cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-contact heart rate detection via periodic signal detection methods

Real time non-contact heart rate detection is performed by using different methods for periodic signal detection in noise. Heart rate is estimated from a scalar signal formed from the average color values of the observed skin from videos recorded previously at first, and then captured in real time with a built-in laptop webcam. Cramer-Rao lower bounds are calculated as a function of SNR for an assumed parametric model, and heart rate is detected via autocorrelation, maximum likelihood and Fourier-based methods. The performance is evaluated by comparing the error rates for different detection techniques in each case.
Observations on Occurrence of Lipemia in Rats with Nephrotoxic Nephritis

SummarySignificant hyperlipemia was regularly encountered in rats with severe acute nephritis induced by anti-kidney serum.
Shock Loading of Granular Ni/Al Composites. Part 1. Mechanics of Loading

We present molecular dynamics simulations of the thermomechanical response under shock loading of a granular material consisting of laminated Ni/Al grains. We observe two regimes: At low piston velocities (up ≲ 1km/s), the shock wave is diffuse, and the width of the shock front decreases with increasing piston velocity. Beyond a critical shock strength, however, the width remains relatively constant at approximately the mean grain radius. This change in behavior follows from an evolution of the mechanism of compaction with increasing insult strength. Furthermore, the mechanism evolves from plastic deformation-mediated pore collapse for relatively weak shocks, to solid extrusion and fluid ejecta filling pores ahead of the shock front at intermediate strengths, and finally to atomic jetting into the pore for very strong shocks (up ≳ 2 km/s). High-energy fluid ejecta into pores leads to the formation of flow vorticity and can result in a large fraction of the input energy localizing into translational kinetic energy components including the formation of hot spots. This has implications for the mechanical mixing of Ni and Al in these reactive composites.
Systematic Preparation Of Polyoxometalate Pillared Layered Double Hydroxides Via Direct Aqueous Reaction

The series of layered double hydroxides, Mg n Al(OH)2n+2 X (n = 2–5, X = NO3 − or Cl−) and Ni n Al(OH) 2n+2 X (n = 2–4, X = NO3 − or Cl−), were pillared with polyoxometalate ions of the Keggin structure, ranging from [PW12O40]3− to [PV4W8O40]7−, in aqueous solution. Full exchange of the Keggin ions into the layers is achieved as evidenced by X-ray powder diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. Also, partial exchange was observed for Ni5Al(OH)12NO3 The key factor that effects these reactions is the pre-swelling step. Thus, when the layered double hydroxides are thoroughly wet either by preparing wet solids or by soaking the dried products for an extended period, pillaring reactions proceed with great ease. Relations can be extracted between the water content and the separation between the layers, as well as between layer charge density and the charge of the Keggin ion. The pillared layered double hydroxides were found generally to have interlayer distances ranging from 11.0 to 13.5 A, which is smaller than the numerical sum of the Keggin ion diameter and the ideal thickness of the hydroxide layer. This fact and the low crystallinity are attributed to strong interaction between the basic layered double hydroxides and the acidic Keggin ions. A more crystalline phase with the expected 14.5 A interlayer spacing was also obtained as a mixture with the lower spaced products.
An Elementary Treatment of Fourier's Series

(1921). An Elementary Treatment of Fourier's Series. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 28, No. 5, pp. 200-203.
Biases in Self-Reports of Zip Codes and Zip +4 in Geodemographic Segmentation

Clustering, or target marketing to a specific geographic segment has become widespread practice over the past decade. Yet, little research has been done to verify the validity of zip code based data generated through survey research. Using data gathered in a national United States mail survey, this research evaluates biases that may occur by demographic category when respondents self-report their zip code and zip code+4 extension. Significant reporting differences with respect to the gender, education level, and age of respondents are revealed. To further explore the issue, the discussion section provides a comparison between zip code+4 self-reporting rates and geodemographic social groups as created by the Claritas PRIZM system. Such comparisons also suggest bias may occur between differing geodemographic segments when zip code information is self-reported.
Geriatric Urology and Underactive Bladder

Geriatrics encompasses clinical care for older adults, typically defined as those people 65 years of age and older. Changes in voiding function are common with advancing age and may be due to structural and functional changes in the lower urinary tract system. Underactive bladder (UAB) has been recognized as a relatively common finding in older adults and appears to affect this population disproportionately compared to younger people. This is likely due to interactions with other comorbid conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia or other causes of bladder outlet obstruction, progressive neurologic disorders that affect the bladder, and other conditions such as diabetes mellitus.
Analytical study of circular concrete-filled steel tube stub columns under axial compression

