cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Failure analysis challenges

Semiconductor trends as embodied in the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) provides a guide for the challenges facing the failure analysis community. The technical challenges fall primarily into two categories: failure site isolation and physical analysis. The failure site isolation challenges are driven primarily by the device complexity and reduced accessibility of circuit nets. Additional challenges arise due to the increase in device operating speed and pin count. The challenges in physical analysis are driven primarily by smaller device feature sizes and by the host of new materials being introduced. In addition to the technical challenges, infrastructure changes are also likely to occur. The likely industry paths for addressing these challenges are discussed. The International Sematech Product Analysis Forum (Joseph et al, 2000) has identified ten primary challenges for the future of the failure analysis in the semiconductor industry: localization and electrical characterization; deprocessing techniques for new materials; system-on-a-chip; imaging of small defects and structures; detection and characterization of nonvisual defects; verification and test; globally dispersed entities as virtual factory; fault isolation and simulation software; cost of failure analysis; complexity and volume of data. These challenges have been correlated to the Technology Working Group Difficult Challenge table in the ITRS.
PbSe nanocrystal/conducting polymer solar cells with an infrared response to 2 micron

We investigated the photovoltaic response of nanocomposites made of colloidal, infrared-sensitive, PbSe nanocrystals (NCs) of various sizes and conjugated polymers of either regioregular poly (3-hexylthiophene) (RR-P3HT) or poly- (2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexoxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene) (MEH-PPV). The conduction and valence energy levels of PbSe NCs were determined by cyclic voltammetry and revealed type II heterojunction alignment with respect to energy levels in RR-P3HT for smaller NC sizes. Devices composed of NCs and RR-P3HT show good diode characteristics and sizable photovoltaic response in a spectral range from the ultraviolet to the infrared. Using these materials, we have observed photovoltaic response at wavelengths as far to the infrared as 2 μm (0.6 eV), which is desirable due to potential benefits of carrier multiplication (or multi-exciton generation) from a single junction photovoltaic. Under reverse bias, the devices also exhibit good photodiode responses over the same spectral region.
The "Last Man Standing" Fallacy or Why It's Not Nice to Play with Denominators

Workplace wellness research is notorious for what I refer to as The “Last Man Standing” fallacy. This approach typically only includes measurements on people who complete consecutive years of an assessment, screening, or other intervention, which is often a minority of the originally participating population (the bulk of the population being lost to dropout). By definition, of course, a self-selected highly persistent population is not reflective of the whole. Nothing in the health fields is more consistently evidence-based than the abject failure of weight loss interventions to achieve long-term success for any but a tiny minority of those who participate. This does not stop proponents authoring weight loss studies from claiming just the opposite. To make it look like long-term weight loss is actually happening, these researchers often base their claims on the relatively few “survivors” who stay to the end of the intervention after everyone else has dropped out. To demonstrate how they perpetrate the “La...
Cross-phase modulation efficiency in offset quantum-well and centered quantum-well semiconductor optical amplifiers

We conduct an experimental study of cross-phase modulation efficiency for semiconductor optical amplifiers with two different active regions-offset quantum-well (OQW) stack and centered quantum-well (CQW) stack. OQW devices exhibit less than 100/spl deg/ phase change, whereas CQW devices are 60% more efficient for the same pump input power, with more than 200/spl deg/ phase change possible. The input wavelength degrades the phase change significantly outside the 30-nm gain bandwidth window.
Nonholonomic passive decomposition: Weak decomposability, controllability and control design

We extend the results of [1] to general non-holonomic mechanical systems with weak decomposability (as opposed to strong decomposability [1]). That is, for a nonholonomic mechanical system (or for multiple of them) with weak decomposability, given a submersion h defined on their configuration space and specifying a certain motion coordination aspect (e.g. internal formation shape), we can decompose their Lagrange-D'Alembert dynamics into: 1) shape system, describing the motion of h(q) (i.e. formation aspect); 2) locked system, describing the dynamics on the level set of h with the formation aspect h(q) fixed (i.e. maneuver aspect); 3) quotient system, whose motion affects both the locked and shape aspects simultaneously; and 4) energetically conservative (or skew-symmetric) coupling among them. Moreover, the locked, shape, and quotient systems all inherit Lagrangian like structure and passivity. We also study the issues of controllability and present control design examples with their application for three wheeled mobile robots maneuvering while changing formation shape.
The Use of Geographic Information Systems, Remote Sensing, and Suitability Modeling to Identify Conifer Restoration Sites with High Biological Potential for Anadromous Fish at the Cedar River Municipal Watershed in Western Washington, U.S.A.

