cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computational Sprinting: Architecture, Dynamics, and Strategies

Computational sprinting is a class of mechanisms that boost performance but dissipate additional power. We describe a sprinting architecture in which many, independent chip multiprocessors share a power supply and sprints are constrained by the chips’ thermal limits and the rack’s power limits. Moreover, we present the computational sprinting game, a multi-agent perspective on managing sprints. Strategic agents decide whether to sprint based on application phases and system conditions. The game produces an equilibrium that improves task throughput for data analytics workloads by 4--6× over prior greedy heuristics and performs within 90% of an upper bound on throughput from a globally optimized policy.
Invariant Tensor Product

In this paper, we define invariant tensor product and study invariant tensor products associated with discrete series representations. Let G(V1)×G(V2) be a pair of classical groups diagonally embedded in G(V1⊕V2). Suppose that dimV1
Arf6 and Rab22 mediate T cell conjugate formation by regulating clathrin-independent endosomal membrane trafficking.

Intramural Research Program in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) [HL0006060]; NIH [RO1 DK084047]
Plea Bargains Among Serious and Violent Girls: An Intersectional Approach Exploring Race in the Juvenile Court:

There exists much scholarship on the decision-making process in the juvenile court. While a variety of processes in the juvenile court, types of offenders, and theoretical frameworks have been anal...
Re: Overlooked Quality Measures

We read with interest the recently published article, “Categorization of National Pediatric Quality Measures,” by House et al.1 Although the authors reported the methods by which they identified 257 unique quality measures focused on children, we were surprised they did not find several that were … E-mail: gfreed{at}umich.edu
Wave Profile and Current Limits for Lightning Return Stroke

The propagation characteristics of breakdown waves propagating in the opposite direction of the electric field force on electrons and with a significant current behind the wave front have been studied. Breakdown waves for which the net electric field force on electrons is in the opposite direction of the wave propagation are referred to as anti-force waves (lightning return strokes); however, the electron gas temperature, and therefore the electron gas partial pressure, is assumed to be large enough to provide the driving force, causing the wave to propagate down the tube with observed velocities. Breakdown waves, for which the electric field force on electrons is in the same direction of the wave propagation, are referred to as pro-force waves. Waves propagating in the opposite direction of the electric field force on electrons will possess variance in structure from those moving in the same direction as the direction of the electric field force on electrons. Anti-force waves seem to be slightly faster than the pro-force waves, which agree fairly well with the experimental results.
Saudi dental hygienists' opinions regarding establishing a professional association.

AIM To assess the opinions of dental hygienists in Saudi Arabia regarding the establishment of a professional association including the role it should have to meet their professional needs. METHODS A cross-sectional electronic survey using Qualtrics was utilized. IRB exemption was obtained prior to distribution. Although there are 298 licensed Saudi dental hygienists in Saudi Arabia, email addresses were only available for 101 respondents: those obtained previously by direct contact for the purpose of initiation of a professional association and those referred by the direct contacts. Subjects were emailed a link to the survey. RESULTS Seventy-seven subjects responded fully to the survey yielding a response rate of 70.3%. Most 91.5% (n = 65) of the respondents favoured the establishment of a Saudi dental hygiene professional association. Eighty-eight per cent (n = 59) responded that such an association would promote development of the profession in the country at least somewhat and 86.6% (n = 58) agreed that their professional needs could be met by its establishment. Interestingly, half of those who did not support the creation of the professional association believed it would promote development of the profession and meet professional needs. CONCLUSIONS A representative sample of dental hygienists in Saudi Arabia support the establishment of a professional association and feel that it would advocate and promote the dental hygiene profession in the country and meet their professional needs.
Learning from Physical Human Corrections, One Feature at a Time

We focus on learning robot objective functions from human guidance: specifically, from physical corrections provided by the person while the robot is acting. Objective functions are typically parametrized in terms of features, which capture aspects of the task that might be important. When the person intervenes to correct the robot’s behavior, the robot should update its understanding of which features matter, how much, and in what way. Unfortunately, real users do not provide optimal corrections that isolate exactly what the robot was doing wrong. Thus, when receiving a correction, it is difficult for the robot to determine which features the person meant to correct, and which features were changed unintentionally. In this paper, we propose to improve the efficiency of robot learning during physical interactions by reducing unintended learning. Our approach allows the human-robot team to focus on learning one feature at a time, unlike state-of-the-art techniques that update all features at once. We derive an online method for identifying the single feature which the human is trying to change during physical interaction, and experimentally compare this one-at-a-time approach to the all-at-once baseline in a user study. Our results suggest that users teaching one-at-a-time perform better, especially in tasks that require changing multiple features.
Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2): a potential therapeutic target for Alzheimer disease?

