cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Waveform-sampling electronics for time-of-flight PET scanner

Waveform sampling (WFS) is an appealing technique for instruments requiring precision time and pulse-height measurements. Recent advances in switched-capacitor-array ASICs such as the Domino Ring Sampler (DRS4) have made WFS affordable for large systems. LAPET is a whole-body time-of-flight PET scanner using 38880 LaBr 3 (5% Ce) scintillator crystals of dimension 4 × 4 × 30 mm3, imaged by 432 Photonis XP20D0 PMTs, grouped into 24 identical detector modules. High light yield (61000 photons/MeV) and fast decay time (20 ns) make LaBr 3 an excellent scintillator for TOF PET. Our group previously reported coincidence timing resolution 315–330 ps (fwhm) in benchtop measurements and 375 ps in full-system measurements using semi-custom electronics. This contribution reports on a complete redesign of the LAPET electronics, trigger, and data acquisition system. Our design uses 240 DRS4 chips to obtain oscilloscope-quality sampling of each PMT waveform at 2 GSPS. The 7 PMTs with which each crystal's scintillation light is collected map cleanly into the 8 analog inputs of a DRS4 chip, facilitating a redundant and nearly deadtime-free (at clinical rates) trigger design, in spite of the ∼ 3 µs required for DRS4 readout. An FPGA-based trigger using analog pulse shaping and 100 MSPS sampling provides coarse energy and timing measurements used to detect coincident pairs and to select DRS4 chips for readout. Simulation studies show that oscilloscope-quality readout of each PMT signal will permit more flexible handling of detector calibrations, PMT waveform baseline offsets, and pulse pile-up effects. We thus expect the upgraded electronics to permit system-level performance that more closely approximates single-module benchtop results and to preserve that performance at clinical count rates. Our goals are both to explore the feasibility of WFS for a large scanner and to improve the overall performance of the LAPET research scanner. We present initial tests using prototype units of our redesigned electronics.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO – Advances in Sequence Assembly

This article surveys the current state of affairs with regard to software for sequence assembly. We try to give some appreciation of the underlying combinatorial problems involved and the nature of the computer codes or algorithms used to solve them. The article further discusses the requirements that should reasonably be met by the userinterface that drives the computational components. This discussion is intended to give the reader a perspective on how to evaluate the software systems currently available to them. Finally, the article discusses current research on algorithms for fragment assembly and the nature of the improvements that can be expected in the near future.
The Cognitive Psychology of Subjective Mental Workload

The trend toward automated systems has created a need for evaluating mental workload in environments with little measurable performance. Subjective workload assessment is reviewed in terms of its suitability for such evaluations. The results reviewed suggest that subjective assessment, as currently practiced, can provide a valid assessment of the overall workload inflicted on an operator's working memory, but is relatively insensitive to demands outside that component of the human information processing system. Also, performing multiple tasks concurrently seems to render subjective workload assessments somewhat insensitive to changes in just one of the tasks.
Oil Revolution: Anti-Colonial Elites, Sovereign Rights, and the Economic Culture of Decolonization

Through innovative and expansive research, Oil Revolution analyzes the tensions faced and networks created by anti-colonial oil elites during the age of decolonization following World War II. This new community of elites stretched across Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Algeria, and Libya. First through their western educations and then in the United Nations, the Arab League, and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, these elites transformed the global oil industry. Their transnational work began in the early 1950s and culminated in the 1973–4 energy crisis and in the 1974 declaration of a New International Economic Order in the United Nations. Christopher R. W. Dietrich examines how these elites brokered and balanced their ambitions via access to oil, the most important natural resource of the modern era.
An agent-based model of regional food supply chain disintermediation

Regional food hubs provide logistics services for small and mid-sized food producers, giving them the ability to reach larger markets and customers than they can reach on their own. However, once food hub managers have helped to establish connections between producers and new customers, they often find themselves cut out of the regional food supply chain when the farmers decide to sell their products directly to the customers, thereby avoiding the food hub's service fees. Widespread disintermediation can eventually lead to food hub failure, which can disrupt the entire regional food system. This paper describes an agent- based model that incorporates reinforcement learning to study disintermediation behavior in a regional food supply network in Iowa. The model is designed to serve as a decision support tool for food hub managers, allowing them to simulate the effects of various supply chain management strategies on producer decision making and long-term system success.
Fibre Optic Probes in Optical Spectroscopy, Clinical Applications

In the clinical environment, optical techniques have been used for decades (microscope, colposcope, ophthalmoscope, endoscope, laparascope). Integration of spectroscopic devices into existing procedures is an obvious task. Fibre optic cables provide a flexible solution for adequate optical interfacing between the optical and spectroscopic device and the sample to be interrogated in situ . This article outlines fibre optic solutions for fluorescence and both elastic and inelastic scattering detection. After describing the fibre optic interface, probes for fluorescence spectroscopy followed by probes for reflectance measurements and side looking are presented. Finally, diffuser tips, refocusing and designs for Raman spectroscopy are discussed.
Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Action in Residential Graywater Recycling

