cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Properties of multilevel ramp edge junctions and SQUIDs with laser-ablated SrTiO/sub 3/ barriers

We have fabricated junctions and DC SQUIDs using laser ablation for both the YBCO electrodes and the thin SrTiO/sub 3/ (STO) barrier regions in a variety of device configurations. These SQUIDs operate reliably at 77 K and preliminary results on a limited number of devices show that they store reasonably well for periods in excess of one year, and exhibit only small changes with repeated cycles (/spl sim/10) between room temperature and 77 K. Noise measurements made using bias reversing on a SQUID (92 pH) at 77 K give a white noise of about 15 /spl mu//spl Phi//sub 0///spl radic/Hz and a 1/f upturn at about 0.2 Hz. >
Dynamics of a microscale dense plasma focus

Experimental results are presented for a sub-millimeter dense plasma focus (DPF). Reducing the DPF from cm to µm sizes allows for unique applications such as portable neutron based detectors. With smaller size efficiency is expected to increase, but total neutron emission will be lower. Challenges are maintaining the various scaling parameters. Breakdown scaling suggests higher pressure operation though there are limitations at high pressure in confinement due to increased collisions. Two DPF devices, one with a 750 µm copper anode radius and the other with a 100 µm tungsten anode radius, have been tested using a pulse generating system capable of up to 4 J/pulse with peak voltages of 20 kV and controllable voltage rise rates up to 20 kV/ns. An ICCD camera capable of 0.2 ns gating is used to acquire image series with high temporal resolution. Time resolved imaging of the DPF breakdown and rundown phases at various pressures and total energies, as shown in Figure 1, are used to determine the most suitable pinch conditions. The energy density and drive parameters are calculated for both DPF devices and compared to values typical of other pinch devices, such as the PF-400J and the PF-50J1.
Doxorubicin and concurrent radiotherapy for anaplastic thyroid cancer: We need to do better

16506 Background: Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare, aggressive malignancy. The potential for pathologic misclassification complicates the interpretation of published data. One treatment option for locoregionally (LR) advanced disease is weekly low-dose doxorubicin (D) with concurrent radiation therapy (RT), based on reported 2-year local control rates of 68% (ATC)/77% (other TC histologic subtypes) (Cancer 1987;60:2372). We looked to evaluate our experience with this general approach, but in a larger series which included pathologic confirmation of all ATC cases. Methods: Patients (pts) were identified through the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) Radiation Oncology and Pathology Databases. Inclusion criteria: diagnosis of ATC between 1984–2006, with pathology review at MSKCC; LR disease only, able to be encompassed within a RT portal; treatment at MSKCC with planned weekly D (10 mg/m2) and concurrent radiation. Prior surgery was allowed. Documentation of failure was based on clinica...
State Tax Shelters and U.S. Fiscal Federalism

Over the past two decades, litigation has exploded over state corporate tax shelters. In the typical transaction, taxpayers devise corporate structures so as to shift income (most commonly income from intangible assets) to low or no tax jurisdictions. Much of the literature on these transactions has focused on whether and how states should combat corporate tax avoidance behavior. State courts across the country have opined on various tax shelters, and Congress has considered legislation restricting the states' authority to tax income from these transactions. This essay takes a somewhat different perspective, situating the problem of state tax shelters within the broader context of optimal design of institutions of fiscal federalism. Viewed through that lens, state corporate tax shelters are better understood not as tax avoidance schemes (or, rather, not merely tax avoidance schemes) but rather as a symptom of our flawed intergovernmental fiscal structure. State tax shelters are just one manifestation (and not the most serious manifestation) of the difficulty of taxing corporate income in a multijurisdictional setting. At the same time state tax shelters have proliferated, revenue from state corporate income taxes has fallen off sharply, but for reasons going far beyond the shelter phenomenon. The core problem is one of tax assignment - i.e., which taxes should be assigned to which level of government? A more rational approach, consistent with the basic principles of fiscal federalism, would be to increase federal corporate income tax rates by some small percentage and distribute the revenues generated by that supplemental corporate income tax to the states.
Responding to Incidents of Sexual Victimization in Correctional Institutions Correctional Officer Perspectives

This study examined beliefs among correctional officers about responding to inmate-on-inmate sexual assault in jails. It is unique in its focus as no other published study has examined this topic using these variables in this setting. The authors utilize survey methodology to measure correctional officer perceptions about responding to sexual assaults among inmates. Results indicate that support for responding to instances of sexual assault among inmates differs somewhat by type of response and size of jail facility examined. Multivariate results suggest that while perceptions of inmate credibility are usually relevant, demographic factors matter more for those who work in larger jails, while beliefs about rape myths are somewhat more relevant in smaller jails. Implications for correctional policy and training and avenues for continued research are discussed.
Reform the People: Changing Attitudes Towards Popular Education in Early Twentieth-Century China

