cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discontinuous Galerkin methods for non-linear elasticity

This paper presents the formulation and a partial analysis of a class of discontinuous Galerkin methods for quasistatic non-linear elasticity problems. These methods are endowed with several salient features. The equations that define the numerical scheme are the Euler–Lagrange equations of a one-field variational principle, a trait that provides an elegant and simple derivation of the method. In consonance with general discontinuous Galerkin formulations, it is possible within this framework to choose different numerical fluxes. Numerical evidence suggests the absence of locking at near-incompressible conditions in the finite deformations regime when piecewise linear elements are adopted. Finally, a conceivable surprising characteristic is that, as demonstrated with numerical examples, these methods provide a given accuracy level for a comparable, and often lower, computational cost than conforming formulations. Stabilization is occasionally needed for discontinuous Galerkin methods in linear elliptic problems. In this paper we propose a sufficient condition for the stability of each linearized non-linear elastic problem that naturally includes material and geometric parameters; the latter needed to account for buckling. We then prove that when a similar condition is satisfied by the discrete problem, the method provides stable linearized deformed configurations upon the addition of a standard stabilization term. We conclude by discussing the complexity of the implementation, and propose a computationally efficient approach that avoids looping over both elements and element faces. Several numerical examples are then presented in two and three dimensions that illustrate the performance of a selected discontinuous Galerkin method within the class. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optically induced extraordinarily large negative orientational nonlinearity in dye-doped liquid crystal

Laser induced large negative reorientational nonlinearities are observed in dye-doped liquid crystal. The effect is attributed to intermolecular torque exerted by the photoexcited dye molecules, which causes the liquid crystal axis to realign in a direction orthogonal to the optical electric field. Optical nonlinearity as large as 10/sup -2/ cm/sup 2//W in a 37- mu m-thick sample has been observed. In some highly absorptive dyed liquid crystal, the orientational effect can be much larger than the thermal effect. >
Impulse Encoding Across the Dendritic Morphologies of Retinal Ganglion Cells

Impulse encoding across the dendritic morphologies of retinal ganglion cells. Nerve impulse entrainment and other excitation and passive phenomena are analyzed for a morphologically diverse and exh...
Push-pull circuits using n-p-n and p-n-p InP-based HBT's for power amplification

P-n-p heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) have been combined with n-p-n HBTs in a push-pull amplifier in order to obtain improved linearity characteristics. Simulations of common-collector push-pull amplifiers demonstrate an improvement of 14 dB in second harmonic content at the onset of power saturation under class-B operation. Further improvement of 14 dB in the third harmonic content is shown by moving to class-AB operation at an expense of 4% decreased efficiency. A common-emitter push-pull amplifier was fabricated using both n-p-n and p-n-p HBTs with external matching and couplers. Testing of the circuit under class-AB conditions showed better third-order intermodulation (by /spl sim/9 dBc) and smaller second harmonic content (by /spl sim/11 dBc) compared with n-p-n HBTs alone. While the second harmonics were shown to combine destructively in the push-pull amplifier, total cancellation of the second harmonic was prevented by the wide difference in linearity characteristics of the n-p-n and p-n-p HBTs. In addition, the circuit produced over 2 dBm more output power than the n-p n HBT alone at 1 dB of gain compression.
How do parents find out about the ketogenic diet

It has been previously reported that child neurologists often view the ketogenic diet (KD) as a treatment of last resort. An anonymous survey was provided to parents of 107 consecutive children starting the KD at our institution. The average time from epilepsy to KD onset was 2.8years, but the average wait time for KD onset was only 1.7months after referral. The most common reason for starting the KD was seizure reduction, followed by less intense seizures, medication reduction, and cognitive improvement. The majority (72%) obtained information about the KD from their neurologist; however, more than half also had viewed related websites. The mean neurologist supportiveness score was 7.9/10; 53% reporting their neurologist as maximally supportive (score of 10). A score of 10 was more likely seen in those who also scored their pediatrician with 10 (69% vs. 15%, p<0.001) and who were self-referred from our institution (56% vs. 27%, p=0.001).
The Politics of Health Reform: How Political Interests and Preferences Shape Political Strategy

advent of a new, engaging president; a poor economy; and soaring health care costs made the time ripe for major health reformboth in 1993 and now in 2009. In 1994, Americans came to associate health care reform with a couple named Harry and Louise who, sitting at the kitchen table, fretted over the hopeless maze of bureaucratic procedures and seeming lack of choice in the Clinton health care plan. But as the current "Harry and Louise" television ads demonstrate, the environment has changed. From our vantage points as APSA Congressional Fellowsone working for an influential moderate Democratic senator on a key committee and one working for a rank-and-file moderate Democratic House memberwe describe our view of the attempts to successfully pass health reform in the 111th Congress where similar attempts during the 103rd Congress failed.
Increased photon absorption and conversion in ternary bulk heterojunction systems of CdSe/CdS core-shell nanoparticles/methyl viologen composites, conjugated polymers, and fullerenes

