cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
WE-C-217A-03: Biology versus Epidemiology: The Need for an Integrated Model of Radiation Risk.

The lifetime attributable risk estimates from the National Academy of Sciences BEIR VII report have been used by a number of authors to estimate cancer mortality caused by radiation exposure from medicaldiagnostic radiology exams. This controversial practice assumes that the dose response relationship between radiation and cancer is linear with no threshold (LNT). For purposes of protecting public health, use of the LNT model is widely accepted. But is it appropriate for estimating risk to individuals exposed to low doses of radiation from medical procedures? Radiation biology research demonstrates that not all biological processes are linear. Italso has provided data that support not only LNT but supra linear and sub linear response models. Results from epidemiology studies can also be used to support the use of any of these models, but the confidence intervals are much larger. Since we can't prove which model is correct, for purposes of protecting patients we assume that any exposure has the potential for harm and we use optimization to keep exposures as low as reasonably achievable.Several areas of research are contributing insight into this dilemma, but they still leave several important questions unanswered: • How can we accurately extrapolate low‐dose biological effects generated in the laboratory to risk in a human? • Is extrapolation from high dose, high dose rate, acute exposures appropriate when human exposures are primarily chronic low dose exposures. Epidemiology alone is unlikely to provide information that will resolve this dilemma. The numbers of individuals required in a sample are too large, and the homogeneity among subjects is lacking. Reliance on radiation biology research alone is problematic because the research is focused primarily on mechanisms and not risk. This paper will present an overview of the issues and suggest areas of research that may contribute to our understanding of the level of risk associated with low doses of medicalradiation. Learning Objectives: 1. List the current biological mechanisms that are affected by low doses of ionizing radiation. 2. Describe the dilemma of risk extrapolation based on current knowledge of biological effects of radiation. 3. Discuss the limitations of extrapolating lifetime attributable risk estimates to cancer mortality for low‐dose medical procedures.
A graphical language with formal semantics for the specification and analysis of real-time systems

Graphical communicating shared resources, GCSR, is a formal language for the specification and analysis of real-time systems including their functional and resource requirements. GCSR allows a modular and hierarchical, and thus, scalable specification of a real-time system. GCSR supports notions of communication through events, interrupt, concurrency, and time to describe a real-time system. In addition, GCSR allows the explicit representation of resources and priorities to arbitrate resource contention in a natural way that produces easy to understand and modify specifications. The semantics of GCSR is the algebra of communicating shared resources, a timed process algebra with operational semantics. The process algebra provides behavioral equivalence relations which can be used to verify the correctness of one GCSR specification with respect to the other.
Why prioritize when there isn't enough money?

In an informal address to the 4th International Conference on Priorities in Health (Oslo, 23 September 2002), Professor Jeffrey Sachs – Chairperson of the WHO Commission on Macroeconomics and Health – maintained that the real causes of the inability of the world's poorest people to receive help for the lethal diseases that burden them did not include the "usual suspects" (corruption, mismanagement, and wrong priorities). Rather, the root cause was argued to be an inherent lack of money, indicating that the burden of disease would be lifted only if rich countries gave more money to poor ones. Without taking exception to anything that Sachs said in his address, there nevertheless remain a number of justifications for efforts to improve priority setting in the face of severely shortages of resources, including the following three defenses: prioritization is needed if we are to know that prioritization is insufficient; prioritization is most important when there is little money; prioritization can itself increase resources.
Fowl Immunoglobulins: Quantitation in Birds Genetically Resistant and Susceptible to Marek's Disease.

The development of serum immunoglobulins was observed in chicks genetically resistant (N line) and susceptible (P line) to Marek9s disease (MD), in conditions free from infection with MD. IgG was present at hatching at about 5.0 mg/ml and decreased to about 0.5 mg/ml by 12 to 15 days. Active production of IgG was apparent at about 20 days of age and reached levels of 2.0 to 3.0 mg/ml by 67 days. Low levels of IgM were present at hatching, and a gradual increase was seen to 1.0 to 2.0 mg/ml by 67 days. IgA was not detectable at hatching; it appeared in N-line birds at 5 days and in P-line birds at 13 days, and by 67 days was about 0.10 to 0.13 mg/ml. After 30 to 40 days, immunoglobulin levels were generally higher in N-line than in P-line birds. However, it was concluded that no primary immunoglobin deficiency existed sufficient to explain the susceptibility of the P-line birds to MD
High serum cobalamin levels in the clinical setting--clinical associations and holo-transcobalamin changes

