cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Silicone Encapsulants for Hybrid Integrated Circuits (HIC)

A silicone encapsulant has been investigated as to its effectiveness in preventing migrated gold resistive shorts (MGRS). Using a temperature cycle of -10°C to +100°C, MGRS formation was observed at moisture levels of 0.9 to 1.2 percent V/V for Cl-, 1-, K+, and Na+ion contaminated environments. The results indicate that water molecules and halogen, Na+and K+ions will be readily transmitted through the silicone material. Dendritic growth has been found to occur when threshold water and ion levels were exceeded. A technique for measuring the kinetics Of moisture penetration through encapsulants is described. The method consists of utilizing moisture mi-. crosensors bonded within the candidate hybrid package; followed by microspot AES, EDXA analysis of ionic contamination. The test results from the hybrid moisture microsensors are compared with kinetics data' obtained by measuring surface currents on .thermal SiO 2 . Measured moisture and ionic contamination levels and the formation of MGRS in the presence of Na, I, K, Cl, S ions are summarized.
Reaction dynamics of carbon-bearing radicals in circumstellar envelopes of carbon stars

Crossed molecular beams experiments on dicarbon molecules, C2(X1Σ+g/a3Πu), with unsaturated hydrocarbons acetylene (C2H2(X1Σ+g)), ethylene (C2H4(X1Ag)), methylacetylene (CH3CCH(X1A1)), and allene (H2CCCH2 (X1A1)) were carried out at 18 collision energies between 10.6 and 50.3 kJ mol−1 utilizing a universal crossed beams machine to untangle the reaction dynamics forming hydrogen deficient hydrocarbon radicals in circumstellar envelopes of carbons stars and in cold molecular clouds. We find that all reactions proceed without the entrance barrier through indirect (complex forming) scattering dynamics. Each bimolecular collision is initiated by an addition of the dicarbon molecule to the π bond of the unsaturated hydrocarbon molecule yielding initially acyclic (triplet) and three- or four-membered cyclic collision complexes (triplet and singlet surface). On the singlet surface, the cyclic structures isomerize to form eventually diacetylene (HCCCCH; C2/C2H2), butatriene (H2CCCCH2; C2/C2H4), methyldiacetylene (CH3CCCCH; C2/CH3CCH), and pentatetraene (H2CCCCCH2; C2/H2CCCH2) intermediates. The latter were found to decompose via atomic hydrogen loss yielding the buta-1,3-diynyl [C4H(X2Σ+) HCCCC], 1-butene-3-yne-2-yl [i-C4H3(X2A′) H2CCCCH], penta-2,4-diynyl-1 [C5H3(X2B1) HCCCCCH2], and penta-1,4-diynyl-3 radical [C5H3(X2B1) HCCCHCCH] under single collision conditions. The underlying characteristics of these dicarbon versus atomic hydrogen replacement pathways (indirect scattering dynamics; no entrance barrier; isomerization barriers below the energy of the separated reactants; exoergic reactions) suggest the enormous potential of the dicarbon plus unsaturated hydrocarbon reaction class to form highly hydrogen-deficient carbonaceous molecules in cold molecular clouds and in circumstellar envelopes of carbon stars. The studies therefore present an important advancement in establishing a comprehensive database of reaction intermediates and products involved in bimolecular collisions of dicarbon molecules with unsaturated hydrocarbons which can be utilized in refined astrochemical models and also in future searches of hitherto unidentified interstellar molecules. Implications of these experiments to understand related combustion processes are also addressed.
HECT E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Itch Functions as a Novel Negative Regulator of Gli-Similar 3 (Glis3) Transcriptional Activity

The transcription factor Gli-similar 3 (Glis3) plays a critical role in the generation of pancreatic s cells and the regulation insulin gene transcription and has been implicated in the development of several pathologies, including type 1 and 2 diabetes and polycystic kidney disease. However, little is known about the proteins and posttranslational modifications that regulate or mediate Glis3 transcriptional activity. In this study, we identify by mass-spectrometry and yeast 2-hybrid analyses several proteins that interact with the N-terminal region of Glis3. These include the WW-domain-containing HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases, Itch, Smurf2, and Nedd4. The interaction between Glis3 and the HECT E3 ubiquitin ligases was verified by co-immunoprecipitation assays and mutation analysis. All three proteins interact through their WW-domains with a PPxY motif located in the Glis3 N-terminus. However, only Itch significantly contributed to Glis3 polyubiquitination and reduced Glis3 stability by enhancing its proteasomal degradation. Itch-mediated degradation of Glis3 required the PPxY motif-dependent interaction between Glis3 and the WW-domains of Itch as well as the presence of the Glis3 zinc finger domains. Transcription analyses demonstrated that Itch dramatically inhibited Glis3-mediated transactivation and endogenous Ins2 expression by increasing Glis3 protein turnover. Taken together, our study identifies Itch as a critical negative regulator of Glis3-mediated transcriptional activity. This regulation provides a novel mechanism to modulate Glis3-driven gene expression and suggests that it may play a role in a number of physiological processes controlled by Glis3, such as insulin transcription, as well as in Glis3-associated diseases.
Efficient algorithms for evaluating xpath over streams

