cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Supersymmetric Electromagnetic Moments and Radiation Zeros

The radiative corrections to the electromagnetic moments of the charged gauge fermions and bosons (W\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{} and W) of the vector superfields are studied in unbroken supersymmetry. We find that supersymmetry does not force such corrections to vanish as it does for the charged spinor members of chiral supermultiplets. The implications of these results for radiation zeros are discussed. As an example, in an appendix we calculate the cross section for the process \ensuremath{\gamma}e\ensuremath{\rightarrow}W\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}\ensuremath{\nu}${\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}_{L}$ (which has been studied previously by two groups with differing results) with anomalous W\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{} magnetic moment and show that radiation zeros exist in this process in the limit of vanishing anomalous W\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{} moments.
Lipoproteins in a nonrecirculating perfusate of rat liver.

Rat livers were perfused in a nonrecirculating system for 30–40 min with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate–0.1% glucose solution gassed with 95% O2–5% CO2 at 37°C at a flow rate of 3 ml/g/min. The livers appeared normal as judged by O2 uptake, bile flow, transaminase release, and net protein output (2.5 mg/g/hr). The perfusate was concentrated by ultrafiltration using Amicon PM-10 or PM-30 membranes. The concentrated perfusate was subjected to sequential ultracentrifugation at solution densities of 1.006, 1.04, 1.06, and 1.21, and the top fractions were analyzed for protein and lipid. The net release of protein in the four density classes, suitably corrected, averaged 39, 10, 5, and 20 μg/g/hr. The lipid composition of the perfusate lipoprotein fractions differed from that of serum mainly in the high percentage of free cholesterol, reflecting the lack of exposure to lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase. When rat serum was fractionated in the same way, most of the lipoprotein in the d 1.006–1.06 range had a density > 1.04. It was concluded from these experiments that the liver secretes very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), and a modified form of VLDL containing less lipid. Comparison of secretion rates and serum lipoprotein levels leads to the conclusion that the latter are largely determined by catabolic rates. When labeled amino acids were present, the perfusate HDL had a higher specific activity than VLDL. Addition of carrier whole serum did not alter recovery of labeled lipoproteins, but when these were isolated from Golgi membranes after a 40-min perfusion, more than twice as much label was recovered in HDL, suggesting the presence of precursors within the Golgi. The main advantages of the nonrecirculation perfusion technique are the avoidance of catabolic reactions, simplicity, and complete control over the composition of the perfusing medium.
Zero-crossing based spectral analysis and SVD spectral analysis for formant frequency estimation in noise

The authors discuss a method for spectral analysis of noise corrupted signals using statistical properties of the zero-crossing intervals. It is shown that an initial stage of filter-bank analysis is effective for achieving noise robustness. The technique is compared with currently popular spectral analysis techniques based on singular value decomposition and is found to provide generally better resolution and lower variance at low signal to noise ratios (SNRs). These techniques, along with three established methods and three variations of these method, are further evaluated for their effectiveness for formant frequency estimation of noise corrupted speech. The theoretical results predict and experimental results confirm that the zero-crossing method performs well for estimating low frequencies and hence for first formant frequency estimation in speech at high noise levels ( approximately 0 dB SNR). Otherwise, J.A. Cadzow's high performance method (1983) is found to be a close alternative for reliable spectral estimation. As expected the overall performance of all techniques is found to degrade for speech data. The standard autocorrelation-LPC method is found best for clean speech and all methods deteriorate roughly equally in noise. >
Modeling multimodal integration with event logic charts

In this paper we present a novel approach to the combined modeling of multimodal fusion and interaction management. The approach is based on a declarative multimodal event logic that allows the integration of inputs distributed over multiple modalities in accordance to spatial, temporal and semantic constraints. In conjunction with a visual state chart language, our approach supports the incremental parsing and fusion of inputs and a tight coupling with interaction management. The incremental and parallel parsing approach allows us to cope with concurrent continuous and discrete interactions and fusion on different levels of abstraction. The high-level visual and declarative modeling methods support rapid prototyping and iterative development of multimodal systems.
Exact solutions to difference equation models of Burgers' equation

This article gives exact solutions to several difference equation models of Burgers' equation. The particular cases considered correspond to the diffusion-free, nonlinear steady-state and linear steady-state situations.
Leveraging Network Connectivity For Quality Assurance of Clinical Display Monitors