We developed a methodology integrating several forms of remotely sensed data into a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) model that identifies suitable sites for riparian conifer restoration at the Cedar River Municipal Watershed in western Washington, U.S.A. The model integrates vegetative and geomorphic variables with information on the habitat preferences of anadromous fishes to identify riparian stands where conifer restoration would have the greatest biological benefit for salmon recovery. The high-resolution raster datasets used in our analysis were capable of characterizing the biophysical attributes of riparian areas at finer spatial scales than was previously possible. This model is intended to serve as a screening tool to identify candidate sites for riparian area restoration. The assessment approach described in this study can be applied not only to model salmonid habitat at the watershed scale but also to assess landscape patterns relevant to a wide range of restoration goals. This methodological framework offers several advantages over other approaches to restoration site selection and planning. First, the fine-scale spatial resolution of the GIS datasets (pixels ≤5 m) used in the model provides a more accurate representation of the habitat conditions than has been possible with coarser-scale data (pixels ≥5 m). Therefore, the accuracy of site identification is greatly improved. Second, the quantitative nature of the model exercises greater objectivity than some other landscape-scale planning approaches. This regional planning tool could be replicated in other watersheds with comparable datasets and could be applied to identify habitat restoration sites for other species or guilds of species by simply altering the model criteria to match the habitat needs of the target organisms.
Periodontal disease and breast cancer: Prospective cohort study of postmenopausal women

Background: Periodontal disease has been consistently associated with chronic disease; there are no large studies of breast cancer, although oral-associated microbes are present in breast tumors. Methods: In the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, a prospective cohort of postmenopausal women, 73,737 women without previous breast cancer were followed. Incident, primary, invasive breast tumors were verified by physician adjudication. Periodontal disease was by self-report. HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by Cox proportional hazards, adjusted for breast cancer risk factors. Because the oral microbiome of those with periodontal disease differs with smoking status, we examined associations stratified by smoking. Results: 2,124 incident, invasive breast cancer cases were identified after mean follow-up of 6.7 years. Periodontal disease, reported by 26.1% of women, was associated with increased breast cancer risk (HR 1.14; 95% CI, 1.03–1.26), particularly among former smokers who quit within 20 years (HR 1.36; 95% CI, 1.05–1.77). Among current smokers, the trend was similar (HR 1.32; 95% CI, 0.83–2.11); there were few cases ( n = 74) and the CI included the null. The population attributable fraction was 12.06% (95% CI, 1.12–21.79) and 10.90% (95% CI, 10.31–28.94) for periodontal disease among former smokers quitting within 20 years and current smokers, respectively. Conclusion: Periodontal disease, a common chronic inflammatory disorder, was associated with increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, particularly among former smokers who quit in the past 20 years. Impact: Understanding a possible role of the oral microbiome in breast carcinogenesis could impact prevention. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 1–8. ©2015 AACR .
Sex of respondent, respondent's sex-role self-concept, and responses to the Sensation-seeking scale.

Sex of respondent and the respondent's self-concept of sex-role, as measured by the Bem (1974) scale, were correlated with scores on subscales of the Sensation-seeking Scale for a sample of 96 fema...
MRI Brain Activation During Instruction of Dyslexic Children

Ten children with dyslexia and 11 normal readers performed tasks of phoneme mapping (assigning sounds to letters) and morpheme mapping (relating suffixed words to their roots) during fMRI scanning, before and after 28 hours of comprehensive reading instruction, in a study of the effects of reading instruction on brain activation in children with dyslexia at University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Construction and expression of Mycobacterium tuberculosis PPE68/GST fusion protein expression plasmid

AIM: To construct the Mycobacterium tubereulosis (MTB) PPE68/GST fusion protein expression vector and induce its expression in E.coli JM109. METHODS: Rv3873 gene was amplified from MTB H37Rv by PCR and directionally cloned into expression plasmid pGEX-4T-1. Construct the recombinant expression plasmid pGEX-4T-1-Rv3873 and express it in E.coli JM109 under the induction of isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). The fusion protein was purified by GST affinity chromatgraphy and confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western Blot. RESULTS: The desired PPE68/GST fusion protein (M_r 63 000) was successfully expressed, accounting for 40% of the total bacteria. Western bolt revealed that the fusion protein could react with the polyvalent antiserum of tuberculosis patients. CONCLUSION: Prokaryotic expression plasmid pGEX-4T-1-Rv3873 was successfully cloned and expressed in E.coli JM109.
Prevalence of infections associated with prostate biopsy.

