cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of an ideal fluid mixture on the evaporator performance of a heat pipe in microgravity

Abstract Previous studies on wickless heat pipes showed that a temperature induced “Marangoni flow” prevents liquid from recirculating to the heater end, and therefore reduces the effectiveness of the heat pipe. Recently, several research groups used a water and alcohol mixture, with a low concentration of alcohol, resulting in better performance of the heat pipe. The alcohol/water combinations were peculiar in that for a certain composition range, the surface tension increases with increasing temperature thereby driving liquid toward the hotter end. It was believed that changing the direction of the Marangoni stress or reducing its magnitude by differential evaporation of an ideal binary mixture would also improve the performance of the heat pipe. For the first time, an ideal fluid mixture of 94 vol%-pentane and 6 vol%-isohexane was used as the working fluid in the Constrained Vapor Bubble (CVB) heat pipe experiment on the International Space Station (ISS). Using a simple heat transfer model developed in our laboratory, an internal heat transfer coefficient in the evaporator section was determined and shown to be almost twice that of the case where pure pentane was used under the same conditions. The Marangoni stress in the mixture was five times lower. Interestingly, reducing the Marangoni stress led to less liquid accumulation near the heater end and surveillance images of the device, taken at the steady state, showed that the bubble gets much closer to the heater end in the mixture case instead of being isolated from the heater by a thick liquid pool as in the pure pentane case. The proximity of the bubble to the heater wall led to more evaporation at the heater end in the mixture case, and therefore a higher heat transfer coefficient. The pressure profile calculated from the Young–Laplace equation supports the observations made from the surveillance images.
Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission Products and Services at the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences (GES) Data and Information Services Center (DISC)

AbstractThis article describes NASA/JAXA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission products and services at the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences (GES) Data and Information Services Center (DISC). Built on the success of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), the next-generation GPM mission consists of new precipitation measurement instruments and a constellation of international research and operational satellites to provide improved measurements of precipitation globally. To facilitate data access, research, applications, and scientific discovery, the GES DISC has developed a variety of data services for GPM. This article is intended to guide users in choosing GPM datasets and services at the GES DISC.
Controlling Work Stress: Effective Human Resource and Management Strategies

The article reviews the book “Controlling Work Stress: Effective Human Resource and Management Strategies,” by M.T. Matteson and J.M. Ivancevich.
Genetically Engineered Yeast Expressing a Lytic Peptide from Bee Venom (Melittin) Kills Symbiotic Protozoa in the Gut of Formosan Subterranean Termites

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, is a costly invasive urban pest in warm and humid regions around the world. Feeding workers of the Formosan subterranean termite genetically engineered yeast strains that express synthetic protozoacidal lytic peptides has been shown to kill the cellulose digesting termite gut protozoa, which results in death of the termite colony. In this study, we tested if Melittin, a natural lytic peptide from bee venom, could be delivered into the termite gut via genetically engineered yeast and if the expressed Melittin killed termites via lysis of symbiotic protozoa in the gut of termite workers and/or destruction of the gut tissue itself. Melittin expressing yeast did kill protozoa in the termite gut within 56 days of exposure. The expressed Melittin weakened the gut but did not add a synergistic effect to the protozoacidal action by gut necrosis. While Melittin could be applied for termite control via killing the cellulose-digesting protozoa in the termite gut, it is unlikely to be useful as a standalone product to control insects that do not rely on symbiotic protozoa for survival.
“A Gift We Are Unable to Create Ourselves”: Uncertainty Reduction in Online Classified Ads Posted by Gay Men Pursuing Surrogacy

ABSTRACTSurrogacy is becoming an increasingly popular way for gay men to start a family. Those choosing surrogacy must navigate intensive medical procedures, complex interpersonal dynamics, legal maneuverings, and a society that views parenting through a heteronormative lens. With so many unknowns, the need to reduce uncertainty is significant. Online communities offer a starting point, providing information, advice, and classified ads for matching with a surrogate. This investigation employs a qualitative framework for understanding how strategic messaging in online ads featured on surromomsonline.com, the website of Surrogate Mothers Online, LLC, reduce uncertainty and facilitate the matching process for gay men. Analysis identified common themes in ads posted by gay intended parents. Uncertainty reduction theory provides a theoretical framework for understanding how these communication strategies function to reduce uncertainty and facilitate the communication process. The results illustrate that for ga...
Complex Interactions Between Vectors and Pathogens: Culicoides variipennis sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Infection Rates with Bluetongue Viruses

Two laboratory colonies of Culicoides variipennis sonorensis Wirth & Jones were allowed to take blood meals containing the five U.S. serotypes (2, 10, 11, 13, and 17) of bluetongue (BLU) virus. After 14 d of extrinsic incubation, the flies were assayed for the presence of virus using an antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). There was a significant effect of the serotype on infection of C. v. sonorensis with BLU virus. There was no significant difference in infection of the two colonies when averaged across the five BLU virus treatments. However, there was a statistically significant interaction between the colonies and the virus serotypes, which was demonstrated by a higher rate of infection of the AA colony with BLU virus serotype 13 and a higher rate of infection of the AK colony with BLU virus serotype 11.
Patterns of Reproduction in Ostracodes: A Review