Increasing the conversion of photon flux into electrical energy is the driving problem in organic photovoltaic research. We address this problem by incorporating CdSe/CdS Școre-shellș nanoparticles conjugated with methyl viologen (a strong electron acceptor) into two separate bulk heterojunction systems. The first is based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), and[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PC 61 BM), while the second is based on poly[(4,4-bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b; 3,4-b']-dithiophene-2,6-diyl)-alt- (2,1,3-benzothiadiazole-4,7-diyl)] (PCPDTBT) and PC 61 BM. We show that in both cases the addition of these nanoparticle composites can lead to an increase in photocurrent. However the nature of the photocurrent increase could be through direct absorption and/or indirect mechanisms depending on the system.
Hyperspectral microscopy as an analytical tool for nanomaterials

Hyperspectral microscopy is an advanced visualization technique that combines hyperspectral imaging with state-of-the-art optics and computer software to enable the rapid identification of materials at the micro- and nanoscales. Achieving this level of resolution has traditionally required time-consuming and costly electron microscopy techniques. While hyperspectral microscopy has already been applied to the analysis of bulk materials and biologicals, it shows extraordinary promise as an analytical tool to locate individual nanoparticles and aggregates in complex samples through rapid optical and spectroscopic identification. This technique can be used to not only screen for the presence of nanomaterials, but also to locate, identify, and characterize them. It could also be used to identify a subset of samples that would then move on for further analysis via other advanced metrology. This review will describe the science and origins of hyperspectral microscopy, examine current and emerging applications in life science, and examine potential applications of this technology that could improve research efficiency or lead to novel discoveries.
Interval observer design for LPV systems with parametric uncertainty

Observer design for dynamical systems with both known and unknown time-varying parameters is of significant interest in a number of real-world applications. This class of systems has been rarely addressed in the existing literature. This paper develops an interval observer design methodology for linear parameter varying (LPV) systems with parametric uncertainty. With information on upper and lower bounds of the uncertain parameters, an interval observer that produces an envelope covering all possible state trajectories is presented. The application of the proposed algorithm in an important vehicle state estimation problem which aims at minimizing the worst-case envelope of the side-slip-angle estimate in the presence of uncertain tire cornering stiffness parameters and varying vehicle speed is presented. The obtained observer is evaluated in simulation using CarSim, a commercial industry-standard vehicle simulation software. The results verify the value of the developed observer design method.
Second messenger production in avian medullary nephron segments in response to peptide hormones

We examined the sites of peptide hormone activation within medullary nephron segments of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) kidney by measuring rates of hormone-induced generation of cyclic nucl...
The potential of 2-deoxy-2[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) for the detection of tumor involvement in lymph nodes

To assess the potential of FDG for PET imaging of nodal tumor metastases, we evaluated its uptake into normal lymph nodes, tumor-involved lymph nodes, and subcutaneous tumor xenografts in rodents. Normal lymph nodes in mice and rats accumulate FDG moderately, developing node/blood ratios of 1.3-11.9/1 at 2 hr following i.v. injection. By contrast, FDG given subcutaneously to healthy Sprague Dawley rats developed very high normal draining lymph node/blood ratios (272/1) versus 7.7/1 by i.v. injection. In nude mice, subcutaneous human ovarian cancer xenografts had 1.27-fold more uptake relative to blood than did normal popliteal lymph nodes. Subcutaneous tumor xenografts of rat breast cancer developed tumor/normal node uptake ratios of 4.91 +/- 0.43/1 and tumor/blood ratios of 6.6 +/- 0.9 at 2 hr postinjection. Mouse nodes involved with 38C13 murine B-cell lymphoma had mean node/blood ratios of 42.9 +/- 6.7/1 and tumored node/normal lymph node uptake of 6.3/1. Thus, FDG given intravenously but not subcutaneusly (due to high normal nodal uptake) has potential as an agent for the detection of metastatic tumors in regional lymph nodes using PET scanning.
Order Parameters for Confinement

There are certain observables whose behavior indicates that a gauge system is, or is not, in a phase of magnetic disorder. These are the Wilson loop, the Polyakov loop, the ‘t Hooft loop, and the vortex free energy. The Wilson loop has been discussed already, to some extent. The Polyakov loop is a Wilson loop which winds around a finite, periodic lattice in the time direction; it is a crucial probe of center symmetry and the high temperature deconfinement phase transition, in which center symmetry is spontaneously broken. The ‘t Hooft loop is an operator which creates an object known as a center vortex. The center vortex scenario for confinement will be discussed in some detail in Chaps. 6 and 7.
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma manifesting as follicular isthmus cysts in a cat.

