cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the pH-dependent quenching of quantum dot photoluminescence by redox active dopamine.

We investigated the charge transfer interactions between luminescent quantum dots (QDs) and redox active dopamine. For this, we used pH-insensitive ZnS-overcoated CdSe QDs rendered water-compatible using poly (ethylene glycol)-appended dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA-PEG), where a fraction of the ligands was amine-terminated to allow for controlled coupling of dopamine–isothiocyanate onto the nanocrystal. Using this sample configuration, we probed the effects of changing the density of dopamine and the buffer pH on the fluorescence properties of these conjugates. Using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence, we measured a pronounced pH-dependent photoluminescence (PL) quenching for all QD-dopamine assemblies. Several parameters affect the PL loss. First, the quenching efficiency strongly depends on the number of dopamines per QD-conjugate. Second, the quenching efficiency is substantially increased in alkaline buffers. Third, this pH-dependent PL loss can be completely eliminated when oxygen-depleted buffer...
Evaluating the Construction Sequence and Population of Pot Creek Pueblo, Northern New Mexico

Continuing interest in the process of aggregation in the American Southwest requires accurate reconstruction of population figures for prehistoric pueblos. Since site size (rooms/floor space) often serves as a proxy for population size, evaluation of site growth is crucial for population reconstruction. Problems in dating are discussed with reference to Pot Creek Pueblo in northern New Mexico. The construction sequence is interpreted using 236 tree-ring dates and wall abutment relations between rooms. Site growth and changing site structure are described. Calculation of room use life permits formulation of two contrasting models of pueblo growth. Construction and remodeling dates indicate a short use life for the adobe rooms. I argue that, although the pueblo grew in surface area and numbers of rooms, population size may not have changed dramatically from A.D. 1270 to 1310, with population increase before abandonment at about 1320.
Umbilical and hepatic venous responses to circulating vasoconstrictive hormones in fetal lamb

Acute fetal hypoxemia increases the vascular resistance of the umbilical veins as well as that of the liver. Because, at least in the human, the umbilical-placental circulation has no autonomic innervation, circulating hormones could well be responsible for this increase in umbilical-placental outflow resistance. In chronically instrumented fetal sheep, norepinephrine, epinephrine, vasopressin, and angiotensin II were infused in sequentially increasing doses into the descending aorta and vascular resistance to umbilical-placental blood flow was measured. Norepinephrine and epinephrine increased the vascular resistance of the umbilical veins in a dose-dependent manner. Both catecholamines also increased the vascular resistance of the liver, resulting in an increase in ductus venosus blood flow. In contrast, vasopressin and angiotensin II had no effect on umbilical-placental outflow resistance. Thus catecholamines may be responsible for the increase in the vascular resistance of the umbilical veins and liver in response to acute fetal hypoxemia.
Investigation of distribution of pathogens and drug resistance in clinical deep fungal infections

Objective:To investigate the distribution of clinical fungus infection in order to analyze reasons,and causes more attention in clinical practice.Methods:Fungi were isolated by CHROMagar medium between 1-6 month in 2008.the fungi resistance to antifungal agents were examined including fluconazole,amphotericin B,itraconazole and flucytosine by Rosco disk diffusion method.Results:192 strains were identified,Candida albicans was the main species;they are distributed mainly among sputum and urine.All detected fungus show drug susceptibility to 4 antifungal drugs over 90% except itraconazole.Conclusion:Candida albicans,candidatropicalis and candida glabrata are the main microorganism at clinical fungal infections;antifungal drugs should be applied on the basis of drug susceptibility test to minimize fungus infection caused by the antibiotics,it would be beneficial to the proper clinical use of antibiotics.
Providing technical supports for Heilongjiang Power Gird to step forward by establishing technical service mechanism in long term

Technical service is one of evaluation index for innovation type corporations,also one of central tasks for provincial-level electric power research institute.This paper discussed many key factors about how to set up efficient encouragement and disciplinary mechanism in technical service,and combine technical service with new technology promotion,innovation human resource,mass innovation activities,technical supervision,and expand the technical service as well in order to provide better supports for Heilongjiang Electric Power Grid's further development.
External validation of risk stratification strategy in the use of renal ultrasonography in the evaluation of acute kidney injury.

