cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Multiday Ethanol Intoxication on Postburn Inflammation, Lung Function, and Alveolar Macrophage Phenotype

Burn patients who consumed alcohol before injury have worse clinical outcomes, including longer hospital stays, increased ventilator days, and more respiratory infections. Most alcohol consumers are binge drinkers and not chronic alcoholics, and binge drinking patterns fluctuate over the week, with consecutive days of drinking over the weekend followed by relative abstinence during the week. We used a murine model simulating this drinking pattern in the context of burn injury. Mice were given ethanol for 3 days, rested for 4 days, given ethanol for 3 more days, followed by a sham or 15% total body surface area full-thickness burn. We previously demonstrated that mice exposed to the combined insult exhibited respiratory dysfunction and 50% mortality, with those that succumbed to injury dying between 24 and 72 h, thus identifying a therapeutic intervention window. Our goal herein is to characterize inflammatory and respiratory parameters during this critical time frame. We saw that mice exposed to the combined insult had the highest circulating and pulmonary cytokine levels at 24 h, which were normalized by 72 h in survivors. Alveolar macrophage activation was observed at 24 h in burned mice, regardless of intoxication (P < 0.05). However, at 72 h, alveolar macrophages from intoxicated burned mice had elevated CD206, relative to controls (P < 0.05), indicative of an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Taken together, these findings suggest that although lung function and inflammation are normalized by 72 h, the alterations in alveolar macrophage phenotype shed light on a potential mechanism underlying increased infection susceptibility in intoxicated burn patients.
STELLA research software for teaching concepts of nutrient dynamics in the undergraduate classroom.

STELLA® Research software† is widely used in secondary schools and colleges. It was designed to teach elements of systems thinking that include concepts of dynamic change and feedback. Modeling such responses requires the use of built-in functions that may be algebraic, logical, probabilistic, or trigonometric. Unlike programs developed by the professional modeling community, STELLA software does not perform statistical analysis or derive parameters that provide the best fit between data and a proposed model. However, its advantages as a presentation tool include ease of use, ability to design and share kinetic models for special purposes, and availability of tools that allow for importing sounds, images, and video files. STELLA software is most appropriate for students who have not been trained in mathematics but who should understand the implications of models that deal with growth, accumulation of fat- vs. water-soluble vitamins, feedback controls, tissue effects, and issues related to metabolic regulation. The software is ideal for introducing the concept of hypothesis testing, and it can facilitate learning about complex processes such as transport across the placenta or blood-brain barrier. Whereas traditional educational methods lack a dynamic aspect, modeling programs allow the temporal dimension of cause and consequence to be explored. Because foods are widely considered to be medicinal, it would be useful for students in nutrition to learn about the plateau principle, models of effect, and the rationale for achieving therapeutic levels of nutrients and nutritional supplements.
Modeling Agricultural Production Strategies in the Northern Rio Grande Valley, New Mexico

Diversification in agricultural techniques is a common strategy of risk minimization in nonindustrial societies. However, attribution of suboptimal behavior to risk minimization without consideration of the structure of risk and its environmental context obscures the complexity of agricultural decision-making. The productive potential of a prehistoric agricultural system that includes floodwater and dry farming and stream irrigation is modeled using Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis to evaluate whether diversification occurred as a response to population pressure or as a risk buffering strategy. The estimated productive potential of floodwater and irrigation farming is sufficient to have supported the estimated local population, suggesting that risk buffering is a more likely explanation. Floodwater farming and stream irrigation form a dual strategy that is effective at reducing risk. However, the potential of dry farming for subsistence production is insufficient for buffering more than a 2% productive shortfall. We propose that, within this generally risk-averse economy, dry farming was oriented toward the production of nonsubsistence crops such as cotton.
Estimating Economic and Environmental Benefits of Water Markets in A Spatially Diverse Setting

This chapter develops a conceptual framework to measure the economic consequences of incorporating geopolitical boundaries, spatial characteristics, and water markets in the allocation of water in a trans-boundary setting. The economic model is developed in conjunction with Geographic Information System (GIS) data to assimilate the effects of spatial data on the economic analysis. The empirical focus is on the Upper Klamath Basin which straddles the California and Oregon border and hosts a variety of state and county governmental entities, as well as several Indian Nations, all with jurisdiction, and competing demands for water.
The Relativity of Code, Energy, and Mass Versus the Relativity of Energy and Mass

