cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A 900-MHz T/R switch with a 0.8-dB insertion loss implemented in a 0.5-/spl mu/m CMOS process

A single-pole, double-throw transmit/receive switch for 3.0-V applications has been fabricated in a 0.5-/spl mu/m CMOS process. The switch exhibits a 0.8-dB insertion loss and a 17-dBm P/sub 1dB/. The low insertion loss is achieved by optimizing the transistor widths and bias voltages, and by minimizing the substrate resistances, while the high 1 dB compression point is achieved by DC biasing the input and output nodes.
Output feedback controller for systems containing a backlash

For the case of a single-input single-output control system with a backlash, the feedforward gain is determined. A control equation is applied to the original system. Because of the nonlinearity, the resulting feedback system often exhibits a limit cycle. In this case, the feedback gains are readjusted using the describing function method so that the limit cycle is eliminated. The block diagram for describing function analysis is given. It is shown that, when the controller is implemented, the steady state error is related to the sum k/sub 0/+k/sub 1/+k/sub 2/+. . .+k/sub n-1/ of the feedback gains. Although the relationship is not linear, the larger the sum, the smaller the error becomes. In addition to satisfying the transient requirements, it is also necessary to choose the cost weighting matrices Q and R so that the sum of the feedback gains is sufficiently large and the steady state error is acceptably small. >
Penal Theories and Practices: A Review of Walker's Punishment, Danger and Stigma: The Morality of Criminal Justice and Christie's Limits to Pain

Nigel Walker and Nils Christie are professors of criminology, holding chairs at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oslo, respectively. They are among the most respected and most original of contemporary writers on criminological topics. Among the considerable volume of recent studies dealing with the problems of penal philosophy and policy these two books stand out as contributions of exceptional importance and interest that deserve serious attention. Both authors are dissatisfied with what other scholars have written. Walk-
The Amino Acid Sequence of Ovine Pancreatic Ribonuclease A

The amino acid sequence of ovine pancreatic ribonuclease has been derived by the fragment approach. The reduced, S-aminoethylated protein was subjected to tryptic hydrolysis. Peptides derived from all segments of the 124-residue chain were isolated, and their amino acid sequences determined by conventional methods. Alignment of the peptides proceeded from close homology with the amino acid sequence of the bovine enzyme. The ovine enzyme shows the following replacements: serine for threonine at position 3; serine for alanine at position 19; glutamine for lysine at position 37; and glutamine for asparagine at position 103. The results, together with the known amino acid sequences for the enzymes from the cow, pig, and rat, provide an increasingly detailed impression of the species variability of this protein and indicate that pancreatic ribonuclease is an enzyme which is undergoing evolution relatively rapidly in comparison to cytochrome c.
Increased perceived stress is associated with blunted hedonic capacity: potential implications for depression research.

Preclinical studies suggest that stress exerts depressogenic effects by impairing hedonic capacity; in humans, however, the precise mechanisms linking stress and depression are largely unknown. As an initial step towards better understanding the association between stress and anhedonia, the present study tested, in two independent samples, whether individuals reporting elevated stress exhibit decreased hedonic capacity. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) measured the degree to which participants appraised their daily life as unpredictable, uncontrollable, and overwhelming. Hedonic capacity was objectively assessed using a signal-detection task based on a differential reinforcement schedule. Decreased reward responsiveness (i.e., the participants' propensity to modulate behavior as a function of reward) was used as an operational measure of hedonic capacity. In both Study 1 (n = 88) and Study 2 (n = 80), participants with high PSS scores displayed blunted reward responsiveness and reported elevated anhedonic symptoms. Additionally, PSS scores predicted reduced reward responsiveness even after controlling for general distress and anxiety symptoms. These findings are consistent with preclinical data highlighting links between stress and anhedonia, and offer promising insights into potential mechanisms linking stress to depression.
Electrical modeling and simulation issues in ULSI packaging

Summary form only given. Modeling and simulation capabilities are key components ULSI design systems yet to be developed. Issues in this area revolve around the critical ability to perform efficient simulation, i.e., the simulation with the least real-time delay before acceptably accurate results are available to the design engineer in an information format. Implicit in this is the premise that there is never enough computational and information management capability to fully analyze (no approximations or truncations) real designs in times consistent with human design engineering practice. The exploration and definition of the boundaries between different electrical analysis domains were discussed. Design data manipulation and information management, which are critical for systems involving a few dozen chips with a few thousand I/Os and a few tens of thousands of interconnect lines and which will become more of an issue when the chip I/O count and interconnect line count increase by one or two orders of magnitude, were also considered. >
Hydraulic Modeling Development and Application in Water Resources Engineering