In this paper we address the problem of evaluating XPath queries over streaming XML data. We consider a practical XPath fragment called Univariate XPath, which includes the commonly used '/' and '//' axes and allows *-node tests and arbitrarily nested predicates. It is well known that this XPath fragment can be efficiently evaluated in O(|D||Q|) time in the non-streaming environment, where |D| is the document size and |Q| is the query size. However, this is not necessarily true in the streaming environment, since streaming algorithms have to satisfy stricter requirement than non-streaming algorithms, in that all data must be read sequentially in one pass. Therefore, it is not surprising that state-of-the-art stream-querying algorithms have higher time complexity than O(|D||Q|). In this paper we revisit the XPath stream-querying problem, and show that Univariate XPath can be efficiently evaluated in O|D||Q|) time in the streaming environment. Specifically, we propose two O(|D||Q|)-time stream-querying algorithms, LQ and EQ, which are based on the lazy strategy and on the eager strategy, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, LQ and EQ are the first XPath stream-querying algorithms that achieve O(|D||Q|) time performance. Further, our algorithms achieve O(|D||Q|) time performance without trading off space performance. Instead, they have better buffering-space performance than state-of-the-art stream-querying algorithms. In particular, EQ achieves optimal buffering-space performance. Our experimental results show that our algorithms have not only good theoretical complexity but also considerable practical performance advantages over existing algorithms.
Understanding the VFR markets and their economic impacts.

This study provides information on the Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) market. The results indicate that the VFR market is dominated by female head of households with an average age of 37 years. Expenditures incurred by this segment on lodging, shopping, gasoline, and meals cumulatively generated an impact of $64 million and created 701 jobs over a period of two years (2001 and 2002) on Sacramento County, California.
The Mechanism of Flow in Reservoir Regions Dominated by Gravity Segregation

The flow in regions of oil and gas reservoirs that are dominated by gravity segregation can occur through two different mechanisms. First, all reservoir fluid phases, possibly oil, gas and water, might move through the same pores. One or more phases might move upward while the others move countercurrently downward, in the same pores. If such a mechanism were valid, Darcy's law could be applied uniformly over large areas of the reservoir to provide average-phase velocities, just as if the flows were the result of pressure-induced convection. However, a second mechanism is also possible. The phases might be segregated such that some pores carry the upward flowing phases, while other pores carry downward flows. When this mechanism is valid, Darcy's law applies only locally to the upward or downward regions of flow. The two mechanisms result in substantially different phase velocities. Simulators, including those available commercially, generally assume the first mechanism (i.e., uniform, countercurrent flow throughout each simulation cell). This paper describes an experimental study in which two-phase flow velocities were measured as the phases moved through a bed of small, uniform glass beads, as the result of gravitational forces only. The resulting velocities were more consistent with those predicted for segregated flows of Mechanism 2 compared with those of the commonly assumed homogeneous flows of Mechanism 1. These results suggest that greater accuracy in reservoir simulation may be achieved by including segregated flow in areas of the reservoir where gravity segregation predominates.
Generation of metal photomasks by dip-pen nanolithography

Since the invention of dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) in 1999, the technique has been developed into an effective and powerful nanofabrication tool for a wide variety of metal and semiconductor substrates with many types of deposition materials, including small organic molecules, polymers, DNA, proteins, peptides, viruses, metal ions, and nanoparticles. The high resolution and materials flexibility of DPN make it particularly attractive for many applications in the life sciences and semiconductor industry, and many research groups have used it to prepare gene chips and proteomic arrays for applications ranging from biodiagnostics to studies of cell-surface interactions. Although there are a variety of potential applications of DPN in the semiconductor industry, to date there have been no examples of the use of DPN to prepare functional devices. One application in which DPN is potentially well suited is the fabrication, inspection, and repair of photomasks. Single-pen DPN, however, does not provide the throughput to make it a viable approach for photomask fabrication. However, with the advent of massively parallel DPN through the use of cantilever arrays, it may be possible to fabricate photomasks on a reasonable timescale. With respect to nanostructures made of noble metals, features can be fabricated by using DPN-generated monolayers of alkanethiols as positive wet-chemical-etching resists. Alternatively, one can pattern polymers by DPN, carry out passivation with alkanethiols, and subsequently remove the polymers followed by wet chemical etching to create a system that behaves as a negative resist. Herein, we address the challenge of using DPN and associated chemistry to make photomasks of chromium on quartz and then evaluate their utility as masters to prepare microelec-
Permutation filter lattices: a general order-statistic filtering framework