As a puzzling feature of nature, biological systems possess several aspects of autonomy including self-organization, self-replication, self-fueling, and self-regulation. It is initially difficult to accept the idea that each living creature is merely a chemical system. Yet, scientifically, biological systems are mainly composed of four natural chemical element, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Considering that biological systems are highly connected to the other inanimate elements in nature, several challenging questions remain to be answered; What are the regulatory mechanisms behind the autonomous properties of biological systems that distinguish them from inanimate elements and non-living systems in nature? Can we explain all autonomous properties of biological systems applying the currently defined natural laws of physics and chemistry?
Moving Beyond the Sarcomere to Explain Heterogeneity in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: JACC Review Topic of the Week.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) has been considered a heterogeneous cardiac disease ascribed solely to single sarcomere gene mutations. However, limitations of this hypothesis suggest that sarcomere mutations alone do not adequately explain all HCM clinical and pathobiological features. Disease-causing sarcomere mutations are absent in ∼70% of patients with established disease, and sarcomere gene carriers can live to advanced ages without developing HCM. Some features of HCM are also inconsistent with the single sarcomere gene hypothesis, such as regional left ventricular hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis, as well as structurally abnormal elongated mitral valve leaflets and remodeled intramural coronary arterioles, which involve tissue types that do not express cardiomyocyte sarcomere proteins. It is timely to expand the HCM research focus beyond a single molecular event toward more inclusive models to explain this disease in its entirety. The authors chart paths forward addressing this knowledge gap using novel analytical approaches, particularly network medicine, to unravel the pathobiological complexity of HCM.
Prediction and optimization of mechanical properties of composites using convolutional neural networks

Abstract In this paper, we develop a convolutional neural network model to predict the mechanical properties of a two-dimensional checkerboard composite quantitatively. The checkerboard composite possesses two phases: one phase is soft and ductile while the other is stiff and brittle. The ground-truth data used in the training process are obtained from finite element analyses under the assumption of plane stress. Monte Carlo simulations and central limit theorem are used to find the size of the dataset needed. Once the training process is completed, the developed model is validated using data unseen during training. The developed neural network model captures the stiffness, strength, and toughness of checkerboard composites with high accuracy. Also, we integrate the developed model with a genetic algorithm (GA) optimizer to identify the optimal microstructural designs. The genetic algorithm optimizer adopted here has several operators: selection, crossover, mutation, and elitism. The optimizer converges to configurations with highly enhanced properties. For the case of the modulus and starting from randomly-initialized generation, the GA optimizer converges to the global maximum which involves no soft elements. Also, the GA optimizers, when used to maximize strength and toughness, tend towards having soft elements in the region next to the crack tip.
PLATO in Search of Identity

PLATO is conceived as a research initiative among multiple German universities and research institutes, and cooperating universities and researchers globally. PLATO investigates the representation of information on the Internet and social media and its effects on students’ positive learning as a vital, scientifically, morally, and ethically oriented learning approach in a knowledge society. Yet PLATO is in search of its identity. Research projects are tangentially and variably aligned with its interdisciplinary and inter-university mission. Organizational and financial commitment, leadership and research coherence is illusive especially when many universities led by Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz are involved. An identity is proposed herein where research and development (R&D) would take place in “Pasteur’s Quadrant”: R&D in “use inspired basic research.” From this perspective, an organization for PLATO, one possible vision, is sketched that includes leadership, research areas, and public outreach where research meets practice and vice versa.
Cell fitness screens reveal a conflict between LINE-1 retrotransposition and DNA replication.

LINE-1 retrotransposon overexpression is a hallmark of human cancers. We identified a colorectal cancer wherein a fast-growing tumor subclone downregulated LINE-1, prompting us to examine how LINE-1 expression affects cell growth. We find that nontransformed cells undergo a TP53-dependent growth arrest and activate interferon signaling in response to LINE-1. TP53 inhibition allows LINE-1+ cells to grow, and genome-wide-knockout screens show that these cells require replication-coupled DNA-repair pathways, replication-stress signaling and replication-fork restart factors. Our findings demonstrate that LINE-1 expression creates specific molecular vulnerabilities and reveal a retrotransposition–replication conflict that may be an important determinant of cancer growth. Knockout screens to assess the effect of LINE-1 expression on cell growth show that TP53-deficient cells require replication-stress signaling and replication-fork restart factors to suppress LINE-1 toxicity, and that LINE-1 expression activates the Fanconi anemia pathway, suggesting that retrotransposition conflicts with DNA replication.
Genetic diversity and virulence characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from cases of bovine mastitis.