As a fundamental mechanical problem in steel and concrete composite structures,the axial compressive behavior of concrete filled steel tube stub columns has been widely concerned by researchers worldwide.Focusing on the interaction between the steel tube and the core concrete,this paper presented a nonlinear analytical procedure using the octahedral stress-strain relationship,the corresponding failure criterion and flow rule proposed by Xiao(1989) as well as the simplified hardening model of the steel tube where the stress-strain relationship was represented by four segmental linear lines.The procedure presented in this paper followed fundamental principles of elasto-plastic mechanics to reflect main interactions between the steel tube and concrete infill.A total of sixteen interaction conditions between the concrete and steel tube were taken into consideration.The incremental nonlinear analysis was realized by coding a computer program using Visual Basic.The reasonable accuracy and efficiency of the analytical procedure was validated by comparing with existing testing results from literature.
Absence of a dose-response effect of leuprolide acetate * on leiomyomata uteri size †

Objective To evaluate the effects of two different doses (3.75mg versus 7.5mg) of leuprolide acetate (LA, Lupron; Tap Pharmaceuticals, Deerfleld, IL) on myoma size, blood loss during myomectomy, on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal quality, and histopathologic changes in women requiring myomectomy. Design Prospective, nonrandomized, sequential study. Setting Urban center teaching hospital. Patients Twenty-eight women with uterine leiomyomata requiring myomectomy. Interventions Nine women were entered as controls (group 1), 10 women received 3.75mg IM (group 2), and 9 women received 7.5mg IM of LA (group 3) each for 3months before myomectomy. Results The uterine size and hematocrit among the three groups of patients before treatment was not significantly different. A significant reduction of 34.5% and 34.6% in myomata size was seen in groups 2 and 3. The estimated average blood loss at myomectomy was 745±101mL, 615±177mL, and 722±192mL in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The postoperative hematocrit was not different among the three groups (29.8%±0.9%, 30.4%±1.6%, and 29.8%±1.2%). There was no evidence of cytologic atypia, increased mitosis, or change in fibrosis in LA-treated women. There were no characteristic MRI or histologic changes seen after LA treatment as compared with controls. Conclusions The results of this study have demonstrated that both doses of LA (3.75 and 7.5mg) can induce a significant and similar degree of size reduction in myomas and that neither dose of LA aided in the reduction of blood loss at myomectomy and therefore should not be used routinely.
Predictors of 6-month health utility outcomes in survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Background With improving short-term mortality in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), understanding and improving quality of life (QOL) outcomes in ARDS survivors is a clinical and research priority. We sought to identify variables associated with QOL, as measured by the EQ-5D health utility score, after ARDS using contemporary data science methods. Methods Analysis of prospectively acquired baseline variables and 6-month EQ-5D health utility scores for adults with ARDS enrolled in the ARDS Network Long-Term Outcomes Study (ALTOS). Penalised regression identified predictors of health utility, with results validated using 10-fold cross-validation. Results Among 616 ARDS survivors, several predictors were associated with 6-month EQ-5D utility scores, including two lifestyle factors. Specifically, older age, female sex, Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, current smoking and higher body mass index were associated with lower EQ-5D utilities, while living at home without assistance at baseline and AIDS were associated with higher EQ-5D utilities in ARDS survivors. No acute illness variables were associated with EQ-5D utility. Conclusions Acute illness variables do not appear to be associated with postdischarge QOL among ARDS survivors. Functional independence and lifestyle factors, such as obesity and tobacco smoking, were associated with worse QOL. Future analyses of postdischarge health utility among ARDS survivors should incorporate measures of demographics and functional independence at baseline. Trial registration numbers NCT00719446 (ALTOS), NCT00434993 (ALTA), NCT00609180 (EDEN/OMEGA), and NCT00883948 (EDEN); Post-results.
Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Going Gently Into That Good Night

“Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” Easy for us to say. We have long recognized that the only cure for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). The median survival for all-comer patients with MDS is 3.5 years. For those with higher-risk MDS, often defined as patients with International Prognostic Scoring System scores of $ 1.5 or Revised International Prognostic Scoring System scores of $ 4.5, it is , 1.5 years. Even accounting for the advanced age at which MDS is, on average, diagnosed (71 years), and for competing risks of death in this older population (heart disease, other cancers), MDS still steals years from our patients’ lives. So naturally, we recommend that patients with MDS at least consider this potentially curative modality. After all, other available treatment approaches, even those with response durations in appropriately selected populations that last a median of 2 years, such as azacitidine or lenalidomide,will proveultimately tobepalliative; all of these patients will eventually experience relapse, with an MDS that is far worse than the one they hadwhen starting therapy, or that will be refractory to these treatments. But we do not recommend HCT for everyone withMDS, as the review by Bhatt and Steensma points out. No prospective, randomized study has been reported in which there is a clear advantage for HCT over nontransplant approaches, although two such studies are ongoing (one in the United States and one in Europe). Two Markov decision analyses, one incorporating patients who underwent a fully ablative HCT, and the other including patients undergoing reduced-conditioning regimens, both showed that it was only the patients with higher-risk MDS who lived longer when receiving an up-front transplant. To be clear, even that survival benefit was not realized until 2.5 years had passed since the HCT had been performed, the point at which the transplant-related mortality complications had been exhausted. For patients with lower-risk MDS, the survival curves favoring nontransplant approaches are so wide apart that it gives anyone pause before considering HCT. Some guidelines do recommend initiating HCT in lower-risk patients at or before the time of progression, the caveat being that the definition of progression for lower-risk MDS has not itself been clearly defined. Still, it makes intuitive sense that transplant should be offered when the risks of dying fromMDS are higher than those that might occur from HCT, or when years of life lost to MDS are high. For the latter point, consider that the median age of patients included in the fully ablative HCT decision analysis was 43 years. Thus, offering transplant to young patients, regardless of whether they have loweror higher-risk disease, just because they are young, is specious and unsupported by data.Moreover, it is not clear that younger patients have a disease biology distinct from that of older patients that further supports early transplant. For the former point, a nagging, infrequently discussed element of this
Door to Unload: a New Paradigm for the Management of Cardiogenic Shock