Introduction: There are currently no effective therapeutics for Alzheimer disease (AD). Clinical trials targeting amyloid beta thus far have shown very little benefit and only in the earliest stage...
Action of Chemical and Physical Agents on Viruses

The reaction of viruses with chemical and physical agents seemed rather complex and mysterious some years ago when the structure of viruses and the basic features of the process of infection were poorly understood. Now, the details may still be intricate and incompletely defined, but the main facts relating chemical and physical treatments of viruses to the biological activity of viruses are simple and clear:
Wikipedian Self-Governance in Action: Motivating the Policy Lens

While previous studies have used the Wikipedia dataset to provide an understanding of its growth, there have been few attempts to quantitatively analyze the establishment and evolution of the rich social practices that support this editing community. One such social practice is the enactment and creation of Wikipedian policies. We focus on the enactment of policies in discussions on the talk pages that accompany each article. These policy citations are a valuable micro-to-macro connection between everyday action, communal norms and the governance structure of Wikipedia. We find that policies are widely used by registered users and administrators, that their use is converging and stabilizing in and across these groups, and that their use illustrates the growing importance of certain classes of work, in particular source attribution. We also find that participation in Wikipedia's governance structure is inclusionary in practice.
Taking the Fregean Seriously

According to the Fregean, ‘that’-clauses in attitude ascriptions name senses; the main verb of an ascriptions names a relation which one may bear to a sense. An ascription a V’s that Sis true iff the referent of a bears the relation named by V to the sense named by its ‘that’-clause.
Differential Emotions Model for the Study of Health and Illness Processes in Aging

One of the most provocative aspects of the aging process is that people do not all age in the same way. The timing and nature of vulnerability to pathogens and the course of disease varies widely among individuals. While physiologically-oriented workers may look for the mechanism of aging in cells, hormones, and brain sites to identify the common, underlying processes (Hayflick, 1977), the manifest variation in the way people age—their differential development—is a striking phenomenon that requires study in itself. In fact, one could argue that a science of aging must, of necessity, deal with both general mechanisms and moderating influences.
Role of Endothelial Cell and Pericyte Dysfunction in Diabetic Retinopathy: Review of Techniques in Rodent Models

Diabetic Retinopathy is one of the hallmark microvascular diseases secondary to diabetes. Endothelial cells and pericytes are key players in the pathogenesis. Interaction between the two cell types is important in the regulation of vascular function and the maintenance of the retinal homeostatic environment. There are currently several approaches to analyze changes in morphology and function of the two cell types. Morphologic approaches include trypsin digest, while functional approaches include studying blood flow. This review explores the advantages and limitations of various methods and summarizes recent experimental studies of EC and pericyte dysfunction in rodent models of DR. An improved understanding of the role played by EC and pericyte dysfunction can lead to enhanced insights into retinal vascular regulation in DR and open new avenues for future treatments that reverse their dysfunction.
Improving the Survivability of Interdependent Networks by Restructuring Dependencies

This paper studies a network design problem to improve the survivability of interdependent networks by restructuring the dependencies. As different types of networked systems become more integrated, the relation between distinct kinds of network devices has become more intertwined. In order to guarantee the robustness of such systems, survivability problems of interdependent networks must be addressed. A characteristic of the proposed algorithm is that the continuous availability of the entire system is guaranteed by the preservation of certain structures in the original networks during the restructuring process. Simulation results demonstrate that the restructuring heuristic can substantially enhance the survivability of interdependent networks.
Lung transplantation in scleroderma: recent advances and lessons

Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this review is to highlight recent data regarding feasibility and outcomes following lung transplantation for patients with systemic sclerosis related pulmonary disease as well as to emphasize areas of uncertainly in need of further study. We include a description of
Window Studies in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: Values and Limits.

In head and neck cancer, we continue to work towards a more personalized approach to treatment of patients, where analysis of a patient’s tumor guides targeting of molecular or immunologic pathways. Critically important to this pursuit is a better understanding of the direct biologic effect of a drug or combination on the tumor microenvironment in humans, as well as biomarker discovery. These goals are consistent with the primary purpose of a “window of opportunity” trial and while conduct of these trials requires a careful balance of benefits and potential risks, to date these trials have been both feasible and safe in HNSCC in the curative intent setting. In the era of immunotherapy, with countless possible combinations and ongoing clinical trials, window trials are even more important for informing clinical trial design and appropriate combination therapy, and ultimately a more personalized approach to our patients that leads to improvement in outcomes.
Non-Vacuum Single Step Synthesis of Large-Grain Size CZTS Photo Absorber for Thin Film Solar Cells by Flux Assisted Chemical Spray

One-step preparation of stoichiometric CZTS photo absorber thin films without the secondary or amorphous phases by a modified chemical spray pyrolysis (CSP) technique is described. By incorporating sodium (Na2S) as fluxing agent by intermittent spray deposition during CZTS film deposition or through post growth heat treatment with Na2S added by soaking, CZTS films with large grain size are realized. XRD patterns show characteristic diffraction lines with increased intensity and decreased FWHM in CZTS thin films both with Na flux during in-situ deposition and post deposition annealing step affirming the increase in crystallinity and grain size. This is supported by Raman studies. Whereas the average crystallite size of CSP-CZTS film is ~25 nm, using the Na2S layering within the CZTS, size increases to ~90 nm and by post growth soaking with Na2S aqueous solution a further increase in average grain size to ~0.25 μm was realized as shown by the SEM studies. Optical data shows an increase in absorption coefficient with band gap energy in the range 1.49 eV-1.62 eV in Na2S in-situ or post annealed CSP-CZTS films which is ideal for heterojunction solar cells.
Is Operative Time a Predictor for Post-Operative Infection in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty?

