cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance, reliability, radiation effects, and aging issues in microelectronics - from atomic-scale physics to engineering-level modeling

The development of engineering-level models requires adoption of physical mechanisms that underlie observed phenomena. This paper reviews several cases where parameter-free, atomic-scale, quantum mechanical calculations led to the identification of specific physical mechanisms for phenomena relating to performance, reliability, radiation effects, and aging issues in microelectronics. More specifically, we review recent calculations of electron mobilities that are based on atomic-scale models of the Si-Si O2 interface and elucidate the origin of strain-induced mobility enhancement. We then review extensive work that highlights the role of hydrogen as the primary agent of reliability phenomena such as Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI) and radiation effects, such as Enhanced Low Dose Radiation Sensitivity (ELDRS) and dopant deactivation. Finally, we review atomic-scale simulations of recoils induced by energetic ions in Si and Si O2 . The latter provide a natural explanation for single-event gate rupture (SEGR) in terms of defects with energy levels in the Si O2 band gap.
Measuring anisotropy ellipse of atmospheric turbulence by intensity correlations of laser light

An experimental study has been performed of a laser beam propagating horizontally through the near-ground atmosphere above a grassy field at the University of Miami (UM) Coral Gables campus. The average intensity, scintillation index, and intensity correlation function are measured in the receiver plane for three channels with different turbulent conditions and at three different heights above the ground. Our results reveal that along short links (210 m) only the intensity correlation function captures the anisotropic information of turbulence, corresponding to the refractive index anisotropy ellipse of atmospheric fluctuations. In addition, we report an interesting phenomenon relating to turbulence eddy orientation near the ground. We confirmed that the experimental results are in agreement with the numerical simulations based on the multiple phase-screen method. Our findings provide an efficient method of determining the anisotropic parameters of atmospheric turbulence.
Gender and Anxiety Among International High School

Educational researchers have studied more the role of cognition on learning, paying less attention to affection. A comprehensive approach to learning includes affection as a factor of learning, something second language researchers have known about. By applying the English language anxiety scale (ELAS), this study investigated the language anxiety of international female and male English language learners in a bilingual high school. The study found that all participants suffer language anxiety regardless of age, gender, length of stay in the host country, and grade level. However, there was no statistical difference between the experienced language anxiety of females and males. One conclusion is that English language teachers learn about the affectionlanguage learning process, about the connection between culture and language learning, and about how to engineer low stress classrooms. Further research should look into the role that prior use of English and formal ESL training has on language anxiety.
Multilevel modular switched-capacitor resonant converter with voltage regulation

This paper presents a novel modular multilevel switched-capacitor based resonant converter (MMSCRC) to achieve dc-dc power conversion function. In comparison to existing multilevel modular switched-capacitor circuits, the proposed switched-capacitor resonant converter (SCRC) possess voltage regulation capability. Its modular structure accomplishes voltage conversion function and proposed closed-loop phase-shift control regulates the output voltage. Meanwhile, zero-voltage switching (ZVS) operation can be accomplished. By increasing switching frequency of wide bandgap device and reducing inductance in the circuit, magnetic components can be minimized. Hence, high power density and high efficiency of the proposed converter can be achieved. This paper includes circuit operation, steady-state characteristics as well as in-depth analysis for ZVS operation. Simulation results are provided to verify the operation principle of the proposed MMSCRC. A 600W lab prototype with 6:1 conversion ratio has been built. Experimental result are also provided to validate the theoretical analysis.
Bridging Ends and Means: The Centrality of Targets in Comparative Policy Analysis with Illustrations in the United States, New Zealand, and Germany

Policy means are shaped not only by policy goals, but also by the groups of actors targeted through policies for change. Yet the importance of targets is not visible in current frameworks describing policy development. The article advances a modified version of Howlett and Cashore’s nested model of policy instrument choice that makes explicit the centrality of targets as a bridging step between policy means and ends. It illustrates application of this target-centered framework for comparative policy analysis through three evaluations of transformative environmental policy regimes implemented in the United States, New Zealand, and Germany. Target-centered analysis provides insights into the development of each policy by separating out target and client selection from the goals and means of each policy, and shows how including targets as an explicit step in policy analysis clarifies and extends our understanding of both formulation and reform. In particular, distinguishing the calibration of policy ...
Effects of plasmonic metal films on the emission properties of organic films