The re-orientation of official thinking the public debate 1900-1911 popular education developments 1904-1911 the 1912 school system popular educational developments in the early Republic the work-study movement.
Upset Prevention and Recovery Training - A Regulator Update

Regulations in the United States stipulate that all airline pilots begin receiving upset prevention and recovery training in 2019. This year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published guidance to meet those regulations. Two important approvals are necessary before an operator delivers this training. First, the principal FAA inspector for that airline will have to approve the training program. Second, pilots and engineers from the National Simulator Program will have to qualify the simulator used for the training. To add consistency to these approvals, training that covers the main principles of the regulations and guidance is being provided academically and in a simulator to the personnel in both approval paths. To date, the training has been beta-tested with several FAA pilot and engineering groups. This paper covers the training, what has been learned in its early delivery, as well as the key questions arising since the regulations and guidance have been issued. The predominant challenge is to undo the previous technique of trying to use engine thrust as the primary means to recover from a stall.
Patient Perceived Cultural Sensitivity of Clinic Environment and Its Association With Patient Satisfaction With Care and Treatment Adherence

Research suggests that patient-centered culturally sensitive health care may be an important precursor to patient satisfaction and treatment adherence. Data from this study are a subset from the data collected for the Patient-Centered Culturally Sensitive Health Care and Health Promotion Research Project. The present study was designed to (a) explore the relationship between patients’ perceived patient-centered cultural sensitivity of their health care sites (ie, the physical and social environment and clinic policies) and their self-reported adherence to treatment and (b) investigate whether this relationship is mediated by satisfaction with health care experienced. Participants consisted of a low-income, culturally diverse sample of 1581 patients from 67 health care sites across the United States. A significant positive relationship between patients’ perceived patient-centered cultural sensitivity of their health care sites and their self-reported treatment adherence to a prescribed regimen was observed...
Application of Neural Network Control in the Process of Pressing

Aiming at a series of control problems about putting a cone into thin canister, online and real time test of displacement sensor and pressure sensor, and the control of increasing pressure jar as executive machine, the multi-layer front neural network algorithm based on least square method (LSM) was applied to ensure stability and astringency of the system under the conditions of he system disturbed by the environment, and its some of condition parameters were deduced. There are 3 layers in multi-layer front neural network, there are 10 nodes in hide layer, and is 1 node in the output layer. The network contains adjusted algorithm of the weight between output and hide layer, and between input and hide layer. The emulation results of typical PID algorithm and neural network control algorithm show that the nonlinear problem for pressed process lag was resolved with the neural network control, the expected technical requirement was achieved.
Abstract A05: Biological factors associated with cancer health disparity - a high-throughput approach using big data

The accumulation of public available high-throughput experimental data has made analyzing the data a bottleneck in scientific discovery. In this study, we explore a computational, high-throughput approach for identifying biological factors associated with cancer health disparity using the data available at the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We developed an integrative genomic analysis (IGA) tool, which performs multiple analysis tasks, including gene/protein level comparison, gene set level comparison and network/pathway level comparison. Several data types can be analyzed, including RNAseq, DNA methylation, miRNAseq, and protein expressions. By varying cancer types, race groups, and data types, we are able to generate a large set of novel findings, which may shed light on the biological factors associated with cancer health disparity for various cancer types and race groups. Interactive reports are generated to facilitate further exploration of the biological significance of the findings. With this high-throughput approach, the bottleneck for us now shifts to publishing the results. We invite researchers in cancer health disparity community to collaborate with us to publish the findings. Citation Format: Kaixian Yu, Yun Xu, Ke Tang, Albert Steppi, Jinfeng Zhang. Biological factors associated with cancer health disparity - a high-throughput approach using big data. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A05.
Undecapeptides to Nonadecapeptides

This chapter focuses on the objective of developing a very simple experimental procedure for rapidly obtaining pure peptides for biological studies in the approximate ten-amino acid unit range, which has encouraged the introduction of a reaction-processing technique designated the two-phase method. The procedure is based on using methylene chloride as a water-immiscible solvent for OSU-coupling reactions. The side products from OSU esters are quite soluble in water. Therefore, by extracting the reaction mixture with aqueous acetic acid followed by dilute potassium carbonate solution, these materials and excess reactants are easily removed. The aqueous carbonate easily hydrolyzes OSU esters. The chapter describes a study in which a series of six dodecapeptides were obtained by coupling appropriate hexapeptide fragments. A limitation of the two-phase approach is the present need for water-immiscible solvent systems for peptides of 8–9 or more units in length.
Telling violence: the Toxcatl massacre at the Templo Mayor in sixteenth-century sources

