cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disk allocation methods for parallelizing grid files

The grid file is a well known access method for multi-dimensional and spatial data. The response time needed to process path and range queries on the grid file access method can be improved significantly by distributing the data pages over multiple disks. The paper explores the disk allocation methods used to allocate the data pages of grid file among a set of disks, which can be accessed in parallel. Given N disks, a perfect allocation will speed up the processing of each query by a factor of N in this environment. The authors show that no disk allocation is perfect for the set of all orthogonal range queries, even on uniformly distributed read-only data. They then introduce two families of allocation methods, namely the Linear allocation method and the Lattice allocation method, which are perfect for a large collection of interesting path queries (rows, columns, diagonals, anti-diagonals) and range queries (small rectangles), on an interesting set of data distributions. They address the issues in extending disk allocation methods to general data distributions with random updates. Finally, they provide experimental results on the performance of the proposed methods and other well known disk allocation methods on different query sets, data distributions and data set sizes. >
Qualitative Research: Application of the Delphi Method to CEM Research

Construction engineering and management CEM researchers often rely on alternative research techniques when traditional methods fail. For example, surveys, interviews, and group-brainstorming techniques may not be appropriate for research that involves confounding factors and requires access to sensitive data. In such an environment, the Delphi technique allows researchers to obtain highly reliable data from certified experts through the use of strategically designed surveys. At present, the Delphi method has not seen widespread use in CEM research. This is likely due to variation among studies that implement Delphi in CEM research and ambiguity in literature that provides guidance for the specific parameters associated with the method. Using the guidance in this paper, the reader may: 1 understand the merits, appropriate application, and appropriate procedure of the traditional Delphi process; 2 identify and qualify potential expert panelists according to objective guidelines; 3 select the appropriate parameters of the study such as the number of panelists, number of rounds, type of feedback, and measure of consensus; 4 identify potential biases that may negatively impact the quality of the results; and 5 appropriately structure the surveys and conduct the process in such a way that bias is minimized or eliminated.
Expanding the frequency range of AWE via time shifting

The new technique of time shifted moment matching (TSMM) is introduced in this paper. The TSMM technique performs moment matching (for expansion around s = 0) on a time-shifted version of the original signal. As compared to other well-known techniques (such as AWE by Pillage and Rohrer, 1990), TSMM offers distinct advantages. The 50% delay and rise time are determined with much more accuracy for a given approximation order. Moreover, the solutions have significantly improved accuracy as compared to AWE, especially for moderate to highly inductive signals. TSMM is able to achieve the approximation capability of PVL (Feldmann and Freund, 1995) and PRIMA (Odabasioglu et al., 1998) with much lower approximation order.
Er3+ Doped Silica Glass by Sol-Gel Processing with Organic Complexation

Er3+-doped silica glass (up to 10 wt%) was synthesized by sol-gel processing with the addition of 3- aminopropyl trimethoxysilane (APS) as a complexing agent. Er3+ ions reacted with amino groups and, thus, linked to the silica network during the sol preparation. As a result, the motion of Er3+ ions was restricted and the formation of Er3+ clusters was inhibited. Both fluorescence spectra and magic-angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) indicated that the addition of the complexing agent APS resulted in a homogeneous dispersion of high-level Er+3 doping in the resultant gels. After the removal of organic components, however, Er+3 clustering occurs when firing at a high temperature for a long period of time, e.g. at 1000°C for 10 hrs, due to enhanced Er3+ diffusion.
Why Don't FACA Committees Like Facebook? Social Media, Public Input, and the Federal Advisory Committee Act

The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) ensures public access to the meetings of the many stakeholder and expert groups advising the United States. But the author, an experienced chairman of a federal advisory committee, confronted challenges when the use of social media as a way to enhance public input was proposed. This article considers three simple questions. The first legal question “can FACA committees use social media?” is answered with a “maybe” after studying the statutory terms and case law. The second factual question “do FACA committees use social media?” is answered with a “no” based on actual data. The third policy question “should FACA committees use social media?” is also answered with a no, because direct use of a social media site by the government creates obligations to manage the information received, and because these advisory committees exist primarily to provide expert advice, not as a forum for public comment. Rather than trying to force the advisory committee’s legal procedures to comport with the new electronic era of social media, this article encourages agencies to bypass FACA’s requirements by posting final committee work products on non-governmental social media sites as a way to inform and engage the public. This recommended approach may necessitate changes to a recent Executive Memorandum, but it could also enhance public input into the policy process, and increase the visibility and legitimacy of the FACA committee’s outputs.
Atrial natriuretic hormone and aldosterone regulation in salt-depleted state.