There is a growing demand to improve the operational lifetime of electroluminescent devices utilizing conjugated polymers which are often deposited over metal electrodes. Photo-degradation of the emissive organic layer is one factor that decreases the overall efficiency and longevity of these devices. Therefore, it is important to investigate the underlying photochemistry at metal-polymer interface. Here, the effects of metal films on the emission properties of organic polymers are studied using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM). Poly(phenylene vinylene) (MEHPPV) is spun cast over gold films of varying thickness (2 nm to 8 nm). Whereas 8 nm gold films completely quench the MEHPPV fluorescence, thinner gold films (~ 2 nm) cause minimal quenching. However, deposition on the thinner gold films leads to a dramatic increase in photo-stability of MEH-PPV relative to that on glass, even in the presence of molecular oxygen and under continuous laser illumination. Good overlap between the surface plasmon absorbance of gold films and the emission of MEHPPV is required for this effect as it is not observed on metals without a plasmon band in this spectral region.
A Reaction-Diffusion System

In development the film is immersed in an aqueous solution as shown schematically in Fig. 16.1 which, for simplicity, depicts a three-layer film. The emulsion layers contain silver halide grains and oil droplets. The oil droplets contain chemicals — couplers — that form dye and inhibitor in the course of development.
Shocks and Rarefactions

This chapter discusses the fundamental elements of one-dimensional, compressible fluid dynamics. These are essential to the behavior of high-energy-density matter. It begins by developing the theory of shock waves in fluid media, developing results for shock waves of arbitrary strength, entropy generation by shock waves, oblique shock waves, shock waves at interfaces, and the use of flyer plates to drive shock waves for measurements of equations of state. The chapter then introduces self-similar dynamics, which turns out to describe the expansions of matter known as rarefactions, and also to describe the blast waves produced by a brief deposition of energy. It then discusses the interaction of shock waves and rarefactions with each other and with interfaces where the density changes.
Craft and the Creative Economy

In Craft and the Creative Economy, Susan Luckman deftly brings together a diverse body of scholarship to understand the phenomenal growth in the online craft marketplace and what that might mean fo...
Internalized Borders: Immigration Ethics in the Age of Trump:

The Trump administration’s immigration measures and attendant dehumanizing rhetoric have fanned the flames of nationalism and sown fear in communities. Its internal enforcement strategies are bolstered by manipulative narratives that perpetuate myths and reflect facile analyses of complex dilemmas, focusing on symptoms rather than causes of migration. Reducing immigration questions to the locus of border crossers alone eclipses from view transnational actors responsible for economic instability, violent conflict, or labor recruitment, and also eclipses their accountability. Recent developments in migration ethics help illuminate significant historical and structural contexts of migration as well as models of justice and norms for negotiating duties of reception that better reflect such relationships. Attending to underlying fears and idolatries that contribute to exclusionary dynamics also emerges as critical for advancing just policy reforms and cultivating civic friendship moving forward.
Management of Proximal Interphalangeal Joint Fracture Dislocations

Fracture dislocations of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint of the finger are often caused by axial load applied to a flexed joint. The most common injury pattern is a dorsal fracture dislocation with a volar lip fracture of the middle phalanx. Damage to the soft-tissue stabilizers of the PIP joint contributes to the deformity seen with these fracture patterns. Unfortunately, these injuries are commonly written off and left untreated. A late-presenting PIP joint fracture dislocation has a poor chance of regaining normal range of motion. The provider must be suspicious of these injuries. Treatment options and algorithm are reviewed.
Fundamental Understanding of Methane-Carbon Dioxide-Water (CH4-CO2-H2O) Interactions in Shale Nanopores under Reservoir Conditions. Quarterly Report.

This project focuses on the systematic study of CH4-CO2-H2O interactions in shale nanopores under high-pressure and high temperature reservoir conditions. The proposed work will help to develop new stimulation strategies to enable efficient resource recovery from fewer and less environmentally impactful wells.
Corticotropin-Releasing Factor in the Brain and Blocking Spinal Descending Signals Induce Hyperalgesia in the Latent Sensitization Model of Chronic Pain

Abstract Latent sensitization is a model of chronic pain in which an injury triggers a period of hyperalgesia followed by an apparent recovery, but in which pain sensitization persists but is suppressed by opioid and adrenergic receptors. One important characteristic of latent sensitization is that hyperalgesia can be triggered by acute stress. To determine whether the effect of stress is mimicked by the activation of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling in the brain, rats with latent sensitization induced by injecting complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA, 50 μl) in one hind paw were given an intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of CRF. The i.c.v. injection of CRF (0.6 μg, 10 μl), but not saline, induced bilateral mechanical hyperalgesia in rats with latent sensitization. In contrast, CRF i.c.v. did not induce hyperalgesia in rats without latent sensitization (injected with saline in the hind paw). To determine whether descending pain inhibition mediates the suppression of hyperalgesia in latent sensitization, rats with CFA-induced latent sensitization received an intrathecal injection of lidocaine (10%, 1 μl) at the cervical-thoracic spinal cord to produce a spinal block. Lidocaine-injected rats, but not rats injected intrathecally with saline, developed bilateral mechanical hyperalgesia. Intrathecal lidocaine did not induce hyperalgesia in rats without latent sensitization (injected with saline in the hind paw). These results show that i.c.v. CRF mimicked the hyperalgesic response triggered by stress during latent sensitization, possibly by blocking inhibitory spinal descending signals that suppress hyperalgesia.
On-chip self-calibration system for CMOS active inductor band pass filter

