cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acousto-optic system for the generation and control of tunable low-frequency signals

An optically efficient interferometric acousto-optic architecture for the tunable generation and control of low-frequency signals is pro- posed using two radio frequency (rf) or microwave band Bragg cells in an in-line configuration. Critical beam deflection optics, such as a dove prism, ensure that the interfering beams are collinear and stationary, thus providing the high heterodyning efficiency required at the fixed op- tical detector. Tunable 1- to 15-MHz ultrasonic band signal generation is demonstrated with rf Bragg cells, showing high (107 dB/Hz) carrier-to- noise ratios. This free-space interferometric acousto-optic system with two collinear output beams with a relative color shift is required for mak- ing a compact, lightweight, and powerful optical platform for baseband/ low-frequency optical signal processing and control functions, such as required in advanced phased-array systems used in sonar, medical, and industrial applications. © 1996 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumenta- tion Engineers. Subject terms: acousto-optics; phased arrays; low frequency; ultrasonic signals; control.
The Sierra Club and the Law of the Sea

Abstract The office of International Environmental affairs of the Sierra Club is focusing its attention on a number of issues, identified at the UN Stockholm conference last year as significant. One of these is the Law of the Sea. This article is an abbreviated version of a preliminary paper prepared for a Working Party or Task Force that is examining the issues and attempting to produce an integrated view of all the issues.
The nonlinear optics of plasmas

It is well known that plasmas exhibit many of the characteristics of a non-linear optical medium when intense electromagnetic waves are incident upon it. These include harmonic generation, simulated Brillouin and Raman scattering, degenerate and resonant four wave mixing, self-focusing and parametric amplification. In addition, plasmas demonstrate certain unique nonlinear phenomena such as nonlinear mode conversion, two plasmon decay and relativistic self-focusing. The nonlinear optics of plasmas is therefore at once both challenging and rich for an experimentalist. It is challenging because many of the nonlinear optical phenomena occur simultaneously in a plasma. Also, when the plasma modes, characteristic of many of these instabilities, become large, kinetic effects and wave-wave interactions become extremely important. On the other hand, the plasma medium can be directly probed using coherent Thomson scattering technique revealing the richness of the physics. Experiments carried out by the author and his collaborators over the past decade are summarized and future directions for this field outlined in this paper.
Lipoprotein(a) concentrations, rosuvastatin therapy, and residual vascular risk: An analysis from the JUPITER trial (justification for the use of statins in prevention: An intervention trial evaluating rosuvastatin)

Background—Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a low-density lipoprotein–like particle largely independent of known risk factors and predictive of cardiovascular disease. Statins may offset the risk associated with elevated Lp(a), but it is unknown whether Lp(a) is a determinant of residual risk in the setting of low low-density lipoprotein cholesterol after potent statin therapy. Methods and Results—Baseline and on-treatment Lp(a) concentrations were assessed in 9612 multiethnic participants in the JUPITER trial (Justification for the Use of Statins in Prevention: An Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin) before and after random allocation to rosuvastatin 20 mg/d or placebo, with outcomes reported for whites (n=7746). Lp(a) concentrations (median [25th–75th percentile], in nmol/L) were highest in blacks (60 [34–100]), then Asians (38 [18–60]), Hispanics (24 [11–46]), and whites (23 [10–50]; P<0.001). Although the median change in Lp(a) with rosuvastatin and placebo was zero, rosuvastatin nonetheless resulted ...
The Discursive Construction of Journalistic Transparency

Drawing on Bourdieu's field theory, this study explores how journalistic doxa and cultural capital come to be discursively formed. The study culls references to journalistic transparency from a broad range of US journalism trade publications and sites from 1997 to 2015 in order to examine the discursive construction of transparency within the journalistic field. The analysis focuses on what members of the journalistic field in the United States mean by transparency and how transparency is or is not discursively legitimized. Implications for field theory are considered.
Evaluation of Microdefects in As-Grown Silicon Crystals

Microdefects, revealed as ‘flow patterns’ by preferential etching using Secco's etchant, in as-grown silicon crystals have been investigated by means of a transmission electron microscopy and a preferential etching. In as-grown CZ crystals, grown at the pulling speeds of 0.4 or 1.4 mm/min, dislocation loops and clusters were observed with TEM. The dislocation loops in both crystals are interstitial type. From a thermal behavior of flow patterns by heat treatments, we confirmed that the defects revealed as flow patterns in CZ crystals do not have a similar nature of that in D-defect region of FZ crystals.
Post-self-assembly cross-linking of molecular nanofibers for oscillatory hydrogels.

