cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low-temperature direct current glow discharges at atmospheric pressure

Low-temperature direct current (dc) glow discharges were successfully generated at one atmospheric pressure with very low-power consumption in the level of several watts up to tens of watts. The glow discharges can be ignited and sustained in both continuous and pulsed modes, and can be run with several plasma gases including argon, helium, nitrogen, and air. Depending on the gas flow rate ranged from tens of millimeters per minute to several liters per minute, the glow discharges can be created and sustained in between the two planar electrodes or blown out of the discharge chamber to form low-temperature plasma brushes. The dc current to sustain the glow discharges is in the range of several milliamps to tens of milliamps. Temperature measurements using a thermocouple thermometer showed that the gas temperatures of the plasma brushes are close to room temperature when running with relatively high gas flow rates.
Irradiation Growth of Zircaloy

Data on irradiation growth of Zircaloy is presented. Irradiation growth is defined as irradiation-induced changes in dimensions in the absence of an applied stress. It is shown that the primary variables are fluence, irradiation temperature, amount of prior cold work, heat treatment, and texture. For recrystallized Zircaloy: growth (a) increases as f, the fraction of basal poles in measurement direction, decreases; shrinkage is possible for large f-factors, (b) increases with increasing temperature up to about 300°C, above which it decreases, (c) tends towards saturation for fluences greater than about 1 x 10 2 1 neutrons (n)/cm 2 (E> 1 MeV). For cold worked/ stress relieved material: growth (a) increases linearly with fluence up to at least 3 x 10 2 1 n/cm 2 , and (b) increases linearly with increase in the amount of cold work. For recrystallized material, all irradiation growth is recovered during suitable thermal anneals, while for cold worked material only a portion of the growth is recoverable. Rapid recovery occurs above 350°C (644°F) with an activation energy of 1.67 eV. Mechanistic implications of the gathered data are discussed.
A Composite Risk Model for Railroad Operations Utilizing Positive Train Control (PTC)

This paper proposes a novel approach for composite risk management of rail operations incorporating operational risk computed by the rail industry and cyber security risk introduced due to Positive Train Control (PTC). The suggested risk model focuses on a given train location to estimate likelihood of the PTC system failing by considering environmental risk factors (precipitation, vegetation, obstacles) and the inherent vulnerability of the radio frequency — yielding a measure of system impact. For the same location, the risk model considers safety related attributes such as train speed, track curvature, freight type, etc. — offering an estimate of operational consequence if there were an accident due to the failure of PTC. It is this intersection of impact / consequence that separates the proposed model from existing risk calculations of impact / likelihood. This is accomplished by distinguishing the likelihood of a safety accident from the likelihood of a PTC system failure — and incorporating them both. What results is an enhancement of both models; the operational risk model factors potential PTC failure in its risk assessment and gains awareness of possible requirements for operator intervention while the system risk model factors operational risk as its severity metric leading to possible requirements for automated risk mitigation by dynamic configuration change to the PTC radio.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Scale analysis and experimental observations of shock-induced turbulent boundary layer separation in nozzles

Time average shock-induced boundary layer separation is investigated using scale analyses, analytical modeling, and experiments. While the study focuses on turbulent boundary layer separation in overexpanded rocket nozzles, many of the analyses presented apply to the broad family of free interaction, shock-separated flows in which the structure of the boundary layer–shock interaction zone is self-similar and independent of the shock generator. The scale analyses lead to two approximate expressions for the wall pressure ratio at separation; over a range of separation Mach numbers, both models provide reasonable predictions of observed separation pressure ratios. The second model, representing a refinement of the first, appears to provide a fairly general description of free interaction separation: the model approximately captures separation pressure ratios observed in supersonic flow over backward facing steps and in the case of overexpanded nozzle flow, provides predictions that are consistent with the free interaction model. Experiments are carried out in a sub-scale nozzle under overexpanded, cold-flow conditions. The principal observations are as follows: (i) For the range of separation Mach numbers investigated (5.0 Mi 5.4), nominal separation line locations can be predicted with reasonable accuracy using the classical generalized quasi-one-dimensional compressible flow model and an appropriate separation criterion. (ii) Over the same range of overexpanded flow conditions, the time-average pressure rise over the shock interaction zone can be accurately fit by the free interaction model.
Security attribute evaluation method: a cost-benefit approach

Conducting cost-benefit analyses of architectural attributes such as security has always been difficult, because the benefits are difficult to assess. Specialists usually make security decisions, but program managers are left wondering whether their investment in security is well spent. This paper summarizes the results of using a cost-benefit analysis method called SAEM to compare alternative security designs in a financial and accounting information system. The case study presented in this paper starts with a multi-attribute risk assessment that results in a prioritized list of risks. Security specialists estimate countermeasure benefits and how the organization's risks are reduced. Using SAEM, security design alternatives are compared with the organization's current selection of security technologies to see if a more cost-effective solution is possible. The goal of using SAEM is to help information-system stakeholders decide whether their security investment is consistent with the expected risks.
Cotinine effects on nicotine metabolism