A general nonlinear filtering framework-permutation order-statistic filter lattices is introduced which defines a highly modular and robust class of filters which effectively addresses both the nonlinear characteristics of a system as well as the possible noise contamination. Permutation filters, much like polynomial filters, are flexible and modular where instead of having polynomial expansions we have permutation lattice expansions. At the simplest level in the filter lattice, permutation filters reduce to either a simple linear (FIR) or to an order statistic (OS) filter, but at higher levels in the lattice the obtained filters can model complicated nonlinear systems more accurately while still preserving their robust properties. In order to enhance the robustness of permutation fitters, we develop /spl alpha/-trimmed permutation indicators and their associated filter lattices. We conclude by presenting simulation examples where permutation filters are used in nonlinear system identification and in the rejection of narrowband interference in a direct sequence multiple access system. This paper, thus extends the potential of order-statistic filters which have been shown to be somewhat limited in general nonlinear estimation problems. >
Use of Transgenic Parasites and Host Reporters To Dissect Events That Promote Interleukin-12 Production during Toxoplasmosis

The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii has multiple strategies to alter host cell function, including the injection of rhoptry proteins into the cytosol of host cells as well as bystander populations, but the consequence of these events is unclear. Here, a reporter system using fluorescent parasite strains that inject Cre recombinase with their rhoptry proteins (Toxoplasma-Cre) was combined with Ai6 Cre reporter mice to identify cells that have been productively infected, that have been rhoptry injected but lack the parasite, or that have phagocytosed T. gondii. The ability to distinguish these host-parasite interactions was then utilized to dissect the events that lead to the production of interleukin-12 p40 (IL-12p40), which is required for resistance to T. gondii. In vivo, the use of invasion-competent or invasion-inhibited (phagocytosed) parasites with IL-12p40 (YET40) reporter mice revealed that dendritic cell (DC) and macrophage populations that phagocytose the parasite or are infected can express IL-12p40 but are not the major source, as larger numbers of uninfected cells secrete this cytokine. Similarly, the use of Toxoplasma-Cre parasite strains indicated that dendritic cells and inflammatory monocytes untouched by the parasite and not cells injected by the parasite are the primary source of IL-12p40. These results imply that a soluble host or parasite factor is responsible for the bulk of IL-12p40 production in vivo, rather than cellular interactions with T. gondii that result in infection, infection and clearance, injection of rhoptry proteins, or phagocytosis of the parasite.
Considering process variations during system-level power analysis

Process variations will increasingly impact the operational characteristics of integrated circuits in nanoscale semiconductor technologies. Researchers have proposed various design techniques to address process variations at the mask, circuit, and logic levels. However, as the magnitude of process variations increases, their effects will need to be addressed earlier in the design cycle. In this paper, we propose techniques for accurately and efficiently incorporating the effects of process variations into system-level power estimation tools. To motivate our work, we first study the impact of process variations on the power consumption of an example System-on-Chip (SoC). We consider simple extensions of current approaches to system-level power estimation (spreadsheet-based and simulation-based power estimation), and demonstrate their limitations in performing variation-aware power estimation. We propose a system-level power estimation methodology that can accurately and efficiently analyze the impact of process variations on SoC power. The proposed methodology combines efficient trace-based analysis, power-state based leakage modeling, and Monte Carlo sampling. The key benefit of the proposed methodology is that it captures the necessary inter-dependencies while avoiding iterative system-level simulation. Our implementation of the proposed techniques within an in-house system-level power estimation framework indicates 2-5 orders of magnitude efficiency gains, with negligible loss in accuracy, compared to direct Monte Carlo techniques that require iterative system simulation.
Development of New Strategies for Echinocandins: Progress in Translational Research

Echinocandins are N-acyl-substituted cyclic hexapeptides with potent in vitro and in vivo activity against Candida species that are used for primary treatment and prevention of candidemia and invasive candidiasis. Recent progress in the translational research of echinocandins has led to new approaches for treatment of central venous catheter Candida biofilms. Other studies have laid the experimental and clinical foundation for use of extended dosing intervals for administration of echinocandins in treatment and prevention of candidemia and invasive candidiasis.
Using simulation as a teaching tool in an introductory operations management course

We discuss the use of two online simulations as a part of our core undergraduate and graduate business operations classes. We have found the games, Littlefield Technologies, to be of pedagogical value, as they can engage students in the material due to the competitive nature of the game, as well as the ability to see consequences of their actions. Students are able to apply what they have learned in the class to a more realistic scenario than textbook problems. Despite the additional work and challenges associated with ensuring all students register on time and engaging everyone, we feel the games are worthwhile. We provide some strategies for facilitating the smooth and successful execution of the simulations.
How We Do it

(1952). How We Do it. Journal of the American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation: Vol. 23, No. 5, pp. 53-54.
Use of Permanent Chemical Modifier Iridium for the Detection of Lead in Wine by Electro-Thermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Objective To establish a method for the detection of lead in wine by using iridium (Ir) as a permanent chemical modifier for electro-thermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS).Method Using iridium (Ir) as a permanent chemical modifier coated on the integrated platform of transversely heated graphite atomizer (THGA).Pyrolysis temperature,atomization temperature and analysis performances were estimated.Results With the use of Ir,the RSDs (n=5) were in the range of 0.3%-2.8% and the recoveries were in the range of 95.7%-104.6%.Detection limit for lead was 0.4 μg /L,the characteristic mass was 30 pg.Conclusion This method was accurate,simple and sensitive,and met the demands for analyzing trace elements.
Clinical observation of two methods used for one-lung ventilation in thoracoscope operation in preschool children