Abstract Background The purpose of this study is to identify factors affecting operative times and to evaluate the associations of operative times with prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) and surgical site infections (SSIs) in primary total knee arthroplasty. Methods A total of 11,840 primary total knee arthroplasties with a mean 2-year post-operative follow-up were studied. Operative times were analyzed both as categorical and continuous variables. Associations with PJIs and SSIs were evaluated with univariate and multivariate analyses to adjust for gender, age, body mass index, Charlson Comorbidity Index, year of surgery, antibiotic cement use, and hospital/surgeon volume. Results The longest cases (>121 minutes) were associated with patients who were younger (P 121 minutes (1.4%) compared to those 121 minutes (P Conclusion Identifying risk factors for infection that are as easily measurable and modifiable as procedure duration can aid in risk-stratifying post-operative surveillance. This study demonstrated that longer operative times were an independent predisposing factor for both PJIs and SSIs even after accounting for patient and procedure-related factors.
Roles and Regulation of Extracellular Vesicles in Cardiovascular Mineral Metabolism.

Cardiovascular calcification is a multifaceted disease that is a leading independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recent studies have identified a calcification prone population of extracellular vesicles as the putative elementary units of vascular microcalcification in diseased heart valves and vessels. Their action is highly context-dependent; extracellular vesicles released by smooth muscle cells, valvular interstitial cells, endothelial cells, and macrophages may promote or inhibit mineralization, depending on the phenotype of their originating cells and/or the extracellular environment to which they are released. In particular, emerging roles for vesicular microRNAs, bioactive lipids, metabolites, and protein cargoes in driving this pro-calcific switch underpin the necessity of innovative strategies to employ next-generation sequencing and omics technologies in order to better understand the pathobiology of these nano-sized entities. Furthermore, a recent body of work has emerged that centers on novel re-purposing of extracellular vesicles and exosomes as potential therapeutic avenue for cardiovascular calcification. This review aims to highlight the role of extracellular vesicles as constituents of cardiovascular calcification and summarizes recent advances in our understanding of the biophysical nature of vesicle accumulation, aggregation, and mineralization. We also comprehensively discuss the latest evidence that extracellular vesicles act as key mediators and regulators of cell/cell communication, osteoblastic/osteoclastic differentiation, and cell/matrix interactions in cardiovascular tissues. Lastly, we highlight the importance of robust vesicle isolation and characterization when studying these phenomena, and offer a brief primer on working with cardiovascular applications of extracellular vesicles.
Small RNA-seq: The RNA 5’-end adapter ligation problem and how to circumvent it

The preparation of small RNA cDNA sequencing libraries depends on the unbiased ligation of adapters to the RNA ends. Small RNA with 5’ recessed ends are poor substrates for enzymatic adapter ligation, but this 5’ adapter ligation problem can go undetected if the library preparation steps are not monitored. Here we illustrate the severity of the 5’ RNA end ligation problem using several pre-miRNA-like hairpins that allow us to expand the definition of the problem to include 5’ ends close to a hairpin stem, whether recessed or in a short extension. The ribosome profiling method can avoid a difficult 5’ adapter ligation, but the enzyme typically used to circularize the cDNA has been reported to be biased, calling into question the benefit of this workaround. Using the TS2126 RNA ligase 1 (a.k.a. CircLigase) as the circularizing enzyme, we devised a bias test for the circularization of first strand cDNA. All possible dinucleotides were circle-ligated with similar efficiency. To re-linearize the first strand cDNA in the ribosome profiling approach, we introduce an improved method wherein a single ribonucleotide is placed between the sequencing primer binding sites in the reverse transcriptase primer, which later serves as the point of re-linearization by RNase A. We incorporate this step into the ribosomal profiling method and describe a complete improved library preparation method, Coligo-seq, for the sequencing of small RNA with secondary structure close to the 5’ end. This method accepts a variety of 5’ modified RNA, including 5’ monophosphorylated RNA, as demonstrated by the construction of a HeLa cell microRNA cDNA library.
Towards Stark Coefficient Determination in Laser-produced Uranium Plasma

We performed spatiotemporal diagnostics of excitation temperature and electron density of laser-induced uranium plasma. The results are prerequisite for Stark broadening and shift coefficients determination, required for accurate modeling of uranium emission spectra. © 2019 The Author(s)
Trump and the Environment