Whereas low cobalamin levels have been studied intensively, systematic information about high levels, especially in the clinical setting, is scarce. Therefore, a prospective comparison was done of 60 patients with high cobalamin levels and 75 with normal levels obtained by a hospital laboratory over a 2.5 month period. Associations with clinical disorders and laboratory test results were examined. Transcobalamin (TC) I and II were measured, especially the holoproteins (TC carrying circulating endogenous cobalamin) which were fractionated with microfine silica powder. High cobalamin levels (> 664 pmol/l; > 900 ng/l) occurred in 94 of 670 consecutive clinically requested assays (14%). The only independently significant associations with a high cobalamin level were renal failure among the clinical disorders (P=0.01), elevated serum creatinine (P=0.0001) and diminished albumin (P=0.0002) levels among laboratory tests. Both holo-TC I and holo-TC II levels were increased in renal failure (P=0.0001) but the increase was relatively greater in holo-TC II. The results indicate that high cobalamin levels are more frequent than low ones in clinical practice and appear to be associated often with renal failure. The elevation of both holo-TC II and holo-TC I suggests that several mechanisms are operative. The accumulation of holo-TC II suggests that cellular uptake of cobalamin by the abundant TC II receptors in the kidney may be impaired. The much better known association of high cobalamin levels with leucocytic disorders is rare, and no association was seen with liver disease.
Use of white blood cells and cultured somatic cells in clinical genetic disorders

In this review, we have summarized the data showing that about one-third of all of the known “inborn errors of metabolism” can be detected by white blood cell lysates prepared from 5 to 10 ml of blood, or by cultivated somatic cells grown from either skin biopsy or amniotic fluid obtained by amniocentesis. The ability to simplify the diagnostic procedure in this manner represents an important step forward for the practicing physician.
The effect of internal control sequence and length on the response to PCR inhibition in real-time PCR quantitation

PCR inhibitors can originate from a variety of sources and can co-extract with the DNA template, resulting in reduced amplification and/or dropped alleles. Currently real time PCR is used to provide a check for the presence of PCR inhibition by monitoring the quality of amplification of an internal control. In this paper we examine the effect of internal control length and sequences on its sensitivity to PCR inhibition by varying concentrations of commonly encountered PCR inhibitors. Data from both amplification and melt curves were evaluated. The results show that while amplicon sequence has minor effects on amplification efficiency and melt curves, amplicon length has a more dramatic effect, regardless of inhibitor type. Given the increasing variety of STR typing kits and their documented differences in performance with respect to inhibition, the data obtained in this study can be used to assist designers of real time PCR kits to adjust their internal PCR controls (IPC) to permit a more targeted estimation of inhibition.
Color Atlas of Cardiovascular Disease

Section 1: Coronary Artery Disease * Normal Coronary and Venous Anatomy * Coronary Artery Anomalies * Stress Testing * Myocardial Viability Testing * Stable Ischemic Heart Disease * Acute Coronary Syndromes * Percutaneous Coronary Intervention * Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Section 2: Valvular Heart Disease * Normal Valve Anatomy and Function * Aortic stenosis * Aortic Regurgitation * Mitral Stenosis and Percutaneous Mitral Valvotomy * Mitral Regurgitation * Mitral Valve Prolapse * Right-Sided Valvular Heart Disease * Endocarditis * Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) * Valve Surgery and Prosthetic Heart Valves Section 3: Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy * Normal Cardiac Anatomy and Function * Systolic Heart Failure * Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction * Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy * Infiltrative Heart Disease and Restrictive Cardiomyopathy * Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy * Left Ventricular Assist Devices * Cardiac Transplantation Section 4: Arrhythmias * Normal Cardiac Depolarization and Impulse Conduction * Bradyarrhythmias, Conduction Abnormalities, and Heart Block * Atrial Fibrillation * Atrial Flutter * Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) Syndrome and AV Reentrant Tachycardia (AVRT) * Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia (AVNRT) * Ventricular Arrhythmias * Pacemakers * Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators Section 5: Pericardial Disease * Pericarditis * Pericardial Effusion * Constrictive Pericarditis Section 6: Congenital Heart Disease * Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) * Atrial Septal Defects (ASD) * Ventricular Septal Defects (VSD) * Ebstein Anomaly * Tetralogy of Fallot * Transposition of the Great Vessels * Supravalvular and Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis * Aortic Coarctation * Patent Ductus Arteriosus Section 7: Peripheral Vascular Disease * Peripheral Arterial Disease * Carotid Artery Disease * Aortic Aneurysm * Aortic Dissection * Renovascular Disease * Peripheral Venous Insufficiency Section 8: Miscellaneous Cardiovascular Disease * Cardiac Tumors * Hyperlipidemia * Physical Findings in Cardiovascular Disease * Stroke * Venous Thromboembolism
Alcohol Fuel Vehicles of Volkswagen

Rapport concernant les premiers vehicules fonctionnant avec un combustible a l'alcool et circulant aux Etats Unis et en Allemagne. Dans chaque cas les vehicules ont ete concus pour une consommation de combustible minimale et des emissions minimales
BNL ATF II Beamlines Design