AbstractIn May 1520, on the day of the Feast of Toxcatl, a troop of Spaniards assaulted the Templo Mayor, the main temple in Mexico-Tenochtitlan. The incident was a turning point in the conquest of Mexico. In spite of this, the circulating descriptions have not been properly read against the primary documental sources or the historiographic antecedents that challenge their assertions. A survey of these sources suggests that the popular perceptions of the event owe less to the facts of the matter than to subsequent elaborations. In the different accounts, ranging from official inquiries to full-fledged histories, the episode evolves from a preventive strike into a malicious and bloody massacre. Early reports illustrate the contentious politics of the conquest that brought the event to light but also obscured its details. Nevertheless, the histories by Francisco Lopez de Gomara and Bernal Diaz del Castillo categorically indicted Pedro de Alvarado. In the works of Bernardino de Sahagun and Diego Duran, echoe...
Effect of Elastomeric Nanoparticles on Polystyrene/Organic Nanocomposites

The rheological behavior of nanosheet composites and the effect of morphology between elastomeric nanofiber and nanosheet composites were studied using a Cross-Williamson model and critical volume concentration was investigated by percolation threshold theory for fiber and sheet morphologies. Nanofiber and nanosheet particles were synthesized by a cold vulcanization process using a S2Cl2 cross-linking reagent resulting from self-assembly of a PS-PI block copolymer. Nanofiber and nanosheet characterization was done by SEM. Rheological properties were measured and analyzed in terms of varying nanofiller and nanosheet loading from 0.5 to 10 wt%. For the nanofiber and nanosheet composites, the moduli were increased with increasing filler loading, whereas moduli of SI23 and SI43 composite decreased with increasing content. Both nanofiber and nanosheet composites showed a nanosized filler effect and their structural changes were between 5 and 10 wt%. Cross-Williamson three-parameter model was used to find zero-shear viscosity and relaxation time. Percolation threshold theory was used to study structural changes and calculate values.
Managing blood inventory with multiple independent sources of supply

Abstract This paper focuses on the management of red blood cells (RBCs) by a large medical center within a regional blood exchange network. We provide both a theoretical and managerial contribution to the periodic-review fixed lifetime perishable inventory literature by considering multiple independent sources of supply. One source supplies blood via a typical standing order process. The other sources are smaller lower usage hospitals that randomly transfer blood to the medical center. Transferred blood is characterized by a much shorter average lifetime than blood supplied via standing order and introduces additional uncertainty into the inventory management process. We propose a solution approach that can be readily applied in practice and solve the multi-period cost minimization problem using a dynamic program. We provide numerical examples and demonstrate that our solution approach outperforms a corresponding base stock policy as well as the ordering policy that was actually used by the medical center.
Beyond localism: The micropolitics of local legitimacy in a community-based organization

Abstract Abstract Place-based non-governmental organizations have assumed expanded roles in the processes of community development and environmental governance. However, to date there has been insufficient attention paid to the processes by which these organizations establish the necessary legitimacy among local populations and community leaders to be able to act and speak on behalf of the community. This paper draws on a case study of the community forestry efforts of one community-based organization in the rural US West to analyze how the organization developed and maintained local legitimacy. Our analysis of the micropolitics of community-based social and environmental governance highlights three interrelated resources that contributed to local legitimacy: interpersonal relationships, shared development narratives, and achievement of demonstrable practical outcomes. At the same time, we find important constraints to achieving outcomes, and therefore to increasing local legitimacy, that are reflective of larger structural constraints in the context of neoliberal governance. We argue for greater consideration of the quotidian and embodied interactions of individuals working in particular places—as influenced by their larger structural contexts—to understand the dynamics of small place-based organizations.
srcQL: A syntax-aware query language for source code

A tool and domain specific language for querying source code is introduced and demonstrated. The tool, srcQL, allows for the querying of source code using the syntax of the language to identify patterns within source code documents. srcQL is built upon srcML, a widely used XML representation of source code, to identify the syntactic contexts being queried. srcML inserts XML tags into the source code to mark syntactic constructs. srcQL uses a combination of XPath on srcML, regular expressions, and syntactic patterns within a query. The syntactic patterns are snippets of source code that supports the use of logical variables which are unified during the query process. This allows for very complex patterns to be easily formulated and queried. The tool is implemented (in C++) and a number of queries are presented to demonstrate the approach. srcQL currently supports C++ and scales to large systems.
Cognitive and Behavioral Interventions in Epilepsy.

Cognitive and behavioral treatments for epilepsy offer several advantages, as they are relatively low cost, are non-invasive, lack serious side effects, and facilitate patient participation. Their role in the management of epilepsy, however, is unclear. The following manuscript will critically review the efficacy data regarding psychological treatments for seizure reduction. Encouraging results have been found for the cognitive behavioral therapy-based Reiter/Andrews approach and mindfulness or arousal-based programs (e.g., yoga, meditation, relaxation, and biofeedback). Most studies attained responder rates between 45 and 90%. Cognitive and behavioral interventions may be considered as low-risk adjuncts to standard therapies. Efficacy data are limited, however, by small numbers of subjects, inadequate randomization, controls, and blinding, brief trial durations, varying methodologies, and variability in the presentation of results. Additional clinical trials are warranted.
A centennial tribute to G.K. Gilbert's Hydraulic Mining Débris in the Sierra Nevada