Background Nicotine clearance and half-life are known to be significantly reduced in smokers compared to nonsmokers. Cotinine is the major primary metabolite of nicotine, and it accumulates in the body with regular smoking. Nicotine and cotinine appear to be metabolized by the same liver enzyme. Therefore we hypothesized that cotinine inhibits nicotine metabolism, resulting in slower nicotine clearance in smokers compared with nonsmokers. Methods This was a crossover, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study. The subjects were 12 healthy nonsmoking volunteers. They received two intravenous infusions of deuterium-labeled nicotine-d2 and cotinine-d4 (0.5 μg/kg/min), once with oral cotinine treatment of 0.25 mg/kg twice a day and once with placebo. Nicotine and cotinine pharmacokinetic parameters were determined for each infusion. Results During oral cotinine treatment, average plasma levels of cotinine were 900 ng/ml, comparable to levels observed in some very heavy smokers. Cotinine had no effect on the disposition kinetics of nicotine-d2. The half-life of cotinine after low-dose cotinine-d4 infusion was comparable to that after high-dose cotinine described in previous studies. The half-life of labeled cotinine derived from nicotine was significantly longer than the half-life of cotinine administered as cotinine. Conclusions Cotinine is not responsible for the lower nicotine clearance observed in smokers. Our data suggest that the pharmacokinetics of low-dose cotinine in nonsmokers do not differ from those of high-dose in smokers, and therefore cotinine levels can be used quantitatively in environmental tobacco exposure. The longer half-life of cotinine derived from nicotine suggests that slow release of nicotine from tissues is responsible for the apparent long half-life of cotinine in nonsmokers exposed to environmental tobacco smoke. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (1997) 61, 649–654; doi:
Mangroves: Where's the Understory?

With one exception, every pristine tropical forest more than a few metres in height has understory vegetation that contains numerous vascular plant species that grow and reproduce there, but never become canopy members. Likewise with one exception, all pristine lowland tropical forests have numerous species of vines (lianas) (e.g. Gentry 1983, Pefialosa 1984, Putz 1983, 1984a, b). The exception in both cases is the mangrove swamp forest (Figure 1). Mangrove forest the world around is conspicuous for the absence of reproducing understory herbs and shrubs, and for the absence of the vine life form. If you grow rooted to the soil in a mangrove swamp, you are a tree and the reproductive members of your population have their crowns in the canopy of the forest. Equally conspicuous is the total absence of any reference to either this phenomenon or its possible causes in the voluminous mangrove forest literature (e.g. Chapman 1976, 1977, van Tine & Snedaker 1974, Watson, 1928). It is almost as though ecologists are so pleased with not having to deal with an understory that its remarkable absence is passed over with relief. The evolutionary move into the intertidal mud-flat successional habitat has occurred numerous times in numerous plant families. What has kept herbs and understory shrubs from likewise evolutionarily moving into the mangrove forest understory? What has kept vines out of the canopy? Why is the understory occupied at best by a few stunted juveniles of the habitat overhead, such that the view through a mangrove forest understory (Figure 1) is largely of sundappled and shaded trunks, stilt roots, pneumatophores and little foliage? Even the succession in a mangrove tree fall is carried out entirely by canopy-member species. The mangrove fern, Acrostichum spp. (Gomez 1983), is the closest thing to a mangrove understory herb, but even this halophile seems to be dependent on direct sunlight to be fully reproductive on salty substrates andusually grows in full sunlight.
Agar medium for differential enumeration of lactic streptococci.

An agar medium containing arginine and calcium citrate as specific substrates, diffusible (K 2 HPO 4 ) and undiffusible (CaCO 3 ) buffer systems, and bromocresol purple as the p H indicator was developed to differentiate among lactic streptococci in pure and mixed cultures. Milk was added as the sole source of carbohydrate (lactose) and to provide growth-stimulating factors. Production of acid from lactose caused developing bacterial colonies to seem yellow. Subsequent arginine utilization by Streptococcus lactis and S. diacetilactis liberated ammonia, resulting in a localized p H shift back toward neutrality and a return of the original purple indicator hue. The effects of production of acid from lactose and ammonia were fixed around individual colonies by the buffering capacity of CaCO 3 . After 36 hr at 32 C in a candle oats jar, colonies of S. cremoris were yellow, whereas colonies of S. lactis and S. diacetilactis were white. S. diacetilactis , on further incubation, utilized suspended calcium citrate, and, after 6 days, the citrate-degrading colonies exhibited clear zoning against a turbid background, making them easily distinguishable from the colonies of the other two species. The medium proved suitable for quantitative differential enumeration when compared with another widely used general agar medium for lactic streptococci. Images
Effects of Tempering and a Yeast-Enzyme Mixture on Intake, Ruminal Fermentation, In Situ Disappearance, Performance, and Carcass Traits in Steers Fed Barley-Based Diets

