TGF-beta, we determined TGF-beta activity level by measuring the downstream effector molecule of the TGF-beta receptor, phosph-Smad 2, in the tumors. PyT+/−, TSP-1 +/+ tumors expressed higher levels of phospho-Smad 2 than PyT +/−, TSP-1 -/- tumors while Smad 2/3 levels did not differ significantly between the two groups. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that TSP-1’s role in tumor progression is very complex and differs at key points during tumor progression.
Is it a Right Assumption That B and Ge are Distributed Randomly After Growing a Strained HBT-Structure?

It is accepted that surface Ge atoms are considered to be responsible for the surface B segregation process. A set of original experiments is carried out. A main observation from the B and Ge profiles grown at different conditions shows that at certain conditions B is taking initiative and determine the Ge surface segregation process. basic assumptions are suggested to self-consistently explain these original experimental features and what is observed in the literature. These results have a strong implication for modeling the B diffusion in Si 1-x Ge x where the initial conditions should be formulated accounting for the correlation in B and Ge distribution. A new assumption for the initial condition to be “all B atoms are captured by Ge ” is regarded as a right one implicating that there is no any transient diffusion representing the B capturing kinetics.
Slc20a2 deficiency results in fetal growth restriction and placental calcification associated with thickened basement membranes and novel CD13 and lamininα1 expressing cells

The essential nutrient phosphorus must be taken up by the mammalian embryo during gestation. The mechanism(s) and key proteins responsible for maternal to fetal phosphate transport have not been identified. Established parameters for placental phosphate transport match those of the type III phosphate transporters, Slc20a1 and Slc20a2. Both members are expressed in human placenta, and their altered expression is linked to preeclampsia. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that Slc20a2 is required for placental function. Indeed, complete deficiency of Slc20a2 in either the maternal or embryonic placental compartment results in fetal growth restriction. We found that Slc20a2 null mice can reproduce, but are subviable; ∼50% are lost prior to weaning age. We also observed that 23% of Slc20a2 deficient females develop pregnancy complications at full term, with tremors and placental abnormalities including abnormal vascular structure, increased basement membrane deposition, abundant calcification, and accumulation of novel CD13 and lamininα1 positive cells. Together these data support that Slc20a2 deficiency impacts both maternal and neonatal health, and Slc20a2 is required for normal placental function. In humans, decreased levels of placental Slc20a1 and Slc20a2 have been correlated with early onset preeclampsia, a disorder that can manifest from placental dysfunction. In addition, preterm placental calcification has been associated with poor pregnancy outcomes. We surveyed placental calcification in human preeclamptic placenta samples, and detected basement membrane-associated placental calcification as well as a comparable lamininα1 positive cell type, indicating that similar mechanisms may underlie both human and mouse placental calcification.
Book Review: Ion Mobility Spectrometry, Biophotonics—Visions for Better Health Care

Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801
Destigmatization and health: Cultural constructions and the long-term reduction of stigma

Research on the societal-level causes and consequences of stigma has rarely considered the social conditions that account for destigmatization, the process by which a group's worth and status improve. Destigmatization has important implications for the health of stigmatized groups. Building on a robust line of stigma reduction literature in psychology, we develop a sociological framework for understanding how new cultural constructions that draw equivalences and remove blame shape public and structural stigma over time. We examine historical transformations of cultural constructions surrounding three stigmatized groups in the United States: people living with HIV/AIDS, African Americans, and people labeled as obese. By tracing this process across cases, we find that the conditions that account for destigmatization include the credibility of new constructions, the status and visibility of actors carrying these constructions, the conclusiveness of expert knowledge about stigmatized groups, the interaction between new constructions and existing cultural ideologies, and the perceived linked fate of the stigmatized and dominant groups. We also find that the reduction of structural and public forms of stigma often depend on distinct processes and constructions. To conclude, we propose a framework for the comparative study of destigmatization as an essential component of promoting a culture of health.
Fibroblast growth factor 21 and exercise-induced hepatic mitochondrial adaptations