This study explores the social dimensions of local climate adaptive policies through an Arizona policy, the 2010 Residential Gray Water Ordinance (RGWO). An ecological model of behavior is used as a framework for analyzing the complex relationship between sustainably focused policy initiatives and their success or failure at the individual level. Water cycle fluctuation will be significantly impacted by global climate change in upcoming decades and additional demand for potable water will increase due to growing urban populations. The reuse of residential gray water is an underutilized option for reducing potable water use, municipal energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions, with seemingly little negative impact on public health. The RGWO is a policy passed in Tucson, Arizona, requiring new single family and duplex housing be built with separate graywater plumbing to enable graywater recycling for irrigation. Local adaptations of such policies often depend on a variety of unforeseen factors and few studies have considered the role architects, activists, builders, and citizens play in the success of local climate adaptive initiatives. Data from in-depth guided interviews was used to develop insight into how different stakeholders can impact policy implementation. Eight participants were interviewed through a snowball sampling of local graywater installation professionals, educators, activists and researchers. Data from interviews was transcribed, coded, analyzed for themes presented within an ecological framework. The aim of this paper is to offer new perspectives on integrating sustainably focused policies by evaluating social and political barriers encountered at multiple levels through an ecological model: individual, interpersonal, organizational, community and policy levels.
Boston Offender Needs Delivery Project.

To bridge a gap in access to community services for releasing state inmates, the Boston Offender Needs Delivery (BOND) project was developed as a longitudinal study (2014-2016) of adult inmates wit...
Examining the association between parenting and childhood depression among Chinese children and adolescents: A systematic literature review

Abstract In recent years, an increasing amount of research has identified various parenting dimensions related to childhood depression among Chinese children and adolescents. However, much of the extant literature reports inconsistent findings, and lacks methodological rigor and theoretical guidance. The purpose of this review is to synthesize and critically assess the existing literature on the association between parenting and childhood depression among Chinese children and adolescents. The included studies were investigated based on choice of methodology and the use of appropriate theoretical underpinnings in order to inform insightful directions for future inquiries. Literature was systematically searched using eight English and three Chinese electronic databases. The review included quantitative peer-reviewed articles that focused on parenting behaviors and childhood depression among Chinese children and adolescents 0 to 18 years. Quality assessments were adapted based on existing validated instruments and the study characteristics in order to assess the implemented methodologies and theory utilization. The search concluded with thirty-eight articles identified for inclusion. Findings suggest the associations between parenting and childhood depression were generally small to moderate but non-trivial. Various dimensions of parenting were differentially associated with childhood depression. Authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles were most consistently related to childhood depression, however, the former reduced childhood depression, while an authoritarian style resulted in more childhood depression. Based on the detailed methodological and theory utilization quality assessment, several limitations of the reviewed studies were noted, such as the lack of prospective studies; the use of single informant and questionnaire measures; insufficient use of theoretical frameworks; and unclear conceptualization and operationalization of the parenting constructs. This review provides recommendations for social workers and public health practitioners to better incorporate consideration of varying parenting dimensions into family-based interventions designed to reduce depression among Chinese children and adolescents.
mTOR coordinates transcriptional programs and mitochondrial metabolism of activated Treg subsets to protect tissue homeostasis

Regulatory T (Treg) cells derived from the thymus (tTreg) and periphery (pTreg) have central and distinct functions in immunosuppression, but mechanisms for the generation and activation of Treg subsets in vivo are unclear. Here, we show that mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) unexpectedly supports the homeostasis and functional activation of tTreg and pTreg cells. mTOR signaling is crucial for programming activated Treg-cell function to protect immune tolerance and tissue homeostasis. Treg-specific deletion of mTOR drives spontaneous effector T-cell activation and inflammation in barrier tissues and is associated with reduction in both thymic-derived effector Treg (eTreg) and pTreg cells. Mechanistically, mTOR functions downstream of antigenic signals to drive IRF4 expression and mitochondrial metabolism, and accordingly, deletion of mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam) severely impairs Treg-cell suppressive function and eTreg-cell generation. Collectively, our results show that mTOR coordinates transcriptional and metabolic programs in activated Treg subsets to mediate tissue homeostasis. The authors previously showed that mTOR controls the function of regulatory T cells. Here they show how this mTOR signaling orchestrates homeostasis of Treg-cell subsets and prevents fatal autoimmunity.
Quantum Decoherence Emulated in a Classical Device

We demonstrate that a classical emulation of quantum gate operations, here represented by an actual analog electronic device, can be modeled accurately as a quantum operation in terms of a universal set of Pauli operators. This observation raises the possibility that quantum error correction methods may be applied to classical systems to improve fault tolerance.
Exploring resilience models in a sample of combat-exposed military service members and veterans: a comparison and commentary.