Abstract Two trials were conducted to evaluate tempering barley and a yeast-enzyme mixture [ YEM ; Yea-Sacc 8417® (9 g/d per head) and Fibrozyme® (15 g/d per head); Alltech USA, Nicholasville, KY] on intake, ruminal fermentation, and in situ disappearance in ruminally cannulated steers and on growth, feed efficiency, and carcass traits of feedlot steers fed a barley-based growing and finishing diet; In Trial 1, four ruminally cannulated steers (initial BW = 666 ± 26 kg) were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square; Treatments were arranged as a 2 x 2 factorial; factors were barley processing [temper-rolled ( TRB ) or dry-rolled ( DRB )] and YEM (with or without). Diets consisted of 80% barley, 10% corn silage, 5% wheat straw, and 5% supplement. Diets were formulated to contain 12% CP. Periods consisted of 9 d for diet adaptation followed by 5 d for collection. In situ bags containing either DRB or TRB were incubated for 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, and 48 h on d 12. Ruminal fluid samples were collected, and pH was recorded at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 h postfeeding on d 13. Ruminal evacuations were taken on d 14 prior to feeding to estimate DM fill. Ruminal fluid was also taken from all treatments to estimate IVDMD of DRB, TRB, and barley hulls. In Trial 2, 120 head (initial BW = 362 ± 20.1 kg) of crossbred steers were used in a 2 x 2 + 1 arrangement of treatments with three pens per treatment (eight steers per pen). Treatments included dry-rolled corn (DRC), which was the control, and the 2 x 2 factorial, consisting of the main effects of barley processing and YEM addition. No difference was observed in Trial 1 for DMI (% BW; P>0.17), but ruminal DM fill (% BW) was greater for TRB (P=0.10). Barley processing and addition of YEM had no effect on pH (P=0.44). In vitro DM disappearance was not different (P>0.10). No difference (P>0.23) was observed for in situ DM disappearance for processing method or addition of YEM. In the feedlot study, DMI was not altered by processing method or YEM addition. Steers consuming DRC had greater DMI (P 0.80) in Trial 2. Carcass weights were greater (P
Biosimilarity Assessments of Model IgG1-Fc Glycoforms Using a Machine Learning Approach

Biosimilarity assessments are performed to decide whether 2 preparations of complex biomolecules can be considered "highly similar." In this work, a machine learning approach is demonstrated as a mathematical tool for such assessments using a variety of analytical data sets. As proof-of-principle, physical stability data sets from 8 samples, 4 well-defined immunoglobulin G1-Fragment crystallizable glycoforms in 2 different formulations, were examined (see More et al., companion article in this issue). The data sets included triplicate measurements from 3 analytical methods across different pH and temperature conditions (2066 data features). Established machine learning techniques were used to determine whether the data sets contain sufficient discriminative power in this application. The support vector machine classifier identified the 8 distinct samples with high accuracy. For these data sets, there exists a minimum threshold in terms of information quality and volume to grant enough discriminative power. Generally, data from multiple analytical techniques, multiple pH conditions, and at least 200 representative features were required to achieve the highest discriminative accuracy. In addition to classification accuracy tests, various methods such as sample space visualization, similarity analysis based on Euclidean distance, and feature ranking by mutual information scores are demonstrated to display their effectiveness as modeling tools for biosimilarity assessments.
The Business Enterprise Income Tax: A Prospectus

Many policymakers, practitioners, and politicians have argued the case for fundamental tax reform. Reform advocates often point to the recent wave of corporate tax shelter controversies as emblematic of the Internal Revenue Code's complexity and economic inefficiency and conclude that our current income tax is a system gone irredeemably awry. Most tax reform advocates urge that our income tax system be replaced or supplemented by a consumption tax (most often, a value added tax). This paper, by contrast, urges a genuine reformation of the income tax applicable to business enterprises. The paper's central thesis is that, in our decades-old quest for a perfect business income tax, we have failed to design a very good one. Kleinbard proposes a new business enterprise income tax that would comprise four related revisions to our current system for taxing business income: - First, a broadening of the business tax base to impose entity-level tax on all business enterprises, whatever their form. Thus, partnerships, for example, would become taxable entities. - Second, a comprehensive new approach to the taxation of financial capital invested in business enterprises, the cost of capital allowance system, which would eliminate current law distinctions between debt and equity, and subject all investors to current tax on their implicit returns, regardless of whether they receive current cash distributions. - Third, the repeal of our tax-free incorporation and reorganization rules, and their replacement with a uniform asset-acquisition tax model, coupled with new tax-neutral tax rates on the disposition of business assets. - Fourth, the replacement of our current schizophrenic consolidated return rules with comprehensive true consolidation principles. Kleinbard argues that the resulting system would be fairer, more efficient, and simpler than current law. Most important, the business enterprise income tax should reduce greatly the role of tax considerations in business thinking.
Renal responsiveness to aldosterone during exposure to simulated microgravity.