I place the environmental policies of the Trump administration in a historical perspective. They represent a return to the intellectual framework of the 19th century and a neglect of important developments in economics in the 20th century.
“Going to Lunch”: The Role of Catch Phrases and Language in Constructing a Heteronormative Leadership Culture:

This study examines raw focus group data from a previous case study that demonstrated the existence of a heteronormative leadership paradigm, personified in the heteronormative ideal leader who is ...
Federalism in Health Care Reform

This chapter explores the role of federalism in health reform focusing on the importance of universality in social programs. Protecting states’ rights within federal health reform laws throughout American history has served purposes other than the needs of the poor. This is revealed in the long history of excluding those deemed undeserving of assistance - the “able-bodied” - and this chapter traces the history of this terminology because it has reemerged in political discourse surrounding health care. Exclusion of those deemed "able-bodied" dates to Elizabethan England, was carried through to colonial, and later, state laws including the sale of enslaved people and Reconstruction era practices such as convict lease systems. This history provides context that should give current policymakers pause in revitalizing the concept. The debates of the 20th century about the role of government in health and who is deserving of aid are bound to repeatedly arise without fully gauging federalism’s mixed effects in health reform. American federalism involves many separate state negotiations with the federal government, which leads to variability that can lower the baseline in reform-resistant states and thus across the nation as a whole. This is significant when the federal government attempts to improve conditions nationwide, as it did with the Affordable Care Act’s universal health insurance coverage. The example of Medicaid expansion under the ACA demonstrates how state variability can improve coverage but also jeopardize it. Federalism in health care can result in restricted access to the safety net, even when the federal goal is strengthening it.
Vitamin B 12 Deficiency: A Rare Cause of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness.

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is one of the leading reasons that patients present to sleep clinics. Approximately 10% to 14% of the adults report that excessive sleepiness interferes with thei...
Una and the English Reformation

Chapters 4– 6 argue for a more or less chronological “continued Allegory” of Elizabeth’s life in The Faerie Queene. This chapter details the quest of Una and the Redcrosse Knight to slay the dragon afflicting her kingdom, treating it as a representation of the course of events that led to the Elizabethan Settlement in Religion of 1559, as recounted in Foxe’s Actes and Monuments. Recognizing that the quest follows the fitful progress of English reform from Henry VIII to Elizabeth resolves a number of interpretive difficulties, including Spenser’s apparently Catholic view of “holy things,” his allusions to Elizabeth in the figure of Lucifera, his reliance on an seemingly Catholic monastic order to reeducate his hero, and his allusions to the Easter Triduum during the climactic dragon-fight.
Guillain–Barré Syndrome: “I May Be Weird, but I Still Can’t Walk!”

Guillain–Barre syndrome is a demyelinating disorder caused by antibodies that cross react with proteins in the myelin sheath and possibly a preceding infection. Symptoms are preceded by a URI or diarrhea in two-thirds of cases, and common infections include Campylobacter jejuni, CMV and Epstein-Barr virus, varicella-zoster virus, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
New insights into the solid-state hydrogen storage of nanostructured LiBH4-MgH2 system

Abstract In this study, the nano-mixture of LiBH4 + MgH2 is prepared by ball milling (BM) of 1 mol MgH2 with in-situ aerosol-spraying (AS) of 1 mol of LiBH4 (called BMAS). It is shown, for the first time, that Mg(BH4)2 can be formed via the reaction between MgH2 and LiBH4 through the BMAS process and it contributes to H2 release at temperature ≤265 °C. Three parallel H2 release mechanisms have been identified from the BMAS powder. These include (i) H2 release from the decomposition of nano-LiBH4 and then Li2B12H12 decomposition product reacts with nano-MgH2 to release H2, (ii) H2 release from the decomposition of nano-Mg(BH4)2, and (iii) H2 release from the decomposition of nano-MgH2. Together, these three mechanisms result in 4.11 wt% H2 release in the solid-state at temperature ≤265 °C, which is among the highest quantities ever reported for LiBH4 + MgH2 mixtures to date. Furthermore, the H2 release temperature for each mechanism described above is lower than the corresponding temperature reported using other synthesis methods. In addition, the predicted property of a small amount of the Fe3B phase in the BMAS powder in absorbing more H2 than releasing is confirmed experimentally for the first time in this study. All these enhancements are achieved in the solid-state without any catalyst, which highlights the efficacy of mechanical activation and nanoengineering as well as the future opportunity to further improve the reversible hydrogen storage properties of LiBH4 + MgH2 in solid-state.
Survey of Texas Bay Systems for the Oyster Parasites Bonamia spp., Haplosporidium nelsoni, and Perkinsus marinus