Abstract Staphylococcus aureus is one of the major bacterial mastitis pathogens with significant effects on animal and human health. Some studies showed that S. aureus strains that infect different host species are genetically distinct, although most strains can infect a wide range of host species. However, there are no clearly defined clonal patterns of S. aureus strains that are known to infect a specific host. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the clonal diversity and virulence characteristics of S. aureus isolates from cases of bovine mastitis. Bacteriological tests were conducted on milk samples from cases of bovine mastitis from 11 dairy farms including some milk samples from unknown farms in Eastern Tennessee. Overall, a total of 111 S. aureus were isolated and identified, and further evaluated for their genetic diversity by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and virulence characteristics by PCR. Genotypic virulence factors including staphylococcal enterotoxins, and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (tsst-1) were tested by PCR. In addition, the association among several known virulence factors of these isolates based on our current and previous studies in our lab were evaluated. Previously generated data that were included in the analysis of association among virulence factors were the presence of biofilm production associated genes in the ica operon such as icaA, icaD and icaAB, and phenotypic virulence characteristics such as hemolysis on blood agar, slime production and resistance or susceptibility to ten commonly used antimicrobials in dairy farms. The PFGE results showed the presence of 16 PFGE types (designated A – P) throughout farms, of which three pulsotypes, I, M and O were the most frequently isolated PFGE types from most farms. The PFGE type M was the most prevalent of all 16 PFGE types, with 64 isolates being present among nine farms. The PCR results of enterotoxin genes showed that out of the total 111 tested 84 (75.7%) were negative whereas 13 (11.7%), 2 (1.8%), 3 (2.7%), 1 (0.9%) and 8 (7.2%) were positive for seb, seb and sec, sec, see, and tsst-1, respectively. All 111 isolates were negative for sea and sej. Results of the evaluation of I, M and O strains adhesion to and invasion into mammary epithelial cells showed that the total count of each strain of bacteria adhered to and invaded into mammary epithelial cell line (MAC-T cells) was not significantly different (P > 0.05). This may be an indication that there is no significant difference in their ability to establish early host-pathogen interaction and colonization of the host. There were no statistically significant associations among PFGE types and other known virulence factors of these strains. However, PFGE types O and M tend to cluster with β-hemolysin, absence of enterotoxins and susceptibility to antimicrobials. In conclusion, there was not any association between pulsotype and genotypic and phenotypic virulence factors. S. aureus isolates from cases of bovine mastitis had diverse genotypes that possessed variable virulence factors.
Climate-driven prediction of land water storage anomalies: An outlook for water resources monitoring across the conterminous United States

Abstract The conterminous United States (CONUS) extends over a region of contrasting climates with an uneven distribution of freshwater resources. Under climate change, most predictions concur on critical disturbances in the terrestrial hydrological cycle with consequences on freshwater resources availability. In the case of the US, an exacerbation of the contrast between dry and wet regions is expected and could drastically affect local ecosystems, agriculture practices, and communities. Hence, efforts to better understand long-term spatial and temporal patterns of freshwater resources are needed to plan and anticipate responses. Since 2002, the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO) satellite observations provide estimates of large-scale land water storage changes with an unprecedented accuracy. However, the limited lifetime and observation gaps of the GRACE mission have sparked research interest for GRACE-like data reconstruction. Hence, this study developed a predictive modeling approach to quantify monthly land liquid water equivalence thickness anomaly (LWE) using climate variables including total precipitation (PRE), number of wet day (WET), air temperature (TMP), and potential evapotranspiration (PET). The approach builds on the achievements of the GRACE mission by determining LWE footprints using a multivariate regression on principal components model with lag signals. The performance evaluation of the model with a lag signals consideration shows 0.5 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.8 for 41.2% of the CONUS. However, the model’s predictive power is unevenly distributed. The model could be useful for predicting and monitoring freshwater resources anomalies for the locations with high model performances.
Design and measurements of n for the multicomponent semiconductor