It has been estimated that approximately 1 million transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsies are done in both the United States and Europe each year.1 Previous studies using administrative claims reported an increase in infection-related hospitalizations after biopsy over time in the United States and Canada.1 However, these studies had limited data on important factors, such as culture results and the type of prophylaxis received, which might help shed light on potential ways to reduce this problem. Accordingly, several international groups have recently undertaken detailed studies on the prevalence of postbiopsy infections that include data on the type of antimicrobial prophylaxis and resistance patterns.
‘Schooling bodies to hard work’: the South African state’s policy discourse and its moral constructions of welfare

ABSTRACTThis article offers an investigation of social policy discourse with specific regard to the ways in which interventions aimed at addressing poverty and social inequality have conceptualised welfare, social assistance and social security. It argues that the post-1994 African National Congress (ANC)-led government has placed a priority on waged employment and labour market participation as the preferred route to social inclusion and social security, to the detriment of universal redistributive programmes not associated with paid work. The state’s promotion of a form of social disciplining centred on wage labour has clashed with the material reality of spiralling unemployment and the proliferation of precarious and unprotected occupations. This disjuncture raises important questions concerning the capacity of the new institutional dispensation to govern South Africa’s long transition – or even the ability of the ANC to justify their policy decisions to their core constituency.
Energetic particle pressure in intense ESP events

We study three intense energetic storm particle (ESP) events in which the energetic particle pressure PEP exceeded both the pressure of the background thermal plasma Pth and the pressure of the magnetic field PB. The region upstream of the interplanetary shocks associated with these events was characterized by a depression of the magnetic field strength coincident with the increase of the energetic particle intensities and, when plasma measurements were available, a depleted solar wind density. The general feature of cosmic-ray mediated shocks such as the deceleration of the upstream background medium into which the shock propagates is generally observed. However, for those shocks where plasma parameters are available, pressure balance is not maintained either upstream of or across the shock, which may result from the fact that PEP is not included in the calculation of the shock parameters.
LOWER MITE INFESTATIONS IN AN ASEXUAL GECKO COMPARED WITH ITS SEXUAL ANCESTORS.

What advantage do sexually reproducing organisms gain from their mode of reproduction that compensates for their twofold loss in reproductive rate relative to their asexual counterparts? One version of the Red Queen hypothesis suggests that selective pressure from parasites is strongest on the most common genotype in a population, and thus genetically identical clonal lineages are more vulnerable to parasitism over time than genetically diverse sexual lineages. Our surveys of the ectoparasites of an asexual gecko and its two sexual ancestral species show that the sexuals have a higher prevalence, abundance, and mean intensity of mites than asexuals sharing the same habitat. Our experimental data indicate that in one sexual/asexual pair this pattern is at least partly attributable to higher attachment rates of mites to sexuals. Such a difference may occur as a result of exceptionally high susceptibility of the sexuals to mites because of their low genetic diversity (relative to other more-outbred sexual species) and their potentially high stress levels, or as a result of exceptionally low susceptibility of the asexuals to mites because of their high levels of heterozygosity.
Epilogue: The Threat of World Anarchy

Five hundred years ago the center of world power lay in Asia. Four centuries later Europe had gained dominion over the earth. Inspired by the messianism and dynamism of Christianity, by the rationalism and sense of curiosity and progress which emerged from the Renaissance, as well as by the new stress placed upon individualism by the Protestant Reformation, the Europeans laid claim not only to the lands but the seas and the oceans of the earth. Supporting those claims was their will to power, their sense of racial superiority, and their superior naval technology and weaponry. Except for China and Japan, which soon shut their doors to the West, European interests and European values gradually became paramount.
Recognizing object manipulation activities using depth and visual cues

We present the design of an approach to recognize human activities that involve manipulating objects. Our proposed approach identifies objects being manipulated and models high-level tasks being performed accordingly. Realistic settings for such tasks pose several problems for computer vision, including sporadic occlusion by subjects, non-frontal poses, and objects with few local features. We show how size and segmentation information derived from depth data can address these challenges using simple and fast techniques. In particular, we show how to robustly and without supervision find the manipulating hand, properly detect/recognize objects and properly use the temporal information to fill in the gaps between sporadically detected objects, all through careful inclusion of depth cues. We evaluate our approach on a challenging dataset of 12 kitchen tasks that involve 24 objects performed by 2 subjects. The entire system yields 82%/84% precision (74%/83%recall) for task/object recognition. Our techniques outperform the state-of-the-art significantly in activity/object recognition rates.
Variability of the Seychelles–Chagos Thermocline Ridge Dynamics in Connection With ENSO and Indian Ocean Dipole

Remote processes, such as El Nino- Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), are primary drivers of the Seychelles–Chagos thermocline ridge (SCTR) interannual variability with respect to ocean temperature and salinity. Although salinity variability in this region is understudied, previous studies have separated out effects of El Nino and IOD on sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and concluded SST changes due to IOD are primarily associated with the southward advection of warmer equatorial water. Likewise, SST changes due to El Nino are associated with the suppression of clouds over the Indian Ocean. Although ENSO is known to have a stronger impact on SST south of the SCTR (10°S–15°S), this letter finds that the ENSO has a stronger impact on sea surface salinity (SSS) in the SCTR. This letter further explores how the surface and subsurface salinity and temperature in SCTR varies throughout the year in response to ENSO and IOD separate and coevents using long-term Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) reanalysis records. Our SSS results from the SODA reanalysis are compared and found to be consistent with soil moisture active passive derived SSS observations for both a positive and negative IOD year.
Midline Variants of the Septum Pellucidum, Corpus Callosum, and Massa Intermedia

The cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) is a normal variant fluid potential space of CSF density (on CT) and signal intensity (on MRI). A CSP may simulate a cystic lesion and can occasionally even appear to cause mass effect or can be confused with hydrocephalus. Three general variations of the septum pellucidum exist: the standard cavum septum pellucidum (CSP), the cavum septum pellucidum et vergae (CEV), and the cavum velum interpositum (CVI). To understand the difference between these three variations, a brief description of the anatomy and embryology is necessary. The normal septum pellucidum consists of two leaflets/septations of white matter that are separated in nearly all fetuses in utero. Typically, these septations (i.e., septi pellucidi) fuse in the posterior to anterior direction soon before or after the neonatal period, especially by adulthood. Thus, the CSP exists when the two leaves fail to fuse; it is situated somewhere posterior to the genu of the corpus callosum but anterior to the columns of the fornix.
Immunoglobulin GM and KM genes and measles vaccine-induced humoral immunity

Identifying genetic polymorphisms that explain variations in humoral immunity to live measles virus vaccine is of great interest. Immunoglobulin GM (heavy chain) and KM (light chain) allotypes are genetic markers known to be associated with susceptibility to several infectious diseases. We assessed associations between GM and KM genotypes and measles vaccine humoral immunity (neutralizing antibody titers) in a combined cohort (n=1796) of racially diverse healthy individuals (age 18-41years). We did not discover any significant associations between GM and/or KM genotypes and measles vaccine-induced neutralizing antibody titers. African-American subjects had higher neutralizing antibody titers than Caucasians (1260mIU/mL vs. 740mIU/mL, p=7.10×10-13), and those titers remained statistically significant (p=1.68×10-09) after adjusting for age at enrollment and time since last vaccination. There were no statistically significant sex-specific differences in measles-induced neutralizing antibody titers in our study (p=0.375). Our data indicate a surprising lack of evidence for an association between GM and KM genotypes and measles-specific neutralizing antibody titers, despite the importance of these immune response genes.
Assessing Residents' Readiness for OR Autonomy: A Qualitative Descriptive Study of Expert Surgical Teachers' Best Practices.

Purpose Providing resident autonomy in the operating room (OR) is one of the major challenges for surgical educators today. The purpose of this study was to explore what approaches expert surgical teachers use to assess residents' readiness for autonomy in the OR. We particularly focused on the assessments that experts make prior to conducting the surgical time-out. Methods We conducted semistructured in-depth interviews with expert surgical teachers from March 2016 to September 2016. Purposeful sampling and snowball sampling were applied to identify and recruit expert surgical teachers from general surgery residency programs across the United States to represent a range of clinical subspecialties. All interviews were audio-recorded, deidentified, and transcribed. We applied the Framework Method of content analysis, discussed and reached final consensus on the themes. Results We interviewed 15 expert teachers from 9 institutions. The majority (13/15) were Program or Associate Program Directors; 47% (7/15) primarily performed complex surgical operations (e.g., endocrine surgery). Five themes regarding how expert surgical teachers determine residents' readiness for OR autonomy before the surgical time-out emerged. These included 3 domains of evidence elicited about the resident (resident characteristics, medical knowledge, and beyond the current OR case), 1 variable relating to attending characteristics, and 1 variable composed of contextual factors. Experts obtained one or more examples of evidence, and adjusted residents' initial autonomy using factors from the attending variable and the context variable. Conclusions Expert surgical teachers' assessments of residents' readiness for OR autonomy included 5 key components. Better understanding these inputs can contribute to both faculty and resident development, enabling increased resident autonomy and preparation for independent practice.
Synthesis and Catalytic Activity of PNP-Supported Iron Complexes with Ancillary Isonitrile Ligands

Pincer-supported iron complexes of the form [(iPrPNHP)Fe(H)(HBH3)(CO)] (iPrPNHP = HN(CH2CH2PiPr2)2), [(iPrPNHP)Fe(H){OC(O)H}(CO)], [(iPrPNP)Fe(H)(CO)]; iPrPNP = N(CH2CH2PiPr2)2–) have proven to be a privileged class of catalysts for hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions. Here, the synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of a family of complexes related to these species, in which the ancillary carbonyl ligand has been replaced with an aryl isonitrile ligand, is described. The complexes [(iPrPNHP)Fe(Cl)2(C≡NR)] (R = 2,6-dimethylphenyl (1a), 4-methoxyphenyl (1b)) were prepared in good yield through the dropwise addition of the aryl isonitrile to an in situ generated solution of [(iPrPNHP)Fe(Cl)2]. If the aryl isonitrile was added too quickly, significant amounts of the cationic bis(isonitrile) complexes [(iPrPNHP)Fe(Cl)(C≡NR)2][Cl] (R = 2,6-dimethylphenyl (2a); 4-methoxyphenyl (2b)) were also formed. Treatment of 1a with excess NaBH4 generated [(iPrPNHP)Fe(H)(HBH3)(C≡NR)] (3a), but the correspondin...
A survey of methods for mobile robot localization and mapping in dynamic indoor environments