Cardiogenic shock (CS) remains the most common cause of in-hospital mortality in the setting of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Recent data have identified several concerning trends in the field of AMI-CS that include an overall increase in mortality, an increase in patient complexity, minimal use of acute mechanical circulatory support (AMCS) devices with the majority being implanted as a bailout option. In this review, we will discuss recent trends in CS and the rationale for the use of acute mechanical circulatory support pumps early in the clinical treatment of CS.
Slow-paced respiration therapy to treat symptoms in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Abstract Objective To determine the feasibility of using slow-paced respiration therapy to treat symptoms in women with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Background People with PAH report increased dyspnea, fatigue and sleep disturbance that can impair health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods Ten women with PAH received 8-weeks of daily, 15 min sessions using slow-paced respiration therapy via the RESPeRATE™ device. Participants had baseline and follow up assessments including plasma norepinephrine and interleukin-6 (IL-6), self-report questionnaires to measure dyspnea, fatigue, depressive symptoms, sleep and HRQOL along with 7-day actigraphy and sleep diaries. Results The mean age was 50 years. Adherence to the intervention was 92%. There was decrease in median IL-6 levels [1.3 ± 0.5 to 1.1 ± 0.4, 95% CI (0.03–0.43)] over the study period. Sleep disturbance decreased, depressive symptoms decreased and HRQOL scores decreased (higher scores indicate worse HRQOL). Conclusions In this pilot study, slow-paced respiration therapy is feasible in patients with PAH and may improve symptoms and lower IL-6.
Colloid Biotechnology for Propellant Destruction with Utilisation of the Processing Products

Due to the changed political situation in the world and a number of intergovernmental agreements came into effect for recent years many States of the world community including Ukraine faced with the problem of the liquidation of considerable reserves of solid missile fuels, propellants and explosives. In so doing, their direct liquidation by explosion or direct danger for the personal life.
Substrate Oxide Layer Thickness Optimization for a Dual-Width Plasmonic Grating for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) Biosensor Applications

This work investigates a new design for a plasmonic SERS biosensor via computational electromagnetic models. It utilizes a dual-width plasmonic grating design, which has two different metallic widths per grating period. These types of plasmonic gratings have shown larger optical enhancement than standard single-width gratings. The new structures have additional increased enhancement when the spacing between the metal decreases to sub-10 nm dimensions. This work integrates an oxide layer to improve the enhancement even further by carefully studying the effects of the substrate oxide thickness on the enhancement and reports ideal substrate parameters. The combined effects of varying the substrate and the grating geometry are studied to fully optimize the device’s enhancement for SERS biosensing and other plasmonic applications. The work reports the ideal widths and substrate thickness for both a standard and a dual-width plasmonic grating SERS biosensor. The ideal geometry, comprising a dual-width grating structure atop an optimal SiO2 layer thickness, improves the enhancement by 800%, as compared to non-optimized structures with a single-width grating and a non-optimal oxide thickness.
The Interaction of Plastocyanin with Cytochrome f: A Brownian Dynamics Study

Plastocyanin (PC) is a mobile electron carrier located in the lumen of the thylakoid; it transfers electrons from cytochrome f (cyt f) in the cytochrome b6f complex to P700 in Photosystem I (1,2). Two potential sites of electron transfer have been identified on PC: H87 which is a ligand to the Cu and Y83. H87 is surrounded by highly-conserved hydrophobic residues (1) whereas Y83 is surrounded by three patches of negatively-charged residues (#42–44, #59–61, and a single residue at position #51) (Fig. la). The most probable site of electron transfer on cyt f (Fig. lb) is via the propionic acid side chains of the heme itself or Yl, the amino group of which is the sixth ligand to the heme (3, 4). Turnip cyt f has five positively-charged residues at positions #58, #65, #66, #187 and #209; all except #209 are highly-conserved in higher plant and algal cyt f’s (5).
Cooling of power electronics by integrating sintered Cu particle wick onto a direct-bond copper substrate

