cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optical limiters and photovoltaic devices based on C60, carbon nanotubes and their nanocomposites

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews some important studies on the use of carbon nanomaterials in optical limiting and organic PV devices. C 60 and CNTs used in the optical limiters as a form of either suspension or solution showed different nonlinear optical behavior. Although C 60 suspensions limit transmitted light by nonlinear scattering, C 60 solutions showed nonlinear absorption mechanism. CBS as a benchmark material has limited flexibility because of the lack of chemical variations of carbon black even though a simple and inexpensive preparation makes it attractive to commercial applications. On the contrary, C 60 and CNT can be chemically modified and composited with different materials to allow the construction of solid-state optical limiting devices. Current organic solar cell technology requires highly conductive EA nanomaterials to promote exciton dissociation at the interface between the ED organic material, and the nanomaterials. In the case of bulk dispersed heterojunction device, there is a conductive carrier path percolated through organic matrix to electrons freed from excitons. Although there are many ongoing research projects on the stability of composite materials with carbon nanomaterials. New architecture suggested for organic solar cells with improved performance requires more advanced engineering of the carbon nanomaterials.
The Importance of Understanding the Nature of Scientific Knowledge

This chapter explains and motivates the importance of understanding the nature of scientific knowledge. The chapter begins by briefly exploring some of the recent science education literature and some of the ways that the literature might benefit from stronger philosophical foundations. Roughly, it will be noted that since scientific knowledge is just a special instance of knowledge, understanding the nature of knowledge in general can provide key insights into the nature of scientific knowledge. These insights into knowledge in general and scientific knowledge in particular seem to hold promise for bolstering the effectiveness of the science education literature on the nature of science. It is because of this that it is important to understand the basics of key debates in epistemology. Also, it is noted that challenges to our general knowledge of the world around us are equally challenges to our scientific knowledge. After briefly explaining the relevance of understanding scientific knowledge this chapter provides an overview of the remaining chapters of the book.
Redesigning Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors by Preservation of Electrode Conductivity and Localized Doping

Both Li2CO3-coated nickel particles and fast firing technique were utilized in the manufacturing of MLCCs. They preserved the conductivity of Ni electrodes and provided the possibility of sintering the devices in oxidizing atmospheres. By using our method, the partial pressure of oxygen increased from 10–10 atm in conventional methods to 10–4 atm. The oxidizing atmosphere reduced the oxygen vacancy concentration as illustrated by the color change of the samples, and the results of EELS (electron energy loss spectroscopy). A systematic test with variable parameters, Li2CO3 coating, the sintering schedule, and the oxygen flow during sintering were executed, and the dissipation factor and the capacitance of the MLCCs were documented. Three type of MLCCs were studied: Conventional (fired with the conventional technique), Uncoated (fast fired with uncoated Ni particles), and Coated (fast fired with the coated Ni particles). The maximum oxygen activity during sintering (i.e., pO2 = 1.2 × 10–4 atm) was obtained ...
Development and preliminary evaluation of the resident coordinated-transitional care (RC-TraC) program: A sustainable option for transitional care education

Older adults often face poor outcomes when transitioning from hospital to home. Although physicians play a key role in overseeing transitions, there is a lack of practice-based educational programs that prepare resident physicians to manage care transitions of older adults. An educational intervention to provide residents with real-life transitional care practice was therefore developed-Resident-coordinated Transitional Care (RC-TraC). RC-TraC adapted the evidence-based Coordinated-Transitional Care (C-TraC) nurse role for residents, providing opportunities to follow patients during the peri-hospital period without additional costs to the residency program. Between July 2010 and June 2013, 31 internal medicine residents participated in RC-TraC, caring for 721 patients. RC-TraC has been a sustainable, low-cost, practice-based education experience that is recognized as transitional care education by residents and continues in operation to this day. RC-TraC is a promising option for geriatric-based transitional care education of resident physicians and could also be adapted for nonphysician learners.
Reform stall: An ecological analysis of the efficacy of an urban school reform initiative to improve students’ reading and mathematics achievement

This article examines the efficacy of the implementation of a program titled Consensus Initiative [pseudonym] in an urban school district that served 20,000 linguistically, economically, and racial...
An Approach for Using Information Theory to Investigate Continuous Control of Analog Sensors by Humans

For applications in HCI and sonic interaction design, the accuracy with which humans can continuously control analog sensors is investigated. The field of information theory suggests that a human together with a user interface can be modeled as a communication channel. Specifically, the Shannon-Hartley theorem implies that the channel capacity/throughput can be estimated by asking human subjects to "perform" gestures that match idealized, bandlimited Gaussian "target gestures." Then, the signal-to-noise ratio of the recorded gestures determines the channel capacity/throughput. This approach is tested on human users alternately operating one of four simple analog sensors.In contrast with prior work in HCI, joint probability density functions do not need to be estimated nor must geometrically "impossible" gestures be eliminated from consideration. Suggestions are made for creating knowledge about user interfaces that could potentially transmit an enhanced amount of information to a computer.
End of Empire: 100 days in 1945 that changed Asia and the world