A great deal of research has been performed on refractive index n and extinction coefficient k due to varieties of applications in optical industries. The dispersion equation is described for the photons of varying energies and their interactions with materials since there is a strong correlation of n and k with wavelength. Measurements based on reflectance can be expensive and are very difficult due to compositional variations. We present a low-cost reflectance probe fiber optics designed in-house to determine the absorption coefficients and refractive index of solids. The solutions using a modified Beer-Lamberts Law and merging the concentration and extinction coefficient terms into an absorption coefficient, α, can be given by the equation I = I0 exp (-α* d) where I is the transmitted intensity, I0 is incident intensity and d is the thickness. We have experimented with several semiconductor compounds for this study.
Abstract 5407: Novel imipridone combination therapies targeting oncohistone H3K27M mutant diffuse midline glioma (DMG)

Malignant glioma including diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is the leading cause of cancer related death in children. Recent advances in sequencing have identified the oncohistone H3K27M mutation in ~80% of pediatric DMG, which represents a target for new therapeutics. ONC201 is a first-in-class small molecule which upregulates TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) and its proapoptotic receptor DR5, independent of p53, selecting for apoptosis/growth arrest of many different tumor types including H3K27M mutant DMG. While single agent ONC201 along with RT is currently being tested in clinical trials for newly diagnosed and refractory DMG, there is an urgent need to evaluate ONC201 and other imipridone analogs in combination with other agents. Patient derived H3K27M mutant DMG cell lines (SU-DIPG-IV, SU-DIPG-13, SU-DIPG-25, SU-DIPG-27, SU-DIPG-29, SU-DIPG-36, and SF8628), were grown in culture and exposed to imipridones (ONC201, ONC206 and ONC212) alone, and in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents that have demonstrated pre-clinical activity against DMG (HDAC inhibitors and etoposide). Response to treatment was determined by Cell Titer-Glo cell viability assays as well as Western Immunoblotting for evidence of apoptosis and integrated stress response (ISR) activation. All H3K27M-mutant DMG cell lines tested to date exhibit a dose-dependent response to imipridone therapy. Mean IC50 values were significantly lower with the imipridone analogs ONC206 (0.11 µM) and ONC212 (0.03 µM) as compared to ONC201 (1.46 µM) when used as a single agent. ONC206 and ONC212 were associated with robust induction of apoptosis evidenced by increased expression of cleaved PARP, and ISR by increased expression ATF4. In the SU-DIPG-IV cell line, combination studies of ONC201 and panobinostat demonstrated a synergistic effect of both agents, as calculated by CompuSyn software. Combination indices below one were observed at concentrations of 0.003 - 0.05 µM of panobinostat with ONC201 at 0.156 - 5 µM, with the best combination index of 0.22. We similarly observed synergy between either ONC201 or ONC206 with Etoposide. Additional combination testing and synergy analysis is ongoing and will be presented. Our findings suggest that H3K27M DMG cells demonstrate increased sensitivity to imipridones ONC206 and ONC212 as single agents and combinational strategies with HDAC inhibitors and etoposide, and provide insights into novel therapies for further clinical testing. Citation Format: Robyn Borsuk, Lanlan Zhou, Rishi Lulla, Wafik El-Deiry. Novel imipridone combination therapies targeting oncohistone H3K27M mutant diffuse midline glioma (DMG) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 5407.
Tantalum Pentoxide-Based, All-Dielectric Ultraviolet Metasurfaces

We demonstrate a novel all-dielectric, ultraviolet metasurface platform based on Tantalum Pentoxide, enabling high-performance meta-devices operating across the mid- and near-ultraviolet frequency regimes.
Novel Eye Diagram Estimation Technique to Assess Signal Integrity in High-Speed Memory Test

This paper presents a method for the evaluation of the eye diagram of a signal by analyzing the atypical Shmoo plot extracted from an automatic test equipment using a loopback technique. The loopback technique was used to minimize the external noise generated by an oscilloscope, thereby making it easier to measure the signals and collect raw data. In addition, the Shmoo plot extracted using a shorting package enables analyses of the signals entering the device in actual situations. Subsequently, an analysis tool was developed to investigate characteristics of the extracted atypical Shmoo plot, such as jitter, rise and fall time, and signal data rate. Furthermore, this tool indicates the signal loss rate for all the pass zones and center point deviations in the eye diagram. The analysis tool produces an eye diagram from the extracted Shmoo plot to determine the signal quality status and also statistically analyzes the extracted raw data to determine the process capability of the automatic test equipment.
A Case Report of Portopulmonary Hypertension Precipitated by Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt

We report here a case of portopulmonary hypertension following transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt.
Critical challenges and creative solutions for quantifying nicotine vaping: qualitative reports from young adults.