Case summaryA 9-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat was examined for swelling of the right upper lip. The cat had been receiving oral ciclosporin A for eosinophilic plaques. The swelling ...
Microclimatic Moisture and Conidial Production in Erynia sp. (Entomophthorales: Entomophthoraceae): In Vivo Moisture Balance and Conidiation Phenology

Weight change of alfalfa weevil larvae infected with an Erynia fungus was compared with that of noninfected larvae at different saturation deficits. As expected, the developing fungus was generally sensitive to changes in atmospheric water concentration. Weight loss of infected larvae decreased as saturation deficit levels decreased. Typically, percent weight loss of infected larvae was > percent weight loss of noninfected dead larvae during the ca. 7-h period between rhizoid emergence and initial conidial discharge. Above 1.5-mm-Hg saturation deficit, infected larvae in the weight tract experiments formed rhizoids and pseudocystidia but not conidiophores. The data suggested a water loss threshold (based on weight change) for conidiophore emergence in the 1.5- to 1.8-mm-Hg saturation deficit range. Overall, infected larvae lost more water than did noninfected dead larvae. This was primarily due to loss of cuticle integrity and increased surface area available for evaporation. Based on these factors and the shape of the weight track for infected larvae, it was inferred that diffusion processes are highly influential to maintenance and development of conidiophore production.
Characteristic-line-based model predictive control for hyperbolic distributed parameter systems and its application

A novel model predictive control(MPC) scheme is proposed for a class of hyperbolic distributed parameter systems.By using the characteristics line method,we transform the partial differential equation(PDE) of the hyperbolic distributed-parameter system to an equivalent ordinary differential equation(ODE) along the characteristic line.The obtained ODE can be integrated analytically to give the solution to the original PDE.The analytical expression of this solution is discretized to produce the predictive model for developing the off-line MPC control law.Simulation results of the control system for the output SO2 concentration in a circulating fluidized bed of a flue gas desulfurization system indicate that the characteristic-line-based MPC scheme can be applied to control hyperbolic distributed parameter systems for obtaining better performance in setpoint tracking and disturbance rejection than the feedforward-feedback control scheme which is widely applied to the engineering fields.
Triple C Model of Project Management : Communication, Cooperation, and Coordination

Project Management: the discipline of organizing and managing resources so that a project is completed within defined scope, quality, time, and cost constraints. Oh, if only it really was that simple. Once you have the specs of the project, it is time to get down to business and manage people. And therein lies many a problem. Fuzzy, ambiguous, and
A Perspective From the National Consortium for Secondary STEM Schools

This article addresses the role of National Consortium for Secondary STEM Schools in the process of data-informed decision-making for both improving and addressing achievement gaps in participatory...
A Family Friendly Force: Providing a Family Visitation Option for SAC Alert Crews

On January 16, 1974, commanders at McConnell Air Force Base near Wichita, Kansas, and members of the local media ate a lunch of steak and baked potatoes. A photograph in the official base newspaper shows a woman in a beehive hairdo about to hand a plate over cafeteria glass to one of the honored guests. The occasion was the opening of a new alert center, ready to house up to twenty-four member crews of KC-135 airplanes. The base paper called it "the newest and finest alert facility in all the Strategic Air Command" (SAC) and a "vast improvement over old alert facilities." 1 The Wichita Eagle was more objective in its description but did call the center "a one-of-a-kind alert facility." 2
Seat Belt Messaging for Diverse Populations

In the United States, Hispanics and African Americans are disproportionately killed and injured in motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) compared with non-Hispanic Whites. In 2013, more African Americans died from MVC-related injuries than any other unintentional injury, and 64.5% of fatally injured Hispanic youth (ages 15-20) were unrestrained or otherwise incorrectly belted at the time of the crash. As the minority population in the US continues to increase, it is imperative to develop effective and culturally sensitive countermeasures to reach those most at risk of death and injury from MVCs. The Hispanic Toolkit and the African American toolkit were developed using cultural competency strategies to encourage an increase in seat belt use. The Hispanic Toolkit includes bilingual brochures, posters, and radio/video public safety announcements that address common attitudes and practices among recently emigrated Latinos regarding traffic safety culture. The African American toolkit includes E-blasts, fact sheets, and an educational power point to engage local African American organizations in educating their communities and encourage traffic safety behaviors. Both toolkits are user friendly and can be downloaded online.
Abstract P086: Superoxide but Not Hydrogen Peroxide Increases Nuclear Translocation of Transcription Factor Sp3 and AT1 Receptor Expression in the Renal Cells