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department restricts movement of eastern oysters Crassostrea virginica among Texas bay systems because of potential disease transfer and genetic differences in natural oyster stocks. Oyster diseases, such as bonamiosis, which was found serendipitously in 2007 in Florida waters, and MSX (Haplosporidium nelsoni) have not been characterized in Texas bays. Therefore, it is prudent to periodically examine C. virginica and other bivalve species (e.g., Ostrea equestris and Isognomon sp.) from Texas bays for the presence of the causative agents of these diseases, that is, Bonamia spp. and H. nelsoni, as well as known diseases such as dermo (Perkinsus marinus). Eastern oysters (n = 30/bay) were collected from October to December 2016 from five Texas bays and analyzed for the presence of these parasites. In addition, 89 historical oyster tissue samples collected from two Texas bays in 2010 and 2011 and 37 flat tree oysters Isognomon alatus collected from a single Texas bay in December 2017 were examined. All specimens collected in 2016/2017 were assessed by PCR and histology for the presence of Bonamia spp., H. nelsoni, and P. marinus, whereas 2010/2011 samples were only assessed by PCR. Neither Bonamia spp. nor H. nelsoni were detected in any collected samples. Although 15% of the 2016 eastern oyster samples and 29% of the 2010 to 2011 eastern oyster samples contained P. marinus, the parasite was not found in any flat tree oyster. Sanger sequencing of isolated DNA was performed on samples that were positive for dermo as well as the positive controls for Bonamia sp. and H. nelsoni, which confirmed results. These results serve as a point reference that indicate Bonamia spp. and H. nelsoni are not currently present in Texas bays, but continued biennial monitoring is suggested.
Secure5G: A Deep Learning Framework Towards a Secure Network Slicing in 5G and Beyond

Network Slicing will play a vital role in enabling a multitude of 5G applications, use cases, and services. Network slicing functions will provide an end-to-end isolation between slices with an ability to customize each slice based on the service demands (bandwidth, coverage, security, latency, reliability, etc.). Maintaining isolation of resources, traffic flow, and network functions between the slices is critical in protecting the network infrastructure system from Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. The 5G network demands and new feature sets to support ever-growing and complex business requirements have made existing approaches to network security inadequate. In this paper, we have developed a Neural Network based ‘Secure5G’ Network Slicing model to proactively detect and eliminate threats based on incoming connections before they infest the 5G core network. ‘Secure5G’ is a resilient model that quarantines the threats ensuring end-to-end security from device(s) to the core network, and to any of the external networks. Our designed model will enable the network operators to sell network slicing as-a-service to serve diverse services efficiently over a single infrastructure with high security and reliability.
Suspended multiwalled, acid-functionalized carbon nanotubes promote aggregation of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The increasing prevalence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as components of new functional materials has the unintended consequence of causing increases in CNT concentrations in aqueous environments. Aqueous systems are reservoirs for bacteria, including human and animal pathogens, that can form biofilms. At high concentrations, CNTs have been shown to display biocidal effects; however, at low concentrations, the interaction between CNTs and bacteria is more complicated, and antimicrobial action is highly dependent upon the properties of the CNTs in suspension. Here, impact of low concentrations of multiwalled CNTs (MWCNTs) on the biofilm-forming opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is studied. Using phase contrast and confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, and antibiotic tolerance assays, it is found that sub-lethal concentrations (2 mg/L) of MWCNTs promote aggregation of P. aeruginosa into multicellular clusters. However, the antibiotic tolerance of these 9young9 bacterial-CNT aggregates is similar to that of CNT-free cultures. Overall, our results indicate that the co-occurrence of MWCNTs and P. aeruginosa in aqueous systems, which promotes the increased number and size of bacterial aggregates, could increase the dose to which humans or animals are exposed.
Association Between Music Therapy Techniques and Patient-Reported Moderate to Severe Fatigue in Hospitalized Adults With Cancer.

PURPOSE:Cancer-related fatigue is a prevalent, debilitating symptom that contributes to increased health care utilization among hospitalized patients. Music therapy is a nonpharmacological interven...
Life‐threatening pathogens in severe/progressive periodontitis: Focal infection risk, future periodontal practice, role of the Periodontology 2000

Severe/progressive periodontitis is associated with cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and dozens of other serious diseases. Herpesviruses are implicated in severe periodontitis and in specific subsets of each of the above systemic diseases. That both periodontitis and herpesviruses are linked to the same nonoral diseases is consistent with a systemic pathogenic role of periodontal herpesviruses. Effective control of periodontitis-related systemic diseases requires collaboration between dentistry and medicine. Periodontology has emerged as an important preventive medical discipline, and periodontal teaching and practice need to adjust accordingly.
Flight of the Mountain Pine Beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), in Suburban Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA during Summer 2011