End of Empire follows the day-by-day complexities across East and Southeast Asia in the months following Hiroshima’s destruction on 6 August 1945. Its micro-level analysis gives readers vivid detai...
Monte-Carlo Simulation of Correlated Binary Responses

Simulation studies can provide powerful conclusions for correlated or longitudinal response data, particularly for relatively small samples for which asymptotic theory does not apply. For the case of logistic modeling, it is necessary to have appropriate methods for simulating correlated binary data along with associated predictors. This chapter presents a discussion of existing methods for simulating correlated binary response data, including comparisons of various methods for different data types, such as longitudinal versus clustered binary data generation. The purposes and issues associated with generating binary responses are discussed. Simulation methods are divided into four main approaches: using a marginally specified joint probability distribution, using mixture distributions, dichotomizing non-binary random variables, and using a conditionally specified distribution. Approaches using a completely specified joint probability distribution tend to be more computationally intensive and require determination of distributional properties. Mixture methods can involve mixtures of discrete variables only, mixtures of continuous variables only, and mixtures involving both continuous and discrete variables. Methods that involve discretizing non-binary variables most commonly use normal or uniform variables, but some use count variables such as Poisson random variables. Approaches using a conditional specification of the response distribution are the most general, and allow for the greatest range of autocorrelation to be simulated. The chapter concludes with a discussion of implementations available using R software.
Shock index and vital-sign reference ranges during the immediate postpartum period.

Objective To determine reference ranges for patient vital signs during the immediate postpartum period. Methods A retrospective chart review collected data on the variables of interest for all women with 0-24-hour postpartum data available at two hospitals in the USA, between July 1, 2012, and January 31, 2015. Patients were excluded if they had received antihypertensives, uterotonics, or blood products. Regression lines, with 95% prediction intervals, were constructed for shock index, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, pulse pressure, and rate over pressure evaluation (ROPE) values. Results There were 8874 patients and 87 336 data measurements included in the analysis. During the 24 hours following delivery, an increase in ROPE values, and decreases in pulse pressure, heart rate, and systolic blood pressure were recorded for all patients; an increase in shock index was observed among patients who had cesarean deliveries. Anomalous values for the shock index (>1.0), and reference ranges for pulse pressure (21.09-69.32 mm Hg), ROPE (1.01-3.22 bpm/mm Hg), heart rate (51-112 bpm), and SBP (81-137 mm Hg) were generated. Conclusion Specific reference ranges for patients during the postpartum period could be used in future studies to determine the parameters, or combinations of parameters, that perform best as early markers of hemodynamic compromise in women experiencing early postpartum hemorrhage.
Queering women, peace and security in Colombia

The Colombian peace accords marked the first time lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) voices were included in the official peace proceedings for responding to injustices suffered during a...
Erythrocyte Ca2(+)-ATPase: activation by enzyme oligomerization versus by calmodulin.