BACKGROUND Per the American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria, renal ultrasound is the most appropriate imaging examination to evaluate patients with acute kidney injury. However, recent studies suggest that renal ultrasound may be more selectively performed, which could lead to reductions in the use of medical imaging. OBJECTIVE Evaluate a published risk stratification prediction model (the Licurse model) for using renal ultrasound in hospitalized patients with acute kidney injury. DESIGN Prospective, observational cohort study. SETTING A 793-bed, quaternary care, academic hospital. PATIENTS All adult hospitalized patients who underwent renal ultrasound for the indication of acute kidney injury. INTERVENTION/EXPOSURE None. MEASUREMENTS Primary outcome was rate of hydronephrosis diagnosed on ultrasound. Secondary outcome was rate of hydronephrosis resulting in urologic intervention. RESULTS Of 778 patients who underwent renal ultrasonography to evaluate acute kidney injury, hydronephrosis was present in 106 (13.6%); urologic intervention was performed in 23 patients (3.0%). The Licurse model had sensitivity of 91.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 73.2%-97.6%) for urologic intervention and 93.4% (95% CI: 87.2%-96.8%) for hydronephrosis, respectively. Specificity was low for urologic intervention (23.0% [95% CI: 20.2-26.2]) and hydronephrosis (25.1% [95% CI: 22.0-28.6]). We estimated that for 22.6% of patients, hydronephrosis could be ruled out based on clinical predictors. CONCLUSIONS We found that the Licurse renal ultrasonography risk stratification model was sufficiently accurate in classifying patients at risk for ureteral obstruction among hospitalized patients with acute kidney injury. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2016. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine
Backscattered electron imaging: The role in calcified tissue and implant analysis

The working distance and tilt studies helped to clarify the influences of specimen variability when the BSE mode is used in calcified tissue research. This work has shown that the BSEPs of cortical bone may be accurately maintained within 2 percent error over a 10 degree range of tilt, or 300 microns working distance variation. If future bone and implant investigators wish to conduct accurate, quantitative mineral microanalysis in bone, then standard grinding and polishing techniques should be adequate if calibration procedures are developed. The BSEP characteristics of the pure metals make them suitable to be used for calibrating the BSE signal. BSE analysis, with correlated biomechanical studies, will lead us to a better understanding of the relationships between structure, function, and mineral content in bone. On-line BSEP analysis techniques will expand our understanding of the mineralization events in bone which are associated with aging, weightlessness, pharmaceutical therapies, and the presence of biomaterials. The future of the BSE imaging technology and the contributions to be made in understanding the histometry, biomechanics and mineral content of bone as well as bone's response to implant materials has just begun to unfold. 74 references.
Agar blue localization of small pulmonary nodules and ground glass opacifications for thoracoscopic resection

Background: Screening for lung cancer using high resolution computed tomography (CT) has produced encouraging early results. Extremely small nodules and non-palpable areas of opacifications are able to be detected, but pose a challenge to the thoracic surgeon trying to resect these areas. Methods: Forty five patients with ground glass opacifications (GGOs) or small pulmonary nodules underwent pre-operative CT-guided placement of methylene blue dyed agar and/or hook wire needle localization prior to thoracoscopic resection. Progel was applied to any intraoperative air leaks observed after successful resection. Results: All lesions were successfully excised thoracoscopically. The blue agar aided in localization of these areas and did not affect the histological architecture during pathologic evaluation. Conclusions: Careful pre-operative evaluation and planning, including use of selective CT-guided blue agar localization and hook wire placement, may greatly assist in thoracoscopically locating and resecting these often difficult-to-visualize lesions.
Literacy and Arts-Integrated Science Lessons Engage Urban Elementary Students in Exploring Environmental Issues.

This descriptive case study examined student attitudes, writing skills and content knowledge of urban fourth and fifth graders (6 males, 9 female) during a six-week literacy, thinking skill, and art-integrated environmental science unit. Pre- and post-test questions were used to address knowledge of environmental problems and student environmental actions. Students expressed knowledge and suggestions for positive action of youth through four essays throughout the unit, the final essay being accompanied by a pop-up construction. Writings showed steady growth in number of words, sentences, suggested environmental actions for youth, and instances of discussing consequences and sequels of actions. Students were engaged, collaborative, and reported implementing positive environmental actions.
Local Approximation Using Hermite Functions

We develop a wavelet-like representation of functions in \(L^{p}(\mathbb{R})\) based on their Fourier–Hermite coefficients; i.e., we describe an expansion of such functions where the local behavior of the terms characterize completely the local smoothness of the target function. In the case of continuous functions, a similar expansion is given based on the values of the functions at arbitrary points on the real line. In the process, we give new proofs for the localization of certain kernels, as well as for some very classical estimates such as the Markov–Bernstein inequality.
Chain of Cointegration in the Refined Products Market: From Crude Oil Spot to Gasoline Futures

Using multiple econometrics methods, this paper examines the cointegration and causality relationships between the futures prices of gasoline and the spot prices of two major types of crude oil (i.e. WTI and Brent). The existence of cointegration between prices in adjacent markets, crude oil spot and gasoline spot as well as gasoline spot and gasoline futures, has been shown by the previous research. Our research extends the literature by scrutinizing the transitivity property of cointegration in the chain of crude oil spot, gasoline spot, and gasoline futures markets. Among other results, we observe a bi-directional short-term causality between crude oil and gasoline prices. However, we only find a uni-directional long-run causality from gasoline futures contracts to crude oil spot prices (and not vice versa). Consistent with the latter, the impulse responses of gasoline futures prices to crude oil spot shocks are decaying; whereas, the response of spot prices to shocks to all gasoline futures prices is persistent. We also report some distinctions between the estimated cointegration vectors for WTI and Brent crude oil types.
Concurrent design error simulation for high-level microprocessor implementations