Abstract The VA Midwest Health Care Network, VISN 23, is one of 21 veteran integrated health service networks (VISN) under the Department of Veterans Affairs. There are approximately 300,000 imagin...
Mindfulness, Spousal Attachment, and Marital Satisfaction: A Mediated Model:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between mindfulness, spousal attachment, and marital satisfaction. The national sample included 104 married adults aged 19–66. Results...
A Meta-analytic Review of the Psychosocial Adjustment of Youth with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Objective To conduct a meta-analytic review of psychosocial adjustment of youth with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods Nineteen studies with a total of 1167 youth with IBD (M age = 14.33, 50% female) were included. Effect size (ES) estimates were calculated for anxiety symptoms & disorders, depressive symptoms & disorders, internalizing symptoms & disorders, externalizing symptoms, quality of life (QOL), social functioning, and self-esteem. Separate ESs were calculated for comparisons between IBD and youth with chronic illnesses versus healthy youth. Results Youth with IBD had higher rates of depressive disorders and internalizing disorders than youth with other chronic conditions. Youth with IBD had higher parent-reported internalizing symptoms, lower parent- and youth-reported QOL, and lower youth-reported social functioning compared to healthy youth. Conclusions Clinical attention to depressive disorders, QOL, and social functioning may be particularly salient in the context of pediatric IBD.
The relationship between hemoglobin A1C in youth with type 1 diabetes and chaos in the family household.

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to examine how physical and social environments, as measured by household chaos, affect the diabetes control (ie, A1C) in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1DM).Metho...
The future of PACS

How will the future of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) look, and how will this future affect the practice of radiology? We are currently experiencing disruptive innovations that will force an architectural redesign, making the majority of today's commercial PACS obsolete as the field matures and expands to include imaging throughout the medical enterprise. The common architecture used for PACS cannot handle the massive amounts of data being generated by even current versions of computed tomography and magnetic resonance scanners. If a PACS cannot handle today's technology, what will happen as the field expands to encompass pathology imaging, cone-beam reconstruction, and multispectral imaging? The ability of these new technologies to enhance research and clinical care will be impaired if PACS architectures are not prepared to support them. In attempting a structured approach to predictions about the future of PACS, we offer projections about the technologies underlying PACS as well as the evolution of standards development and the changing needs of a broad range of medical imaging. Simplified models of the history of the PACS industry are mined for the assumptions they provide about future innovations and trends. The physicist frequently participates in or directs technical assessments for medical equipment, and many physicists have extended these activities to include imaging informatics. It is hoped that by applying these speculative but experienced-based predictions, the interested medical physicist will be better able to take the lead in setting information technology strategies that will help facilities not only prepare for the future but continue to enjoy the benefits of technological innovations without disruptive, expensive, and unexpected changes in architecture. A good PACS strategy can help accelerate the time required for innovations to go from the drawing board to clinical implementation.
Changes in redox affect the activity of erythropoietin RNA binding protein

We have previously identified a cytosolic protein, erythropoietin RNA binding protein (ERBP), which is up-regulated in certain tissues in response to hypoxia. To further characterize the interaction of ERBP and erythropoietin (EPO) mRNA, we have examined the role of reduction-oxidation in the EPO mRNA binding mechanism of ERBP isolated from human hepatoma cells (Hep3B). Reducing agents dithiothreitol (DTT) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) increased ERBP binding activity in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas the oxidizing agent, diamide, abolished ERBP binding activity. In addition, treatment of Hep3B cell lysates with the irreversible sulfhydryl alkylating agent N-ethylmaleimide resulted in inhibition of the EPO mRNA-ERBP complex. Taken together, these findings suggest that sulfhydryl groups may play a role in vivo in the regulation of EPO production through the modulation of ERBP binding activity.
Managerial discretion and optimal financing policies

Abstract I analyze financing policies in a firm owned by atomistic shareholders who observe neither cash flows nor management's investment decisions. Management derives perquisites from investment and invests as much as possible. Since it always claims that cash flow is too low fund all positive net present value projects, its claim is not credible when cash flow is truly low. Consequently, management is forced to invest too little when cash flow is low and chooses to invest too much when it is high. Financing policies, by influencing the resources under management's control, can reduce the costs of over- and underinvestment.
Coding-based energy minimization for phase change memory

We devise new coding methods to minimize Phase Change Memory write energy. Our method minimizes the energy required for memory rewrites by utilizing the differences between PCM read, set, and reset energies. We develop an integer linear programming method and employ dynamic programming to produce codes for uniformly distributed data. We also introduce data-aware coding schemes to efficiently address the energy minimization problem for stochastic data. Our evaluations show that the proposed methods result in up to 32% and 44% reduction in memory energy consumption for uniform and stochastic data respectively.
Correlated response in reproduction, growth and composition to selection in gilts for extremes in age at puberty and backfat.