The emergence of indoor applications of mobile robotics has led to the development of various algorithms for effective localization and mapping in the presence of moving obstacles. A mobile robot needs to simultaneously solve many problems like sensing, mapping, localization, path planning, obstacle detection and avoidance for a completely autonomous system. This paper surveys the different methods developed to handle dynamic changes in an indoor environment.
Protective Effects of Beta-Carotene Against Psoralen Phototoxicity: Relevance to Protection Against Carcinogenesis

Improvement in prevention and therapy of various types of cancers represents the major challenge in modern medicine. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy result in temporary or sometimes complete remission only in a certain percentage of cancer patients. Immunotherapy, although promising, is still in an experimental stage. Increasingly, emphasis has therefore focused on the prevention of cancer formation. One of the ways to achieve this goal is to design and administer agents that modulate the process of carcinogenesis.
Kinetic properties of cloned human liver monoamine oxidase A

Monoamine oxidases deaminate many amines, including neurotransmitters, by oxidation followed by spontaneous breakdown of the imine product. The reduced enzyme is reoxidized slowly by oxygen, but in the presence of amines, the rate of reoxidation is markedly enhanced. The extent of enhancement depends on the amine substrate, kynuramine enhancing the rate 125-fold, but 5-hydroxytryptamine only 6-fold. Here we describe the properties of human liver monoamine oxidase A which has been cloned into and overexpressed in yeast. The purified enzyme has a higher Km for oxygen than does the placental enzyme, but the steady-state parameters for the endogenous amines are the same. Tertiary amines are oxidized at slightly different rates by the two enzymes. The consequences of the branched pathway mechanism with substrate-dependent enhancement of reoxidation for the steady-state levels of the various enzyme species is discussed.
Multi-Criteria Evaluation in User-Centric Distributed Scheduling Agents.

Distributed scheduling systems have used a variety of mechanisms to maximize the quality of the global solution. Techniques include negotiation frameworks based on market economies [Kis et al. 1996], game theoretic algorithms, and global or shared evaluation functions [Modi et al. 2005]. Our position is that these techniques do not adequately address the situation where self-interested cooperative agents maintain schedules on behalf of users operating in unbounded environments. Here, satisfaction is more important than optimality [Palen 1999], and personalized preferences are paramount to users [Berry et al. 2005a; Faulring and Myers 2005]. In our approach, global utility is secondary; the agent aims to maximize the utility of its user, but folds the positive utility of cooperating with others into that utility. Thus, we treat the utility of others as a single component of a personalized and context-dependent multi-criteria evaluation function, which the agent learns through interactions with its user.
Social Relationships and Social Knowledge

Most social bonds among animals are explained by one of two factors: kinship and mating. Several types of bonds exist and bonds can range from simple familiarity to lifetime monogamy. Hardest to explain are friendships which are not based on kinship and do not involve mating. The biological bases of social bonds are best understood in the realm of parenting and mating behavior and all social bonds share similarities with these bonds. Maintaining social relationships is cognitively challenging and animals keep track of three types of information about others: recognition (either individual or categorical), individual attributes, and third-party relationships.
Liposome Bupivacaine Compared to Plain Local Anesthetics to Reduce Postsurgical Pain: An Updated Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objective. Peripheral nerve blocks for postoperative analgesia have improved block success, but analgesia efficacy has been limited by the short duration of traditional local anesthetics. The results of randomized trials comparing liposome bupivacaine with conventional local anesthetic formulations (e.g., plain bupivacaine and ropivacaine) have generated conflicting results. This study was conducted to systematically review the effectiveness of analgesic efficacy of liposome bupivacaine infiltration at the surgical site versus plain local anesthetic bupivacaine or ropivacaine in patients undergoing surgery. Methods. PRISMA statement guidelines were followed. A search of electronic databases National Library of Medicine’s PubMed database, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Embase, and Google Scholar from January 2012 to September 2017 was performed. Among the 1,612 records identified, 9 randomized controlled trials involving 779 patients were eligible for data extraction and meta-analysis. Results. Liposome bupivacaine did not reduce postsurgical pain at rest compared to plain local anesthetics at 24 and 48 hours after surgery. Moreover, liposome bupivacaine did not reduce postoperative opioid consumption at 24, 48, or 72 hours when compared to plain local anesthetics. Liposome bupivacaine did reduce postoperative nausea when compared to plain local anesthetics (P =<0.3). There was no significant difference in hospital length of stay between study groups, the use of plain bupivacaine or ropivacaine, or among orthopedic or nonorthopedic procedures. No manifestations of local anesthetic toxicity were reported. Conclusions. Our results suggest that liposome bupivacaine does not have an analgesic advantage when compared to plain local anesthetics at the surgical site for patients undergoing surgical procedures.
Variability in Autism Symptom Trajectories Using Repeated Observations From 14 to 36 Months of Age.