After a polymerizable hydrogelator self-assembles in water to form molecular nanofibers, post-self-assembly cross-linking allows the catalyst of the Belousov–Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction to be attached to the nanofibers, resulting in a hydrogel that exhibits concentration oscillations, spiral waves, and concentric waves. In addition to the first report of the observation of BZ spiral waves in a hydrogel that covalently integrates the catalyst, we suggest a new approach to developing active soft materials as chemical oscillators and for exploring the correlation between molecular structure and far-from-equilibrium dynamics.
Abstract 4109: A 5-gene signature (sig) predicts clinical benefit from erlotinib in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients (pts) harboring wild-type (wt) EGFR & KRAS

Background: Despite a low response rate, erlotinib (E) improves survival in a subset of NSCLC pts with wt EGFR but there are no established markers for identifying pts likely to have clinical benefit. We hypothesized that a gene expression sig could be used for this purpose. Material and Methods: We used pretreatment gene expression profiles (Affymetrix HG1.0ST) from 101 chemo-refractory pts in our Biomarkers-Integrated Approaches of Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer Elimination (BATTLE) treated with E, E+bexarotene (EB), sorafenib (S), or vandetanib (V). 24 cases of wt EGFR & KRAS tumors treated with E or EB were compared to train the signature (two-sided t-test), using the primary end-point of the trial [8-week disease control (8wDC)]. Principal component (PC) analysis and a logistic regression model were used to develop the sig. Gene expression profiles from 108 NSCLC cell lines (Illumina), with available E IC50 (N=94) and DNA methylation profiling (N=66, Illumina), were used for in vitro studies. Results: 113 genes were differentially expressed between pts with or without 8wDC (false discovery rate 30%; P=0.004). Leave-one-out cross validation with various gene list lengths produced a 5-gene sig, including lipocalin 2 (LCN2), with a specificity, sensitivity and accuracy of 80% to predict 8wDC. In pts treated with E or EB, using the median sig score, the 8wDC rate in the sig-positive group was 83% compared with 0% in the sig-negative group; the sig did not predict 8wDC in pts treated with S or V (Mantel-Haenszel chi-squared test P=0.023). The improvement in 8wDC in the sig-positive group translated to an increased progression-free survival (PFS) (hazard ratio=0.12, 95% confidence interval: 0.03-0.46, P=0.001; log-rank P=0.0004; median PFS: 12.5 weeks vs. 7.2 weeks). We tested the sig in an independent set of 47 wt EGFRK the difference remained significant in wt EGFR & KRAS cell lines (P=0.014). Conclusion: We identified a 5-gene sig predictive of PFS benefit in NSCLC pts with wt EGFR & KRAS treated with E, but not S or V The sig was also predictive of E sensitivity in vitro. LCN2 was the strongest individual marker of sensitivity and may be epigenetically regulated. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4109. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4109
The application of a mathematical model linking structural and functional connectomes in severe brain injury

Following severe injuries that result in disorders of consciousness, recovery can occur over many months or years post-injury. While post-injury synaptogenesis, axonal sprouting and functional reorganization are known to occur, the network-level processes underlying recovery are poorly understood. Here, we test a network-level functional rerouting hypothesis in recovery of patients with disorders of consciousness following severe brain injury. This hypothesis states that the brain recovers from injury by restoring normal functional connections via alternate structural pathways that circumvent impaired white matter connections. The so-called network diffusion model, which relates an individual's structural and functional connectomes by assuming that functional activation diffuses along structural pathways, is used here to capture this functional rerouting. We jointly examined functional and structural connectomes extracted from MRIs of 12 healthy and 16 brain-injured subjects. Connectome properties were quantified via graph theoretic measures and network diffusion model parameters. While a few graph metrics showed groupwise differences, they did not correlate with patients' level of consciousness as measured by the Coma Recovery Scale - Revised. There was, however, a strong and significant partial Pearson's correlation (accounting for age and years post-injury) between level of consciousness and network diffusion model propagation time (r = 0.76, p < 0.05, corrected), i.e. the time functional activation spends traversing the structural network. We concluded that functional rerouting via alternate (and less efficient) pathways leads to increases in network diffusion model propagation time. Simulations of injury and recovery in healthy connectomes confirmed these results. This work establishes the feasibility for using the network diffusion model to capture network-level mechanisms in recovery of consciousness after severe brain injury.
Investigation on An Outbreak of Influenza A in A Middle School of Chongming County

[Objective]To analyze the epidemiological investigation of an outbreak of influenza A and the processing result,and provide scientific evidence for influenza control measures.[Methods]Field epidemiology survey data were collected and analyzed according to the clinical diagnosis,epidemiological investigation and laboratory test results.[Results]This was a outbreak caused by type A influenza virus,with 52 cases,attack rate of 4.41%(52/1179),no death case.[Conclusion]After receiving the information of outbreak,the key to control the epidemic is immediate investigation and treatment.Health care doctors of collective units(kindergarten and school)should be further educated for disease prevention knowledge and the sensitivity of outbreak report.Influenza vaccination rate needs to be improved.The lack of drug storage for influenza prevention also needs to be solved.
Carcinoma of the Pancreas During the First Two Decades of Life: Report of Two Cases