Abstract Females (n=50) were selected for extremes in early vs. late sexual maturity (12 EP, 13 LP) based on age at first detectable estrus; or, high vs. low backfat (13 HF, 12 LF) based on backfat at the tenth rib adjusted to 105 kg basis. These selected females were then heat checked daily, bred during scheduled breeding periods and allowed to farrow. Reproductive performance was then monitored. More EP than LP females demonstrated a normal cycling pattern. Also, more HF than LF females had normal cycling patterns. Early puberty (EP) female farrowed more litters per sow (P
Cefazolin Embedded Biodegradable Polypeptide Nanofilms Promising for Infection Prevention: A Preliminary Study on Cell Responses

Implant-associated infection is a serious complication in orthopedic surgery, and endowing implant surfaces with antibacterial properties could be one of the most promising approaches for preventing such infection. In this study, we developed cefazolin loaded biodegradable polypeptide multilayer nanofilms on orthopedic implants. We found that the amount of cefazolin released could be tuned. A high local concentration of cefazolin was achieved within the first a few hours and therefore may inhibit bacterial colonization in the critical postimplantation period. The developed cefazolin loaded nanofilms showed their in vitro efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus; the more antibiotics loaded, the longer the nanocoated implant had antibacterial properties. More interestingly, antibiotic-loaded polypeptide multilayer nanofilms also improved osteoblast bioactivity including cell viability and proliferation. These findings suggested that biodegradable polypeptide multilayer nanofilms as antibiotic carriers at the implant/tissue interface are compatible with human cells such as osteoblasts and bactericidal to bacteria such as S. aureus. These characteristics could be promising for preventing implant-associated infection and potentially improving bone healing.
The Continuum of Sexual Violence Women’s Accounts of Victimization in Urban Nightlife

Despite the fact that a substantial amount of research has been conducted on sexual victimization among youth and young adults with active night lives, few of these studies have provided an analysi...
Analysis of Filament-Reinforced Spherical Pressure Vessels

An analysis of the response of a filament-wound spherical vessel to internal pressurization is presented. Based on a structural model of an elastic-plastic bladder inside a transversely isotropic elastic composite, analytic expressions for the stress, strain, and displacement fields are derived for pressures preceding, during, and after bladder yield. Equations for short-term composite failure pressures are predicted using maximum stress, maximum strain, and Norris-Ashkenazi failure criteria. Using the transversely isotropic model, laminate stiffnesses and strengths are computed from the micro-mechanically predicted lamina properties. The results are evaluated numerically for the PRD-49/epoxy, Thornel 400/epoxy, and Thornel 75S/epoxy systems, for a range of wall thicknesses. The Norris-Ashkenazi criterion is seen to give the most conservative failure predictions for the structure. The analysis emphasizes the need for reasonable radial compressive strengths and high filament volume fraction in obtaining a high-burst-pressure design.
Stressful Experiences, Coping Strategies, and Predictors of Health-related Outcomes among Wives of Deployed Military Servicemen:

A survey of military wives (N = 77) identifies their most stressful experiences, self-appraised control over these stressors, and coping strategies used. The authors examine two competing hypotheses: the goodness-of-fit hypothesis that the effects of problem-focused coping (PFC) and emotion-focused coping (EFC) strategies on distress are moderated by the appraised controllability of the stressor, and the main-effects hypothesis that PFC strategies are more effective than EFC strategies in reducing distress regardless of appraisal of controllability. Wives identified deployment of soldiers as their most stressful experience, and reported using PFC strategies more frequently than EFC strategies. EFC strategies were predictive of greater physical symptoms of illness, while PFC strategies were related to reduced physical symptoms of illness only when military wives’ perceived control of the situation was low. PFC strategies and controllability were significantly related to decreased depressive symptoms; EFC w...
A Parallel-Pipeline Architecture of the Fast Polynomial Transform for Computing a Two-Dimensional Cyclic Convolution

In this paper, a parallel-pipeline, radix-2 architecture is proposed to implement the fast polynomial transform (FPT). It is shown that such a structure can be used to efficiently compute a two-dimensional convolution of d 1 × d 2 complex number points, where d1 = 2m-r+1and d 2 = 2mfor 1 ≤ r ≤ m.
LATENCY-AGE CHILDREN WHO THREATEN OR ATTEMPT TO KILL THEMSELVES

The latency-age child who threatens to kill himself is giving expression to a complex interplay of psychic forces resulting from the vicissitudes of his aggressive drives and his narcissistic orientation to life. Because of his particular early life frustrations and disappointments, the child is expressing in his self-destructive behavior his primitive rage and aggression toward his parents, usually the mother. Overwhelmed with guilt, the child turns his hatred on the self with the hope and expectation that in death he will find the unfulfilled pleasures and the narcissistic satisfactions denied him in reality. Thus death means for him a better and happier life, or symbolically a wish to reunite with the all-giving good mother, the state of primary narcissism, or the theme of the phoenix myth. When a child has attempted to kill himself, there appears to be a major break with reality, a massive disruption of adaptive mechanisms and a withdrawal of libido from the world. A psychotic state prevails. There is little evidence at this time to suggest that those who threaten and those who attempt to kill themselves can properly be placed upon a continuum; rather these two groups present certain critical differences. The processes involved include a pathological development of various facets of the personality, such as the libidinal
Manipulative Behavior in Auction IPOs