ABSTRACT This paper reviews reproduction and mating in ostracodes. Both sexual reproduction by copulation and parthenogenesis occur in ostracodes. The group is large and there is much variation in their reproductive patterns, especially between the two major groups: the podocopans and the myodocopans. The following features of ostracodes are reviewed: (1) life history patterns (egg production and protection, developmental patterns, longevity, seasonality of breeding, sex ratios), (2) reproductive system morphology (including gonads, sperm, seminal vesicles, spcrmatophores and copulatory apparatuses in males, and gonads and seminal receptacles in females), (3) secondary sexual characters (especially in the valves, limbs, and eyes), (4) mating positions and copulation, (5) courtship and precopulatory sexual behavior, and (6) bioluminescent displays.
Clinical observation of Mosapride in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease:A report of 114 cases

Objective To evaluate the utility and safety of Mosapride in curing gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD).Method According to the clinical study method of random comparison,114 patients were departed into three groups at random(36 for Omeprazole and Mosapride,38 for Omeprazole and Domperidone and 40 for only Omeprazole).The course of treatment lasted four weeks.Results After two weeks' treating,there was no significant difference in the remission rate of the rational symptom of the three.But after four weeks,the remission rate of the group using Omeprazole and Mosapride was obviously higher than that using Omeprazole simply and the recurrence rate after two weeks'discontinuation was obviously lower than that,but it had no significant difference from the group using Omeprazole and Domperidone.Monitoring 24 h pH after four weeks' therapy,the results showed that the time percentage of pH 4 and the reflux times lasting more than 5 minutes of the patients using Omeprazole and Mosapride were obviously lower than the other two groups.But there was no significant difference of the reflux times of pH 4 and lower esophageal sphincter pressure(LESP) in the three groups.Conclusion Mosapride in a dose of 30 mg/d causes a significant decrease in the percentage time for which pH 4 and the long-time.Moreover it can efficiently relieve the symptom of GERD and significantly decrease the recurrence rate compared with simply using Omeprazole.
High Temperature Materials Corrosion Challenges for Energy Conversion Technologies

Energy conversion processes are often employed at high temperatures to increase thermodynamic efficiencies or to provide enhanced kinetics for electrochemical processes. While high temperature operation offers these benefits, the thermodynamic driving force and kinetics of any accompanying high temperature corrosion processes are also increased. In this paper, corrosion issues relevant to energy conversion by Rankine cycle, Brayton cycle turbines, nuclear power, solid oxide fuel cells, high temperature thermoelectric systems, and solar concentrator systems are discussed. Corrosion mechanisms, component life prediction, and strategies for mitigating high temperature corrosion specific to each energy technology are addressed.
Formalizing Expert Knowledge Through Machine Learning

This chapter addresses one of the key questions in service science: how to formalize expert knowledge. While this question has been treated mainly as a task of formal language design, we use an alternative approach based on machine learning. Investigating the history of expert systems in artificial intelligence, we suggest that three criteria, generalizability, learnability, and actionability, are critical for extracted expert rules. We then conclude that machine learning is a promising tool to satisfy these criteria. As a real example, we perform a case study on a task of condition-based maintenance in the railway industry. We demonstrate that our proposed statistical outlier detection method achieves good performance for early anomaly detection in wheel axles, and thus in encoding expert knowledge.
Evaluation of hepatitis B reactivation among 62,920 veterans treated with oral hepatitis C antivirals

Reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been reported in hepatitis C virus–infected individuals receiving direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy. The overall risk among patients with current or prior HBV infection in the context of DAA treatment is unknown. The aim of this evaluation was to identify and characterize HBV reactivation among veterans treated with oral DAA therapy. This retrospective evaluation included 62,290 hepatitis C virus–infected veterans completing oral DAA treatment. Baseline HBV infection status for each veteran was identified from HBV laboratory data performed prior to DAA initiation. To assess for HBV reactivation and hepatitis we identified all hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), HBV DNA, and alanine aminotransferase results obtained while on DAA treatment or 7 days after. HBV reactivation was defined as a >1000 IU/mL increase in HBV DNA or HBsAg detection in a person who was previously negative. Prior to DAA treatment 85.5% (53,784/62,920) had HBsAg testing and 0.70% (377/53,784) were positive; 84.6% (53,237/62,920) had a hepatitis B surface antibody test, of which 42.2% (22,479/53,237) were positive. In all, 9 of 62,290 patients treated with DAAs had evidence of HBV reactivation occurring while on DAA treatment. Eight occurred in patients known to be HBsAg-positive, and 1 occurred in a patient known to be isolated hepatitis B core antibody–positive. Seventeen other patients had small increases in HBV DNA levels that did not qualify as HBV reactivation. Only 3 of the 9 patients identified with HBV reactivation in this cohort exhibited peak alanine aminotransferase elevations >2 times the upper limit of normal. Conclusion: HBV reactivation of varying severity, even in the setting of isolated hepatitis B core antibody, with or without accompanying hepatitis can occur—though the occurrence of accompanying severe hepatitis was rare. (Hepatology 2017;66:27–36).
Mechanical characteristics of biodegradable magnesium matrix composites: A review