To evaluate the effect of very low-dose infusion of atrial natriuretic hormone (ANH) on aldosterone regulation, seven normal young men were infused for 2.5 h with 0.47 pmol.kg-1.min-1 of human [Ser-Tyr28]ANH or placebo. During the last 0.5 h 4 pmol.kg-1.min-1 of angiotensin II were also infused. ANH plasma levels increased from 3.46 +/- 0.25 to a maximum of 6.80 +/- 0.88 pmol/l, which is well within normal limits. Plasma aldosterone decreased almost 40%, from 40.7 +/- 5.7 to 25.9 +/- 4.9 ng/dl after 2 h. ANH infusion caused a slight decrease in blood pressure and slight increase in renal excretion of sodium and potassium. These results suggest that even small changes in ANH levels, within the normal range, have physiological significance, particularly in aldosterone regulation.
Learning from the 1960’s

The article reviews a study dealing with the potential problems of Hollywood Park in the 1960]s and compares them to the overall problems of horse racing in 2005.
Discomfort at Work: Workplace Assimilation Demands, Social Equality, and the Contact Hypothesis

Recent research on the contact hypothesis - the idea that intergroup contact can reduce prejudice - reveals that permitting identification with socially salient categories like race and gender is more likely to translate into reduced prejudice than attempting to eliminate or eclipse entirely those categories. This research has important implications for a number of issues of pressing social and legal concern, from broad views about integration and the cultural consequences of immigration to more narrow questions about diversity in education and the role and shape of affirmative action. This Article considers the implications of the contact hypothesis research for one of these issues: the debate about employer demands that people of color and women "cover" their race and gender by conforming their behavior and appearance to a white, male norm (known as the "workplace assimilation" debate). The degree of diversity represented in the workplace relative to other social institutions and the sustained nature of interaction at work makes the workplace a uniquely promising venue for attaining the relational benefits of intergroup contact. The workplace assimilation demand debate therefore serves as a useful lens for understanding the implications of the contact hypothesis research more broadly. To date, scholars and courts have framed the workplace assimilation debate largely in terms of individual interests: on one side sits the employer's interest in easing customer or co-worker discomfort with difference, and on the other side sits the employee's interest in being saved the identity, time, and economic costs involved in complying with behavior requirements that are drawn along a white, male norm. This Article reframes the debate by considering how workplace assimilation demands impact the end-goal of antidiscrimination law - social equality. Drawing on the vast social science research and theory on the contact hypothesis, it argues that regulating workplace assimilation demands to permit signals of group identification is likely to result in greater prejudice reduction than the prevailing policy of permitting those demands. More specifically, it proposes that employees should be provided space to signal membership in groups protected by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act through employer accommodation to appearance. This proposal aims to attain the societal benefit possible from contact at work without risking essentialization of group traits. In doing so, the proposal embraces an understanding of workplace diversity that includes behavioral signals of group-based identities as much as biologically prescribed ones. Perhaps even more important, the proposal represents a new vision of integration, one in which discomfort with difference is overcome instead of avoided.
Basal and glucoprivic-induced changes in extracellular GABA in the ventral hypothalamus of Zucker rats

The diminished sensitivity of genetically obese (fa/ fa) Zucker rats to the glucoprivic agent 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) may involve impaired release of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in discrete regions of the hypothalamus. Extracellular GABA concentrations in the medial (MH) and lateral (LH) hypothalamus of lean (Fa/Fa) and age-matched obese (fa/fa) male Zucker rats before and after 2-DG (1.2 mmol/kg i.v.). Basal GABA concentrations were higher (P < 0.05) in the MH of obese vs. lean rats. No differences were noted in LH GABA levels between lean and obese rats or in baseline extracellular GABA levels between brain regions in lean rats. In lean rats, a characteristic bimodal increase in GABA concentrations was apparent in the MH, whereas GABA concentrations decreased in the LH during the 60 min after 2-DG. No changes in GABA concentrations in dialysate from the MH or LH of obese rats were observed after 2-DG. The alterations in basal activity and responsiveness to glucoprivic stimuli by GABAergic system in the MH of obese rats may reflect a defect in central glucostatic control of food intake and, ultimately, in the hypothesized autonomic imbalance in fa/fa Zucker rat.
Subcutaneous Rupture of the Flexor Tendon in the Hand

We have experienced five cases of subcutaneous flexor tendon rupture in patients without RA from 1990 to 1995. Subjects were three males and two females and their ages ranged from 53 to 64 years (average 60 years). In two cases the involved tendon was the FPL, the FDP tendon of the little finger was ruptured in two and the FDP and FDS of the index in one. Considering the mechanism of injury, all cases received flexion against force injury and the site of ruptures were in the carpal tunnel. Free tendon graft was performed in all patients using the palmaris longus tendon. The results were evaluated according to Buck-Gramcko's criteria. Three cases were graded as excellent, one good and one was satisfactory. From this study it can be suggested that free tendon graft for subcutaneous flexor tendon rupture is an effective treatment.
The Effect of Cycloheximide on Translocation and Incorporation of Leucine and Lysine in Duodenal Sacs