The use of modeling has become widespread in water resources engineering and science to study rivers, lakes, estuaries, and coastal regions. For example, computer models are commonly used to forecast anthropogenic effects on the environment, and to help provide advanced mitigation measures against catastrophic events such as natural and dam-break floods. Linking hydraulic models to vegetation and habitat models has expanded their use in multidisciplinary applications to the riparian corridor. Implementation of these models in software packages on personal desktop computers has made them accessible to the general engineering community, and their use has been popularized by the need of minimal training due to intuitive graphical user interface front ends. Models are, however, complex and nontrivial, to the extent that even common terminology is sometimes ambiguous and often applied incorrectly. In fact, many efforts are currently under way in order to standardize terminology and offer guidelines for good practice, but none has yet reached unanimous acceptance. This chapter provides a view of the elements involved in modeling surface flows for the application in environmental water resources engineering. It presents the concepts and steps necessary for rational model development and use by starting with the exploration of the ideas involved in defining a model. Tangible form of those ideas is provided by the development of a mathematical and corresponding numerical hydraulic model, which is given with a substantial amount of detail. The issues of model deployment in a practical and productive work environment are also addressed. The chapter ends by presenting a few model applications highlighting the need for good quality control in model validation.
Gastrointestinal Regulation of Food Intake

The gastrointestinal tract regulates food intake by sending and receiving signals from the brain both through humoral and neural pathways. This system works efficiently because body weight remains remarkably constant over time despite the slight tendency to gain weight as some individual’s age. Ghrelin, a peptide secreted by the stomach, promotes food intake and is located ideally to monitor the volume of food and liquid ingested. Cholecystokinin is released by enteroendocrine cells of the duodenum postprandially and plays an important role in the secretion of pancreatic enzymes and the contraction of the gallbladder to release bile into the duodenum to aid digestion and nutrient absorption. Additionally, cholecystokinin is a satiety signal that appears to play a role in the regulation of food intake. Apolipoprotein AIV (apo AIV) might be an important signal in regulating food intake and the absorption of fat. It appears to participate in the packaging and secretion of chylomicrons. Apo AIV probably works peripherally and centrally to inhibit food intake. When nutrients reach the lower small intestine, they stimulate the secretion of peptide YY (PYY), glucagon-like peptide-1, and potentially other signals as well. Their function is to simultaneously reduce food intake and gastric emptying.
Immunology: Organelle stress triggers inflammation

The intracellular NOD1 and NOD2 receptors have been found to activate innate inflammation when a condition known as endoplasmic reticulum stress is induced by bacterial infection. See Letter p.394 Inflammation due to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is seen in a number of inflammatory diseases, including Crohn's disease and type 2 diabetes and ulcerative colitis. These authors show that activation of ER stress during infection with Brucella abortus is a pathogen-induced process that is sensed by the NOD1 and NOD2 proteins, two pathogen recognition receptors that induce pro-inflammatory responses mediated by activation of NF-κB.
Space Suit & Protective Equipment Technology for Commercial Launch Entry Applications

ommercial spaceflight is growing rapidly and advancing towards human-rated vehicles to support flights to the International Space Station, and commercial endpoints. Provisions for human safety and performance in nominal and emergency situations will be critical to the creation of a reliable space transportation system. Commercial space companies are considering various approaches to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ranging from emergency breathing systems to space suits. Several hood/mask and space suits have been developed recently for application in commercial spaceflight. These suits and masks were designed to leverage commercial PPE technologies, such as chemical protective suits and Portable Air Purification Respirators, to minimize production cost and performance risk, and increase safety. By blending components and technologies from existing space suits, commercial PPE, and emerging technologies, an optimal approach to crew protection can be achieved for each vehicle type. This paper will discuss considerations for developing a commercial PPE system for use in space flight applications including system requirements, aesthetics, design and performance details of recently developed equipment, and what is required to transition this equipment into use on commercial vehicles.
Recent Approaches to Oracle-Bone Periodization: A Review

The contribution of Qiu Xigui and Lin Yun to the debate over the proper dating of the Diviner Li-group inscriptions require a fundamental revision in oracle-bone periodization methodology. Starting with a review of Dong Zuobin's reasons for placing the Li-group inscriptions in his period IV, this article proceeds to consider the new information provided by the Xiaotun nandi oracle-bone inscriptions excavated in 1973 and by the discovery of the Fu Hao tomb in 1975. Li Xueqin's reason for dating the Diviner Li-group inscriptions as roughly contemporary with those of the Diviner Bin-group are summarized, followed by an account of the fuller discussions of Qiu and Lin. Qiu focuses in particular on the significant identity of personal names and specific events recorded in both inscription groups. The use of differing ancestral titles permits the division of the Li- and Bin-group inscriptions into different chronological segments and reveals that a significant percentage of the Diviner Bin-group inscriptions should be dated to the reign of Zu Geng. Lin's epigraphic approach allows him to conclude that the Diviner Dui-group inscriptions are earlier than those of the Diviner Li-group; hence the Dui-group must also precede the Bin-group. The presence of different diviner groups operating contemporaneously and for only portions of a king's reign leads to the conclusion that Dong Zuobin's periodization categories are now too vague. They should be replaced by the more precise categorization of diviner groups.
PIK3CA/AKT1 Mutations in Breast Carcinoma: a Comprehensive Review of Experimental and Clinical Studies

The phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) pathway is an important nexus for integration of extracellular and intracellular signals, and there are very frequent perturbations of this pathway in breast cancer, making it an attractive target for therapeutic manipulation. Hotspot mutations in PIK3CA or AKT1 are found in nearly 30% of breast cancers, especially estrogen receptor-positive and Her-2/neu-positive subgroups. This review will emphasize experimental models, clinical characterization and implications of PIK3CA/AKT1 mutations in breast cancer. In vitro studies have demonstrated that these mutations are kinase-activating and can confer cellular transforming properties in the correct context. Further, overexpression of PIK3CA H1047R in a variety of murine models results in mammary proliferation and carcinomas, and established carcinomas may become PIK3CA H1047R-independent. Data from human breast carcinomas regarding the clinicopathologic significance of PIK3CA/AKT1 mutations were contradictory at first, yet trends are beginning to emerge. PIK3CA mutation seems to impart a favorable prognosis in estrogen-receptor positive breast cancers, and mutations are seen early, in pre-invasive breast lesions. Although larger studies are needed, PIK3CA mutations may not confer selective advantage in the metastatic setting. Numerous pharmacologic compounds targeting the PI3K pathway are in development. The complexity of PI3K crosstalk with other signaling cascades, negative feedback regulation, and the myriad of other genotypic and phenotypic deviations in breast cancers argues for thorough molecular characterization of tumors in cancer trials.
Madison’s “Great Desideratum”: Impartial Administration and the Extended Republic

Scholars disagree about the role of impartiality in James Madison’s political thought after the loss of his proposal for a universal veto of state laws at the Constitutional Convention. This essay argues that impartial administration remained an abiding concern within Madison’s political thought after the Convention and indeed throughout his career, that he had a far more complex understanding of impartiality than has often been attributed to him, and that he hoped to institutionalize the formation of impartial majorities in Congress primarily through extent of territory—not elections from expanded electoral districts. This interpretation serves as an alternative to existing pluralist, elite republican, and neo-Aristotelian interpretations of Madison’s political thought. It also draws attention to a broad thread of consistency within Madison’s political thought.
Intraocular pressure fluctuations of growing chick eyes are suppressed in constant light conditions

We report measurements of intraocular pressure (IOP) in growing domestic chicks at 12 h intervals, with three different lighting conditions. One group of chicks was raised in 12 h light and 12 h darkness (N), another in constant light (CL), and the third group was initially exposed to CL for three weeks then returned to N for either one week or four weeks (CLN). Pressures were measured in the middle of the light and dark periods (noon and midnight) for N and CLN birds, and at corresponding 12 h intervals for CL birds (also noon and midnight). The IOP of N chicks fluctuated from a light period average value of 25 mm Hg ( ±1.3 SD), to a dark period average value of 17.5 mm Hg ( ±1.1 SD mm Hg; P < 0.0001). These pressures were established by 4 days of age. At 7 weeks, (N) IOP continued to fluctuate: light values were 21.7 mm Hg (±1.2 SD), and dark values were 18.3 mm Hg ( ±0.7 SD). The IOP of CL birds did not fluctuate, remaining steady at 17 mm Hg ( ±1.4 SD). Chicks exposed to CL for 3 weeks required more than one week in N to re-establish (N) IOP values. We conclude that IOP fluctuates in hatchling chicks under N light conditions, that fluctuation is suppressed in CL light conditions, and that IOP recovery from 3 weeks suppression in CL requires more than one week in N light conditions.
Portafolio Fotográfico: Palindrome Spaces

espanoll mundo editorial tiende a presentar la arquitectura como un producto autonomo, es decir, como un objeto finito susceptible de ser explicado y diseccionado en partes reconocibles. Pero la arquitectura no existe en el vacio: edificio y paisaje narran una historia comun y componen un todo inseparable. La fotografia de Attali busca capturar este espacio compuesto, centrandose en los procesos que actuan sobre el. La fluctuacion de las condiciones atmosfericas actua indiscriminadamente sobre la materia, fundiendo edificio y paisaje en un ciclo unico de decadencia y renovacion. EnglishThe publishing world tends to present architecture as an autonomous product i.e. finite object that can be explained and dissected in recognizable parts. Architecture does not exist in a vacuum however; building and landscape narrate a common story and form an inseparable whole. Attali�s photography aims at capturing this composite space by focusing on the processes acting upon it. Fluctuating atmospheric conditions act upon matter indiscriminately, entangling building and landscape into a cycle of decay and renewal.
Fiscal decentralization and inequality: the case of Spain