The Brookhaven National Laboratory. Accelerator Test Facility (BNL ATF) is currently undergoing a major upgrade (ATF-II). Together with a new location and much improved facilities, the ATF will see an upgrade in its major capabilities: electron beam energy and quality and CO2 laser power. The electron beam energy will be increased in stages, first to 100-150 MeV followed by a further increase to 500 MeV. Combined with the planned increase in CO2 laser power (from 1-100 TW), the ATF-II will be a powerful tool for Advanced Accelerator research. A high-brightness electron beam, produced by a photocathode gun, will be accelerated and optionally delivered to multiple beamlines. Besides the energy range (up to a possible 500 MeV in the final stage) the electron beam can be tailored to each experiment with options such as: small transverse beam size (<10 um), short bunch length (<100 fsec) and, combined short and small bunch options. This report gives a detailed overview of the ATFII capabilities and beamlines configuration.
A Cross-Sectional Survey on the Inclusion of Tobacco Prevention/Cessation, Nutrition/ Diet, and Exercise Physiology/Fitness Education in Medical School Curricula

Chronic diseases are currently the major cause of death and disability worldwide. Addressing the main causes of chronic diseases from a preventive perspective is imperative for halting a continual increase in premature deaths. Physicians occupy a unique position to assist individuals with chronic disease prevention. Hence, medical school is an opportunity to prepare physicians for preventive interventions with patients at risk for developing chronic diseases. This study asserts that education on chronic disease prevention that targets tobacco cessation/prevention, nutrition/ diet, and exercise physiology/fitness is a key aspect of medical school curricula. However, many US medical schools do not include all 3 components in their curricula. This study investigates the extent to which medical school curricula include the above 3 areas. Two methods were utilized for the study: (1) a cross-sectional survey was given to the associate dean of academic affairs of 129 US medical schools and (2) relevant data were retrieved from the Association of American Medical Colleges. Findings support the notion that medical schools are in need of increased curricula covering tobacco prevention/cessation, nutrition/diet, and exercise physiology/fitness. Results indicate that exercise physiology/fitness was the area receiving the least attention in medical schools. Ultimately, this study's purpose was to provide a basis for determining whether inclusion of these 3 subjects in medical school curricula has any significant effect on training future doctors to meet the needs of growing numbers of individuals with chronic disease.
Cut Growth in Vulcanizates of Natural Rubber, cis-Polybutadiene, and a 50/50 Blend: Part II. Cracking Patterns in the Strained State

Abstract The tensile strengths, σb, and apparent fracture energies, G, of edge-cut strip specimens (28 mm wide) of carbon black-filled vulcanizates of natural rubber (NR), cis-butadiene rubber (cis...
Ecological adaptations in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca). IV. Montana and Idaho near the Continental Divide

Seventy-seven seedling populations of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) sampled from near the Continental Divide in Idaho and Montana exhibited pronounced genetic differences when compared in three common environments. Differentiation involved several traits that are components of an annual developmental cycle that must be completed within a growing season of finite length. Consequently, the elevational and geographic clines of genetic variation tend to parallel variation in the length of the growing season at the seed source. Such clines suggest that maladaptation in artificial reforestation can be controlled by limiting the transfer of seeds.
Maternal Comorbidities and First-Trimester Ultrasound Examination

First-trimester ultrasound is commonly used to confirm an intrauterine pregnancy, establish accurate dates, and in risk assessment for aneuploidy. While a second-trimester anatomical survey remains the “gold standard,” some patients might benefit from first-trimester anatomy ultrasound. Various maternal conditions such as pregestational diabetes, obesity, autoimmune disease, preeclampsia and/or their treatments are known to be associated with structural anomalies or restricted growth. Nowadays, using high-frequency transvaginal transducers, the detection of fetal structural abnormalities in the first trimester is frequently reported. This helps to shift the prenatal diagnosis from the standard second-trimester anatomy scan into the first trimester, and also gives the opportunity for pregnancy termination, in appropriate cases, earlier in gestation.
An Uncommon Threat: Shipworms as a Novel Disaster

The sudden arrival of shipworms (Teredo navalis) along Dutch coasts in the 1730s posed significant challenges for water management. Although this invasive mollusc would eventually catalyse a dramatic transformation of coastal dike infrastructure, those changes only developed in the context of years of experimentation, wide ranging popular participation and increasing public anxiety. The perceived novelty of the shipworm episode was crucial to the Dutch interpretation of this disaster. This was the first sustained, explosive appearance of marine boring molluscs in Dutch waters. The novelty of the shipworm threat revealed the limitations of adaptive decision-making based in prior experience or cultural memory. At the same time, the novelty of the biological organism offered unique possibilities for natural historians and laypeople to participate in adaptive dialogues. Finally, moralists used the exceptionality of the threat as proof of divine influence. Ultimate technological ‘solutions’ to the shipworm thr...
Utility of the 24-hour delay hysterosalpingogram film*