SummaryCycloheximide (CHX) inhibits the incorporation of leucine and lysine into the proteins of the intestinal tract of rats regardless of whether the CHX is present in the incubation medium or whether it is given by injection to the animals prior to sacrifice. Translocation from mucosa to serosa is also inhibited when CHX is given by injection to the intact animal but when present in the medium it acts as a stimulant. Both amino acids appear more rapidly in serosal fluid and intestinal tissue in the presence of the inhibitor than in its absence.
Mouse Models of Episodic Ataxia Type 2

Episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2) is a disorder characterized by acute attacks of ataxia precipitated by stress, ethanol, and caffeine. EA2 is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the CACNA1A gene, which encodes the α1 pore-forming subunit of the Cav2.1 (P/Q-type) voltage-gated calcium channel. Several mouse strains, including tottering mice, carry loss-of-function mutations in the Cacna1a gene and have been used to investigate the pathomechanisms of EA2. Like EA2 patients, tottering mice exhibit attacks of motor dysfunction triggered by stress, ethanol, and caffeine. The cerebellum and specifically cerebellar Purkinje cells are implicated in tottering mouse attacks. Like EA2 patients, drugs that restore Purkinje cell pacemaking, such as 4-aminopyradine, block tottering attacks. Other mouse strains, such as rocker, leaner, and engineered strains, display a range of phenotypes, from mild, paroxysmal motor dysfunction to chronic dystonia, similar to the range of neurological problems exhibited by EA2 patients. Cacna1a mutant mice have provided insights into the neurobiology of EA2 and into the mechanisms underlying treatments and may, therefore, prove useful for developing novel and more efficacious therapeutics.
Integration of silicon photonics into electronic processes

Front-end monolithic integration has enabled photonic devices to be fabricated in bulk and thin-SOI CMOS as well as DRAM electronics processes. Utilizing the CMOS generic process model, integration was accomplished on multi-project wafers that were shared by standard electronic customers without requiring in-foundry process changes. Simple die or wafer-level post-processing has enabled low-loss waveguides by the removal of the substrate within photonic regions. The custom-process model of the DRAM industry instead enabled optimization of the photonic device fabrication process and the potential elimination of post-processing requirements. Integrated singlecrystalline silicon waveguide loss of ~3 dB/cm has been achieved within a 45nm thin-SOI CMOS process that is currently used to manufacture microprocessors [1]. A fully monolithic photonic transmitter including a pseudo-random bit sequence (PRBS) generating digital backend was also demonstrated within this process [1]. The constraints of zero-change integration have limited achieved polysilicon waveguide loss to ~50 dB/cm with commercially available bulk CMOS processes [2]. Custom polysilicon deposition and processing conditions available for DRAM integration have also led to the demonstration of ~6 dB/cm loss waveguides suitable for integration within electronics processes utilizing bulk silicon starting substrates [3]. An overview of required process features, device design guidelines and integration methodology tradeoffs will be presented. Relevant device metrics of area and energy efficiency as well as achievable photonic device performance will be presented within the context of monolithic front-end integration within state-ofthe- art electronics processes. Applications of this research towards the implementation of a computer system utilizing photonic interconnect for core-to-memory communication will also be discussed.
Impact of hetero-interface on the photoresponse of GAN/SIC separate absorption and multiplication avalanche photodiodes

III-Nitride/SIC separate absorption and multiplication avalanche photodiodes (SAM APDs) provide a new approach for realizing high sensitivity, high gain and low dark current detectors with a response that is tunable over a wide spectral range. However, the heterojunction interface plays a significant role in the performance of these detectors due to presence of 1) interface charge arising from the difference in polarization between III-Nitride and SiC as well as 2) defects at the interface resulting from lattice mismatch. In this paper we discuss the growth and fabrication of GaN/SiC SAM APDs and analyze the behavior in the context of these two factors.
Z-τ: Solid Metal Direct Skeletally-Attached Prosthesis

A new total hip femoral component has been designed with the intent of producing the following effects: loading the endosteal femoral metaphysis with minimal shear by means of a stepped collar, and creation of the proper stress level proximally through the elimination of stress shielding by means of a polished stem to moment load the femoral diaphysis. Bench testing of axisymmetric pins fixed into polymeric cylinders using acrylic bone cement revealed significant enhancement of resistance to subsidence through a surface structure consisting of steps. Analysis of crazing of brittle stress coats revealed significant reduction of hoop stress for stepped-surface pins relative to that produced by smooth pins. This presents an attractive mechanical environment inductive of supportive functional bony adaptation rather than the usual resorption associated with conventional total joint prostheses.
Abstract 421: Biomarkers of Atherosclerotic Plaque Instability in Carotid Artery Stenosis