Although carcinoma of the pancreas characteristically affects persons of middle or advanced age, it should be considered as a possible diagnosis in any case in which the symptoms are compatible with such a lesion. The authors discuss the occurrence of primary metastasizing carcinoma of the pancreas in two persons less than 20 years of age. They conclude that in rare cases malignant nonfunctioning islet cell tumors may present as obstructive jaundice.
The Partial-Value Association Discovery Algorithm to Learn Multilayer Structural System Models From System Data

Many systems exist without us knowing structural system models and require us to discover structural system models from system data. A major shortcoming of current statistical modeling and data mining techniques is their focus on building relations of variables that hold for all values of variables. This paper presents the new partial-value association discovery (PVAD) algorithm to discover relations of variables that may exist for only certain values or different value ranges of variables and to use these partial-value variable relations for constructing structural system models. The PVAD algorithm along with its performance and computational complexity is presented.
MTD 2016: Third ACM Workshop on Moving Target Defense

The 2016 MTD (Moving Target Defense) workshop seeks to bring together researchers from academia, government, and industry to report on the latest research efforts on moving-target defense, and to have productive discussion and constructive debate on this topic. It is a single day workshop co-located with ACM CCS (Conference on Computer and Communications Security) 2016.
Implementation of Ambiguous Water-Quality Policies

Ambiguities in the Clean Water Act create significant barriers for the implementation of programs to attain and maintain water-quality standards. Policies affecting effluents from municipal and industrial point sources are largely unambiguous. Urban stormwater runoff is subject to permits, but ambiguities abound as to how stringent those permits must be. Agricultural runoff, either from storm events or from return of irrigation waters, is clearly excluded from permit requirements, but states are directed to establish programs for the control of nonpoint sources, but like control of urban stormwater, there is considerable ambiguity as to what extent states must go to control pollution from agricultural sources. Several cases are used to determine how states have implemented policies in settings where water-quality standards are not being met and nonpoint sources are quite significant. Two intrastate cases from North Carolina and two interstate cases in the Mississippi River and the Chesapeake Bay are included. Even with the use of supplemental authorities of the states, ambiguities persist.
A Single-Center Experience With Isolated Limb Infusion: An Interventional Oncology Opportunity.

OBJECTIVE. This retrospective review details our experience with isolated limb infusion for the treatment of melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and sarcoma in-transit metastases performed entirely in the interventional radiology suite. Eleven patients were treated over a 3-year period. Treatment response was assessed clinically and with PET/CT. CONCLUSION. Eight patients had either complete or partial response, giving an overall response rate of 72%. Isolated limb infusion can efficiently be performed entirely in the interventional radiology suite.
A MASS BALANCE METHOD FOR ESTIMATING COMBINED SEWER RUNOFF AND OVERFLOW QUALITY FROM SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT DATA

Abstract An indirect method of estimating urban stormwater runoff and overflow loads and concentrations from combined sewer systems is presented in this paper. A mathematical framework consisting of mass and flow balances for the sewer system and its attendant treatment plant is used with treatment plant sampling data and rainfall data as input. The mass balance is applied to the drainage area of the 26th Ward Water Pollution Control Plant in Brooklyn, N.Y. which drains to Jamaica Bay. Data from this plant on suspended solids, volatile suspended solids and total and soluble BOD 5 were available for a thirty-year period (1945-1975) and seven of these years (1951, 54, 57, 60, 66, 69) were analyzed in depth. Mean annual values of load and concentration for these constituents are compared with others' directly sampled runoff and overflow data. Sensitivity of model results to variations in several input parameters were checked. The approach is suggested as an economical and accurate alternative to sampling programs or presently available deterministic runoff quality mathematic models for areawide assessment over a long time scale.
Structured reporting of CT enterography for inflammatory bowel disease: effect on key feature reporting, accuracy across training levels, and subjective assessment of disease by referring physicians

To compare the content and accuracy of structured reporting (SR) versus non-structured reporting (NSR) for computed tomographic enterography (CTE) of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant, retrospective study included 30 adult subjects (15 male, 15 female; mean age 41.9 years) with IBD imaged with CTE. Nine radiologists (3 faculty, 3 abdominal imaging fellows, and 3 senior radiology residents) independently interpreted all examinations using both NSR and SR, separated by four weeks. Reports were assessed for documentation of 15 key reporting features and a subset of 5 features was assessed for accuracy. Thirty faculty reports (15 NSR [5 per reader] and 15 SR [5 per reader]) were randomly selected for review by three referring physicians, who independently rated quality metrics for each report. NSR documented the presence or absence of 8.2 ± 2.2 key features, while SR documented 14.6 ± 0.5 features (p < 0.001). SR resulted in increased documentation of 13 of 15 features including stricture (p < 0.001), fistula (p < 0.001), fluid collection (p = 0.003), and perianal disease (p < 0.001). Among a subset of five features, accuracy for diagnosing multifocal disease was minimally increased when using SR (76% NSR vs. 83% SR; p = 0.01), but accuracy for other features was not affected by report type. Referring physicians significantly preferred SR based on ease of information extraction (p < 0.01). Structured reporting of CTE for IBD improved documentation of key reporting features for trainees and faculty, though there was minimal impact on accuracy. Referring physicians subjectively preferred the structured reports.
Multicenter Observational Study of the Use of Nebulized Hypertonic Saline to Treat Children Hospitalized for Bronchiolitis From 2008 to 2014.