Age-associated oxidative stress causes up-regulation of renal AT1 receptor function (AT1R) and hypertension in aging Fischer Brown Norway (FBN) rats. Here we studied the mechanism of up-regulation of renal AT1R, and further tested superoxide Vs hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) specificity in this phenomenon. We found that transcription factor Sp3 plasmid increased (Control vs Sp3: 0.1165 ± 0.01 vs 0.3810 ± 0.03) while Sp3 siRNA decreased (Control siRNA vs Sp3 siRNA: 1.11 ± 0.25 vs 0.64 ± 0.06) the levels of AT1 receptor protein in human kidney (HK2) cells. Whereas transcription factor NF-kB p-65 plasmid did not affect AT1 receptor protein levels in these cells (Control vs NF-kB: 0.25 ± 0.025 vs 0.31 ± 0.035). DDC, a superoxide prodrug, but not H 2 O 2 treatments increased nuclear levels of Sp3 and NF-kB proteins in HK2 cells [(Control vs DDC, vs H 2 O 2, vs H 2 O 2 + tempol): Sp3 (0.50 ± 0.08 vs 1.28 ± 0.21 vs 0.68 ± 0.14 vs 1.04 ± 0.30 densities); NF-kB (0.4025 ± 0.13 vs 1.808 ± 0.54 vs 0.4950 ± 0.15 vs 0.6375 vs ± 0.18 densities)]. Tempol treatment, a superoxide scavenger, attenuated DDC-mediated nuclear accumulation of Sp3 (DDC vs DDC + tempol: 1.28 ± 0.21 vs 0.52 ± 0.12 densities) and NF-kB (DDC vs DDC + tempol: 1.808 ± .54 vs 0.43 ± 0.18 densities]. In addition, DDC but not H 2 O 2 increased AT1 receptor mRNA expression, measured by RT-qPCR [(Control vs DDC, vs H 2 O 2 ): (1.000 ± 0.0 vs 3.323 ± 0.79, vs 1.218 ± 0.49)]. This effect was attenuated by tempol treatment [(DDC vs DDC + tempol) (3.323 ± 0.79 vs 0.7225 ± 0.16 densities)]. Similarly, DDC treatment increased AT1 receptor protein expression that was attenuated by tempol treatment, measured by immunoblotting [(Control vs DDC vs DDC + Tempol) (0.3535 ± 0.99 vs 0.9975 ± 0.19 vs 0.3250 ± 0.02 densities)]. These results suggest that superoxide but not H 2 O 2 regulates both Sp-3 and NF-kB in the renal cells. However, it is Sp3 but not NF-kB that up-regulates renal AT1 receptor expression. Taken together, this phenomenon may represent a mechanism for hypertension in aging FBNs.
Meta-Lens Doublet in the Visible Region

Recently, developments in meta-surfaces have allowed for the possibility of a fundamental shift in lens manufacturing—from the century-old grinding technology to nanofabrication—opening a way toward mass producible high-end meta-lenses. Inspired by early camera lenses and to overcome the aberrations of planar single-layered meta-lenses, we demonstrate a compact meta-lens doublet by patterning two metasurfaces on both sides of a substrate. This meta-lens doublet has a numerical aperture of 0.44, a focal length of 342.5 μm, and a field of view of 50° that enables diffraction-limited monochromatic imaging along the focal plane at a wavelength of 532 nm. The compact design has various imaging applications in microscopy, machine vision, and computer vision.
El papel de la investigación translacional en la enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal.

The idiopathic inflammatory bowel diseases, broadly classified as either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, are caused by a dysregulated mucosal immune response to a luminal antigen, possibly a bacterium, in a genetically predisposed host. A rapid expansion of knowledge in recent years has greatly increased our understanding of the pathophysiology of these disorders. For example, the relatively recent discovery of the NOD2 gene, a protein involved in bacterial sensing, has provided further evidence of the complex interplay between hosts and microbes in Crohn's disease. Significant recent advances have also occurred with the discovery of the role of Toll-like receptors and dendritic cells in the development of gut inflammation, and the role of proinflammatory cytokines in the development and potentiation of gut inflammation. This article presents an update on these key developments and emphasizes the translational aspects of research that are directly related to patient care.
On the Lower Tail of Gaussian Measures on lp

Throughout this paper \( (\xi_k)_{k=1}^{\infty} \) denotes a sequence of independent, centered, Gaussian random variables with variance one. We shall study the behavior of $$ P((\sum_{k\geq 1}a_{k}|\xi _{k}|^{p})^{1/p}\leq \varepsilon) $$ as e → 0+ for p > 0 where \( (a_{k})_{k=1}^{\infty} \) is a given sequence of positive numbers and \( \sum_{k\geq1}a_{k}< +\infty \).
Reliability and Security

Considerable commonality exists between reliability and security. Both are weak-link phenomena. Good design involves avoiding single weak links. However, on many occasions, multiple weak links can be, and have been, known to occur — accidentally or intentionally.
On the diversity of cluster workloads and its impact on research results

Six years ago, Google released an invaluable set of scheduler logs which has already been used in more than 450 publications. We find that the scarcity of other data sources, however, is leading researchers to overfit their work to Google's dataset characteristics. We demonstrate this overfitting by introducing four new traces from two private and two High Performance Computing (HPC) clusters. Our analysis shows that the private cluster workloads, consisting of data analytics jobs expected to be more closely related to the Google workload, display more similarity to the HPC cluster workloads. This observation suggests that additional traces should be considered when evaluating the generality of new research. To aid the community in moving forward, we release the four analyzed traces, including: the longest publicly available trace spanning all 61 months of an HPC cluster's lifetime and a trace from a 300,000-core HPC cluster, the largest cluster with a publicly available trace. We present an analysis of the private and HPC cluster traces that spans job characteristics, workload heterogeneity, resource utilization, and failure rates. We contrast our findings with the Google trace characteristics and identify affected work in the literature. Finally, we demonstrate the importance of dataset plurality and diversity by evaluating the performance of a job runtime predictor using all four of our traces and the Google trace.
The evolutionary anthropology of political leadership