We measured renal functions and hormones associated with fluid regulation after a bolus injection of aldosterone (Ald) during head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest to test the hypothesis that exposure to s...
Carbon Nanotubes Induced Changes in the Phase Diagram and Crystal Structure of 5CB Liquid Crystal

Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) form a nematic liquid crystalline (LC) phase in their lyotropic form, enabling their mixing and coupling of their director to that of nematic LCs. An important aspect of this LC/MWCNT interaction, for applications other than display technology, is looking at the ways the MWCNTs affect the physical properties of the LCs. We study the effect of MWCNTs on the nematic to crystal (N-C) phase transition of 4-cyano-4-npentylbiphenyl (5CB). Our Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) results show a dramatic increase in N-C phase transition temperature of 14°C for only 0.1% and of 20°C for 1% MWCNT, due to the crystal nucleation activity of the nanotubes. Using Polarized Microscopy we observe a change in the crystalline order of 5CB from spherulitic at 0% MWCNTs to a multidomain in presence of MWCNTs. The new crystals resemble those formed by a smectic LC 4- Decyloxybenzoic acid. This is in line with predictions from simulations, that the MWCNTs form smectic order in nematic 5CB at their interface. MWCNTs induced modifications of the crystal phase of 5CB promise to create controlled novel crystal forms for the purposes of optical transmission and other applications.
Tree species and earthworm effects on soil nutrient distribution and turnover in a northeastern United States common garden

Differences in soil nutrients beneath different tree species are often attributed to the impacts of species-level patterns of nutrient uptake and litter chemistry. However, in naturally established forests it is difficult to isolate tree species' influence on soil development from differences in underlying soil properties that can affect tree species establishment. To discern the impacts of tree species on soil properties, we investigated how Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.), red oak (Quercus rubra L.), and sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall) influence the distribution of carbon, nitrogen, and calcium in a 67-year-old common garden. We expected these species would produce foliar litter with contrasting chemistry, resulting in corresponding variation in organic matter (OM) turnover and nutrient accumulation in soils. Instead, we found that forest floor mean residence time correlated negatively with earthworm density and did not correlate with any measurement of litter chemistry. Red oak exhibit...
The effect of basilar artery bifurcation angle on rates of initial occlusion, recanalization, and retreatment of basilar artery apex aneurysms following coil embolization

BackgroundArterial bifurcations are common locations for aneurysm development given the altered hemodynamic forces and shear stress variations present at these locations. Recent reports indicate th...
Abstract ES4-1: Longitudinal strategies in ER+ disease

Endocrine therapy is a relatively well-tolerated treatment for hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer. This therapy can be offered as first-line treatment before initiation of chemotherapy in patients with manageable symptoms from their disease and no evidence of clinically significant compromise of visceral organ function. Targeting the estrogen receptor pathway with agents such as the aromatase inhibitors, tamoxifen and fulvestrant can provide effective therapy with a durable response to treatment for some patients. This presentation will review clinical trial data to guide choice of endocrine therapy and the sequential use of these agents in patients with endocrine-responsive disease. Within HR+ breast cancer, there is molecular diversity that can influence responsiveness to endocrine therapy. In addition, recent insight into the complex interactions between the estrogen receptor and cell cycle survival and/or growth factor signalling pathways have uncovered potential mechanisms of endocrine therapy resistance in HR+ breast cancer. This improved understanding has led to new options for treatment. We will review the clinical trial evidence that supports the addition of a cell cycle inhibitor, palbociclib, to first-line letrozole and second-line fulvestrant. We will also review evidence supporting the combination of an mTOR inhibitor, everolimus, to second- or third-line exemestane. These targeted agents increase progression-free survival when added to endocrine therapy, however at the present time, there is no benefit in overall survival. With this limitation in mind, we will review the side effects of these agents, weigh the toxicity and potential benefits, and examine if patient and/or tumor-based factors may help to determine which patients are best suited for these agents. Lastly, we will discuss the subset of patients with bone-only HR+ disease, and the complexities of assessing imaging and their response to therapy. Citation Format: Dickler M. Longitudinal strategies in ER+ disease. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr ES4-1.
Effects of occlusion on the skin of atopic dermatitis patients.