Exercise stimulates hepatic mitochondrial adaptations; however, the mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we tested whether FGF21 plays an obligatory role in exercise induced hepatic mitochondrial adaptations by testing exercise responses in FGF21 knockout mice. FGF21 knockout (FGF21-KO) and wild-type (WT) mice (11-12 wk of age) had access to voluntary running wheels for exercise (EX) or remained sedentary for 8 wk. FGF21 deficiency resulted in greater body weight, adiposity, serum cholesterol, insulin, and glucose concentrations compared with WT mice (P < 0.05). In addition, hepatic mitochondrial complete palmitate oxidation, β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (β-HAD) activity, and nuclear content of PGC-1α were 30-50% lower in FGF21-KO mice compared with WT mice (P < 0.01). EX effectively lowered body weight, adiposity, serum triglycerides, free fatty acids, and insulin and normalized mitochondrial complete palmitate oxidation in the FGF21-KO mice, whereas the reduced hepatic β-HAD activity and lowered nuclear content of PGC-1α in FGF21-KO mice were not restored by EX. In addition, EX increased hepatic CPT-1α mRNA expression and ACC phosphorylation (a marker of increased AMPK activity) and reduced hepatic triacylglycerol content in both genotypes. However, FGF21-KO mice displayed a lower EX-induced increase in the mRNA expression of the hepatic gluconeogenic gene, PEPCK, compared with WT. In conclusion, FGF21 does not appear necessary for exercise-induced systemic and hepatic mitochondrial adaptations, but the increased adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, and impairments in hepatic mitochondrial function induced by FGF21 deficiency can be partially rescued by daily wheel running exercise.
A New Chytrid with Aerial Sporangia

rain and rising temperatures. Since Texas is a major livestockproducing state, the occurrence of Pithomyces chartarum in peanut plants, in the soil, and on grasses could be economically important, especially since peanut hulls are being used for livestock feed. Research is currently being pursued in an attempt to learn whether or not this organism is responsible for the photosensitization of cattle in Texas.
Termination of pregnancy in rats by a prolactin implant in median eminence

SummaryA prolactin-cocoa butter mixture was implanted once in the median eminence of rats on each of days 1–8 of pregnancy. Control pregnant rats were given similar implants of cocoa butter alone. When laparotomies were performed on day 15, all of the control rats were still pregnant. None of the rats implanted with prolactin-cocoa butter on days 1–6 remained pregnant, but almost all rats remained pregnant when implanted on days 7 or 8 of pregnancy. These results indicate that a prolactin implant in the median eminence, by reducing pituitary prolactin secretion, terminates pregnancy if given during the first 6 days of gestation. When prolactin was implanted in the median eminence of rats on the fourth day of gestation and 2 mg of progesterone were injected daily until day 11, pregnancy was maintained. When progesterone was withdrawn after day 11, and the rats were killed on day 15, it was evident that resorption of the fetuses had occurred. This indicates that the decrease in pituitary prolactin secretion...
The Clinical Characteristics and Outcome of Children with Pertussis-like syndrome

Objective:To study the clinical characteristics and outcome of children with Pertussis-like syndrome. Method:90 clinical data were collected from children with Pertussis-like syndrome from June 2012 to June 2013 in children's hospital of Zhengzhou. Result: 63(70%) of the 90 patients were infants aged less than 6 months. Gastric volvulus and gastroesophageal reflux was detected in 43(86%) of the 50 children with upper gastroenterography.All patients were treated with macrolide antibiotics and survived. Conclusion:This study indicate that Pertussis-like syndrome is caused by mixed infection of bacterium and virus. Most of them are infants aged less than 6 months. For the children without ideal treatment, the possibility of gastric volvulus and Gastroesophageal reflux are considered and exercised the most appropriate feeding.
Landscape Irrigation Design and Management

Landscape irrigation design begins with an owner interview, site survey, and determination of the municipal water pressure and flow rate. This chapter includes a landscape drip and bubbler irrigation design program. The procedure begins with the measurement of the canopy diameter and crop coefficient for each plant in the landscape. This is followed by a calculation of the water requirement of each plant. Based on the water requirement, the program calculates the number of emitters required by each plant. Based on the reference ET, the program recommends and irrigation schedule. The procedure is similar to the calculation of an agricultural schedule except that density of planting, variable sizes of plants, and exposure to heat sources such as roads and buildings are also considered. The program also estimates the percent wasted water due to nonuniformity of application. This chapter also includes a design program for the pipe connection between the city water main and the valve box.
Materials science of Ru and Ru alloy thin films for barrier applications