A high-level concurrent design error simulator that can handle various design error/fault models is presented. The simulator is a vital building block of a new promising method of high-level testing and design validation that aims at explicit design error/fault modeling, design error simulation, and model-directed test pattern generation. We first describe how signals are represented in our concurrent fault simulation and the method of performing operations on these signals. We then describe how to handle the challenges in executing conditional statements when the signals used by the statements are augmented by an error/fault list. We further describe the method in which the error models are embedded into the simulator such that the result of a concurrent simulation matches that of a sequence of HDL simulations with the set of errors/faults inserted manually one by one. We finally demonstrate the application of our concurrent design error simulator on a typical Motorola microprocessor. Our simulator was able to detect all detectable and modeled design errors/faults for a given test sequence and was able to reveal valuable information about the behavior of erroneous designs.
Bisphosphonates and esophageal cancer: A RADAR report.

4063 Background: In 2009, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported on 23 patients who had developed distal esophageal cancer, with alendronate (ALN) within 2 years of initiation of therap...
Confucian economics: how is Chinese thinking different?

ABSTRACTThe Chinese have their economics. Not yet acknowledged, it is contained in the Confucian thought. Called by me ‘Confucian economics’, it sharply differs from the Western ‘Liberal economics’. Individuals seek posterity through offspring, rather than ‘instant gratification’. Resources are not seen as scarce but as abundant. Rather than take resources from others, people work to make a living. The work ethics and not the profit margin is a key motive. Individuals work not for themselves but for their family. The family is a source of moral sentiment, understood as responsibility for others. This is why the main institution is family and not market. To Confucians, the key principle is equality, which precedes efficiency. Inequality upsets ‘social peace’, as a precondition for growth. Built on Liberal principles, the Western capitalist system is a market one. The Chinese system, which I call ‘Confucian system’, is also market-based. The former is a ‘free market’ animated by individuals, the latter is a...
Direct parametric imaging of reversible tracers using partial dynamic data

Direct parametric estimation in positron emission tomography (PET) has been developed to compute the voxel-based kinetic parameters in the reconstruction process, obtaining more accurate physiological information of tracer uptake. Although the direct parametric imaging can achieve accurate kinetic analysis, the long acquisition time is still painful, particularly for sick and old patients. To address this issue, we explore the feasibility to estimate voxel-based kinetic parameters using partial dynamic data, specifically the first and last 10 minutes of a typical dynamic scan. To improve the quality of the direct parametric imaging with partial dynamic data, we propose a novel penalized direct estimation method containing log-likelihood, ridge regression and patch-based joint similarity penalty of kinetic images, in which the structural similarity weight of K 1 can be used for improving the features in other kinetic images (k 2 ∼ k 4 ). In our optimization, the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) with a separable quadratic surrogate (SQS) is exploited. We validate the proposed method using a brain phantom, and demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the conventional direct estimation methods even using partial dynamic data.
A Metagenome-Based Investigation of Gene Relationships for Non-Substrate-Associated Microbial Phosphorus Cycling in the Water Column of Streams and Rivers.

Phosphorus (P) is a nutrient of primary importance in all living systems, and it is especially important in streams and rivers which are sensitive to anthropogenic P inputs and eutrophication. Microbes are accepted as the primary mineralizers and solubilizers of P improving bioavailability for organisms at all trophic levels. Here, we use a genomics approach with metagenome sequencing of 24 temperate streams and rivers representing a total P (TP) gradient to identify relationships between functional genes, functional gene groupings, P, and organisms within the P biogeochemical cycle. Combining information from network analyses, functional groupings, and system P levels, we have constructed a System Relational Overview of Gene Groupings (SROGG) which is a cohesive system level representation of P cycle gene and nutrient relationships. Using SROGG analysis in concert with other statistical approaches, we found that the compositional makeup of P cycle genes is strongly correlated to environmental P whereas absolute abundance of P genes shows no significant correlation to environmental P. We also found orthophosphate (PO43−) to be the dominant factor correlating with system P cycle gene composition with little evidence of a strong organic phosphorous correlation present even in more oligotrophic streams.
Psychopathic traits associated with abnormal hemodynamic activity in salience and default mode networks during auditory oddball task

