cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Loss of Forkhead box M1 promotes erythropoiesis through increased proliferation of erythroid progenitors

Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) belongs to the forkhead/winged-helix family of transcription factors and regulates a network of proliferation-associated genes. Its abnormal upregulation has been shown to be a key driver of cancer progression and an initiating factor in oncogenesis. FOXM1 is also highly expressed in stem/progenitor cells and inhibits their differentiation, suggesting that FOXM1 plays a role in the maintenance of multipotency. However, the exact molecular mechanisms by which FOXM1 regulates human stem/progenitor cells are still uncharacterized. To understand the role of FOXM1 in normal hematopoiesis, human cord blood CD34+ cells were transduced with FOXM1 short hairpin ribonucleic acid (shRNA) lentivirus. Knockdown of FOXM1 resulted in a 2-fold increase in erythroid cells compared to myeloid cells. Additionally, knockdown of FOXM1 increased bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation in erythroid cells, suggesting greater proliferation of erythroid progenitors. We also observed that the defective phosphorylation of FOXM1 by checkpoint kinase 2 (CHK2) or cyclin-dependent kinases 1/2 (CDK1/2) increased the erythroid population in a manner similar to knockdown of FOXM1. Finally, we found that an inhibitor of FOXM1, forkhead domain inhibitor-6 (FDI-6), increased red blood cell numbers through increased proliferation of erythroid precursors. Overall, our data suggest a novel function of FOXM1 in normal human hematopoiesis.
Swapping the N- and C-terminal domains of human apolipoprotein E3 and AI reveals insights into their structure/activity relationship

Apolipoprotein (apo) E3 and apoAI are exchangeable apolipoproteins that play a dominant role in regulating plasma lipoprotein metabolism. ApoE3 (299 residues) is composed of an N-terminal (NT) domain bearing a 4-helix bundle and a C-terminal (CT) domain bearing a series of amphipathic α-helices. ApoAI (243 residues) also comprises a highly helical NT domain and a less structured CT tail. The objective of this study was to understand their structural and functional role by generating domain swapped chimeras: apoE3-NT/apoAI-CT and apoAI-NT/apoE-CT. The bacterially overexpressed chimeras were purified by affinity chromatography and their identity confirmed by immunoblotting and mass spectrometry. Their α-helical content was comparable to that of the parent proteins. ApoE3-NT/apoAI-CT retained the denaturation profile of apoE3 NT domain, with apoAI CT tail eliciting a relatively unstructured state; its lipid binding ability improved dramatically compared to apoE3 indicative of a significant role of apoAI CT tail in lipid binding interaction. The LDL receptor interaction and ability to promote ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux of apoE3-NT/apoAI-CT was comparable to that of apoE3. In contrast, apoAI-NT/apoE-CT elicited an unfolding pattern and lipid binding ability that were similar to that of apoAI. As expected, DMPC/apoAI-NT/apoE-CT discoidal particles did not elicit LDLr binding ability, and promoted SR-B1 mediated cellular uptake of lipids to a limited extent. However, apoAI-NT/apoE-CT displayed an enhanced ability to promote cholesterol efflux compared to apoAI, indicative of a significant role for apoE CT domain in mediating this function. Together, these results indicate that the functional attributes of apoAI and apoE3 can be conferred on each other and that NT-CT domain interactions significantly modulate their structure and function.
RXFP1 expression is regulated by miR-144-3p in Fibroblasts from Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Relaxin has been considered as a potential therapy for patients with pulmonary fibrosis. We have previously shown, however, that a potential limitation of relaxin-based therapy for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is the loss of expression of the relaxin receptor Relaxin/Insulin Like Receptor 1 (RXFP1) expression in fibroblasts. The molecular mechanism for RXFP1 down-regulation in IPF patients remains unclear. To determine whether microRNAs play a role in RXFP1 gene expression, we employed a bioinformatics approach to identify microRNAs (miRs) that are predicted to target RXFP1. By in silico analysis we identified a putative target site in the RXFP1 mRNA for the miR-144 family. We found that miR-144-3p was upregulated in IPF fibroblasts compared to donor lung fibroblast controls. Forced miR-144-3p mimic expression reduced RXFP1 mRNA and protein levels and increased expression of the myofibroblast marker alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in donor lung fibroblasts. IPF lung fibroblasts transfected with a miR-144-3p inhibitor increased RXFP1 expression and reduced α-SMA expression. A lentiviral luciferase reporter vector carrying the WT 3′UTR of RXFP1 was repressed more in lung fibroblasts whereas vector carrying a mutated miR-144-3p binding site exhibited less sensitivity to endogenous miR-144-3p expression, suggesting that RXFP1 is a direct target of miR-144-3p. Thus, miR-144-3p is highly expressed in IPF fibroblasts and acts as a negative regulator of RXFP1 protein expression.
THEORETICAL ASSESSMENT OF A VALIDATION TECHNIQUE FOR NONLINEAR PHYSIOLOGICAL MODELS