Background Previous studies suggest that young adults who vape nicotine experience difficulty when answering survey items assessing quantity of vaping. The current study asked young adults who vape to provide suggestions for improving the scientific measurement of vaping. Methods We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 62 young adults who vape in Los Angeles, California between June 2018 and June 2019. We analyzed participants' responses to the following question: "What do you think is the best way for us to understand how much people vape?" using thematic content analysis. Results We identified two major themes: (1) challenges stemming from differences between the way researchers query about vaping and how individuals self-monitor vaping frequency, and (2) insights for future measurement of vaping. Participants reported that challenges of accurately quantifying vaping were due to inherently hard-to-answer questions (e.g., puffs per day), lack of awareness of or not actively monitoring consumption of vaping products, or because vaping behaviors vary considerably between and within individuals over time, making "on-average" questions challenging. Participants discussed ideas for improving survey measures that could accurately assess vaping quantity, including querying about type of device used, and frequency of replenishment of nicotine solutions. Conclusion Existing vaping behavior survey measures may not accurately capture quantity of vaping as they differ from how (or if) participants track their own vaping consumption patterns. While continued research is needed to optimally refine survey measures on vaping consumption, future measures may better align with vapers' self-monitoring by including questions on device-type and replenishment frequency.
Academics of the Early Primary Grades: Investigating the Alignment of Instructional Practices from Pre-K to Third Grade

Research Findings: The present study examined the extent to which instructional practices, including curriculum, in pre-K through third grade are vertically aligned. Attention was directed to teach...
Book Smart: How to Develop and Support Successful, Motivated Readers

Preface Chapter 1: Introduction to Shared Reading: Definitions and Practices Chapter 2: The Role of Oral Language in Reading Development: How Language Skills Lead to Literacy Skills Chapter 3: Emergent Literacy: The Roots of Reading Chapter 4: Learning to Write: How Writing Makes You a Better Reader and Thinker Chapter 5: Story Comprehension Chapter 6: The Effects of Reading Volume: Vocabulary and Knowledge Growth Chapter 7: The Social and Emotional Benefits of Reading Together Chapter 8: Conclusion
Zebrafish Model for NF1

Technological innovations continue to provide investigators with an ever-expanding toolkit for the manipulation of biological systems and the assessment of physiological state. Central to these advances has been the emergence of animal models that accurately recapitulate human disease. These tools have proven invaluable in the transformation of medical investigation from descriptive efforts focusing on natural history and pathology to mechanistic understandings of the consequences that arise from the molecular lesions underpinning these conditions. To this end, Drosophila and murine models of type I neurofibromatosis (NF1) have provided enormous insight into disease pathogenesis and NF1 biology. Despite these successes, presently available animal models of NF1 preclude the ability to efficiently approach a number of fundamental questions facing the NF1 research community. Here, we describe efforts that have culminated in the development of a novel animal model for NF1 that exploits unique features of the zebrafish system and outline new findings regarding NF1 that have resulted from this approach. The zebrafish model offers the ability to perform large-scale chemical and genetic screens in a vertebrate system. This model system will serve as a powerful platform to gain further mechanistic insight into NF1-associated pathology and for the development and testing of new therapies.
Communication Subsystems for High Speed Networks: ATM Requirements

ATM traffic places strict performance requirements on communication subsystems. Conventional subsystems attaching to networks that use variable size packets provide good perorfmance for long packets but they are limited for short packet traffic, such as fixed cell ATM traffic. In this paper, we present the necessary changes to a conventional adapter in order to support ATM attachments. We describe the support required for packet segmentation and reassembly, and we introduce the design of a network attachment that employs a buffer cell admission policy to increase the number of successfully received packets. A distributed architecture for data memory management is also described. Adoption of the presented architectural enhancements can greatly improve performance as simulation results indicate.
Substituted ethanes: Part V. Raman and infrared spectra, assignments, potential constants, and calculated thermodynamic properties for C2F6, C2Cl6, and C2Br6