OBJECTIVES: Among children hospitalized for bronchiolitis, we examined temporal trends in the use of hypertonic saline (HTS) and the characteristics associated with receiving this treatment. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from 2 large, multicenter prospective cohort studies that included young children hospitalized with bronchiolitis during 5 winter seasons (2008–2014). Our outcome was receipt of HTS any time during the preadmission visit or hospitalization. For comparison with the observed trends in HTS use, we conducted a PubMed literature review of studies evaluating HTS use for bronchiolitis. We classified publications according to their assessment of HTS efficacy (positive, negative, or neutral). RESULTS: Among 2709 hospitalized children, 241 (8.9%) received HTS. There was marked variability in HTS use by site (0%–91%), with use more common among children admitted to the ICU than those treated on the ward (31% vs 15%). Over the study period, administration of HTS increased from 2% during the 2008–2009 season to 27% during the 2011–2012 season, but then it decreased to 11% during the 2013–2014 season. Before 2010, the number of PubMed HTS publications ranged from 0 to 3 articles per year, with all classified as either positive or neutral. The number of positive publications increased in 2010 ( n = 5), whereas negative publications peaked in 2014 ( n = 4). CONCLUSIONS: Use of HTS in children hospitalized with bronchiolitis increased during the 2008 to 2012 winter seasons and then declined. These findings paralleled trends in the HTS literature, with positive articles encouraging HTS use in early years followed by a growing number of neutral and negative articles after 2012.
Subtype-specific tumor-associated fibroblasts contribute to the pathogenesis of uterine leiomyoma.

Recent genomic studies have identified subtypes of uterine leiomyoma (LM) with distinctive genetic alterations. Here, we report the elucidation of the biological characteristics of the two most prevalent uterine leiomyoma subtypes, MED12-mutant (MED12-LM) and HMGA2-overexpressing (HMGA2-LM) uterine leiomyomas. Because each tumor carries only one genetic alteration, both subtypes are considered to be monoclonal. Approximately 90% of cells in HMGA2-uterine leiomyoma were smooth muscle cells (SMC) with HMGA2 overexpression. In contrast, MED12-LM consisted of similar numbers of SMC and non-SMC, which were mostly tumor-associated fibroblasts (TAF). Paradoxically, TAF carried no mutations in MED12, suggesting an interaction between SMC and TAF to coordinate their growth. The higher amount of extracellular matrix in MED12-LM than HMGA2-LM was partially due to the high concentration of collagen-producing TAF. SMC growth in a xenograft assay was driven by progesterone in both uterine leiomyoma subtypes. In contrast, TAF in MED12-LM proliferated in response to estradiol, whereas progesterone had no effect. The high concentration of estrogen-responsive TAF in MED12-LM explains the inconsistent discoveries between in vivo and in vitro studies on the mitogenic effect of estrogen and raises questions regarding the accuracy of previous studies utilizing MED12-LM cell culture. In addition, the differential effects of estradiol and progesterone on these uterine leiomyoma subtypes emphasize the importance of subtypes and genotypes in designing nonsurgical therapeutic strategies for uterine leiomyoma. Cancer Res; 77(24); 6891-901. ©2017 AACR.
Modeling trans-threshold correlations for reducing functional test time in ultra-low power systems

This paper presents a methodology for reducing functional test time in subthreshold SoCs targeting ultra-low power (ULP) internet-of-things (IoT) devices. Due to their low operating speed and voltage, subthreshold SoCs require significantly longer time to test than traditional SoCs. The proposed method models trans-threshold correlations to allow high voltage, high speed testing while accurately predicting delay and power at the low, subthreshold operational voltage. This approach is orthogonal to other traditional testing methodologies and can significantly reduce the test time of digital and memory blocks on subthreshold SoCs. Using this process results in 5.4 χ savings in test time for sequential and combinational test circuits, and over 2 χ savings in test time for memory circuits with no overhead to area or prefabrication design time.
Moneyball for nanoHUB: theory-driven and data-driven approaches to understand the formation and success of software development teams