Objective To compare the clinical effect of bronchial cannula and univent tube used for one-lung ventilation in preschool children receiving elective thoracoscope surgery..Methods 34 children needed one-lung ventilation during thoracoscope surgery were randomly assigned to receive one-lung ventilation with univent tube(group U,n=17)or with bronchial cannula(group B,n=17). Parameters such as:ration of successful blind intubation,time required for intubation and correct positioning,rate of increased peak airway pressure during one-lung ventilation,quality of lung collapse,degree of tracheal and bronchial injuries,and incidence of sore throat and hoarseness after surgery,and pneumonia after twenty-four after operation were recorded. Results No statistical differences were found in the time required for intubation and positioning, ration of successful blind intubation,frequencies of malposition during operation,and degree of tracheal/bronchia injuries, and incidence of sore throat and hoarseness after surgery between the two groups.A Ppeak,frequencies of malposition during operation were lower in group U than those in group B(P0.05).The quality of lung collapse was higher in group U than those in group B(P0.05). Conclusion Univent tube is effective for one-lung ventilation,it can improve efficacy of one-lung ventilation, and can reduce pneumonia after surgery and the patient satisfaction of anesthesia.
Production of bovine alpha-lactalbumin in the milk of transgenic pigs.

High production of milk and its components are necessary to allow maximal growth of developing pigs. In this study, transgenic pigs were produced containing the alpha-lactalbumin gene, whose product is a potential limiting component in the production of milk. Two lines of transgenic pigs were produced to analyze the effects that overproduction of the milk protein alpha-lactalbumin may have on milk production and piglet growth. Transgenic pigs were produced through microinjection of the bovine alpha-lactalbumin gene. The gene construct contained 2.0 kb of 5' flanking region, the 2.0 kb coding region, and 329 bp of 3' flanking region. Sows hemizygous for the transgene produced as much as .9 g of bovine alpha-lactalbumin per liter of pig milk. The production of the bovine protein caused approximately a 50% increase in the total alpha-lactalbumin concentration of pig milk throughout a lactation. The concentration of bovine alpha-lactalbumin was highest on d 0 and 5 of lactation and decreased as lactation progressed. The ratio of bovine to porcine alpha-lactalbumin changed during the sow's lactation. This ratio was 4.3 to 1 on d 0 of lactation, but by d 20 of lactation the ratio was .43 to 1. This suggested that the bovine transgene and the endogenous porcine gene are under slightly different control mechanisms. The higher level of total alpha-lactalbumin present on d 0 of lactation was correlated with higher lactose percentage on d 0 in transgenic sows (3.8%), compared with controls (2.6%) (P < .01). Although there was also a trend for higher lactose percentage in transgenic sows on d 5 and 10 of lactation, no significant differences were observed. These data suggest that alpha-lactalbumin is limiting early in lactation of swine. Furthermore, higher concentrations of alpha-lactalbumin early in lactation may boost milk output.
Aqueous Shift Reagents for High-Resolution Cation NMR Spectroscopy. 4.† DybPPPpob

The chelate Dy(PPP) 2 7− (where PPP 5− is tripolyphosphate) is a very effective shift reagent for the 2 3Na NMR signal. However, it is also quite toxic to living animals. This paper reports the synthesis of the new shift reagent DybPPPpob 5− (where bPPPpob 8 − is o-bis((3-(tripolyphosphato)propyl)oxy)benzene). In vitro 23 Na and 31 P NMR experiments show that DybPPPpob 5− is an upfield shift reagent which shifts the 23 Na signal more than a third as well as Dy(PPP) 2 7− , competition by Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ with Na + for DybPPPpob 5− is not as severe as it is for Dy(PPP) 2 7− and DybPPPpob 5− hydrolysis is catalyzed by alkaline phosphatase but neither as rapidly nor as extensively as that of Dy(PPP) 2 7 −. This latter result implies that an uncoordinated PPP moiety of an incompletely dissociated DybPPPpob 5− chelate can still act as a substrate for the enzyme
Theobromine, theophylline, and caffeine in 42 samples and products of guaraná (Paullinia cupana, Sapindaceae)

Guaranas, the carbonated beverages (sodas) of choice throughout much of Brazil, are mandated by Brazilian law to contain at least 300 mg guara’a (Paullinia cupana, Sapindaceae) seed per 100 ml soda. Were all the soda manufacturers adhering to the law, they would be consuming almost three times the annual production of seed. Guarana seeds contain unusually high levels of caffeine, along with smaller amounts of the related purine alkaloids theobromine and theophylline. We investigated the purine alkaloid content of three ethnobotanical guarana collections and 39 commercial products using HPLC/UV. Many of the products did contain caffeine as the major alkaloid, with traces of theobromine and theophylline. Numerous sodas and syrups contained up to ten times more theobromine than caffeine, and we suspect that these products were adulterated with cacao (Theobroma cacao, Sterculiaceae), the major source of theobromine.
A Textual Analysis of the Possible Impact of Measure 26 on the Mississippi Bill of Rights