Abstract Raman displacements, semiquantitative relative intensities, and quantitative depolarization factors as well as the wave numbers and estimated relative intensities for the infrared bands in the region 200 to 3000 cycles/cm were obtained for C2Cl6 in a carbon tetrachloride solution and for C2Br6 in 1,4-dioxane and carbon disulfide solutions. Vibrational assignments consistent with the depolarization data, infrared spectra, and selection rules were made for C2F6, C2Cl6, and C2Br6. Reasonable sets of potential energy constants were determined for the three molecules by use of the Wilson FG matrix method and the procedure of Gold et al. Finally, the thermodynamic properties—heat content, free energy, entropy, and heat capacity—were calculated from the spectral and structural data for 12 temperatures from 100 to 1000°K. In these calculations the contribution of the torsional frequency was included for C2F6 and C2Cl6 but not for C2Br6 since the potential barrier hindering the internal rotation of this molecule was not known.
Why NATO Endures

Why NATO Endures examines military alliances and their role in international relations, developing two themes. The first is that the Atlantic Alliance, also known as NATO, has become something very different from virtually all pre-1939 alliances and many contemporary alliances. The members of early alliances frequently feared their allies as much if not more than their enemies, viewing them as temporary accomplices and future rivals. In contrast, NATO members were almost all democracies that encouraged each other to grow stronger. The book's second theme is that NATO, as an alliance of democracies, has developed hidden strengths that have allowed it to endure for roughly 60 years, unlike most other alliances, which often broke apart within a few years. Democracies can and do disagree with one another, but they do not fear each other. They also need the approval of other democracies as they conduct their foreign policies. These traits constitute built-in, self-healing tendencies, which is why NATO endures.
Expanding the Donor Base in Higher Education : Engaging Non-Traditional Donors

Chapter 1: Introduction Racial Minorities Chapter 2: Engaging and Soliciting African American Alumni - Marybeth Gasman &Nelson Bowman Chapter 3: An approach to engaging Latina/o alumni in giving initiatives: Madrinas y padrinos - Jose A. Cabrales Chapter 4: Chinese American philanthropy: Cultural contexts behind major gifts in higher education - Kozue Tsunoda Other Alumni Constituencies Chapter 5: Women as a Donor Group to Higher education - Sara Kaiser & Amy Wells Dolan Chapter 6: Alumni Giving in the LGBTQ Communities: Queering Philanthropy - Jason C. Garvey & Noah D. Drezner Chapter 7: Fundraising from doctoral alumni: Going beyond the bachelor's - Anita Mastroieni Chapter 8: Examining Young Alumni Giving Behavior: Every Dollar Matters- Meredith Billings On Campus Constituencies & Future Donors Chapter 9: Faculty and Staff as Prospects and Donors: Giving on Campus - Genevieve G. Shaker Chapter 10: Building a Culture of Student Philanthropy - Lori A. Hurvitz Chapter 11: The Influence of Sorority and Fraternity Involvement on Future Giving - Ryan E. Merkel Chapter 12: Fostering Student Affairs and Institutional Advancement Partnerships - Michael Puma Chapter 13: Creating an Engagement Model of Advancement for Young Alumni - Luke Greeley Author Biographies
Series plasma opening switch experiment on Hawk

Summary form only given, as follows. A vacuum power amplification concept using Plasma Opening Switches (POS) in series to increase the voltage was proposed by Mason (1995). We have implemented a series POS on Hawk to test its effectiveness for increasing the bremsstrahlung production from high-power generators. The series POS consists of three coaxial cylindrical conductors in vacuum. The inner conductor is connected to the negative-voltage Hawk center conductor, the outer conductor is connected to the grounded outer conductor of Hawk. The intermediate cylinder is isolated from the other two by suspending it using resistors or inductors. Cable guns inject plasma radially inward between the outer and intermediate conductors, and an inside-out flashboard on axis injects plasma from inside the center conductor between the inner and intermediate conductors. The generator current flows through both plasma switches as they are electrically in series. Preliminary experiments used inductive loads to test the simultaneity of opening and to find promising configurations for future work with electron-beam diode loads. By adjusting the time delay of the inside-out and outside-in plasma sources, the two POSs could be made to open at nearly the same time and their voltages added constructively. Two diode load configurations are envisioned, either two diodes in series to effectively use the current twice, or one diode to operate at the sum of the POS voltages. Experimental results with diode loads will be presented and the technique will be evaluated as a way to decrease the x-ray pulse width and increase the dose and dose-rate from high-power electron-beam generators.
Dynamic Rigid-Bodies Model