Abstract In recent years, a new generation of biodegradable metallic materials, magnesium alloys, has been called a revolutionary material for biomedical applications ( i.e. in orthopedics applications as a bone-implant material), thanks to the reasonable strength (similar to bone tissue, compared to available metallic alloys) and high biocompatibility of magnesium and its alloys. However, pure magnesium can corrode too quickly in the physiological pH (7.4–7.6) and high chloride environment of the physiological system and therefore lose their mechanical integrity before tissues have sufficiently. Engineering approach to this challenge (high corrosion rate of Mg) can be ( i ) alloying of element additions, ( ii ) surface treatment and ( iii ) development of metal (magnesium) matrix composites (MMCs). Magnesium-based composites, as bio-materials, can provide a combination of unique characteristics including adjustable mechanical properties ( i.e. tensile strength, elastic modulus, ductility) and corrosion resistance. This is the main advantage of magnesium-based composites as compared with alloying and surface treatment approaches. Here, the matrix materials are biomedical magnesium alloys based on Mg–Zn, Mg–Ca and Mg–REE alloy systems (REE stands for rare earth elements including yttrium, Y, cerium, Ce, lanthanum, La). The reinforcement phases are mainly based on hydroxyapatite (HAP), calcium polyphosphate (CPP), and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) particles, and hybrid HAP + β-TCP particles. In this paper a comprehensive review is provided on different grades of biodegradable magnesium matrix composites, with focus on their mechanical properties.
Parent Psychological Distress in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Within the Context of the Social Ecological Model: A Scoping Review:

BACKGROUND: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents are at risk for psychological distress and impaired mental health, and statistics related to parent psychological distress vary. OBJECTIVE: T...
Immunohistochemical and molecular analysis of spitzoid neoplasms with pulverocyte subclones.

Background Clonal naevi are characterized by a focal proliferation of pigmented melanocytes in an otherwise banal naevus. These subclones are often composed of aggregates of larger, epithelioid melanocytes with nuclear atypia and dusty-grey cytoplasmic pigmentation, which are referred to as 'pulverocytes', and this finding may lead to a misdiagnosis of malignant melanoma (MM). Aim To characterize the significance of subclones of dusty-grey pigmented epithelioid melanocytes within spitzoid neoplasms. Methods We studied the histological and molecular features of a series of 20 spitzoid neoplasms with pulverocyte subclones encountered in our practice, including both atypical Spitz tumours (ASTs) and invasive MMs. Results Pulverocytes were predominantly dermal, and the percentage of subclones ranged from 2% to 40%, with a median of 10% in ASTs and 25% in lesions we classified as MM. In cases with > 10% subclones, there was an increased odds of fluorescence in situ hybridization positivity (OR = 12; 95% CI 1.2-293.4; P = 0.03) and an increased odds of homozygous 9p21 deletion (OR = 3.6; 95 CI 0.28-89.82; P = 0.33), although the latter did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions We consider spitzoid lesions with a small subclone population to be a variant of a clonal naevus with indolent behaviour, whereas lesions with larger pulverocyte populations are more likely to have chromosomal copy number aberrations and in some cases may represent malignant transformation.
Mistakes and Their Origin

Learning what to ignore helps one ignore excessive certainty. Imagination contributes to that learning. When we are open to learning to ignore, then being open to approximating and guessing helps one be open to making mistakes while providing a condition for making fewer mistakes.
Disruption of DNA synthesis in Euplotes by heat shock.

Abstract Exposure of Euplotes to a sublethal heat shock results in complete inhibition of DNA synthesis. Up to 50% of the DNA replication bands in a culture of Euplotes become cytologically altered by a heat shock and some DNA replication bands disappear entirely. After a short recovery period at a normal growth temperature, DNA synthesis resumes in several ways: (1) by re-activation and migration of the original DNA replication bands, (2) by means of new DNA replication bands at sites other than those at which the original bands were located at the time of the heat shock, (3) by synthesis of DNA (3H-thymidine labeling) outside of replication bands, but only in the regions of the macronucleus that had replicated DNA prior to the heat shock.
Trends in the race and ethnicity of eminent Americans

During the last several decades, the ethnic and racial composition of the American elite has changed to include some ethnic minorities and women. This study examines changes in the composition of one segment of the American elite: those who have obtained eminence in their occupations. Lieberson and Carter's study of the ethnic composition of eminent Americans, using Who's Who in America, is replicated with data from the 1990s (Lieberson and Carter, 1979, American Sociological Review 44:347–366). In addition, comparisons between blacks listed in Who's Who in America and blacks listed only in Who's Who among Black Americans are made. During the 20 years since Lieberson and Carter's study, Jews have made remarkable gains in eminent membership, while the rate of black representation has increased only moderately. Women are a small percentage of the eminent regardless of ethnicity, although black women are better represented than their counterparts in white ethnic groups.
Stable Bilateral Teleoperation With Bounded Control