Background: The term resilience is applied in numerous ways in the mental health field, leading to different perspectives of what constitutes a resilient response and disparate findings regarding its prevalence following trauma. Objective: illustrate the impact of various definitions on our understanding and prevalence of resilience, we compared various resilience definitions (absence of PTSD, absence of current mental health diagnosis, absence of generalized psychological distress, and an alternative trauma load-resilience discrepancy model of the difference between actual and predicted distress given lifetime trauma exposure) within a combat-exposed military personnel and veteran sample. Method: In this combat-trauma exposed sample (N = 849), of which approximately half were treatment seeking, rates of resilience were determined across all models, the kappa statistic was used to determine the concordance and strength of association across models, and t-tests examined the models in relation to a self-reported resilience measure. Results: Prevalence rates were 43.7%, 30.7%, 87.4%, and 50.1% in each of the four models. Concordance analyses identified 25.7% (n = 218) considered resilient by all four models (kappa = .40, p < .001). Correlations between models and self-reported resilience were strong, but did not fully overlap. Conclusions:The discussion highlights theoretical considerations regarding the impact of various definitions and methodologies on resilience classifications, links current findings to a systems-based perspective, and ends with suggestions for future research approaches on resilience.
Antibodies to the Thyrotropin (TSH) Receptor and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder of the thyroid characterized by a) a diffusely enlarged thyroid gland (goiter); b) symptoms of hyperthyroidism; and, on occasion, c) two connective tissue complications: exophthalmos and pretibial myxedema. The weight of evidence suggests that Graves’ disease is a disturbance of the immune system which results in the entrance, into the sera, of thyroid stimulating autoantibodies (TSAbs) which stimulate the thyroid and induce the hyperthyroid state. The idea evolved that TSAbs were related to the thyrotropin (TSH) receptor since IgG preparations from the sera of many Graves’ patients could stimulate thyroid adenylate cyclase activity as did TSH and could inhibit TSH binding (1, 2).
Mental Health and Counseling in Japan: A Path Toward Societal Transformation

The collectivist Japanese culture has been influenced by Westernization and internationalization. Today's Japanese mental health problems reflect the confusion among Japanese individuals who live in an unstable period between enduring interdependent cultural values and emerging Western values of independence. This article underscores the importance of mental health counselors working congruently within Japanese society by incorporating the social justice perspective. A conceptual framework for optimal societal adaptation is presented. The proposed model consists of action-oriented outreach and advocacy designed to create societal transformation to foster psychological well-being and reduce existing stigma about psychosocial problems and treatment. Mental health issues in the changing climate of contemporary Japan are illustrated. Emphasis is placed on culturally specific trends and resources in order to prevent conflicts and to maintain harmony among individuals within the changing societal systems.
Temporal Organization of Perception and Action

Theories of perception and action must account for three basic aspects of skilled behavior, and so far, the book has examined only the first two: What components underlie the organization of everyday action and perception, and what mechanisms activate these components in proper sequence?
A History of Thermocline Theory

The focus of my attention in this essay is to give the reader some insight into the development of the theoretical ideas concerning the thermocline from the very personal point of view of someone involved in that development. It is not a review paper of the full scientific history of the subject or a detailed scientific discussion of the problem. Rather, I want to present the more personal side of the history of the attempt to reach an understanding of the phenomenon of the thermocline. In that special sense this is a personal memoir of my involvement in that quest and I hope to capture the flavor of that experience for others. It culminated for me in the development of the theory of the Ventilated Thermocline, a theory that evolved in collaboration with Henry Stommel and Jim Luyten and so the story is one person’s view of what was a collegial effort. The presence of the thermocline, the region of rapid increase of density with depth in the first one or two kilometers of the subtropical oceans, has been recognized for a long time. Yet looking back at the older literature it is hard to find a reference to the problem of the thermocline, that is, in explaining the maintenance of this sharp density gradient or its cause. The thermocline itself is bowl-shaped in the meridional plane and contains fairly entirely the wind-driven currents of the major subtropical gyres
Safety and efficacy of hot avulsion as an adjunct to EMR (with videos).