Power electronics devices can be limited in operation, and lifetime by the ability to remove heat and maintain low junction temperatures. A common architecture for power electronics devices is a circuit soldered onto a direct-bonded-copper (DBC) substrate, which is attached to a heat spreader or and heat sink. The removal of some of these interfaces and materials, however, can reduce the overall thermal resistance and allow for the devices to operate at much higher power levels. One approach to do this is to directly cool the backside of the DBC power substrate. By sintering copper particles to the DBC, evaporative cooling can be integrated into the architecture without the need for another bond. In this study heat fluxes up to 75 W/cm2 were applied through a test chip attached to a 15 mm × 17 mm DBC substrate with varying thicknesses of sintered copper particles on the backside. The copper porous layer was partially submerged into deionized (DI) water in order to allow for capillary wicking and evaporative cooling from the backside. Heat was dissipated through the thermal test chip, while the junction temperature was measured. The surface temperature of the porous copper layer was measured with a FLIR thermal camera. From this set-up the evaporative heat transfer coefficient (HTC) was computed and the thermal resistance calculated. The thermal resistance was found to be in good agreement with numerical models. Overall, the thermal resistance was reduced by about half when compared to the conventional packaging design.
Vote Buying and Land Takings in China’s Village Elections

AbstractWhy has vote buying spread so rapidly in China’s village elections in recent years? Based on fieldwork conducted in 14 villages of Shandong Province, this article argues that candidates pursue vote buying when they perceive large potential economic rents associated with the village leader’s power. While such rents were relatively limited in the past, the introduction of land takings in rural areas has significantly changed this situation and sharply increased potential rents for candidates, thus providing them with stronger incentives to pursue vote buying. In other words, this article associates vote buying with rent seeking in China’s village elections.
Generalized relationships between characteristic path length, efficiency, clustering coefficients, and density

Graph theoretic properties such as the clustering coefficient, characteristic (or average) path length, global and local efficiency provide valuable information regarding the structure of a graph. These four properties have applications to biological and social networks and have dominated much of the literature in these fields. While much work has done in applied settings, there has yet to be a mathematical comparison of these metrics from a theoretical standpoint. Motivated by both real-world data and computer simulations, we present asymptotic linear relationships between the characteristic path length, global efficiency, and graph density, and also between the clustering coefficient and local efficiency. In the current literature, these properties are often presented as independent metrics; however, we show in this paper that they are inextricably linked.
Layout Design Rule Generation with TCAD Tools for Manufacturing

This paper presents a methodology for estimating the effects of changes in the layout design rules on the manufacturability of a VLSI technology. 2-D process and device simulations were used to estimate parametric yield, while functional yield was predicted with state-of-theart yield modeling tools. A spectrum of TCAD tools was therefore capable of estimating the resulting number of good chips per wafer for different sets of VLSI layout design rules.
Grain Boundary Oxidation and an Analysis of the Effects of Oxidation on Fatigue Crack Nucleation Life

The effects of preoxidation on subsequent fatigue life were studied. Surface oxidation and grain boundary oxidation of a nickel-base superalloy (TAZ-8A) were studied at 600 to 1000 C for 10 to 1000 hours in air. Surface oxides were identified and the kinetics of surface oxidation was discussed. Grain boundary oxide penetration and morphology were studied. Pancake type grain boundary oxide penetrates deeper and its size is larger, therefore, it is more detrimental to fatigue life than cone-type grain boundary oxide. Oxide penetration depth, a (sub m), is related to oxidation temperature, T, and exposure time, t, by an empirical relation of the Arrhenius type. Effects of T and t on statistical variation of a (sub m) were analyzed according to the Weibull distribution function. Once the oxide is cracked, it serves as a fatigue crack nucleus. Statistical variation of the remaining fatigue life, after the formation of an oxide crack of a critical length, is related directly to the statistical variation of grain boundary oxide penetration depth.
The status of onset contexts in analysis of micro-changes

Konig and Vezzosi (2004: 239) commented about work on grammaticalization that: ‘Very rarely … do we find detailed discussions of the onset contexts that set such a process into motion and the conditions that such contexts must meet’. However, understanding local context-derived inference is now a high priority in a number of areas of linguistics, ranging from computational semantics to discourse analysis of conversation to work on micro-changes in historical linguistics. In this paper I discuss the hypothesis that a subset of linguistic contexts, specifically ‘bridging contexts’, are a key factor in morphosyntactic change. I begin by outlining the history of the hypothesis, which originated in work on semantic change, and shifted emphasis from implicatures and invited inferences associated with a changing expression (e.g. Traugott and Konig 1991) to the linguistic contexts in which two (or more) meanings are possible, but one is ‘only contextually implicated’ (Evans and Wilkins 2000: 549). Subsequently Heine (2002) and Diewald (2002) hypothesized that the development of “bridging” or “critical” contexts is a necessary and distinct stage in grammaticalization, using synchronic variation as data I then go on to discuss the extent to which we can find evidence in diachronic corpora of English for these hypotheses. I also evaluate Hansen’s (2008) claim that in bridging contexts new meanings are backgrounded against Heine’s that they are foregrounded. Two case studies are presented: the development in late Middle English and Early Modern English of be going to with temporal meaning (e.g. Danchev and Kyto 1994), and of pseudo-clefts with ALL and WHAT (Traugott 2008a, 2010).
Theme Song for Change: Using Music to Enhance Client Resources