Publisher Summary This chapter presents theoretical assessment of a validation technique for nonlinear physiological models. These models were validated by comparing data obtained from the model with in-vivo data using time domain and frequency domain techniques to analyze the observed hemodynamic waveforms. These measures of validity imply that the most desirable model is that which best reproduces the waveforms observed in-vivo. To quantify the ability of the model to follow trends exhibited by the natural system, a state of the model that corresponds to a state of the natural system is specified. The state is defined by the hemodynamic parameters of interest, such as mean pressures, cardiac output, peak pressures, etc. The difference or the distance between the state of the model and the state of the natural system is defined as a metric. With the exception of the effect on cardiac output, the least sensitive parametric variat on in the model is occlusion of branch vessels.
Predictive control of modular multilevel series/parallel converter for battery systems

This paper presents a multi-step predictive control framework for modular multilevel converters with series/parallel connectivity — a more generalized topology of the H-bridge-based modular multilevel converters. The controller coordinates a wide range of objectives including converter output voltage, power losses, and balancing of the battery state of charge. Though capable of considering multiple steps ahead, the controller does not elicit a combinatorial explosion. The key idea is taking the converter's transistor currents, instead of switching signals, as the basic state variables. Based on these state variables, the converter can be modeled as a linear time-invariant system and the associated cost functions can be cast into linear-quadratic form. As such, the control problem is akin to the linear quadratic regulator, which allows efficient solution to the optimal control input with the prediction of multiple steps ahead. On an 8-module, 17-level battery system, prediction of three to five steps ahead reduces the power loss by 10% compared with predicting one step ahead, while further extending the prediction horizon does not bring improvement. The controller also shows good performance on balancing the state of charge of the batteries as well as distributing the losses among them.
Use of quantitative SPECT/CT reconstruction in 99mTc-sestamibi imaging of patients with renal masses

Technetium-99m (99mTc)-sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) has previously been shown to allow for the accurate differentiation of benign renal oncocytomas and hybrid oncocytic/chromophobe tumors (HOCTs) apart from other malignant renal tumor histologies, with oncocytomas/HOCTs showing high uptake and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) showing low uptake based on uptake ratios from non-quantitative single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) reconstructions. However, in this study, several tumors fell close to the uptake ratio cutoff, likely due to limitations in conventional SPECT/CT reconstruction methods. We hypothesized that application of quantitative SPECT/CT (QSPECT) reconstruction methods developed by our group would provide more robust separation of hot and cold lesions, serving as an imaging framework on which quantitative biomarkers can be validated for evaluation of renal masses with 99mTc-sestamibi. Single-photon emission computed tomography data were reconstructed using the clinical Flash 3D reconstruction and QSPECT methods. Two blinded readers then characterized each tumor as hot or cold. Semi-quantitative uptake ratios were calculated by dividing lesion activity by background renal activity for both Flash 3D and QSPECT reconstructions. The difference between median (mean) hot and cold tumor uptake ratios measured 0.655 (0.73) with the QSPECT method and 0.624 (0.67) with the conventional method, resulting in increased separation between hot and cold tumors. Sub-analysis of 7 lesions near the separation point showed a higher absolute difference (0.16) between QPSECT and Flash 3D mean uptake ratios compared to the remaining lesions. Our finding of improved separation between uptake ratios of hot and cold lesions using QSPECT reconstruction lays the foundation for additional quantitative SPECT techniques such as SPECT-UV in the setting of renal 99mTc-sestamibi and other SPECT/CT exams. With robust quantitative image reconstruction and biomarker analysis, there may be an expanded role for SPECT/CT imaging in renal masses and other pathologic conditions.
Medical Management of Portal Hypertension and Its Complications

Portal hypertension, most commonly caused by cirrhosis, is defined as an elevated hepatic venous pressure gradient that can lead to complications including ascites, hepatic, esophageal/gastric varices, hepatic encephalopathy, and hepatorenal syndrome. While these complications are initially managed by medical and endoscopic treatments, progressive decompensation of liver disease may lead to liver transplantation.
Care of the Critically Ill Pregnant Patient

Care for the injured or critically ill pregnant woman requires a multidisciplinary approach. Over the past decades, care for the pregnant woman and fetus has changed tremendously. The fetus is now viewed as a patient, which can be intervened upon. Maternal care has progressed to preventing morbidity and mortality through anticipation of complications. In this chapter, we focus on the most common clinical challenges in caring for the critically ill obstetric patient.
Chapter 18 Reorientation in Hyperactive and Non-Hyperactive Children: Evidence for Developmentally Immature Attention?