This paper studies a problem of bilateral teleoperation in the presence of asymmetric communication delays, in the case when there is a controller saturation constraint on both the local and remote manipulators. Stability under time delays has been a key challenge in the control of a teleoperation system, and several controllers, mostly based on the concept of passivity, have been proposed over the past two decades. The recently proposed controllers with damping injection improve tracking performance in addition to guaranteeing stability, due to explicit position information in the controller. These results are extended in the case of manipulators that can only produce bounded joint torques for coordination and force reflection. Sufficient conditions for guaranteeing stability and tracking are provided under such a controller restriction. The proposed scheme is validated by experiments on two three degrees of freedom manipulators.
Can You Pay for Honesty? An Experimental Investigation of Motivation Crowding in Managerial Reporting

This study examines the effects of profit-sharing on honesty in managerial reporting. While profit-sharing plans are widely used, there remains a need for understanding how profit-sharing plans affect honesty in managerial reporting. We investigate two commonly observed profit-sharing plans (individual and pooled) in a laboratory experiment where individuals with private cost information submit budget requests. Consistent with our prediction based on motivation crowding theory, our findings suggest that honesty is reduced in the presence of an individual profit-sharing plan. When the profit-sharing plan is expanded to a pooled profit-sharing plan, the adverse effects of the profit-sharing plans are partially mitigated. This study expands our understanding of motivation crowding theory in accounting literature using a non-effort based task. The findings of this study reveal a potential unintended consequence of using profit-sharing plans and have practical implications on the design of control systems for organizations, especially in settings focused on reporting.
An Energy Buffer for Controllable Input Impedance of Constant Power Loads

Power electronic circuits often regulate load power and present a constant power profile to the utility or other electrical source. These constant power loads therefore exhibit a negative incremental input impedance and pose stability challenges when present in either dc or ac systems. This paper presents an energy buffer power converter for a constant power LED lighting load that presents a controllable input impedance to the electrical source. The use of an energy buffer allows the converter to independently control input and output power. The input power is controlled to resemble a resistive load, ensuring that the device exhibits a positive incremental input impedance over short-term input disturbances. Simultaneously, the output power is held constant through high-bandwidth regulation. The control scheme balances the power flow in the long term. Experimental results are presented that demonstrate independence between input and output performance, as well as long-term power balance.
Robot as a Service and its visual programming environment

Robot as a Service (RaaS) is a cloud-computing unit that facilitates the seamless integration of robots and embedded devices into Web and cloud-computing environments. The RaaS concepts can be applied to different types of IoT applications, including cyber-physical systems, autonomous decentralized systems, serverless computing systems, and Internet of Intelligent Things. This section presents the design and implementations of a number of RaaS units, as well as a Visual IoT/ Robotics Programming Environment that can visually program RaaS units through a drag-and-drop style. Multiple physical robots and simulated robots are implemented. The platform independence was ensured through a standard interface defined in a JavaScript Object Notation object. The development and testing of several sample applications is shown.
Case 13-2019: A 54-Year-Old Man with Alcohol Withdrawal and Altered Mental Status

A Man with Alcohol Withdrawal and Altered Mental Status A 54-year-old man was admitted to the hospital for alcohol withdrawal. On the fifth day, after resolution of withdrawal symptoms, he was foun...
Pyrolysis kinetics for lignocellulosic biomass-to-oil from molecular modeling

Woody biomass is complex molecularly. It has long been used successfully as a chemical feedstock without understanding its components and their pyrolysis behavior at a molecular level, but such an understanding would bring new flexibility and control to processing design and operation. Recent data and modeling have in combination made much of cellulose pyrolysis quantitatively predictable. Hemicellulose and lignin are approaching that point, while predicting whole-wood pyrolysis is still complicated by factors like the presence of metal ions and three-dimensional effects.
The molecular and crystal structure of tetracyclopentadienyluranium(IV)

Abstract The crystal structure of (C 5 H 5 ) 4 U was determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The body-centered tetragonal unit cell contains two molecules and has dimensions a 8.635(2) and c 10.542(3) A. A structural model based on a random mixture of a pair of enantiomorphic molecules in the crystal accounts for the space-group symmetry, I 4 2 m , while individual molecules have point symmetry S 4 . In each molecule, planar C 5 rings are in a regular tetrahedral array around a uranium atom and are pentahapto -bonded to it. The CC bond lengths are all equal within experimental error and have a mean value of 1.386(5) A; the same is true for the UC bonds whose mean is 2.807(11) A.
Stronger connections between circuit analysis and circuit lower bounds, via PCPs of proximity

