cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent advances in high-throughput scanning-probe technology

Widespread deployment of scanning-probe techniques in applications such as semiconductor metrology, lithography and data storage requires significant improvements in throughput, achievable resolution and probe and media reliability. One way to improve the throughput and reliability of probe-based devices is to employ an array of probes. However, for parallel operation of several cantilevers, integrated sensing and actuation are essential. Thermo-electric sensors and magneto-resistive sensors are excellent candidates for integrated sensing. Moreover, there is a need for improvements in nontopographical sensing schemes, such as electrical sensing. Finally, nanopositioning is another key enabling technology to achieve very high bandwidth and hence high throughput. Position sensor noise is detrimental to achieving nanoscale resolution at high bandwidth, and several techniques exist to mitigate the effect of sensing noise. Recently developed small-amplitude dynamic-mode techniques are also excellent for array operations owing to their simplicity of implementation. In this paper, we review recent key advances in high-throughput scanning-probe technology.
Human striatal activation reflects degree of stimulus saliency

Salient stimuli are characterized by their capability to perturb and seize available cognitive resources. Although the striatum and its dopaminergic inputs respond to a variety of stimuli categorically defined as salient, including rewards, the relationship between striatal activity and saliency is not well understood. Specifically, it is unclear if the striatum responds in an all-or-none fashion to salient events or instead responds in a graded fashion to the degree of saliency associated with an event. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we measured activity in the brains of 20 participants performing a visual classification task in which they identified single digits as odd or even numbers. An auditory tone preceded each number, which was occasionally, and unexpectedly, substituted by a novel sound. The novel sounds varied in their ability to interrupt and reallocate cognitive resources (i.e., their saliency) as measured by a delay in reaction time to immediately subsequent numerical task-stimuli. The present findings demonstrate that striatal activity increases proportionally to the degree to which an unexpected novel sound interferes with the current cognitive focus, even in the absence of reward. These results suggest that activity in the human striatum reflects the level of saliency associated with a stimulus, perhaps providing a signal to reallocate limited resources to important events.
Teaching: The Issues Perestroika Neglected

A decade ago, we were among the scholars in political science who proudly associated ourselves with the Perestroika movement and its calls for greater respect for a range of productive methods, more substantively significant political research, and a more internally democratic profession. We retain those commitments. But Perestroikans have failed to focus on some broader trends in political science and the modern American academy that pose threats that are arguably still deeper, still more unjust, and still harder to overcome. In regard to what political scientists do that this society values most—teaching—we have a significant and growing equity deficit in the discipline.
A high-throughput method for isolation of salicylic acid metabolic mutants

Background Salicylic acid (SA) is a key defense signal molecule against biotrophic pathogens in plants. Quantification of SA levels in plants is critical for dissecting the SA-mediated immune response. Although HPLC and GC/MS are routinely used to determine SA concentrations, they are expensive and time-consuming. We recently described a rapid method for a bacterial biosensor Acinetobacter sp. ADPWH_lux-based SA quantification, which enables high-throughput analysis. In this study we describe an improved method for fast sample preparation, and present a high-throughput strategy for isolation of SA metabolic mutants.
Clustering for personalized mobile Web usage

Web access from mobile devices presents its own unique challenges because of severe resource constraints on the mobile devices (power, form factor, bandwidth, etc.). Hence, instead of reacting to a user's requests, it would be better to try and predict a user's actions. This would allow time for the server (on the fixed-wired side) to pre-fetch data and pre-process it into a wireless-friendly format (such as the PQA format required by Palm Pilots). Information that flows on the wireless link should be tailored to match what the user wants (rather than making the user wander through Web, which wastes bandwidth and increases latency experienced by the user). Adaptive user clustering and profiling is essential to be able to accurately predict user actions. In this paper we present results of our clustering and personalization project. We compare several distance measures used in clustering. We introduce a new measure to assess the quality of clustering independent of the distance measure used in the clustering-algorithm. We also compare different strategies.
Expression of IFN-β Enhances Both Efficacy and Safety of Oncolytic Vesicular Stomatitis Virus for Therapy of Mesothelioma

Our preclinical and clinical trials using a replication-defective adenoviral vector expressing IFN-beta have shown promising results for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. Based on the hypotheses that a replication-competent vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) oncolytic vector would transduce more tumor cells in vivo, that coexpression of the immunostimulatory IFN-beta gene would enhance the immune-based effector mechanisms associated both with regression of mesotheliomas and with VSV-mediated virotherapy, and that virus-derived IFN-beta would add further safety to the VSV platform, we tested the use of IFN-beta as a therapeutic transgene expressed from VSV as a novel treatment for mesothelioma. VSV-IFN-beta showed significant therapy against AB12 murine mesotheliomas in the context of both local and locoregional viral delivery. Biologically active IFN-beta expressed from VSV added significantly to therapy compared with VSV alone, dependent in part on host CD8+ T-cell responses. Immune monitoring suggested that these antitumor T-cell responses may be due to a generalized T-cell activation rather than the priming of tumor antigen-specific T-cell responses. Finally, IFN-beta also added considerable extra safety to the virus by providing protection from off-target viral replication in nontumor tissues and protected severe combined immunodeficient mice from developing lethal neurotoxicity. The enhanced therapeutic index provided by the addition of IFN-beta to VSV therefore provides a powerful justification for the development of this virus for future clinical trials.
On the Asymptotic Stability of a Class of Saturating Sampled-Data Systems