The subject of our studies is the mechanism of activation of the erythrocyte Ca2+-ATPase. Using purified, detergent solubilized enzyme it was found that equivalent maximal Ca2+-ATPase activity is obtained either upon addition of calmodulin or upon increase of enzyme concentration. Three independent methods, including Ca20+ -ATPase activity, polarization of the enzyme modified with an external fluorescent probe, and efficiency of fluorescence resonance energy transfer between enzyme molecules have established that the concentration dependent activation is due to enzyme oligomerization. The oligomers bind calmodulin with a lower stoichiometry (0.5 mol calmodulin/mol Ca2+-ATPase), higher Ca2+ affinity (KCa = pCa 7.4), and higher cooperativity for Ca2+ (nH = 2.6) than the monomeric form (stoichiometry =1 mol calmodulin/mol Ca2+-ATPase, KCa = pCa 7.0, nH = 1.1). The Ca2+ dependence of calmodulin binding and activation of monomers indicates that calmodulin binds before the Ca2+-ATPase activity is exhibited, demonstrating that the activation of this enzyme form is totally dependent on calmodulin. In contrast, oligomers reveal very similar Ca2+ dependence for calmodulin binding and for Ca2+-ATPase activity as well as for Ca2+ binding (assessed by tryptophan fluorescence), and for the oligomerization process (assessed by fluorescence energy transfer). The calmodulin antagonist drug 48/80 inhibits the calmodulin dependent activity of the monomers (I50=1.4 μg/ml) but has no effect on the activity of oligomers, confirming that calmodulin plays no role in the activation of the oligomeric enzyme. Our studies indicate that the erythrocyte Ca2+-ATPase can be activated by its high affinity, Ca2+ dependent binding of calmodulin or by a Ca2+ dependent oligomerization process which may involve calmodulin binding site.
Influence of comorbidity on self-assessment instrument scores of patients with idiopathic adhesive capsulitis.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether comorbid factors influence the results of self-assessment instruments completed by patients with idiopathic adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder. We hypothesized that an increased number of comorbidities would be correlated with greater pain and worse function as measured by general and shoulder-specific outcome tools. Methods: One hundred consecutive patients with phase-II adhesive capsulitis were prospectively evaluated with use of a general health questionnaire, a visual analog pain scale, the Simple Shoulder Test, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire, and the Short Form-36. There were seventy-one women and twenty-nine men, with a mean age of fifty-two years (range, thirty-six to eighty-two years). Comorbidities included medical factors (e.g., diabetes and heart disease) and social factors (e.g., tobacco use and pending litigation). Linear regression analysis was performed to determine correlations between the number of comorbidities and the results of the questionnaires. Results: Patients with more comorbidities had significantly lower scores on the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (p = 0.0005) and the Short Form-36 subscale of physical function (p = 0.0009) as well as poorer scores on the Simple Shoulder Test and the Short Form-36 subscales of physical role, social function, emotional role, and mental health. Although there was no correlation between increased comorbidity and pain as measured on the visual analog scale, the comfort/pain subscale of the Short Form-36 showed a significant correlation with increased comorbidity (p = 0.004). Conclusions: Idiopathic adhesive capsulitis is a debilitating condition. Comorbid factors have a significant effect on the pain and dysfunction (as measured on shoulder-specific and general health instruments) experienced by patients with this disorder. These findings can be applied to the evaluation of these patients and may help to identify patients who potentially require a longer treatment course or those whose outcome will be less satisfactory.
Forecasting the Dose and Dose Rate from a Solar Particle Event Using Localized Weighted Regression

The dose from solar particle events (SPEs) poses a serious threat to the health of astronauts. A method for forecasting the rate and total severity of such events would give time for the astronauts to take actions to mitigate the effects from an SPE. The danger posed from an SPE depends both on the total dose received and the temporal profile of the event. The temporal profile describes how quickly the dose will arrive. Previously developed methods used neural networks to predict the total dose from an event. Later, the ability to predict the temporal profiles was added to the neural network approach. Localized weighted regression (LWR) was then used to determine if better fits with less computer load could be accomplished. Previously, LWR was shown to be able to predict the total dose from an event. LWR is the model being used to forecast the dose and the temporal profile from an SPE. LWR is a nonparametric memory-based technique; it compares a new query to stored sets of exemplar data to make its predictions. It is able to forecast early in an SPE the dose and dose rate for the event. For many events the total dose is predicted within a factor of 2 within 20 min of the beginning of the event. SPEs that are within the training parameters have temporal predictions within a few hours of the start of the event. Using an LWR model, forecasts of the dose and dose rate can be made a few hours after the start of the event. The model is able to forecast most types of events within ∼10% accuracy. However, there are a few events that the model fails to forecast accurately.
Image Processing On Reconfigurable Meshes With Buses

Abstract In this chapter, we describe different reconfigurable mesh with buses architectures and show how several image processing problems can be solved efficiently on the weakest of these. The specific problems considered are: area and perimeter of components, shrinking and expanding, clustering, and template matching. In many cases, the resulting algorithms are faster than those for other parallel computer architectures.
Examining rural, low-income families' housing trajectories over three years: A mixed methods analysis

The present studies conceptualized longitudinal housing patterns of rural, low-income families as housing trajectories focusing specifically on tenure patterns: (1) continuous renter, (2) owner to renter, (3) renter to owner, and (4) continuous owner. A mixed-methods approach resulted in one qualitative manuscript and another quantitative manuscript to better understand and assess the housing tenure trajectories of families across three waves of data. Two overarching questions were explored: (a) What factors affect a family’s housing tenure trajectory and (b) are health and housing tenure trajectories related? In Chapter 2 findings are reported from the qualitative analysis in which issues related to health and health resources were identified including the subsequent impact on mothers’ abilities to make decisions about housing tenure. Chapter 3 reports on data analyses aimed to quantify and further examine health and health resource issues identified through qualitative analyses. Two health variables (continuous Medicaid coverage and food security) were significant in both a model with health variables alone and a model that added sociodemographic variables (income, and partner status); continuous renters were more likely to have continuous Medicaid coverage and to be food insecure. In a second model in which partner status and income were added to health variables, income was significantly associated with continuous homeownership even though the sample consisted of only low-income families. The results lead to important conclusions regarding the importance of home ownership to low-income families and the need for a more holistic view of family health and health resources in achieving and sustaining homeownership. The reciprocal nature of housing and health has implications for policymakers, housing professionals, and should guide future research. Better understanding and exploration of these relationships can lead to research-based
Temperature-Programmed Studies of Surface Oxygen Species in the Oxidative Coupling of Methane