AbstractWhat are the distributional effects of power allocations between different levels of government in a country? This article examines whether having regions with more fiscal authority is significantly associated with higher national economic inequality in a country. The literature has long established the positive link between decentralized governance structures and varying levels of redistribution within a country. Redistribution is channel through which governments tackle inequality, and if redistribution is asymmetric across sub-national units, this is expected to increase inequality. Yet, there is a gap in the literature that systematically links these three components: decentralized governance, redistribution and economic inequality. By focusing on the fiscal aspect of decentralization, this article provides the theory and the causal mechanism for understanding why the decentralization levels of governance in a country should matter for income inequality. Using data measured along different com...
General Features of Autoimmune Disease

Abstract Autoimmune diseases are common diseases in which loss of tolerance within the immune system results in pathologic immune responses that target either cellular or organ-specific self-antigens. There is a genetic tendency toward autoreactivity in affected individuals, and both innate and adaptive immune activation may contribute to disease. An important recent advance is the identification of genetic polymorphisms that contribute to risk in most autoimmune diseases and are associated with a variety of immune activation pathways; these associations have been informative about disease-specific pathogenesis and have led to the development of successful therapies for some diseases. A deeper understanding of the components of the innate and adaptive immune system has led to highly effective therapeutic targeting of cytokines, cell surface molecules, and intracellular signaling molecules with marked improvements in outcome in several autoimmune diseases. Fertile new avenues for research include mechanisms of regulation by regulatory immune cells, metabolic regulation of immune cell function, and immune activation by commensal bacteria that colonize humans. The goal of regulating autoimmunity without causing excessive immunosuppression remains elusive but is the holy grail of current research efforts.
Intestinal Microbiota and Lymphoma

The intestinal microbiota and gut immune system must constantly communicate to maintain a balance between tolerance and activation: on one hand, our immune system should protect us from pathogenic microbes and on the other hand, most of the millions of microbes in and on our body are innocuous symbionts and some can even be beneficial. Since there is such a close interaction between the immune system and the intestinal microbiota, it is not surprising that some lymphomas such as mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma have been shown to be caused by the presence of certain bacteria. Animal models played an important role in establishing causation and mechanism of bacteria-induced MALT lymphoma. In this review we discuss different ways that animal models have been applied to establish a link between the gut microbiota and lymphoma and how animal models have helped to elucidate mechanisms of microbiota-induced lymphoma. While there are not a plethora of studies demonstrating a connection between microbiota and lymphoma development, we believe that animal models are a system which can be exploited in the future to enhance our understanding of causation and improve prognosis and treatment of lymphoma.
Recent developments in lattice supersymmetry

Abstract I discuss a new approach to constructing lattices for gauge theories with extended supersymmetry. The lattice theories themselves respect certain supersymmetries, which in many cases allows the target theory to be obtained in the continuum limit without fine-tuning.
Using Commercial Virtual Reality Games to Prototype Serious Games and Applications

In this new era of virtual reality hardware and software, traditional prototyping methods have proven less than satisfactory for truly understanding how the interaction will feel in the virtual environment. As a result, designers have stepped back from table top paper prototypes and have started using physical prototyping to understand the virtual space. The difference being that physical prototypes fill actual space that the designers can walk around in. These prototypes utilize analog methods like cardboard boxes to physically represent objects in a game. While this method yields particularly good results the space required can be exceedingly high as compared to a table top prototype. There are however, many existing commercial games that can be leveraged as prototyping tools. This software is maturing at a rapid pace, and the developers of these tools are continuing to support and explore these environments. The money being invested in this space is astronomical and the possibilities of using these tools for prototyping is only touching the full potential of the technology. This paper will explore the current state of the art in analog prototyping in virtual reality and then break down the current options for prototyping applications in Virtual Reality Sandbox games.
Enhanced voltage silicon NFET-MESFET cascode amplifiers integrated on a 45nm SOI CMOS technology for RFIC applications

Integrated n-channel MOSFET-MESFET cascode amplifiers have been fabricated using Global Foundries commercial 45nm SOI CMOS process. The cascode architecture combines the enhanced voltage operation of the MESFET (metal-semiconductor field-effect-transistor) with the high frequency capability of the scaled MOSFET. The resulting small-signal amplifiers demonstrate ƒ T = 50GHz when operated with supply voltages of 6V, significantly higher than the nominal 1V breakdown voltage of the CMOS transistors.
Triggering of the abductor pollicis longus in association with deQuervain's tenosynovitis