This paper presents an extension of the Lur'e stability function to a class of discrete-time systems which may contain saturation-type nonlinear elements. Examples are presented which demonstrate the improved stability inequalities available from this function.
Study of Arabidopsis thaliana resistome in response to cucumber mosaic virus infection using whole genome microarray

The plant innate immune response is mediated by resistance (R) genes and involves hypersensitive response (HR) cell death. During resistance responses, the host undergoes net changes in the transcriptome. To understand these changes, we generated a whole genome transcript profile for RCY1-mediated resistance to cucumber mosaic virus strain Y (CMV-Y) in Arabidopsis. Using a very stringent selection criterion, we identified 444 putative factors belonging to nine different functional classes that show significant transcript regulation during Arabidopsis-CMV-Y interaction. Genes with unknown function formed the largest class. Other functional classes represented in the resistome include kinases and phosphatases, protein degradation machinery/proteases, transcriptional regulators, and others. Interestingly, several of the unknown function genes possess well characterized domains and secondly many genes encode small peptides with less than 100 amino acids. Analysis of 1.1 kb promoter regions of the 444 genes revealed that 9 out of the 12 known cis-binding elements are significantly associated with pathogen responsive cluster. Location and distribution of five prominent binding elements for select group of disease resistance related and unknown function genes is presented. The analysis also revealed 80 defense-responsive genes that might participate in R gene-mediated defense against both viral and bacterial pathogens. In addition, chromosome distribution of genes that respond to bacterial and viral pathogens suggests that they are located in small gene clusters and may be transcriptionally co-regulated. Exploring the precise function of the new genes identified in this analysis will offer new insights into plant defense.
Joint stage recognition and anatomical annotation of drosophila gene expression patterns

Motivation: Staining the mRNA of a gene via in situ hybridization (ISH) during the development of a Drosophila melanogaster embryo delivers the detailed spatio-temporal patterns of the gene expression. Many related biological problems such as the detection of co-expressed genes, co-regulated genes and transcription factor binding motifs rely heavily on the analysis of these image patterns. To provide the text-based pattern searching for facilitating related biological studies, the images in the Berkeley Drosophila Genome Project (BDGP) study are annotated with developmental stage term and anatomical ontology terms manually by domain experts. Due to the rapid increase in the number of such images and the inevitable bias annotations by human curators, it is necessary to develop an automatic method to recognize the developmental stage and annotate anatomical terms. Results: In this article, we propose a novel computational model for jointly stage classification and anatomical terms annotation of Drosophila gene expression patterns. We propose a novel Tri-Relational Graph (TG) model that comprises the data graph, anatomical term graph, developmental stage term graph, and connect them by two additional graphs induced from stage or annotation label assignments. Upon the TG model, we introduce a Preferential Random Walk (PRW) method to jointly recognize developmental stage and annotate anatomical terms by utilizing the interrelations between two tasks. The experimental results on two refined BDGP datasets demonstrate that our joint learning method can achieve superior prediction results on both tasks than the state-of-the-art methods. Availability: http://ranger.uta.edu/%7eheng/Drosophila/ Contact: [email protected]
STUDIES ON THE CHEMISTRY OF THE MELANOPHORE HORMONE OF THE PITUITARY GLAND II. THE EFFECT OF HYDROGEN ION CONCENTRATION ON POTENTIATION1

MOST OF THE PRINCIPLES of the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland are destroyed at lowered hydrogen ion concentrations (1). However, the melanophore hormone of the pituitary gland is not only stable at the higher pH ranges but is actually enhanced in its activity (2). This unusual property has been studied from various angles by many investigators (3). While studying the general behavior of the hormone, we found it necessary toobserve the effects of various hydrogen ion concentrations. These observations arereported in this paper. We have also utilised this information in interpreting the possible nature of the potentiation phenomenon, which is a most unusual and intriguing property of this hormone. The methods used were in general the same as those described in the preceding paper (4). The pH was measured by electrometric methods using a glass electrode and correcting for the variations at higher pH values with a hydrogen electrode.
Device Life of Two Generations of Provox Voice Prostheses

Background:Tracheoesophageal voice prostheses are invaluable for speech rehabilitation in patients who have received total laryngectomy, but device failure impedes communication and creates psychos...
The Notch Intracellular Domain Has an RBPj-Independent Role during Mouse Hair Follicular Development.