Abstract The reactivity of surface oxygen species for the oxidative coupling of methane over various catalysts, [Sm 2 O 3 , Li(5%)-Sm 2 O 3 , Li-MgO, Bi-P-K/MgO, Bi-P-Na/MgO, and a series of catalysts of the general composition MBi 1-x Li x O y /MgO, where M=Sr, Ba; x = 0, 0.05, 0.15, 0.20, 0.40, 0.50], has been investigated by means of temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), temperature-programmed reaction (TPRX), and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) between 100–800°C. The experimental results suggest that simple, adsorbed oxygen species are not the active species for oxidative coupling of methane. Instead, they are responsible for deep oxidation. Simple-oxide catalysts are active only in the presence of gaseous oxygen. For multicomponent-oxide catalysts, surface lattice oxygen directly participates in the reaction, giving a high selectivity toward C 2 products.
Model reduction of discrete event system

Abstract The ‘linear’ models of discrete event systems (DESs) developed by dioid algebra are very suitable for analysis of deterministic discrete event systems. But the dimension of state variable usually is pretty higher, so that the models become analytically intractable due to state space explosion, when the systems are quit large scale. This paper presents an approach of reducing the dimension of state variable of DESs, and then illustrates its application steps through some examples. Undoubtly model dimensional reduction is extremely significant for analysis of discrete event systems.
Model-Based Heterogeneous Optimal Space Constellation Design

Few tools exist for designing constellations of heterogeneous satellites. A new modular tool for total mission design of heterogeneous constellations, including spacecraft design, orbit selection, and launch manifestation, is proposed. The component modules and algorithms are discussed, including a novel crossover method for genetic algorithms and a novel constraint formulation for launch manifestation of maneuverable vehicles. Finally, the expandability of the tool to multiple domains and various applications is highlighted. The main benefit of the described tool is that it allows analysts to quickly and easily design complex system architectures for space systems with a variety of objectives, providing cost savings and enabling timely responses to changing mission needs.
Experimental observations of 3D flow alterations by vegetation under oscillatory flows

This study presents observations from a series of experiments on an oscillatory tunnel, using a three-dimensional, volumetric particle image velocimetry system to investigate the effect of a single plant morphology on flow alterations. Three synthetic plants, mimicking three species representative of riverine, tidal, and coastal vegetation communities are investigated under various combinations of wave period and orbital excursion. The study allows to investigate the temporal and spatial distribution of the velocity field past the submerged plants with high spatial resolution. It shows that even a detailed characterization of plant morphology, represented by obstructed area or patch porosity, is not enough to accurately parameterize variations in instantaneous velocity, turbulent kinetic energy, bed shear stresses, and coherent flow structures. The study shows that bending and swaying of the plant generates eddies at multiple scales, at various locations and orientations with respect to the stem, branches, and leaves, which may be overlooked with point measurements or even 2D PIV, and can significantly enhance or dampen forces at the bed driving sediment transport processes in sparse vegetation patches.
Alzheimer's Disease Microbiome Is Associated with Dysregulation of the Anti-Inflammatory P-Glycoprotein Pathway.

ABSTRACT The microbiota-gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication system that is poorly understood. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, has long been associated with bacterial infections and inflammation-causing immunosenescence. Recent studies examining the intestinal microbiota of AD patients revealed that their microbiome differs from that of subjects without dementia. In this work, we prospectively enrolled 108 nursing home elders and followed each for up to 5 months, collecting longitudinal stool samples from which we performed metagenomic sequencing and in vitro T84 intestinal epithelial cell functional assays for P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression, a critical mediator of intestinal homeostasis. Our analysis identified clinical parameters as well as numerous microbial taxa and functional genes that act as predictors of AD dementia in comparison to elders without dementia or with other dementia types. We further demonstrate that stool samples from elders with AD can induce lower P-gp expression levels in vitro those samples from elders without dementia or with other dementia types. We also paired functional studies with machine learning approaches to identify bacterial species differentiating the microbiome of AD elders from that of elders without dementia, which in turn are accurate predictors of the loss of dysregulation of the P-gp pathway. We observed that the microbiome of AD elders shows a lower proportion and prevalence of bacteria with the potential to synthesize butyrate, as well as higher abundances of taxa that are known to cause proinflammatory states. Therefore, a potential nexus between the intestinal microbiome and AD is the modulation of intestinal homeostasis by increases in inflammatory, and decreases in anti-inflammatory, microbial metabolism. IMPORTANCE Studies of the intestinal microbiome and AD have demonstrated associations with microbiome composition at the genus level among matched cohorts. We move this body of literature forward by more deeply investigating microbiome composition via metagenomics and by comparing AD patients against those without dementia and with other dementia types. We also exploit machine learning approaches that combine both metagenomic and clinical data. Finally, our functional studies using stool samples from elders demonstrate how the c microbiome of AD elders can affect intestinal health via dysregulation of the P-glycoprotein pathway. P-glycoprotein dysregulation contributes directly to inflammatory disorders of the intestine. Since AD has been long thought to be linked to chronic bacterial infections as a possible etiology, our findings therefore fill a gap in knowledge in the field of AD research by identifying a nexus between the microbiome, loss of intestinal homeostasis, and inflammation that may underlie this neurodegenerative disorder.
The Short Arm of the Law: Simplifying Personal Jurisdiction Over Virtually Present Defendants