BACKGROUND Atopic dermatitis (AD) may be exacerbated by occlusion from items such as occlusive gloves or textiles, especially if the occlusion is removed suddenly, creating a steep humidity gradient. Most previous studies of occlusion have focused on normal skin. Occlusion has been shown to be beneficial in psoriatic skin, but many atopic patients complain of increased inflammation after occlusion. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the response of noninflamed AD skin to occlusion. METHODS Six patients with AD were patch-tested with occlusive polyethylene wrap and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in standard Finn Chambers taped to noninflamed skin of the back. Cytokine and chemokine messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) for interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α), and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), as well as the 18S rRNA housekeeping gene, was obtained via tape-stripping the skin and measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. We also measured transepidermal water loss after removal of occlusion. RESULTS Polyethylene occlusion alone with abrupt removal induced IL-8 and IL-1α levels similar to or exceeding that of SLS. IL-1RA was up-regulated by SLS and occlusion, with SLS showing a stronger response. CONCLUSION Removal of occlusion with polyethylene film up-regulates the inflammatory cytokines IL-8, IL-1α, and IL-1RA in patients with AD. This may explain the worsening of AD with the use of occlusive gloves, athletic equipment, and fabrics.
On Eshelby's S-tensor under various magneto-electro-elastic constitutive settings, and its application to multiferroic composites

The magneto-electro-elastic Eshelby S-tensor is the key to the study of linear effective properties of magneto-electro-elastic composites. There are eight different ways to write the constitutive relations, and each is associated with a specific kind of boundary condition and Eshelby S-tensor. In this work, we provide a general procedure to convert the magneto-electro-elastic Eshelby S-tensor from one system to another. As an application, we use it to calculate the magnetoelectric coupling coefficients of a piezoelectric–piezomagnetic multiferroic composite under stress-and strain-prescribed boundary conditions. We demonstrate that the calculated results are significantly different. In particular, it is shown that, under an applied stress, the magnetoelectric coupling coefficient α33, is much stronger than that under an applied strain, while for α11, the values are positive under a prescribed stress but negative under a prescribed strain. The effects of inclusion shape, volume concentration and geometrical exchange, are also examined. For ready applications, the explicit forms of S-tensor, α33 and α11, of 1-3 fibrous and 2-2 multilayer composites are also provided at the end.
Separation of chemical groups from bio-oil water-extract via sequential organic solvent extraction

Abstract The chemical complexity of bio-oil aqueous phase limits its efficient utilization. To improve the efficiency of the bio-oil biorefinery, this study focused on the separation of chemical groups from the bio-oil water-extract via sequential organic solvent extractions. Due to their high recoverability and low solubility in water, four solvents (hexane, petroleum ether, chloroform, and ethyl acetate) with different polarities were evaluated, and the optimum process conditions for chemical extraction were determined. Chloroform had high extraction efficiency for furans, phenolics, and ketones. In addition to these classes of chemical, ethyl acetate had a high extraction efficiency for organic acids. The sequential extraction using chloroform followed by ethyl acetate resulted in 62.2 wt.% of original furans, ketones, alcohols, and phenolics being extracted into chloroform, while 62 wt.% acetic acid was extracted into ethyl acetate, leaving behind a high concentration of levoglucosan (∼53.0 wt.%) in the final aqueous phase. Chemicals separated via the sequential extraction could be used as feedstocks in a biorefinery using processes such as catalytic upgrading of furans and phenolics to hydrocarbons, fermentation of levoglucosan to produce alcohols and diols, and hydrogen production from organic acids via microbial electrolysis.
Spatial luminescence imaging of dopant incorporation in CdTe Films

State-of-the-art cathodoluminescence (CL) spectrum imaging with spectrum-per-pixel CL emission mapping is applied to spatially profile how dopant elements are incorporated into Cadmium telluride (CdTe). Emission spectra and intensity monitor the spatial distribution of additional charge carriers through characteristic variations in the CL emission based on computational modeling. Our results show that grain boundaries play a role in incorporating dopants in CdTe exposed to copper, phosphorus, and intrinsic point defects in CdTe. The image analysis provides critical, unique feedback to understand dopant incorporation and activation in the inhomogeneous CdTe material, which has struggled to reach high levels of hole density.
Poor prognosis of patients with triple-negative breast cancer can be stratified by RANK and RANKL dual expression

Purpose As clinical studies have correlated RANK expression levels with survival in breast cancer, and that RANK signaling is dependent on its cognate ligand RANKL, we hypothesized that dual protein expression further stratifies the poor outcome in TNBC.
Atomistic to coarse grained simulations of diffusion of small molecules into polymeric matrix