The same principle that transformed baseball may hold the key to building more innovative scientific teams. In 2002, Billy Beane changed baseball when he fielded a $41 million baseball team for the Oakland Athletics that successfully competed with the $125 million New York Yankees. We increasingly turn to teams to solve wicked scientific problems from sequencing the human genome to curing cancer. Building scientific dream teams who produce breakthrough innovations at minimal cost is not unlike choosing the players who will go on to win the World Series. Like pre-Beane baseball, much of the selection of scientific dream teams currently rests on an assessment of the caliber of the individual scientists, with far less attention paid to the relationships that gel the team together, and the factors that determine how those pivotal relationships come about.
Doping of beta-gallium-oxide (Conference Presentation)

The monoclinic beta-Ga2O3 has a wide bandgap of ~4.9 eV and can be grown from melt, making it attractive for electronics applications. In order to use its potential for devices various aspects related to doping have to be understood. This talk will focus first on using first-principle calculations to obtain information on formation energies and electronic structure of group-IV dopants and transition metal compensation doping in beta-Ga2O3. Particular aspects like the contribution of antisites, electron trapping to the activation energies seen in Hall measurements, and magnetism will be discussed. The second part of the talk will present modeling of polarons based on first-principle electron-phonon coupling.
Litebox: Design for Adult Literacy

Illiteracy is an invisible but severe problem. For people with low level of literacy, they cannot access information and navigate freely due to their limited literacy skill. Our target community is adults with literacy level lower than 3rd grade, which means they have difficulties with some everyday tasks. Through a series of design research, including competitive analysis, interview, and contextual inquiry, we came to summarize the characteristics and the need for our target user. On the one hand, they need daily assistance recognizing information and text; on the other hand, they need better tools that assist in learning and understanding concepts. Our final solution is a mobile app, Litebox, which has two main sections: daily assistant, which helps with recognizing text and information, and learning assistant, which includes learning tools that assist in developing reading skill, building vocabulary and understanding calculation. The design of this app is tailored to our target community. With Litebox, we hope to empower our target community.
Volatile fingerprinting of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and respiratory syncytial virus infection in an in vitro cystic fibrosis co-infection model.

Volatile molecules in exhaled breath represent potential biomarkers in the setting of infectious diseases, particularly those affecting the respiratory tract. In particular, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a critically-important respiratory pathogen in specific subsets of the population, such as those with cystic fibrosis. Infections caused by P. aeruginosa can be particularly problematic when co-infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) occurs, as this is correlated with the establishment of chronic P. aeruginosa infection. In the present study, we evaluate the volatile metabolites produced by P. Aeruginosa (PAO1)-infected, RSV-infected, co-infected, or uninfected cystic fibrosis bronchial epithelial (CFBE) cells, in vitro. We identified a volatile metabolic signature that could discriminate between P. aeruginosa-infected and non-P. aeruginosa-infected CFBE with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.850, using the machine learning algorithm Random Forest (RF). Although we could not discriminate between RSV-infected and non-RSV-infected CFBE (AUROC = 0.431), we note that sample classification probabilities for RSV-infected cell, generated using RF, were between those of uninfected CFBE and P. aeruginosa-infected CFBE, suggesting that RSV infection may result in a volatile metabolic profile that shares attributes with both of these groups. To more precisely elucidate the biological origins of the volatile metabolites that were discriminatory between P. aeruginosa-infected and non-P. aeruginosa-infected CFBE, we measured the volatile metabolites produced by P. aeruginosa grown in the absence of CFBE. Our findings suggest that the discriminatory metabolites produced likely result from the interaction of P. aeruginosa with the CFBE cells, rather than the metabolism of media components by the bacterium. Taken together, our findings support the notion that P. aeruginosa interacting with CFBE yields a particular volatile metabolic signature. Such a signature may have clinical utility in the monitoring of individuals with cystic fibrosis.
Solvents and Supporting Electrolytes