Background and Aims Excision of all visible neoplastic tissue is the goal of EMR of colorectal laterally spreading tumors. Flat and fibrotic tissue can resist snaring. Ablation of visible polyps is associated with high recurrence rates. Avulsion is a technique to continue resection when snaring fails. Methods We retrospectively analyzed colonic EMRs of 564 consecutive referred polyps between 2015 and 2017. Hot avulsion was used when snaring was unsuccessful. Polyps treated with and without avulsion were compared. Results Hot avulsion was used in 20.9% (n = 112) of all resected lesions. The recurrence rates on follow-up colonoscopy were 17.52% in the avulsion group versus 16.02% in the non-avulsion group (P = .76). Hot avulsion was associated with a trend toward higher rates of delayed hemorrhage (5.35% vs 2.58%; P = .15) and post-coagulation syndrome (1.8% vs 0.47%; P = .15), but polyps treated with any avulsion were larger than those in which no avulsion was used (P Conclusions Unlike previous reports of using argon plasma coagulation to treat visible polyps during EMR, hot avulsion of visible/fibrotic neoplasia was associated with similar EMR efficacy compared with cases that did not require hot avulsion. The safety profile of hot avulsion appears acceptable.
Health Informatics Educational Offerings through ALA-Accredited LIS Programs

Librarians who pursue a Health Sciences Librarianship career may need an understanding of Health Informatics for their work with health care professionals. Health sciences librarianship courses and degrees are available in most American Library Association-accredited Library and Information Science programs, but Health Informatics educational offerings within Library and Information Science programs have not been previously examined in the Library and Information Science literature. American Library Association-accredited programs' websites were examined to determine the availability of Health Sciences Librarianship and Health Informatics educational offerings (e.g. courses, degrees) because American Library Association accreditation is a globally recognized accreditation standard. The institutions’ Carnegie Classifications and programs’ iSchools statuses were also included in the analysis for benchmarking purposes. Library and Information Science programs may use the data from this study for benchmarking against other programs to compare their programs to peers, if there are gaps in their educational offerings, or to examine opportunities for expanding their current Health Informatics educational offerings and meet professional competencies.
Accounting for uncertainty in RCCE species selection

Abstract A framework is presented to quantify, based on Bayesian evidence, the relative plausibility of species selection options in rate-controlled constrained equilibrium (RCCE) reduced chemical models, accounting for uncertainty in the kinetic parameters and experimental data used to refine them. This approach balances the joint goals of matching available data and avoiding overfitting, which is well-understood to limit extrapolative capacity for true prediction. The methodology is applied to homogeneous autoignition, where predictions are known to be particularly sensitive to chemical model details, specially at low temperatures. It is first introduced for hydrogen–air autoignition using an established mechanism, then demonstrated in two applications of methane–air autoignition using the larger GRI-1.2 mechanism. This larger mechanism significantly increases the computational cost of model selection (though not of the subsequent application in predictions), which is alleviated with a time-scale-guided pre-sorting strategy. Uses and extensions of this new formulation are discussed.
Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants in Acute and Critical Care: A Concise Review of the Literature and Data 2008-2018.

Objectives To provide a concise review of the literature and data pertaining to the use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, collectively called advanced practice providers, in ICU and acute care settings. Data sources Detailed search strategy using the databases PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature for the time period from January 2008 to December 2018. Study selection Studies addressing nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or advanced practice provider care in the ICU or acute care setting. Data extraction Relevant studies were reviewed, and the following aspects of each study were identified, abstracted, and analyzed: study population, study design, study aims, methods, results, and relevant implications for critical care practice. Data synthesis Five systematic reviews, four literature reviews, and 44 individual studies were identified, reviewed, and critiqued. Of the research studies, the majority were retrospective with others being observational, quasi-experimental, or quality improvement, along with two randomized control trials. Overall, the studies assessed a variety of effects of advanced practice provider care, including on length of stay, mortality, and quality-related metrics, with a majority demonstrating similar or improved patient care outcomes. Conclusions Over the past 10 years, the number of studies assessing the impact of advanced practice providers in acute and critical care settings continue to increase. Collectively, these studies identify the value of advanced practice providers in patient care management, continuity of care, improved quality and safety metrics, patient and staff satisfaction, and on new areas of focus including enhanced educational experience of residents and fellows.
Corpus-based Research on Translational Chinese