We report strategies to realize ultra-thin Ru films grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on oxide substrates that include incorporating amorphizing elements - boron and phosphorus - and introducing light molecules - CO and NH3 - that interact reversibly with the Ru surface and force additional nucleation events on the oxide substrate. First-principles density-functional calculations reveal that Ru(P) and Ru(B) alloys with moderate P or B content can result in a glassy structure exhibiting strong chemical short-to-medium range order. In the low P or B content region amorphous phases are predicted to be energetically more favorable than the crystalline counterparts for the Ru(P) and Ru(B) alloys above ∼20 at.% P and ∼10 at.% B. The relative stability of amorphous and crystalline Ru(B) and Ru(P) alloys is examined computationally along with local atomic ordering in the amorphous alloys. The growth of ultrathin (3nm) amorphous Ru(B) and Ru(P) alloy films of varying B and P concentration via chemical vapor deposition using Ru3(CO)12 and B2H6 or PH3 as the Ru, B and P sources, respectively, is summarized. Electric field stress tests to failure are used to evaluate Cu diffusion capabilities for 3nm amorphous Ru alloys. Chemical approaches are reported that increase island nucleation density by suppressing precursor reaction/growth on existing islands using inhibitors that can block adsorption of the metal precursor on exposed metal surfaces and thereby lead to growth of ultra-thin metal films. Film growth studies with Ru3(CO)12 and Ru(tBu-Me-amd)2(CO)2 precursors and CO and NH3 are reported on thermal oxide substrates. Carbon monoxide adsorbs reversibly to Ru surfaces in the temperature range of precursor decomposition and Ru film growth (423–673 K). By adjusting the CO pressure during nucleation and growth stages, nucleation density can be increased by a factor of two and film roughness can be reduced by a factor of two. Ammonia adsorbs dissociatively on Ru and the surface is nearly saturated with adsorbed nitrogen, Nads, which inhibits growth on nucleated islands. Nucleation density increases by nearly a factor of three and film roughness can be reduced by a factor of two depending on the partial pressure of NH3 added during nucleation and growth. Ammonia has the added benefit of reducing the crystalline nature of the Ru films.
Performance Management: Embracing Complexity, Evading Reductionism, and Moving to Outcome-Based Approaches

Adler et al. ( 2016 ) open with a summary of the business case driving our field to change and close by providing principles for accomplishing that change, where they conclude that “there is no right answer to the ratings question” (p. 244). Lying between the opening and closing sections is a series of arguments for and against today's performance rating status quo, arguments illustrating just what happens when too many years are spent seeking answers along too narrow a path. In this commentary, we provide additional support for the strategy- and outcome-driven approach to performance management advocated in the article. In addition, we offer ideas for what has contributed to getting us and keeping us where we are. Unless we understand what has driven performance ratings research and practice to be the object of an intense and lengthy debate, these same forces may well drive us to carry out years-long experiments of questionable value along similarly narrow paths. We want to offer our views on how to foster outcome-based practice more broadly.
Finding Geospatial Resources Using Uncertain Data

In this paper, we address the problem of finding a resource in a probabilistic setting. In this problem, there are spatially located static resources and a mobile agent. The agent looks to obtain one of the resources while minimizing the cost. This cost may consist of several sub-costs the agent has to pay, from travel time to monetary cost of using a resource. We assume that the agent has no knowledge of exact availability of the resources in real-time, but some prior or partial data gives estimations of this information. This model applies to many situations that arise in urban transportation systems, such as drivers looking for street parking, or taxis looking for new customers. Our approach to the resource search problem only employs uncertain information about resource availability, minimizes the expected cost, and utilizes concepts from decision theory.
Back-Channel Wireless Communication Embedded in WiFi-Compliant OFDM Packets

This paper presents innovative back-channel wireless communication techniques for ultra-low power (ULP) devices. The concept of embedded back-channel communication is proposed to enable a variety of new applications by inter-connecting heterogeneous ULP devices through existing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-based WiFi (IEEE 802.11a/g/n/ac) networks. The proposed back-channel communication allows ULP devices to decode messages embedded in WiFi OFDM packets even if these ULP devices are incapable of demodulating OFDM. The proposed back-channel signaling has unique properties that are easily detectable by non-WiFi ULP receivers consuming sub- $mW$ of active power. The proposed scheme eliminates the need for specialized transmitter hardware or dedicated channel resources for embedded back-channel signal transmission. Instead, carefully sequenced data bit streams will generate back-channel messages from already-deployed WiFi infrastructure without any hardware modification. This paper demonstrates that WiFi OFDM back-channel communication is feasible in various modulation formats, such as pulse position modulation, pulse phase shift keying, or frequency shift keying. Systematic algorithms are unveiled to create back-channel messages in various modulation formats from a WiFi standard compliant datapath. Comprehensive bit error rate performance analysis of various WiFi back-channel communication schemes is derived and validated in realistic multi-path frequency selective fading channels.
A peptide needle in a signaling haystack.