Controversy exists regarding the ideal contrast media for hysterosalpingography. A unique property of oil-base contrast media is the availability of a 24-hour delay radiograph for further assessment of tubal patency and adhesions. A review was undertaken of the delay films in 131 cases performed by use of oil-base contrast media with subsequent surgical confirmation of pelvic findings. A 97% predictive accuracy was achieved with regard to distal obstruction and a 79% accuracy with regard to pelvic adhesions. Objective criteria for the evaluation of 24-hour delay hysterogram films were developed and are illustrated.
Time-resolved studies of picosecond photodisruption

Laser-induced optical breakdown is an important type of laser-tissue interaction which has been used clinically in ophthalmology for the surgical incision of intraocular structures. The physical processes associated with optical breakdown include plasma formation, acoustic wave generation and propagation, and cavitation.1–3 These processes produce the desired surgical incision effects but also limit the localizability of the laser-tissue interaction.
Young Adolescents' Shared Leisure Activities With Close Friends and Dating Partners: Associations with Supportive Communication and Relationship Satisfaction

Shared leisure activities with close friends and dating partners offer early adolescents a context to develop satisfying relationships. Participants in the current study were 1,696 early adolescent...
Factors affecting operative time and outcome of carotid endarterectomy in the Vascular Quality Initiative

Objective Prior studies have suggested a relationship between operative (Op) time and outcome after major vascular procedures. This study analyzed factors associated with Op time and outcome after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) registry.
Ordinary least squares regression is indicated for studies of allometry

When it comes to fitting simple allometric slopes through measurement data, evolutionary biologists have been torn between regression methods. On the one hand, there is the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, which is commonly used across many disciplines of biology to fit lines through data, but which has a reputation for underestimating slopes when measurement error is present. On the other hand, there is the reduced major axis (RMA) regression, which is often recommended as a substitute for OLS regression in studies of allometry, but which has several weaknesses of its own. Here, we review statistical theory as it applies to evolutionary biology and studies of allometry. We point out that the concerns that arise from measurement error for OLS regression are small and straightforward to deal with, whereas RMA has several key properties that make it unfit for use in the field of allometry. The recommended approach for researchers interested in allometry is to use OLS regression on measurements taken with low (but realistically achievable) measurement error. If measurement error is unavoidable and relatively large, it is preferable to correct for slope attenuation rather than to turn to RMA regression, or to take the expected amount of attenuation into account when interpreting the data.
Recovery guarantees for high resolution radar sensing with compressive illumination

We present a compressive radar design that combines multitone linear frequency modulated (LFM) waveforms on transmit with classical stretch processor and sub-Nyquist sampling on receive. The proposed compressive illumination scheme has much fewer random elements compared to previously proposed compressive radar designs based on stochastic waveforms, resulting in reduced storage and complexity for implementation. We present bounds on the operator norm and mutual coherence of the sensing matrix of the proposed scheme and show that for sufficiently large number of modulating tones, high resolution range recovery is guaranteed for a sparse scene using sampling rates that scale linearly with the scene sparsity. Simulation results are presented to study recovery performance as a function of system parameters for targets both on and off the grid. In addition, we present experimental results using a high speed digital waveform generator and a custom designed analog stretch processor.
Incidental echocardiographic finding: Fractured inferior vena cava filter

Inferior vena cava filters have gained increasing popularity in recent decades and knowledge on rare complications becomes vital to practicing physicians. A 30-year-old African American male with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, end-stage renal disease, history of deep venous thrombosis and placement of venacaval filter who was seen in the cardiology clinic for cardiac risks stratification prior to renal transplant. Patient denied any cardiac symptoms. A transthoracic echocardiogram was performed and showed two linear echoes bright densities in the right atrium and right ventricle embedded which was later found to be fractured filter struts by computed tomography. We discuss the various outcomes associated with non-retrieval of retrievable inferior vena cava filters.
Organizational Size: A Significant Predictor of it Innovation Adoption

Companies or organizations have to constantly adopt new technological innovations one way or the other in order to improve or keep their efficiency or competitive advantages in business. The presen...
Improvements to an earth observing statistical performance model with applications to LWIR spectral variability

Hyperspectral remote sensing systems provide spectral data composed of hundreds of narrow spectral bands. Spectral remote sensing systems can be used to identify targets, for example, without physical interaction. Often it is of interested to characterize the spectral variability of targets or objects. The purpose of this paper is to identify and characterize the LWIR spectral variability of targets based on an improved earth observing statistical performance model, known as the Forecasting and Analysis of Spectroradiometric System Performance (FASSP) model. FASSP contains three basic modules including a scene model, sensor model and a processing model. Instead of using mean surface reflectance only as input to the model, FASSP transfers user defined statistical characteristics of a scene through the image chain (i.e., from source to sensor). The radiative transfer model, MODTRAN, is used to simulate the radiative transfer based on user defined atmospheric parameters. To retrieve class emissivity and temperature statistics, or temperature / emissivity separation (TES), a LWIR atmospheric compensation method is necessary. The FASSP model has a method to transform statistics in the visible (ie., ELM) but currently does not have LWIR TES algorithm in place. This paper addresses the implementation of such a TES algorithm and its associated transformation of statistics.
Wildfire risk reduction in the United States: Leadership staff perceptions of local fire department roles and responsibilities