Ligand-dependent activation, γ-secretase-processed cleavage, and recombining binding protein Jk (RBPj)-mediated downstream transcriptional activities of Notch receptors constitute the "canonical" Notch signaling pathway, which is essential for skin organogenesis. However, in Msx2-Cre mice, keratinocyte-specific deletion of the Rbpj gene in utero produced a significantly milder phenotype than either global Notch or γ-secretase loss. Herein, we investigated the underlying mechanisms for this apparent noncanonical signal using mouse genetics. We found no evidence that ligand back-signaling contributed to skin organogenesis. The perdurance of RBPj protein did not establish an epigenetic memory of a canonical signal in the youngest epidermal stem cells, and Notch targets were not derepressed. We provide evidence that γ-secretase-dependent but RBPj-independent Notch intracellular domain activity operating in the first hair follicles is responsible for a delay in follicular destruction, which results in lower serum thymic stromal lymphopoietin levels, milder B-cell lymphoproliferative disease, and improved survival in Msx2-Cre(+/tg);Rbpj(f/f) mice. Minimal amounts of the Notch intracellular domain were sufficient for rescue, which was not mediated by transcription, suggesting that the Notch intracellular domain is acting through a novel mechanism.
Secure and efficient data extraction for ubiquitous computing applications

Ubiquitous computing creates a world where computers have blended seamlessly into our physical environment. In this world, a "computer" is no longer a monitor-and-keyboard setup, but everyday objects such as our clothing and furniture. Unlike current computer systems, most ubiquitous computing systems are built using small, embedded devices with limited computational, storage and communication abilities. A common requirement for many ubiquitous computing applications is to utilize the data from these small devices to perform more complex tasks. For critical applications such as healthcare or medical related applications, there is a need to ensure that only authorized users have timely access to the data found in the small device. In this dissertation, we study the problem of how to securely and efficiently extract data from small devices. Our research considers two categories of small devices that are commonly used in ubiquitous computing, battery powered sensors and battery free RFID tags. Sensors are more powerful devices equipped with storage and sensing capabilities that are limited by battery power, whereas tags are less powerful devices with limited functionalities, but have the advantage of being operable without battery power. We also consider two types of data access patterns, local and remote access. In local data access, the application will query the tag or the sensor directly for the data, while in remote access, the data is already aggregated at a remote location and the application will query the remote location for the necessary information, The difference between local and remote access is that in local access, the tag or sensor only needs to authenticate the application before releasing the data, but in remote access, the small device may have to perform additional processing to ensure that the data remains secure after being collected. In this dissertation, we present secure and efficient local data access solutions for a single RFID tag, multiple RFID tags, and a single sensor, and remote data access solutions for both RFID tag and sensor.
Convective Initiation near the Andes in Subtropical South America

AbstractSatellite radar and radiometer data indicate that subtropical South America has some of the deepest and most extreme convective storms on Earth. This study uses the full 15-yr TRMM Precipitation Radar dataset in conjunction with high-resolution simulations from the Weather Research and Forecasting Model to better understand the physical factors that control the climatology of high-impact weather in subtropical South America. The occurrence of intense storms with an extreme horizontal dimension is generally associated with lee cyclogenesis and a strengthening South American low-level jet (SALLJ) in the La Plata basin. The orography of the Andes is critical, and model sensitivity calculations removing and/or reducing various topographic features indicate the orographic control on the initiation of convection and its upscale growth into mesoscale convective systems (MCSs). Reduced Andes experiments show more widespread convective initiation, weaker average storm intensity, and more rapid propagation ...
Gaps in Integer Sequences

Let 6,: a, < a2 < ... be an infinite sequence of positive integers, and let dn = an ll an denote the n th gap. For our present purpose we regard any sequence d as interesting if its elements are so irregularly distributed that the gaps do not conform to any apparent pattern. Thus an arithmetic progression (a + bn: n = 0, 1,2,.. . } is uninteresting in our sense because all its gaps are equal to the common difference b, and so too is the sequence of squares {n2: n = 0, 1, 2,... } uninteresting because here the gaps form the arithmetic progression (1 + 2 n: n =0, 1,2,...}. Indeed, no sequence is interesting whose n th term an is given precisely by some algebraic formula, for the same is then true of the gaps dn. Given an interesting sequence (, there are various questions that one may ask about the fluctuation in size of its gaps, and the purpose of this article is to consider some of these questions in the context of three well-known sequences: (i) the primes, (ii) integers that are sums of two squares, and (iii) the squarefree numbers (integers that are products of distinct primes). I shall restrict myself to results that can be proved by elementary and simple arguments, and I shall only mention some of the deeper known results. You will get some impression of the difficulty of the subject if I add that even the deepest results now available fall far short of the likely ultimate truth.
The Beta-Decay of F 20