Abstract Existing approaches within leadership studies often share a bias towards industrialized societies and lack broader cross-cultural and ethological reference. Meanwhile, cross-cultural and evolutionary approaches within anthropology are actively working to unify research on leadership and followership across the biological and social sciences. This review provides a novel and thorough view of political leadership as investigated by evolutionary anthropologists and highlights the benefits of incorporating findings from the evolutionary social sciences into leadership studies generally. We introduce the anthropological approach to leadership; describe evolutionary anthropology, its subdisciplines (including primatology, paleoanthropology, paleogenetics, human behavioral ecology, and gene-culture coevolution), and its complementary disciplines (particularly evolutionary psychology); review leadership and hierarchy in nonhumans, including our extinct hominid ancestors; review female leadership and sex-differences; and, primarily, discuss the relationships between evolution, ecology, and culture as they relate to the observed patterns of political leadership and followership across human societies. Through evolutionary anthropology's diverse toolkit, a deeper insight into the evolution and cross-cultural patterning of leadership is realized.
Bronchial thermoplasty-an update

Bronchial Thermoplasty is a procedure that involves the delivery of radiofrequency energy during bronchoscopy to airways in order to selectively ablate airway smooth muscles. Bronchial Thermoplasty was approved by the FDA in 2010 and remains the only device based non-pharmacological treatment approach for severe asthma. We appraise the trials leading to the approval of Bronchial Thermoplasty in light of the FDA approval process. Current international guidelines regarding use of Bronchial Thermoplasty and emering pharmacological options for severe asthma are reviewed.
A Pilot Phase II Trial of Combining Extracorporeal Photopheresis (ECP) and Low Dose IL-2 for Treatment of Sclerodermatous Steroid Refractory Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease (cGvHD)

Chronic GVHD remains as the major cause of morbidity and mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Systemic corticosteroids are the first line of therapy, but outcomes are poor in steroid refractory (SR) patients. Previous reports show that in SR patients, IL-2 therapy results in partial response (PR) associated with increase in regulatory T cells (Tregs). ECP has been used for cGVHD with skin response rates of 40-100%. Based on non-overlapping toxicities and, we prospectively studied a combination of low dose IL-2 + ECP to treat SR-cGVHD. Patients with SR-cGVHD, were treated with low dose IL-2 (1 × 106 U/m2, daily) + ECP for 12 weeks. IL-2 was provided by Prometheus Laboratories. ECP was administered 2 times/week for 4 weeks followed by 2 treatments every 2 weeks for the next 8 weeks. The NIH consensus criteria was used to assess cGVHD severity. PBMC and plasma samples were banked at baseline and on 3-week intervals to assess regulatory T cell (Tregs) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Of the 12 consented patients, 9 completed the study (2 were not treated due to rapid disease progression before enrollment and 1 died from sepsis at week 11). All enrolled patients (n=10) had scleroderma as the predominant cGVHD manifestation. Median age was 45.6 years (range: 23-66). Median prior lines of therapy were 4.2(range 3-6), 5 patients had prior exposure to ruxolitinib and 4 were on ECP at the enrollment. Donors were fully matched unrelated (n=8), matched sibling (n=1) or mismatched unrelated (n=1). Conditioning regimen was myeloablative (n=5) or reduced intensity (n=4). GVHD prophylaxis was tacrolimus/Sirolimus (tac/sir) (n=6), tac/methotrexate (MTX) (n=2), or Tac/sir/MTX (n=1). Of the 10 enrolled patients, 9 responded to IL-2 + ECP combination (all classified as PR). A 37% dose reduction in steroid dose was noted among 7 patients. The remaining 3 patients were on stable steroid dose at end of study. Only 1 patient had progressive cGVHD in form of scleroderma. ECP+IL-2 therapy was well tolerated with no drug related serious adverse events (SAE). Grade 3-4 AEs included grade 3 metabolic and nutrition (n=8), grade 3 anemia (n=3), and grade 4 atrial flutter (n=1). Infectious complications were noted in 3 patients (one grade 4 [sepsis]). There was a robust increase in Tregs from the baseline mean of 0.755% (range 0.08-1.88) to end of treatment 6.999% (range 0.78-17.13) [p=0.02] Fig 1. Increment in Tregs was seen in patients who were on ECP therapy prior to enrollment (n=4) and in one patient who progressed while on therapy. No correlation was found between the treatment response and ROS levels. In conclusion, the combination of ECP +IL-2 is well tolerated in patients with SR-cGVHD with no apparent increase in infectious complications or other toxicities. Clinical response correlates with a robust increase in Tregs, but no correlation was found with ROS levels.
Multi-Armed Bandit Beam Alignment and Tracking for Mobile Millimeter Wave Communications

We propose a novel beam alignment and tracking algorithm for time-varying millimeter wave channels with a dynamic channel support. Millimeter wave beam alignment is challenging due to the expected large number of antennas. A multi-armed bandit training beam selection policy is used to balance exploration of the set of feasible beams. We track the channel using a synthesis of sparse Bayesian learning and Kalman filtering and smoothing. Results show our algorithm has a more rapid rate of initial beam alignment compared to other beam selection policies and, for dynamic channel support, long-term beamforming gain commensurate to omni-directional training.
The Natural History of Vocal Fold Cysts.