Becoming a publicly traded company entails numerous benefits for a company, ranging from the actual receipt of capital to increased prestige.1 In general, initial public offerings (“IPOs”) play a major role in corporate finance and enable economic growth.2 Book-building is the dominant method by which a company becomes public in the United States.3 This method is administered by underwriters who have the discretion to choose the share price and allocate the offered shares.4 Underwriters have been severely criticized for abusing the bookbuilding method to extract benefits indirectly for themselves.5 By underpricing the share price in the public offering, an especially common custom during the hot technology bubble, underwriters are able to use their power to choose who can purchase the underpriced shares and, thus, allegedly are able to further their own benefits.6 However, underpricing the shares reduces the proceeds the issuer receives from the public offering.7 The Dutch auction is an alternative method for a company to become public. Using this method, the company conducts an auction for its shares and the price is set at the lowest successful bid. According to conventional wisdom, a public offering conducted in the form of a nondiscriminatory Dutch auction, rather than the book-building
“Perfection” Subverted? A Contrivance for Outcrossing in a Rare Orchid Is Influenced by Pollinator Abundance1

Abstract The combination of protandrous flowers and acropetal inflorescence development in bee-pollinated species is thought to maximize cross-pollination because bees visit vertical inflorescences from the bottom up. However, incomplete protandry may allow bees to carry out geitonogamous pollinations. We examined the overlap in male and female phases in the rare orchid Spiranthes diluvialis, a plant with the above combination of characteristics. We found that unvisited male phase flowers proceed to a hermaphroditic phase, not a female phase, because each flower's single pollinarium remains viable and may be removed by pollinators throughout anthesis. Pollinator visitation rates, as estimated by pollinaria removal rates, varied among five populations in Utah and Colorado, USA. More hermaphroditic phase flowers accrued on inflorescences in populations with low visitation rates than in those with higher visitation rates. We conclude that the cross-pollination mechanism of S. diluvialis requires some minimum...
N-Acetylcysteine for Reduction of Oxidative Stress/Damage and Prevention of Melanoma

N-acetyl-l-cysteine is a potent antioxidant that is commercially available as an over-the-counter supplement that has demonstrated efficacy for several medical applications.
Bruton v. United States: Limited Admissibility and the Rule of Completeness

This article discusses the concept of limited admissibility and the rule of completeness as they play out in the Bruton context, i.e., extrajudicial statements of a nontestifying codefendant implicating the accused.
BD Veritor System Respiratory Syncytial Virus Rapid Antigen Detection Test: Point-of-Care Results in Primary Care Pediatric Offices Compared With Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction and Viral Culture Methods.

Background During respiratory syncytial virus season, many children present to pediatric offices and urgent care medical facilities with cough, tachypnea, intercostal retraction, wheezing, as well as disturbed appetite and sleep. Identification of the responsible viral pathogen is quite difficult because several pathogens can produce similar signs and symptoms. Methods Nasopharyngeal specimens were collected from symptomatic sick children younger than 6 years, in 8 geographically representative primary care pediatric practices during a 4-month RSV season. Institutional review board approval and signed parental consent were obtained. The primary objective of the study was the estimation of the sensitivity and specificity of the Becton Dickinson (BD) Veritor RSV point-of-care (POC) assay as compared with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results Of 523 specimens, 58.3% (n = 305) were from patients younger than 2 years. The BD Veritor RSV POC assay sensitivity and specificity are 81.6% (146/179) and 99.1% (341/344), respectively. When compared with RT-PCR, the BD Veritor RSV POC assay false positive was 0.9% (3/344, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.3%-2.5%) and the false negative was 18.4% (33/179, with a 95% confidence interval of 13.4%-24.5%). The BD Veritor RSV POC assay identified more true positive specimens (n = 146) than viral cell culture (n = 134 positive specimens). Conclusions In 8 participating primary care pediatric offices with 523 evaluable subjects, POC BD Veritor RSV tests performed better than viral cell culture results when RT-PCR was the reference standard.
Space–Time Patterns of Respiratory Cancer Incidence and Mortality: Kentucky, 1969–2011

AbstractKentucky rates of lung cancer and related neoplasms are larger than those for the nation and surrounding states. Additionally, the eastern Appalachian region of Kentucky manifests the highest rates for diseases, including lung cancer and non-cancer-related respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Previous research reveals a complex interplay of social, environmental, economic, health care, and educational factors driving the elevated rates. Temporal changes in spatial patterns of respiratory cancer incidence and mortality, however, have not been explored, despite their value in understanding the interplay of factors influencing these outcomes. I explore spatiotemporal patterns of incidence and mortality related to respiratory neoplasms at the county-level across Kentucky from 1969 through 2011. I apply several cluster identification techniques, spatial regression, and geographically weighted regression (GWR) to examine historical shifts in the spatial patterns. I...
How large are the effects of population aging on economic inequality