DeQuervain's tenosynovitis is a common cause of radial-sided wrist pain. Symptoms result from a narrow first dorsal compartment and associated tendinosis of the enclosed extensor pollicis brevis and/or abductor pollicis longus (APL). Surgical intervention, offered when conservative measures fail to adequately relieve symptoms, requires a detailed understanding of potentially aberrant anatomy in order to avoid persistence or recurrence of symptoms. We describe a case whereby the patient presented with complaints of thumb triggering in extension and associated disabling first dorsal compartment tendinosis. Intraoperatively, after supernumerary tendons were identified and addressed, the APL was at risk for subluxation over a prominent fibroosseous ridge. Routine first dorsal compartment release alone may have failed to address all of this patient's pathology.
Bioinspired flexible microfluidic shear force sensor skin

Abstract There is a need to gather rich, real-time tactile information to enhance robotic hand performance during haptic exploration and object manipulation. Measuring shear forces is useful for grasping and manipulating objects; however, there are limited effective shear sensing strategies that are compatible with existing end effectors. Here, we report a bioinspired and flexible, resistive microfluidic shear force sensor skin. The sensor skin is wrapped around a finger-shaped end effector and fixed at the location of the nail bed. When the skin is subjected to shear force, one side of the skin experiences tension while the other side experiences compression and bulges similar to a human fingerpad. The tension and compression are measured by liquid metal strain gauges, embedded in PDMS, that are strategically placed adjacent to the nail bed, away from regions of direct finger-object contact. We present the sensor design, a finite element analysis static mechanical characterization model, as well as static response experiments. The resistive shear sensing skin exhibits greater than 10-bit dynamic range (up to 5 N) that is insensitive to the applied normal force. The resistive shear sensing skin is intrinsically flexible and immune to fatigue and other problems of solid-state sensors when subjected to repeated, large strains.
Willy Korf—German Entrepreneur: Case A and Case B:

Willy Korf was a well-known German entrepreneur who emerged from the chaos at the end of World War II to transform the steel industry. The following case recounts the events of his rise, his bankru...
Arthritis and use of hydroxychloroquine associated with a decreased risk of macrophage activation syndrome among adult patients hospitalized with systemic lupus erythematosus.

BackgroundMacrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is an uncommon but serious complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We aimed to identify factors associated with MAS among adult hospitaliz...
Discussion of “Simple Estimators for Invertible Index Models” by H. Ahn, H. Ichimura, J. Powell, and P. Ruud

ABSTRACTThis is an interesting article that considers the question of inference on unknown linear index coefficients in a general class of models where reduced form parameters are invertible function of one or more linear index. Interpretable sufficient conditions such as monotonicity and or smoothness for the invertibility condition are provided. The results generalize some work in the previous literature by allowing the number of reduced form parameters to exceed the number of indices. The identification and estimation expand on the approach taken in previous work by the authors. Examples include Ahn, Powell, and Ichimura (2004) for monotone single-index regression models to a multi-index setting and extended by Blundell and Powell (2004) and Powell and Ruud (2008) to models with endogenous regressors and multinomial response, respectively. A key property of the inference approach taken is that the estimator of the unknown index coefficients (up to scale) is computationally simple to obtain (relative to...
The Economics of a Four-Day School Week: Community and Business Leaders’ Perspectives

The four-day school week is a concept that has been utilized in rural schools in the United States for decades and the number of schools moving to the four-day school week is growing. In many rural communities, the school district is the largest regional employer which provides a region with permanent, high paying jobs that support the local economy. This study collects data from 71 community and business leaders in three rural school districts that have transitioned to the four-day school week within the last year. Quantitative statistical analysis is used to investigate the perceptions of community and business leaders related to the economic impact upon their businesses and the community and the impact the four-day school week has had upon perception of quality of the school district. Significant differences were identified between community/business leaders that currently have no children in school as compared to community/business leaders with children currently enrolled in four-day school week schools. Overall, community/business leaders were evenly divided concerning the economic impact on their businesses and the community. Community/business leaders’ perceptions of the impact the four-day school week was also evenly divided concerning the impact on the quality of the school district. Slightly more negative opinions were identified related to the economic impact on the profitability of their personal businesses which may impact considerations by school leaders. Overall, community/business leaders were evenly divided when asked if they would prefer their school district return to the traditional five-day week school calendar.
A NEW METHOD FOR THE SOLUTION OF GROUP DIFFUSION EQUATIONS

AbstractThe diffusion equations associated with the multigroup, multiregion problem are solved by expansions in eigenfunctions which are solutions of the Helmholtz equation. A determinantal criticality equation is exhibited in which the order of the determinant is independent of the number of groups and which can be solved without recourse to complicated computational procedures. Moreover, the need to fulfill explicitly the requirements that the flux and current associated with each neutron group be continuous across interfaces is eliminated.
Insuring Your Health and Long-Term Care