Measure 26, which Mississippi voters will consider on November 8, 2011, would amend the Mississippi Bill of Rights to clarify that "person" and "persons" begin at fertilization. Backers have claimed it would require the state to protect human embryos and fetuses from the moment of fertilization, while opponents have argued that it would impose liability for life-saving medicine, ban forms of birth control, or require criminal investigations of miscarriages. As the state constitution is currently understood by courts, however, these claims lack a straightforward textual explanation. Whatever the goals of backers, the text of Measure 26 is not a frontal assault on Roe v. Wade. It would offer enhanced tort remedies under section 24 of the Mississippi Constitution when embryos and fetuses are injured and would prevent state action harming embryos and fetuses under section 14. More significant effects than these, however, would depend on a state-constitutional duty to protect or ban on discrimination in the supply of protection. While the Mississippi Supreme Court might disagree with DeShaney v. Winnebago County on state-constitutional grounds or read a ban on discrimination in the supply of protection into section 14, Measure 26 itself introduces no duty to protect or such an antidiscrimination requirement into the Mississippi Constitution.
Ethics in International Trade

This paper discusses and analyzes various aspects of ethics in international trade. Both utilitarian and nonutilitarian approaches are used to examine the ethics of protectionism, antidumping actions, globalism, and sanctions policy. A bibliography with links to more than 100 trade articles is also included.
NOVEL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC MEASUREMENTS DETECT INCREASED MYOCARDIAL STIFFNESS IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE ORGANIC MITRAL REGURGITATION

Background: Chronic left ventricular (LV) volume overload in organic mitral regurgitation (MR) triggers altered contractile proteins and collagen synthesis leading to LV remodeling and ultimately LV dysfunction. Invasive studies demonstrated increased LV compliance but conflicting findings on
Introducing Mammalian Cell Culture and Cell Viability Techniques in the Undergraduate Biology Laboratory.

Undergraduate students learn about mammalian cell culture applications in introductory biology courses. However, laboratory modules are rarely designed to provide hands-on experience with mammalian cells or teach cell culture techniques, such as trypsinization and cell counting. Students are more likely to learn about cell culture using bacteria or yeast, as they are typically easier to grow, culture, and manipulate given the equipment, tools, and environment of most undergraduate biology laboratories. In contrast, the utilization of mammalian cells requires a dedicated biological safety cabinet and rigorous antiseptic techniques. For this reason, we have devised a laboratory module and method herein that familiarizes students with common cell culture procedures, without the use of a sterile hood or large cell culture facility. Students design and perform a time-efficient inquiry-based cell viability experiment using HeLa cells and tools that are readily available in an undergraduate biology laboratory. Students will become familiar with common techniques such as trypsinizing cells, cell counting with a hemocytometer, performing serial dilutions, and determining cell viability using trypan blue dye. Additionally, students will work with graphing software to analyze their data and think critically about the mechanism of death on a cellular level. Two different adaptations of this inquiry-based lab are presented—one for non-biology majors and one for biology majors. Overall, these laboratories aim to expose students to mammalian cell culture and basic techniques and help them to conceptualize their application in scientific research.
Internationally Adopted HIV-Infected Toddler with Skin Rash

A 2-year-old girl who was perinatally infected by the human immunodeficiency virus presented to the International Adoption Clinic for a routine visit. She was recently adopted from Ethiopia by a family in the United States. At the visit, her parents reported a new complaint of a skin lesion on the right lateral shoulder, with irritation and drainage. They described a gradual increase in redness and swelling of the area, which felt firm and fluctuant. There was no fever, change in behavior, vomiting, or other rash. The child was eating, sleeping, and voiding normally. The toddler had arrived to the United States 1 month earlier. She had already been evaluated at the Clinic and treated for bilateral acute otitis media with a 10-day course of amoxicillin.
REMARKS ON PHOTOCONDUCTIVITY IN ORGANIC CRYSTALS

Abstract The photoconductivity of tetracene is discussed qualitatively with respect to a model in which surface trapping is more important than bulk trapping and diffusion currents play a significant role in determining the total current even for applied voltages as high as 20 volts. The appearance of a photocurrent peak in the long wavelength tail of the action spectrum is rationalized by means of this model.
A one dimensional model for the prediction of stratification in horizontal pipes subjected to fluid temperature transient at inlet: Part I. Hydrodynamic model