The beta-decay of ${\mathrm{F}}^{10}$ has been investigated with a lens spectrometer using sources activated by the ${\mathrm{F}}^{19}(d,p){\mathrm{F}}^{20}$ reaction. A simple beta-ray spectrum of allowed shape is observed having an end-point energy of 5.406\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.017 Mev. Beta-emission is followed by a 1.631\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.006 Mev gamma-ray from an excited state of ${\mathrm{Ne}}^{20}$. The gamma-ray energy was checked by comparing with the ${\mathrm{Sb}}^{124}$ gamma-ray, measured as 1.692\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.005 Mev, and by failure to observe photoneutrons from Be. Beta-ray branching to the ground state of ${\mathrm{Ne}}^{20}$, if present, has a relative intensity of less than 1 percent. The total ${\mathrm{F}}^{20}$ disintegration energy, 7.038\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.018 Mev, is used together with other nuclear data to derive a ${\mathrm{Ne}}^{20}$ mass which is independent of mass spectrographic measurements. The result, ${\mathrm{Ne}}^{20}$=19.998794\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.000026 amu, is in agreement with mass spectrographic values.
3D Nanoscale Characterization of Thin-Film Organic Photovoltaic Device Structures via Spectroscopic Contrast in the TEM 1

The three-dimensional characterization of third generation photovoltaic device structures at the nanometer scale is essential to the development of efficient, reliable, and inexpensive solar cell technologies. Electron tomography is a powerful method for three-dimensional characterization; however, the application of this method to the organic materials systems that comprise typical high-efficiency devices is complicated by the difficulty in generating contrast from the compositionally similar materials. Herein we report the application of low-loss energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy as a method of generating spectroscopic contrast from a common organic bulk-heterojunction thin film consisting of a polymer donor and a fullerene-derivative acceptor. Spectral imaging methods combined with principal component analysis are used to characterize the contrast generation mechanism and to determine the optimum data acquisition parameters for this particular combination of organic phases. A proof of me...
Effects of various sex hormones on excretion of pregnandiol early in pregnancy.

SummaryDiethylstilbestrol, testosterone proprionate and progesterone were administered to 15 patients with normal pregnancies in order to study the effect of these substances on progesterone metabolism and pregnandiol excretion. Diethylstilbestrol and testosterone when administered daily in large amounts over long periods during the first 16 weeks of gestation did not alter the normal excretion of pregnandiol. The administration of progesterone was followed by the prompt recovery of a considerable portion of the injected steroid as pregnandiol.
A Novel Pacemaker Mechanism Drives Gastrointestinal Rhythmicity

Electric pacemaker activity drives peristaltic and segmental contractions in the gastrointestinal tract. Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are responsible for spontaneous pacemaker activity. ICC re...
The bilingual advantage: language, literacy and the US labor market

Rebecca M. Callahan and Patricia C. Gandara’s 2014 edited volume The Bilingual Advantage: Language, Literacy and the US Labor Market, aims to examine the economic and employment benefits of bilingu...
A comparison of traditional versus programed methods of learning tennis.

Abstract Two college service classes, each containing 20 subjects, were taught beginning tennis skills. The traditionally taught Group (Group A), and the programed group (Group B), were first determined homogeneous in height, weight, the Hewitt Revised Dyer Backboard Tennis Test (HRDBTT), and the American College Test before the teaching methods were initiated. After 14 periods of instruction, the groups were compared on various measures. The results of the study indicated that: (1) the general skill level of the groups, as measured by the Hewitt Revised Dyer Backboard Tennis Test, and a single-elimination tournament, was not significantly different; (2) the traditionally taught group improved significantly in general skills while the programed group did not; and (3) the programed group received better subjective rating scores on form than did the traditionally taught group.
Usability and Clinical Decision Support

Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) link clinical observations with health knowledge to assist clinical decisions. The systems influence clinicians’ decisions and consequently enhance healthcare quality. Unfortunately, widespread adoption and user acceptance have not been achieved in most clinical settings since CDSS are not immune to common usability problems of health information technology. This chapter describes clinical and technical issues related to the usability of CDSS.
Laboratory Evaluation of Formation Damage

A brief review of the commonly practiced laboratory procedures and measurement techniques is presented. The evaluation of the core samples, preparation and characterization of the fluid samples, and experimental design, instrumentation, and measurement techniques are described. The laboratory procedures required for investigation of the various formation damage problems are discussed. Guidelines, program, and protocol for laboratory formation damage testing are provided. The application of these techniques and methodologies is demonstrated for determination of the formation damage potential of typical reservoir production alternatives.
Feasibility of ferumoxytol-enhanced neonatal and young infant cardiac MRI without general anesthesia.