Abstract A calibration system aiming for automatically correcting the effect of process variation on performance of on-chip Active Inductor Band Pass Filter (AIBPF) is presented. The benefit of using active inductors to build on-chip band pass filter is less chip area consumption and the tunability of center frequency compared to designs employing passive inductors. However, the fatal drawback of active inductor is performance degradation caused by process variation generated during chip fabrication. The proposed calibration system has the ability to detect process variation and adjust the AIBPF center frequency back to the designed 5.2 GHz by compensating the bias voltage. Simulation results show this calibration system can significantly improve the yield of circuits employing AIBPFs.
Relationships Among Science Language, Concepts, and Processes: A Study of English Learners in Junior High School Science Classrooms

English learners (ELs) encounter the multiple challenges of learning new scientific concepts and processes in the unfamiliar languages of both science and English. In this study, we examined two eighth grade teachers’ physical science classrooms to better understand how ELs, students reclassified as fluent, and students fluent in English negotiated relationships among language, concepts, and processes. More specifically, during a 5-week forces unit, we investigated (1) our teacher participants’ views of effective instruction for EL students, (2) the kinds of learning opportunities they provided and their students took up during instruction, and (3) the science language, concepts, and processes students learned as a result. Data were analyzed along two dimensions identified by teacher participants as central to effective EL instruction: science language supports and science concepts and processes. Findings highlight the complexities of teaching science to English learners: Teachers’ implementation of different kinds of science language supports was inconsistent across lectures and investigations. Findings also foreground the importance of using more than one method to assess student learning: End-of-unit tests and interviews reflected different ways of conceptualizing science as a discourse community and led to differences in students’ perceived science competence. We close with recommendations for improving the teaching and learning of science for EL students.
The Implicit Prices of Finfish and Shellfish Attributes and Retail Promotion Strategies: Hedonic Analysis of Weekly Scanner Data in the U.S.

Using AC Neilson retail scanner data on U.S. frozen finfish and shellfish sales from 2007-2010, hedonic models of each market estimated price discounts following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and as a result of promotional activities, and premiums and discounts for select products labeled “wild” and “imported”, respectively.
Some Observations of Children's Reactions to Computer-Assisted Instruction.

In January of 1969 twelve terminals for computer-assisted instruction (CAI), each consisting of a key set and a television display (fig. 1), were installed in a small room in Washington Elementary School, Champaign, Illinois, as part of the Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations (PLATO) project at the University of Illinois, Urbana. We wished to learn how the computer could best be used to supplement the arithmetic classroom. Therefore, we experimented widely in the types of lessons we wrote. Moreover, we involved children of all age and ability groups available in the K-6 school, including the educable mentally handicapped (EMH). One of the most important aspects of our work was observing the children's reactions to PLATO. As with most endeavors involving human beings, there was wide variety in the responses. Nevertheless, we have made some generalizations about how most of the children reacted to CAI. Each child worked at his own rate, received an immediate "OK" or "NO" from
PLASMODIUM SPP. (APICOMPLEXA: PLASMODIIDAE) OF THE FLYING LIZARD DRACO VOLANS (AGAMIDAE)

The agamid lizardDraco volans from Palawan, Republic of the Philippines, was found to be parasitised by threePlasmodium species:P. draconis n. sp.,P. volans n. sp. andP. vastator, Laird 1960. BothP. draconis andP. volans, but notP. vastator, were also present inD. volans from Sarawak. The species are readily distinguished by schizont size, merozoite number, and gametocyte size and shape.P. volans has schizonts approximately one-half the size of those ofP. draconis and produces 4–6 merozoites in comparison to 4–16 in the larger species. Gametocytes of both new species are predominantly oval in the Palawan sample and elongate in that from Sarawak.P. draconis gametocytes are approximately twice the size ofP. volans gametocytes, but on average no more than one-half the size of gametocytes ofP. vastator.
Middle school students’ reasoning about data and context through storytelling with repurposed local data