Abstract G.K. Gilbert's (1917) classic monograph, Hydraulic-Mining Debris in the Sierra Nevada, is described and put into the context of modern geomorphic knowledge. The emphasis here is on large-scale applied fluvial geomorphology, but other key elements—e.g., coastal geomorphology—are also briefly covered. A brief synopsis outlines key elements of the monograph, followed by discussions of highly influential aspects including the integrated watershed perspective, the extreme example of anthropogenic sedimentation, computation of a quantitative, semidistributed sediment budget, and advent of sediment-wave theory. Although Gilbert did not address concepts of equilibrium and grade in much detail, the rivers of the northwestern Sierra Nevada were highly disrupted and thrown into a condition of nonequilibrium. Therefore, concepts of equilibrium and grade—for which Gilbert's early work is often cited—are discussed. Gilbert's work is put into the context of complex nonlinear dynamics in geomorphic systems and how these concepts can be used to interpret the nonequilibrium systems described by Gilbert. Broad, basin-scale studies were common in the period, but few were as quantitative and empirically rigorous or employed such a range of methodologies as PP105. None demonstrated such an extreme case of anthropogeomorphic change.
Nontraditional male: Men with primary childcare/household responsibilities

Interview, sex role, and personality test data were obtained from 16 nontraditional men. All of the men met the following criteria: a) they were married, b) their wives were employed outside the home, and c) they had over 50% of the responsibility for childrearing and household tasks. Ten of the men reported that their mothers had worked when they were growing up, and 11 said that parental roles had influenced their current life-style. The best aspect of their nontraditional role according to these men was the increased involvement with the children while the worst aspect was the housework. Most of the men indicated that they were happy with their lives. Thirty-six percent of the men were sex-typed androgynous on the Bem Sex Role Inventory and scored significantly differently than the norm sample on nine out of 18 scales of the California Psychological Inventory. A number of significant data relationships are discussed.
Engineered bacteria self-organize to sense pressure.

Bacteria are engineered with pattern-generating circuits to produce self-organized materials that can function as pressure sensors.
Targeting Behavioral Symptoms and Functional Decline in Dementia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background/Objectives Dementia‐related behavioral symptoms and functional dependence result in poor quality of life for persons with dementia and their caregivers. The goal was to determine whether a home‐based activity program (Tailored Activity Program; TAP‐VA) would reduce behavioral symptoms and functional dependence of veterans with dementia and caregiver burden. Design Single‐blind (interviewer), parallel, randomized, controlled trial (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01357564). Setting Veteran's homes. Participants Veterans with dementia and their family caregivers (N = 160 dyads). Intervention Dyads in TAP‐VA underwent 8 sessions with occupational therapists to customize activities to the interests and abilities of the veterans and educate their caregivers about dementia and use of customized activity. Caregivers assigned to attention control received up to 8 telephone‐based dementia education sessions with a research team member. Measurements Primary outcomes included number of behaviors and frequency of their occurrence multiplied by severity of occurrence; secondary outcomes were functional dependence, pain, emotional well‐being, caregiver burden (time spent caregiving, upset with behaviors) and affect at 4 (primary endpoint) and 8 months. Results Of 160 dyads (n = 76 TAP‐VA; n = 84 control), 111 completed 4‐month interviews (n = 51 TAP‐VA; n = 60 control), and 103 completed 8‐month interviews (n = 50 TAP‐VA; n = 53 control). At 4 months, compared to controls, the TAP‐VA group showed reductions in number (difference in mean change from baseline = −0.68, 95% CI = −1.23 to −0.13) and frequency by severity (−24.3, 95% CI = −45.6 to −3.1) of behavioral symptoms, number of activities needing assistance with (−0.80, 95% CI = −1.41 to −0.20), functional dependence level (4.09, 95% CI = 1.06, 7.13), and pain (−1.18, 95% CI = −2.10 to −0.26). Caregivers of veterans in TAP‐VA reported less behavior‐related distress. Benefits did not extend to 8 months. Conclusion TAP‐VA had positive immediate effects and no adverse events. Because TAP‐VA reduces behavioral symptoms, slows functional dependence, and alleviates pain and caregiver distress, it is a viable treatment option for families
Does Marijuana Use at Ages 16–18 Predict Initiation of Daily Cigarette Smoking in Late Adolescence and Early Adulthood? A Propensity Score Analysis of Add Health Data