Objective This study examined variability in autism symptom trajectories in toddlers referred for possible autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who had frequent observations from 14 to 36 months of age. Method In total, 912 observations of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) were obtained from 149 children (103 with ASD) followed from 14 to 36 months of age. As a follow-up to a previous analysis of ADOS algorithm scores, a different analytic approach (Proc Traj) was implemented to identify several courses of symptom trajectories using ADOS Calibrated Severity Scores in a larger sample. Proc Traj is a statistical method that clusters individuals into separate groups based on different growth trajectories. Changes in symptom severity based on individual ADOS items also were examined. Results Trajectory analysis of overall symptom severity identified 4 clusters (non-spectrum ∼25%; worsening ∼27%; moderately-improving ∼25%; severe-persistent ∼23%). Trajectory clusters varied significantly in the proportions of confirmatory ASD diagnosis, level of baseline and final verbal and nonverbal abilities, and symptom severity. For the moderately-improving group, social communication improved, whereas restricted and repetitive behaviors were stable over time. Language and verbal and nonverbal communication improved for many children, but several social affect and restricted and repetitive behavior symptoms remained stable or worsened. Conclusion Significant variability in symptom trajectories was observed among toddlers referred for possible ASD. Changes in social and restricted and repetitive behavior domain scores did not always co-occur. Similarly, item-level trajectories did not always align with trajectories of overall severity scores. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring individual symptoms within broader symptom domains when conducting repeated assessments for young children with suspected ASD.
Parametrization of particle coating process with chitosan in spouted bed

AbstractThis research aimed to evaluate the main process variables effect on the coating of inert particles in spouted bed with a solution based on chitosan, and later to apply them in batch tests ...
The Corporate Board Glass Ceiling: The Role of Empowerment and Culture in Shaping Board Gender Diversity

In this study, we use a mixed methods research design to investigate how national cultural forces may impede or enhance the positive impact of females’ economic and political empowerment on increasing gender diversity of corporate boards. Using both a longitudinal correlation-based methodology and a configurational approach with fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, we integrate theoretical mechanisms from gender schema and institutional theories to develop a mid-range theory about how female empowerment and national culture shape gender diversity on corporate boards around the world. With our configurational approach, we conceptually and empirically model the complexity that is associated with the simultaneous interdependencies, both complementary and substitutive ones, between female empowerment processes and various cultural dimensions. Our findings contribute unique insights to research focused on board gender diversity as well as provide information for firm decision makers and policymakers about possible solutions for addressing the continuing issue of the underrepresentation of women on corporate boards.
Imaging and Epilepsy: The Key to Surgical Success

Recent advances in neuroimaging have greatly enhanced our ability to accurately localize the epileptic focus of many patients with intractable epilepsy. This chapter describes the evolving role of new structural, metabolic, and functional imaging techniques in the presurgical evaluation and management of patients with intractable epilepsy and emphasizes the importance of finding a lesion to improve the likelihood of surgical success.
Reforming Women’s Health Care: A Call to Action for Lifestyle Medicine Practitioners to Save Lives of Mothers and Infants:

Maternal and infant mortality are fundamental indicators of a society’s health and wellness. These measures depict a health crisis in the United States. Compared with other rich countries, women in...
Leaf Disease Detection and Recommendation of Pesticides Using Convolution Neural Network

Crop production problems are common in India which severely effect rural farmers, agriculture sector and the country's economy as a whole. In Crops leaf plays an important role as it gives information about the quantity and quality of agriculture yield in advance depending upon the condition of leaf. In this paper we proposed the system which works on preprocessing, feature extraction of leaf images from plant village dataset followed by convolution neural network for classification of disease and recommending Pesticides using Tensor flow technology. The main two processes that we use in our system is android application with Java Web Services and Deep Learning. We have use Convolution Neural Network with different layers five, four & three to train our model and android application as a user interface with JWS for interaction between these systems. Our results show that the highest accuracy achieved for 5-layer model with 95.05% for 15 epochs and highest validation accuracy achieved is for Slayer model with 89.67% for 20 epochs using tensor flow.
Seventeen-electron chromium(i)tricarbonyltris(phosphine) complexes supported by tris(phosphinomethyl)phenylborates.