Psychopathy is a personality disorder accompanied by abnormalities in emotional processing and attention. Recent theoretical applications of network-based models of cognition have been used to explain the diverse range of abnormalities apparent in psychopathy. Still, the physiological basis for these abnormalities is not well understood. A significant body of work has examined psychopathy-related abnormalities in simple attention-based tasks, but these studies have largely been performed using electrocortical measures, such as event-related potentials (ERPs), and they often have been carried out among individuals with low levels of psychopathic traits. In this study, we examined neural activity during an auditory oddball task using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a simple auditory target detection (oddball) task among 168 incarcerated adult males, with psychopathic traits assessed via the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). Event-related contrasts demonstrated that the largest psychopathy-related effects were apparent between the frequent standard stimulus condition and a task-off, implicit baseline. Negative correlations with interpersonal-affective dimensions (Factor 1) of the PCL-R were apparent in regions comprising default mode and salience networks. These findings support models of psychopathy describing impaired integration across functional networks. They additionally corroborate reports which have implicated failures of efficient transition between default mode and task-positive networks. Finally, they demonstrate a neurophysiological basis for abnormal mobilization of attention and reduced engagement with stimuli that have little motivational significance among those with high psychopathic traits.
The development of zafirlukast (Accolate®) and the Zeneca series of peptidyl-leukotriene receptor antagonists

The leukotrienes are a family of lipid mediators that are derived from arachidonic acid via the 5-lipoxygenase pathway [1]. The leukotrienes are so named because they were first isolated from leukocytes and they have an unusual triene-containing chemical structure. The peptidyl-or cysteinyl-leukotrienes are a subclass that contains a peptide moiety attached to the leukotriene backbone. There are three major cysteinyl-leukotrienes — LTC4, LTD4 and LrE4. Together they account for the biological activity of slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis (SRS-A), which was discovered nearly 40 years ago when it was distinguished from histamine by its ability to produce a slowly developing and long-lasting contraction of isolated guinea pig ileum [2].
The Metabolism of Glycosaminoglycans

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the metabolism of glycosaminoglycans, in particular the mechanism of biosynthesis of some of the mucopolysaccharides of connective tissues. It discusses glycosaminoglycan— as the immediate precursors of heteropolysaccharides— and their origin, the initiation of chain formation, the mechanism of alternation of monosaccharide units, sulfation, the intracellular localization of polysaccharide synthesis, and the control of polysaccharide formation. Elucidation of the metabolic ways that lead to polysaccharide synthesis has been made easy by studies of biological detoxification, particularly with respect to glucuronide formation. The studies of control mechanisms are still in their early years.
Finding The Beta For A Portfolio Isn't Obvious: An Educational Example

When a portfolio is not actively managed to maintain a fixed investment percentage in each asset but rather maintains a fixed number of shares for each asset, the portfolio weights will change over time because the market returns of the different assets will not be the same. Consequently, portfolio betas computed as a linear combination of asset betas, which is the usual practice, will be different from betas computed using regression techniques on portfolio returns as is done when evaluating individual assets and mutual funds. The alternative approaches can result in quite different beta statistics and, consequently, inconsistent decisions depending on which method is used.
Nuclear Data Sheets for A=59

Abstract Evaluated spectroscopic data and level schemes from radioactive decay and nuclear reaction studies are presented for 59Sc, 59Ti, 59V, 59Cr, 59Mn, 59Fe, 59Co, 59Ni, 59Cu, 59Zn, 59Ga, and 59Ge. This evaluation for A=59 supersedes the earlier one by C. M. Baglin (2002Ba42) and updates for some nuclides in the ENSDF database. Highlights of this evaluation are the following: In 59Fe, a new level at 568.45 keV (3/2−) has been added. This resolves a doublet at 570 keV, which was reflected in earlier evaluations (1983An22, 1993Ba85, 2002Ba42) and literature as well. Conflicting spin assignments for 2153.62 keV level of 59Co [9/2,13/2 in (α,pγ); (13/2) in (15N,4nγ); 15/2 in (p,p′γ), (7/2−) in (n,n′γ)] exist in the literature and additional experimental work is needed to resolve the issue.
Abstract 271: NF-kB Mediated Modulation of mir-23b/-130a-axis is Critical for Cardiac Remodeling

Cardiac remodeling is a process that alters structural and functional determinants of myocardium in response to hemodynamic stress resulted in left ventricular hypertrophy, fibrosis leading to heart failure. Pressure overload that induces cardiac remodeling involves both cardiomyocytes (CM) and cardiac fibroblasts (CF) cross-talk for the development of adverse remodeling. The miRNAs are a new class of post-transcriptional regulator capable of repressing gene expression by base pairing to the 3' UTR of mRNA targets; involved in diverse cardiac diseases. However, the function of miRNAs in cellular cross-talk leading to cardiac remodeling remains elusive. Previously, we showed that inhibition of NF-kB prevents cardiac remodeling; however, NF-κB mediated miRNAs’ role in cardiac remodeling remains elusive. We will test the hypothesis that NF-κB dependent miR-23b/-130a is a pathogenic niche regulating the cardiac remodeling; and inhibition of miR-23b/-130a abrogates the adverse remodeling by restoring PPARg-PTE...
Driven-dissipative dynamics of atomic ensembles in a resonant cavity: Nonequilibrium phase diagram and periodically modulated superradiance