Music has been used for therapeutic purposes in a variety of settings; however, family therapists have been hesitant to use musical interventions in their work, although they are curious about thei...
Anesthetic management for medialization laryngoplasty using concurrent infusions of dexmedetomidine, remifentanil, and propofol versus controls.

Abstract Purpose Medialization laryngoplasty (ML) ± arytenoid adduction (AA) surgery poses a unique anesthetic challenge that requires periods of deep sedation and patient cooperation with phonation to assess voice function. The purpose of this study was to assess if the protocolized administration of dexmedetomidine, remifentanil, and propofol (DRP) is associated with reduced procedural duration and administration of other sedating medications. Materials and methods This was a retrospective 2:1 case matched study design; matched on age, sex, body mass index, AA, and surgical revision status. Data was obtained from the electronic medical record of a tertiary referral center. Cases underwent ML ± AA using DRP. Control subjects underwent surgery ML ± AA without DRP. Results 58 DRP cases (43.1% AA) were matched with 116 control patients (44.8% AA). DRP was associated with decreases in fentanyl dose (50 [25, 100] vs. 100 [50, 150] mcg; p Conclusions DRP was associated with a substantial decrease in opioid and benzodiazepine administration. A reduction in procedural duration over time was also observed.
Temporal-spatial dimension extension-based intersection control formulation for connected and autonomous vehicle systems

Abstract Traffic congestion has become a serious issue worldwide due to the rapid increase in population and traffic demands. Advances in connected automated vehicle (CAV) technology demonstrate the potential to improve traffic mobility and safety performance at intersections. An advanced intersection control system is proposed in this study to coordinate vehicle trajectories and ensure safety and operation efficiency at intersections. A temporal-spatial dimension extension-based trajectory coordination model is developed by formulating all possible trajectories of vehicles at the intersection. Correspondingly, according to the trajectory coordination model, two signal-free control algorithms, including the priority-based algorithm and the Discrete Forward-Rolling Optimal Control (DFROC) algorithm are proposed in this study to manage vehicles at the intersection. These two algorithms, together with the FCFS policy, are compared with the conventional signal control method in a SUMO-based simulation platform. Experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithms outperform the signal control method in terms of reducing total traffic delays at intersections and increasing intersection capacity and operation efficiency.
Pest Index: A New Approach to Establishing Thresholds for Pest Management in Woody Landscape Plants

Abstract Pest index, a new approach to categorizing the threat posed by an organism to woody plants, is proposed to assist plant managers in establishing treatment thresholds for pests of woody pla...
Oxygen transfer parameters and oxygen uptake rates revisited.

This paper provides a review of the essential equations and parameters that are used to design bioreactor aeration systems. Major objectives were to determine if the log-deficit method (LDM) and non-linear regression method (NLRM) yielded different results for the volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficient (KL a)T and dissolved oxygen (DO) saturation concentration (Cs)T . Another objective was to compare and evaluate oxygen uptake rates (OURs) from the traditional BOD bottle technique with OURs determined from mass balances around completely-mixed activated sludge (CMAS) reactors. Full- and bench-scale, non-steady state reaeration tests were performed using sodium sulfite and cobalt chloride in addition to operating bench-scale CMAS reactors. Full-and bench-scale reaeration testing indicated there was no significant difference in the estimate of (KL a)T in tap water using the LDM or NLRM. Similarly, (Cs)T values were the same for the LDM and NLRM for 70 out of 119 reaeration tests. Actual oxygen uptake rates (AOURs) measured using the BOD bottle technique versus calculated oxygen uptake rates (COURS) were the same for 26 out of 51 data sets evaluated. The alpha-factor (α) increased as the solids retention time (SRT) was increased.
Outcome of patients treated with a single-fraction dose of radiation for lymphomatoid papulosis.

e18523 Background: Lymphomatoid Papulosis (LYP) is a primary cutaneous CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorder and a radiosensitive tumor. Treatment with radiation is typically given in multiple fractio...
Planetary Theory of Longitude