We considerably sharpen the known connections between circuit-analysis algorithms and circuit lower bounds, show intriguing equivalences between the analysis of weak circuits and (apparently difficult) circuits, and provide strong new lower bounds for approximately computing Boolean functions with depth-two neural networks and related models.- We develop approaches to proving THR ○ THR lower bounds (a notorious open problem), by connecting algorithmic analysis of THR ○ THR to the provably weaker circuit classes THR ○ MAJ and MAJ ○ MAJ, where exponential lower bounds have long been known. More precisely, we show equivalences between algorithmic analysis of THR ○ THR and these weaker classes. The e-error CAPP problem asks to approximate the acceptance probability of a given circuit to within additive error e; it is the "canonical" derandomization problem. We show:- There is a non- trivial (2n/nω(1) time) 1/poly(n)-error CAPP algorithm for poly(n)-size THR ○ THR circuits if and only if there is such an algorithm for poly(n)-size MAJ ○ MAJ.- There is a δ > 0 and a non-trivial SAT (δ-error CAPP) algorithm for poly(n)-size THR ○ THR circuits if and only if there is such an algorithm for poly(n)-size THR ○ MAJ.Similar results hold for depth-d linear threshold circuits and depth-d MAJORITY circuits. These equivalences are proved via new simulations of THR circuits by circuits with MAJ gates.- We strengthen the connection between non-trivial derandomization (non-trivial CAPP algorithms) for a circuit class C, and circuit lower bounds against C. Previously, [Ben-Sasson and Viola, ICALP 2014] (following [Williams, STOC 2010]) showed that for any polynomial-size class C closed under projections, non-trivial (2n/nω(1) time) CAPP for ORpoly(n) ○ AND3 ○ C yields NEXP ⊄ C. We apply Probabilistic Checkable Proofs of Proximity in a new way to show it would suffice to have a non-trivial CAPP algorithm for either ⊕2 ○ C, AND2 ○ C or OR2 ○ C.- A direct corollary of the first two bullets is that NEXP ⊄ THR ○ THR would follow from either:- a non-trivial δ-error CAPP (or SAT) algorithm for poly(n)-size THR ○ MAJ circuits, or- a non-trivial 1 / poly(n)-error CAPP algorithm for poly(n)-size MAJ ○ MAJ circuits.- Applying the above machinery, we extend lower bounds for depth-two neural networks and related models [R. Williams, CCC 2018] to weak approximate computations of Boolean functions. For example, for arbitrarily small e > 0, we prove there are Boolean functions f computable in nondeterministic nlog n time such that (for infinitely many n) every polynomial-size depth-two neural network N on n inputs (with sign or ReLU activation) must satisfy maxx∈{0,1}n |N(x) --- f(x)| > 1/2 --- e. That is, short linear combinations of ReLU gates fail miserably at computing f to within close precision. Similar results are proved for linear combinations of ACC ○ THR circuits, and linear combinations of low-degree Fp polynomials. These results constitute further progress towards THR ○ THR lower bounds.
Clarifying stress-internalizing associations: Stress frequency and appraisals of severity and controllability are differentially related to depression-specific, anxiety-specific, and transdiagnostic internalizing factors

Abstract Background Dependent (self-generated) stress is a strong risk factor for depression and anxiety, but perceptions of stress can alter its impact. Appraisals of dependent stress controllability and severity additionally relate to depression and anxiety over and above stress exposure. Due to the high comorbidity of depression and anxiety, it is unclear whether dependent stress frequency and appraisals relate specifically to depression or anxiety or are transdiagnostically associated shared aspects of internalizing disorders. Consistent with the tripartite model, the current study represented internalizing symptoms with three latent factors – depression-specific, anxiety-specific, and common internalizing – and tested how dependent stress frequency and appraisals of controllability and severity were associated with these factors. Methods Bifactor modeling was used to create the latent internalizing factors in a treatment-seeking sample of emerging adults (n = 356). Structural equation models tested dependent stress frequency and appraisals of controllability and severity as predictors of these latent factors. Results Dependent stress frequency was associated with common internalizing while perceived controllability was associated uniquely with depression-specific variance. Continuous stress severity was not associated with latent factors, but high-severity stressors were associated with anxiety-specific variance. Limitations Without longitudinal data conclusions regarding temporal directionality cannot be made. Participants’ appraisals of stressors could not be compared to expert ratings. Conclusions Dependent stress frequency, controllability appraisals, and high-severity stressful events have distinct links with different dimensions of internalizing psychopathology. This suggests there may be several distinct mediating mechanisms between stress constructs and psychopathology, which have potential to serve as targets for intervention.
Optimizing the benefits of TiO 2 in paints