Purpose To assess the feasibility of ferumoxytol-enhanced anesthesia-free cardiac MRI in neonates and young infants for complex congenital heart disease (CHD). Materials and Methods With Institutional Review Board approval, 21 consecutive neonates and young infants (1 day to 11 weeks old; median age of 3 days) who underwent a rapid two-sequence (MR angiography [MRA] and four-dimensional [4D] flow) MRI protocol with intravenous ferumoxytol without sedation (n = 17) or light sedation (n = 4) at 3 Tesla (T) (except one case at 1.5T) between June 2014 and February 2016 were retrospectively identified. Medical records were reviewed for indication, any complications, if further diagnostic imaging was performed after MRI, and surgical findings. Two radiologists scored the images in two sessions on a 5-point scale for overall image quality and delineation of various anatomical structures. Confidence interval of proportions for likelihood of requiring additional diagnostic imaging after MRI was determined. For the possibility of reducing the protocol to a single rapid sequence, Wilcoxon-rank sum test was used to assess whether 4D flow and MRA significantly differed in anatomical delineation. Results One of 21 patients (4.8%, 80% confidence interval 0–11%) required additional imaging, a computed tomography angiography to assess lung parenchyma and peripheral pulmonary arteries. Only 1 of 13 patients (7.7%) with operative confirmation had a minor discrepancy between radiology and operative reports (80% confidence interval 0–17%). 4D flow was significantly superior to MRA (P 0.6). Overall 4D flow measurements (mean κ = 0.64–0.74) had better internal agreement compared with MRA (mean κ = 0.30–0.64). Conclusion Ferumoxytol-enhanced cardiac MRI, without anesthesia, is feasible for the evaluation of complex CHD in neonates and young infants, with a low likelihood of need for additional diagnostic studies. The decreased risk by avoiding anesthesia must be balanced against the potential for adverse reactions with ferumoxytol. Level of Evidence: 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016
Complete Genome Sequence of a Bacterium Representing a Deep Uncultivated Lineage within the Gammaproteobacteria Associated with the Degradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

The bacterial strain TR3.2, representing a novel deeply branching lineage within the Gammaproteobacteria, was isolated and its genome sequenced. This isolate is the first cultivated representative of the previously described "Pyrene Group 2" (PG2) and represents a variety of environmental sequences primarily associated with petrochemical contamination and aromatic hydrocarbon degradation.
Translation of EEG-Based Performance Prediction Models to Rapid Serial Visual Presentation Tasks

Brain wave activity is known to correlate with decrements in behavior brought on by fatigue, boredom or low levels of alertness. Being able to predict these behavioral changes from the neural activity via electroencephalography (EEG) is an area of ongoing interest. In this study we used an established approach to predict time-on-task decrements in behavior for both a realistic driving simulator and a difficult perceptual discrimination task, utilized in many brain-computer interface applications. The goal was to quantify how well EEG-based models of behavior, developed for a driving paradigm, extend to this non-driving task. Similar to previous studies, we were able to predict time-on-task behavioral effects from the EEG power spectrum for a number of participants in both the driving and perception tasks.
Positive Youth Development: Processes, Programs, and Problematics

Using the tripartite conception of positive youth development (PYD) suggested by Hamilton (1999) – as a developmental process, a philosophy or approach to youth programming, and as instances of youth programs and organizations focused on fostering the healthy or positive development of youth – we review different theoretical models of the developmental process involved in PYD. In addition, we review the ideas for and the features of youth development programs aimed at promoting PYD. We discuss the need for research interrelating different, theoretically-predicated measures of PYD and, as well, the importance of clear links between models of the PYD developmental process and of the youth development programs seeking to enhance PYD among diverse youth. We discuss several conceptual and practical problematics that must be addressed in order to integrate the three facets of PYD scholarship.
Outcomes of locoregional therapy for metastatic gastric cancer.

143Background: Patients with metastatic gastric cancer have poor survival. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes of metastatic gastric cancer patients with or without surgery and radiation therapy (RT). Methods: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was accessed to identify patients with stage IV gastric cancer between 2004 and 2013 and stratified by surgery. Propensity score matching was performed against age, metastatic site, radiation, and signet ring histology. Overall survival (OS) analysis was determined by Kaplan-Meier and log-rank analysis. Multivariate analysis (MVA) was analyzed by the Cox proportional hazard ratio model. Results: A total of 1808 patients were identified. Surgery was associated with an OS benefit. Median and 5-year OS for surgery and no surgery was 16 months and 16% and 10 months and 2%, respectively (p < 0.001). Median and 5 year OS for patients treated with surgery and RT was 22.4 months and 26%. Median and 5 year OS for surgery patients treated with or without preop...
Degradation and recovery of iron doped barium titanate single crystals via modulus spectroscopy and thermally stimulated depolarization current

Understanding resistance degradation during the application of DC bias and recovery after removing the DC bias provides insight into failure mechanisms and defects in dielectric materials. In this experiment, modulus spectroscopy and thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) techniques were used to characterize the degradation and recovery of iron-doped barium titanate single crystals. Modulus spectroscopy is a very powerful analytical tool applied during degradation and recovery to observe changes in the local conductivity distribution. During degradation, oxygen vacancies migrate to the cathode region, and a counter flow of oxygen anions migrates towards the anode. With increasing time during degradation, the distribution of conductivity broadens only slightly exhibiting crucial differences to iron doped strontium titanate. After removing the DC bias, the recovery shows that a second previously unobserved and distinct conductivity maximum arises in the modulus data. This characteristic with two...
Robust Model Predictive Control of DC-DC Floating Interleaved Boost Converter under Uncertainty