Reorientation is a selective attention skill in which attention is first oriented to one stimulus and then reoriented to a second stimulus. In this chapter, the reorientation of auditory and visual attention is first explored developmentally and then in hyperactive and non-hyperactive children. The developmental literature on selective attention is briefly reviewed, and recent experimental work on the development of reorientation of auditory and visual attention is summarized. A review of selective attention skills in hyperactive children is then presented, followed by summaries of experimental work comparing the reorientation of auditory and visual attention in hyperactive and non-hyperactive children. Because the typical developmental pattern of reorientation is known for each of these tasks, it is possible to conclude that although there is some evidence for developmentally immature attention skills in hyperactive children, other factors, including task characteristics and compliance issues, affect the way in which hyperactive children reorient attention.
Problem Solving and Reasoning, Psychology of

Problem solving theories focus on search and recognition as their basic processes, and reasoning theories on verbal reasoning. Because of human computational limits, search must be selective, using heuristics, like means-ends analysis, to choose plausible paths. Experts store knowledge, ‘indexed’ by a network of perceptual tests, that enables them to recognize familiar patterns, when encountered, ‘intuitively,’ thus accessing the associated stored knowledge. The skill of finding a problem representation that makes its solution path more obvious relies heavily on these ‘insightful’ processes. Reasoning both discovers the implications of beliefs and verifies their validity. Discovery processes today are understood to be essentially problem solving processes, so that the two historical lines of research are now bound together.
Integration of Open Distributed Systems with IEC 61499

A full hypertext (HTML) version of this paper, incorporating the most recent research results and standardization status, will be made available on the Internet following the FeT’97 conference at the URL ftp://ftp.cle.ab.com/stds/iec/tc65wg6/liaison/fet97.htm)
The low-barrier hydrogen bond in enzymic catalysis

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the various aspects of the low-barrier hydrogen bond in enzymic catalysis. Hydrogen bonds come in a continuum of bond lengths and strengths. The first examples of enzymatic reactions where low-barrier hydrogen bonds played a role involved enolization of the substrate to change the p K of a key group in the reaction. Mandelate racemase enolizes R or S mandelate to convert the carboxyl group into an aci-carboxylate, which can be protonated on opposite sides to give the R or S forms. A low-barrier hydrogen bond forms between Asp102 and His57 in the tetrahedral intermediate of the reaction catalyzed by chymotrypsin and similar serine proteases. Phospholipase A 2 catalyzes the hydrolysis of phospholipids at the sn -2 bond, using a water molecule coordinated to Ca 2+ . Enzymes from bovine pancreas and bee venom are similar in many respects and both contain anaspartate and histidine as catalytic groups. In the presence of phosphonate inhibitors that mimic a tetrahedral intermediate, a low-barrier hydrogen bond exists between the histidine and phosphonate oxygen, whereas the hydrogen bond between the histidine and aspartate is a normal one. A general acid–base catalysis provides a five orders of magnitude rate of acceleration in enzymatic reactions, which is consistent with the energy provided by forming a low-barrier hydrogen bond in the transition state.
Personal Toll of Trichotillomania: Behavioral and Interpersonal Sequelae

Patients suffering from trichotillomania are at risk for significant mood and interpersonal problems. Using a clinical sample, this study sought to clarify the nature and types of problems experienced by patients and to examine how these problems might be interrelated. The charts of 67 patients who sought treatment for trichotillomania were reviewed. The majority of patients reported problems with affect and interpersonal relationships. Public and social activities (e.g., haircuts, sexual activities) were avoided by a large number of patients. Self-esteem, shame, feelings of unattractiveness, depressed affect, and secretiveness were all interrelated, suggesting that these issues might best be conceptualized as a cluster that needs to be considered in the etiology, effects, and treatment of trichotillomania.
Standard of care vs reduced-dose chemoradiation after induction chemotherapy in HPV+ oropharyngeal carcinoma patients.

6069Background: Locally advanced Human Papillomavirus (HPV) + oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC) has a significantly better response, locoregional control and survival compared to non HPVOPC. Standard-d...
Uptake of pediatric-inspired acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) regimens by adult oncologists treating adolescent and young adults (AYA): A population based analysis across Northern California.

7031Background: Studies show superior outcomes for AYA ALL patients treated following pediatric, as opposed to adult, ALL regimens. Whether adult oncologists have adopted this treatment approach to...
Comprehensive Fully Automated Left-Ventricular Ejection and Contractility Analysis