We study the dynamics of two ensembles of atoms (or equivalently, atomic clocks) coupled to a bad cavity and pumped incoherently by a Raman laser. Our main result is the nonequilibrium phase diagram for this experimental setup in terms of two parameters: detuning between the clocks and the repump rate. There are three main phases: a trivial steady state (phase I), where all atoms are maximally pumped, a nontrivial steady state corresponding to monochromatic superradiance (phase II), and amplitude-modulated superradiance (phase III). Phases I and II are fixed points of the mean-field dynamics, while in most of phase III stable attractors are limit cycles. Equations of motion possess an axial symmetry and a ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$ symmetry with respect to the interchange of the two clocks. Either one or both of these symmetries are spontaneously broken in various phases. The trivial steady state loses stability via a supercritical Hopf bifurcation bringing about a ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$-symmetric limit cycle. The nontrivial steady state goes through a subcritical Hopf bifurcation responsible for coexistence of monochromatic and amplitude-modulated superradiance. Using Floquet analysis, we show that the ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$-symmetric limit cycle eventually becomes unstable and gives rise to two ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$-asymmetric limit cycles via a supercritical pitchfork bifurcation. Each of the above attractors has its own unique fingerprint in the power spectrum of the light radiated from the cavity. In particular, limit cycles in phase III emit frequency combs---series of equidistant peaks, where the symmetry of the frequency comb reflects the symmetry of the underlying limit cycle. For typical experimental parameters, the spacing between the peaks is several orders of magnitude smaller than the monochromatic superradiance frequency, making the lasing frequency highly tunable.
Human Tendon-Derived Collagen Hydrogel Significantly Improves Biomechanical Properties of the Tendon-Bone Interface in a Chronic Rotator Cuff Injury Model.

Purpose Poor healing of the tendon-bone interface (TBI) after rotator cuff (RTC) tears leads to high rates of recurrent tear following repair. Previously, we demonstrated that an injectable, thermoresponsive, type I collagen-rich, decellularized human tendon–derived hydrogel (tHG) improved healing in an acute rat Achilles tendon injury model. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether tHG enhances the biomechanical properties of the regenerated TBI in a rat model of chronic RTC injury and repair. Methods Tendon hydrogel was prepared from chemically decellularized human cadaveric flexor tendons. Eight weeks after bilateral resection of supraspinatus tendons, repair of both shoulders was performed. One shoulder was treated with a transosseous suture (control group) and the other was treated with a transosseous suture plus tHG injection at the repair site (tHG group). Eight weeks after repair, the TBIs were evaluated biomechanically, histologically, and via micro–computed tomography (CT). Results Biomechanical testing revealed a larger load to failure, higher stiffness, higher energy to failure, larger strain at failure, and higher toughness in the tHG group versus control. The area of new cartilage formation was significantly larger in the tHG group. Micro-CT revealed no significant difference between groups in bone morphometry at the supraspinatus tendon insertion, although the tHG group was superior to the control. Conclusions Injection of tHG at the RTC repair site enhanced biomechanical properties and increased fibrocartilage formation at the TBI in a chronic injury model. Clinical relevance Treatment of chronic RTC injuries with tHG at the time of surgical treatment may improve outcomes after surgical repair.
Temporal Dynamics of Corticocortical Inhibition in Human Visual Cortex: A TMS Study.

Abstract Paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (ppTMS) has been used extensively to probe local facilitatory and inhibitory function in motor cortex. We previously developed a reliable ppTMS method to investigate these functions in visual cortex and found reduced thresholds for net intracortical inhibition compared to motor cortex. The current study used this method to investigate the temporal dynamics of local facilitatory and inhibitory networks in visual cortex in 28 healthy subjects. We measured the size of the visual disturbance (phosphene) evoked by stimulating visual cortex with a fixed intensity, supra-threshold test stimulus (TS) when that TS was preceded by a sub-threshold conditioning stimulus (CS). We manipulated the inter-stimulus interval (ISI) and assessed how the size of the phosphene elicited by the fixed-intensity TS changed as a function of interval for two different CS intensities (45% and 75% of phosphene threshold). At 45% of threshold, the CS produced uniform suppression of the phosphene elicited by the TS across ISIs ranging from 2 to 200 ms. At 75% of threshold, the CS did not have a significant effect on phosphene size across the 2–15 ms intervals. Intervals of 50–200 ms exhibited statistically significant suppression of phosphenes, however, suppression was not uniform with some subjects demonstrating no change or facilitation. This study demonstrates that the temporal dynamics of local inhibitory and facilitatory networks are different across motor and visual cortex and that optimal parameters to index local inhibitory and facilitatory influences in motor cortex are not necessarily optimal for visual cortex. We refer to the observed inhibition as visual cortex inhibition (VCI) to distinguish it from the phenomenon reported in motor cortex.
Development of a computational model for acute ischemic stroke recanalization through cyclic aspiration