Abstract As wildland fires have had increasing negative impacts on a range of human values, in many parts of the United States (U.S.) and around the world, collaborative risk reduction efforts among agencies, homeowners, and fire departments are needed to improve wildfire safety and mitigate risk. Using interview data from 46 senior officers from local fire departments around the U.S., we examine how leadership staff view their departments’ roles and responsibilities in wildfire risk reduction. Overall, our findings indicate that local fire personnel are often performing a variety of mitigation tasks and roles, acting as informants, educators, partners, and planners. The challenges these local departments have experienced also point to how funding, information sharing, and staff buy-in can better facilitate engagement in mitigation work and ultimately help improve community wildfire safety.
Use of the MatrixWAVE™ system with dentures to establish maxillomandibular fixation in edentulous patients

Abstract Various methods have been described to establish maxillomandibular fixation in the treatment of fractures of atrophic, edentulous mandibles. We used the Synthes MatrixWAVE™ system (DePuy Synthes) in combination with dentures in two patients with fractured, edentulous, atrophic mandibles. Fixation was maintained for fractures that were not amenable to, or did not require, open reduction and internal fixation, and the mandibles were both well-healed and had good function at the end of treatment.
Vibration of circular saws containing slots

The natural modes of transverse vibration of circular saws containing radial slots are analyzed in this paper. Incision of equally-spaced asymmetry, equally sized, radial slots at the rim of a saw creates in some, but surprisingly not all, of the vibration modes of the circular saw. It causes the repeated natural frequencies in these asymmetric modes to split into two distinct values. These vibration modes are called the split modes. The vibration modes associated with the repeated natural frequencies, typical of the axisymmetric saw plate, are called the repeated modes. A relationship predicting which vibration modes are split and which are repeated for any configuration of slots on the saw is presented in this paper. Further, it is shown that parametric, transverse vibration instability can be excited in the split modes of the slotted saw by the saw guides and the workpiece. These parametric vibrations can not be excited in the repeated modes. The theoretical predictions of split and repeated vibration modes and the excitation of parametric instability are confirmed by experiments.
Modeling Human Lymphoid Precursor Cell Gene Therapy in the SCID-hu Mouse

Gene therapy of human T-lymphocyte disorders, including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), would be greatly facilitated by the development of an in vivo system in which transduced human hematopoietic stem cells can be used to reconstitute the T-lymphoid compartment. Here we use the SCID-hu mouse as a recipient for human CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells transduced in vitro with a retroviral vector carrying the neomycin resistance gene (neoR). The transduced cells engraft and reconstitute the lymphoid compartments of the human thymus implant with as few as 5 x 10(4) CD34+ cells. The neoR gene was expressed at low levels in human thymocytes and there was no apparent effect on thymocyte differentiation as a result of vector transduction. Thus, this SCID-hu mouse system is the first in vivo model showing human thymopoiesis after transduction of exogenous vectors, and should allow preclinical testing of gene therapeutic reagents designed to function in human cells of the T-lymphoid lineage. Because human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection induces depletion of human thymocytes in SCID-hu mice, this system may be particularly valuable in evaluating efficacy of gene therapies to combat AIDS.
Performance of Crosses among Hereford, Angus and Simmental Cattle with Different Levels of Simmental Breeding. II. Effect of Calf Breed on Cow Productivity

Hereford cows were randomly bred to Hereford, Angus, Simmental X Hereford and Simmental sires. Each sire breed group was represented by nine or 10 sires. These matings produced approximately 100 calves in each sire breed group over 4 yr. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of calf breed on characteristics of the cow such as milk production, reproduction, measures of condition, weight and changes in condition and weight during lactation. All of the cows were contemporary Herefords that were raised and managed under similar environmental conditions. Hence, any detection of an important effect of calf breed on cow productivity should be a reflection of different levels of maternal requirement imposed on the cow by the different calf breed groups. Cows that raised crossbred calves gained less weight from precalving to weaning, had lower condition scores at weaning, had smaller gains in weight change per unit of height and experienced a lower pregnancy rate. All results consistently showed that crossbred calves challenged the maternal ability of their dams to a greater degree than the straightbred calves and that among the crossbred calves, those by Simmental sires challenged their dams the most. It appeared that calf breed group effects on cow traits were at least partially mediated through calf growth rate, but not through parturition stress. Therefore, benefits realized from crossbreeding need to be weighted against possible unfavorable results.
THE EVOLVING THREAT AND ENFORCEMENT OF REPLICA GOODS