This study presents a novel fully-automated mechanism for MRI-based profiling of left-ventricular (LV) chamber quantities and mechanical properties (3D strains, twist and torsion) for the cardiac cycle. Comprehensive LV contractile analysis was conducted by extending a validated semi-automated methodology for spatiotemporal myocardial boundary detection, whose underlying algorithm consists of a multi-threshold image quantization process and 3D phase-unwrapping of complex MRI images acquired with the Displacement Encoding with Stimulated Echoes (DENSE) sequence. Demonstrating this tool’s feasibility included cross-validating computations of LV torsion using two different techniques (a boundary deformation-based and a strain-based one) and by showing how torsional mechanics correlate with ejection fraction (EF) in the phase following isovolumetric contraction. The quantization and displacement results acquired in all 2D partitions at subsequent timeframes lead to 3D LV reconstructions and determination of contractile parameters in N=15 healthy subjects. Statistical tests consisted of Bland Altman analysis of results from the two torsional computations and establishing correlations between EF and torsion.Bland Altman biases and limits of agreement between the two methods for regional torsions were 0.20 ± 2.4° and 0.19 ± 1.97° for the mid-ventricular and basal sub-regions (both relative to apex), respectively. Strong Pearson’s correlations found between torsion and EF were R2 = 0.80 (p < 0.001) and R2 = 0.82 (p < 0.001) for the mid-ventricular and basal segments, respectively. The results from the statistical analysis demonstrate that the methodology developed for comprehensive cardiac contractility analysis can be used reliably in healthy subjects, with a potential for extending application in diagnosing cardiac dysfunction.
Simultaneous prediction of dryout heat flux and local temperature for thin film evaporation in micropillar wicks

Abstract Porous wicks are of great interest in thermal management because they are capable of passively supplying liquid for thin film evaporation, a promising method to reliably dissipate heat in high performance electronics. While dryout heat flux has been well-characterized for many wick configurations, key design information is missing as many previous models cannot determine the distribution of evaporator surface temperature. Temperature gradients are inherent to the passive capillary pumping mechanism since the shape of the liquid/vapor interface is a function of the local liquid pressure, causing spatial variation of permeability and heat transfer coefficient (HTC). Here, we present a comprehensive modeling framework for thin film evaporation in micropillar wicks that can predict dryout heat flux and local temperature simultaneously. Our numerical approach captures the effect of varying interfacial curvature across the micropillar evaporator to determine the spatial distributions of temperature and heat flux. Heat transfer and capillary flow in the wick are coupled in a computationally efficient manner via incorporation of parametric studies to relate geometry and interface shape to local permeability and HTC. This model predicts notable variations of HTC (∼30%) across the micropillar wick, highlighting the significant effects of interfacial curvature. Further, we are able to quantify the tradeoff associated with enhancing either dryout heat flux or HTC by optimizing geometry. Our model provides all of the information needed to guide the design and optimization of micropillar wicks by resolving evaporator temperature distributions in addition to dryout heat flux.
Desirable and undesirable migrants: disease, eugenics, and discourses in modern Buenos Aires

Immigration was a central feature in the making of modern Buenos Aires. Elites celebrated the massive presence of immigrants but also voiced concerns about the arrival of certain groups perceived as potentially dangerous to the making of a healthy, modern “Argentine race.”Eugenic discourses rationalized those concerns around the idea of desirable and undesirable immigrants. People with tuberculosis were part of the latter. These discourses, however, were merely discourses, either not implemented in practice or mostly inconsequential. This article underlines the importance of being cautious when historical narratives of eugenics are only based on discourses.
Female Reproductive System Morphology and the Development of a Physiological Age-Grading System for Bagrada hilaris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

In this paper, we describe the morphology of the female Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister) reproductive system and develop a physiological age-grading system related to egg production. The female reproductive system is composed of two meroistic and telotrophic ovaries each containing 5-6 tubular ovarioles. The ovarioles unite into the lateral oviduct which combine to form the common oviduct. The ovarioles are composed of two regions; the distal germarium and the tubular vitellarium which contains maturing follicles. Each follicle is surrounded by a layer of cells; the follicular epithelium. As the follicle passes from the ovariole to the lateral oviducts the follicular epithelial cells slough off and accumulate in the base of the ovarioles and are known as follicular relics. The continuum of ovarian development is divided into two categories: nulliparous ('nonreproducing') and parous ('reproducing'). The nulliparous category is characterized by the absence of follicular relics or eggs in the oviducts as opposed to the parous category where follicular relics and, in many cases, eggs occurred in the oviducts. The nulliparous category is divided further into two stages; N1 and N2 based on ovariole differentiation. The parous category is divided into three stages; P1, P2, and P3, based on the quantity and appearance of follicular relics. Females characterized as P3 produced three times more eggs (79.2 eggs ± 5.7) than females characterized as P1 (27.1 eggs ± 6.0).
Sodium-Hydrogen Exchanger Isoform-1 Inhibition: A Promising Pharmacological Intervention for Resuscitation from Cardiac Arrest