The inaugural crystallographic characterization of chromium(I)tricarbonyltris(phosphine) radicals has been achieved. Oxidation of [PPN][Cr(CO)3(PhBPPh3)] (PhBPPh3 = [PhB(CH2PPh2)3]−) and analogous Cr(0) complexes featuring 3,5-dimethylphenyl and 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl borate substituents affords charge-neutral Cr(CO)3(PhBPPh3) zwitterions, containing the first fully characterized [Cr(CO)3P3]+ units. The stabilization affected by the intramolecular charge separation established by PhBPPh3 ligands dramatically increases the robustness of these seventeen-electron Cr(I) complexes. Previous attempts to isolate salts of mer/fac-[Cr(CO)3P3]+ were frustrated by the thermal instability of these cations. The EPR spectroscopic data of Cr(CO)3(PhBPPh3) supports Rieger's hypothesized low temperature preparation of fac-[Cr(CO)3{CH3C(CH2PPh2)3}]+. The robust [Cr(CO)3P3]+ unit of Cr(CO)3(PhBPPh3) motivated the preparation of structurally characterized Cr(0)/Cr(I) (Cr(CO)3{η6-(PhBPPh3)Cr(CO)3}, Cr(CO)3{η6-(((3,5-CH3)C6H3)BPPh3)Cr(CO)3}) and W(0)/Cr(I) (W(CO)3{η6-(((3,5-CH3)C6H3)BPPh3)Cr(CO)3}) complexes. While these bimetallics feature classical κ3-phosphine and η6-arene metal-binding, they are noteworthy since all other reported mixed-valent Cr(0)/Cr(I) complexes exhibit (a) significant thermal instability that has precluded their isolation and (b) greater uncertainty regarding the presence of distinct Cr(I) and Cr(0) centers. This work illustrates the utility of tris(phosphino)borates for the stabilization of cationic metal fragments within zwitterions that are inaccessible or difficult to characterize independently.
MRS for D-2HG Detection in IDH-Mutant Glioma

Recurrent heterozygous mutations of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH1 and IDH2) are primary genetic events in gliomagenesis and largely determine the subsequent evolution and clinical phenotype of this class of brain tumors. Mutations in the residues R132 of IDH1 or R172 of IDH2 switch the enzymatic activity towards the production of D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D-2HG) at high intracellular concentration. IDH1 and IDH2 are important hubs in the metabolic network and their mutations result in metabolic reprogramming of mutant glioma cells with far-reaching downstream effects such as epigenetic modifications and modulation of immune response that promote cancer. D-2HG has emerged as a versatile and multipurpose biomarker for gliomas to diagnose IDH mutations, for treatment planning, and to monitor response to standard chemoradiation or targeted therapies. Noninvasive imaging of D-2HG based on magnetic resonance spectroscopy is feasible in patients and may enable precision oncology in glioma patients. However, optimized MRS acquisitions for 2HG detection are necessary to reduce false positive and false negative results.
The Rest of A Life

If someone said to me: ‘You’re going to die here this evening so what will you do in the time that remains?’ I would say ‘I will look at my watch drink a glass of juice and crunch on an apple and observe at length an ant that has found her day’s supply of food Then look at my watch: there is still time to shave and take a long shower. A thought will occur to me: One should look nice to write so I’ll wear something blue I will sit until noon, alive, at my desk not seeing a trace of colour in the words white, white, white
Supersaturation Nucleation and Growth of Plagioclase: a numerical model of decompression-induced crystallization

Supersaturation Nucleation and Growth of Plagioclase (SNGPlag) is a numerical model that predicts the nucleation and growth of plagioclase crystals in a decompressing magma as a function of time. The model is written in Matlab, but is available as a standalone compiled program. SNGPlag uses the MELTS webservice to determine equilibrium plagioclase mode, for a user-defined magma composition, as a function of pressure and temperature. User inputs include decompression path, the presence and size distributions of antecrysts and phenocrysts, and crystal shape. At each time step, the model evaluates the difference between the calculated crystallinity and equilibrium crystallinity for a given pressure and temperature to determine the degree of supersaturation, which then sets plagioclase nucleation and growth rates. Growth rates are used to grow the existing crystals whereas nucleation adds new crystals. SNGPlag produces results that can be compared to quantitative textures in natural volcanic rocks, including total crystallinity, microlite number density, microlite crystal size distribution, the characteristic size of microlite crystals, as well as a time series of crystallinity. Model results are consistent with the established crystallization theory. As expected, microlite crystallinity increases as decompression rate slows. Decompression path greatly affects microlite textures. For the same average decompression rate, single-step paths have higher crystallinities and microlite number densities than multi-step decompressions, which are in turn more crystalline than continuous paths. Pre-existing crystals damp microlite crystallization, as these crystals provide a substrate to accommodate crystal growth and thus reduce supersaturation. The size distribution and volume fraction of these pre-existing crystals determines the magnitude of the damping. SNGPlag predicts that melt composition and temperature also exert important controls. Higher temperatures and higher silica contents both reduce microlite crystallization. In comparison with the previous studies of decompression rate based on microlite crystallization experiments, SNGPlag generally predicts minimum decompression rates that are up to three-to-four times slower. The difference is likely because those studies applied single- or multi-step decompression experiments to simulate natural magma ascent, which may be better represented by continuous decompression pathways or series of continuous decompression intervals punctuated with pauses. Previous studies also fail to account for the effects of phenocrysts or antecrysts on microlite nucleation and growth.
Laboratory Studies of Questing Behavior in Colonized Nymphal Amblyomma maculatum Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae)