It was mentioned in the introduction to the previous chapter that Book IV of De revolutionibus is of interest, not only for its great variety of subjects, but also because it is a synthetical treatise on lunar and eclipse theory, probably the last of its kind, that brings together techniques and numerical parameters accumulated over more than a millenium from diverse civilizations of antiquity and the middle ages. Lunar and eclipse theory were, in a sense, practical matters, used both for the prediction of eclipses, which are quite obvious and provide easily observable (although not necessarily easily usable) tests of theory and parameters, and also for the routine determination of first visibility of the moon in astronomical, rather than schematic, lunar calendars. Thus it is not surprising that what innovations there were during the middle ages took place principally in these subjects and in the equally practical solar theory and spherical astronomy, some of which found their way into Copernicus’s sources and then into his book.
Design and performance of an additively manufactured high-Si transformer core

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM) of functional alloys has become a promising area of research for the development of novel devices with complex geometric features that cannot be manufactured using conventional methods. In this work, we investigate the additive manufacturing of Fe 3Si and Fe 6Si benchtop scale transformer cores. A novel design inspired by a Hilbert curve was developed to exploit the geometric complexity of AM, and cores of each alloy were successfully printed, heat treated, machined, pickled, and assembled. The microstructure and magnetic performance of the cores were characterized and compared to additively manufactured components with simpler square cross-sections as well as to conventionally laminated non-oriented electrical steel sheet. The AM cores showed performance roughly comparable or better than the conventional non-oriented sheet, but higher power losses than Goss oriented steel. The increased Si content of the Fe 6Si alloy resulted in a significant reduction in core losses. The transformer cores had higher losses than the similarly manufactured simple cross-sections, which was attributed to defects in fabrication and assembly that resulted in air gaps between the transformer legs. The performance was also rationalized relative to nanoscale carbide and oxide inclusions.
Characterization and Electrochemical Analysis of Microelectrodes and the Interface with a Fabricated 3D-Printed Microfluidic Chip in an Upper-Division Analytical Course

This work explores the interface between 3D-printing, material sciences, and microfluidics with electrochemical detection in an undergraduate laboratory. This work includes a module for the characterization and electrochemical analysis of microelectrodes that spans 4 weeks (3 h per week). Laboratory exercises include the fabrication of a 3D-printed device, examination of 3D-printing techniques, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electrochemistry. This interdisciplinary curricula exposed students to the process of designing a functioning microfluidic device. Students began by designing the microfluidic chip with AutoDesk Inventor. To gain a better understanding of the microelectrodes utilized in a microfluidic system, students explored the surfaces of various microelectrodes with SEM. On the basis of the visualization of the microelectrodes with SEM, students formed a hypothesis on the impact of electrode surface area on the sensitivity and limit of detection. Cyclic voltammetry in a classical three-electrode system was used to experimentally examine the relationship between electrode surface area and sensitivity. The module concluded with the use of the fabricated 3D-printed chip and amperometry to develop a calibration curve and determination of an unknown concentration of analyte. This work highlights the integration of 3D-printing, SEM, microfluidics, and electrochemistry into the upper-level undergraduate curriculum.
Hyperbolic matrix factorization hints at the native space of biological systems

Past and current research in systems biology has taken for granted the Euclidean geometry of biological space. This has not only drawn parallels to other fields but has also been convenient due to the ample statistical and numerical optimization tools available to address the core task and downstream machine learning problems. However, emerging theoretical studies now demonstrate that biological databases exhibit hierarchical topology, characterized by heterogeneous degree distribution and a high degree of clustering, thus contradicting the flat geometry assumption. Namely, since the number of nodes in hierarchical structures grows exponentially with node depth, the biological networks naturally reside in a hyperbolic space where the circle circumference and disk area are the exponential functions of the radius. To test these claims and assess potential benefits of the applications grounded in the above hypothesis, we have developed a mathematical framework and an accompanying computational procedure for matrix factorization and implied biological relationship inference in hyperbolic space. Not only does our study demonstrate a significant increase in the accuracy of hyperbolic embedding compared to Euclidean embedding, but it also shows that the latent dimension of an optimal hyperbolic embedding is by more than an order of magnitude smaller than the latent dimension of an optimal Euclidean embedding. We see this as direct evidence that hyperbolic geometry, rather than Euclidean, underlines the biological system.
Epigenetic Regulation of Genomic Stability by Vitamin C

DNA methylation plays an important role in the maintenance of genomic stability. Ten-eleven translocation proteins (TETs) are a family of iron (Fe2+) and α-KG -dependent dioxygenases that regulate DNA methylation levels by oxidizing 5-methylcystosine (5mC) to generate 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5fC), and 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC). These oxidized methylcytosines promote passive demethylation upon DNA replication, or active DNA demethylation, by triggering base excision repair and replacement of 5fC and 5caC with an unmethylated cytosine. Several studies over the last decade have shown that loss of TET function leads to DNA hypermethylation and increased genomic instability. Vitamin C, a cofactor of TET enzymes, increases 5hmC formation and promotes DNA demethylation, suggesting that this essential vitamin, in addition to its antioxidant properties, can also directly influence genomic stability. This review will highlight the functional role of DNA methylation, TET activity and vitamin C, in the crosstalk between DNA methylation and DNA repair.
Air-to-Ground Directional Channel Sounder With Drone and 64-antenna Dual-polarized Cylindrical Array