Objective: Atherosclerotic plaque instability has been linked to cardiovascular events. We hypothesized that novel serum and intraplaque markers of plaque instability could be identified through analysis of serum and atherosclerotic plaques obtained from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Methods: Under an IRB approved protocol, 6 symptomatic patients (5 transient ischemic attack, 1 amaurosis fugax) and their age- and gender-matched controls were analyzed for intraplaque markers of plaque instability. 8 symptomatic patients and their age- and gender-matched controls were analyzed for serum activity of proteolytic enzymes MMP-2 and MMP-9. Plaques were removed intraoperatively, placed in RNAlater and processed immediately after CEA. Blood samples were drawn prior to incision to determine serum activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 using gelatin zymography. Intraplaque expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, proteolytic enzymes (uPA, tPA and PAI-1) and inflammatory markers (TF, TSP-1, and TNF-α) were evaluated by Western blot analysis. Results: The activity of proteolytic enzymes MMP-2 and MMP-9 detected in serum was significantly higher in symptomatic patients when compared to asymptomatic controls, with a 1.5- and 2.2-fold increase, respectively (P Conclusion: Levels of matrix metalloproteinases, proteolytic enzymes and inflammatory markers found in serum and plaque samples of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients may be different. Testing for biomarkers may help diagnose atherosclerotic plaque instability and identify patients at high risk for cerebrovascular events.
99 AN UNUSUAL CAUSE OF IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA.

Case A 61-year-old African American (AA) female presented with a chief complaint of melena, fatigue, and inability to eat, which has been getting progressively worse for 2 years. She also complained of early satiety and left shoulder pain. Her past history was significant for Bell9s palsy a number of years ago and one syncopal episode 2 months ago for which she did not seek medical attention. Examination was significant for conjunctival pallor, a II/VI systolic murmur at the left upper sternal border, and a large firm mass in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen that appeared to be coming from under the ribs. Laboratory tests revealed a microcytic hypochromic anemia, thrombocytosis, and iron deficiency. CT of the abdomen revealed a large mass in the abdomen that was approximately 19 × 20 × 16 cm that was coming from the stomach. Upper endoscopy was performed and revealed a tubular stomach with a large 5 cm umbilicated mass in the fundus that was ulcerated and oozing blood. Endoscopic biopsy was negative for malignancy, and a CT-guided biopsy was performed of the abdominal mass, which stained positively for C-Kit, consistent with the diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). Discussion GIST is a mesenchymal tumor of the GI tract that is more common in men between the ages of 40 and 80. Sixty percent of these tumors occur in the stomach and 70% are symptomatic, usually presenting as GI blood loss. The diagnosis can be made endoscopically as an incidental finding or by CT. It is confirmed via histology and immunochemical staining. The tumor is positive for CD117 antigen (aka C-KIT). The tumor has three distinct morphologies, with a majority being of the spindle cell variety. The tumor metastasized to the liver a majority of the time. The treatment has historically been surgical resection; however, the chemotherapeutic agent, imatinib, has shown excellent results, and when used with surgery, the 2-year survival is over 70%. Conclusion GIST is an unusual tumor that can present as melena with iron deficiency anemia. It is a rare tumor but should be included in the differential diagnosis when working up melena and iron deficiency anemia.
How the Cows Came Home...as Dinner: The Economic Survival of the Osage Indians Concerning the Development their Grass Leasing Business in the 1870s and 1880s

It was a sad song they sang that year as they trampled, grudgingly, out of their Kansas homelands. But this unhappiness was understandable since, for the Osage Nation, the last century was a harrowing history that included ceding nearly eight million acres of their sacred land to the haughty, relentless United States government. Even after their removal from the Sunflower state was completed by the early 1870s, newly appointed Indian agent Cyrus Beede remarked that the Osages were still not "ready to give up their war dance and ... scalping knife;" 1 as if stealing their property was supposed to transform them into more evolved, more 'civilized' human beings.
AccessCSforall: making computer science accessible to K-12 students in the United States

For the past ten years there has been a concerted effort to bring computer science to K-12 students in the United States (US) and in other countries. There is a growing realization that computer science is a fundamental subject like mathematics and sciences. In order to make this effort include the approximately 7.4 million K-12 students with disabilities in the US we created AccessCSforAll, a National Science Foundation project that began in 2014. In this article we review the activities of AccessCSforAll in the professional development of teachers and in tool and curriculum development.
Rheumatoid arthritis and risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma among women: A marginal structural model analysis in the Nurses’ Health Study ☆

Abstract Objective We investigated whether RA increases risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma independent of factors occurring before RA onset or mediating these respiratory morbidities after diagnosis, such as cigarette smoking. Methods Within the prospective Nurses’ Health Study (n = 121,701 women; 1976–2014), we identified an incident RA cohort and matched each woman with RA to 10 comparators without RA by age and year at index date of RA diagnosis, excluding women with COPD or asthma at baseline. Data were obtained through biennial questionnaires and medical records. We used marginal structural models to determine the independent effect of RA on incident COPD or asthma adjusting for confounders and time-varying mediators through inverse probability weighting. Results We identified 843 women with RA, matched to 8,399 comparators without RA. Mean age was 59.8 years and mean follow-up after index date was 18.6 years (SD = 9.0) for women with RA, and 18.8 years (SD = 9.5) for comparators. We identified 68 (8.1%) incident COPD and 40 (4.7%) asthma cases among women with RA, and 459 (5.5%) COPD and 268 (3.2%) asthma cases among comparators. RA was associated with increased risk of COPD (HR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.17–1.97) and asthma (HR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.11–2.16) compared to comparators adjusted for the matching factors of age and calendar year at index date. After further adjustment for confounders and time-varying mediators occurring after index date, including smoking, RA was significantly associated with COPD (HR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.36–2.07), but not asthma (HR = 1.11, 95% CI: 0.59–2.09) compared to non-RA comparators. Women with seropositive RA (HR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.17–2.19) and seronegative RA (HR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.09–2.40) had similar increased risk for COPD compared to non-RA comparators. Conclusion In this prospective cohort study, RA was associated with increased risk for incident COPD, independent of lifestyle confounders and mediators after diagnosis, including smoking.
Public support for the punishment of police use of force errors: evidence of ideological divergence and convergence