The attention given to Piketty (2014) has renewed interest in the level and causes of inequality. In this paper, we look at the role that population aging plays in increasing economic inequality. We provide estimates of the magnitudes of the effects on inequality of three different factors related to population aging: capital intensification, changing population age structure, and increasing longevity. Changing age structure is found to have a small effect on aggregate inequality, while capital deepening and longevity-based life cycle savings are shown to be more important. Taken together, our findings suggest that aging has a substantial effect on economic inequality.
Risk Factors for Extended Duration and Timing of Peak Severity of Hot Flashes

Objective To identify risk factors associated with the duration of hot flashes and the time of peak hot flash severity in mid-life women.
Analysis of clinical effect of sodium nitroprusside in treatment of acute left heart failure

Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of sodium nitroprusside in the treatment of acute left heart failure. Methods Seventy patients with acute left heart failure treated and hospitalized in our hospital from January 2011 to January 2012 were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group. The control group was given conventional drugs,diuretics and positive inotropic drugs. The treatment group was given continuous infusion of 50 mg of sodium nitroprusside soluble in 500 mL of 5% GS on the basis of the control group. The improvement of left heart failure symptoms was observed. Results The total clinical effective rate of the sodium nitroprusside group was higher than that of the control group, with statistical difference(P 0.05). Conclusion In the treatment of acute left heart failure, sodium nitroprusside can improve the patients' clinical symptoms and is safe and effective.
SECRET: smartly EnCRypted energy efficient non-volatile memories

Data persistence in emerging non-volatile memories (NVMs) poses a multitude of security vulnerabilities, motivating main memory encryption for data security. However, practical encryption algorithms demonstrate strong diffusion characteristics that increase cell flips, resulting in increased write energy/latency and reduced lifetime of NVMs. State-of-the-art security solutions have focused on reducing the encryption penalty (increased write energy/latency and reduced memory lifetime) in single-level cell (SLC) NVMs; however, the realization of low encryption penalty solutions for multi-/triple-level cell (MLC/TLC) secure NVMs remains an open area of research. This work synergistically integrates zero-based partial writes with XOR-based energy masking to realize Smartly EnCRypted Energy efficienT, i.e., SECRET MLC/TLC NVMs, without compromising the security of the underlying encryption technique. Our simulations on an MLC (TLC) resistive RAM (RRAM) architecture across SPEC CPU2006 workloads demonstrate that for 6.25% (7.84%) memory overhead, SECRET reduces write energy by 80% (63%), latency by 37% (49%), and improves memory lifetime by 63% (56%) over conventional advanced encryption standard-based (AES-based) counter mode encryption.
Evidence That the Pi Release Event Is the Rate-Limiting Step in the Nitrogenase Catalytic Cycle

Nitrogenase reduction of dinitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3) involves a sequence of events that occur upon the transient association of the reduced Fe protein containing two ATP molecules with the MoFe protein that includes electron transfer, ATP hydrolysis, Pi release, and dissociation of the oxidized, ADP-containing Fe protein from the reduced MoFe protein. Numerous kinetic studies using the nonphysiological electron donor dithionite have suggested that the rate-limiting step in this reaction cycle is the dissociation of the Fe protein from the MoFe protein. Here, we have established the rate constants for each of the key steps in the catalytic cycle using the physiological reductant flavodoxin protein in its hydroquinone state. The findings indicate that with this reductant, the rate-limiting step in the reaction cycle is not protein-protein dissociation or reduction of the oxidized Fe protein, but rather events associated with the Pi release step. Further, it is demonstrated that (i) Fe protein transfers only one electron to MoFe protein in each Fe protein cycle coupled with hydrolysis of two ATP molecules, (ii) the oxidized Fe protein is not reduced when bound to MoFe protein, and (iii) the Fe protein interacts with flavodoxin using the same binding interface that is used with the MoFe protein. These findings allow a revision of the rate-limiting step in the nitrogenase Fe protein cycle.
Engineering Nanoparticulate Diamond for Applications in Nanomedicine and Biology

There is increasing evidence that nanodiamonds (NDs) can be effectively utilized as a platform for a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic applications. This nanoparticle possesses a number of key advantages including remarkable biocompatibility across different cell types, ease and breadth of surface modification, and unique optical and electronic properties. Nanocrystalline diamond films also represent an amenable surface to a variety of biomedical applications. To fully utilize NDs for medicine, purification, deagglomeration, and functionalization procedures are required to disintegrate tight ND aggregates into primary particles ( in vitro , from chemotherapeutics to nucleic acids. They also exhibit extraordinary fluorescence capabilities after minor chemical modifications, allowing for use in biological tracking experiments. Their impressive applicability toward drug delivery extends to in vivo experiments as well, where NDs were shown to overcome drug resistance in a comprehensive murine model-based study. Compared to using drug alone, the ND–drug conjugates showed more robust treatment against mammary and liver tumors. Subsequently, this result confirms the powerful therapeutic sequestering and targeting effect of NDs, and its potential for improving the ability to treat a broad spectrum of diseases such as cancer.
Calibration accuracy of a 625 GHz on-wafer probe