Given the declining trend in adolescent cigarette smoking and increase in general access to marijuana, it is important to examine whether marijuana use in adolescence is a risk factor for subsequent cigarette smoking in late adolescence and early adulthood. Preliminary evidence from a very small number of studies suggests that marijuana use during adolescence is associated with later smoking; however, to control confounding, previously published studies used regression adjustment, which is susceptible to extrapolation when the confounder distributions differ between adolescent marijuana users and non-users. The current study uses propensity score weighting, a causal inference method not previously used in this area of research, to weight participants based on their estimated probability of exposure given confounders (the propensity score) to balance observed confounders between marijuana users and non-users. The sample consists of participants of Add Health (a nationally representative dataset of youth followed into adulthood) who were 16–18, with no history of daily cigarette smoking at baseline (n = 2928 for female and 2731 for male sub-samples). We assessed the effect of adolescent marijuana use (exposure, ascertained at wave 1) on any daily cigarette smoking during the subsequent 13 years (outcome, ascertained at wave 4). Analyses suggest that for females (but not males) who used marijuana in adolescence, marijuana use increased the risk for subsequent daily smoking: OR = 1.71, 95% CI = (1.13, 2.59). We recommend that adolescent marijuana use be viewed as a possible risk factor for subsequent initiation of daily cigarette smoking in women.
Team-Based Learning in the Urban Planning Classroom:

Team-based learning (TBL) is a pedagogical technique that structures most lessons of a semester around work in permanent teams of five to six students. Drawing from the author’s experience using TB...
Probing Charge Delocalization in Solid State Polychromophoric Cation Radicals Using X-ray Crystallography and DFT Calculations

Assessing the charge delocalization in polychromophoric assemblies is a critical step toward designing novel charge transfer materials. Triptycene-based materials are particularly attractive, owing to their unique packing arrangement in the solid state. Here, we systematically probe, both experimentally (with X-ray crystallography) and theoretically (using Density Functional Theory, DFT), the extent of cationic charge (i.e., hole) delocalization in a set of triptycene derivatives with one, two, and three electron-rich 1,2-dimethoxybenzenoid (veratrole) rings. We demonstrate that the amount of charge at each veratrole can be deduced from experiment by analysis of the oxidation-induced bond length changes in comparison with a model compound containing one veratrole ring as a reference. In contrast, DFT calculations provide not only oxidation-induced structural reorganization, but also the charge distribution with the aid of natural population analysis. A comparative analysis shows that both experiment and t...
Current Challenges and Opportunities in Treating Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor, has a high mortality rate despite extensive efforts to develop new treatments. GBM exhibits both intra- and intertumor heterogeneity, lending to resistance and eventual tumor recurrence. Large-scale genomic and proteomic analysis of GBM tumors has uncovered potential drug targets. Effective and "druggable" targets must be validated to embark on a robust medicinal chemistry campaign culminating in the discovery of clinical candidates. Here, we review recent developments in GBM drug discovery and delivery. To identify GBM drug targets, we performed extensive bioinformatics analysis using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas project. We discovered 20 genes, BOC, CLEC4GP1, ELOVL6, EREG, ESR2, FDCSP, FURIN, FUT8-AS1, GZMB, IRX3, LITAF, NDEL1, NKX3-1, PODNL1, PTPRN, QSOX1, SEMA4F, TH, VEGFC, and C20orf166AS1 that are overexpressed in a subpopulation of GBM patients and correlate with poor survival outcomes. Importantly, nine of these genes exhibit higher expression in GBM versus low-grade glioma and may be involved in disease progression. In this review, we discuss these proteins in the context of GBM disease progression. We also conducted computational multi-parameter optimization to assess the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability of small molecules in clinical trials for GBM treatment. Drug delivery in the context of GBM is particularly challenging because the BBB hinders small molecule transport. Therefore, we discuss novel drug delivery methods, including nanoparticles and prodrugs. Given the aggressive nature of GBM and the complexity of targeting the central nervous system, effective treatment options are a major unmet medical need. Identification and validation of biomarkers and drug targets associated with GBM disease progression present an exciting opportunity to improve treatment of this devastating disease.
2’-Fluoro-5-Iodo-l-β-D-Arabinofuranosylcytosine [FIAC]: Synthesis and Mode of Anti-Herpesvirus Activity

l-(2’-Deoxy-2’-fluoro-β-D-arabinofuranosyl)-5-iodocytosine [FIAC or 2’-fluoro-5-iodo-ara-C] is a potent and selective new anti-herpes virus drug. The anti-herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) activity depends, at least in part, on the phosphorylation of FIAC by the virus-specified pyrimidine nucleoside kinase. FIAC is phosphorylated poorly by cellular kinases which probably accounts for its low level of toxicity. FIAC is incorporated preferentially into viral DNA but only short length chains appear to be generated. FIAC exhibits selective activity against cytomegalovirus (CMV) even though this virus does not express a virus- specified nucleoside kinase for its replication. Comparative anti-viral data of FIAC with acycloguanosine, ara-A, ara-C and IUDR are given.
Thermoelectric Effects in Current Induced Crystallization of Silicon Microstructures