Publicly-available datasets, though useful for education, are often constructed for purposes that are quite different from students’ own. To investigate and model phenomena, then, students must learn how to repurpose the data. This paper reports on an emerging line of research that builds on work in data modeling, exploratory data analysis, and storytelling to examine and support students’ data repurposing. We ask: What opportunities emerge for students to reason about the relationship between data, context, and uncertainty when they repurpose public data to explore questions about their local communities? And, How can these opportunities be supported in classroom instruction and activity design? In two exploratory studies, students were asked to pose questions about their communities, use publicly-available data to investigate those questions, and create visual displays and written stories about their findings. Across both enactments, opportunities for reasoning emerged especially when students worked to reconcile (1) their own knowledge and experiences of the context from which data were collected with details of the data provided; and (2) their different emerging stories about the data with one another. We review how these opportunities unfolded within each enactment at the level of group and classroom, with attention to facilitator support.
Sialorrhea & aspiration control - A minimally invasive strategy uncomplicated by anticholinergic drug tolerance or tachyphylaxis.

Abstract Objective Sialorrhea complicated by aspiration is a primary source of morbidity and mortality in neurologically impaired children. Anticholinergics are an effective treatment option, but have traditionally been considered only adjuncts due to tachyphylaxis and drug tolerance. Similarly, Botox-A® salivary gland injections are also considered adjunctive due to the need to repeat treatment every 3 months. This retrospective case series assessed these two adjunctive strategies used in combination as definitive minimally invasive primary treatment. Methods 112 subjects diagnosed with sialorrhea and treated at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh between 2004 and 2011 were identified. Charts were carefully reviewed for pertinent information regarding the treatment of their sialorrhea and related outcomes. Results Over half of the subject undergoing BTX-A injections were able to reduce their dosage of anticholinergics after receiving injection (58%, n = 28 for glycopyrrolate users and 61%, n = 20 for scopolamine users). Subjects experienced a significant reduction in days spent in the hospital in the year following Botox-A® injection (P-Value = 0.03), and the number of pneumonia episodes in the year following injection (P-Value = 0.04). Conclusion Patients treated effectively with both BTX-A injections into their salivary glands and anticholinergics developed neither tachyphylaxis nor drug tolerance with up to 9.6 years of continuous treatment. During the year following combined therapy, patients’ average length hospital stay was reduced by a full week and the number of pneumonia episodes was statistically decreased. The failure rate of combined therapy was below that reported for any other intervention or combination of interventions in the literature. Finally, patients did not require BTX-A re-injection at the reported frequency. We hypothesize that anticholinergic medications competitively block acetylcholine attachment to post-synaptic receptors while BTX-A inhibits acetylcholine release at the pre-synaptic terminal, tachyphylaxis/drug tolerance mechanisms resulting in up-regulation of post-synaptic receptors are disrupted. Although salivary production may increase in the year following BTX-A injection, there is enough remaining activity at a molecular level to inhibit release of acetylcholine allowing salvage with anticholinergic medications at tolerable dosages.
Brief for Professor Kent Greenfield As Amicus Curiae in Support of Respondents, State of Washington vs. Arlene's Flowers and Ingersoll vs. Arlene's Flowers

This amicus curiae brief addresses a fundamental state-law premise of Appellants’ constitutional claims that has gone largely unexplored in the prior briefing: whether Arlene’s Flowers, a Washington for-profit corporation, may obtain an exemption from generally applicable laws based on the religious beliefs of a shareholder, Mrs. Stutzman. Citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores and Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Appellants assert that “Arlene’s free-exercise rights are synonymous with Mrs. Stutzman’s.” Those two cases, however, had nothing to do with Washington corporate law and took no stance on the authority of Washington corporations to raise constitutional claims of their shareholders. The assertion that Mrs. Stutzman’s rights are synonymous with the corporation depends on Washington state law and runs counter to the foundational Washington corporate law principle, expressed in Grayson v. Nordic Constr. Co., that “[a] corporation exists as an organization distinct from the personality of its shareholders.” This amicus curiae brief addresses the significance of corporate separateness to Washington’s law of corporations and explains how Appellants’ arguments rest on a conflation of those distinctions. This Court’s consideration of the constitutional claims in this case will be aided by a full understanding of these important, antecedent aspects of Washington law.
"Liberalismos” y aquel que hoy la lleva

Ponencia en jornada sobre “Liberalismo(s)”, Centro de Estudios Publicos, Santiago, 25 de abril de 2018.
Federal Common Law in Admiralty: An Introduction to the Beginning of an Exchange

Most scholars and practitioners of admiralty law have long relied upon two central assumptions regarding their subject. First, they have understood that uniformity was a requisite of maritime law such that, generally speaking, national, rather than state, law governed most maritime events and transactions. Second, they have believed that in order to preserve the uniformity of maritime law, federal admiralty courts are empowered to fashion federal common law.[1] The commitment to these related propositions has been attested to or illustrated by a collection of Supreme Court decisions.[2] For instance, in Southern Pacific Co. v. Jensen,[3] the case that stands as the metaphor for the uniformity principle in admiralty, the Court said that federal admiralty law would displace state law which “works material prejudice to the characteristic features of the general maritime law, or interferes with the proper harmony and uniformity of that law in its international and interstate relations.”[4]
Characterization of the Obese Phenotype of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: A RELAX Trial Ancillary Study