The accuracy of an on-wafer probe system operating at 625 GHz is analyzed. A weighted least squares analysis is applied to the calibration of a one-port measurement system to propagate the non-systematic errors introduced by probe contact and probe placement variation. The worst-case errors of the 625 GHz on-wafer probe system are found and the combined effects of the VNA extender's power drop-out at the low end of the band with the poor matching of the probe at the high-end results in the 625 GHz probe system being most accurate in the center of the WR-1.5 waveguide band. Between 560 and 625 GHz the worst case error is 0.26 in linear magnitude and 15° in phase for a 0 dB reflection.
Utility-scale lithium-ion storage cost projections for use in capacity expansion models

This work presents U.S. utility-scale battery storage cost projections for use in capacity expansion models. We create battery cost projections based on a survey of literature cost projections of battery packs and balance of system costs, with a focus on lithium-ion batteries. Low, mid, and high cost trajectories are created for the overnight capital costs and the operating and maintenance costs. We then demonstrate the impact of these cost projections in the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) capacity expansion model. We find that under reference scenario conditions, lower battery costs can lead to increased penetration of variable renewable energy, with solar photovoltaics (PV) seeing the largest increase. We also find that additional storage can reduce renewable energy curtailment, although that comes at the expense of additional storage losses.
Palliative Care Interventions for Patients with Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Abstract Objective: To systematically characterize interventions and effectiveness of palliative care for advanced heart failure (HF) patients. Background: Patients with advanced heart failure experience a high burden of distressing symptoms and diminished quality of life. Palliative care expertise with symptom management and healthcare decision-making benefits HF patients. Methods: A systematic PubMed search was conducted from inception to June 2016 for studies of palliative care interventions for HF patients. Studies of humans with a HF diagnosis who underwent a palliative care intervention were included. Data were extracted on study design, participant characteristics, intervention components, and in three groups of outcomes: patient-centered outcomes, quality-of-death outcomes, and resource utilization. Study characteristics were examined to determine if meta-analysis was possible. Results: The fifteen identified studies varied in design (prospective, n = 10; retrospective, n = 5). Studies enrolled ol...
Lightweight Swarm Attestation: A Tale of Two LISA-s

In the last decade, Remote Attestation (RA) emerged as a distinct security service for detecting attacks on embedded devices, cyber-physical systems (CPS) and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. RA involves verification of current internal state of an untrusted remote hardware platform (prover) by a trusted entity (verifier). RA can help the latter establish a static or dynamic root of trust in the prover and can also be used to construct other security services, such as software updates and secure deletion. Various RA techniques with different assumptions, security features and complexities, have been proposed for the single-prover scenario. However, the advent of IoT brought about the paradigm of many interconnected devices, thus triggering the need for efficient collective attestation of a (possibly mobile) group or swarm of provers. Though recent work has yielded some initial concepts for swarm attestation, several key issues remain unaddressed, and practical realizations have not been explored. This paper's main goal is to advance swarm attestation by bringing it closer to reality. To this end, it makes two contributions: (1) a new metric, called QoSA: Quality of Swarm Attestation, that captures the information offered by a swarm attestation technique; this allows comparing efficacy of multiple protocols, and (2) two practical attestation protocols -- called LISAa and LISAs -- for mobile swarms, with different QoSA features and communication and computation complexities. Security of proposed protocols is analyzed and their performance is assessed based on experiments with prototype implementations.
Constructing Cognitive Maps from Partial Information: A Demonstration Study with Congenitally Blind Subjects:

Congenitally blind subjects (mean age = 17:2) explored haptically a subset of spatial relations among four objects on a table top. They were then asked to walk all the paths connecting the objects ...
Nondepolarizing Neuromuscular Blocking Agents

Neuromuscular blocking medications are an important part of the anesthetic management of many patients undergoing surgery. These drugs act at the neuromuscular junction on postsynaptic acetylcholine receptors. Muscle relaxants can be divided into depolarizing and nondepolarizing categories. Succinylcholine is the only depolarizing neuromuscular blocker used in clinical practice. It has a short onset and duration of action and is associated with several important side-effects. Nondepolarizing muscle relaxants in clinical use are divided into two categories—benzylisoquinolines and steroids. The several medications in this class are varied in their onset, duration of action, metabolism, excretion, and side-effects. Monitoring of muscle relaxation occurs by testing for contraction in response to electrical stimulation. Prolonged paralysis from neuromuscular blockers has a variety of causes, including hypothermia, hepatic dysfunction and atypical enzymes. Reversal of nondepolarizing muscle blockers is often necessary and is done through the use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. The side-effects of cholinesterase inhibitors are reduced by using anticholinergic medications that limit the muscarinic effects of increased levels of acetylcholine. An understanding of the appropriate uses, limitations, risks, and monitoring of neuromuscular blocking medications is a fundamental aspect of anesthesiology.
Gene Therapy Approaches to Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Other Infectious Diseases