TiO2 is found virtually in every coatings lab and manufacturing site around the world and is used in almost all paints. The primary role of TiO2 is to provide brightness and opacity, with a secondary role in many exterior paints of improving durability. The effectiveness of TiO2 as a brightener or opacifier is greatly affected by the specifics of the paint formulation and by the paint making process. This sensitivity can be understood in terms of the physics that govern light scattering. As for improving paint durability, TiO2 is an excellent UV light absorber and protects underlying resin from harmful UV radiation. However, this benefit can be offset by the formation of radicals at the TiO2/resin interface. This paper will focus on the formulation factors that affect the light scattering efficiency and the durability performance of TiO2 and techniques to optimize these properties.
24.3 A 28GHz Current-Mode Inverse-Outphasing Transmitter Achieving 40%/31% PA Efficiency at P sat /6dB PBO and Supporting 15Gbit/s 64-QAM for 5G Communication

As mm-wave offers broader spectra and proportionate capacity increase, it will be extensively employed in 5G-and-beyond communication systems to address the exponentially growing data-rate demand. Viable mm-wave TX or PA solutions should handle multi-Gbit/s complex modulations with large PAPR, pushing the already stringent linearity-efficiency requirement on deployed TXs/PAs. This demand has stimulated extensive research on new TX/PA architectures to further advance the performance envelope at mm-wave.
Why the Century Date Change Occurred so Smoothly

Although nearly all programmers knew that using two digits to represent years would cause difficulties in the year 2000, repairs in most cases were postponed until the late 1990s. If equipment had not been repaired, world trade and the global economy would have been seriously disrupted. Many people might have died as a result of chemical or nuclear spills or the failure of urban infrastructure. Once the seriousness of the problem was understood, governments, corporations, and associations around the world acted to repair equipment and to prepare for possible disruptions. Although repairs could have been made in the normal process of upgrades, because repairs were not made until time was extremely short, correcting the year 2000 computer problem became the largest technical project in human history. It was the largest management challenge since World War II and the largest example of peacetime cooperation in history. Because the year 2000 computer problem became a multi-disciplinary threat and required a multidisciplinary solution, it provides an ideal example for illustrating principles and methods from the systems sciences (Umpleby, 1999).
Evaluation of the human placenta optical scattering properties using continuous wave and frequency-domain diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.

Significance: Placenta is an essential organ for fetal development and successful reproduction. Placental insufficiency can lead to fetal hypoxia and, in extreme cases anoxia, leading to fetal death. Of the 145 million deliveries per year worldwide, ∼15 million neonates are small for gestational age and, therefore, at risk for antepartum and intrapartum hypoxia. Clinical methods to assess placental function largely rely on the assessment of fetal heart rate changes but do not assess placental oxygenation. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) allows non-invasive, real-time assessment of tissue oxygenation in intact organs, which can be used to assess placental oxygenation. However, tissue optical properties can affect the accuracy of methods to measure tissue oxygenation. Aim: This study was performed to estimate the scattering coefficient of the human placenta. We have computed the scattering coefficients of the human placenta for the range of 659 to 840 nm using two methods of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Approach: Measurements were performed using an in-house DRS device and a well-established frequency-domain diffuse optical spectroscopic system (DOSI). Measurements were performed in eight placentas obtained after cesarean deliveries. Placentas were perfused with normal saline to minimize the effects of absorption due to blood. Three sites per placenta were measured. Absorption and scattering coefficients were then calculated from the measured reflectance using the random walk theory for DRS and frequency-domain algorithm for DOSI. Results: Average reduced scattering coefficient (μs ′ ) was 0.943 ± 0.015 mm − 1 at 760 nm and 0.831 ± 0.009 mm − 1 at 840 nm, and a power function μs ′ = 1.6619 (λ/500 nm) − 1.426 was derived for the human placental scattering coefficient. Conclusion: We report for the first time the scattering coefficient of the human placenta. This information can be used to assess baseline scattering and improve measurements of placental oxygen saturation with NIRS.
Modeling of shallow, horizontal, unsaturated, ground-based heat exchangers with consideration of dry zone formation

High fluid temperatures in ground-based heat exchangers (GHXs) during the cooling season may result in a decrease in thermal conductivity of adjacent backfill (λbackfill ), potentially causing degradation in the performance efficiency of the GHX system. In this study, numerical modeling was performed using the SVOffice™ finite-element software to evaluate coupled heat and moisture transfer around two GHXs. Constant-temperature boundary conditions of 35 oC were applied to the GHX surfaces, and thermal properties of the backfill were controlled for comparisons. For estimate typical hydraulic and thermal properties for the modeling, laboratory tests and literature review were performed. Modeling results indicate that coupled heat and moisture transfer occurs rapidly near the GHX involving a dry zone formation when λbackfill decreases. A boundary between dry and wet zones where soil thermal properties rapidly change was observed around 50% GHX temperature dissipated (T50 ), and accordingly T50 was used to optimize the pipe configuration. Coupled heat and moisture transfer increased when the GHX configurations were optimized with consideration of dry zone formation. These results imply that thermally enhanced, engineered backfill and optimized configurations can enhance GHX system efficiency.
Assessment and Management of Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among US Veterans With Prostate Cancer.