Abstract The diffusion of small molecules into a polymeric matrix often occurs on a wide range of length- and time-scales that are not easily accessible by standard atomistic simulations. It has limited applications of atomistic simulations for evaluating barrier properties of a polymeric film associated with the diffusion of small molecules into the film. Here, we present a multiscale scheme that combines atomistic and coarse-grained (CG) simulations for predicting the diffusion of small molecules into a polymeric film. The atomistic simulations are used to parameterize the CG MARTINI force field and to interpret time scales of the resulting CG models. As a case study, the developed scheme is applied to investigate the diffusion of the Octanal (C8) molecules into a polymeric film composed of four different components. Based on the atomistic simulations, the CG parameters for each polymer component in the film are optimized, and their ability to describe the mixed C8-polymer systems and predict the corresponding dynamic properties are tested. The diffusion results from the CG simulations are validated by analyzing effects of the concentration, the temperature, the water and the polymer components’ weight ratio changes. It is shown that the CG simulations are much faster than the atomistic simulations and can describe the diffusion of C8 molecules into the polymeric film. This provides an effective way for studying the diffusion of small molecules into a complex polymeric matrix and evaluate its barrier properties.
Magnetic fields in massive stars and magnetically confined winds

Massive stars (at least 8 times as massive as the Sun) possess strong stellar winds driven by radiation. With the advent of collaborations like MiMeS or BOB, an increasing number of these massive stars have been confirmed to have global magnetic fields. Such magnetic fields can have significant influence on the dynamics of these stellar winds, which are strongly ionized. Such interaction of the wind and magnetic field can generate copious amount of X-rays, can spin the star down, and can also help form large-scale disk-like structures. In this paper, we discuss the nature of such radiatively driven winds and how they interact with magnetic fields, often leading to confined winds.
Working with Schemas, Predicting with Schemas

### Introduction The question of how prior knowledge influences the formation of new memories has intrigued behavioral researchers for decades ([Bransford and Johnson, 1972][1]; [Craik and Tulving, 1975][2]), and has more recently received attention in the neuroscience community (for review, see [
Information Processing by Dynamical Interaction of Oscillatory Modes in Coupled Cortical Networks

We show how hierarchical networks may be constructed of interconnected oscillatory network modules developed previously as models of olfactory cortex, or caricatures of “patches”of neocortex. The architecture is such that the larger system is itself a special case of the type of network of the submodules, and can be analysed with the same tools used to design the subnetwork modules. A particular subnetwork is formed by a set of neural populations whose interconnections also contain higher order synapses. These synapses determine attractors for that subnetwork independent of other subnetworks. Each subnetwork module assumes only minimal coupling justified by known anatomy. An N node network can be shown to function as an associative memory for up to N/2 oscillatory and N/3 chaotic memory attractors.
STI techniques for isolation of RF-SOI devices

Shallow trench isolation (STI) plays an important role in preventing current leakage between active semiconductor regions and enables the industry to scale device density. STI is created early during the device fabrication process, before transistors are formed. There are mainly two ways to create the isolation: through oxide growth between active shapes (referred to as LOCOS), and by etching the trenches, filling with dielectric and removing the excessive dielectric using chemical-mechanical planarization, which is a CMP based STI technique. CMP STI can be done in 3 ways namely direct, mask aligned (Process A) and self-aligned (Process B).
4.423 – Polymeric Drug Conjugates by Controlled Radical Polymerization

Synthetic polymers have been broadly implemented as biomaterials in drug delivery and tissue regeneration. Polymers, as drug delivery vehicles, improve efficacy by increasing loading, solubility, and specificity, and alleviating toxicity and immunogenicity of drugs. Conjugation of a drug to a high molecular weight polymer chain improves pharmacokinetics while retaining the drug potency. Controlled radical polymerizations (CRPs), such as atom transfer radical polymerization, reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization, and nitroxide-mediated polymerization, are being increasingly implemented in the bioconjugation field. CRPs offer well-defined polymer–drug conjugates with controlled molecular weight and architecture and narrow polydispersity. Flexible choice of monomers and initiators or chain transfer agents enables chemoselective and site-specific conjugation for small molecule and biomolecule (such as proteins and peptides) drugs. In this chapter, synthetic approaches for drug conjugation that employ CRP techniques are discussed.
Spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) utilization and dispersal from the wild host Asian bush honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.)

Wild host plants in the landscape surrounding fruit farms may significantly influence the movement and population of the polyphagous and invasive pest Drosophila suzukii. Across 2 years, we sampled wild hosts adjacent to 10 blueberry farms in Michigan, U.S.A. We found five commonly infested wild fruits. Honeysuckle was a particularly abundant early season reproductive host. Consequently, six blueberry farms with honeysuckle at the margin were evaluated further. At each farm, nonhost plants and honeysuckle were monitored for larval and adult D. suzukii. The season‐long abundance of D. suzukii adults and early‐season infestation was highest near and within honeysuckle. In 2017, we tracked the movement of D. suzukii between honeysuckle and blueberries in early and late season using a protein immunomarking technique. Of the 1881 flies captured in our study, 7.1% were marked and their distribution pattern was even throughout the farm. Moreover, early season flies were less likely to remain in the marked host compared with late season flies. The findings of the present study highlight the importance of wild hosts on local pest pressure from D. suzukii and suggest that wild host management should be considered as part of integrated strategies for reducing the economic impacts of this pest.
Mechanism of atrazine resistance in atrazine- and HPPD inhibitor-resistant Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.) from Nebraska

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.) is one of the most problematic weed species in agronomic crops in the United States. A Palmer amaranth biotype multiple-resistant to atrazine and 4-hyd...
Coding Boot Camps for Refugees.