DC-DC Floating Interleaved Boost Converter (FIBC) is a new converter commonly used for converting the low level voltage generated by a renewable energy source to a high-level voltage required for AC inverters. Although a desired voltage is expected at the output, designing a proper voltage gain for FIBC is challenging due to different types of uncertainties. For instance, the voltage generated by the renewable energy source may be affected by a variety of parameters including external load. The input voltage of the FIBC is, therefore, uncertain. In addition, the physical elements of a boost converter are also uncertain. Their value may vary from one product to another within a given range. This results in an uncertain voltage gain for a fixed switching duty cycle. In this work, the robust control of this boost converter under uncertain conditions is studied. Specifically, a Robust Model Predictive Control (RMPC) is employed for this purpose. The designed controller is able to keep the output voltage at the desired level despite the uncertainties.
The Development of an All-polymer-based Piezoelectric Photocurable Resin for Additive Manufacturing

Abstract In this work, we report the development of an all-polymer-based piezoelectric photocurable resin (V-Ink) suitable for additive manufacturing processes based on light-controlled polymerization techniques. By taking into account the trade off between the manufacturability and piezoelectric characteristics, the optimized V-Ink contains 35 wt.% of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) particles being suspended in the photocurable resin. We have successfully demonstrated a 3D printed piezoelectrically-active thick film with an optimized piezoelectric voltage coefficient (g 33 ) of 105.12 × 10 -3 V·m/N. We envision this new materials will bring promising opportunities for additive manufacturing of flexible functional devices, especially for novel applications in biosensing and detection.
Affordances of video-based professional development for supporting physics teachers' judgments about evidence of student thinking

Abstract This study explores the affordances of a video-based professional development workshop for supporting physics teachers' content-specific judgments about evidence of student thinking. We rated both the quality of teachers' discussions and the judgments that resulted as they discussed video clips highlighting student thinking. We found that teachers' judgments were related to the quality of their discussions. Quantitative and qualitative analyses suggest that elaborated focus questions and interactions with colleagues may support teachers with relatively little physics teaching experience in using their collective wisdom to engage in a situation-specific skill necessary for responsive teaching.
High‐Frequency Sensor Data Reveal Across‐Scale Nitrate Dynamics in Response to Hydrology and Biogeochemistry in Intensively Managed Agricultural Basins

An edited version of this paper was published by AGU. Copyright 2018 American Geophysical Union.
Clinical importance of the DICOM structured reporting standard.

The purpose of the DICOM Structured Reporting (SR) specification is to improve the documentation of diagnostic images and waveforms. The specification supports the interchange of expressive compound reports in which the critical features shown by images and waveforms can be denoted unambiguously by the observer, indexed, and retrieved selectively by subsequent reviewers. Findings may be expressed by the observer as: 1) text, codes, numeric measurements; 2) computer-generated coordinates of specific regions of interest within images or waveforms; or 3) references to comparison images, sound, waveforms, curves, and previous report information. The observational and historical findings recorded by the observer may include any evidence referenced as part of an interpretation procedure. Thus, DICOM SR supports not only the reporting of diagnostic observations, but the capability to document fully the evidence that evoked the observations. This capability provides significant new opportunities for large-scale collection of structured data for clinical research, training, and outcomes assessment as a routine by-product of diagnostic image and waveform interpretation and facilitates the pooling of structured data for multi-center clinical trials and evaluations.
Observation of Three-dimensional “Separation” in Shock Wave Turbulent Boundary Layer Interactions

On the basis of the present analysis of specific two and highly swept three-dimensional shock wave and turbulent boundary layer interactions, it has been observed that: 1) three-dimensional flows are radically different than the “classical” two-dimensional flows, 2) the scale, pressure gradients, unsteadiness, and computability are quite different, 3) the designation of “separation” in three dimensions is not realistic, and 4) a concept of vorticity rearrangement is proposed to describe the physics of the interactions in three dimensions.
Secondary Light Output from ZnS:Mn Thin Film Electroluminescent Devices

Substantial insights into the processes responsible for light emission from ac thin-film electroluminescent (EL) devices can be deduced from the time dependences of the EL light output (emission waveforms). Under steady-state ac drive, differences in phosphor materials are exhibited not only by different emission decay times, but also by the number of emission peaks per period. Specifically under bipolar square pulse drive, ZnS:Mn devices normally exhibit light output only at the leading edges of the voltage pulses, but alkaline earth sulfide devices show both leading and trailing edge (secondary) light outputs. These differences stem from different light generation mechanisms [1, 2]. Secondary light output is generally attributed to trap-controlled recombination of the transferred charge with excited activators. The absence of secondary light output in ZnS:Mn, which was also noted for ZnS:Mn EL powders, in contrast to ZnS phosphors with other activators [3], is ascribed to the specific nature of the Mn activator that allows only localized transitions within the luminescence center [3]. However, the specific light generation mechanism in ZnS:Mn does not rule out the appearance of secondary (trailing edge) light. Here we will both report its observation, and discuss the underlying cause and implications, going beyond the explanation of a previous observation [4].
McLuhan, Marshall (b. 1911)

Marshall McLuhan (b. 1911) achieved distinction as a critic and analyst of the media. He saw media (e.g., phonetic writing, radio) as extensions of the human body and the nervous system. The slogan ‘the medium is the message’ is universally associated with McLuhan. He thought of language as mankind's first technology. Since the 1990s, critical works on McLuhan have appeared.
Variation of Opioid Prescribing Patterns among Patients undergoing Similar Surgery on the Same Acute Care Surgery Service of the Same Institution: Time for Standardization?