Publisher Summary The chapter focuses on the properties of some solvent electrolyte combinations that are commonly used in electrochemical science. All electrochemical reactions and phenomena occur in a medium, usually a solvent containing dissolved ions that are mobile and able to support current flow. The properties of this medium are very important to any electrochemical experiment. One of the most important qualities that a medium possesses to be useful in electrochemical science is an ability to support current flow. Electrochemical reactions always produce or consume ions at electrodes. But the electrolyte provides the pathway for ions to flow between and among electrodes in the cell to maintain charge balance. Ionic conductivity in electrolytes depends on two main factors: the concentration of free charge carriers and the ability of the charge carriers to move in an electric field. Electrolytes can be broadly considered in two groups: strong electrolytes and weak electrolytes. Strong electrolytes are normally fully dissociated into ions when dissolved, whereas weak electrolytes normally exist in a partially dissociated form such that some portion of the dissolved electrolyte exists in an uncharged form, usually a neutral molecule.
Clinical Spectrum and Management Implications of Left Ventricular Outflow Obstruction With Mild Ventricular Septal Thickness in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) has historically been characterized as a disease of substantial left ventricular hypertrophy, often associated with dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. However, we have recently encountered patients with subaortic obstruction and only minimal basal septal thickness, raising important management implications. Thereby, we sought to characterize the natural history and treatment strategies for this under-recognized subgroup of HC patients with dynamic obstruction. Of 1,591 consecutive patients with a HC diagnosis, 113 (7%) were identified with outflow obstruction due to elongated mitral valve leaflets producing systolic anterior motion and septal contact typical of HC (gradient, 84 ± 29 mm Hg at rest or with exercise), with maximal ventricular septal thickness ≤15 mm, including 14 patients with only 10 to 12 mm. In addition to the mechanism of outflow obstruction, other evidence supporting a HC diagnosis prominently included: positive HC family history and/or pathogenic sarcomere mutation, arrhythmic sudden death event, typical histopathology of septal muscle, and characteristic mitral valve and papillary muscle anomalies. Over 3.8 ± 3.5 years, 41 patients (36%) developed severe heart failure including 36 who have undergone myectomy associated with reconstruction of the outflow tract and mitral valve apparatus, resulting in relief of gradient without iatrogenic ventricular septal defect or mitral valve replacement. Postoperatively, all 36 patients have survived with symptom relief to New York Heart Association classes I/II. In conclusion, these observations expand the HC clinical profile and phenotype to include an under-appreciated subgroup in which disease expression includes outflow obstruction due primarily to an elongated mitral valve, associated with only minimal (or normal) ventricular septal thickness. Such HC patients can develop marked functional limitation amenable to an operative strategy that effectively relieved symptoms due to outflow obstruction, but without mitral valve replacement.
Functional investigation of the BRCA1 Val1714Gly and Asp1733Gly variants by computational tools and yeast transcription activation assay.

Mutations in the BRCA1 gene are known to be a major cause of hereditary breast cancer. However, characterizing the point mutationsassociated with cancer in BRCA1 is challenging because the functional impact of most of them is still unknown. Nowadays, a variety of methods are employed to identify cancer-associated mutations in BRCA1. This study is aimed to assess the functional effects of two mutations, Asp1733Gly and Val1714Gly, using a combination of in silico tools and yeast functional transcription activator assay. Our computational analysis showed that theVal1714Gly mutation was deleterious, while the other one, Asp1733Gly, predicted as neutral. Also using yeast functional transcription activator assay, we found that the Asp1733Gly mutation displayed similar ability with positive controls. In contrast, the Val1714Gly mutation completely abrogated transcriptional activity in the yeast. These results suggested that Val1714Gly and Asp1733Gly can be classified as pathogenic and benign mutations for the BRCA1, respectively.
Erratum: An Analysis of Solid-State Electrodeposition-Induced Metal Plastic Flow and Predictions of Stress States in Solid Ionic Conductor Defects [J. Electrochem. Soc., 167, 020534 (2020)]

Author(s): Barroso-Luque, L; Tu, Q; Ceder, G | Abstract: 1. Equation 4 in the text and in Table I has two wrong minus signs in the publication. It should read, αeEv/(1+v) (1+2v)tr(∈e)II + E/1+v ∈e[1] This term is eventually neglected as described in the publication and thus does not affect the subsequent analysis and results.2. Equation 9 in the text and in Table I, is missing a factor of 2 and should involve the strain rate tensor ˙∈p. It is correctly stated as follows, -λP + 2λ·η˙∈p = 0. [2] This mistype does not affect our results since the factor of 2 is correctly accounted for in our simplification of the above equation (Eq. 17). We reproduce Eq. 17 for reference, -λP + η λ2˙u = 0 [3].
Targeted Axillary Dissection for Patients Who Convert to Clinically Node Negative After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Node-Positive Breast Cancer

The use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for breast cancer (BC) can eradicate axillary disease in > 40% of patients. The standard of care for node-positive BC has been axillary lymph node dissection. In this review, we examine the data for de-escalating axillary surgery after NAC. Studies have shown that sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is accurate after NAC. False negative rates (FNR) of SLNB after NAC in node-positive patients have been reduced with a combination of dual tracers and localization of the clipped positive node. Clipped nodes may be localized with a variety of methods. Targeted axillary dissection (removal of clipped node in conjunction with SLNB) results in an acceptable FNR and can be considered in certain patients with axillary clinical response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patient selection is important, as those with persistently positive nodes on clinical exam should proceed directly to axillary dissection.
Clinical Outcome of Leiomyosarcomas With Somatic Alteration in Homologous Recombination Pathway Genes

PURPOSETo detect alterations in DNA damage repair (DDR) genes, measure homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), and correlate these findings with clinical outcome in patients with leiomyosarcoma ...
Flare-less long Gamma-ray Bursts and the properties of their massive star progenitors