Expressing random peptides within cells has been hampered by technical problems, and so a simple method to express random free peptide libraries within mammalian cells comes as a welcome advance. It offers a powerful new way to approach the analysis of complex signal transduction cascades, as is illustrated in dissecting the emergence of tumor cell resistance to the chemotherapeutic drug taxol.
Investigation of Self- Heating Effects in Individual SOI Devices and Device-Device Interactions

Heating effects in individual devices are investigated using GIG A3 D Silvaco simulator. By utilizing the THERMAL3D module of the Silvaco simulation framework, we also investigate heating effects due to device-device interactions. Our simulation results suggest that both factors have to be accounted for if, for example, proper output device characteristics are desired.
Strategic Experimentation with Erlang Bandits

Risks related to events that arrive randomly play important role in many real life decisions, and models of learning and experimentation based on two-armed Poisson bandits addressed several important aspects related to strategic and motivational learning in cases when events arrive at jump times of the standard Poisson process. At the same time, these models remain mostly abstract theoretical models with few direct economic applications. We suggest a new class of models of strategic experimentation which are almost as tractable as exponential models, but incorporate such realistic features as dependence of the expected rate of news arrival on the time elapsed since the start of an experiment and judgement about the quality of a "risky" arm based on evidence of a series of trials as opposed to a single evidence of success or failure as in exponential models with conclusive experiments. We demonstrate that, unlike in the exponential models, players may stop experimentation before the first failure happens. Moreover, ceteris paribus, experimentation in a model with breakthroughs may last longer than experimentation in the corresponding model with failures.
Impacts of package, layout and freewheeling diode on switching characteristics of Super Junction MOSFET in automotive DC-DC applications

The aim of this paper is to evaluate experimentally the switching characteristics of discrete high voltage Super-Junction (SJ) MOSFET in the 650VDSS voltage class with respect to device package. The switching performance of the SJ MOSFET is evaluated in four different SMD packages, of which two with Kelvin source, each with respect to a soft recovery freewheeling diode, its own intrinsic body diode as freewheeling diode in half bridge configuration and with the latest generation Silicon Carbide (SiC) Schottky diode. The need for overall low inductance hardware design to attain better switching performance of the device is discussed. The influence of parasitic inductance, impacts of reverse recovery behavior of Si and SiC diodes on switching power device's turn-on, di/dt and dV/dt effects are also addressed. The merits of SiC diode, leadless package and Kelvin source on switching performance are demonstrated. Finally, suitable packages and freewheeling diode combination are identified for automotive applications like DC-DC converters and Power Factor Correction (PFC).
Marine Animal Microbiomes: Toward Understanding Host–Microbiome Interactions in a Changing Ocean

All animals on Earth form associations with microorganisms, including protists, bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses. In the ocean, animal-microbial relationships have historically been explored in single host-symbiont systems. However, new explorations into the diversity of microorganisms associating with diverse marine animal hosts is moving the field into studies that address interactions between the animal host and a more diverse microbiome. The potential for microbiomes to influence the health, physiology, behavior and ecology of marine animals could alter current understandings of how marine animals adapt to change, and especially the growing climate-related and anthropogenic-induced changes already impacting the ocean environment. This review explores the nature of marine animal-microbiome relationships and interactions, and possible factors that may shift associations from symbiotic to dissociated states. I present a brief review of current microbiome research and opportunities, using examples of select marine animals that span diverse phyla within the Animalia, including systems that are more and less developed for symbiosis research, including two represented in my own research program. Lastly, I consider challenges and emerging solutions for moving these and other study systems into a more detailed understanding of host-microbiome interactions within a changing ocean.
Tumor-Associated Mutations in Caspase-6 Negatively Impact Catalytic Efficiency.

Unregulated, particularly suppressed programmed cell death is one of the distinguishing features of many cancer cells. The cysteine protease caspase-6, one of the executioners of apoptotic cell death, plays a crucial role in regulation of apoptosis. Several somatic mutations in the CASP6 gene in tumor tissues have been reported. This work explores the effect of CASP6 tumor-associated mutations on the catalytic efficiency and structure of caspase-6. In general, these mutations showed decreased overall rates of catalytic turnover. Mutations within 8 A of the substrate-binding pocket of caspase-6 were found to be the most catalytically deactivating. Notably, the R259H substitution decreased activity by 457-fold. This substitution disrupts the cation−π stacking interaction between Arg-259 and Trp-227, which is indispensable for proper assembly of the substrate-binding loops in caspase-6. Sequence conservation analysis at the homologous position across the caspase family suggests a role for this cation−π stack...
The efficacy of inhaled nanoparticle tacrolimus in preventing rejection in an orthotopic rat lung transplant model