Objective To determine the natural history of vocal fold cysts, by undertaking a retrospective analysis of data from a single clinical institute. Methods All patients diagnosed with vocal fold cysts were identified from January 2006 to June 2018. A total of 87 patients that elected not to have surgery or who had an interval of observation greater than 90 days prior to surgical intervention were further analyzed. The primary outcome was whether the cyst enlarged, reduced in size, resolved or ruptured. The secondary outcome measures were whether cyst characteristics (translucent or opaque by gross appearance and/or the presence of inflammation), voice therapy or duration of follow up (≤/> 300 days) had an impact upon natural history. Results There were 65 females and 22 males (47 years ±17). The mean duration of follow up was 589 days (Range 21 - 4523 days). The majority of cysts did not change (70.11%). The rest enlarged (12.64%), reduced in size (13.79%), resolved (1.15%) or ruptured (1.15%). There was no statistically significant relationship between the presence or absence of clinical signs of inflammation (P = .633) or voice therapy (P = .785) on natural history. There was an equivocal relationship between gross cyst appearance and natural history (P = .054), however there was a statistically significant relationship between the duration of follow up (P = .006) and natural history. Conclusion Most vocal fold cysts appear to remain static in size over time. About 30% change, with half of these enlarging and half shrinking. In addition to some possibility of change in size, there is a small chance of resolution or spontaneous rupture with potentially serious consequences to the voice. Level of evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 130:2202-2207, 2020.
Developing a longline/jig sentinel survey program for an area with limited monitoring and fishing efforts

Abstract Areas, such as coastal eastern Gulf of Maine (GOM), perceived to have low density of target fish species and having high density fixed gear, are often subject to low fishing pressure and not well monitored. This can lead to a shortage of information regarding the fine scale dynamics of groundfish populations. Sentinel surveys are commonly developed for such areas with little monitoring and commercial fishing activity as a cost effective way to collect relevant data for monitoring the dynamics of fish stocks. In this study, we outline an approach that utilizes information from other survey programs and pilot study for designing a survey that satisfies both the wish of fishermen participants to contribute their knowledge and experience in determining groundfish abundance and distribution and the statistical rigor required for stock assessments. Through an analysis of spatial and density distribution of groundfish populations based on data from pilot seasons of the sentinel survey and other monitoring programs, we designed a survey that has good spatial and temporal coverage and captures the spatial variability in species composition and size structure of key species. The spatially explicit data collected in the program can contribute to a better understanding of groundfish stock status in the eastern GOM. The approach, although developed for the coastal eastern GOM, is also applicable to other areas with similar issues.
Whose Voices Are Heard? Speaker Gender Representation at the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting

Objective Gender disparities in academic medicine continue to be prevalent despite significant advances in the number of women entering medicine over the last decades. The purpose of the present study was to investigate gender representation of speakers at Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA) Annual Scientific Sessions meetings from 2015 to 2018. Design Observational study. Setting Internet analysis and cross-sectional survey. Participants Speakers at the SCA Annual Scientific Sessions meetings from 2015 to 2018. Interventions Individual speakers in the main program, problem-based learning discussions, workshops, and fellow sessions were analyzed for speaker gender. Speakers’ names, pronouns, institutional biographies, and accompanying images were matched with public online data and were used to identify gender. Gender data from the 2019 SCA Diversity Survey respondents were used to estimate gender of the SCA membership. Measurements and Main Results Between 2015 and 2018, the number of lectures given by women was 22% to 25%. A statistically significant difference was found in the expected versus observed proportion of women in speaking slots for all combined sessions (2015-2018; p = 0.0027, 0.0023, 0.0018, 0.025, respectively). There also was a statistically significant difference in the expected versus observed proportion of women in speaking slots in the main sessions (2015-2018; p ≤ 0.0001, 0.00069, 0.00019, 0.00019, respectively). For the workshops, problem-based learning discussions, and fellow sessions, no statistically significant difference was found in the observed versus expected proportion of women in speaker slots. Conclusions Between 2015 and 2018, the majority of lectures at the SCA annual meetings were given by men, with women consistently giving 22% to 25% of individual lectures. When all sessions were combined, there was a statistically significant difference in the expected versus observed proportion of women in speaking slots.
Prognosis and Decision-Making in Spinal Metastases

Following the diagnosis of spinal metastatic disease, patients, their families, and clinicians must formulate a treatment plan, make decisions regarding surgery, and coordinate expeditious care delivery. In many situations, the anticipated clinical course and recommendations regarding treatment are supported by prognostic utilities such as the Tokuhashi, Tomita, or modified Bauer score. These tools are not always appropriate for specific populations, however, and many of the scoring systems available have not been independently validated. At this time, there are several prognostic utilities and scoring systems intended to facilitate prognosis and decision-making regarding care. Beyond providing a structured rubric around which to discuss important factors to consider when determining treatment, the different scoring algorithms may not be congruent with each other and individual estimates can certainly be incorrect. Disagreements in reliability may stem from differences between the populations in which the scores were derived and the context in which they are being applied, advancements in oncology, radiation and surgical care in the modern age, and other (unmeasured) factors that may be important to prognosis and are not encapsulated in the scoring system employed. It is up to the provider to select the scoring tool that they feel works best for them and their patients and which seems to reasonably prognosticate outcomes in their specific practice.
The Meaning of Courage in Montaigne’s Essays