This chapter will present an overview of the study of translational Chinese inspired by CTS rationales and methodologies that were mainly developed with Western languages in mind. Particular attention will be given to Chinese scholars’ contributions to the study of translational universal and the accompanying concerns raised with regard to its validity and applicability. Empirical studies on Chinese-specific translational features over the last decade will be reviewed along the line of how they contribute to the understanding of many features of translational Chinese, including typical Chinese constructions using 被 (bei) and 把 (ba), collocation, idioms, multi-word units, syntax, sentence length, and semantic prosody. Recent development in building Chinese interpreting corpora will be discussed, focusing on the specific linguistic features identified in relevant studies, causes behind their formation, how they compare to those found in Chinese translational data, and the difficulties involved in collecting and annotating interpreting corpora in the Chinese language. This chapter will also explore methodologies that apply corpus findings of translational Chinese on the teaching of translation, computer-aided translation, curriculum design, and professional practice. A thorough review of the issues related to the study of translational Chinese is conducted, drawing on works that highlight problematic methodologies, limited scope of study with little interdisciplinary outreach, applicability of Western-oriented approaches to investigating Chinese translated texts, lack of large-scale Chinese interpreting corpora, difficulty in building a balanced and representative corpus of translational Chinese, and the development of deep level annotation of corpus data. Finally, a number of suggestions are made with regard to charting the future course of CTS in the Chinese setting. These include a corpus building conglomerate of major stakeholders from related fields and industries (i.e. academia, publishing houses, major research centers, etc.), expanding research methodologies to carry out semantic and prosodic analysis of translational Chinese, promoting an interdisciplinary approach in the study of translated Chinese, developing a Chinese-based “CTS 2.0” project to utilize translational resources made abundantly available by the promise of Big Data or WebCorp (Renouf & Kehoe), and constructing partner corpora in translational Chinese to supplement Western-based research agenda.
Navigating by Stars: Using CMS Star Ratings to Choose Hospitals for Complex Cancer Surgery.

Background The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) developed risk-adjusted "Star Ratings," which serve as a guide for patients to compare hospital quality (1 star = lowest, 5 stars = highest). Although star ratings are not based on surgical care, for many procedures, surgical outcomes are concordant with star ratings. In an effort to address variability in hospital mortality after complex cancer surgery, the use of CMS Star Ratings to identify the safest hospitals was evaluated. Methods Patients older than 65 years of age who underwent complex cancer surgery (lobectomy, colectomy, gastrectomy, esophagectomy, pancreaticoduodenectomy) were evaluated in CMS Medicare Provider Analysis and Review files (2013-2016). The impact of reassignment was modeled by applying adjusted mortality rates of patients treated at 5-star hospitals to those at 1-star hospitals (Peters-Belson method). Results There were 105 823 patients who underwent surgery at 3146 hospitals. The 90-day mortality decreased with increasing star rating (1 star = 10.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 9.8% to 11.1%; and 5 stars = 6.4%, 95% CI = 6.0% to 6.8%). Reassignment of patients from 1-star to 5-star hospitals (7.8% of patients) was predicted to save 84 Medicare beneficiaries each year. This impact varied by procedure (colectomy = 47 lives per year; gastrectomy = 5 lives per year). Overall, 2189 patients would have to change hospitals each year to improve outcomes (26 patients moved to save 1 life). Conclusions Mortality after complex cancer surgery is associated with CMS Star Rating. However, the use of CMS Star Ratings by patients to identify the safest hospitals for cancer surgery would be relatively inefficient and of only modest impact.
Quantifying bacterial spore germination by single-cell impedance cytometry for assessment of host microbiota susceptibility to Clostridioides difficile infection.

Abstract The germination of ingested spores is often a necessary first step required for enabling bacterial outgrowth and host colonization, as in the case of Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infection. Spore germination rate in the colon depends on microbiota composition and its level of disruption by antibiotic treatment since secretions by commensal bacteria modulate primary to secondary bile salt levels to control germination. Assessment of C. difficile spore germination typically requires measurement of colony-forming units, which is labor intensive and takes at least 24 h to perform but is regularly required due to the high recurrence rates of nosocomial antibiotic-associated diarrhea. We present a rapid method to assess spore germination by using high throughput single-cell impedance cytometry (>300 events/s) to quantify live bacterial cells, by gating for their characteristic electrophysiology versus spores, so that germination can be assessed after just 4 h of culture at a detection limit of ~100 live cells per 50 μL sample. To detect the phenotype of germinated C. difficile bacteria, we utilize its characteristically higher net conductivity versus that of spore aggregates and non-viable C. difficile forms, which causes a distinctive high-frequency (10 MHz) impedance phase dispersion within moderately conductive media (0.8 S/m). In this manner, we can detect significant differences in spore germination rates within just 4 h, with increasing primary bile salt levels in vitro and using ex vivo microbiota samples from an antibiotic-treated mouse model to assess susceptibility to C. difficile infection. We envision a rapid diagnostic tool for assessing host microbiota susceptibility to bacterial colonization after key antibiotic treatments.
Individual differences in analytical thinking and complexity of inference in conditional reasoning

An outstanding question for Hybrid dual process models of reasoning is whether both basic (e.g., modus ponens - MP) and more complex (e.g., modus tollens - MT) forms of conditional inference result...
Fostering Penetrative Thinking in Geosciences Through Immersive Experiences: A Case Study in Visualizing Earthquake Locations in 3D