Environmental factors affect host-seeking behavior in ticks. In this study, 80 nymphal Amblyomma maculatum Koch were released in an observation arena containing four different heights of broomsedge stems (Andropogon virginicus L.) anchored in sand. Observations were made over three days as to proportion of ticks questing, questing height, and stem height distribution This scenario was replicated three times with different cohorts of ticks (n = 80 per replicate) for each of three treatment combinations of temperature and humidity: High temperature/high humidity (HTHH), high temperature/low humidity (HTLH), and low temperature/high humidity (LTHH). A fourth treatment utilizing the same size cohort and number of replicates included Wind (HTHHW+/-) by alternating days of wind and no-wind conditions over four days. Mean questing height for ticks under HTHH, HTLH, and LTHH conditions ranged from 4.45 to 6.03 cm with ticks questing significantly higher in HTHH. A significantly lower proportion ticks quested in HTLH (8.64%) than HTHH (14.06%) and LTHH (15.33%). In HTHH and LTHH, a significantly higher proportion of ticks were observed questing on 5-cm stems. Wind significantly reduced average questing height, and when absent, ticks on 20- and 30-cm stems quested significantly higher. These data indicate that A. macuatum nymphs randomly select stems to quest upon and climb upward until environmental conditions are prohibitive/ideal. Conditions with reduced vapor pressure deficit (VPD) led to higher questing frequency and height. Relatively low questing heights observed correspond with size of preferred hosts and may explain infrequency of collection by dragcloth in the field.
C-Reactive Protein and Procalcitonin Levels May Not Predict Delirium in Critically Ill Children.

Objectives The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between C-reactive protein and procalcitonin and the diagnosis of delirium in critically ill children. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Tertiary care urban academic PICU. Patients All PICU patients (ages 0-21 yr) admitted between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2017, who had a C-reactive protein and/or procalcitonin level drawn within the first 14 days of their PICU stay. Interventions None. Measurements and main results Each patient was screened for delirium and/or coma bid using the Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium. Patient information including demographics, delirium status, and laboratory values were extracted from the electronic medical record. Seven-hundred thirty-four patients were enrolled, with C-reactive protein and procalcitonin levels drawn in 664 and 587 patients, respectively. Thirty-seven percent of patients (n = 274) were delirious on at least one study day. In bivariate analysis, C-reactive protein was not related to either delirium or coma. Procalcitonin was highest on days with coma and lowest on days with delirium. There was no statistically significant relationship between inflammatory markers and any subtype of delirium. Conclusions Despite evidence of inflammatory markers being predictive of delirium in adults, in this retrospective pediatric cohort, no association was found between C-reactive protein or procalcitonin levels and development of delirium.
Anti-PD-1/L1-associated immune-related adverse events as harbinger of favorable clinical outcome: systematic review and meta-analysis

Recent studies have observed an association between immune-related adverse events (irAE) and favorable clinical outcomes in the setting of cancer treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). However, results have been variable and inconclusive. Therefore, we have conducted a pan-cancer meta-analysis evaluating the relationship between irAEs and clinical outcomes. The search included studies published in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from conception to 12.28.2019 as well as abstracts published in the ASCO and ESMO meetings from 2015 to 2019. Studies were included if ICI was used in advanced or metastatic cancer settings and excluded if data contained only combination therapy regimens or contained anti-CTLA-4. Raw data for overall response rate (ORR), hazard ratios (HR), number of patients (n), and p values for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were extracted. Pooled sensitivity (SN), specificity (SP), positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV), and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using the 2 × 2 table and logit transformed proportions; and summary receiver operating curve (sROC) was generated using the bivariate approach for ORR. Pooled HRs were calculated using the means weighted by inverse of the variance for OS and PFS. Heterogeneity was assumed and random effects model was used throughout the analyses. Final analysis included 32 studies, among which ORR data were available in 15 studies, OS in 17, and PFS in 16. 17 studies evaluated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), two studies melanoma, one study gastric cancer, three studies renal cell carcinoma (RCC), seven studies various cancer types, two studies urothelial carcinoma, and one study head and neck cancer (HNSCC). With respect to ORR, pooled SN, SP, PPV and NPV, and OR were 0.522 [0.423–0.619], 0.810 [0.771–0.844], 0.516 [0.413–0.618], 0.819 [0.764–0.864], and 4.59 [3.24–6.50], respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) derived from the sROC was 0.773. HR for OS and PFS were 0.47 [95% CI 0.37–0.60] and 0.46 [95% CI 0.37–0.56], respectively. Between-study publication bias was present for ORR, OS, and PFS; however, results remained significant after trim-fill analysis. irAEs predict OR, OS, and PFS across different types of cancer and may represent useful biomarkers in the clinical setting.