Importance Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality in patients with prostate cancer, and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) may worsen cardiovascular risk. Adherence to guideline-recommended assessment and management of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) in patients initiating ADT is unknown. Objective To describe CVRF assessment and management in men with prostate cancer initiating ADT and overall. Design, Setting, and Participants A cross-sectional analysis of 90 494 men treated within the US Veterans Health Administration diagnosed with prostate cancer between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2017, was conducted. Participants included men with a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and treatment with ADT within 1 year of diagnosis. Data analysis was conducted from September 10, 2019, to July 1, 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures Rates of comprehensive CVRF assessment, uncontrolled CVRFs, and untreated CVRFs. Comprehensive CVRF assessment was defined as recorded measures for blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels; CVRF control as blood pressure lower than 140/90 mm Hg, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol 130 mg/dL, and hemoglobin A1cless than 7%; and CVRF treatment as receipt of cardiac risk–reducing medications. Multivariable risk difference regression assessed the association between ASCVD and initiation of ADT and these outcomes. Results Of 90 494 veterans, median age was 66 years (interquartile range, 62-70 years); and 22 700 men (25.1%) received ADT. Overall, 68.1% (95% CI, 67.8%-68.3%) of the men received comprehensive CVRF assessment; 54.1% (95% CI. 53.7%-54.4%) of those assessed had uncontrolled CVRFs, and 29.6% (95% CI, 29.2%-30.0%) of those with uncontrolled CVRFs were not receiving corresponding cardiac risk–reducing medication. Compared with the reference group of patients without ASCVD not receiving ADT, patients with ASCVD not receiving ADT had a 10.4% (95% CI, 9.5%-11.3%) higher probability of comprehensive CVRF assessment, 4.0% (95% CI, 2.9%-5.1%) lower risk of uncontrolled CVRFs, and 22.2% (95% CI, 21.1%-23.3%) lower risk of untreated CVRFs. Similar differences were observed in patients with ASCVD receiving ADT. In contrast, patients without ASCVD receiving ADT had only a 3.0% (95% CI, 2.1%-3.9%) higher probability of comprehensive CVRF assessment, 2.6% (95% CI, 1.6%-3.5%) higher risk of uncontrolled CVRFs, and 5.4% (95% CI, 4.2%-6.6%) lower risk of untreated CVRFs. Conclusions and Relevance These findings suggest that veterans with prostate cancer had a high rate of underassessed and undertreated CVRFs, and ADT initiation was not associated with substantial improvements in CVRF assessment or management. These findings highlight gaps in care and the need for interventions to improve CVRF mitigation in this population.
Dermal Regeneration Template and Staged Skin Grafting for Extirpative Scalp Wound Reconstruction: A 14-Year Experience.

ObjectiveDermal regeneration template and staged split-thickness skin grafting may mitigate the need for flap coverage of postoncologic scalp defects. This technique has been studied previously in ...
Neural network processor

A Pulse Coupled Neural Network (PCNN) has been developed in order to segment image data to reduce the amount of downstream processing. This paper discusses the results of applying the PCNN algorithm to data generated by various sensor platforms. The PCNN algorithm was applied to data generated by a Long Wave Infrared Imaging Polarimeter. The PCNN correctly identified the concealed vehicles and the disturbed earth and rejected 96% of the remaining pixels because they had no information content. Next, the results of applying the PCNN algorithm to noisy infrared seeker data are presented. The PCNN correctly idnetified the target even though the background was quite noisy. Finally, the PCNN algorith was applied to images containing solar glint. It correctly passed only 3& of the pixels to the downstream target/glint decision algorithm. To obtain maximum data throughput, the PCNN can be implemented in hardware.
Hazardous Alcohol Use in the Four Years Following Bariatric Surgery

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of hazardous drinking in the four years after bariatric surgery and investigate whether there are differences between those undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy. Participants (N = 564) who underwent bariatric surgery between 2014 and 2017 completed a survey regarding post-surgical alcohol use. The rate of alcohol use following bariatric surgery was significantly higher among those between 1- and 4-years post-surgery compared to those less than 1-year post-surgery. Of those who were consuming alcohol at the time of participation, 16.1% had scores indicative of hazardous drinking. The rate of hazardous drinking among those 3-4 years post-surgery was greater than those less than 1-year post-surgery with 33.3% of patients engaging in hazardous drinking at 3-4 years post-surgery. Patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy had similar rates of hazardous drinking as RYGB (16.3% vs. 15.7%). Thus, findings showed that rates of hazardous drinking were higher among those further removed from bariatric surgery and patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy appeared to have similar rates of hazardous drinking as those who underwent RYGB. Results suggest a need for monitoring of alcohol use for all patients pursuing bariatric surgery, regardless of surgery type.
Leading Agile Teams: An Exploratory Study of Leadership Styles in Agile Software Development