Abstract Objective To characterize the obese heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) phenotype in a multicenter cohort. Patients and Methods This was a secondary analysis of the randomized clinical trial RELAX (Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibition to Improve Clinical Status and Exercise Capacity in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction) performed between October 1, 2008, and February 1, 2012. Patients with HFpEF were classified by body mass index (BMI) as obese (BMI≥35 kg/m2) and nonobese (BMI Results Obese patients with HFpEF (n=81) were younger (median age, 64 [interquartile range (IQR), 67-79] years vs 73 [IQR, 56-70] years; P Conclusion Obese HFpEF is associated with decreased quality of life, worse symptoms of heart failure, greater systemic inflammation, worse exercise capacity, and higher metabolic cost of exertion as compared with nonobese HFpEF. Further study is required to understand the pathophysiology and potential distinct treatments for patients with the obese phenotype of HFpEF. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00763867
Size matters! Peripheral blood leukocyte telomere length and survival after critical illness.

The association of shorter leukocyte telomere length and reduced survival in critical illness may prove crucial in our quest to improve outcomeshttp://bit.ly/2qDAZSq
Molecular dynamic study of temperature dependence of mechanical properties and plastic inception of CoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloy

Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to study mechanical characteristics and homogeneous plastic inception of CoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloy at various temperatures under uniaxial tension. It is found that the elastic modulus and ultimate tensile strength increase with temperature decreasing. A notable softening effect is observed at the elastic deformation stage caused by the decrease of the interatomic force gradient. Extrinsic stacking faults and deformation twins are extensively observed, which are formed via intrinsic stacking faults overlap.
Impact of Extremity Manipulation on Postural Sway Characteristics: A Preliminary, Randomized Crossover Study

Abstract Objective Evaluate multisegmental postural sway after upper- vs lower-extremity manipulation. Methods Participants were healthy volunteers (aged 21-40 years). Upper- or lower-extremity manipulations were delivered in a randomized crossover design. Postural assessments were made pre-post manipulation, in floor and rocker board conditions. Analysis included traditional balance measures of pathlength and range and sample entropy (SampEn) to examine the temporal structure of sway of the head, trunk, and surface. Results No statistical changes in pathlength or sway range on the ground surface condition were observed. No increases in the amount of sway occurred in any condition. Chiropractic manipulation of either upper or lower extremities led to reductions in traditional measures of postural control on the rocker board. In the anteroposterior direction (sagittal plane), lower-extremity manipulation led to increased trunk SampEn while on the ground, and conversely a decreased SampEn while on the rocker board. In the mediolateral rocker board condition (frontal plane), manipulation elicited a change in SampEn that differed according to site of manipulation; upper-extremity manipulation increased SampEn, whereas lower-extremity manipulation reduced SampEn. Conclusion Both upper- and lower-extremity manipulation influenced several measures of postural sway on both the ground and the rocker board. Lower-extremity manipulation improved the organization of sway at the trunk (anteroposterior direction) and the board (mediolateral direction). Given the reduction and reorganization of sway metrics seen in this study, we propose extending this line of research to the elderly who are at greatest risk of increased sway and falls.
Abstract 6503: Comparison of single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery and surgical resection for brain metastases at least 4 cc in volume

Introduction: Brain metastases are the most common intracranial malignancies and are typically treated with surgical resection, radiation therapy, or both. Small lesions can be treated safely and effectively with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) or surgery. However, this is not as well-defined for larger lesions still amenable to SRS or surgery. This study was conducted to retrospectively analyze SRS and surgery for brain metastases at least 4 cubic centimeters (cc) in volume.Methods: We reviewed 177 patients with brain lesions ≥ 4 cc treated between March 2008 and July 2016 with either SRS (n = 123) or surgery (n = 54) for at least one malignant intracranial lesion. Patients were excluded if they had no follow-up records, had post-operative radiation, or had primary CNS malignancy on final pathology. Results: Median follow-up time for all patients was 3.7 months. The SRS group had a greater proportion of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients (p = 0.001), better ECOG performance status (PS) (p For brain metastases ≥ 4 cc in volume amenable to SRS or surgery, this study reports better LR with SRS compared to surgery alone. On subgroup analysis, patients with primary NSCLC histology experienced improved median and 1-year survival with SRS compared to surgery. However, differences in outcomes could be due to selection bias and warrants further investigation with better control of baseline characteristics. Citation Format: Ahmad Ridwanur Rahman, Emily Daugherty, Ali Hazama, Ayesha Ropri, Margaret Formica, Anna Shapiro, Michael Lacombe, Lawrence Chin, Seung Hahn. Comparison of single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery and surgical resection for brain metastases at least 4 cc in volume [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6503.
Urban Complexity and Spatial Strategies: Towards a Relational Planning for Our Times