This chapter discusses the dynamic rigid-bodies model. This model describes classical dynamics of rigid bodies, that is, motion of rigid bodies based on inertia and the influence of applied forces and torques, in accordance with Newton's laws. For collections of bodies, each body's motion is due directly only to the forces and torques acting on it; interaction between bodies is mediated by forces and torques. The force-based paradigm of motion is simple, reasonably intuitive, and uniform across applications. Generalized coordinates are useful for deriving equations of motion for specific problems with constrained motion and limited degrees of freedom. The goals for the model described in the chapter are as follows: (1) to describe bodies that move under the influence of forces and torques, (2) to keep track of energy expenditures for analysis and debugging, and (3) to provide support for higher-level modules that implement collisions, constraints, force mechanisms.
The Fermi Solid

These lectures will attempt to describe some of the physics of the solid systems that are called the fermi solids. The fermi solids are dielectric solids which have properties which depend upon the fermi nature of the particles from which they are constructed. As such the fermi solids are a subclass of the quantum solids [1]. Consider the sequence of dielectric solid systems; the neutron solid, solid 3He, solid 4He, solid H2, solid HD, solid D2, solid neon, solid argon, …. In this sequence the noble gas solids Ne, A, Kr, Xe, Rd are essentially non-quantum solids that form a useful classical limit against which to test ones understanding of the quantum solids [2]. The solid hydrogens, H2 HD and D2 are weakly quantum mechanical. The neutron solid and the helium solids, 3He and 4He, are strongly quantum mechanical. Solid 4He is a bose solid; it has been speculated that this solid might exhibit superfluidity [3]. Solid 3He and the neutron solid are the fermi solids. 3He is a laboratory solid about which a great deal is known. The neutron solid is believed to be present in some of the pulsars.
Symmetry breaking in solid state and particle physics

Spontaneous symmetry breaking in the Landau theory of phase transitions in crystals and in the Higgs mechanism of gauge theories is reviewed from a single point of view: It is shown that in both cases the problem can be reduced to the one concerning a finite group. Subsequently, the results regarding minimization of a G-invariant polynomial, where G is a finite group, are reviewed.
Innocence Commissions and the Future of Post-Conviction Review

In the fall of 2006, North Carolina became the first state to establish an innocence commission – a state institution with the power to review and investigate individual post-conviction claims of actual innocence. And on February 17, 2010, after spending seventeen years in prison for a murder he did not commit, Greg Taylor became the first person exonerated through the innocence commission process. This article argues that the innocence commission model pioneered by North Carolina has proven itself to be a major institutional improvement over conventional post-conviction review. The article explains why existing court-based procedures are inadequate to address collateral claims of actual innocence and why innocence commissions, due to their independent investigatory powers, are better suited to reviewing such claims. While critics on the Right claim that additional review mechanisms are unnecessary or too costly, and critics on the Left continue to push for a court-based right to innocence review, the commission model offers a compromise that fairly balances the values of both finality and accuracy in the criminal justice system. At the same time, I argue, the North Carolina commission suffers from the tension – inherent in all expert agencies – between efficiency and discretion, on the one hand, and procedural fairness and accountability, on the other. I offer several suggestions for reform of commission procedures to help insure that none of these values is overwhelmed by the others. Overall, the record of the North Carolina commission demonstrates that the commission approach can provide justice where the traditional court system has failed, and, with the reforms I suggest here, it ought to be a model for states across the country.
Checking PCB design electrically for PI/SI issues

In this paper, the signal integrity (SI) simulation and computer system electrical design flow is discussed. Traditionally, the SI analyses lead to a set of physical design rules that the printed-circuit board (PCB) and integrated circuit (IC) package designers rigorously follow in the layout to ensure the signaling performance meets the requirements. Such practice makes the signaling requirements intuitive to the layout engineers. But, at the same time, it may also reduce the design flexibility and limit innovation. To bridge the gap between physical design and signaling performance, the concept, ingredients, and flow of an electrical design checker is introduced and described in detail. The flow has been applied to the various designs, and results are discussed.
Exciton-polariton dynamics and photoluminescence line shapes in cadmium telluride.