One of the most enduring puzzles of courage is its relation to technical or instrumental reason and the power such reason brings. For Michel de Montaigne (1533–92), the conquest of the New World sh...
Aperture Design for Learning-based Image Restoration

Learning-based method restores image information degraded by amplitude structure in the pupil plane. The fill-factor of aperture pattern determines the performance limit in the learning- based method. Experiments demonstrated 50% fill-factor is required for all spatial-frequencies recoveiy.
Safety of Ultrasound-guided Bedside Swan-ganz Catheter Insertion In Advanced Heart Failure And Cardiogenic Shock

Background Right heart catheterization (RHC) is a critical part of the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of advanced heart failure and cardiogenic shock. With increasing literature supporting mechanical ventricular assist devices, hemodynamic assessment in the acute setting is paramount to improving outcomes. This study is meant to evaluate the safety of ultrasound guided Swan-Ganz catheter (USSGC) insertion when compared to RHC done in the catheterization laboratory, with respect to major adverse events. Hypothesis USSGC insertion has a similar risk of serious adverse event when compared to RHC done in the catheterization laboratory with fluoroscopy. Methods Retrospective chart analysis was performed on patients admitted to Deborah Heart and Lung Center and undergoing RHC in a one-year period from 1/1/2019 until 12/31/2019. Clinical course was monitored following the procedure for major adverse events within 48 hours. Major adverse events related to the procedure were defined as pneumothorax requiring chest tube intervention, BARC bleeding class 3-5, pulmonary artery rupture, pulmonary infarction or venous fistula. These data were then compared between the two groups. The number of delayed days from the procedure recommendation until completion between the two groups was compared using negative binomial regression. Results Of 339 patients who underwent the procedure, 216 were performed at the bedside with USSGC, and 123 performed in the catheterization lab with fluoroscopy. There were no major adverse events in either groups. Delay to procedure was significantly lower in the USSGC group (0.02 days) compared to fluoroscopic group (1.4 days) which is a reduction of 33.6 hours in the USSGC group (P Conclusions Ultrasound guided Swan-Ganz right heart catheterization at the bedside appears to be equally as safe as fluoroscopic RHC done in the catheterization laboratory, as our analysis showed no major adverse events in both groups. Additionally, we found that USSGC insertion at the bedside was performed on average 1.4 days or 33.6 hours sooner than RHC in the catheterization lab. Further prospective studies are needed to see if rapid insertion of USSGC will lead to improved clinical outcomes in the setting of cardiogenic shock and advanced heart failure.
Cryptocurrency and the State: An Unholy Alliance

This article contextualizes the rise of cryptocurrency within the historical relationship between money and the state. It begins by asking two simple yet critical questions: What is money and where did it come from? Armed with the answers, the article proceeds by taking a fresh look at cryptocurrency through the lens of the credit theory of money. It finds that cryptocurrency, by using new technologies and incentive-based design, attempts to overcome the previous geographic limitations that hindered broad adoption of private currencies. Even with these innovations, cryptocurrency appeared unlikely to challenge the supremacy of sovereign money until Facebook announced the Libra project. Policymakers around the world instantly recognized the threat and opportunity Libra posed given Facebook’s scale. Facebook may not be a sovereign entity, but its power rivals that of most countries. Libra compelled a flurry of new proposals in the U.S. to address the fragmented nature of cryptocurrency regulation. In choosing next steps, Congress and regulators must be careful to ensure that regulatory clarity does not come at the expense of sovereign authority.
Racial Equity Policy That Moves Implicit Bias Beyond a Metaphor for Individual Prejudice to a Means of Exposing Structural Oppression

This case study follows a district racial equity initiative from policy formulation through implementation, and finally to the review of a high school discipline measure. The initiative had a consi...
Towards Abolishing the Rate of Interest in Contemporary

The purpose of this paper is to show that Metwally's conclusion suffers from misspecification biases. In the next section, I examine these potential biases and discuss possible ways to resolve them. I then outline in Section III an alternative money demand model and report the empirical results obtained for some Muslim economies. I analyze, in Section IV, the important issue of structural stability and present results from formal tests. Finally, I offer some concluding remarks in Section V.
Doping Control of Mg x Zn 1-x O Emitter through Fluorine Incorporation

Doping control of the emitter is critically important to high performance thin film photovoltaic devices. Here, we deposit magnesium zinc oxide (MZO) thin films for use as the emitter of CdTe-based devices through cosputtering of ZnO and MgO or MgF. The bandgap and sheet resistance of the MZO films are measured before and after the films are thermally processed under vacuum or in He environments. Through annealing of the films, they become conductive, but little bandgap or sheet resistance differences can be determined between the films deposited using the MgO target or the MgF target. Devices will be completed to determine if the addition of fluorine to the MZO film affects the emitter doping during device processing.
When Will Housing Recover

An interesting perspective on recent trends in the U.S. housing market is gained by noting how housing prices correspond to per capita income, a traditional measure of affordability. The ratio of housing prices to per capita income is high but close to historical norms in many regional markets. However, notable exceptions do exist. In California, housing prices recently reached levels relative to per capita income far above historical norms. A significant pricing correction has begun in that market. Similarly, housing prices are correcting sharply in Arizona, Florida, and Nevada. Investors need to be mindful of the potential for housing market-related losses and the potential for contagion among asset classes.
Gestational exposure to fatal police violence and pregnancy loss in US core based statistical areas, 2013-2015.