Thinking in and understanding of three-dimensional structures is omnipresent in many sciences from chemistry to geosciences. Current visualizations, however, are still using two-dimensional media such as maps or three-dimensional representations accessible through two-dimensional interfaces (e.g., desktop computers). The emergence of immersive virtual reality environments, both accessible and of high-quality, allows for creating embodied and interactive experiences that permit for rethinking learning environments and provide access to three-dimensional information through three-dimensional interfaces. However, there is a shortage of empirical studies on immersive learning environments. In response to this shortcoming, this study examines the role of immersive VR (iVR) in improving students’ learning experience and performance in terms of penetrative thinking in a critical 3D task in geosciences education: drawing cross-sections. We developed a pilot study where students were asked to draw cross-sections of the depth and geometry of earthquakes at two subduction zones after visualizing the earthquake locations either in iVR or 2D maps on a computer. The results of our study show that iVR creates a better learning experience; students reported significantly higher scores in terms of Spatial Situation Model and there is anecdotal evidence in favor of higher reflective thinking in iVR. In terms of learning performance, we did not find a significant difference in the graded exercise of drawing cross-sections. However, iVR seems to have a positive effect on understanding the geometry of earthquake locations in a complex tectonic environment such as Japan. Our results, therefore, add to the growing body of literature that draws a more nuanced picture of the benefits of immersive learning environments calling for larger scale and in-depth studies.
Interfacial tension and acoustofluidics: some connections, instabilities, experimental results, and theory

It is timely to examine early acoustofluidic studies involving surface tension phenomena. The dynamics of fluid cylinders and the Plateau-Maxwell-Rayleigh interfacial instability have been reviewed [P. L. Marston, Phys. Fluids 29, 029101 (2017)]. Here, some related acoustofluidic experiments on liquid cylinders are noted [S. F. Morse et al., Phys. Fluids 8, 3 (1996); M. J. Marr-Lyon et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 2293 (2001)]. Those were after modulated radiation pressure investigations of the shape dynamics of levitated drops and bubbles [P. L. Marston, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Transfer 254, 107226 (2020)]. Especially noteworthy are the subtleties of acoustically trapping and deforming bubbles in water larger than the size for monopole resonance [T. J. Asaki, P. L. Marston, and E. H. Trinh, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 93, 706 (1993)]. That ability facilitated a series of measurements of bubble interfacial dynamics and shape [Asaki et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. (1994-1997); J. Fluid Mech. (1995); Phys. Rev. Lett. (1995)]. A related discussion of the quadrupole projection of the radiation stress is noteworthy [P. L. Marston, Phys. Rev. E 100, 057001 (2019)] along with early publications reporting the break-up of drops and bubbles in water through the application of modulated acoustic radiation forces.
Experience in Reconstructive Surgery of Craniomaxillofacial Deformities: With Osteomesh, Eleven Years Experience

The best possible implantable biomaterial for bony contour abnormalities is autogenous bone grafts. However, some conditions may be present that require use of alloplastic materials. Such alloplastic material must be inert and there should be no reaction in the body to it. The composite graft described in this chapter is a combination of the two different materials described. To have a better take, the bone graft used is ground with a craniotome, and then mixed with blood. This produces an inductive matrix that promotes osteoneogenesis. The alloplastic material is a tray or a template where the bone is placed “in”, “on”, or “under” the implant to allow for complete solidification and better healing. The material used is polyetherurethane-impregnated terephthalate (Dacon) also referred to as osteomesh (R) (Xomed Corporation, Jacksonville, Florida). In a few instances the osteomesh was removed and we noted complete solidification of the bone (resembling skull in the case of the skull defect). For over eleven years, since the success in the experimental animal [1], this composite graft was used in clinical situations with good success [2] in over 100 patients. These patients treated were selected and a strict set of indications and contraindications were instituted and implemented, prior to the applications of this treatment in the individual patient.
Millimeter-wave radar imaging of wind turbine blades

UMass Lowell BTTC researchers are investigating the use of a high resolution 75 GHz radar to identify the internal defects of the fiberglass filaments in wind turbine blades. Developing the acquisition and image analysis software, the team is fabricating a laboratory based test radar and anechoic chamber for performing the preliminary measurements. Central to the team's challenge is the development of an implementable design for a manufacturing plant’s wide area inspection system. The measurements and system design will be presented.
White, Black, and Blue: The Battle Over Black Police, Professionalization, and Police Brutality in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963-1979

iv Introduction 1 Chapter One: Hiding Behind Qualifications and Justifications 7 Chapter Two: “You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby” 42 Chapter Three: Arrington’s Ascent 79 Epilogue: The 1979 Mayoral Election 106 Bibliography 119
Dimensional Crossover in the Molecular Ferromagnet Decamethylferrocenium Tetracyanoethenide