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS), the result of embolic occlusion of a cerebral artery, is responsible for 87% of the 6.5 million stroke-related deaths each year. Despite improvements from first-generation thrombectomy devices for treating AIS, 80% of eligible stroke patients will either die or suffer a major disability. In order to maximize the number of patients with good outcomes, new AIS therapies need to be developed to achieve complete reperfusion on the first pass. One such therapy that has shown promise experimentally is the application of cyclic aspiration pressure, which led to higher recanalization rates at lower pressure magnitudes. In order to investigate AIS and cyclic aspiration recanalization, an improved computational modeling framework was developed, combining a viscoelastic thromboembolus model with a cohesive zone (CZ) model for the thromboembolus–artery interface. The model was first validated against experimental displacement data of a cyclically aspirated thromboembolus analog. The CZ model parameters, including the addition of a damage accumulation model, were then investigated computationally to determine their individual effects on the thromboembolus and CZ behavior. The relaxation time and the damage model critical opening length were shown to have the greatest effect on the CZ opening and led to increased displacement that accumulated with repeated loading. Additional simulations were performed with parameters relevant to AIS including internal carotid artery dimensions and thromboemboli mechanical properties. In these AIS cases, more upstream CZ opening was observed compared to the thromboembolus analog cases and greater displacement was achieved with the lower-frequency aspiration (0.5 vs 1 Hz).
A qualitative examination of critical feedback processes in project-based youth programs

Abstract When an adolescent receives critical feedback from adults on what they should change, they may feel discouraged; however, such feedback can be key to learning. This study explored how adolescents attending project-based youth programs experienced critical feedback from adult leaders and the strategies these leaders employed when providing feedback. Qualitative analyses of interviews with 49 youth and 24 leaders indicated that youth participants found critical feedback to be useful because leaders intentionally provided straightforward, clear, and balanced feedback in a manner that was empathetic and involved dialogue that privileged participants’ ownership of their work. Using extant literature, we discuss why the features identified may be especially important during the period of adolescence.
Insulator-to-conductor transition driven by the Rashba-Zeeman effect

The Rashba effect has recently attracted great attention owing to emerging physical properties associated with it. The interplay between the Rashba effect and the Zeeman effect, being produced by the exchange field, is expected to broaden the range of these properties and even result in novel phenomena. Here we predict an insulator-to-conductor transition driven by the Rashba–Zeeman effect. We first illustrate this effect using a general Hamiltonian model and show that the insulator-to-conductor transition can be triggered under certain Rashba and exchange-field strengths. Then, we exemplify this phenomenon by considering an Ag2Te/Cr2O3 heterostructure, where the electronic structure of the Ag2Te monolayer is affected across the interface by the proximity effect of the Cr2O3 antiferromagnetic layer with well-defined surface magnetization. Based on first-principles calculations, we predict that such a system can be driven into either insulating or conducting phase, depending on the surface magnetization orientation of the Cr2O3 layer. Our results enrich the Rashba–Zeeman physics and provide useful guidelines for the realization of the insulator-to-conductor transition, which may be interesting for experimental verification.
A Survey on the Effectiveness of the Secure Software Development Life Cycle Models

Today, a central and critical aspect of cybersecurity problems is related to software problem. Software security is about the understanding of software-induced security risks and how to manage them. To manage software security effectively, we need to understand the process of designing, building, and testing software for security. The System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) process that is currently used to support software development does not address any security components until after the software is developed. From the perspective of software security, the Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SSDLC) is similar to the SDLC but includes security components in its phases. There have been many SSDLC models proposed that are primarily modified from preexisting SDLC models. A study was conducted to survey a selected group of SSDLC models and their effectiveness. The authors first identified four popular SSDLC models used in the IT industry and then analyzed their common characteristics to derive four sets of criteria for comparison. These criteria are Focus Areas of Application, Implementation of Model, Security Implementations and Enhancements, and Security Training and Staff. Overall, the comparison results demonstrate that the Rastogi and Jones model is considered to be an effective one for many IT projects, especially for Agile projects. However, it is worthy to mention that, because of the various types of IT projects, one specific model cannot be applied for use in all types of IT projects. For an IT project operated in Waterfall, the BSI Seven Touchpoints model can be an excellent alternative.
Effect of Excisional Goniotomy with the Kahook Dual Blade (KDB) on Surgically Induced Astigmatism

Purpose To determine the effect of Kahook Dual Blade goniotomy with phacoemulsification (Phaco-KDB) compared to phacoemulsification alone (Phaco) on surgically induced astigmatism (SIA). Design Prospective study. Participants Forty eyes of 28 patients treated with Phaco-KDB and 20 eyes of 13 patients treated with Phaco between 12/27/16 and 7/23/19 with a minimum 1 month follow-up were prospectively enrolled. Methods Corneal astigmatism was assessed pre- and post-operatively using the simulated K (simK) values from the Pentacam Holladay report. Main outcome measures SIA was compared between Phaco-KDB and Phaco groups using mean magnitude SIA, rate of ≥0.50 D SIA, and SIA centroids. Results The difference in mean magnitude SIA was not statistically significant between Phaco-KDB and Phaco (mean = 0.28 D and 0.25 D, respectively, P = 0.621). The difference in the rate of ≥0.50 D SIA was not statistically significant between Phaco-KDB and Phaco (11.6% and 10.0%, respectively, P = 1.00). The SIA centroid for Phaco-KDB was 0.05 D @ 51° ± 0.40 D and 0.07 D @ 3° ± 0.32 D for Phaco. Conclusion Neither the mean magnitude SIA nor the rate of astigmatic change ≥0.50 D was significantly different between Phaco-KDB and Phaco groups. SIA centroids between groups showed comparable and negligible effect on corneal astigmatism. KDB combined with phacoemulsification may not significantly affect SIA compared to phacoemulsification alone based on postoperative topography and is likely an astigmatically neutral procedure.
Trump As Administrator in Chief: A Retrospective