It is widely believed that the public is ideologically divided with regard to law enforcement. Drawing on omission bias research, I challenge this assumption, arguing that such polarization is cont...
Human Papillomavirus Vaccine and Prevention of Human Papillomavirus-Associated Disease in the USA

The introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has ushered a new era in the prevention of a common sexually transmitted infection that can cause cancer and other benign but serious diseases. Even before it first became available, HPV vaccine was anticipated with enthusiasm for cancer prevention, but there was also concern that the vaccine might detract from secondary prevention of HPV-associated cervical cancers through screening or promote risky sexual behavior. Introduction of HPV vaccine has presented policy, programmatic and communication challenges for public health officials and health-care providers and has required collaboration across disciplines not traditionally involved in immunization, including programs responsible for cancer prevention, sexually transmitted infections, and reproductive health. This chapter focuses on the early years of HPV vaccine introduction in the USA and briefly reviews secondary cervical cancer prevention.
Olivine dissolution at 25°C: Effects of pH, CO2, and organic acids

Abstract The dissolution rates of Fo100 and Fo91 in aqueous solutions in the pH range 2–12.4 at 25°C have been measured using fluidized bed and batch reactors. Rates depend upon the pH, the partial pressure of CO2, and the presence of organic ligands. At low PCO2 (≤10−4.5 atm) with no organic ligands present, the rate of olivine dissolution, R, is given by R ( mol cm −2 s −1 ) = 9.07 × 10 −12 a H + 0.54 + 5.25 × 10 −15 + 2.33 × 10 −17 a H + −0.31 , where aH+ is the activity of H+ in solution. However in basic solutions, when the partial pressure of CO2 is equal to atmospheric levels (PCO2 = 10−3.5 atm), olivine dissolution rates are nearly pH independent throughout the pH range 6–12 and are about equal to the minimum rate of dissolution under CO2 purged conditions. At pH 11 the presence of atmospheric levels of CO2 reduces the dissolution rate by over an order of magnitude (to 10−14.1 mol cm−2 s−1). Apparently, positive charge on the olivine surface can be neutralized by increasing PCO2. In contrast, experiments conducted in the acidic and near neutral pH ranges indicate that organic ligands chelate surface Mg causing an increase in the olivine dissolution rate when present. Organic ligand effects are greatest in the near neutral pH domain. For example, at pH 4 dissolution rates are increased by 0.75 log units (to 10−12.25 mol cm−2 s−1) in solutions of 10−3 molar ascorbic acid or 0.05 molar potassium acid phthalate over rates measured in organic free solutions. The chelation effect becomes less important as pH decreases. Rates at pH 2 in the presence of these organic ligands are indistinguishable from those measured without organics.
GaN smart power devices and integrated circuits

Abstract We first review the material properties, heterojunction, and MOS technologies, which are the building blocks of gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductor devices. Then, we present the lateral and vertical high-voltage power device structures that have been explored. Next, we describe the highlights of integrated processes that have been used to fabricate these devices. We then comparatively evaluate and compare the static and dynamic performance of these devices with 600 and 1200 V blocking voltages. We also present latest commercial, discrete and integrated, power transistor offerings and their performance. We review some salient examples of monolithic integration of these devices into power electronic and optoelectronic ICs. Finally, we discuss the future trend and technology obstacles that need to be addressed and overcome for the success of widespread commercialization of GaN smart power devices and ICs.
How Biomedical HIV Prevention Trials Incorporate Behavioral and Social Sciences Research: A Typology of Approaches.

In the field of biomedical HIV prevention, researchers have meaningfully incorporated behavioral and social sciences research (BSSR) into numerous clinical trials, though the timing and degree of integration have been highly variable. The literature offers few frameworks that systematically characterize these collaborations. To fill this gap, we developed a typology of BSSR approaches within biomedical HIV prevention research. Focusing on trials that had safety and/or efficacy endpoints, we identified five approaches for combining BSSR and clinical research: formative, embedded, parallel, explanatory, and implications. We describe each approach and provide illustrative examples. By offering a shared vocabulary for distinguishing the timing and design of collaborative BSSR and clinical research, this typology can facilitate greater transparency in collaborators’ expectations and responsibilities, and help collaborators address challenges likely to be associated with such interdisciplinary research.
Thymineless Death in Escherichia coli Is Unaffected by Chromosomal Replication Complexity.