Much attention has been focussed on the study of quasi-one-dimensional conducting systems which form segregated stacks (1). The report (2) that (DMeFc)(TCNQ), which consists of parallel stacks made up of alternating donor and acceptor ions, forms a metamagnetic system has led to increased interest in the magnetic properties of these metallocene complexes. In addition, there has been extensive experimental and theoretical investigation of low-dimensional magnetic systems, such as CsNiF3 and the 2-D ferromagnet K2CUF4. Such studies have revealed detailed information on the magnetic excitations in these systems (3). In this paper we discuss the paramagnetic to ferromagnetic phase transition for (DMeFc)(TCNE) and examine the issue of a dimensional crossover and evaluate the critical exponents for this phase transition.
Architecting 3-D integrated circuit fabric with intrinsic thermal management features

Migration to 3-D provides a possible pathway for future Integrated Circuits (ICs) beyond 2-D CMOS, which is at the brink of its own fundamental limits. Partial attempts so far for 3-D integration using die to die and layer to layer stacking do not represent true progression, and suffer from their own challenges with lack of intrinsic thermal management being among the major ones. Our proposal for 3-D IC, Skybridge, is a truly fine-grained vertical nanowire based fabric that solves technology scaling challenges, and at the same time achieves orders of magnitude benefits over 2-D CMOS. Key to Skybridge's 3-D integration is the fabric centric mindset, where device, circuit, connectivity, thermal management and manufacturing issues are co-addressed in a 3-D compatible manner. In this paper we present architected fine-grained 3-D thermal management features that are intrinsic components of the fabric and part of circuit design; a key difference with respect to die-die and layer-layer stacking approaches where thermal management considerations are coarse-grained at system level. Our bottom-up evaluation methodology, with simulations at both device and circuit level, shows that in the best case Skybridge's thermal extraction features are very effective in thermal management, reducing temperature of a heated region by up to 92%.
Volumes and Hyperareas of the Spaces of Separable and Nonseparable Qubit-Qutrit Systems: Initial Numerical Analyses

Abstract Paralleling our recent computationally-intensive work for the case N = 4 (quant-ph/0308037),we undertake the task for N = 6 of computing to high numerical accuracy, the formulas of Sommersand Zyczkowski (quant-ph/0304041) for the (˙ N 2 −1)-dimensional volume and (N 2 −2)-dimensionalhyperarea of the (separable and nonseparable) N×N density matrices, based on the Bures (minimalmonotone) metric. At the same time, we estimate the unknown volumes and hyperareas based ona number of other monotone metrics of interest. Additionally, we estimate — but with perhapsunavoidably diminished accuracy — all these volume and hyperarea quantities, when restricted tothe “small” subset of 6 × 6 density matrices that are separable (classically correlated) in nature.The ratios of separable to separable plus nonseparable volumes, then, yield corresponding estimatesof the “probabilities of separability”. We are particularly interested in exploring the possibilitythat a number of the various 35-dimensional volumes and 34-dimensional hyperareas, possess exactvalues — which we had, in fact, conjectured to be the case for the qubit-qubit systems (N = 4),with the “silver mean”,√2 − 1, appearing to play a fundamental role as regards the separablestates.
Chapter 9 Psychophysical techniques

Publisher Summary A powerful non-invasive tool for evaluating the information processing capabilities of people afflicted with visual disorders is visual psychophysics. The term psychophysics has two meanings. First, it refers to a set of methods that have been developed to quantify the relationship between the physical environment and internal sensory states. Second, psychophysics is often used to refer to the body of knowledge that has been gathered by these methods. Information that is gathered from psychophysical methods in the clinical setting serves a number of important purposes. Knowledge of a person's visual capabilities as derived from psychophysical methods can be used to provide an early diagnosis of ocular disease, to monitor disease progression, to provide insights into the pathophysiology of the disease and to establish the efficacy of potential treatments. This chapter discusses fundamental concepts of psychophysical testing, including potential pitfalls and drawbacks, and then describes some of the commonly used clinical applications of psychophysical methods, including the measurement of visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and visual fields.
Development of an attenuated interleukin-2 fusion protein that can be activated by tumour-expressed proteases

The ability to alter the cytokine microenvironment has the potential to shape immune responses in many physiological settings, including the immunotherapy of tumours. We set out to develop a general approach in which cytokines could be functionally attenuated until activated. We report the development and initial characterization of fusion proteins in which human or mouse interleukin-2 (IL-2), a potent growth factor for immune cells, is joined to a specific IL-2 inhibitory binding component separated by a protease site. The rationale is that upon cleavage by a protease the cytokine is free to dissociate from the inhibitory component and becomes biologically more available. We describe the successful development of two attenuation strategies using specific binding: the first uses the mouse IL-2 receptor alpha chain as the inhibitory binding component whereas the second employs a human antibody fragment (scFv) reactive with human IL-2. We demonstrated that the fusion proteins containing a prostate-specific antigen or a matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) protease cleavage site are markedly attenuated in the intact fusion protein but had enhanced bioactivity of IL-2 in vitro when cleaved. Further, we showed that a fusion protein composed of the IL-2/IL-2 receptor alpha chain with an MMP cleavage site reduced tumour growth in vivo in a peritoneal mouse tumour model. This general strategy should be applicable to other proteases and immune modulators allowing site-specific activation of immunomodulators while reducing unwanted side-effects.
Abstract 4198: cAMP signaling in BRAFV600E melanoma