Abstract A one-dimensional (1-D) model to describe stratification in horizontal pipes subjected to transient in temperature of fluids entering the pipe is developed. The hydrodynamic model is based on the velocity difference that develops between the hot and cold fluid fronts because of different hydrostatic heads that are associated with the two fluids. From the model it is shown that the propensity of stratification increases with Richardson number and dimensionless length of the pipe. The dimensionless length of the pipe is related inversely to the non-dimensionalized duration of the transient. The critical value of the Richardson number for flow reversal is also given by the model.
A highly resilient and scalable broker architecture for IoT applications

A key bottleneck in using IoT devices for applications such as smart cities and smart homes is in scaling the architecture to hundreds of IoT devices. The applications typically use a publish/subscribe architecture. A broker collects data from the IoT devices (or publishers) and relays the data to the relevant subscribers such as monitoring and alerting systems. Unfortunately, the broker does not scale as the number of IoT devices increases, and is a single point of failure. In this work, we present Nucleus, a container architecture that (a) supports scaling to a large number of IoT devices, (b) provides high resiliency to failures, and (c) incurs low overhead in terms of data transfer between the IoT devices and the broker. The key intuition in Nucleus is to design a stateless broker that decouples the networking functionality of the broker from the state information it needs to maintain. The stateless broker relays information from the publishers to the subscribers, and a separate cache manager maintains the state information required. This architecture allows the brokers to be created rapidly upon failure since they are simple. The cache manager is more complex but can be developed independently of the broker. Finally, we implement the networking substrate between the IoT devices and the broker using MQTT, a protocol that is specifically designed for low bandwidth, lightweight communication. We implement Nucleus and evaluate it in terms of scalability, resiliency, and networking overhead.
Capital Punishment Decisions in Pennsylvania: 2000-2010: Implications for Racial, Ethnic and Other Disparate Impacts

A study of disparity in the administration of the death penalty in Pennsylvania by Kramer, Ulmer, and Zajac (2017) was recently completed for the Pennsylvania Interbranch Commission on Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Fairness. This study collected basic statistical data on 4,274 cases charged with homicide in Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2010, and then collected highly detailed data from courts and prosecutors’ offices on a subset of 880 first degree murder convictions in 18 counties accounting for more than 87% of all 2000-2010 first degree murder convictions. Utilizing propensity score methods in analyses of these first degree murder convictions, the study examined whether defendants’ and victims’ race/ethnicity (separately and in combination), predicted: 1) prosecutors’ decisions to seek the death penalty, 2) prosecutors’ decisions to retract a motion to seek the death penalty once it is filed, and 3) court decisions to sentence defendants to death or life without parole. Key findings were: 1) No pattern of disparity was found to the disadvantage of Black or Hispanic defendants in prosecutors’ decisions to seek and, if sought, to retract the death penalty. 2) Black and Hispanic defendants were not disadvantaged in death penalty sentence decisions relative to White defendants. 3) Cases with White victims, regardless of race of defendant, were 8% more likely to receive the death penalty, while Black victim cases were 6% less likely to receive the death penalty. 4) Prosecutors filed to seek the death penalty in 36% of first degree convictions; but later retracted that filing in 46% of those cases. Moreover, a predominant pattern emerged in which a death penalty filing strongly predicted a guilty plea in these murder cases, and pleading guilty strongly predicted the retraction of the death penalty filing. 5) There were very large differences between counties in the likelihood of prosecutors filing to seek the death penalty, the likelihood of their retracting that filing, and in courts imposing the death penalty. In fact, the biggest extra-legal influence on whether defendants faced or received the death penalty was where their cases were handled. 6) Public defenders were less likely than private or court appointed attorneys to have the death penalty filed in cases they represented. However, public defender cases were more likely to receive the death penalty, and defendants represented by private attorneys were especially unlikely to receive the death penalty. These defense attorney differences also, in turn, varied greatly between counties.
The Role of Fc Gamma Receptors in Broad Protection against Influenza Viruses.

Recent studies have revealed multiple roles for Fc gamma receptors (FcγRs) in broad immunity against influenza viruses. Activating FcγR pathways can be harnessed to confer protection mediated by non-neutralizing anti-HA IgGs and to increase the potency of broadly neutralizing anti-HA IgGs and of anti-NA IgGs. Separate FcγR pathways can be targeted to enhance the breadth of antibody responses elicited by seasonal influenza virus vaccines. Here, we review the current understanding of FcγR pathways in broad influenza immunity and suggest mechanisms to bypass FcγR signaling heterogeneity among people that arises from distinctions in structural repertoires of IgG Fc domains.
Was RNA the First Genetic Polymer

In recent years the hypothesis that an ‘organism’ based on RNA but lacking proteins is the ancestor of all living things has become increasingly popular (Cech, 1986; Darnell & Doolittle, 1986; Gilbert, 1986; Westheimer, 1986). The purpose of this article is to discuss the consequences of this hypothesis from the point of view of a chemist interested in the origins of life. How could such an organism have evolved? The nature of the ‘metabolism’ of the first RNA organisms is outside the scope of our discussion. We assume only that they made use of catalytic RNAs (ribozymes), one of which was capable of carrying out RNA replication.
Linear Modeling of Laminated Composite Plates

Laminated composite plates are often simply called laminates. In this chapter, linear equations of motion of laminates are derived and applied to vibration analysis. In general, laminates are multiple-layered and anisotropic, and thus, flexure and extension can be coupled in a laminate even in the linear case.
START versus SALT Triage: Which is Preferred by the 21st Century Health Care Student?