We have observed melting of nanocrystalline silicon microwires self-heated through single high-amplitude microsecond voltage pulses which leads to growth from melt upon resolidification. The resolidified regions form two single-crystal domains for wires with sub-micrometer widths. The current densities (J) involved in this process are ~ 1-10 MA/cm2 for suspended wires, and ~ 10-100 MA/cm2 for wires on oxide. These extremely high current densities and the resulting high temperatures (~ 1700 K) and temperature gradients (~ 1 K/nm) along the microwires give rise to strong thermoelectric effects. The thermoelectric effects are characterized through capture and analysis of light emission from the self-heated wires biased with lower magnitude AC voltages (J < 5 MA/cm2). The hottest spot on the wires consistently appears closer to the lower potential end for n-type, and the higher potential end for p-type microwires. Experimental light emission profiles are used to verify the linear thermoelectric models and material parameters used for simulations. Good agreement between these experimental and simulated profiles indicates that the linear models can be used to predict the thermal profiles for current induced crystallization of microstructures. However, the linear models are expected to be insufficient to fully explain the thermoelectric processes for higher current densities and stronger thermal gradients that are generated by high-amplitude short duration pulses.
Interjurisdictional Competition and Land Development: A Micro-Level Analysis

A considerable number of recent studies show that metropolitan areas having a more fragmented governance structure tend to show a sprawling pattern of development. This may suggest that a fragmented institutional setting can generate a higher level of interjurisdictional competition that often hinders systematic management of the development process, thus offsetting the benefits from disaggregated local governance, such as welfare and fiscal efficiency gains. While previous studies typically assess this issue through metropolitan-level analysis, this research examines how the institutional setting influences land development at a micro-scale (i.e., section: 1 mile × 1 mile). More specifically, the present study (1) quantifies the institutional conditions in each section, taking the jurisdictional boundaries into account and (2) measures its effect on land use conversion rate by employing a quasi-likelihood estimation method. An empirical assessment of the U.S. Midwest case suggests that interjurisdictional competition, particularly the race for specific small land areas, does accelerate land use conversion, although the analysis results vary to some extent by the measurement of the institutional factor.
Albumin and Spinal Epidural Abscess: Derivation and Validation in Two Independent Data Sets.

Background None of the existing prognostic scoring systems for spinal epidural abscess (SEA) include albumin despite albumin's established role in inflammation, nutrition, lipid peroxidation, and regulation of apoptosis. The purpose of the present study was to determine the prognostic value of albumin in SEA. Methods We performed a retrospective, case-control study of 2 independent data sets: patients with SEA in an institutional population and patients in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP). Bivariate analyses and multivariate analyses were used to determine whether albumin is an independent prognostic factor for survival in both data sets. Results For the 1053 patients with SEA in the institutional cohort, the 90-day postdischarge mortality was 134 (12.7%). Overall, 633 (60.1%) underwent surgery in the initial admission, with a 30-day postoperative mortality rate of 5.5% (n = 35). For the 1154 patients with SEA in the NSQIP database, the 30-day postoperative mortality rate was 3.6% (n = 42). The rate of 90-day postdischarge mortality in the institutional cohort for patients with albumin 3.3 g/dL was 4.5%. On multivariate analysis of the NSQIP database, hypoalbuminemia was an independent prognostic factor for 30-day postoperative mortality. On multivariate analysis of the institutional cohort, hypoalbuminemia remained a prognostic factor for 90-day postdischarge mortality. Conclusion Albumin was validated as an independent prognostic factor in patients with SEA. The lack of this marker in existing scoring systems underscores the need for updated models to optimize risk stratification and shared decision-making before surgery.
Automatic and near real-time stylistic behavior assessment in robotic surgery

Automatic skill evaluation is of great importance in surgical robotic training. Extensive research has been done to evaluate surgical skill, and a variety of quantitative metrics have been proposed. However, these methods primarily use expert selected features which may not capture latent information in movement data. In addition, these features are calculated over the entire task time and are provided to the user after the completion of the task. Thus, these quantitative metrics do not provide users with information on how to modify their movements to improve performance in real time. This study focuses on automatic stylistic behavior recognition that has the potential to be implemented in near real time. We propose a sparse coding framework for automatic stylistic behavior recognition in short time intervals using only position data from the hands, wrist, elbow, and shoulder. A codebook is built for each stylistic adjective using the positive and negative labels provided for each trial through crowd sourcing. Sparse code coefficients are obtained for short time intervals (0.25 s) in a trial using this codebook. A support vector machine classifier is trained and validated through tenfold cross-validation using the sparse codes from the training set. The results indicate that the proposed dictionary learning method is able to assess stylistic behavior performance in near real time using user joint position data with improved accuracy compared to using PCA features or raw data. The possibility to automatically evaluate a trainee’s style of movement in short time intervals could provide the user with online customized feedback and thus improve performance during surgical tasks.
Simulations of bi-direction pedestrian flow using kinetic Monte Carlo methods