A well-known scholar, Pasty Healey is professor emeritus in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at the University of Newcastle and senior editor of the Journal of Planning Theory and...
Ultraconservation of enhancers is not ultranecessary

Stretches of non-coding DNA that have remained identical across millions of years of evolution are typically assumed to have functional regulatory roles that would be compromised by any amount of nucleotide substitution. A new study finds that these ultraconserved regions are more robust to mutagenesis than their level of conservation would suggest.
Conformational Changes of the Receptor Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and Prediction of a B-Cell Antigenic Epitope Using Structural Data

COVID-19, the illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is now a worldwide pandemic with mortality in hundreds of thousands as infections continue to increase. Containing the spread of this viral infection and decreasing the mortality rate is a major challenge. Identifying appropriate antigenic epitopes from the viral proteins is a very important task for vaccine production and the development of diagnostic kits and antibody therapy. A novel antigenic epitope would be specific to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and can distinguish infections caused by common cold viruses. In this study two approaches are employed to identify both continuous and conformational B-cell antigenic epitopes. To achieve this goal, we modeled a complete structure of the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein using recently deposited coordinates (6vxx, 6vsb, and 6w41) in the protein data bank. In addition, we also modeled the RBD-ACE2 receptor complex for SARS-CoV-2 using the SARS-CoV RBD-ACE2 complex (3D0J) as a reference model. Finally, structure based predicted antigenic epitopes were compared to the ACE2 binding region of RBD of SARS-CoV-2. The identified conformational epitopes show overlaps with the ACE2-receptor binding region of the RBD of SARS-CoV-2. Strategies defined in the current study identified novel antigenic epitope that is specific to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Integrating such approach in the diagnosis can distinguish infections caused by common cold viruses from SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Exploring treatment impact heterogeneity across sites: Challenges and opportunities for early childhood researchers

Abstract The rise of multi-site, field-based trials in early childhood research coupled with advances in statistics offer an unprecedented opportunity to understand how context affects children's wellbeing. In the current study, we chart our journey in exploring heterogeneity in the treatment effects of an existing large-scale evaluation to provide guidance for early childhood researchers interested in studying treatment impact variation. To do so, we employ data from a professional development intervention implemented in early childhood education programs across 9 U.S. cities. We generate three broad lessons on the challenges and opportunities in examining treatment impacts across sites. First, we find that using the right statistical approach – namely fixed intercepts, random coefficient (FIRC) modeling – is critical for generating accurate estimates of cross-site variation. Second, we find that measures that traditionally have been associated with average treatment effects (e.g., program dosage) can be used to predict treatment impact. Third, we acknowledge trade-offs in statistical power for detecting average treatment effects versus treatment impact variation and discuss the implications of these trade-offs for the future design of early childhood evaluations. Findings are discussed in terms of how treatment impact variation has the potential to advance early childhood research.
High-Density Lipoprotein Metabolism

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations are inversely associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) in humans [1,2]. The initial descriptions of this inverse relationship in the early 1950s [3–5] were “rediscovered” in the 1970s [6–9]. The major mechanism proposed for the protective effect of HDL is reverse cholesterol transport, a process in which excess cholesterol from peripheral cells is transported back to the liver for removal from the body [10]. The higher the plasma levels of HDL, the more efficient is the transport to the liver of excess cholesterol from peripheral cells.
Technology and people with visual impairments: a 1997 update

Specialized tools and technologies continue to provide people with disabilities increased independence, productiv­ ity, and quality of life. Independent use of the rapidly evolving Internet with audio, braille, and large-character displays has resulted in improved independent access to large amounts of information. Anticipated continued access to the evolving World Wide Web and its associated browser software should provide even more independent access to information for people with visual impairments. Emerging digital storage and retrieval of audio information on cassettes, computer disks, and compact disks are also being used for improved storage and random retrieval of information. Audio displays are also being used with improved reading machines, laboratory instrumentation, and the presentation of higher level mathematics. Innovative tactile displays are providing access to two- and three-dimen­ sional graphical information. Orientation of blind travelers is being improved through the use of audible signage, interactive computerized maps, and satellite-based global positioning systems. People with low vision are beginning to benefit from high-technology vision enhancement systems worn as 'heads-up' closed-circuit systems that may improve information access and independent travel. Exciting research is beginning to suggest that visual restoration may be possible through either technology implants or tissue transplantation. Specialized products and use of universal design of mass market products continue to provide the expectation that individuals with visual impair­ ments will continue to obtain increased independence through the use of technology. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.
Essential Oils. IV. Oil of Limnophila Erecta, Benth†