Of all the instances and schemes for infringing and counterfeit­ ing trademark rights, perhaps none has been as successful and insid­ ious as “replicas.” The term “replica,” when applied, for instance, to a watch or handbag, is synonymous with “counterfeit.”1 Both terms are used to describe a product that is an exact and unautho­ rized copy of an authentic product.2 While some street merchants may call their counterfeit products “replicas,” the designation ex­ ploded in popularity on the thousands of websites that boast look-a­ like counterfeit products. The popularity of “replica” goods is largely dependent on the absence of liability for manufacturers of these transient and low-cost goods, coupled with the public’s quest for a luxury image without the luxury good price.3 The prevalence
Replication or reproduction?: Symbiogenesis as an alternative theory

This commentary takes issue with the idea that replication is a “fundamental element” in natural selection. Such an assumption is based on a traditional, mechanistic view of evolution. A symbiogenetic theory of evolution offers an alternative to traditional theories, emphasizing reproduction and qualitative development rather than replication and quantitative development. The issues raised by the symbiogenetic alternative may be extended to discussions of behavioral development.
Klein’s technique

ABSTRACTReading these heretofore unpublished works by Melanie Klein is certain to surprise their readers, regardless of their previous familiarity with her work. Bound though she was to an earlier vision of the psychoanalytic situation and to an epistemology that today may strike many analysts as archaic, Klein’s ideas remain fresh and provocative. In this commentary I sketch out the controversies in which she was involved at the time of the lectures and seminars, and discuss how we might think about them in light of contemporary developments.
Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning in Neurotrauma

Abstract Rapid advances in the collection, storage, and analysis of large volumes of data—Big Data—offer the much-needed help to identify and treat the various pathological conditions triggered by traumatic brain injury (TBI). Big Data (BD) is defined as extremely large, complex, and mostly unstructured data that cannot be analyzed using traditional approaches. BD can be only analyzed by using text mining (TM), artificial intelligence (AI), or machine learning (ML). These approaches can reveal patterns, trends, and associations, critical for understanding the “most complex disease of the most complex organ.” While powerful and successfully tested computational tools are available, using BD approaches in TBI is currently hampered by the limited availability of legacy and/or primary data, by incompatible data formats and standards. This chapter introduces Big Data and Big Data approaches such as text mining, artificial intelligence, and machine learning; outlines the benefits of using BD approaches; and suggests potential solutions that can help using the full potential of BD in TBI. It also identifies necessary changes of how researchers can help ushering in a new era of preclinical and clinical TBI research by recording and storing ALL the data generated and making ALL the data available for BD approaches—text mining, artificial intelligence, and machine learning so new correlations, relationships, and trends can be identified. In turn, these new information will help to develop novel diagnostics, evidence-based treatments, and improve outcomes.
Forging the ideal educated girl: the production of desirable subjects in Muslim South Asia

[We believe] in a world where every girl is in school, and empowered with the skills to improve her life and be a change-maker in her community. […] We believe that girls are the most powerful forc...
Comparing Zeeman qubits to hyperfine qubits in the context of the surface code: Yb + 174 and Yb + 171

Many systems used for quantum computing possess additional states beyond those defining the qubit. Leakage out of the qubit subspace must be considered when designing quantum error correction codes. Here we consider trapped ion qubits manipulated by Raman transitions. Zeeman qubits do not suffer from leakage errors but are sensitive to magnetic fields to first order. Hyperfine qubits can be encoded in clock states that are insensitive to magnetic fields to first order, but spontaneous scattering during the Raman transition can lead to leakage. Here we compare a Zeeman qubit ($^{174}\mathrm{Yb}^{+}$) to a hyperfine qubit ($^{171}\mathrm{Yb}^{+}$) in the context of the surface code. We find that the number of physical qubits required to reach a specific logical qubit error can be reduced by using $^{174}\mathrm{Yb}^{+}$ if the magnetic field can be stabilized with fluctuations smaller than $10\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{G}$.
Challenges and new methods for designing reliability experiments

Engineers use reliability experiments to determine the factors that drive product reliability, build robust products, and predict reliability under use conditions. This article uses recent testing ...
Deep-Learning Inferencing with High-Performance Hardware Accelerators

In order to improve their performance-per-watt capabilities over general-purpose architectures, FPGAs are commonly employed to accelerate applications. With the exponential growth of available data, machine-learning apps have generated greater interest in order to more comprehensively understand that data and increase autonomous processing. As FPGAs become more readily available on cloud services like Amazon Web Services F1 platform, it is worth studying the performance of accelerating machine-learning apps on FPGAs over traditional fixed-logic devices, like CPUs and GPUs. FPGA frameworks for accelerating convolutional neural networks (CNN), which are used in many machine-learning apps, have begun to emerge for accelerated-application development. This research aims to compare the performance of these forthcoming frameworks on two commonly used CNNs, GoogLeNet and AlexNet. Specifically, handwritten Chinese character recognition is benchmarked across multiple FPGA frameworks on Xilinx and Intel FPGAs and compared against multiple CPU and GPU architectures featured on AWS, Google’s Cloud platform, the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Research Computing (CRC), and Intel’s vLab Academic Cluster. All NVIDIA GPUs have proven to have the best performance over every other device in this study. The Zebra framework available for Xilinx FPGAs showed to have an average 8.3 times and 9.3 times performance and efficiency improvement, respectively, over the OpenVINO framework available for Intel FPGAs. Although the Zebra framework on the Xilinx VU9P showed greater efficiency than the Pascal-based GPUs, the NVIDIA Tesla V100 proved to be the most efficient device at 125.9 and 47.2 images-per-second-per-Watt for AlexNet and GoogLeNet, respectively. Although currently lacking, FPGA frameworks and devices have the potential to compete with GPUs in terms of performance and efficiency.
Scalability study in parallel computing