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling, predominantly the cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling, is crucial for melanocyte proliferation and differentiation. Previous studies have shown a downregulation in cAMP signaling in mutant NRAS melanoma. However, no relationship has been reported about cAMP signaling in mutant BRAF melanoma, which makes up about 60% of all cutaneous melanoma. Here, we studied the role of four main G-protein signaling pathways using reporters for Gαs (cAMP Response Element, CRE), Gαq (inositol triphosphate signaling, NFAT-RE), Gα12 (RhoA signaling, SRF-RE) and Gβγ (MAPK pathway, SRE), in melanoma. Our data show that cAMP signaling is substantially more constitutively active in BRAFV600E mutant melanoma than NRAS mutant melanoma. Moreover, hyperactivation of cAMP signaling decreases proliferation and migration in BRAFV600E. Interestingly, in a melanoma cell line with neither BRAF nor NRAS mutation, cAMP hyperactivation increased proliferation. Furthermore, BRAFV600E inhibition increases constitutive cAMP activity. These results show a possible crosstalk between cAMP signaling and BRAFV600E in melanoma. Citation Format: Carlos I. Rodriguez. cAMP signaling in BRAFV600E melanoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4198. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4198
Theory of atom-metal interactions: II. One-electron transition matrix elements

Abstract The matrix element describing a process in which an electron makes a transition from an atomic s state to a metal conduction band state is considered from the point of view of a rearrangement process. Since the initial and final states are not solutions of the same Hamiltonian, they are not orthogonal. It is shown that by orthogonalizing the initial and final states, it is possible to obtain a simple, compact matrix element that describes electron transitions between the atom and metal states. The matrix element is explicitly evaluated for a transition between a hydrogen-like atom and a free electron metal. These closed form results have been previously used to describe alkali-atom adsorption on metals. The present results could also be used to describe resonance ionization of atoms or neutralization of ions by metals.
Intellectual Entrepreneurship and Outreach: Uniting Expertise and Passion

Ernest A. Lynton envisioned colleges and universities as not only instruments for creating new knowledge, but vehicles that engage the broader community to solve society’s complex problems. The Intellectual Entrepreneurship Program developed and administered by the Graduate School at the University of Texas at Austin submits that realizing Lynton’s dream requiresthat academic professionals in the twenty-first century think of themselves as citizen-scholars who integrate (as opposed to apply) their academic discipline with the experiences and objectives of the broader community. This requires that colleges and universities rethink the concept and vocabulary surroundingcurrent notions of outreach. Terms such as “outreach” and “public service” convey the impression that institutions of higher education hold all knowledge and, based upon their goodwill, reach out to an intellectually destitute community. As long as this value system exists, the academic and public spheres necessarily will remain bifurcated.
Formation of Maillard Reaction Products in Parenteral Alimentation Solutions

Terminal heat sterilization of glucose-amino acid solutions produces Maillard reaction products. Since deleterious effects are associated with the ingestion of these compounds, their presence in parenteral nutrition solutions should be avoided. We measured the extent of Maillard product formation in 25% glucose + 4.25% amino acid solutions (+/- added electrolytes) sterilized by membrane filtration. Maillard product formation increased with time and temperature of storage. In the absence of added electrolytes, the average loss of amino acids to Maillard products at 4 degrees after 1, 7 and 30 days storage was 0.35, 0.62, and 1.51%, respectively. Losses of 0.74, 1.07 and 2.88% were noted at 4 degrees in the presence of added electrolytes. The average loss of amino acids in mixtures stored for 1, 7 and 30 days at 25 degrees in the absence of electrolytes was 0.83, 2.99 and 4.63%, respectively, and 1.52, 3.36 and 7.43 in the presence of added electrolytes, Mixtures stored at 60 degrees for 24 hours without added electrolytes showed an average loss of 8.03% of amino acids, whereas an 11.5% loss was noted in the presence of added electrolytes. Proline and amino acids with hydrophobic side chains reacted more slowly than other amino acids, while tryptophan and amino acids with aliphatic hydroxy side chains reacted most rapidly. The addition of electrolytes increased the rate of Maillard product formation at all temperatures. The data indicated that 25% glucose + 4.25% amino acid solutions should be stored for only a minimal period of time, preferably at 4 degrees, prior to use.