In the six decades since the Supreme Court decided International Shoe, the seminal analysis of the scope of personal jurisdiction over a non-resident defendant, courts have struggled to apply its meaning to varying fact patterns and causes of action. That struggle has only intensified as modern internet contacts replace the more familiar physical ties. It is hardly an exaggeration to say that – except in certain well-defined instances – the existence of specific personal jurisdiction over a non-resident defendant in state or federal court is impossible to predict. This means that in almost every case against a non-resident, a motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction is likely to be made. That motion will likely provoke a request for jurisdictional discovery and result in a small-scale litigation of its own before the merits of the case are ever addressed. It is an invitation to a waste of judicial and party resources. It is time for the states to take to heart the Supreme Court’s description of due process as a reflection not only of the limitations on states’ power, but of state sovereignty, and of states’ legitimate interests in hearing certain disputes. To that end, states should alter their long-arm practice to assert jurisdiction only in well-defined circumstances that reflect meaningful connections with the state, rather than reaching to the limit of due process. The resulting harm to prospective plaintiffs who may not be able to sue in the forum of their choice is a reasonable price to pay for increased certainty, decreased costs, and a freeing-up of the courts’ resources. This article describes the current uncertainty surrounding personal jurisdiction jurisprudence, and how that uncertainty has been exacerbated by its extension to internet contacts. It advocates that states shorten their long-arm statutes to bring more certainty to the area as well as to strengthen the argument for the exercise of personal jurisdiction pursuant to those statutes as an expression of state sovereignty. And it proposes a model short-arm statute that exercises personal jurisdiction over nonresidents in the context of traditional state interests, while defining the application of those activities to the internet context.
The transformative potential of community-created consent culture

In the wake of the #metoo movement, ‘consent’ has become a global topic of conversation, yet discussions of consent are missing from research on events in the leisure and tourism field. This is sur...
Simulation and optimization of system configuration for the stationary head CT using CNT x-ray source array: reconstruction and quality evaluation

Purpose: The invention of carbon nanotube (CNT) x-ray source array has allowed development of many novel imaging systems including stationary tomosynthesis devices for breast, chest and dental imaging. This technology enables stationary computed tomography with potentially a fast data acquisition rate and a mechanically robust structure by eliminating the rotating gantry. It reduces the image blur caused by the mechanical motion. The purpose of this work is to explore possible system configurations of stationary head CT (s-HCT) using fixed-position linear CNT x-ray source arrays and detector arrays. Methods: Sinogram coverage is used for qualitative evaluation on the CT projection data collection efficiency for a given configuration. Accordingly, the configuration is optimized based on the coverage in sinogram space. To evaluate the system feasibility on imaging low-contrast brain tissues, a modified low-contrast Shepp-Logan phantom is implemented for quality assessment using quantitative metrics. Different Iterative Reconstruction methods are compared for both qualitative and quantitative assessment as well. Results: The sinogram coverage of s-HCT configurations changes significantly with different number of CNT source arrays used, as well as the layout of the geometry. Preliminary results suggest that a s-HCT configuration with three planes gives a nearly completed sinogram coverage which provides enough information to reconstruct image with good quality. Different reconstruction techniques are used for such configuration with a low-contrast head phantom. High-quality images are reconstructed for the proposed configuration. Conclusion: An optimized s-HCT system configuration can be built with few linear CNT x-ray source arrays. Given such configuration, Iterative Reconstruction algorithms in conjunction with Total-Variation Regularization provides highquality images even for low-contrast objects.
A Study of Spatial-Spectral Information Fusion Methods in the Artificial Neural Network Paradigm for Hyperspectral Data Analysis in Swarm Robotics Applications