Out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest is a major public health problem with an overall survival of less than 5%. Upon cardiac arrest, cessation of coronary blood flow rapidly leads to intense myocardial ischemia and activation of the sarcolemmal Na+-H+ exchanger isoform-1 (NHE-1). NHE-1 activation drives Na+ into cardiomyocytes in exchange for H+ with its exchange rate intensified upon reperfusion during the resuscitation effort. Na+ accumulates in the cytosol driving Ca2+ entry through the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger, eventually causing cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ overload and worsening myocardial injury by compromising mitochondrial bioenergetic function. We have reported clinically relevant myocardial effects elicited by NHE-1 inhibitors given during resuscitation in animal models of ventricular fibrillation (VF). These effects include: (a) preservation of left ventricular distensibility enabling hemodynamically more effective chest compressions, (b) return of cardiac activity with greater electrical stability reducing post-resuscitation episodes of VF, (c) less post-resuscitation myocardial dysfunction, and (d) attenuation of adverse myocardial effects of epinephrine; all contributing to improved survival in animal models. Mechanistically, NHE-1 inhibition reduces adverse effects stemming from Na+–driven cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ overload. We believe the preclinical work herein discussed provides a persuasive rationale for examining the potential role of NHE-1 inhibitors for cardiac resuscitation in humans.
Is it the visit or the scholarship? An analysis of a special campus visitation program

We analyze the impact of a campus visit program and scholarship for admitted students on enrolling using data from a public research university. Differences in receiving the scholarship allow us to...
Entangled-photon Fourier optics

Entangled photons, generated by spontaneous parametric downconversion from a second-order nonlinear crystal, present a rich potential for imaging and image-processing applications. Since this source is an example of a three-wave mixing process, there is more flexibility in the choices of illumination and detection wavelengths and in the placement of object(s) to be imaged. Moreover, this source is entangled, a fact that allows for imaging configurations and capabilities that cannot be achieved by use of classical sources of light. We examine a number of imaging and image-processing configurations that can be realized with this source. The formalism that we utilize facilitates the determination of the dependence of imaging resolution on the physical parameters of the optical arrangement.
EULAR PsA management recommendations 2019: can the recommendations be improved?

The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) has published recommendations for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) which have been updated twice to remain timely, responding to the rapid advances in the discovery of new compounds, effective treatment strategies and evolving information on safety.1–3 Each recommendation has been supported by a systematic literature review (SLR) which formed the basis for the recommendations.4–6 Each version has had important additions and deletions; the recommendations have been increasingly useful to many stakeholders in the rheumatology community. The American College of Rheumatology/National Psoriasis Foundation (ACR/NPF) and the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA), an international network of rheumatologists, dermatologists, radiologists, geneticists, methodologists, epidemiologists and patient research partners, have also provided direction.7–9 The strengths of the EULAR recommendations are many-fold. The recommendations have been updated to reflect new developments in treatment strategies, including efficacy and safety. Multiple experts are involved, including rheumatologists representing most European countries, patients with PsA, health professionals and a dermatologist, which allows for a wide breadth of expertise to form the recommendations. Importantly, the recommendations are based primarily on evidence from the SLR, but gives latitude for the experts to use their long-standing PsA disease experience and its treatment in developing the recommendations, not constrained by yes or no pairwise comparisons as is required by the processes used by ACR/NPF and GRAPPA.10–14 EULAR and GRAPPA use ‘recommendation’ rather than ‘guideline’, a description used by ACR/NPF. A ‘recommendation’ is a suggestion of the best course of action in a situation, while a ‘guideline’ provides broad advice in following a process but does not provide precise requirements. The difference is subtle but important; a recommendation is less restrictive compared with a guideline and provides greater flexibility. EULAR, ACR/NPF and GRAPPA have followed different processes, with …
Introduction to the Section on “Points of View from Human Service Leaders”

We are delighted to announce a new section of Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership, & Governance entitled “Points of View from Human Service Leaders”. The section will contain occasi...
Safety of responsive neurostimulation in pediatric patients with medically refractory epilepsy.

Objective Approximately 75% of pediatric patients who suffer from epilepsy are successfully treated with antiepileptic drugs, while the disease is drug resistant in the remaining patients, who continue to have seizures. Patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) may have options to undergo invasive treatment such as resection, laser ablation of the epileptogenic focus, or vagus nerve stimulation. To date, treatment with responsive neurostimulation (RNS) has not been sufficiently studied in the pediatric population because the FDA has not approved the RNS device for patients younger than 18 years of age. Here, the authors sought to investigate the safety of RNS in pediatric patients. Methods The authors performed a retrospective single-center study of consecutive patients with DRE who had undergone RNS system implantation from September 2015 to December 2019. Patients were followed up postoperatively to evaluate seizure freedom and complications. Results Of the 27 patients studied, 3 developed infections and were treated with antibiotics. Of these 3 patients, one required partial removal and salvaging of a functioning system, and one required complete removal of the RNS device. No other complications, such as intracranial hemorrhage, stroke, or device malfunction, were seen. The average follow-up period was 22 months. All patients showed improvement in seizure frequency. Conclusions The authors demonstrated the safety and efficacy of RNS in pediatric patients, with infections being the main complication. Abbreviations DBS = deep brain stimulation; DRE = drug-resistant epilepsy; MDC = multidisciplinary conference; MER = microelectrode recording; MSHS = Mount Sinai Health System; RNS = responsive neurostimulation; SEEG = stereo-EEG; VNS = vagus nerve stimulation.
Multiscale computational fluid dynamics modeling and reactor design of plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition

Abstract Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) is one of the most widely adopted deposition methods in the semiconductor industry. It is chosen largely due to its superior ability to deliver ultra-conformal dielectric thin-films with high aspect-ratio surface structures, which are encountered more and more often in the novel design of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) in the NAND (Not-And)-type flash memory devices. Compared with the traditional thermal ALD method, PEALD allows for lower operating temperature and speeds up the deposition process with the involvement of plasma species. Despite its popularity, the development of PEALD operation policies remains a complicated and expensive task, which motivates the construction of an accurate and comprehensive simulation model. While existing models have described the individual or partially coupled domains, none of these models has captured all three domains in the PEALD process: surface reaction, macroscopic gas transport, and plasma generation. In this work, a comprehensive multiscale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is developed for a remote PEALD reactor used in the deposition of HfO2 thin-films. First, a previously developed kinetic Monte-Carlo (kMC) model is adapted for the multiscale simulation to describe the surface reactions. Then, two macroscopic models, specifically tailored for the remote plasma reactor, are formulated to describe the dynamic behaviors of the plasma generation and bulk species transport domains, respectively. Additionally, an integrated message passing interface (MPI) scheme is built to couple and resolve the communication between different scales in the model. The model results are then validated with experimental data and an automated workflow is established for model calculations without human intervention. Finally, a set of baseline operating conditions derived from the model simulation results is proposed to guarantee the production of high-quality thin-films.
Ethics @ Scale: Governing Responsible Innovation in the Cloud RE’20 Conference Keynote

Artificial Intelligence and the continued growth of Cloud is necessitating a sea change in the technology sector wherein ethics is becoming paramount. As ethics programs develop across the technology industry, practical and scalable governance is critical to safeguard against harms while developing responsible products for customers. Building upon the experiences of security and privacy programs, Responsible Innovation Governance is an approach to support the development of responsible products through a scalable program that translates ethical and legal issues into meaningful and practicable engineering solutions.This talk will discuss the basics of a Responsible Innovation Governance Program, focusing on structure, methodology, and associated challenges in both translating ethics into practical requirements and building out an at-scale program across the Cloud.
Anytime Kinodynamic Motion Planning using Region-Guided Search

Many kinodynamic motion planners have been developed that guarantee probabilistic completeness and asymptotic optimality for systems for which steering functions are available. Recently, some planners have been developed that achieve these properties of completeness and optimality without requiring a steering function. However, these planners have not taken strong advantage of heuristic guidance to speed their search. This paper introduces Region Informed Optimal Trees (RIOT), a sampling-based, asymptotically optimal motion planner for systems without steering functions. RIOT’s search is guided by a low-dimensional abstraction of the state space that is updated during planning for better guidance. Simulation results suggest RIOT is adaptable, scalable, and more effective on difficult problems than previous work.
Note, Antitrust-Divestiture is Available to a Private Plaintiff Under Section 16 of the Clayton Act

Defendant McClatchy Newspapers purchased KOVR-TV in 1965 with the approval of the Federal Communications Commission. Plaintiff, an extensive advertiser, contended that defendant's acquisition of advertising media in central California created a continuing threat of injury to his business in violation of the antitrust laws.' Although not claiming actual injury, plaintiff sought a decree requiring defendant to divest his stock in KOVR-TV. Defendant moved to dismiss, contending divestiture was not an available remedy in a private antitrust suit. Motion denied. Divestiture is available to a private plaintiff under section 16 of the Clayton Act.2. Antitrust remedies include injunctions, damages, and divestitures. The first two remedies were specifically granted to private litigants by the Clayton Act in 1914.8 Divestiture is not mentioned in the antitrust laws except where the power to decree it is granted certain regulatory boards. 4 Although divestiture is an equitable remedy frequently issued in government antitrust suits,5 it has yet to be issued in a private suit under section 16. Section 16 entitles private litigants to injunctive relief from threatened injury resulting from a violation of the antitrust laws. To obtain relief, the complaining party must prove that the alleged offender either has violated the antitrust laws or is about to do so, and that because of this violation he is threatened with loss or injury. He must show potential injury in his private capacity and not simply as a member of the general public.
Acute central and peripheral nervous system injury associated with coronavirus disease 2019: recognition and treatment strategies.