While there is mounting evidence that long Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are associated with the collapse of massive stars, the detailed structure of their pre-supernova stage is still debatable. Particularly uncertain is the degree of mixing among shells of different composition, and hence the role of magnetic torques and convection in transporting angular momentum. Here we show that early-time afterglow observations with the Swift satellite place constraints on the allowed GRB pre-supernova models. In particular, they argue against pre-supernova models in which different elemental shells are unmixed. These types of models would produce energy injections into the GRB engine on timescales between several hundreds of seconds to a few hours. Flaring activity has {\em not} been observed in a large fraction of well-monitored long GRBs. Therefore, if the progenitors of long GRBs have common properties, then the lack of flares indicates that the massive stars which produce GRBs are mostly well mixed, as expected in low-metallicity, rapidly rotating massive stars.
New schools in New York City and Singapore

This paper compares the evolution of two initiatives—one in Singapore and one in New York City—designed expressly to support the development and spread of new and innovative school models. These two initiatives—Future Schools in Singapore and the iZone in New York City—reflected the hope that new school models and associated innovations could be incubated and then replicated to help create system-wide conditions that would allow new approaches to schooling to emerge. Despite dramatically different system contexts—in terms of governance, politics and professional capacity—we show how both initiatives have to deal with basic institutional, political and societal conditions that sustain conventional educational practice. We focus particularly on how common factors like capacity demands, frequent changes in policies and emerging technologies create opportunities for the development of some new resources and practices even as they reinforce many aspects of the conventional "grammar of schooling." Although this analysis emphasizes common challenges for developing more "innovative" approaches to schooling, we highlight as well the often-unanticipated developments that contribute to smaller scale innovations and incremental change.
Reliability of reward- and error-related brain activity in early childhood

Event-related potential (ERP) measures of reward- and error-related brain activity have emerged as potential biomarkers of risk for the development of psychopathology. However, the psychometric properties of reward- and error-related brain activity have been primarily investigated in adolescents and adults. It is critical to also establish the reliability of ERPs in younger children, particularly if they are used as individual difference measures of risk during key developmental periods. The present study examined the reliability of the reward positivity (RewP) and error-related negativity (ERN) among 80 children (Mage = 6.9 years old; 50% female). Participants completed the doors, flanker, and go/no-go tasks twice, separated by approximately 8 months, while electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. Results indicated that the RewP demonstrated strong internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The ERN also demonstrated strong internal consistency, but test-retest reliability was only significant for the ERN measured during the flanker task and not the go/no-go task. These results are largely consistent with reported psychometric properties of reward- and error related ERPs in adolescents and adults, suggesting that the ERN and RewP may be appropriate biomarkers of individual differences in populations ranging from early childhood to adulthood.
Characterizing the Mitigation of Substrate Damage Within Underground Structural Liners Through Utilization of Waterjet Technology for Rehabilitation Work

In this study, a unique excavation system was characterized, utilizing waterjet technology as the primary tool for material removal during rehabilitation of reinforced concrete and shotcrete structural liners. Through empiric testing, this research seeks to validate the hypothesis that waterjet removal of these support systems will result in less unintended damage than conventional removal methods. The intent is to develop a viable technology that will reduce the collateral damage caused to surrounding liners during excavation, improve the adhesion between shotcrete and the substrate for longer lasting ground support, and improve overall safety for workers in underground environments. An analysis on the fracture mechanisms and operating parameters of each method was completed. Instrumented shotcrete panels were physically tested and examined through visual inspection and ground penetrating radar (GPR) to compare substrate damage according to each testing method. After testing was completed, the data strongly indicates that waterjet cutting causes less collateral damage to the surrounding intact liner and substrate when compared to that of conventional impact hammers. This research is intended to provide a scientific basis for additional applied research in the rapid excavation and repair of shotcrete support systems.
Early results of midline hernia repair using a minimally invasive component separation technique.

A minimally invasive component separation may lead to a dynamic abdominal wall after hernia repair, with reduced complications. We present early results of our patients undergoing this technique. Five patients were selected for open midline repairs; three with chronic infections, one with a prior midline skin graft, and one who desired a primary, tension-free repair. These three males and two females had a mean age of 50.8 ± 21.1 years and body mass index of 30.9 ± 6.2. The mean number of previous abdominal operations was 7 ± 3.4 and previous attempted hernia repairs were 4 ± 2.7. All patients had a midline laparotomy with lysis of adhesions. An endoscopic component separation was then performed bilaterally. Drains were left in the dissection bed. All patients had the midline closed; four received biologic mesh underlays. Mean operative time was 227 minutes ± 49. Mean length of stay (LOS) was 9.2 days ± 3.6. Early median follow-up was 6 months (range 0.25―9). Two patients required postop transfusions, and two patients had mild complications of the midline wound (hematoma, infection). To date, one recurrence was diagnosed by CT scan. Early evaluation of adopting the minimally invasive (MIS) component separation demonstrates minimal complications and good initial outcomes.
Chapter 9 A Single Molecule System for Whole Genome Analysis