An asymptotic scalability metric, called Constant-Memory-per-Processor (CMP) scalability, is presented. This metric is useful in analyzing performance of a parallel algorithm on distributed memory architectures as the number of processors grows, but the memory size per processor remains fixed. To illustrate the CMP-scalability metric, parallel Matrix Multiplication (MM), Gauss-Jordan Elimination (GJE) with partial pivoting, and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithms are considered on the hypercube and two-dimensional mesh topologies. A comparison between the asymptotic CMP-scalability and the isoefficiency-scalability metrics is performed to attain a better understanding of scalability. An analysis of the scalability of GJE and FFT on a mesh predicts that GJE is asymptotically more scalable than FFT using the isoefficiency-scalability metric, but the CMP-scalability metric predicts that FFT is asymptotically more scalable than GJE. Closer investigation reveals that both are correct, and that each metric amounts to a different planer cross-section of the multi-dimensional performance surface. Combining information from both the isoefficiency and CMP-scalability metrics we are able to show how to predict the relative change in performance of two algorithms along the fixed-processor planar cross-section and the fixed-problem size planar cross-section. Scalability metrics such as the CMP-scalability metric and isoefficiency-scalability metric indicate the asymptotic behavior as the number of processors becomes large. However, we question how useful these metrics are on a specific machine with a fixed number of processors and a fixed memory per processor. We investigate the utility of the CMP-and isoefficiency-scalability metrics by a detailed analysis of the three algorithms on a 16K processor MasPar MP-1 machine. Included in our analysis are the effects of varying the processor speed and communication speeds of the parallel computer on the accuracy of these scalability metrics.
Hierarchical Design and Optimization of Silicon Photonics

Silicon photonics is a rapidly maturing platform for optical communication and sensing. As systems leveraging silicon photonics have grown in size and complexity, so too has the demand for high performance silicon photonics components. In order to meet these demands, we propose a hierarchical approach to design and optimization of silicon photonics components. Our approach applies simple physical analysis to choose an effective starting geometry for a two-step gradient-based shape optimization. This optimization employs carefully chosen geometrical constraints in order to consistently produce robust, high performance devices which satisfy practical fabrication constraints of deep UV lithography. In order to demonstrate the versatility of method, we optimize a 3 dB coupler which achieves better than 0.04 dB excess loss over the O-band, a four port 3-dB coupler which achieves better than 0.41 dB excess loss and near 50:50 splitting over the O-band, and a fabrication-tolerant waveguide crossing which achieves better than 0.075 dB insertion loss over the O-band even when subject to $\pm \text{10}$ % silicon thickness variations. These results pave the way for high efficiency silicon photonic component libraries.
Holographic optical tweezers assisted imaging spectroscopy

Holographic optical tweezers (HOT) is an effective means for optical manipulation. Herein we demonstrate its integration with imaging spectroscopy for biological and biomedical applications.
Brillouin-Based Signal Processing in Silicon Photonics : (Invited paper)

We use a new class of optomechanical waveguides to we create strong stimulated Brillouin scattering in silicon waveguides. Harnessing these interactions, we create Brillouin-based narrow-band RF-photonic filters, optical amplifiers, and lasers in silicon photonics.
Cognition and functional capacity following traumatic brain injury in veterans.

Objective Performance-based tests of functional capacity are rarely used in research on mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI), but they may function as a link between cognitive impairment and real-world functioning. We sought to examine the relationship between cognitive functioning and performance-based functional capacity, as measured by the University of California San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment-Brief (UPSA-B), in Veterans with TBI histories. Research method A total of 50 unemployed Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans with mild to moderate TBI histories completed assessments of neuropsychological performance and functional capacity (UPSA-B total, financial subscale, and communication subscale scores). All participants were impaired in at least 1 neuropsychological domain on a prior clinical neuropsychological evaluation. A global deficit score was calculated based on neuropsychological performance on assessments of attention/working memory, processing speed, learning, delayed recall, prospective memory, and executive functioning. Deficit scores were also calculated for the executive-functioning domain and the processing-speed domain. Neuropsychological deficit scores were then correlated with UPSA-B performances. Results Correlation coefficients indicated that worse global neuropsychological performance was related to worse overall functional capacity (rs = -.28, p = .046) and communication capacity (rs = -.34, p = .016). Worse executive functioning was related to worse functional capacity, r = -.37, p = .008, particularly in the domain of communication, r = -.44, p ≤ .001. Processing-speed performance was not related to functional capacity. Conclusions Executive functioning was moderately associated with both communication and overall everyday functioning capacity. Improvement in executive-functioning deficits may improve functional capacity, specifically in communication tasks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Thermal resistance of Salmonella in low-moisture high-sugar products