Purpose of review Acute central and peripheral nervous system injury may occur in association with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus. This review will assist readers to recognize neurologic manifestations associated with COVID-19 including common and life-threatening symptoms and diagnostic testing. We will also review current recommendations for treatment of neurologic injury associated with COVID-19 infection in children. Recent findings Data from systematic reviews and prospectively collected cohorts of children with COVID-19 are beginning to characterize the breadth of neurologic manifestations associated with COVID-19 in the acute infectious and postinfectious periods. Among hospitalized children in particular, neurologic symptoms are common. Life threatening conditions including encephalitis, myelitis, stroke, and demyelinating syndromes have been reported. Within the pediatric population, age, and preexisting neurologic conditions appear to be important factors in determining likely phenotypes. Treatment at this time is based on careful neuromonitoring, supportive care, and neuromodulatory therapies as indicated. Summary Neurologic symptoms are common in children with COVID-19 and may be life threatening. The pathophysiology, therapeutic options, and long-term outcomes from COVID-19 associated neurologic injury are currently being investigated.
Direct liquefaction of waste plastics and coliquefaction of waste plastics with coal

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the liquefaction reactions of polyethylene (PE), commingled waste plastic, coliquefaction reactions of PE, polypropylene (PPE), and Black Thunder sub-bituminous coal. Several different catalysts are used in these studies. The results established that a solid acid catalyst is highly active for the liquefaction of the plastics alone, typically giving oil yields of 80–95% and total conversions of 90–100% at temperatures of 430–450 °C. In the co liquefaction experiments, 50:50 mixtures of plastic and coal are used with a tetralin solvent. Using 1% of the solid acid catalyst and a nanoscale iron catalyst, oil yields of 50–70%, and total conversions of 80–90% are typical.
A comparison of visual prey detection among species of piscivorous salmonids: effects of light and low turbidities

Differences in reaction distance to prey fish by piscivorous salmonids can alter predator–prey interactions under different visual conditions. We compared reaction distances of three piscivorous salmonids commonly found in western lakes: cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarki utah, rainbow trout, O. mykiss, and the nonnative lake char, Salvelinus namaycush. Reaction distances to salmonid prey were measured as functions of light and turbidity in a controlled laboratory setting. In addition, predation rates and swimming speeds of lake char preying on juvenile cutthroat trout were measured experimentally under a range of light levels. Reaction distances for cutthroat trout and rainbow trout increased rapidly as light levels increased, reaching relatively constant reaction distances at higher light levels. Reaction distances for lake char were similar to cutthroat trout and rainbow trout at the lower light levels; however, lake char reaction distances continued to increase with increasing light intensity to asymptote at distances 65% higher than those for both cutthroat and rainbow trout. Predation rates by lake char were low for the darkest light levels, increased rapidly under low light levels (0.50–0.75 lx), and then declined to an intermediate rate at all higher light levels. Swimming speeds by lake char also increased rapidly from extremely low light conditions to a peak and declined to an intermediate level at light levels above 1.00 lx. These results suggest that, above the saturation intensity threshold, piscivorous lake char react to fish prey at greater distances than do cutthroat trout and rainbow trout. These differences may help explain the decline of native trout following the introductions of nonnative lake char in lakes and reservoirs of western North America.
Magnetic grating echo from room temperature Rb atoms

We have initiated a new class of coherent transient experiments with Doppler-broadened atoms confined in a vapor cell. A spatially modulated coherence is created between magnetic sublevels of the F=3 ground state of /sup 85/Rb by a "standing wave" pulse. This pulse consists of two opposite circularly polarized traveling waves with wave vectors K/sub 1/ and K/sub 2/ at a small angle /spl theta/. The coherence grating is probed by the application of a "readout" pulse along K/sub 2/. The resulting coherent emission along K/sub 1/ is detected by a heterodyne technique.
Estimating Moving Average Parameters: Classical Pileups and Bayesian Posteriors

We analyze posterior distributions of the moving average parameter in the first-order case and sampling distributions of the corresponding maximum likelihood estimator. Sampling distributions “pile up” at unity when the true parameter is near unity; hence if one were to difference such a process, estimates of the moving average component of the resulting series would spuriously tend to indicate that the process was overdifferenced. Flat-prior posterior distributions do not pile up, however, regardless of the parameter's proximity to unity; hence caution should be taken in dismissing evidence that a series has been overdifferenced.
Risk, learning, and technology adoption

This article explores how decision makers learn and use information, with an application to the adoption of biotechnology in agriculture. The empirical analysis relies on experimental and survey data measuring risk preferences, learning processes, and the adoption of genetically modified (GM) seeds among U.S. grain farmers. While controlling for risk aversion, we link individual learning rules with the cognitive abilities of each decision maker and their actual GM adoption decisions. We find evidence that very few individuals are Bayesian learners, and that the population of farmers is quite heterogeneous in terms of learning rules. This suggests that Bayesian learning (as commonly assumed in the analysis of agricultural technology adoption) is not an appropriate characterization. In addition, we do not find a strong relationship between observed learning styles and the timing of GM seed adoption. To the extent that learning is a key part of the process of technology adoption, this suggests the presence of much unobserved heterogeneity in learning among farmers.
Positivity and strict contractivity of functions of operators

Caratheodory class functionsf(z) are described having the property that the self-adjoint part off(A) is positive definite for every contractionA whose spectral radius is less than 1. Analogous results are obtained for bounded analytic functions in the unit disc, and for the Nevanlinna class. Applications to Markov chains are indicated.
Approximate acceleration: a path through the era of dark silicon and big data