IntroductionWhile the art and science of disaster triage continue to evolve, the education of the US health care student in matters pertaining to disaster preparedness and response remains stifled. Unfortunately, these students will be assuming major decision-making responsibilities regarding catastrophes that will be complicated by climate change, nuclear threats, global terrorism, and pandemics. Meanwhile, Sort, Assess, Life-Saving Interventions, Treatment, and/or Transport (SALT) triage is being advocated over the globally popular Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) algorithm for multiple reasons: (1) it’s an all-hazard approach; (2) it has four medical interventions; and (3) it has an additional triage color for victims with non-survivable injuries.Hypothesis/ProblemAs present-day threats become more ominous and health care education emphasizes the needs of vulnerable populations and palliative care, the authors hypothesize that, when given a choice, health care students will prefer SALT triage.MethodsA convenience sample of 218 interprofessional, disaster-naive health care students received just-in-time, unbiased education on both START and SALT triage systems. Students then completed a survey asking them to decide which triage system they believe would be most effective in their community.ResultsA total of 123 health care students (56.4%) preferred SALT while 95 (43.6%) preferred START; however, only the physician assistant students showed a statistically significantly preference (28 versus six, respectively; P=.042). Interestingly, there was also a statistically significant difference in preference by gender (Chi-square=5.02; P=.025) of the observed distribution versus expected distribution in SALT and START. The females preferred SALT (61.0%) while the males preferred START (55.9%).Among those who preferred START, START being easier to learn was the most important reason cited. Among those who preferred SALT, the most important reason cited was that the number of patient triage categories seemed more logical, comprehensible, and consistent with traditional medical care.Conclusion:While SALT’s preference among females and physician assistant students was based on the addition of medical interventions and the provision of palliative care, START’s preference was related to expediency. Based on this research, incorporating disaster concepts into US health care students’ curricula encourages thoughtful consideration among the future health care leaders about the most effective approach to triage care. It is critical that further research be completed to determine, without reservation, which triage system will not only save the most lives but provide the most humane care to victims.Fink BN, Rega PP, Sexton ME, Wishner C. START versus SALT triage: which is preferred by the 21st century health care student? Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(4):381–386
Making heart-lung machines work in India: Imports, indigenous innovation and the challenge of replicating cardiac surgery in Bombay, 1952-1962.

In 1962, surgeons at two hospitals in Bombay used heart-lung machines to perform open-heart surgery. The devices that made this work possible had been developed in Minneapolis in 1955 and commercia...
On the Computation of Frequency-Dependent Core and Proximity Effects for Transient Analysis of Transformer Windings

Overvoltages and dielectric stresses caused by transient conditions can result in the failure of transformer windings. Adequate prediction of these conditions is generally based on the implementation of accurate computer models, which, in turn, require an accurate computation of electrical parameters. This paper analyzes the computation of frequency-dependent core and proximity losses included in the transient model of transformer windings, using the finite element method and analytical expressions. A modified formula to calculate the proximity losses is presented. The results from a frequency-domain winding model are compared with experimental measurements on a disk-type prototype winding. These results show that including the frequency-dependent proximity losses is essential to accurately reproducing the experimental results. They also show that the core losses have a modest effect on the transient response of the winding when compared with measurements.
A Personalist Philosophy of History

Historical study has traditionally been built around the placement of the human at the center of inquiry. The de-stabilized concepts of the human in contemporary thought challenge this configuration. However, the ways in which these challenges provoke new historical perspectives both expand and enrich historical study but are also weak and vulnerable in their concept of the human, lacking or omitting something valuable in our self-understanding. A Personalist Philosophy of History argues for a robust concept of personhood in our experience of the past as a way to resolve this conflict. Focused on those who know history, rather than on the abstract properties of knowledge, it extends the moral agency of persons into non-human, trans-human, and deep history domains. It describes an approach to moral life through historical experience and study, rather than through abstractions. And it describes a kind of historiography that matches factual accuracy to both the constructed nature of understanding and to unavoidable moral purpose.
A Meta-analysis of Diagnostic Test Agreement Between Eucapnic Voluntary Hyperventilation and Cardiopulmonary Exercise Tests for Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is very common in athletes. Cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET) have traditionally been used for the diagnosis of EIB. However, alternative indirect bronchoprovocation tests have recently been used as surrogate tests. One of these is the eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation (EVH). This meta-analysis studied the agreement between the two tests. An extensive search in PubMed and Medline was conducted for studies where participants underwent both CPET and EVH with measurement of forced expiratory volume in 1-second (FEV1). After extracting data using two-by-two contingency tables, pooled positive and negative agreements were first calculated between the two tests, with EVH benchmarked against CPET, and then, pooled positive and negative agreements were calculated with CPET benchmarked against EVH. The pooled positive and negative agreements between EVH and CPET (with CPET as the reference) were 0.62 [(95% confidence interval 0.54–0.70), I2 77%] and 0.61 [(0.56–0.65)), I2 81%]. The pooled positive and negative agreements between CPET and EVH (with EVH as the reference) were 0.36 [(0.30–0.42), I2 93%] and 0.82 [(0.77–0.86), I2 78%]. The average of positive test results with EVH across all studies was greater than that of CPETs (58.84% vs. 39.51%). Results of this meta-analysis show poor positive agreement between the two tests but high negative agreement (specifically using EVH as reference), suggesting that either test can be used for correctly identifying those without EIB. Results also suggest that the chances of a test resulting positive are higher with EVH than with CPET.
A qualitative investigation of body weight and weight loss-related attitudes of mothers and fathers in the context of food insecurity.