The mountain pine beetle (MPB), Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), is a major tree-killing bark beetle that attacks primarily ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa Lawson & C. Lawson, and lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon (Pinaceae), among other pines, across the western coniferous forests of North America (Negron and Fettig 2014). A continental-scale outbreak of MPB occurred from the late 1990s through the mid- to late 2010s, ranging from the southern Rockies north to British Columbia (Jarvis and Kulakowski 2015; Negron and Fettig 2014). In northern Colorado and southern Wyoming, most of the mortality occurred among lodgepole pine but mortality also occurred among ponderosa pine, whitebark pine, Pinus albicaulis Engelm., and limber pine, Pinus flexilis James. Elevated populations of mountain pine beetles across Wyoming reached their highest levels from 2007-2010. Peak mortality in 2009 affected approximately 500,000 ha. A decade later, populations had markedly declined, with tree mortality occurring on < 200 ha by 2017 (DeSantis 2017).
A 29-mW 26.88-GHz Non-Uniform Sub-Sampling Receiver Front-End Enabling Spectral Alias Spreading

This paper introduces a non-uniform sub-sampling (NUSS) technique to relax the analog anti-aliasing filter design for mm-Wave receiver applications. By applying pre-designed periodic perturbation to the sub-sampling time instants, the unwanted spectral aliases, i.e., the integer multiples of the sampling frequency other than the carrier frequency, are spread out; hence undesired blocker aliasing at specific bands is significantly reduced. The NUSS technique effectively creates frequency notches during the sampling process that can be reconfigured simply by changing the NU perturbation sequence. A proof-of-concept NUSS receiver front-end is implemented in 28nm CMOS with 26.88GHz carrier frequency. Through spectral alias spreading, NUSS technique achieves 33dB alias rejection with 29mW power dissipation, which effectively creates notch filtering during sampling. The measured EVM is -25dB using a 200MHz 64QAM modulated signal in the presence of a 0dBc blocker.
Reference interval determination of venous blood gas, hematologic, and biochemical parameters in healthy sedated, neutered ferrets (Mustela putorius furo)

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine reference ranges for the Nova tabletop blood gas analyzer laboratory parameters in ferrets. Blood was collected from 40 clinically healthy ferrets, ranging in age from 1 to 5 years old (28 neutered males, 12 spayed females). The evaluated parameters were measured using whole blood and included hematologic (hematocrit, hemoglobin), biochemical (lactate, glucose, Na+, K+, iCa++, iMg++, Cl−, BUN/Urea, creatinine, tCO2, anion gap), and blood gas values (pH, PCO2, PO2, SO2%, BEecf, BEb, HCO3−). Laboratory reference intervals were established for 20 hematologic, biochemical, and blood gas values. The reference intervals are as follows: pH 7.274–7.415, PCO2 35.2–59.1 mm Hg, PO2 30.0–69.2 mm Hg, SO2 55.3–93.3%, Hematocrit 33–57%, Hemoglobin 11.0–18.9 g/dL, Na 147.4–154.8 mmol/L, K 3.81–5.37 mmol/L, Cl 109.2–119.3 mmol/L, iCa 1.14–1.35 mmol/L, iMg 0.44–0.66 mmol/L, Glu 74–152 mmol/L, Lac 0.3–1.5 mmol/L, BUN 10–33 mg/dL, Cr 0.4–0.9 mg/dL, TCO2 22.6–31.6 mmol/L, Anion gap 7.8–14.9 mmol/L, BEecf −5.2 to 3.8 mmol/L, BEb −3.9 to 3.5 mmol/L, HCO3− 21.3–30.0 mmol/L. Results varied slightly from previously established values in ferrets and include reference intervals for blood gas analytes that have not been previously reported. The reference intervals provided in this manuscript will aid veterinarians in the evaluation of acid–base balance of ferrets.
Design of High-Power Radiation-Balanced Silica Fiber Lasers With a Doped Core and Cladding

A model of laser cooling in a fiber with a doped cladding shows that a radiation-balanced fiber laser (RBFL) made of silica can produce substantial output powers. Bidirectional pumping is found to reduce the average temperature of the laser, enabling higher output powers while maintaining radiation-balanced operation. For a large-mode-area silica fiber doped with Yb in the core and cladding, simulations predict that output powers as large as 115 W can be achieved by bidirectionally pumping the doped cladding. This is not only slightly higher than with a Yb-doped ZBLAN fiber with the same dimensions, but the temperature gradient in silica is also about half as large. Since silica is the most common host in fiber lasers, these predictions are very promising for the near-term realization of practical RBFLs.
Evaluation of the Radiation Resistance of GaAs-based Solar Cells

Next generation space solar cells are required to be efficient, light and low cost. In order to GaAs-based devices keep playing a significant role in space the radiation performance needs to be increased to eliminate the required shielding and the cost needs to be dramatically reduced. GaAs nanophotonic structures have the potential to fulfill both requirements. In order to evaluate the radiation performance of different GaAs architectures a simulation platform has been developed and corroborated with experimental data reported in the literature. Exemplary cases of the irradiation-induced degradation in planar and nanowire architectures are presented.
Idiosyncratic use of bottom-up and top-down information leads to differences in speech perception flexibility: Converging evidence from ERPs and eye-tracking