The issues of health insurance and health insurance coverage are controversial and politically charged, particularly given individual preferences about national health insurance vs. a private-payer system. The potential necessity for long-term care insurance, however, is not nearly as well-known or discussed. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, individuals reaching the age of 65 have an approximately 40 percent chance of entering a nursing home and requiring chronic, custodial care. Candidates for long-term care suffer from chronic or disabling conditions that require nursing-home care or other constant supervision. The cost of this care can be expensive—even financially catastrophic—for many individuals and their families.
The Rejuvenation of a Professional School in the United States

University reform is always a challenging undertaking. It is hoped that through this anecdotal adventure, the reader will take away some useful pointers to be used when faced with the need to revitalize a school steeped in a too familiar culture. This paper traces the history of the City College of New York (CCNY), the founding of the School of Education within the college and the evolution of the School of Education into its current form.
Maladaptive Memory Mechanisms in Addiction and Relapse

Abstract Addiction is characterized by dysfunction in the neural circuits responsible for the ability of memories to drive reward-motivated behaviors. Repetitive drug use induces the formation of long-lasting memories about both the internal experience produced by the drug and the environmental stimuli associated with that internal experience. Thus, during periods of abstinence, exposure to these stimuli can lead to craving and relapse. A current focus of addiction-related research is to develop treatments that interfere with these drug-associated memories, which requires understanding the underlying mechanisms by which drugs of abuse regulate memory formation. In this chapter, we will discuss preclinical studies that have provided insights into the neuroanatomical, cellular, and molecular correlates that underlie drug-associated memory. We also discuss efforts to identify mechanisms for reducing drug memory strength that could lead to the development of novel behavioral and pharmacological treatment strategies.
Low Velocity Impact of Bistable Laminated CFRP Composites

Laminated carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites have gained popularity in engineering applications due to their lightweight and strong in-plane mechanical properties. This material, however, performs poorly with respect to out-of-plane impact resistance. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of bistability on the low velocity impact resistance of laminated CFRP composites. Bistable composites have the ability to alternate between two different geometric equilibria through external loading, and when unloaded, do not require external forces to maintain either geometry. Laminated CFRP composite specimens of bistable, flat symmetric, and curved symmetric configurations were subjected to low velocity impacts of 20 J. The acceleration and force of each impact was recorded using an accelerometer and a load cell mounted on the impactor. The sensor data was used to analyze the dynamic response and calculate the energy absorption of each impact. Post-impact crack length measurements and damage characterization were used to conduct a damage resistance analysis. The effects of geometry, stacking sequence, and bistability of the impacted specimens were determined. The results showed that bistability improves the low velocity impact damage resistance of laminated CFRP composites through increased energy absorption and specimen kinetic energy.
Psychiatric and Medical Management of Marijuana Intoxication in the Emergency Department

We use a case report to describe the acute psychiatric and medical management of marijuana intoxication in the emergency setting. A 34-year-old woman presented with erratic, disruptive behavior and psychotic symptoms after recreational ingestion of edible cannabis. She was also found to have mild hypokalemia and QT interval prolongation. Psychiatric management of cannabis psychosis involves symptomatic treatment and maintenance of safety during detoxification. Acute medical complications of marijuana use are primarily cardiovascular and respiratory in nature; electrolyte and electrocardiogram monitoring is indicated. This patient's psychosis, hypokalemia and prolonged QTc interval resolved over two days with supportive treatment and minimal intervention in the emergency department. Patients with cannabis psychosis are at risk for further psychotic sequelae. Emergency providers may reduce this risk through appropriate diagnosis, acute treatment, and referral for outpatient care.
Effect of temperature on the suppression of twinning in textured magnesium

In this work, the effect of temperature, in the range of 25 to 250 °C, on deformation twinning in textured polycrystalline pure magnesium (Mg) was investigated. Compression loading was applied perpendicular to the c-axis texture direction. The yield strength and strain hardening rate are shown to drastically decrease with increasing temperature with total suppression of twinning at 200 °C. This behavior is attributed to the decrease in the critical resolved shear stress for prismatic slip and temperature insensitivity of tensile twinning. These results provide a first step in fundamentally understanding the deformation of Mg at elevated temperatures and quantify the mechanisms that lead to their improved formability at elevated temperatures.
Targeted Epidural Blood Patches Under Fluoroscopic Guidance For Incidental Durotomies Related To Spine Surgeries: A Case Series