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), popularly called drones, are an important part of future wireless communications, either as user equipment that needs communication with a ground station, or as base station in a 3D network. For both the analysis of the "useful" links, and for investigation of possible interference to other ground-based nodes, an understanding of the air-to-ground channel is required. Since ground-based nodes often are equipped with antenna arrays, the channel investigations need to account for it. This study presents a massive MIMO-based air-to-ground channel sounder we have recently developed in our lab, which can perform measurements for the aforementioned requirements. After outlining the principle and functionality of the sounder, we present sample measurements that demonstrate the capabilities, and give first insights into air-to-ground massive MIMO channels in an urban environment. Our results provide a platform for future investigations and possible enhancements of massive MIMO systems.
Specifying a relationship between semantic and episodic memory in the computation of a feature-based familiarity signal using MINERVA 2

Approaches to modeling episodic recognition memory often imply a separability from semantic memory insofar as an implicit tabula rasa (i.e., blank slate) assumption is apparent in many simulations. This is evident in the common practice of having new test probes correspond to zero memory traces in the store while old test probes correspond to traces representing instances of items’ occurrence on a study list. However, in list-learning studies involving word lists, none of the test items would actually correspond to zero items in the person’s memory, as all of the test words are generally known to participants, whether old or new. By focusing on a list-learning recognition phenomenon that likely results from feature-based familiarity detection and necessarily involves a role of preexisting knowledge in its mechanisms—the semantic-feature-based recognition without cued recall phenomenon—we show how incorporating preexisting knowledge into the MINERVA 2 model enables it to simulate previously shown empirical patterns with this phenomenon. The simulation patterns reported here raise new theoretical implications worth further exploration, such as the extent to which the variances change in the signal versus the noise distribution when preexisting knowledge is present versus absent in the simulations.
Theories of Pattern Formation in Insect Neural Development

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the efforts of a neurobiologist to understand theories formulated by developmental biologists for explaining the formation of patterns and to evaluate their application to the analysis of neural development. It states a number of theories as clearly as possible, together with a few of the observations that led to their formulation. The chapter also reviews some of the empirical findings concerning the development of various parts of the insect nervous system, with special emphasis on sensory systems and only an appreciative nod to motor neurons. It describes the development of each neural subsystem and highlights the possible applications of the theories of pattern formation to that particular tissue. The chapter presents some speculations on how the various ideas and findings scattered throughout its many pages might be interrelated.
LEGIONELLACEAE IN THE HOSPITAL WATER-SUPPLY: Epidemiological Link with Disease and Evaluation of a Method for Control of Nosocomial Legionnaires' Disease and Pittsburgh Pneumonia

Abstract An epidemiological link was found between contamination of a hospital water-supply by Legionella pneumophila and by Pittsburgh pneumonia agent (PPA) and subsequent cases of nosocomial legionnaires' disease and Pittsburgh pneumonia. The extent of L pneumophila isolation from the water-supply paralleled the occurrence of disease. Whenever L pneumophila was isolated from more than 30% of ten selected water sites, nosocomial legionellosis occurred. The temperature of the hot water tanks was raised to 60-77°C for 72 h, and water outlets were flushed for 30 min with hot water. A decline in numbers of L pneumophila and PPA in the water-supply was followed by a fall in the incidence of legionnaires' disease and Pittsburgh pneumonia. In addition, intermittent raising of the temperature in the hot water system decreased both the number of months in which disease occurred and the proportion of nosocomial pneumonias caused by these organisms.
A Suggested Solution to the Problem of Intestate Succession in Non-Traditional Family Arrangements – Taking the ‘Adoption’ (and the Inequity) Out of the Doctrine of ‘Equitable Adoption’

This article examines the judicially created doctrine of equitable adoption under which a child who has been raised by people who are not the child’s birth parents and who, in the traditional doctrine, had promised to adopt the child but had not done so will be permitted to inherit from the “parent” or “parents” who have raised the child if these “parents” have died intestate. After examining the traditional equitable adoption doctrine and demonstrating the several difficulties with the doctrine in terms of the theories on which it is based and the requirements imposed for finding an equitable adoption, the article proceeds to discuss the major difficulty with the doctrine – its under inclusiveness and the disproportionate impact that this under inclusiveness has on economically disadvantaged communities. The article proposes an amendment to intestate succession statutes which would permit many more children to inherit from the people who have raised them. The article exposes an important defect with the current equitable adoption doctrine – the use of the term “adoption” to refer to a circumstance in which a legal adoption might not have been possible. The article also considers the issues of the modern family and how the equitable adoption doctrine is not responsive to the needs of members of non-traditional family arrangements, the reasons that people fail to adopt children about whom they may have promised adoption, the reasons that people die intestate rather than having a will, and the purposes to be accomplished by intestate succession statutes. The article concludes with a statutory proposal which would eliminate many of the inequities of the equitable adoption doctrine while still being consistent with the goals of intestacy statutes.
A Review of “Making Ireland English: The Irish Aristocracy in the Seventeenth Century”