The Trump Presidency has been such a blur of shattered norms and unprecedented behaviors that observers might well wonder whether the concepts and frameworks usually used to understand the American presidency even apply. With respect to the President’s leadership of the executive branch, this paper argues that they can. For decades, U.S. Presidents have sought to exert greater control over the apparatus of the administrative state, principally through two broad strategies: centralizing control, and politicizing agency leadership. At the broadest level, many of the Trump administration’s moves have been in the service of one or the other of those strategies. To be sure, things have looked different in the Trump Era. In some respects, Trump has pushed the centralization and politicization of administrative power in ways without precedent in the modern presidency. At the same time, many of the President’s moves have been ineffectual. Although the Trump administration has been less effective at achieving the President’s objectives than it might have been, the President’s approach to administration has also caused damage to the institutions of American governance that will take time to repair.
Laminin-α4 Is Upregulated in Both Human and Murine Models of Obesity

Obesity affects nearly one billion globally and can lead to life-threatening sequelae. Consequently, there is an urgent need for novel therapeutics. We have previously shown that laminin, alpha 4 (Lama4) knockout in mice leads to resistance to adipose tissue accumulation; however, the relationship between LAMA4 and obesity in humans has not been established. In this study we measured laminin-α chain and collagen mRNA expression in the subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT) of mice placed on chow (RCD) or 45% high fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks, and also in HFD mice then placed on a "weight loss" regimen (8 weeks HFD followed by 6 weeks RCD). To assess extracellular matrix (ECM) components in humans with obesity, laminin subunit alpha mRNA and protein expression was measured in sWAT biopsies of female control subjects (BMI 35) both before and three months after surgery. Lama4 was significantly higher in sWAT of HFD compared to RCD mice at both the RNA and protein level (p<0.001, p<0.05 respectively). sWAT from human subjects with obesity also showed significantly higher LAMA4 mRNA (p<0.01) and LAMA4 protein expression (p<0.05) than controls. Interestingly, even though LAMA4 expression was increased in both humans and murine models of obesity, no significant difference in Lama4 or LAMA4 expression was detected following short-term weight loss in either mouse or human samples, respectively. From these results we propose a significant association between obesity and elevated LAMA4 expression in humans, as well as in mouse models of obesity. Further studies should clarify the mechanisms underlying this association to target LAMA4 effectively as a potential therapy for obesity.
Relationship Between Body Mass Index and High Cystatin Levels Among US Adults

High cystatin C levels among patients without clinically recognized chronic kidney disease (CKD) may identify patients who are at preclinical stages of CKD. Higher body mass index (BMI) has been found to be associated with increased risk of CKD. However, the association between BMI and high cystatin C levels is not clear. The authors examined participants older than 20 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999 to 2002 (N=2583, 50.2% women). BMI was categorized as 1 mg/dL) among patients without clinically recognized CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) or microalbuminuria). Higher BMI was positively associated with high cystatin C, independent of age, sex, race-ethnicity, education, smoking, alcohol intake, cholesterol, and C-reactive protein levels. Compared with patients with BMI <25 kg/m(2) (referent), the multivariable odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of high cystatin C was 2.53 (1.79-3.58) (P trend <.0001 among patients with BMI ≥30 kg/m(2)). The association between BMI and high cystatin C persisted in subgroup analyses by sex, race-ethnicity, and among those without diabetes or hypertension. Among US adults without clinically recognized CKD, higher BMI levels were independently associated with high cystatin C levels.
Fuel-Air Mixing and Diesel Combustion in a Rapid Compression Machine

The influence of charge motion and fuel injection characteristics on diesel combustion was studied in a rapid compression machine (RCM), a research apparatus that simulates the direct-injection diesel in-cylinder environment. An experimental data base was generated in which inlet air flow conditions (temperature, velocity, swirl level) and fuel injection pressure were independently varied. High-speed movies using both direct and shadowgraph photography were taken at selected operating conditions. Cylinder pressure data were analyzed using a one-zone heat release model to calculate ignition delay times, premixed and diffusion burning rates, and cumulative heat release profiles. The photographic analysis provided data on the liquid and vapor penetration rates, fuel-air mixing, ignition characteristics, and flame spreading rates. Results show that charge temperature is the most significant parameter controlling the ignition delay period and it significantly affects the heat release profile in the premixed combustion phase.
Hypoxia impairs maturation of the Na,K-ATPase (LB180)