Abstract Background Diversion of unused prescription opioids is a major contributor to the current United States opioid epidemic. We aimed to study the variation of opioid prescribing in emergency surgery. Methods Between October 2016 and March 2017, all patients undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, or inguinal hernia repair in the acute care surgery service of 1 academic center were included. For each patient, we systematically reviewed the electronic medical record and the prescribing pharmacy platform to identify: (1) history of opioid abuse, (2) opioid intake 3 months preoperatively, (3) number of opioid pills prescribed, (4) prescription of nonopioid pain medications (eg, acetaminophen, ibuprofen), and (5) the need for opioid prescription refills. The mean and range of opioid pills prescribed, as well as their oral morphine equivalent, were calculated. Results A total of 255 patients were included (43.5% laparoscopic appendectomy, 44.3% laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and 12.1% inguinal hernia repair). The mean age was 47.5 years, 52.1% were female, 11.4% had a history of opioid use, and 92.5% received opioid prescriptions upon hospital discharge. Only 70.9% of patients were instructed to use nonopioid pain medications. The mean and range of opioid pills prescribed were 17.4; 0–56 (laparoscopic appendectomy), 17.1; 0–75 (laparoscopic cholecystectomy), and 20.9; 0–50 (inguinal hernia repair), while the range of prescribed oral morphine equivalent was 0–600 mg for laparoscopic appendectomy/laparoscopic cholecystectomy and 0–375 mg for inguinal hernia repair. No patients required any opioid medication refills. Conclusion Even within the same surgical service, wide variation of opioid prescription was observed. Guidelines that standardize pain management may help prevent opioid overprescribing.
‘A State of Lesser Hope’: The Servant in Hobbes’s Natural Common-Wealth

Though Hobbes consistently differentiates between the ‘subject’ and ‘servant’ across Elements of Law, On the Citizen, and Leviathan, we currently lack an exhaustive account of the Hobbesian servant. In this paper, I argue that the distinction would have profound consequences for one’s disposition toward both the commonwealth and the community at large. Because the servant joins under the immediate threat of violence and covenants directly with the sovereign, we would expect her initial experience to contribute to a fundamentally more pessimistic attitude toward the commonwealth and atomistic understanding of her place in the body politic. On one level, this distinction could be used to distinguish privileged populations from otherwise marginalized groups. On another level, however, in revealing both the brute reality of sovereign power and the ways in which she is alienated from it, the servant gives us a more accurate understanding of the commonwealth than the subject’s own.
LC-MS/MS-Based Separation and Quantification of Marfey’s Reagent Derivatized Proteinogenic Amino Acid dl -Stereoisomers

d-Amino acids are important biological molecules. Improved analytical methods for their resolution and quantification remain of keen interest. In this study, we investigated the use of Marfey’s reagent (chiral) derivatization coupled with LC-MS/MS-based separation and detection of the resulting diastereomers for quantification of the 19 common l- and d-amino acids and glycine. Standard formic acid (pH 2)-based separations on reverse phase media were unable to separate all 19 amino acid dl pairs. In contrast, a water/acetonitrile/ammonium acetate (pH 6.5) solvent system allowed all 19 amino acid dl pairs to be chromatographically resolved on a 30 min gradient, with negative mode detection at pH 6.5 giving good sensitivity. Derivatization reaction rates between amino acids varied substantially, with overnight derivatization required for some amino acids. Chromatography at pH 6.5 combined with MS/MS quantification in negative mode demonstrated good linearity over a wide concentration range for all 20 amino acids. Matrix effects, assessed with an MRSA extract, were negligible. Marfey’s derivatized analytes were stable for 24 h at room temperature. This method was demonstrated by determining the levels of these analytes in mid-log phase MRSA extracts. This approach provides for the chromatographic resolution and MS/MS-based quantification of all 20 common l- and d-amino acids in complex matrices.
The Road Toward Precision in PH: Personal Omics, Phenomics, and Wearables—Oh My!