Introduction Incidental durotomies are usually managed conservatively. However, 1.8% of patients require surgical dural repair for CSF leak. There are limited data available regarding the use of epidural blood patches (EBP) for persistent CSF leaks secondary to incidental durotomies. This case series aims to evaluate the efficacy of targeted EBPs under fluoroscopic guidance in the treatment of incidental durotomies. Methods Four patients with incidental durotomies after spine surgeries (one cervical decompression, one revision of L5-S1 decompression and fusion, and two lumbar decompressions) were included in this series. These patients did not respond to conservative management and subsequently underwent EBPs. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images were reviewed to confirm and identify the sites of CSF leak prior to the EBPs. We targeted the sites of CSF leak with fluoroscopic guidance. All four patients received an EBP with an 18-gauge epidural needle placed under fluoroscopic guidance. In some cases, epidural catheters were used to further target the sites of CSF leak. Contrast was used to confirm the appropriate placements of the needles and catheters. Approximately 5-14 mL of autologous blood was injected through the needles or catheters to the sites of dural leak. Results Three lumbar and two cervical EBPs were performed in four patients (two females and two males). Their age ranged from 44 to 73 years old. Two out of three patients who had lumbar EBP reported complete resolution of symptoms following EBP. The patient who had cervical epidural patches did not have improvement in her symptoms. Conclusion This case series demonstrated that targeted EBP can be an effective treatment for CSF leak from incidental durotomies. However, dural tears in the cervical region may be more difficult to treat. Larger scale studies are required to evaluate efficacy of EBP in the treatment of symptomatic incidental durotomies.
Korean and Vietnamese immigrants are not the same: Health literacy, health status, and quality of life

Focused on the health literacy of two subgroups of Asian immigrants, Korean (N = 118) and Vietnamese (N = 105), this study examines the interrelationships among demographics, health literacy, self-...
Imperialism and the Developing World: How Britain and the United States Shaped the Global Periphery

“The British needed an empire,” writes Atul Kohli, while “the United States merely wanted one” (13). Both, according to his Imperialism and the Developing World, shared an underlying impetus and de...
A data driven heuristic for rapid convergence of general Scheduled Relaxation Jacobi (SRJ) schemes.

The Scheduled Relaxation Jacobi (SRJ) method is a viable candidate as a high performance linear solver for elliptic PDEs. The method greatly improves the convergence of standard Jacobi iteration by applying a sequence of $M$ overrelaxation and underrelaxation steps in each cycle of the algorithm. In previous work, the relaxation factors associated with each of the $M$ steps (which characterize an SRJ scheme) were derived to be specific to the problem of interest and its discretization. In this work we develop a class of SRJ schemes which could be applied to solve any linear system as long as the original Jacobi iterative method would converge. Furthermore, we use data to train an algorithm to select which scheme to use at each cycle of the SRJ method for rapid convergence. Specifically, the algorithm is trained using convergence data obtained from randomly applying SRJ schemes to the 1D Poisson problem. The automatic selection heuristic that is developed based on this limited data is found to provide good convergence for a wide range of problems.
Comparative genomic analysis and characterization of Staphylococcus sp. AOAB, isolated from a notoriously invasive Mnemiopsis leidyi gut revealed multiple antibiotic resistance determinants

Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of a coagulase-negative, vancomycin and oxacillin-susceptible novel bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus. Staphylococcus sp. strain AOAB was isolated from the stomodeum (gut) of the Mnemiopsis leidyi from Mobile Bay, Alabama USA. A polyphasic taxonomic approach comprised of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic characteristics was used for analysis. The dominant respiratory quinone detected was MK-7 (100%). Major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15:0 (40.52%), anteiso-C17:0 (13.04 %), C-18:0 (11.53%) and C-20:0 (10.45%). The polar lipid profile consisted of glycolipid, phospholipid, phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. Although strain AOAB had a 16SrRNA gene sequence similarity of 99% with S. warneri SG1, S. pasteuri, S. devriesei KS-SP_60, S. lugdunensis HKU09-01, S. epidermidis RP62A, S. haemolyticus JCSC1435 and S. hominis DM 122, it was be distinguished from those species based on Multi-Locus Sequence Analysis (MLSA) using 6 marker genes (16S rRNA, hsp60, rpoB, dnaJ, sodA and tuf). MLSA revealed strain AOAB to be closely related to S. warneri SG1 and S. pasteuri SP1 but distinct from two hitherto known species. These results were confirmed by Average Nucleotide Identity (closest ANI of 84.93% and 84.58% identity against S. warneri SG1 and S. pasteuri SP1 respectively). In-silico DNA-DNA hybridization was <70% (33.1 % and 32.8% against S. warneri SG1 and S. pasteuri SP1 respectively), which further confirmed that the strain was a potential novel Staphylococcus species.
Evaluation of Fuzzy Integral Data Fusion Methods for Rare Object Detection in High-Resolution Satellite Imagery