Listeners generally categorize speech sounds in a gradient manner. However, recent work, using a visual analogue scaling (VAS) task, suggests that some listeners show more categorical performance, leading to less flexible cue integration and poorer recovery from misperceptions (Kapnoula et al., 2017, 2021). We asked how individual differences in speech gradiency can be reconciled with the well-established gradiency in the modal listener, showing how VAS performance relates to both Visual World Paradigm and EEG measures of gradiency. We also investigated three potential sources of these individual differences: inhibitory control; lexical inhibition; and early cue encoding. We used the N1 ERP component to track pre-categorical encoding of Voice Onset Time (VOT). The N1 linearly tracked VOT, reflecting a fundamentally gradient speech perception; however, for less gradient listeners, this linearity was disrupted near the boundary. Thus, while all listeners are gradient, they may show idiosyncratic encoding of specific cues, affecting downstream processing.
Monitoring of Precipitation Hardening in an HSLA Steel Through EMAT Measurements of Magnetostriction

This work demonstrates a novel application of ultrasound: measurement of magnetostriction, the change of length of a ferromagnetic material that accompanies a change in magnetization. The technique involves measuring ultrasonic waves generated by an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT), and it offers an alternative method of measuring magnetostriction in cases where it would not be feasible to use strain gages (for example, on fragile, thin films).
Change and Discomfort in Academia: How Far Should We Stretch in Our Readiness for Change?

This study examines the impact of self-efficacy, perceived collective efficacy, and tolerance for the discomforts associated with change, on intentional readiness for change. Our quantitative study is based on 489 survey responses from faculty and administrators across a variety of U. S. business schools. Our findings suggest self-efficacy is an important factor in predicting intentional readiness for change. Further, our results indicate perceived collective efficacy positively mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and intentional readiness. Surprisingly, we found some forms of discomfort such as increased work load, changing relationships and decreased job security actually increase readiness. However, as the level of frustration and anger about the impact of change increases, we saw a dramatic reduction in readiness. This research is important because it suggests business school leaders can be comfortable causing some discomfort with change initiatives but they must beware too much discomfort or risk a strongly negative effect on readiness.
In-situ Applications of Low Energy Electron Microscopy

Low Energy Electron Microscopy (LEEM) is a child of surface science and was motivated by the desire to image surfaces with Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED) beams in a manner similar to that used in transmission electron microscopy of crystalline specimens which produce transmission diffraction beams. In surface science it is usual to monitor surface changes with surface-sensitive probes and, therefore, LEEM instruments were designed from the very beginning to allow a large variety of in-situ experiments [1]. This chapter will not describe the basics, possibilities and limitations of LEEM and its extensions which are amply discussed in recent reviews [2–4], It will rather focus on the possibilities of LEEM for in-situ studies as illustrated by work of the author and his collaborators.
Minimal degrees which are Σ₂⁰ but not Δ₂⁰

We give a short proof of the existence of minimal Turing degrees which are Σ 0 2 but not Δ 0 2.
The initial phase in the polyuridylic acid-directed polymerization of phenylalanine.

Abstract The ribosome-polyuridylic acid-phenylalanyl-soluble ribonucleic acid complex has been shown to be an intermediate in the synthesis of polyphenylalanine. About half of the phenylalanine incorporated into polypeptide from the complex was located in the N-terminus. The formation of this ribosomal complex with phenylalanyl-soluble ribonucleic acid is rate-limiting in the synthesis of polyphenylalanine.
Manganese octahedral molecular sieve (OMS-2) catalysts for selective aerobic oxidation of thiols to disulfides

Abstract Selective aerobic oxidation of thiols to disulfides without any over oxidized products is studied using cryptomelane type manganese oxides (K-OMS-2) with a tunnel structure as catalysts. Using K-OMS-2 prepared by different synthetic procedures, complete conversion was obtained under air atmosphere without generating any overoxidized products. K-OMS-2 prepared by solvent free method (K-OMS-2SF) with the highest surface area (155 ± 1 m2/g) gave complete conversion, while materials prepared using hydrothermal method (K-OMS-2HY) with the lowest surface area (44 ± 1 m2/g) gave only 18% conversion at room temperature. Selective poisoning of the acid sites suggests that Lewis acid sites are the dominating active site during the reaction. Effects of surface area of the catalyst, solvent polarity, substrate effect, catalyst recyclability and temperature were studied. The catalyst could be recovered in the active form after the reaction without significant structural changes. The characterization of the catalyst using XRD, SEM, TGA, BET, TEM, and FT-IR are reported. The process developed is environmentally benign and is indeed heterogeneous.
Common, Specific, and Error Variance Components of Factor Models Estimation with Longitudinal Data

In the classic factor-analysis model, the total variance of an item is decomposed into common, specific, and random error components. Since with cross-sectional data it is not possible to estimate ...
Real Time Transposable Element Dynamics