Performance is the raw material for computing. For more than 40 years, consistent and exponential improvement in transistor scaling coupled with continuous advances in general-purpose processor design has exponentially reduced its cost. However, as we enter the dark silicon era (as we projected in our study [1, 2] and others corroborate [3]), the benefits from transistor scaling are diminishing and the current paradigm of processor design significantly falls short of the traditional cadence of performance improvements due to power limitations. Performance has hit the power wall. These shortcomings can drastically curtail the industry's ability to continuously deliver new capabilities, breaking the backbone of its economic ecosystem. These challenges have coincided with the big data revolution. The rate of data generation is increasing at an overwhelming rate that is beyond the capabilities of current computing systems to match. Expert analyses show that the zettabyte barrier was cracked in 2010. In 2011, the amount of information generated surpassed 1.8 zettabytes (trillion gigabytes). By 2020, consumers will generate 50x this staggering figure [4]. While data generation is quadrupling each year, modern processors have seen a performance improvement of roughly 10--15% every two years. Worse yet, the long-standing memory sub-system bottlenecks--long access latency, bounded communication bandwidth, and limited capacity--leave little hope of managing this explosion of data through traditional incremental improvements. Moreover, many IoT objects (wearable devices/environmental sensors) must operate on hard-to-replace batteries or harvest energy from intermittent ambient sources. The application timeliness and the limited capacity of the wireless link compound the challenges arising from the power constraints. Given the scale of the problem, transformative research is essential across many domains, including computing, communication, and even control.
Numerical simulations of photoionized plasmas: applications to astrophysical and laboratory environments

A wide variety of astrophysical objects, ranging from newly formed stars to accreting black holes, produce ionizing radiation. Nearby material will reprocess these photons into other forms of light. Depending on the geometry, we will observe such gas through either an emission or absorption line spectrum. Such clouds are detected across the electromagnetic spectrum and detailed analysis can reveal such vital parameters as the composition of the gas and the form of the ionizing radiation field. The gas is in a non-equilibrium state due to its low density and the presence of a wide range of non-thermal energy sources. The spectrum is typically analyzed with the help of large-scale numerical simulations. This paper describes recent developments of Cloudy, a code that performs such simulations, and outlines applications to star forming regions, active galactic nuclei, and laboratory plasmas.
Demonstration of high-speed 1D Raman scattering line imaging

In this manuscript, we demonstrate high-speed (10-kHz acquisition rate) 1D Raman scattering line imaging under turbulent flow conditions. Because of the inherently weak scattering process, Raman scattering measurements typically require high laser pulse energies that are not available from commercial high-repetition-rate laser systems. Using a custom pulse-burst laser system at OSU, we demonstrate the ability to generate a series of high-energy laser pulses with 100 μs pulse separations, which can be used for high-speed Raman scattering imaging. The ultimate goal is a capability of quantitatively measuring all major combustion species and deducing time-varying mixture fraction profiles in turbulent combustion environments. Toward this goal, we report initial results depicting the Raman scattering imaging of O2, N2, CH4, and H2 in a turbulent non-reacting CH4/H2 jet issuing into air. To the authors’ knowledge, this represents the first reported temporally-sequential 1D image sequences of major species measured via high-speed Raman scattering.
EBSD for microstructure and property characterization of the SiC-coating in TRISO fuel particles

Abstract Tristructural-isotropic (TRISO)-coated particle fuel is being developed for use in the Next Generation Nuclear Plant. The reliable and precise characterization of the microstructure and properties of the SiC layer in the TRISO particle is essential for optimizing processing parameters to ensure reproducibility and performance of the coatings. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) is a time-efficient analytical tool for obtaining a wealth of information on the SiC layer. In this study, we report the application of EBSD to the analysis of the SiC layer in a TRISO particle. The SiC layer identified as 3C–SiC with an average elastic stiffness of ∼402 GPa was mainly composed of random boundaries with a small fraction of low-Σ CSLBs. A few large grains, which were generally associated with local strains and tended to be columnar with the long axis oriented approximately along the TRISO particle radial direction, were observed in the SiC layer with an increased population from the IPyC–SiC to the SiC–OPyC interfaces.
Atmospheric pressure atomic layer epitaxy : mechanisms and applications

Abstract Atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) has been adapted for hybrid use with conventional atmospheric pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) by using organometallic precursors for the column III elements. Saturation of the growth rate to one monolayer per cycle is observed over a range of growth parameters by thermally driven and laser (or light) driven reactions. The mechanisms causing this saturation are investigated using empirical growth studies and surface reaction studies in UHV conditions. It is concluded that the useful range of ALE growth temperatures for GaAs using metal alkyls is limited by gas phase reactions which frustrate the basic saturation process. Strategies for overcoming this limitation to achieve general purpose epitaxial growth by ALE are described.