Abstract Objective The immunosuppressive efficacy of inhaled nanoparticle tacrolimus was compared with systemic tacrolimus in a rodent allogeneic lung transplant model. Methods Sixteen rats underwent allogeneic left orthotopic lung transplantation and were divided into 3 treatment groups: (1) inhaled nanoparticle tacrolimus: 6.4 mg tacrolimus/6.4 mg lactose twice per day; (2) intramuscular tacrolimus: 1 mg/kg tacrolimus once per day; and (3) inhaled lactose: 6.4 mg of lactose twice per day. Five days after transplant, the rats were necropsied and underwent histologic rejection grading and cytokine analysis. Trough levels of tacrolimus were measured in allograft, blood, and kidney. Results Both intramuscular (n = 6) and nanoparticle tacrolimus (n = 6) rats displayed lower histologic grades of rejection (mean scores 3.4 ± 0.6 and 4.6 ± 0.9, respectively) when compared with lactose rats (n = 4) (mean score 11.38 ± 0.5, P = .07). Systemic tacrolimus trough levels (median) were lower in nanoparticle tacrolimus–treated rats versus intramuscular-treated rats (29.2 vs 118.6 ng/g; P P = .01 in blood). Conclusions Inhaled nanoparticle tacrolimus provided similar efficacy in preventing acute rejection when compared with systemic tacrolimus while maintaining lower systemic levels.
Similarities of Tensor Products of Type $$\mathrm {II}_1$$ II 1 Factors

If M and N are type $$\mathrm {II}_1$$ von Neumann factors with separable predual and one of them is embeddable in $$R^{\omega },$$ then the tensor product $$M\overline{\otimes } N$$ has Kadison’s Similarity Property (SP). In particular, $$M\overline{\otimes } L(\mathbf{F}_n)$$ have the SP for all M, which, if M is full, represent the first examples of full type $$\mathrm {II}_1$$ factors with the SP.
Identification of Cell Targeting Ligands Using Random Peptide-Presenting Phage Libraries

Phage display is a powerful technique for identifying peptides or proteins that bind to particular targets. The technique first described by (1985), allows among other applications, rapid screening of random peptide libraries expressed on the surface of filamentous bacteriophage for ligands that can then be used for diagnostic and therapeutic needs.
Effect of daily low dose prednisone, divided or single daily dose, in the treatment of African Americans with early rheumatoid arthritis

Determine the effect of daily low divided or single daily dose of prednisone on the longitudinal change in the number of tender and swollen joints and HAQ scores in African Americans (AA) with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from the Consortium for the Longitudinal Evaluation of African Americans with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis (CLEAR) 1 Registry. In a prospective, multicenter observational cohort study, AA with early RA were enrolled and followed longitudinally for up to 5 years. 345 were enrolled. The mean age at enrollment was 51 years and 82% were women. At baseline, the prevalence of low dose prednisone use was 77% and median prednisone dose was 10 mg. At enrollment 238 patients were on single daily and 107 on divided daily doses of prednisone. There was a significant reduction during follow-up in the number of tender and swollen joints and in the HAQ scores in all patients. Cohort retention was 54%. The adjusted mean number of tender joints was approximately 2–3 joints lower for patients on divided daily dose compared to a single daily dose in follow up. The rate of osteopenia and osteoporosis at 5 years remained similar to baseline prevalence and no difference in the treatment groups. At 5 years the percentage of patients with hypertension was lower in the divided daily prednisone group. During the 5 years of follow-up, clinical outcomes improved in all AA patients with early RA. Reduced number of tender joints was associated with divided daily low doses of prednisone. Hypertension was less in those treated with divided daily doses of prednisone.
The Mediating Effect of Resilience Between Social Support for Exercise and Resident Satisfaction in Assisted Living

This study examined whether residents' level of resilience mediated the relationship between social support for exercise from staff and resident satisfaction in assisted living. This was a secondar...
BAD-METAL BEHAVIOR : EXOTIC PHYSICS OR A CONSEQUENCE OF MICROSTRUCTURE?

A geometric renormalization associated with microstructure in coalescing silver films is shown to be responsible for metallic behavior on anomalously high resistivity scales. The signature for this effect, a proportional enhancement of residual resistivity and the temperature slope, may help determine the relevance of microstructure to other “band metal” systems.