Abstract Optical mapping is a fully automated single molecule system for creating ordered restriction maps directly from genomic DNA molecules. The system has integrated components drawn from chemistry, physics, genetics, computer science, statistics, and engineering allowing whole genome analysis through analysis of large collections of individual DNA molecules. Such large-scale analysis is potentiated by analytes consisting of high molecular weight genomic DNA molecules that are arrayed using microfluidic devices; this step fosters high-throughput acquisition of image data. DNA “barcodes” are created using the action of restriction endonucleases on arrayed molecules from the analysis of images acquired by automated microscopy embedded within an integrated system. This system links together machine vision, barcode assembly and comparative analysis software with the massive computational power of cluster computing. After assembly of these barcodes into genome-wide physical maps, complex genome structure is revealed, characterizing genomic alterations, in addition to providing scaffolds for genome sequence assembly, or validation. Further sequence information is obtainable from barcoded DNA molecules using optical sequencing technology, delivering strings of nucleotide data from barcoded loci.
Fundamental examination of multiple potential passive component technologies for future power electronics

Efficient and compact high-power high-frequency passive components are required for miniaturization of power converters and remain a challenging obstacle in power electronics. Multiple energy storage mechanisms are analyzed on an order-of-magnitude basis to identify potential alternatives for passive components. The high energy density of mechanical storage methods presents an attractive alternative to the widely-used LC resonance. Piezoelectric transduction is explored and the performance of a piezoelectric resonator is compared to an LC resonator in terms of efficiency and power handling capability in a switched-capacitor type circuit. The analysis provides a basis for exploring potential passive component technologies and comparing their performance limits with those of electrical passive components.
A Graph Grammar that Describes the Set of Two-Dimensional Surface Networks

By a grammar one means a set of rewrite rules (or productions) which are applied in some systematic way to generate (or parse) objects in some set comprising the language of the grammar. We call it a graph (or web) grammar if elements (or symbols) within an object of the language may have more than two'immediate neighbors. This is in contrast to a traditional string grammar in which any element may have at most one left-hand and one right-hand neighbor. Such a general notion of a "graph grammar" proviede a wide latitude for application; from the piecewise definition of a single state-space graph used in problem solving [5], to relatively trivial "context-free" phrase structure type grammars which define a set of rooted trees [3]. The application of the rewrite rules may be sequential, in a standard Chomsky fashion [7], or may be parallel as in a Lindenmayer system [4]. Object in the language may be irregularly shaped graphs, or they may be regular arrangements of cells, such as images [i0].
Mixture of Automatically- and Manually-controlled Vehicles in Intelligent Transport Systems

This paper presents a technology which allows for the existence of mixed traffic, as a first step towards intelligent transport systems. We begin by designing an automatic driving controller called the intelligent vehicle driving system (IVDS). This is a two-layer system: the higher layer analyzes the current scenario and infers the control objective that associates with a certain index function; the lower layer optimizes the function provided by the upper layer. IVDS only uses the measurement of a vehicle’s speed and distance relative to the vehicle in front, together with measurements of the vehicle’s own state. Consequently, the vehicles equipped with the IVDS can operate together with manually-controlled vehicles. Next, a mathematical rule-based model for human drivers is developed. This model attempts to mimic human driver’s behavior in vehicle following and lane-changing. Finally, we examine the control performance of the proposed controller and the potential benefits of mixed traffic by implementing the human driver model and IVDS on an automated highway simulator.
The development of a multi-course project for engineering technology students

Summary form only given. Engineering technology programs are beginning to face some of the same issues as engineering programs with new accreditation standards pending and pressure increasing to create integrated, student-centered curricula with better assessment tools. In addition, there is always the challenge of getting students to view their education as a complete package instead of a set of unrelated material that can be quickly forgotten as soon as the course has ended. In order to address these issues, the Engineering Technology Department at Western Washington University (USA) is developing a student portfolio project for students in their freshman and sophomore years. Student portfolios are listed as possible assessment tools in the proposed TAG-ABET criteria for accrediting engineering technology programs, and it is the author's belief that they will prove to be better for judging the strengths and weaknesses of curricula than current methods. The goal is to have students work on the same design project over each quarter of their first two years, further developing their projects as they acquire more knowledge and skills in each class. Students will then present their project portfolios for review at the end of their sophomore year. He believes that the multi-course project will reinforce concepts while requiring students to continue to use skills they have developed in previous courses. This will provide students with a more coherent and cohesive view of their education.
Modeling and analysis of system dependability using the System Availability Estimator

This paper reviews the System Availability Estimator (SAVE) modeling program package. SAVE is used to construct and analyze models of computer and communication systems dependability. The SAVE modeling language consists of a few constructs for describing the components in a system, their failure and repair characteristics, the interdependencies between components, and the conditions on the individual components for the system to be considered available. SAVE parses an input file and creates a Markov chain model. For small models numerical solution methods can be used, but for larger models (the state space grows exponentially with the number of components in the model), fast simulation techniques using importance sampling have to be used. We provide software demonstrations using both these techniques. >