Abstract We present a two-dimensional (2D) lattice model based on the exclusion principle and Arrhenius microscopic dynamics to study bi-direction pedestrian flows. This model implements stochastic rules for pedestrians’ movements based on the configuration of the surrounding conditions of each pedestrian, pedestrian–pedestrian interactions, and their walking preference. Our rules simplify tactically the decision-making process of pedestrians in their movements and can effectively reflect the behaviors of pedestrians at the microscale while attaining realistic emergent macroscale activity. Our computational approach is an agent-based method, which uses an efficient list-based kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) algorithm to evolve the pedestrian system. The simulations focus on two aspects: different directional splits of the pedestrians and different strengths of walking preference for the right-hand side. Both results exhibit a phase transition from freely flowing to fully jammed, as a function of initial density of pedestrians. At different phases the relationships of density–flow and density–velocity are different from each other. The KMC simulations show some pedestrian flow self organization phenomena including lane formation phases and reflect transition trends of the corresponding empirical data from real traffic.
Women in the Frontlines: Tunisia’s Revolution

This chapter examines the role and impact of women’s activism in Tunisia’s 2011 revolution, and the current status of the women’s rights movement in Tunisia is also described. The tensions between the secular feminists and religious (especially Salafist) hardliners are presented, and implications for Tunisia’s future political economy as it pertains to gender relations and issues are articulated. Amartya Sen’s Social Choice Theory and Comparative Democratization and Revolution theories are applied to gender equality in the Tunisia context. Observations about similar women’s activism in post–Arab Awakening MENA countries are presented. The MENA region is notorious for woeful violations of women’s rights and freedoms, as it is a predominantly patriarchal, traditional, and conservative, and often sexist and misogynist, society. It has been thought that with women so prominently active in the 2011 Arab Awakening, they would be ensured greater political participation and rights and freedoms. The results have been extremely disappointing for women’s rights and empowerment in the MENA region, as the patriarchal system continues to win out against feminist activism.
Optimal Placement of Reservation-Based Intersections in Urban Networks:

Reservation-based traffic control is a revolutionary intersection management system which involves the communication of autonomous vehicles and an intersection to request space-time trajectories th...
A 37-Year-Old Woman with Leg Weakness and CK Elevation

We describe a case of a 37-year-old woman who presented with mild, slowly progressive, proximal limb muscle weakness. Examination showed mild proximal limb muscle weakness and bilateral calf hypertrophy. Serum creatine kinase level was moderately elevated. Electromyography study showed an irritable myopathy. Muscle biopsy revealed a lipid storage myopathy. Subsequent investigation revealed carnitine deficiency. The clinical presentation, muscle biopsy features, diagnostic evaluation, and management of lipid storage myopathies are briefly reviewed.
Space-Based Quantum Sensing for Low-Power Detection of Small Targets

Correlations between entangled quantum states can be exploited to dramatically improve detection sensitivity under certain conditions. In this paper we argue that space-based surveillance ideally satisfies these conditions and represents a practical application of quantum sensing for the detection of near-earth objects which threaten spacecraft or terrestrial life.
Multidrone aerial surveys of penguin colonies in Antarctica

Speed is essential in wildlife surveys due to the dynamic movement of animals throughout their environment and potentially extreme changes in weather. In this work, we present a multirobot path-planning method for conducting aerial surveys over large areas designed to make the best use of limited flight time. Unlike current survey path-planning solutions based on geometric patterns or integer programs, we solve a series of satisfiability modulo theory instances of increasing complexity. Each instance yields a set of feasible paths at each iteration and recovers the set of shortest paths after sufficient time. We implemented our planning algorithm with a team of drones to conduct multiple photographic aerial wildlife surveys of Cape Crozier, one of the largest Adelie penguin colonies in the world containing more than 300,000 nesting pairs. Over 2 square kilometers was surveyed in about 3 hours. In contrast, previous human-piloted single-drone surveys of the same colony required over 2 days to complete. Our method reduces survey time by limiting redundant travel while also allowing for safe recall of the drones at any time during the survey. Our approach can be applied to other domains, such as wildfire surveys in high-risk weather conditions or disaster response.
A Proteomic Atlas of Cardiac Amyloid Plaques.

Abstract Background In vivo mechanisms of amyloid clearance and cardiac tissue damage in cardiac amyloidosis are not well understood. Objectives We aimed to define and quantify the amyloid plaque p...
Ambient PMU Data Based System Oscillation Analysis Using Multivariate Empirical Mode Decomposition.

Wide-area synchrophasor ambient measurements provide a valuable data source for real-time oscillation mode monitoring and analysis. This paper introduces a novel method for identifying inter-area oscillation modes using wide-area ambient measurements. Based on multivariate empirical mode decomposition (MEMD), which can analyze multi-channel non-stationary and nonlinear signals, the proposed method is capable of detecting the common oscillation mode that exists in multiple synchrophasor measurements at low amplitudes. Test results based on two real-world datasets validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Seeing ecology: pollination and the resistance to Adam Smith’s Theory of political economy in William Blake’s Book of Thel (1789)

I love that something so beautiful could make you uncomfortable or, if you are the type of person who isn’t made uncomfortable about the frank display of sexuality by flowers, well, that says somet...
Large-Scale Multiagent System Tracking Control Using Mean Field Games.