Object classification using remote sensing data is a proponent for applications across varied domains such as public safety, environmental science, and agriculture. As remote sensing has evolved towards more complex and drone mountable sensors that are able to capture hyperspectral data including more than 100 spectral bands, equivalently techniques required to process and classify the data have grown more computationally complex as well. The need for extensive computational and memory requirements for data analysis limits the real-time applicability of hyperspectral data collected using limited-resource and portable platforms such as drones in surveillance and swarm robotic applications. As a consequence, the objective of this study is to explore methods to implement Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) in a parsimonious manner by using dimensionality reduction, different network architectures, and regularization techniques with respect to its practical applicability in the context of swarm robotics intelligence. The results indicate our proposed spatial-spectral information fusion ANN architecture comprised of only a depth of a few layers, but with many neurons per layer outperformed the models that did not use dimensionality reduction or used too many deep layers to achieve hyperspectral image classification.
Developing a Standardized Structure for a Pediatric Point-of-Care Ultrasound Assessment Tool Using A Nominal Group Process

Abstract Background and Objective: Most pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellowships incorporate point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training into their curricula. The lack of standardized assessment tools results in variability in the assessment of fellows’ POCUS competency. The common forms of assessment include direct observation, image review, quality assessment, and online or locally developed written examinations. We aimed to develop an evidence-based and consensus-derived template that will serve as a standardized structure for a pediatric POCUS competency assessment tool. Methods: Three authors …
TrackLace: Data Management for Interlaced Magnetic Recording

Interlaced Magnetic Recording (IMR) is a promising technology which achieves higher data density and lower write amplification (WA) than Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR). In IMR, top tracks and bottom tracks are interlaced so each bottom track is partially overlapped with two adjacent top tracks. Top tracks can be updated without any WA, but bottom track updates require reading and rewriting of affected valid data on the two neighboring top tracks. There are few published studies discussing WA in IMR drives. We propose TrackLace to reduce WA for IMR. TrackLace consists of three techniques: Z-Alloc allocates user data to the tracks in alternating directions and spreads unallocated tracks among allocated tracks; Top-Buffer opportunistically utilizes unallocated top tracks to buffer bottom track updates; and Block-Swap progressively swaps bottom track hot data with top track cold data during high space utilization. To further optimize TrackLace performance, we propose a virtual frame design that can keep the relocated block (due to Top-Buffer or Block-Swap) close to its original location and an adaptive buffering mechanism that can avoid unnecessary redirections depending on the write locality. Evaluations show that TrackLace can reduce WA by 45 percent and lower average latency by 31percent compared with baseline schemes.
Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Correlates With Depressive Symptoms Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract. Depression is a pervasive psychiatric problem following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). However, the onset and course of symptom expression following mTBI can differ from that of spon...
Transnational militarism and ethnic nationalism: South Korean involvements in the Vietnam and Iraq wars

Using South Korea’s involvement in the Vietnam and Iraq Wars as case studies, we explore transnational militarism as a salient (often neglected) force of globalization that has shaped the construct...
Computed Tomography-Based Imaging Algorithms for Patient Selection in Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Computed tomography remains the most widely used imaging modality for evaluating patients with acute ischemic stroke. Landmark trials have used computed tomography imaging to select patients for intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular treatment. This review summarizes the most important acute ischemic stroke trials, provides an outlook of ongoing studies, and proposes possible image algorithms for patient selection. Although evaluation with anatomic computed tomography imaging techniques is sufficient in early window patients, more advanced imaging techniques should be used beyond 6 hours from symptoms onset to quantify the ischemic core and evaluate for the salvageable penumbra.
FKBP52 overexpression accelerates hippocampal-dependent memory impairments in a tau transgenic mouse model.

Abnormal accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau induces pathogenesis in neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease. Molecular chaperones with peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase (PPIase) activity are known to regulate these processes. Previously, in vitro studies have shown that the 52 kDa FK506-binding protein (FKBP52) interacts with tau inducing its oligomerization and fibril formation to promote toxicity. Thus, we hypothesized that increased expression of FKBP52 in the brains of tau transgenic mice would alter tau phosphorylation and neurofibrillary tangle formation ultimately leading to memory impairments. To test this, tau transgenic (rTg4510) and wild-type mice received bilateral hippocampal injections of virus overexpressing FKBP52 or GFP control. We examined hippocampal-dependent memory, synaptic plasticity, tau phosphorylation status, and neuronal health. This work revealed that rTg4510 mice overexpressing FKBP52 had impaired spatial learning, accompanied by long-term potentiation deficits and hippocampal neuronal loss, which was associated with a modest increase in total caspase 12. Together with previous studies, our findings suggest that FKBP52 may sensitize neurons to tau-mediated dysfunction via activation of a caspase-dependent pathway, contributing to memory and learning impairments.
Editor’s introduction and reflection: Recognizing economic hegemony as a communication pedagogy issue

The effects of neoliberalism on university students in and out of the classroom is an important yet understudied area of communication pedagogy. There is a paucity of scholarship in our discipline ...
Abstract 2116: Promoter enrichment of subnucleosomes using breast cancer cell-free DNA