In 2015, over one million asylum seekers arrived in Europe. With governments and traditional institutions gridlocked in providing refugee support, new actors began to emerge. Several organizations offering coding programs to refugees launched across the globe as way to address and aid in their displacement. European-based boot camps aimed for digital integration, working with refugees to kickstart their new life within the continent. Boot camps based in the Middle East worked with refugees, internally displaced people, and vulnerable youth to provide the skills needed to access digital economy. Regardless of geographical distinction, these boot camps utilized a code education to empower and improve an individual’s livelihood to much success. The research presented was conducted over a period from early 2018 to January 2019.
A User-Printable Three-Rate Rain Gauge Calibration System

Our objective was to develop and validate a freely downloadable, open-source, 3D printed rain gauge calibrator that can be adjusted for a wide range of gauges. The calibrator applies constant low, medium, and high-intensity water delivery rate, and allows the user to modify the design to conform to their system based on parametric design. The design may be modified and printed using freely available computer-aided design (CAD) software. Currently available devices for calibration tend to be designed for specific rain gauges, are expensive, employ low-precision water reservoirs, are not field portable, and do not offer the flexibility needed to test the ever more popular small-aperture rain gauges (smaller surface area to catch precipitation than the classical 200mm standard). To overcome the fact that different 3D printers yield different print qualities, we devised a simple post-printing step that controls critical dimensions to assure robust performance. Specifically, orifices of the calibrator are drilled to reach the target flow rates. Laboratory tests showed that flow rates of 25, 50, and 83 ml/min were consistent between prints (coefficient of variation of 3.9, 2.2, and 1.8, % respectively), and between trials of each part, while the total applied water was precisely controlled (0.1%) by the use of a volumetric flask as the reservoir. The entire system costs under US$10.
Examining teachers’ classroom strategies to understand their goals for student learning around the science practices in the Next Generation Science Standards

We report on seven secondary science teachers’ initial efforts to understand and enact NGSS-aligned teaching. After interviewing and observing them over the course of the school year, we found that...
Immunoreagents for development of a diagnostic assay specific for Rathayibacter toxicus

Rathayibacter toxicus is Gram-positive bacterium causing gummosis of forage grasses, and it produces a corynetoxin responsible for livestock poisonings in Australia. R. toxicus is a USDA APHIS-list...
Variation in Adequate Lymph Node Yield for Gastric, Lung, and Bladder Cancer: Attributable to the Surgeon, Pathologist, or Hospital?

The Commission on Cancer recently released quality-of-care measures regarding adequate lymphadenectomy for colon, gastric, lung, and bladder cancer. There is currently little information regarding variation in adequate lymph node yield (ALNY) for gastric, lung, and bladder cancer. The New York State Cancer Registry and Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System were queried for stage I–III gastric, stage I–II lung, and stage II–III bladder cancer resections from 2004 to 2014. Hierarchical models assessed factors associated with ALNY (gastric ≥ 15; lung ≥ 10; bladder ≥ 2). Additionally, the proportions of variation attributable to surgeons, pathologists, and hospitals were estimated among Medicare patients. Among 3716 gastric, 18,328 lung, and 1512 bladder cancer resections, there were low rates of ALNY (gastric = 53%, lung = 36%, bladder = 67%). When comparing 2004–2006 and 2012–2014, there was significant improvement in ALNY for gastric cancer (39% vs. 68%), but more modest improvement for lung (33% vs. 38%) and bladder (65% vs. 71%) cancer. Large provider-level variation existed for each organ system. After controlling for patient-level factors/variation, the majority of variation was attributable to hospitals (gastric: surgeon = 4%, pathologist = 2.8%, hospital = 40%; lung: surgeon = 13.8%, pathologist = 1.5%, hospital = 18.3%) for gastric and lung cancer. For bladder cancer, most of the variation was attributable to pathologists (surgeon = 3.3%, pathologist = 10.5%, hospital = 6.2%). ALNY rates are low for gastric, lung, and bladder cancer, with only modest improvement over time for lung and bladder cancer. Given that the proportion of variation attributable to the surgeon, pathologist, and hospital is different for each organ system, future quality improvement initiatives should target the underlying causes, which vary by individual organ system.
The modified Atkins diet in children with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is the most common genetic cause of obesity. Various dietary strategies have been used for weight management for people with PWS. This was a clinical feasibility study to test the use of the Modified Atkins Diet (low carbohydrate and high fat) for children with PWS ages 6–12 years who were overweight/obese. Participants went on the Modified Atkins Diet for 4 months and then returned to have anthropometry repeated including repeat labs and behavior questionnaires. Seven children (ages 6–12) were enrolled in the study. Four participants completed the 4-month diet trial; two were unable to comply with the diet and stopped prematurely. One patient lost 2.9 kg; the others maintained their weight. Adverse effects were increases in LDL (expected based on larger studies) and hypercalciuria (with no renal stones) for one patient. Positive effects on hyperphagia and behavior were noted subjectively by families. The Modified Atkins Diet can be a feasible low carbohydrate option for children with Prader-Willi Syndrome for weight management. Long-term use of the diet in patients with Prader-Willi Syndrome needs to be studied further.
Semi-supervised Parsing with a Variational Autoencoding Parser