ABSTRACT Thymineless death (TLD) is a rapid loss of viability of unclear mechanism in cultures of thyA mutants starved for thymine/thymidine (T starvation). It is accepted that T starvation repeatedly breaks replication forks, while recombinational repair restores them, but when the resulting futile breakage-repair cycle affects the small replication bubbles at oriC, the origin is degraded, killing the cell. Indeed, cells with increased chromosomal replication complexity (CRC), expressed as an elevated origin/terminus (ori/ter) ratio, die more extensively during TLD. Here we tested this logic by elevating the CRC in Escherichia colithyA mutants before T starvation, anticipating exaggerated TLD. Unexpectedly, TLD remained unaffected by a CRC increase to either the natural limit (ori/ter ratio, ∼6) or the functional limit (ori/ter ratio, ∼16). Moreover, when we forced the CRC over the functional limit (ori/ter ratio, ∼30), TLD lessened. Thus, prior overinitiation does not sensitize cells to TLD. In contradiction with the published results, even blocking new replication initiations by the dnaA(Ts) defect at 42°C fails to prevent TLD. Using the thyA dnaA(Ts) mutant in a new T starvation protocol that excludes new initiations, we show that at 42°C, the same degree of TLD still occurs when chromosomes are demonstrably nonreplicating. Remarkably, 80% of the chromosomal DNA in these nonreplicating T-starved cells is still lost, by an unclear mechanism. IMPORTANCE Thymineless death kills cells of any type and is used in anticancer and antimicrobial treatments. We tested the idea that the more replication forks there are in the chromosome during growth, the more extensive the resulting thymineless death. We varied the number of replication forks in the Escherichia coli chromosome, as measured by the origin-to-terminus ratio, ranging it from the normal 2 to 60, and even completely eliminated replication forks in the nonreplicating chromosomes (ori/ter ratio = 1). Unexpectedly, we found that thymineless death is unaffected by the intensity of replication or by its complete absence; we also found that even nonreplicating chromosomes still disappear during thymine starvation. We conclude that thymineless death can kill E. coli independently of chromosomal replication.
Strategies for Grassroots Activism in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an ongoing crisis originating from the ethno-religious struggle between the Palestinian Arabs and Zionist Jews over the land of Palestine. There have been several attempts to create peace in this conflict, including foreign intervention and aid. However, one of the most overlooked methods is grassroots activism: civilian movements that work for social and political change on a local, regional, or international level. While there have been sociological analyses and other studies conducted on grassroots activism in the conflict, there has been a lack of comprehensive approaches analyzing these qualitative studies and the effectiveness of this activism. Thus, the purpose for this project was to find which strategies were most effective for grassroots movements that focus on creating peace in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. It was hypothesized that nonviolent activism would emerge as most effective. A mixed methods approach incorporating both a qualitative meta synthesis and a quantitative frequency analysis was conducted through a thematic synthesis. Line-by-line coding was completed on six journal articles obtained from JSTOR, Academic Search Complete, and Sociological Collection; descriptive and analytical themes based on strategies for grassroots activism were created based on this coding. A statistical analysis was completed displaying the frequency of each strategy coded as low, medium, or high success. Joint activism emerged as the most effective strategy based on the coding completed with 57% coding under high success: this suggests that joint activism should be utilized most often for conflict resolution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Development of Tree-Based Algorithm for Prediction of Field Performance of Asphalt Concrete Overlays

AbstractIn Louisiana and many other states, the design pavement service life (PSL) for structural asphalt concrete (AC) overlays is typically assumed to be 20 years. However, research studies showe...
ULearn: understanding and reacting to student frustration using deep learning, mobile vision and NLP

ULearn is a system that uses deep learning, computer vision and NLP to assist students with the task of web-based learning. ULearn’s goal is to detect when the student is experiencing higher levels of frustration and then present alternative meaningful alternative content. The ULearn app features a web-brower, though the intention is to have ULearn assist students in learning scenarios it is equally applicable to other web-based tasks. While the user is browsing, ULearn monitors them using the front-facing camera and when negative emotions are detected the user is presented with a set of “tips”. The first step in ULearn is to perform face detection which returns an ROI that is fed into an emotion detection system. A deep-learning CNN is used to perform the emotion detection yielding one of anger, fear, disgust, surprise, neutral, and happy. If a significate negative emotion is detected ULearn generates a set of alternative content called “tips” which are a set of links to similar content web pages to the current one being viewed. These links can be found through scraping the currently viewed web page for content that is used directly in a search or first passing this information to an NLP stage. The NLP stage gives the saliency of the most prominent entities in the current web page content. Real test results are given, and the success and challenges faced by ULearn are presented along with future avenues of work.
Epidemiologically-informed cumulative risk hypertension models simulating the impact of changes in metal, organochlorine, and non-chemical exposures in an environmental justice community.