Abstract Recent foodborne outbreaks in low-moisture foods were caused mostly by Salmonella. The main common carbohydrates in low-moisture high-sugar products are D-glucose and D-fructose. There is a lack of information on the thermal resistance of Salmonella in pure sugar and high-sugar products with low water activity (aw) levels. The objective of this study was to study the thermal resistance of Salmonella Enteritidis PT30 in sugar products. Two pure sugars (glucose and fructose) and honey powder were selected for this research. The initial aw and moisture content for glucose, fructose, and honey powder are 0.30, 0.30, 0.40 and 0.02, 0.15, and 0.50% db., respectively. The D-values of Salmonella in different sugar products are determined at low aw levels (0.18, 0.30, 0.40, and 0.50 measured at 80 °C). The results showed that the D80 °C-values of S. Enteritidis PT30 decreased with increasing aw of all samples. At aw80 °C 0.18, S. Enteritidis PT30 in glucose powder has higher D-value than those in fructose and honey powder whereas, at aw80 °C 0.30, 0.40, and 0.50, S. Enteritidis PT30 in fructose powder has higher D-values than glucose and honey powder at 80 °C. Zaw values of S. Enteritidis PT30 in fructose and honey powder are comparable but was lower in glucose because of the phase change. The results of this study provide insights on understanding the thermal resistance of Salmonella in sugars and guidance on thermal process design to improve the safety of low-moisture high-sugar products.
White Dwarf Stars

White dwarf stars represent the most common endpoint of stellar evolution. In fact, about 90% of all stars will end up as white dwarfs. Their high temperatures and low luminosities imply that they are small — only about the size of the Earth (R e = 0.009R⊙). The mean radius for white dwarfs is R = 0.01 R⊙ (see the first table). Their rather ordinary masses of M ≈ 0.6M⊙ indicate that they have been gravitationally compressed to enormously high densities of about 100,000 g cm-3. Degenerate electron pressure stabilizes these stars against further collapse.
Developing specifications for precast concrete highway pavements

Precast Concrete Pavements (PCP) can be used as an accelerated rehabilitation technique for concrete pavements. The goals of this research study was to develop a PCP system approval process for pot...
Heterologous expression of methylxanthine synthesis enzymes in mammalian cells and their use as reporter proteins

Abstract This work demonstrates the reconstitution of active methylxanthine synthesis enzymes in human cells and their potential use as inducible reporter enzymes. A variety of plant enzymes involved in caffeine synthesis have been characterized in vitro and several of these methylxanthine synthesis enzymes have been heterologously-expressed in yeast or bacteria. In this work, enzymes from Coffea arabica, Camellia sinensis, and Paullinia cupana have been heterologously-expressed in human cells. We demonstrate that the enzymes tested exhibit similar patterns of activity with a set of xanthine substrates in human cells when compared to previous reports of in vitro activity. We demonstrate that the activity of these enzymes can be used as a reporter for juxtacrine signaling using synNotch-induced expression in the presence of an appropriate substrate. When used in combination with synthetic caffeine receptors, this work has potential for use as an in vivo reporter (e.g. enabling non-invasive monitoring of cell-cell interactions after a cellular transplant) or in synthetic intercellular signaling a methylxanthine, such as caffeine, acting as a synthetic paracrine hormone.
Cholesterol stabilizes recombinant exocytic fusion pores by altering membrane bending rigidity.

Abstract SNARE-mediated membrane fusion proceeds via the formation of a fusion pore. This intermediate structure is highly dynamic and can flicker between open and closed states. In cells, cholesterol has been reported to affect SNARE-mediated exocytosis and fusion pore dynamics. Here, we address the question of whether cholesterol directly affects the flickering rate of reconstituted fusion pores in vitro. These experiments were enabled by the recent development of a nanodisc⋅black lipid membrane recording system that monitors dynamic transitions between the open and closed states of nascent recombinant pores with submillisecond time resolution. The fusion pores formed between nanodiscs that bore the vesicular SNARE synaptobrevin 2 and black lipid membranes that harbored the target membrane SNAREs syntaxin 1A and SNAP-25B were markedly affected by cholesterol. These effects include strong reductions in flickering out of the open state, resulting in a significant increase in the open dwell-time. We attributed these effects to the known role of cholesterol in altering the elastic properties of lipid bilayers because manipulation of phospholipids to increase membrane stiffness mirrored the effects of cholesterol. In contrast to the observed effects on pore kinetics, cholesterol had no effect on the current that passed through individual pores and, hence, did not affect pore size. In conclusion, our results show that cholesterol dramatically stabilizes fusion pores in the open state by increasing membrane bending rigidity.