We propose an end-to-end variational autoencoding parsing (VAP) model for semi-supervised graph-based projective dependency parsing. It encodes the input using continuous latent variables in a sequential manner by deep neural networks (DNN) that can utilize the contextual information, and reconstruct the input using a generative model. The VAP model admits a unified structure with different loss functions for labeled and unlabeled data with shared parameters. We conducted experiments on the WSJ data sets, showing the proposed model can use the unlabeled data to increase the performance on a limited amount of labeled data, on a par with a recently proposed semi-supervised parser with faster inference.
Advocacy in action: Medical student reflections of an experiential curriculum

Introduction Patient advocacy is a core value in medical education. Although students learn about social determinants of health (SDH) in the pre-clinical years, applying this knowledge to patients during clerkship rotations is not prioritized. Physicians must be equipped to address social factors that affect health and recognize their roles as patient advocates to improve care and promote health equity. We created an experience-based learning curriculum called Advocacy in Action (AiA) to promote the development and application of health advocacy knowledge and skills during an Internal Medicine (IM) clerkship rotation. Methods Sixty-six students completed a mandatory curriculum, including an introductory workshop on SDH and patient advocacy using tools for communication, counselling and collaboration skills. They then actively participated in patient advocacy activities, wrote about their experience and joined a small group debriefing about it. Forty-nine written reflections were reviewed for analysis of the impact of this curriculum on student perspectives. Results Written reflections had prominent themes surrounding advocacy skills development, meaningful personal experiences, interprofessional dynamics in patient advocacy and discovery of barriers to optimal patient care. Discussion AiA is a novel method to apply classroom knowledge of SDH to the clinical setting in order to incorporate advocacy in daily patient care. Students learned about communication with patients, working with interprofessional team members to create better health outcomes and empathy/compassion from this curriculum. It is important to utilize experiential models of individual patient-level advocacy during clerkships so that students can continuously reflect on and integrate advocacy into their future careers.
Providing Outpatient Telehealth Services in the United States: Before and During Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Before coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), telehealth evaluation and management (E/M) services were not widely used in the United States and often were restricted to rural areas or locations with poor access to care. Most Medicare beneficiaries could not receive telehealth services in their homes. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurers relaxed restrictions on both coverage and reimbursement of telehealth services. These changes, together with the need for social distancing, transformed the delivery of outpatient E/M services through an increase in telehealth use. In some cases, the transition from in-person outpatient care to telehealth occurred overnight. Billing and claim submission for telehealth services is complicated; has changed over the course of the pandemic; and varies with each insurance carrier, making telehealth adoption burdensome. Despite these challenges, telehealth is beneficial for health-care providers and patients. Without additional legislation at the federal and state levels, it is likely that telehealth use will continue to decline after the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Interactive Audience Expansion On Large Scale Online Visitor Data

Online marketing platforms often store millions of website visitors' behavior as a large sparse matrix with rows as visitors and columns as behavior. These platforms allow marketers to conduct Audience Expansion, a technique to identify new audiences with similar behavior to the original target audiences. In this paper, we propose a method to achieve interactive Audience Expansion from millions of visitor data efficiently. Unlike other methods that undergo significant computations upon inputs, our approach provides interactive responses when a marketer inputs the target audiences and similarity measures. The idea is to apply data summarization technique on the large visitor matrix to obtain a small set of summaries representing the similarities in the matrix. We propose efficient algorithms to compute the data summaries on a distributed computing environment (i.e., Spark) and conduct the expansion using the summaries. Our experiment shows that our approach (1) provides 10 times more accurate and 27 times faster Audience Expansion results on real datasets and (2) achieves a 98% speed-up compared to straightforward data summarization implementations. We also present an interface to apply the algorithm for real-world scenarios.