Advances in gene therapy technologies, particularly in gene editing, are suggesting new avenues for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus and other infectious diseases. This article outlines recent developments in antiviral gene therapies, including those based on the disruption of entry receptors or that target viral genomes using targeted nucleases, such as the CRISPR/Cas9 system. In addition, new ways to express circulating antiviral factors, such as antibodies, and approaches to harness and engineer the immune system to provide an antiviral effect that is not naturally achieved are described.
The role of orexin in brain radiation-induced fatigue

Purpose/Objectives Fatigue, the most common toxicity of whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT), significantly decreases quality of life (QOL) for patients, abrogating the benefit afforded by improved tumor control. The objective of this study is to evaluate the role of diminished orexin neuron activity in the pathogenesis of fatigue induced by clinically significant WBRT fractionation. Materials/Methods Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received WBRT, 4 Gy in 5 fractions or sham irradiation. Home cage locomotor activity (LMA) was monitored using a photobeam system. Cerebrospinal fluid and brain sections were collected at fatigue onset, nadir, and recovery. CSF orexin concentration was measured using radioimmunoassay. Inflammatory and oxidative expression patterns were evaluated by qPCR. Data were analyzed by t-test or 2-way ANOVA with Bonferroni correction. Significance was set at P Results LMA was decreased in WBRT-treated rats starting following the first fraction and continued to decrease until reaching a nadir following the final fraction, then recovering to a new baseline ∼10% lower than sham- irradiated rats. Food intake and weight gain were reduced in WBRT-treated rats, leading to persistent growth suppression. WBRT induced inflammatory gene expression. CSF orexin concentration will be reported. Conclusions WBRT-induced fatigue can be modeled using home cage LMA. Rats exhibit an activity nadir following final fraction and never fully recover. The role of orexin and inflammation in fatigue will be discussed as potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
Investigation of dynamic changes of substrate features on enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass

Abstract During enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass, the retardance of reaction has been widely observed, which is attributed to enzyme activity loss and/or substrate reactivity reduction. A real lignocellulosic biomass, dilute acid pretreated switchgrass instead of pure cellulose was used in this research. A series of hydrolysis of partially hydrolyzed pretreated switchgrass were conducted to study the effect of the dynamic change of substrate properties on the enzymatic hydrolysis. The digestibility, enzyme adsorption characteristics, surface areas of cellulose and lignin in partially hydrolyzed switchgrass were determined and compared. A new method was used to quantify the strong negative correlation between lignin content and hydrolysis rate/yield, which indicates that the increasing lignin content caused significant inhibitory effect. The cellulose decomposition during hydrolysis resulted in decrease of accessible cellulose surface area, but cellulose crystallinity of substrate had only slight change, which coincided with more exposure of lignin and increase of lignin surface area. That led to more nonproductive adsorption of enzyme to lignin and reduced the amount of enzyme available for cellulose hydrolysis.
Opportunities for greater energy efficiency in government facilities by aligning decision structures with advances in behavioral science

Abstract In 2007, Executive Order 13423 mandated 30% energy and emission reductions for all government facilities by 2015. Unfortunately, the government fell short of their goal by 9%. Their approach through mandates and federal legislation focused predominantly on new construction and major retrofits to existing facilities. To meet future energy and emission reduction goals, more emphasis on facility management is needed. The government manages over 370 million square feet of facilities each year. The daily decision process for government facility managers is full of competing interests, such as maintenance needs (preventative and corrective), limited operating budgets, time constraints to make decisions, and bounded rationality about energy consumption and savings. By understanding how these decisions are made and the cognitive bias that may occur, advances in facility management decision making can reduce energy consumption. Cognitive biases to the decision making process such as loss aversion, anchoring, and status quo bias are explored and an approach to overcome them is offered, a tactic called choice architecture, meaning restructuring decision environments to align with behavioral decision theory. Examples of choice architecture, such as, enabling procurement systems to query green products, changing default settings in mechanical systems, and requiring the use of pay back period calculators to account for cognitive limitations of the decision maker, are suggested and supported by behavioral science research to help direct facility managers towards energy efficient choices. This approach, through choice architecture, holds potential to yield relatively low-cost solutions (they do not require new mandates or laws) to support greater energy reduction in government facility management. This merging of literature from behavioral science to facility management is meant to open new avenues of interdisciplinary research.
Hip Arthroscopic Surgery for Femoroacetabular Impingement With Capsular Management: Factors Associated With Achieving Clinically Significant Outcomes.