Renal tissue hypoxia is a major cause of acute renal failure. The goal of this study was to elucidate the mechanism(s) underlying role of the Na,K-ATPase in the adaptive response of renal cells to a hypoxic stress. Kidney microsome membranes were isolated from mice exposed to 7% O2 (hypoxia) or to room air for three days, proteins were extracted by a non-ionic detergent, immunoprecipitated using anti-Na,K-ATPase antibodies, and analyzed by nLC-MS/MS and Western blot analyses. Hypoxia did not change the total amount of the Na,K-ATPase, as was assessed by comparing the Mascot scores and confirmed by a Western blot analysis. In contrast, hypoxia significantly decreased the amount of the Na,K-ATPase-co-immunoprecipitated ER chaperones and enzymes presumably involved in the maturation of the Na,K-ATPase, including BiP, Hsp40, calnexin, PDI, glucosidase, mannosidase and DnaJ. Consistent with these results, a significant retention of the Na,K-ATPase was observed in cultured epithelial cells exposed to hypoxia. T...
Temperature-dependent thermal conductivity of undoped polycrystalline silicon layers

Polycrystalline silicon is used in microelectronic and microelectromechanical devices for which thermal design is important. This work measures the in-plane thermal conductivities of free-standing undoped polycrystalline layers between 20 and 300 K. The layers have a thickness of 1 +m, and the measurements are performed using steady-state Joule heating and electrical-resistance thermometry in patterned aluminum microbridges. The layer thermal conductivities are found to depend strongly on the details of the deposition process through the grain size distribution, which is investigated using atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The room-temperature thermal conductivity of as-grown polycrystalline silicon is found to be 13.8 W } m &1 }K &1 and that of amorphous recrystallized polycrystalline silicon is 22 W } m &1 }K &1 , which is almost an order of magnitude less than that of single-crystal silicon. The maximum thermal conductivities of both samples occur at higher temperatures than in pure single-crystalline silicon layers of the same thickness. The data are interpreted using the approximate solution to the Boltzmann transport equation in the relaxation time approximation together with Matthiessen’s rule. These measurements contribute to the understanding of the relative importance of phonon scattering on grain and layer boundaries in polysilicon films and provide data relevant for the design of micromachined structures.
Optical Absorption in Amorphous Semiconductors

In Chapter 6 of their book, N.F. Mott and E.A. Davis1 treat the optical properties of amorphous semiconductors. The object of the present paper is to derive some of their results from first principles by means of a relatively simple microscopic model. This exactly soluble model provides an interpolation formula for materials which retain some crystalline characteristics, and may also lead to some new insights into the physics of the problem.
Hausdorff Dimension of Centered Sets

In this paper we will consider nowhere dense perfect subsets of [0, 1] that arise as a natural generalization of symmetric perfect sets in a paper of Humke [3], called centered sets. These sets have relatively large basic intervals but none of the standard methods used in determining the dimension of a generalized Cantor set could be used to show that centered sets can not have zero Hausdorff dimension. The aim of this paper is to prove that and to give lower bound for this dimension.
Novel sparse adaptive algorithm in the Haar transform domain

This paper considers the problem of adaptive identification of a sparse system such as in echo cancellation application. A sparse system has a small number of coefficients that are different from zero. We propose the use of the Haar transform to locate non-zero coefficients such that only the non-zero coefficients will need to be adapted. The consequence is an increase in convergence speed and a decrease in computation. The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated through simulations.
Power System Harmonics

The sections in this article are 1 Definition of Harmonics 2 Sources of Harmonics 3 Harmonic Impact 4 Harmonic Elimination 5 Conclusion
Surface enrichment of Pt10Rh90(111). I: Annealing in vacuum and low pressure environments

Abstract The variation in the surface composition of a model catalyst surface, a Pt 10 Rh 90 (111) single crystal, has been studied as a function of temperature and gas phase composition using ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS) with Ne 20 , Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). As the single crystal is heated in vacuum, the surface composition of the first layer of this alloy becomes enriched in Pt beginning at 600°C, reaching a surface composition of 30% Pt at 1000°C, in general agreement with previously reported findings. The equilibrated surface compositions measured by ISS and AES were very similar. Depth profiling shows the Pt-enriched layer is of atomic thickness on the surface. A comparison of the ISS and AES data suggests that the sub-surface layer is enriched in Rh, in agreement with the oscillatory behavior in the composition of near-surface layers reported by other researchers. In low pressure reducing conditions (1 × 10 −6 Torr H 2 ), Pt enrichment measured by ISS on the surface approaches 40%. In low pressure oxidizing conditions (1 × 10 −6 Torr O 2 ), the surface layer equilibrates near, but above the bulk composition in Pt concentration, but no oxidation of the metal was observed.