Seventeenth-century Irish history has long been seen as exceptionally contested terrain; the demographic, religious, and political changes that swept over the island ensured that the Ireland that e...
Cardiovascular Risk: Gender Differences in Lifestyle Behaviors and Coping Strategies

Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) does not occur until mid to late life for most adults, the presence of risk factors, such as high blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol, has increased dramatically in young adults. The present study examined the relationships between gender and coping strategies, lifestyle behaviors, and cardiovascular risks. The sample consisted of 297 (71% female) university students. Participants completed a survey to assess demographics, lifestyle behaviors, and coping strategies, and a physiological assessment including lipid and blood pressure (BP) measurements. Data collection occurred from January 2007 to May 2008. Analyses revealed that age, ethnicity, greater body mass index (BMI), greater use of social support, and less frequent exercise were associated with higher cholesterol, while gender, age, greater BMI, and less frequent exercise were associated with higher systolic BP. There were two significant interactions: one between gender and avoidant coping and the other between gender and exercise on systolic BP, such that for men greater use of avoidant coping or exercise was associated with lower systolic BP. Understanding how young adults manage their demands and cope with stress sets the stage for understanding the developmental process of CVD. Both coping strategies and lifestyle behaviors must be considered in appraising gender-related cardiovascular risk at an early age before the disease process has begun.
Imaging artificial caries on the occlusal surfaces with polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography.

Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) is a nondestructive imaging system that can utilize near-infrared (IR) light to produce depth-resolved images of dental enamel and has the potential to monitor early enamel occlusal caries. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the magnitude of backscattered light and depolarization recorded by PS-OCT with changes in the enamel mineral volume in an artificial caries model. Artificial lesions were created on a selected region on the occlusal surfaces of sound posterior teeth (n = 10) using a well-characterized 14-day pH cycling model. An all-fiber-based PS-OCT system operating at 1,310 nm was used to collect serial images at day 0 and day 14 prior to tooth sectioning. The quantitative mineral content profile and relative mineral loss, ΔZ (%vol × µm), of the carious enamel samples were obtained from transverse sections using high-resolution digital microradiography (DM). Line profiles of PS-OCT and DM images were used to evaluate the artificial caries severity and depth. The integrated reflectivity of the perpendicular-axis PS-OCT image, quantifying lesion severity, was correlated to the ΔZ of the caries lesions. There was also a strong correlation between the lesion depth calculated from both imaging modalities. PS-OCT can image and quantify artificial occlusal caries by measuring the increase in backscattering and depolarization of near-IR light. This optical method has promising applications for in vivo detection and monitoring of early enamel occlusal caries.
Influence of Thyroactive Iodocasein on Growth of Chicks

ConclusionsRhode Island Red chicks were raised to 12 weeks of age on diets containing from 0.025 to 0.2% of thyroactive iodocasein. Chicks receiving the lower levels, required less feed per gram of gain than did the controls. Those fed diets with 0.1 and 0.2 % thyroactive iodocasein gained more than the controls and were more fully feathered than either the controls or those receiving the lower levels. The thyroactive iodocasein-fed chicks utilized their feed more efficiently than the controls only during the periods when they were gaining at a more rapid rate.Statistical analysis showed the difference in rate of gain to be of doubtful significance although the data indicate that at the proper dosage level growth rate was above normal. The differences in the rate of feathering in favor of the treated birds on higher dosage levels were highly significant.
Developing and Assessing Students' Entrepreneurial Skills and Mind-Set*

A primary goal of The Pennsylvania State University's new Engineering Entrepreneurship (E-SHIP) Minor is to build students' life skills so they can succeed within innovative, product-focused, cross-disciplinary teams. The E-SHIP Minor is designed for undergraduate students majoring in engineering, business, or IST (Information Sciences and Technology) who aspire to be innovation leaders for new technology-based products and companies. This paper outlines five E-SHIP program components to meet this mission: the core courses for the minor, E-SHIP competitions in which students exhibit their products and ideas, the E-SHIP Event Series, student organizations to support out-of-classroom entrepreneurial interest, and team projects for local industry and Penn State researchers. Penn State's engineering entrepreneurship program is reviewed, summarizing both quantitative and qualitative assessment data to date, previewing future assessment plans, and providing a summary of lessons learned during the development and implementation of this program.