Abstract Blood pressure is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, influenced by chemical and non-chemical stressors. Exposure reduction strategies can potentially improve public health, but there are analytical challenges in developing quantitative models of health benefits, including the need for detailed multi-stressor exposure models, corresponding health evidence, and methods to simulate changes in exposure and resultant health benefits. These challenges are pronounced in low-income urban communities, where residents are often simultaneously exposed to numerous chemical and non-chemical stressors. For New Bedford (Massachusetts, USA), a low-income community near a Superfund site, we simulated geographically-resolved individual data, and applied previously published structural equation models developed from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. These models simultaneously predict exposures to multiple chemicals (e.g., lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)) and non-chemical factors (e.g., socioeconomic status), and determine their combined effects on blood pressure. We then modeled counterfactual scenarios reducing exposures and estimated the resulting changes in blood pressure distribution in the community. Results indicated small shifts in mean blood pressure and percentage of normotensive individuals with a reduction of Pb and/or PCB exposure. For example, a reduction in PCB to the lowest 10th percentile exposure in the NHANES resulted in a 2.4 mm Hg shift in systolic blood pressure (SBP), corresponding with 3% fewer individuals with SBP in the Stage 2 hypertension category [SBP ≥140]. Our model also emphasized the importance of the multi-stressor framework by simulating benefits of reductions in smoking rates, given positive associations with Pb and Cd but inverse associations with body mass index and blood pressure. This research demonstrates the ability to jointly consider chemical and non-chemical exposures and their impact on cardiovascular health, using approaches generalizable to other cumulative risk assessment applications.
REAL-TIME WILDFIRE DETECTION FROM SPACE – A TRADE-OFF BETWEEN SENSOR QUALITY, PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS AND PAYLOAD SIZE

Abstract. Wildfires cause large scale devastation to human settlements and forests every year and their frequency and severity is on the rise. A major reason for this devastation is the significant delay in their detection due to their remote locations in forests. To mitigate this, a constellation of nanosatellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) equipped with multi-spectral visible to Infrared (IR) cameras is proposed leveraging the modular and affordable architecture of CubeSats. Coupled with the payload design, meticulously planned constellation and a ground support system, all surface points on the planet will be revisited at least once in an hour. Capturing a surface location with a high resolution in MidWavelength Infrared (MWIR) and LongWavelength Infrared (LWIR) allows a precise estimation of thermal output of the surface. Simulations indicate that a fire of about four hundred square meters can be easily detected from this satellite payload. Through onboard data processing, wildfires can be already detected in space, minimizing bandwidth requirements for real-time alerts. This enables an early wildfire warning within 30 min by utilizing existing satellite internet networks. Additionally, compressed raw images will be transmitted on fixed ground station passes to provide a global thermal data updated every 90 min. The near real-time multi-spectral data provides opportunity for several other applications like weather forecasting besides wildfire detection.
Hepatitis C-positive donor liver transplantation for hepatitis C seronegative recipients

Background The opioid crisis has led to an increase in hepatitis C virus-positive donors in the past decade. Whereas historically hepatitis C seropositive organs were routinely discarded, the advent of direct-acting antiviral agents has notably expanded the utilization of organs from donors with hepatitis C. There has been growing experience with liver transplantation (LT) from hepatitis C seropositive donors to hepatitis C seropositive recipients. However, data remain limited on LT from hepatitis C seropositive or hepatitis C ribonucleic acid positive donors to hepatitis C seronegative recipients. Methods We performed a retrospective study of 26 hepatitis C seronegative recipients who received hepatitis C seropositive donor livers followed by preemptive antiviral therapy with direct-acting antiviral treatment at the Johns Hopkins Hospital Comprehensive Transplant Center from January 1, 2017, to August 31, 2019. Results Twenty-five of the 26 recipients are alive with proper graft function; 20 of them received livers from hepatitis C nucleic acid testing positive donors. All 12 recipients who completed their direct-acting antiviral courses and have reached sufficient follow-up for sustained virologic response have achieved sustained virologic response. Nine of our recipients have either completed direct-acting antiviral treatment without sufficient follow-up time for sustained virologic response or are undergoing direct-acting antiviral treatment. One patient is awaiting antiviral treatment initiation pending insurance approval. Of note, 11 of 12 patients with sustained virologic response received a hepatitis C nucleic acid testing positive donor liver. Conclusion Hepatitis C seronegative patients who receive a hepatitis C seropositive or hepatitis C nucleic acid testing positive liver allograft can enjoy good short-term outcomes with hepatitis C cure following direct-acting antiviral treatment.
Surgeon-Level Variation in Outcome following Esophageal Atresia Repair Is Not Explained by Volume.