Transposable elements are mobile genetic elements that are capable of self-catalyzed excision or copying from their host's genome, followed by integration back into another location within the genome. Transposable elements increase in number over time as a result of this activity, and as a consequence can make up a substantial portion of the host's genome as “junk DNA”; both active and dormant transposable elements make up at least 45% of the human genome, and up to 85% of the maize genome. Additionally, the unpredictable reintegration of transposable elements into coding or control regions of the host's genome can have dramatic effects on gene expression, and, as a result of this inherently mutagenic nature, transposable elements are thought to be a major source of genome plasticity driving evolution and are implicated as the direct causative agents of many human diseases, including hemophilia, porphyria, severe combined immunodeficiency, muscular dystrophy, and breast and colon cancers.Despite their ubiquity and potential importance, very little is currently known about the dynamics of transposon propagation through genomes, and their contribution to evolution is inferred from comparative analyses of the genome sequences of related organisms. In this talk I will describe methods developed by my lab employing fluorescent microscopy, microfluidic, and molecular biology techniques to allow the direct visualization of transposable element activity in single cells and in real time. The proposed experimental system is extensible to all types of transposable elements and all cell types, from bacteria to human.
The apo E/apo CIII molar ratio affects removal of cholesterol ester from modified human lipoproteins injected into cebus monkeys.

The removal of postprandial (PP) and postabsorptive (PA) human LDL and HDL cholesterol was examined in cebus monkeys (Cebus albifrons) following in vitro labelling of these lipoproteins by 3H-cholesterol in the presence or absence of DTNB. The removal of LDL cholesteryl ester was 3.5 and 2 times greater than that of HDL in male and female monkeys, respectively. Incubation with DTNB reduced cholesteryl ester removal by 45 and 52% for LDL and HDL, respectively. Cholesteryl ester from PA lipoproteins was removed 80% faster than that from PP particles only when plasma was incubated without DTNB. Cholesterol removal from these lipoproteins was positively (r=0.941) and significantly (P<0.001) correlated with the molar apo E/apo CIII ratio. The data suggest that density of lipoproteins was less important than their apoprotein composition in dictating their removal from circulation.
Management by Results: Student Evaluation of Faculty Teaching and the Mis-Measurement of Performance.

Abstract Using data on 4 years of courses at American University, regression results show that actual grades have a significant, positive effect on student evaluations of teaching (SETs), controlling for expected grade and fixed effects for both faculty and courses, and for possible endogeneity. Implications are that the SET is a faulty measure of teaching quality and grades a faulty signal of future job performance. Students, faculty, and provost appear to be engaged in an individually rational but socially destructive game of grade inflation centered on the link between SETs and grades. When performance is hard to measure, pay-for-performance, embodied by the link between SETs and faculty pay, may have unintended adverse consequences.
Distributed-source approach to image reconstruction in diffuse optical tomography

ABSTRACT A novel approach to the quantitative image reconstruction in diffuse optical tomography is proposed. The special structure ofthe transport equation is used to formulate the iterative image reconstruction algorithm as a process updating the estimates ofthe optical properties from the solution of an intermediate tomographic problem. The ability of the technique to reconstructsimultaneously maps of both absorption and reduced scattering coefficients in 2D geometry is demonstrated using simulatedfrequency-domain data. The potential advantages of the new approach include its ability to fully retain the non-linearcharacter of the inverse problem while at the same time avoiding either gradient or Jacobian calculations and eliminating theneed in an additional regularization mechanism.Keywords: Tissue imaging, inverse technique, regularization 1. INTRODUCTION The practical utility of diffuse optical tomography rests with the ability of the technique to produce quantitative spatialimages of the optical properties, such as absorption and (reduced) scattering coefficients. To date, several approaches to thereconstruction problem have been explored (See Ref 1 and literature cited therein). The most promising of them are centeredon either linearized perturbation techniquesea2 or gradient-based non-linear optimization
Actuating Traveling Surface Waves in Elastic Media

Recent developments from the field of fluid dynamics suggest that it is possible to significantly alter the flow characteristics using very small deformations of the boundary wall. In particular, it is believed that transverse forcing disrupts the generation and evolution of near wall instabilities located within the viscous and buffer layers. A physical realization of this flow control method requires active surfaces capable of producing prescribed surface motion. The condition of specifying surface motion falls under the dynamical control theory of program constraints, in which motion is only partly specified. For an elastic material, the basic problem is to find the material properties and external forcing required to produce the specified motion. We discuss the basic nature of this problem and present approaches to its solution.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Body Image and Eating Disorders in Older Adults: A Review

Researchers have shown body image to be an important part of a person's self-concept and have linked body dissatisfaction to various psychopathologies, most frequently eating disorders. However, the majority of the literature to date has focused on adolescents and college-aged samples, with little attention paid to the course of body image and eating disorders throughout the life span. The present article reviews the available literature on body image and eating disorders in older adults to understand more fully the unique presentation of body concerns and disordered eating across the life span. The authors address unique factors affecting body dissatisfaction and the development of eating disorders among older adults and offer directions for future research.