Limnophila arecta, Benth. gave 0.05% essential oil on steam distillation. The crude oil consists of 37% α-pinene, 15% d-limonene, 26% α-caryophyllene, 15% β-caryophyllene, 4% cadinene, 2% sesquiterpene alcohols, and traces of terpene alcohol.
A DSP-based platform for wireless video compression

With the exponential growth of wireless voice markets, demand for wireless video services is soon to follow. However, bandwidth limited wireless channels coupled with mobility issues pose a great challenge in the hardware, software and algorithm design of communication systems. Raw video transmission is a high bandwidth application due to its spatial and temporal redundancies. Hence effective video communication over wireless channels calls for intelligent video coding and protection schemes. Also, the real-time nature of video necessitates high performance hardware and efficient software. This paper describes a modular and standards-independent DSP-based testbed (Paladin) designed for real-time video communication over low-bandwidth channels. In particular, we demonstrate the real-time transmission of MPEG-4 video and JPEG2000 still images over the Bluetooth wireless standard. Such a demonstration has many potential applications. We have designed the testbed to explore the possibilities, demands, and challenges of real-time wireless video transmission. We have implemented the MPEG-4 and JPEG2000 source coding on two DSP platforms: a Texas Instruments (TI) TMS320C6211, and a TI TMS3206416.
Notes on the Evolution of Acceptance Sampling Plans: Part I

Among the various statistical tools of quality control are the organized sets of sampling inspection plans and tables used in the acceptance sampling activities of producers and consumers. Prominent among these are the LTPD, the AOQL, the AQL and the CS..
Automotive Torque Converters

This chapter examines the automotive torque converter, the turbomachine utilized to transmit power from the engine to the gear system in the preponderance of planetary automatic transmissions. After a brief discussion of the history and attributes of the device, the typical mechanical and hydraulic configuration is described and the customary nomenclature established. One-dimensional equations relating the converter's internal geometry, the rotating speed of its components, and the torques thus generated are presented, and methodologies for empirically assessing a unit's behaviour are documented. Graphical procedures for analyzing the converter's interaction with the engine and the resulting vehicle performance implications are detailed and techniques for altering the converter's design to optimize vehicle performance parameters are explained using one-dimensional energy loss models. Finally, pressure vessel structural issues and energy saving clutching devices are discussed. Keywords: torque converter; hydrodynamic transmission; lock-up clutch; efficiency; test; stall test; torque ratio; speed ratio; K -factor; pressure vessel
Physiological measures of aircrew mental workload.

Physiological measures of aircrew mental workload were divided into fourteen specific classes. Each class was then summarized in terms of background, applications, and implications for research and...
A Rare Case of a Renal Cell Carcinoma Confined to the Isthmus of a Horseshoe Kidney

Horseshoe kidney (HSK) is the most common renal anomaly. Reports of the incidence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in HSK are conflicting. Very few cases of isthmus-located RCC have been reported in the literature. We report a unique case of an isthmus-located RCC. Proper vascular and tumor imaging prior to surgery is key to successful tumor removal.
Cysteine 265 is in the active site of, but is not essential for catalysis by tRNA-guanine transglycosylase (TGT) from Escherichia coli.

Site-directed mutagenesis and X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies have previously shown that the tRNA-guanine transglycosylase (TGT) from Escherichia coli is a zinc metalloprotein and identified the enzymic ligands to the zinc [Chong et al. (1995), Biochemistry34, 3694–3701; Garcia et al. (1966), Biochemistry35, 3133–3139]. During these studies one mutant, TGT (C265A), was found to exhibit a significantly lower specific activity, but was not found to be involved in the zinc site. The present report demonstrates that TGT is inactivated by treatment with thiol reagents (e.g., DTNB, MMTS, and N-ethylmaleimide). Further, this inactivation is shown to be due to modification of cysteine 265. The kinetic parameters for the mutants TGT (C265A) and TGT (C265S), however, suggest that this residue is not performing a critical role in the TGT reaction. We conclude that cysteine 265 is in the active site of TGT, but is not performing a critical catalytic function. This conclusion is supported by the recent determination of the X-ray crystal structure of the TGT from Zymomonas mobilis [Romier et al. (1966), EMBO J.15, 2850–2857], which reveals that the residue corresponding to cysteine 265 is distant from the putative catalytic site, but is in the middle of a region of the enzyme surface proposed to bind tRNA.
Support for gender equality in West Europe

. This paper examines attitudes to the role of women in the public and private spheres among West European men and women. There are inter-country differences that are partly explained by history, politics, and religion. There are also consistent gender differences in these attitudes, a finding quite different from that in the U.S. Over time, gender role attitudes have become more egalitarian. The sources of these changes seem to be changing attitudes of individuals toward the public role of women, and generational replacement in the case of the private roles. Finally, the determinants of men's and women's attitudes vary across countries in patterns that are generally predictable.
The essential Escherichia coli msgB gene, a multicopy suppressor of a temperature-sensitive allele of the heat shock gene grpE, is identical to dapE.