Breast cancer is the leading cancer diagnosis and the second major cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide. The use of non-invasive cell-free DNA (cfDNA) to detect and assess cancer dynamics has recently gained traction with a focus on targeted mutation panels. However, mutation panels have to contend with non-tumor origin of mutations like clonal hematopoiesis and the emergence of novel mutations in the tumor. A potential alternative is to harness the epigenomic, or non-genetic, features of cfDNA. In a healthy individual, blood cell turnover is the major contributor to the cfDNA pool. In cancer, tumor DNA adds to the cfDNA pool, which represents the end product of endogenous nucleases acting on accessible genomic DNA. Since genomic DNA is protected by histone proteins, cfDNA maps the chromatin structure of individual cells that turn over. Subnucleosomes (partially formed structures of nucleosomes that are the building blocks of chromatin) are by-products of transcription and thus reflect small protections enriched in active genes. The enrichment of subnucleosomes at promoters correlate with gene expression profiles of cfDNA tissues-of-origin and based on this knowledge, we hypothesized that we could reconstruct the transcriptional profiles of cancer cells by selectively targeting promoter regions. We first extracted cfDNA from 9 healthy female donors and 8 patient donors with various stages of breast cancer (Stage I, n=1; Stage III, n=1; Stage IV, n=4). We used a single-stranded DNA library protocol that robustly captures highly nicked cfDNA, enabling the genome-wide mapping of both nucleosomes and subnucleosomes. We performed targeted capture of promoter-proximal, nucleosome-protected sequences in cfDNA using non-overlapping tiling probes from transcription start sites to 300 bp downstream. After whole-genome sequencing of pooled libraries, we show that 76.4% (n=13/17) of samples exhibited >10X enrichment compared to unenriched samples, and 64.7% (n=11/17) of samples exhibited >100X enrichment. The enriched samples allowed us to profile >10,000 genes, whereas unenriched samples enabled profiling between 100-10,000 genes at an average sequencing depth of 40 million reads. Overall, we obtain higher depth per sequencing read after enrichment resulting in a high-resolution snapshot of promoter-nucleosome dynamics derived by probing only ~0.18% of the genome. We believe that this significant advancement will allow us not only to identify presence of cancer but also detect distinct tumor states. Citation Format: Alexis Zukowski, Amy Han, Peter Kabos, Srinivas Ramachandran. Promoter enrichment of subnucleosomes using breast cancer cell-free DNA [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2116.
Socioeconomic Clustering and Racial Segregation on Lattices with Heterogeneous Sites

The Schelling model of segregation moves colored agents on the vertices of a graph, with unhappy agents trying to move to new positions if the number of their neighbors with a different color exceeds some threshold. In this work, we consider race and socioeconomic status simultaneously to understand how carefully architected placement of urban infrastructure might affect segregation. We designate certain vertices on the graph as "urban sites", providing civic infrastructure that most benefits the poorer population. Infrastructure that is centralized, like a city center or mall, encourages poor agents to cluster centrally in addition to their homophily preferences for the same-colored neighbors, while infrastructure that is well distributed, like a large grid of inner-city bus routes, tends to disperse the low-income agents. We ask what effect these two scenarios have on segregation. We prove that centralized infrastructure simultaneously causes segregation and the "urbanization of poverty" (i.e., occupation of urban sites primarily by poor agents) when the homophily and incentives drawing the poor to urban sites are large enough. Moreover, even when homophily preferences are very small, as long as the incentives drawing the poor to urban sites is large, under income inequality where one race has a higher proportion of the poor, we get racial segregation on urban sites but integration on non-urban sites. However, we find overall mitigation of segregation when the urban sites are distributed throughout the graph and the incentive drawing the poor on the urban sites exceeds the homophily preference. We prove that in this case, no matter how strong homophily preferences are, it will be exponentially unlikely that a configuration chosen from stationarity will have large, homogeneous clusters of similarly colored agents, thus promoting integration in the city with high probability.
Effect of aniline on Chlorella vulgaris

A direct correlation between concentration of waste effluent, including aniline, released by a dye company into a waterway in Eastern North Carolina, and the rise and fall of populations of Chlorella, was demonstrated previously. The present study establishes threshold concentrations of aniline which affect growth of these algae, but also shows that physiologic parameters within the organism, such as the rate of photosynthesis, were decreased as sub-threshold concentrations of toxicant.
Growth Retardation in Children Receiving Long-Term Total Parenteral Nutrition: Effects of Ornithine α-Ketoglutarate A A MOUKARZEL, O GOULET, J S SALAS, ET AL: Am J Clin Nutr 60: 408-413, 1994