Leadership is crucial for agile team effectiveness and performance. The roles played by project leaders have significantly changed in agile methodologies, but very limited studies on leadership have been conducted in the agile software development context. Motivated by this gap, this study aims to investigate the roles of various leadership styles in agile methodologies and understand how different types of leadership can collaboratively improve an agile project’s performance. We will conduct an exploratory case study to develop a research model. Our study will contribute to the theoretical understanding of leadership roles in agile projects. The findings will also provide guidance to project management practices.
Data Layout Optimization for Portable Performance

This paper describes a new approach to managing data layouts to optimize performance for array-intensive codes. Prior research has shown that changing data layouts (e.g., interleaving arrays) can improve performance. However, there have been two major reasons why such optimizations are not widely used in practice: (1) the challenge of selecting an optimized layout for a given computing platform, and (2) the cost of re-writing codes to use different layouts for different platforms. We describe a source-to-source code transformation process that enables the generation of different codes with different array interleavings from the same source program, controlled by data layout specifications that are defined separately from the program. Performance results for multicore versions of the benchmarks show significant benefits on four different computing platforms (up to \(22.23\times \) for IRSmk, up to \(3.68\times \) for SRAD and up to \(1.82\times \) for LULESH). We also developed a new optimization algorithm to recommend a good layout for a given source program and specific target machine characteristics. Our results show that the performance obtained using this algorithm achieves 78 %–95 % performance of the best manual layout on each platform for different benchmarks (IRSmk, SRAD, LULESH).
Surgical therapy for multiple sclerosis tremor: a 12-year follow-up study

Background and purpose: Severe multiple sclerosis (MS) tremor causes disability poorly responsive to medication. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) or thalamotomy can suppress tremor, but long-term outcomes are unclear. Methods: Nine patients with MS tremor underwent disability measures at baseline and 12 months post-surgery (six thalamotomy, three DBS) in 1997–1998 (previously reported, Matsumoto et al., Neurology 2001;57:1876–82). We report the prospective 12-year follow-up of this cohort for tremor, disability, and death. Results: Surgery was initially successful in all. Tremor recurred in all patients within median 3 months, although two DBS patients were tremor-free for 5 years. Median tremor-free survival (tremor-free time/survival time) was 4.3%. At 12-year follow-up, four survivors (two thalamotomy, two DBS) (Expanded Disability Status Scale scores 8–8.5) were severely disabled. Five patients were dead (four thalamotomy, one DBS) median 5.8 years post-operative. Conclusions: Surgery benefit for severe tremor was overall short-lived (median 3 months), with long-term poor prognosis. Although two DBS patients had sustained 5-year tremor-suppression, the observed progressive disability and death in this cohort bear importance for long-term success in future MS tremor surgery trials.
Parametric Approaches for Refractivity-From-Clutter Inversion

Abstract : The long term goal of this project is to develop inversion approaches that enable the estimation of refractivity profiles and the associated uncertainty. Furthermore, we will develop methods for mapping the refractivity parameters and their associated uncertainty into propagation. The objective of this proposal is the development of parametric approaches for the inversion of radar clutter data to estimate atmospheric refractivity over land and sea. Refractivity inversion algorithms using land clutter with and without radar phase will be developed. Over the sea we will further develop our approaches to carry out estimation in time and space of the refractivity.
The geometric calculus of variations and modelling natural phenomena

When surface energy is an important component of the free energy of natural phenomena one wishes to model, the geometric calculus of variations and geometric measure theory may prove useful. New computer programs help compute examples and test conjectures.
Tropical tree gene flow and seed dispersal

Deforestation affects the genetic structure of the surviving forest fragments. In tropical forests, trees provide habitats and environmental conditions that support thousands of species. However, deforestation creates a mosaic landscape of cleared areas and forest fragments, which become the source of future tree populations. Fragmentation changes the movement of pollen and seed dispersal, modifying the gene flow and altering historical patterns of genetic subdivision. Paternity studies in tropical figs1 and trees2 have shown that pollen is dispersed over long distances, maintaining gene flow among widely spaced forest fragments, but gene movement by seed dispersal has not been studied in tropical trees. I have estimated chloroplast genome subdivision in the Amazonian canopy tree Corythophora alta, and here I show that seed dispersal is limited, with forest fragments as large as ten hectares being founded by a single maternal lineage.
Disclosure Timing and the Economic Role of Mandatory Reporting: Evidence from Managers’ Decisions to File Audited Reports Early

We investigate how managers’ decisions to file audited financial reports prior to SEC reporting deadlines relate to the economic role of mandatory reporting. Contrary to the view that audited financial reports will be more informative when they are filed earlier, we find that managers file audited reports early when they have less informative disclosures. It is unlikely that this result is due to managers filing reports early in a manner that impairs their potential to be informative; we find that early reports are more reliable and are similar to on-time reports in terms of year-over-year content revision. We further find that the percentage of information in the report relative to total information is lower for early reports, consistent with the greater preemption of information via other disclosure channels. Our collective evidence suggests that managers’ decisions to file early are more consistent with the confirmation role of reporting instead of the information role, suggesting that on-going regulatory efforts to enhance informativeness via shorter deadlines might not achieve the intended consequences.