The grpE gene product is one of three Escherichia coli heat shock proteins (DnaK, DnaJ, and GrpE) that are essential for both bacteriophage lambda DNA replication and bacterial growth at all temperatures. In an effort to determine the role of GrpE and to identify other factors that it may interact with, we isolated multicopy suppressors of the grpE280 point mutation, as judged by their ability to reverse the temperature-sensitive phenotype of grpE280. Here we report the characterization of one of them, designated msgB. The msgB gene maps at approximately 53 min on the E. coli chromosome. The minimal gene possesses an open reading frame that encodes a protein with a predicted size of 41,269 M(r). This open reading frame was confirmed the correct one by direct amino-terminal sequence analysis of the overproduced msgB gene product. Genetic experiments demonstrated that msgB is essential for E. coli growth in the temperature range of 22 to 37 degrees C. Through a sequence homology search, MsgB was shown to be identical to N-succinyl-L-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase (the dapE gene product), which participates in the diaminopimelic acid-lysine pathway involved in cell wall biosynthesis. Consistent with this finding, the msgB null allele mutant is viable only when the growth medium is supplemented with diaminopimelic acid. These results suggest that GrpE may have a previously unsuspected function(s) in cell wall biosynthesis in E. coli. Images
Logic-Based Regulatory Conformance Checking

In this paper, we describe an approach to formally assess whether an organization conforms to a body of regulation. Conformance is cast as a model checking question where the regulation is represented in a logic that is evaluated against an abstract model representing the operations of an organization. Regulatory bases are large and complex, and the long term goal of our work is to be able to use natural language processing (NLP) to assist in the translation of regulation to logic. We argue that the translation of regulation to logic should proceed one sentence at a time. A challenge in taking this approach arises from the fact that sentences is regulation often refer to others. We motivate the need for a formal representation of regulation to accomodate references between statements. We briefy describe a logic in which statements can refer to and reason about others. We then discuss preliminary work on using NLP to assist in the translation of regulatory sentences into logic.
Mer590, a novel monoclonal antibody targeting MER receptor tyrosine kinase, decreases colony formation and increases chemosensitivity in non-small cell lung cancer

// Christopher T. Cummings 1,* , Rachel M.A. Linger 1,4,* , Rebecca A. Cohen 1 , Susan Sather 1 , Gregory D. Kirkpatrick 1 , Kurtis D. Davies 1 , Deborah DeRyckere 1 , H. Shelton Earp 2,3 and Douglas K. Graham 1 1 Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA 2 Department of Medicine, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC, USA 3 Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA 4 Department of Biomedical Sciences, Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Parker, CO, USA * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence: Douglas K. Graham, email: // Keywords : MER, NSCLC, Monoclonal Antibody, Chemosensitivity, Targeted Therapy Received : May 19, 2014 Accepted : June 24, 2014 Published : June 26, 2014 Abstract The successes of targeted therapeutics against EGFR and ALK in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have demonstrated the substantial survival gains made possible by precision therapy. However, the majority of patients do not have tumors with genetic alterations responsive to these therapies, and therefore identification of new targets is needed. Our laboratory previously identified MER receptor tyrosine kinase as one such potential target. We now report our findings targeting MER with a clinically translatable agent – Mer590, a monoclonal antibody specific for MER. Mer590 rapidly and robustly reduced surface and total MER levels in multiple cell lines. Treatment reduced surface MER levels by 87%, and this effect was maximal within four hours. Total MER levels were also dramatically reduced, and this persisted for at least seven days. Mechanistically, MER down-regulation was mediated by receptor internalization and degradation, leading to inhibition of downstream signaling through STAT6, AKT, and ERK1/2. Functionally, this resulted in increased apoptosis, increased chemosensitivity to carboplatin, and decreased colony formation. In addition to carboplatin, Mer590 interacted cooperatively with shRNA-mediated MER inhibition to augment apoptosis. These data demonstrate that MER inhibition can be achieved with a monoclonal antibody in NSCLC. Optimization toward a clinically available anti-MER antibody is warranted.