Abstract Background Fatal police violence in the United States disproportionately affects Black, Native American, and Hispanic people, and for these groups it is a racially oppressive population-level stressor that we hypothesize increases the risk of pregnancy loss. Focusing on core based statical areas (CBSAs) surrounding small and large urban centers, we accordingly tested whether gestational exposure to fatal police violence decreased the number of live births, which is reflective of a rise in lost pregnancies. Methods Our observational study linked microdata for all births (N = 7,709,300) in 520 CBSAs with at least one incident of fatal police violence in 2013–2015 to Fatal Encounters, a database that prospectively identified 2594 police-related fatalities using online media reports and public records. We estimated the association between month-to-month fatal police violence and conceptions resulting in live births using distributed lag quasi-Poisson models with CBSA-level fixed effects, adjusted for seasonality and stratified by maternal race/ethnicity. Findings For each additional police-related fatality that occurred in the first through sixth months of gestation, we observed a 0.14% decrease (95% confidence interval: 0.05%, 0.23%) in the total number of live births within CBSAs, and a 0.29% decrease in births to Black women (95% CI: 0.11%, 0.48%). The association was null for births to White women. Interpretation Our findings suggest fatal police violence may have population-level consequences for pregnancy loss and adds to the evidence regarding the importance of preventing these fatalities. Funding This study was supported in part by NIH grant P30ES00002 to MGW.
Polymer Nanocomposite Capacitors with Largely Reduced Conduction Loss Utilizing Wide-Bandgap Inorganic Nanofillers

Dielectric polymer film capacitor with high energy density and efficiency is one of the enabling technologies for the development of flexible electronics and power systems. Herein, we introduce wide-bandgap inorganic fillers into the polymer matrices to yield polymer nanocomposites. It is found that the leakage current is largely decreased, and the charge-discharge efficiency is significantly improved of the nanocomposites, especially at high fields and elevated temperatures, compared to polymer matrices. The increase in activation energy indicates that the presence of wide-bandgap nanofillers in the polymer matrix gives rise to a higher barrier to be overcome for occurring conduction processes. In addition, a strong dependence of high-field conduction behavior on the filler morphology is revealed. Compared to zero- and one-dimensional fillers, two-dimensional nanoplate enables the shortest hopping distance, and is the most efficient in inhibiting conduction loss of the polymer composites.
Multi-user Multi-carrier Underwater Acoustic Communications

We address the design of a multi-user system where each user employs multi-carrier modulation in the form of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). We present a transmission and detection method that combines OFDM with direct-sequence spread spectrum. Coding is employed across carriers in a manner that provides multi-user interference suppression along with subsequent channel estimation and data detection. We consider both coherent and differentially coherent data detection, each integrated with a custom-designed technique for Doppler frequency shift compensation. Using the recordings from the Mobile Acoustic Communication Experiment (MACE'10), where signals were transmitted in the 10.5 kHz – 15.5 kHz acoustic band over a shallow-water channel, we demonstrate the performance of the system in terms of the mean squared error for a varying number of users. We conclude that the proposed system is able to operate in the multi-user interference scenario while maintaining low computational complexity.
Indigenous Street Children in Ecuador: Contested Narratives of Mental Health and Disability

This chapter examines the psychosocial conditions that impact indigenous peoples and interrogates the constructs of indigeneity and mental illness by approaching gendered and racial dynamics that define the discursive and material conditions for indigenous people in Ecuador. The realities of these communities are examined through the use of a case vignette that highlights the dialectics of power and resistance that in the context of unresponsive institutional initiatives, further impact those who experience the influence of violence, trauma, substance abuse, and school dropout in indigenous Ecuador. This examination deploys disability studies frameworks to create the arguments around the variables studied and attempts to provide specific and objective actionable steps to address the complexities of these persons’ lives by the government and by mental health professionals.
The Economic Transition to High Technology Industrial Capitalism

The transition to high technology industrial capitalism is difficult. The world is divided into advanced capitalist nations, such as Germany and Japan, rapidly developing nations, such as China, South Korea and Brazil, and slowly developing nations, such as Egypt, Nigeria, and Thailand. With the collapse of Marxism-Leninism, the capitalist road seems like the only road to advanced economic status.
Promise and Pitfalls in Differentiating Amongst the Cs of Creativity

In a recent CRJ Comment, Runco (2014) outlined several problems with dichotomous representations of creativity, specifically the Big-C/little-c distinction. He also extended this concern to subdist...
Angiotensin II Dependent Regulation of TRPC6 Calcium Channels in the Podocytes of the STZ-induced Type 1 Diabetic Dahl SS Rats

Injury to podocytes (terminally differentiated epithelial cells of the glomeruli) is considered a major contributor to diabetic kidney disease, when podocyte loss causes proteinuria and progressive...