This article studies the tracking control problem with a large-scale group of agents. Unlike traditional control techniques used in multiagent systems (MASs), a new type of intelligent design is needed to handle the intractable ``Curse of Dimensionality" caused by the extremely large number of agents. To address this challenge, the mean field game (MFG) theory has been embedded into reinforcement learning to advance intelligent tracking control with large-scale MAS. Specifically, MFG-based control can calculate the optimal strategy based on one unified fix-dimension probability density function (pdf) instead of high-dimensional large-scale MAS information collected from individual agents. Moreover, the approximate dynamic programming technique is adopted to generate a new type of MFG-based algorithm. Each agent has three neural networks (NNs) to approximate the solution of the mean field type control. In addition to the algorithm development, the performance of the NNs is also analyzed using the Lyapunov method. Finally, the linear and nonlinear tracking control simulations are given to evaluate the algorithm's performance.
CURE in Antibiotic Discovery Using a Combination of In-Person, Hands-On Laboratory Activities and Remote, Mentor-Type Experiences during COVID-19

Pedagogy designed to improve student engagement, like the course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE), was given its hardest challenge yet during the COVID-19 pandemic: to find a way to exist and continue productive work in a remote environment. Faculty in STEM disciplines have worked to implement CURE programs into course curriculums, only to have had some of them disrupted during spring 2020. The demonstrated benefits of the CURE in improving student engagement and persistence in the sciences could be at risk if these courses continue to be disrupted. How do faculty make CUREs work when emergency remote learning continues to loom over our institutions? This teaching tip focuses on how one antibiotic discovery CURE used technology and individual meetings to continue the students' experience and research process. The instructor remained alone in the laboratory with the student samples and acted as the students' hands, in order to continue testing and characterizing samples collected earlier in the semester, while students watched and directed the process during the online meetings. The change in methodology helped to restore some of the individual and small group mentor-type activity provided in the principal investigator-student researcher relationship present in undergraduate research experiences that was lost with the development of CUREs and the move to remote learning.
Association of rural location and long acting reversible contraceptive use among Oregon Medicaid recipients

Abstract Objective To evaluate whether the use of long-acting, reversible contraception (LARC) is equitably accessible to Medicaid recipients in rural and urban areas. We also determined whether women's health specialists' availability was associated with the type of LARC used. Study design We used claims data for 242,057 adult women who were continuously enrolled in Oregon Medicaid for at least one year and at risk of pregnancy from January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2017 to assess the association between LARC utilization and (1) rurality and (2) provider supply. Our primary analysis included 430,918 person-years. Regression models adjusted for patient age, whether the patient was newly eligible for Medicaid due to Medicaid expansion, and health status. We also examined differences in the caseload of implants and IUD by provider type (women's health specialist vs other). Results Among all women, 11.6% had at least one claim indicating LARC use. There was no significant difference in overall LARC use by location (urban residence +0.66%, 95% CI [-0.12%, 1.43%]), although urban residents were slightly more likely to have an IUD (+0.72%, 95% CI [0.11%, 1.33%]). An increase of one women's health specialty provider per 10,000 women was associated with a 0.14 percentage point increase in the rate of IUD utilization (95% CI: 0.02, 0.26). Compared to other providers, women's health specialty providers supplied 62% of all IUDs and 43% of all implants. Conclusion Among Oregon's Medicaid enrollees, LARC is equitably used in rural areas; however, IUD use is slightly more frequent in urban areas.
Diagonal conditions in ordered spaces

For a space X and a regular uncountable cardinal κ ≤ |X| we say that κ ∈ D(X) if for each T ⊂ X2 −∆(X) with |T | = κ, there is an open neighborhood W of ∆(X) such that |T−W | = κ. If ω1 ∈ D(X) then we say that X has a small diagonal, and if every regular uncountable κ ≤ |X| belongs to D(X) then we say that X has an H-diagonal. In this paper we investigate the interplay between D(X) and topological properties of X in the category of generalized ordered spaces. We obtain cardinal invariant theorems and metrization theorems for such spaces, proving, for example, that a Lindelof linearly ordered space with a small diagonal is metrizable. We give examples showing that our results are the sharpest possible, e.g., that there is a first countable, perfect, paracompact Cech-complete linearly ordered space with an H-diagonal that is not metrizable. Our example shows that a recent CH-result of Juhasz and Szentmiklossy on metrizability of compact Hausdorff spaces with small diagonals cannot be generalized beyond the class of locally compact spaces. We present examples showing the interplay of the above diagonal conditions with set theory in a natural extension of the Michael line construction.