Background:There has been increasing interest in defining clinically meaningful outcomes in patient reported outcomes following orthopaedic surgery. Little is known about the factors associated wit...
Instabilities in rapid directional solidification under weak flow

We examine a rapidly solidifying binary alloy under directional solidification with nonequilibrium interfacial thermodynamics viz. the segregation coefficient and the liquidus slope are speed dependent and attachment-kinetic effects are present. Both of these effects alone give rise to (steady) cellular instabilities, mode S, and a pulsatile instability, mode P. We examine how weak imposed boundary-layer flow of magnitude |V| affects these instabilities. For small |V|, mode S becomes a traveling and the flow stabilizes (destabilizes) the interface for small (large) surface energies. For small |V|, mode P has a critical wave number that shifts from zero to nonzero giving spatial structure. The flow promotes this instability and the frequencies of the complex conjugate pairs each increase (decrease) with flow for large (small) wave numbers. These results are obtained by regular perturbation theory in powers of V far from the point where the neutral curves cross, but requires a modified expansion in powers of V^{1/3} near the crossing. A uniform composite expansion is then obtained valid for all small |V|.
Combination Therapy with Biologics and Other Systemic Treatments in Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common, chronic inflammatory disease associated with multiple comorbidities. The traditional therapies for moderate-to-severe psoriasis include phototherapy and systemic oral agents such as methotrexate, acitretin, and cyclosporine. Biologic agents, including etanercept, adalimumab, infliximab, ustekinumab, secukinumab, and ixekizumab, have changed the psoriasis armamentarium and have become widely used to treat moderate-to-severe psoriasis. While biologic monotherapies are effective for many patients, some patients have refractory psoriasis and may require combination approaches. Combination therapy with biologics may increase efficacy without additional toxicity. Selection of combination therapy depends on patient demographics, comorbidities, psoriasis disease severity, and previously attempted therapies. Combination therapy with biologics and methotrexate contains the most evidence, followed by combination therapy with acitretin and then NB-UVB. However, the amount of existing evidence does not necessarily correlate with effectiveness. Treatment decisions must be made on an individual basis, and further studies are needed to elucidate which combination therapies are most effective. This chapter will discuss and evaluate the data on combining various biologic agents with methotrexate, acitretin, cyclosporine, and phototherapy.
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs of Physicians and Other Health Care Providers Regarding Artificial Nutrition and Hydration at the End of Life:

Objective: Despite the growing evidence against artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) use among patients with advanced dementia, little is known about the perspectives of the health care team. This study examined the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of physicians and other health care providers regarding the use of ANH at the end of life (EOL). Methods: A cross-sectional survey explored the provision of EOL care using a hypothetical case scenario of a patient with advanced dementia and dysphagia. Questionnaire items were analyzed using parametric and nonparametric approaches. Results: In this sample of 323 respondents, statistical significance was found between physicians and other health care providers' views on ANH and its related beneficial effects or health outcomes in EOL care. Discussion: Results indicate knowledge deficits in physicians and other health care professionals and highlight the need for comprehensive continuing education programs on EOL topics. Conclusion: Differences in knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding ANH in EOL among healthcare providers were observed and education regarding evidence based clinical guidelines are necessary.
Developmental Tasks in the Life Cycle of Mission Families

This study focuses on some of the developmental tasks common to mission families. These tasks are discussed in terms of McGoldrick and Carter's (1982) six stages of the family life cycle. A tripart...
Neuroestrogens rapidly shape auditory circuits to support communication learning and perception: Evidence from songbirds

Contribution to Special Issue on Fast effects of steroids. Steroid hormones, such as estrogens, were once thought to be exclusively synthesized in the ovaries and enact transcriptional changes over the course of hours to days. However, estrogens are also locally synthesized within neural circuits, wherein they rapidly (within minutes) modulate a range of behaviors, including spatial cognition and communication. Here, we review the role of brain-derived estrogens (neuroestrogens) as modulators within sensory circuits in songbirds. We first present songbirds as an attractive model to explore how neuroestrogens in auditory cortex modulate vocal communication processing and learning. Further, we examine how estrogens may enhance vocal learning and auditory memory consolidation in sensory cortex via mechanisms similar to those found in the hippocampus of rodents and birds. Finally, we propose future directions for investigation, including: 1) the extent of developmental and hemispheric shifts in aromatase and membrane estrogen receptor expression in auditory circuits; 2) how neuroestrogens may impact inhibitory interneurons to regulate audition and critical period plasticity; and, 3) dendritic spine plasticity as a candidate mechanism mediating estrogen-dependent effects on vocal learning. Together, this perspective of estrogens as neuromodulators in the vertebrate brain has opened new avenues in understanding sensory plasticity, including how hormones can act on communication circuits to influence behaviors in other vocal learning species, such as in language acquisition and speech processing in humans.