To examine attitudes about body weight and weight loss among low-income parents of young children experiencing household food insecurity. One-on-one interviews were conducted with 25 dyads of cohabitating low-income mothers and fathers who lived with their child aged 2.5–10 years old. Basic inductive analysis was conducted using NVivo to identify emerging themes related to body weight. Three main themes emerged including (1) weight loss as a “Blessing in Disguise,” (2) trouble with losing weight, and (3) the impact of compromised diet quality. Some differences existed in themes between mothers and fathers, but both placed value on weight loss resulting from food insecurity. This research underscores the importance of sufficient nutrition assistance for limited resource families. A lack of money for food was a barrier towards maintaining a healthy weight but the value our culture places on weight loss even in times of despair was undeniably present. Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.
Loss of Roundabout Guidance Receptor 2 (Robo2) in Podocytes Protects Adult Mice from Glomerular Injury by Maintaining Podocyte Foot Process Structure.

Roundabout guidance receptor 2 (ROBO2) plays an important role during early kidney development. ROBO2 is expressed in podocytes, inhibits nephrin-induced actin polymerization, down-regulates nonmuscle myosin IIA activity, and destabilizes kidney podocyte adhesion. However, the role of ROBO2 during kidney injury, particularly in mature podocytes, is not known. Herein, we report that loss of ROBO2 in podocytes [Robo2 conditional knockout (cKO) mouse] is protective from glomerular injuries. Ultrastructural analysis reveals that Robo2 cKO mice display less foot process effacement and better-preserved slit-diaphragm density compared with wild-type littermates injured by either protamine sulfate or nephrotoxic serum (NTS). The Robo2 cKO mice also develop less proteinuria after NTS injury. Further studies reveal that ROBO2 expression in podocytes is up-regulated after glomerular injury because its expression levels are higher in the glomeruli of NTS injured mice and passive Heymann membranous nephropathy rats. Moreover, the amount of ROBO2 in the glomeruli is also elevated in patients with membranous nephropathy. Finally, overexpression of ROBO2 in cultured mouse podocytes compromises cell adhesion. Taken together, these findings suggest that kidney injury increases glomerular ROBO2 expression that might compromise podocyte adhesion and, thus, loss of Robo2 in podocytes could protect from glomerular injury by enhancing podocyte adhesion that helps maintain foot process structure. Our findings also suggest that ROBO2 is a therapeutic target for podocyte injury and podocytopathy.
AUTOMATED FUEL MANAGEMENT OPTIMIZATION FOR FAST REACTORS

The Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) is expected to operate in a persistent non-equilibrium state due to inter-cycle variations in experimental loading. The goal of planning and optimizing the fuel loading for this mode of operation can differ from equilibrium cycle optimization. In this work, a general algorithm for optimizing a core reload of a fast reactor with respect to some objective function is developed. The objective function used in this work is a preliminary model that is defined to capture most of the core parameters expected to be of interest, but elements could be added or subtracted as needed for different types of problems. The optimization method is a discrete evolutionary algorithm. Instead of using diffusion or transport to evaluate each potential core configuration that is considered during the execution of the optimization method, the necessary inputs to the objective function (k-effective and assembly power distribution) are evaluated approximately by treating the reloaded configuration as a small change to the previous configuration, for which a diffusion or transport solution has already been calculated. This approximate calculation facilitates evaluation of the objective function for several hundred potential configurations without a neutron transport solution, which would be a significant bottleneck in the optimization method. In the results, the evolutionary algorithm demonstrates good responsiveness to the tuning of the parameters of the objective function.
Econophysics, Entropy, and Complexity

The term econophysics was neologized in 1995 at the second Statphys-Kolkata conference in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India by the physicist H. Eugene Stanley, who was also the first to use it in print (Stanley 1996). Mantegna and Stanley (2000, pp. viii–ix) define “the multidisciplinary field of econophysics” as “a neologism that denotes the activities of physicists who are working on economics problems to test a variety of new conceptual approaches deriving from the physical sciences” Chakrabarti 2005, p. 225).