The keynote address of the 2018 Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) Scientific Sessions given by Dr Roham Zamanian, “From Clinical Classification to Precision-Phenotyping: Envisioning Precision Medicine in Pulmonary Hypertension,” was the perfect prelude to the final session of the symposium. In this session the speakers tackled the timely question: “Omics and Wearables in Pulmonary Hypertension: Are We There Yet?” Dr Michael Snyder of Stanford University described how longitudinal, integrative personal omics profiling that incorporate whole genome sequencing, multidimensional omics measurements, and data from wearables can be applied to: 1) determine what it means to be healthy; 2) potentially predict transitions from health to disease prior to symptom development; and 3) better monitor and treat chronic disease. Dr Anna Hemnes of Vanderbilt University shared promising preliminary data from the ongoing multicenter, collaborative PVDOMICS initiative (Redefining Pulmonary Hypertension through Pulmonar...
A Single Center's Retrospective Review of Blood Transfusion Following Allogeneic Bone Marrow Donation

Topic Significance & Study Purpose/Background/Rationale Bone marrow harvesting is the preferred method of hematopoetic stem cell acquisition from allogeneic donors for many types of transplant recipients. Due to the vast amount of red blood cells located in the marrow, BM donors are at an increased risk for anemia following BM donation and therefore may require a blood transfusion. Blood transfusions pose an increased risk of complications. Methods, Intervention, & Analysis Retrospective review of all pediatric and adult BM donors at our institution from 1/9/2014 through 10/9/2018. Findings & Interpretation 55 donors underwent a BM harvest procedure for donation during this time frame. Donors’ ages ranged from 3 years to 56 years with a mean age of 27.2 years. 12 donors were pediatric ( 18years). Autologous PRBC unit(s) were collected on 21 adult donors and 0 pediatric donors. Center guidelines for autologous PRBC donation include assessment of the following: Donor age (adult donors only), donor Hemoglobin/Hematocrit (H/H) at physical exam evaluation, and time frame to donation. Of the 55 donors harvested, 14 received PRBC transfusion following their BM donation. 11 donors received autologous PRBC units while 3 received allogeneic transfusions. Of the 3 allogeneic PRBC transfusions, 2 were adult donors and 1 was a pediatric donor. The BM volume harvested from donors ranged from 5ml/kg to 31.2ml/kg. The mean volume harvested from donors=16.6ml BM/kg. Pre-donation H/H was performed on all donors within 24 hours of their donation date. Results ranged from hemoglobin=9.8-18gms/dl; hematocrit=31.8-51.8%. A post-donation H/H was completed immediately following their BM harvest procedure. Results ranged from hemoglobin=6.8-14.4gms/dl; hematocrit=20.7-40.6%. On average, post-donation H/H dropped by hemoglobin= 2.8gms/dl; hematocrit= 8.2%. The decision for PRBC transfusion at our center is based on: physician discretion, post-donation H/H, and donor condition. Discussion & Implications Individual donor assessment prior to donation is critical to determine if autologous PRBC collection is needed. Following donation, careful assessment of the donor is required to determine if the risk of transfusion is necessary.
Submicrometer-Scale All-Soft Electronics Based on Liquid Metal

This paper presents a novel fabrication technique to create submicrometer-scale liquid metal (eutectic gallium-indium alloy, EGaIn) thin-film patterns for all-soft electronic devices. The proposed hybrid lithography process combines electron-beam lithography with soft lithography and enables high resolution and high density all-soft electronic passive components and microelectrode arrays. For the first time, submicrometer-scale EGaIn thin film patterning with feature sizes as small as 375 nm is demonstrated. Thanks to the intrinsic softness of EGaIn, the fabricated devices can endure mechanical strain >30%, while maintaining electrical functionality.
Cre-inducible Adeno Associated Virus-mediated Expression of P301L Mutant Tau Causes Motor Deficits and Neuronal Degeneration in the Substantia Nigra.

Abstract Accumulation of microtubule associated protein tau in the substantia nigra is associated with several tauopathies including progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). A number of studies have used mutant tau transgenic mouse model to mimic the neuropathology of tauopathies and disease phenotypes. However, tau expression in these transgenic mouse models is not specific to brain subregions, and may not recapitulate subcortical disease phenotypes of PSP. It is necessary to develop a new disease modeling system for cell and region-specific expression of pathogenic tau for modeling PSP in mouse brain. In this study, we developed a novel strategy to express P301L mutant tau to the dopaminergic neurons of substantia nigra by coupling tyrosine hydroxylase promoter Cre-driver mice with a Cre-inducible adeno-associated virus (iAAV). The results showed that P301L mutant tau was successfully transduced in the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra at the presence of Cre recombinase and iAAV. Furthermore, the iAAV-tau-injected mice displayed severe motor deficits including impaired movement ability, motor balance, and motor coordination compared to the control groups over a short time-course. Immunochemical analysis revealed that tau gene transfer significantly resulted in loss of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive dopaminergic neurons and elevated phosphorylated tau in the substantia nigra. Our development of dopaminergic neuron-specific neurodegenerative mouse model with tauopathy will be helpful for studying the underlying mechanism of pathological protein propagation as well as development of new therapies.
The Overcoming of the Beyng of Machenschaft: Heidegger, Jünger, and T. E. Lawrence

In 1939 Martin Heidegger made the astonishing claim that the overcoming of the beyng of machination occurs in T. E. Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom. He arrived at this assessment in the course o...