Here we demonstrate how the results from multiple Deep Neural Networks (DNN) can be fused to improve detections and reduce error when searching for scarce or rare objects in high-resolution satellite imagery. A wide variety of experiments were conducted using the xView dataset to develop and evaluate multiple fusion strategies to improve the detection of Engineering Vehicles (e.g. excavators, cranes, bulldozers, etc.). The results demonstrate that fusion of multiple DNNs can increase the absolute True Positive Rate (TPR) by up to 5% while reducing the total error by ~20-60%. The best results were obtained by partitioning 8-band multi-spectral imagery into three sets of 3-band images to utilize existing RGB models for transfer learning. The multi-DNN results were then fused using fuzzy integrals that also included DNN detections from multiple scales. This multi-DNN fusion approach can be easily extended to a variety of other challenging rare or scarce object detection problems in large remote sensing image datasets.
Finding a Depressive Twitter User by Analyzing Depress and Antidepressant Tweets

People behave differently for a situation, and this depends on their mental health status at that time. The response to their behavior can be seen in their actions. In this present era, social media attracts people to present their views, and such a process became easier too. Many researchers attempted to study social media postings. Twitter is one such media, where millions of people participate. Twitter has attracted millions of tweeters, and thus have a greater number of tweets are added to its data. We collected and analyzed around two lakh tweets related to keywords of the Kessler Ten-point questionnaire. We also collected antidepressant tweets for our study. The results showed similarity and facilitated a process to identify a user from the tweets.
Preconditioning by voluntary wheel running attenuates later neuropathic pain via Nrf2 antioxidant signaling in rats

Abstract Animal and human studies have shown that exercise prior to nerve injury prevents later chronic pain, but the mechanisms of such preconditioning remain elusive. Given that exercise acutely increases formation of free radicals, triggering antioxidant compensation, we hypothesized that voluntary running preconditioning would attenuate neuropathic pain by supporting redox homeostasis after sciatic nerve injury in male and female rats. We show that 6 weeks of voluntary wheel running suppresses neuropathic pain development induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) across both sexes. This protection was associated with reduced nitrotyrosine immunoreactivity—a marker for peroxynitrite—at the sciatic nerve injury site. Our data suggest that prior voluntary wheel running does not reduce production of peroxynitrite precursors, as expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase and NADPH oxidase 2 were unchanged. Instead, voluntary wheel running increased superoxide scavenging by elevating expression of superoxide dismutases 1 and 2. Prevention of neuropathic pain was further associated with activation of the master transcriptional regulator of the antioxidant response, nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Six weeks of prior voluntary wheel running increased Nrf2 nuclear translocation at the sciatic nerve injury site; in contrast, 3 weeks of prior wheel running, which failed to prevent neuropathic pain, had no effect on Nrf2 nuclear translocation. The protective effects of prior voluntary wheel running were mediated by Nrf2, as suppression was abolished across both sexes when Nrf2 activation was blocked during the running phase. This study provides insight into the mechanisms by which physical activity may prevent neuropathic pain.
Phosphorus Uptake by Biological Slimes

Although much interest through the years has surrounded luxury uptake of phosphurus by activated sludge, critical attention has largely ignored this subject in favor of biological slimes of the type found in trickling filters. Relevant to the matter of phosphorus uptake by slimes is the question of the principal mechanism involved—physical or biochemical. A unique channel apparatus with provisions for exposure of the slime surface to UV radiation was constructed to study these questions. Results strongly suggest that initial removal of soluble phosphorus in a liquid stream, passing over a viable biological slime attached to a fixed surface, is primarily the result of a biochemical, rather than a physical adsorption, mechanism. No evidence was found that luxury uptake of phosphorus takes place by biological slimes under normal operating conditions.
Horizontal Restraints in Antitrust: Current Treatment and Future Needs

and least demanding--of the questions before us: Are the basic conceptual underpinnings supporting present policy on horizontal restraints in doubt? These underpinnings, of course, involve cartel and concentration theory. My answer is that they are robust, healthy, and indeed, should remain viable into the next century and beyond. For those serious about antitrust, the debates in the horizontal restraint area should be at the margin. Clarion calls for fundamental change ought to fall on deaf ears. For example, whatever one's antitrust value scheme, I see no room for tolerance of hardcore horizontal price fixing or of production and territorial restraints. The same is true of certain competitor-excluding group boycotts. While I generally share the rich, multivalued framework for antitrust analysis that Professor Sullivan articulates so well, I do not see any reason-apart from relative quibbles about the instability of cartels over time-why antitrust analysis focused primarily on price and output should deviate from a broad condemnatory consensus of these hardcore practices. In the past few decades, we have learned a good deal about industrial concentration.2 Although it is clear that prices above competitive levels do not automatically result from a concentrated market structure, there is still reason for significant concern about interdependent pricing and other parallel anticompetitive activities. Even most of the "Chicago School" recognize that concentrated markets, at a minimum, facilitate collusion. Thus, whether one approaches horizontal restraints from the