Introduction To assess whether there is a difference in operative outcome for esophageal atresia (EA) depending on a surgeon's seniority as defined by years in consultant practice or number of cases performed. In addition a Clavien–Dindo score was used to sequentially analyze the outcome of each surgeon's EA procedure. Materials and Methods All repairs performed over 22 years in an English regional center were analyzed. Outcomes were: death, anastomotic leak, need for dilatation, need for more than three dilatations, need for fundoplication, and a Clavien–Dindo adverse outcome of ≥3b. Possible explanatory variables were: number of prior repairs by the surgeon, surgeon's years of consultant experience. We also examined the effect of variables intrinsic to the infant as possible confounding variables and as independent predictors of outcome. Results A total of 190 repairs were performed or supervised by 12 consultants. There was no significant association between consultant experience and any objective outcome. However, sequential analysis suggests there is variation between surgeons in the incidence of Clavien–Dindo events of ≥3b. Performance showed deterioration in one case. Mortality was explicable by cardiac and renal anomalies. Conclusion There are surgeon-level variations in outcomes for the procedure of EA repair, but they are not explained by volume. Surgeon performance can deteriorate. Our study would not support the concept that patient outcomes could be improved by concentrating the provision of this surgery to fewer hospitals or surgeons.
Charting the Reform Path

Sharon Block’s and Benjamin H. Harris’ edited volume of policy-oriented essays, _Inequality and the Labor Market: The Case for Greater Competition_, is a valuable contribution to the developing conversation about competition and labor markets. At the broadest level, the volume evokes, but does not resolve, a choice between two distinct and ultimately incompatible possibilities: on one hand, restoring the outcomes that would obtain in a competitive labor market, and on the other (articulated more faintly and implicitly) exposing the 'myth' of this very goal, which in turn would imply the need to construct an entirely new normative benchmark. In the debate about antitrust and labor markets more broadly, when researchers identify an outcome that would obtain in a more competitive market, they are often actually describing the outcome that would obtain in a hypothetical market constructed by a different, preferred set of coordination mechanisms. This does not mean that real-world business competition, channeled appropriately, cannot improve outcomes for workers and the public; quite the opposite. But it does mean that a particular, stylized ideal of a competitive market may be less than useful as a benchmark for law and for well-functioning labor markets, and that a more direct encounter with the normative criteria that ultimately matter to us is required.
The Existence of a Designer Al=Al Double Bond in the LiAl 2 H 4 − Cluster Formed by Electronic Transmutation

The Al=Al double bond is elusive in chemistry. Herein we report the results obtained via combined photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio studies of the LiAl2 H4- cluster that confirm the formation of a conventional Al=Al double bond. Comprehensive searches for the most stable structures of the LiAl2 H4- cluster have shown that the global minimum isomer I possesses a geometric structure which resembles that of Si2 H4 , demonstrating a successful example of the transmutation of Al atoms into Si atoms by electron donation. Theoretical simulations of the photoelectron spectrum discovered the coexistence of two isomers in the ion beam, including the one with the Al=Al double bond.
A Sub-50fs-Jitter Sub-Sampling PLL with a Harmonic-Enhanced 30-GHz-Fundemental Class-C VCO in 0.18µm SiGe BiCMOS

This paper presents a 27.0-30.5 GHz sub-sampling PLL implemented in a 0.18um SiGe BiCMOS process. The PLL incorporates an improved Class-C VCO with a supply-side 2nd-harmonic common-mode resonance and a completely floating, transformer-based 3rd-harmonic differential-mode resonance. Despite the limitation of the 0.18µm CMOS devices at high frequencies, the prototype achieves record low in-band noise of - 116dBc/Hz at 100kHz offset and sub-50fs RMS jitter at 30GHz when integrated from 1kHz to 100MHz, outperforming state-of-the-art designs in advanced CMOS nodes with similar output frequencies. A single low voltage of 1.8V is used for both CMOS-and SiGe-based blocks. At 40mA, the PLL achieves an excellent jitter FoM of -247.8dB when the FLL is turned on and -250.4dB when turned off.
Chapter 23. Transition State Analogs as Enzyme Inhibitors

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a general approach for the design of specific, potent reversible enzyme inhibitors. The inhibitors that are prepared with this approach are called transition state analogs. A transition state analog for an enzyme is a compound that resembles in structure the substrate portion of the transition state of the enzymatic reaction. Adenosine deaminase catalyzes the hydrolysis of adenosine to inosine, probably through a tetrahedral-like transition state formed by the attack of water. 1,6-Dihydro-6-hydroxy-methylpurine resembles the tetrahedral-like transition state by virtue of the H on N5, the tetrahedral geometry of C6, and, in one conformation the position of hydroxyl group. A possible transition state analog for chymotrypsin is 2-phenylethaneboronic acid, which is an effective competitive inhibitor of the enzyme. There is a similarity between the structure of an enolate anion and a carboxylate group, and several enzymatic reactions in which the transition state probably resembles an enolate anion are strongly inhibited by the analogous carboxylate anion. The enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of a phosphoryl group from adenosine triphosphate to creatine forms a very stable quarternary complex with adenosine diphosphate (ADP), creatine, and nitrate.