The authors evaluated the effect of supplementing parenteral nutrition (PN) with ornithine-α-ketoglutarate (OAK) on linear growth and biochemical parameters in a small group of prepubertal children requiring long-term PN because of short bowel syndrome. Six study patients (5 male, 1 female) were selected from a group of 62 children receiving long-term PN followed at a pediatric hospital in Paris, France. All of the patients had demonstrated significant growth retardation at entry (1 to 4 standard deviations below expected 50th percentile for height), and were prepubertal as evidenced by Stage I Tanner scores and prepubertal blood levels of testosterone, estradiol, and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1). The patients were determined to be normally nourished, as they received adequate doses of energy and nitrogen in PN prior to the study and demonstrated appropriate weight-for-height ratios, skinfold measurements and normal serum protein concentrations. The subjects had received constant dietary energy an...
Searching for 'Some Accommodation': American Indian Religion in the Iron House

Religious freedom claims by American Indian prisoners are disfavored in law and policy, even more so than most other prisoner civil rights claims. This disfavor reflects the continuing influence of the cultural distance between traditional Indians and Christianity, a distance with an unfortunate history from the Indian point of view. The salutary effects of Christian religion within prisons have been assumed for as long as prisons have existed, an assumption based upon scant evidence. Treating Indian religious expression as inferior to Christian religious expression within prisons is often allowed by law, but it is insupportable in policy without reference to the historical power relationship between Indians and the dominant culture. Indian spirituality, like Christianity, can engage prisoners in the moral discourse demanded by the tenets of restorative justice. Accommodation of Indian spirituality is as much in the public interest as accommodation of religion within prisons at all.
A continuing study of sarcoidosis and pregnancy

Abstract The symptoms, signs, epidemiology, and management of sarcoidosis in pregnancy are reviewed. Experience based on 38 women cared for during 54 pregnancies is described. The disease did not adversely affect the pregnancy, nor did the pregnancy adversely affect the disease in the vast majority of women.
Computational modeling of vibration‐induced systemic hydration of vocal folds over a range of phonation conditions

Predicting phonation conditions that are benign to voice health remains a biomechanically relevant problem.Our objective is to provide insight into vocal fold (VF) hydration based on continuum-based VF models thatare able to compute VF stresses during phonation and a scheme for the extraction and generalization of suchcomputational data based on the principle of linear superposition. Because VF tissue is poroelastic, spatialgradients of VF hydrostatic stresses computed for a given phonation condition determine VF interstitial fluidflow. The present approach transforms, based on linear superposition principles, the computed interstitialfluid velocities at the particular phonation to those at an arbitrary phonation condition. Intersititial fluidflow characteristics for a range of phonation conditions are compared. For phonation conditions with noor moderate collision, no dehydration per vibration cycle is predicted throughout the VF. For more severecollision conditions, tissue dehydration is restricted to a region close to the glottal surface. Interstitial fluiddisplacement in the VF is found to be heterogeneous and strongly dependent on the phonation condition.A phonation condition is found to exist for which dehydration peaks. The proposed method significantlyexpands the scope and relevance of conducting isolated numerical simulations of VF vibration.
Complex systems: particles, chains, and sheets

Particles, chains, sheets etc. are primary constituents to address complex issues in complex systems with appropriate coarse grained models. Flow in a driven immscible fluid mixture, film growth, protein relaxation, and dynamics of a self-avoiding sheet are used to illustrate specific issues as examples.
The 'CaP Calculator': an online decision support tool for clinically localized prostate cancer.

Study Type – Prognosis (risk model) Level of Evidence 2a OBJECTIVE To design a decision-support tool to facilitate evidence-based treatment decisions in clinically localized prostate cancer, as individualized risk assessment and shared decision-making can decrease distress and decisional regret in patients with prostate cancer, but current individual models vary or only predict one outcome of interest. METHODS We searched Medline for previous reports and identified peer-reviewed articles providing pretreatment predictive models that estimated pathological stage and treatment outcomes in men with biopsy-confirmed, clinical T1-3 prostate cancer. Each model was entered into a spreadsheet to provide calculated estimates of extracapsular extension (ECE), seminal vesicle invasion (SVI), and lymph node involvement (LNI). Estimates of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) outcome after radical prostatectomy (RP) or radiotherapy (RT), and clinical outcomes after RT, were also entered. The data are available at http://www.capcalculator.org. RESULTS Entering a patient’s 2002 clinical T stage, Gleason score and pretreatment PSA level, and details from core biopsy findings, into the CaP Calculator provides estimates from predictive models of pathological extent of disease, four models for ECE, four for SVI and eight for LNI. The 5-year estimates of PSA relapse-free survival after RT and 10-year estimates after RP were available. A printout can be generated with individualized results for clinicians to review with each patient. CONCLUSIONS The CaP Calculator is a free, online ‘clearing house’ of several predictive models for prostate cancer, available in an accessible, user-friendly format. With further development and testing with patients, the CaP Calculator might be a useful decision-support tool to help doctors promote evidence-based shared decision-making in prostate cancer.