Time-resolved and steady-state photoluminescence (PL) data on excitonic polaritons in CdTe are presented and analyzed in terms of polariton formation, transport, and relaxation processes. The sample-to-sample variation in the polariton line shape and the shapes of the various polariton phonon sideband indicates that there is substantial polariton emission from below the bottleneck region, which shows that transport effects dominate the polariton line shape. Time-resolved PL data from the polariton band show that both formation and decay rates vary with time and k state, producing complex polariton decay waveforms. Polariton formation at the bottom of the band persists for up to 3 ns after optical excitation. Bound-exciton lifetimes can be extracted from the bound-exciton PL decay waveforms if the time dependence of the binding-polariton population is known. These results are compared with previous experimental and theoretical studies of polariton dynamics.
Algorithm for the evaluation of the painful total shoulder arthroplasty: Searching for sepsis

Abstract One of the most serious complications after shoulder arthroplasty is periprosthetic joint infection. The reported incidence after primary procedures ranges from 0.7% to 4%, and the rates after revision surgery are even higher. Data on periprosthetic joint infection are derived in large part from the reported experience in managing infection at the sites of total knee and total hip arthroplasties; there is much less information available with which to guide decision making for the shoulder. This review focuses specifically on the current and future tools for diagnosing periprosthetic infections after shoulder arthroplasty.
Outcomes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in nursing homes: Can we predict who will benefit?

Abstract purpose: To determine the benefits of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in nursing home patients and assess possible prearrest and arrest predictors of survival. patients and methods: During a 4-year period (1986 to 1989), consecutive nursing home patients from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who sustained cardiac arrest and received CPR by paramedics were studied. The patients' prearrest clinical characteristics were determined including age, length of stay in nursing home, medical diagnoses, medications, circumstances surrounding the arrest, laboratory studies, and baseline functional status. Cardiac arrest data were obtained from a paramedic computer data base and included whether the arrest was witnessed, initial cardiac rhythm, and success of CPR. Survival was defined as the discharge of the patient alive from the hospital, and the patient's pre- and post-arrest functional status was compared. Possible predictors of survival were analyzed from the patient's prearrest characteristics and arrest characteristics. results: Of the total 196 patients who received CPR, 37 (19%) were successfully resuscitated and hospitalized, and 10 (5%) survived to be discharged. However, 27% of patients survived whose arrests were witnessed and who demonstrated ventricular fibrillation at the time of the arrest. In comparison, only 2.3% of all other nursing home patients who received CPR survived (p conclusion: We conclude that only a small percentage of nursing home patients who sustain cardiac arrest will benefit from CPR. However, greater than 25% of nursing home patients whose arrest is witnessed and who demonstrate ventricular fibrillation will survive. This is comparable to the survival rate of elderly community-dwelling persons who sustain cardiac arrest. Our data suggest that CPR should be initiated only in nursing home patients whose cardiac arrest is witnessed and should only be continued in patients whose initial documented cardiac rhythm is ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia.
Calcium does not act as a second messenger for adrenergic and cholinergic agonists in corneal epithelial cells

The role of changes in intracellular [Ca2+]i as a second messenger in response to either adrenergic or cholinergic agonists was determined in isolated bovine corneal epithelial cells. [Ca2+]i was measured in suspensions of cells loaded with either of the fluorescent indicators quin2 or indo-l, as well as in single cells loaded with fura-2. Fluorescence from the cell suspensions was measured in a spectrofluorometer while single cell fluorescence was measured using a modified fluorescence microscope with a photon counting photometer. Cells were loaded with these dyes by incubation in Ringer's (pH 8.1) containing 2–50 μM of the acetoxymethyl ester of the indicator. Fluorescence was measured before and after exposure to either, one of the adrenergic agonists isoproterenol, phenylephrine or epinephrine, or the cholinergic agonist carbachol. The resting [Ca2+]i level from the quin2 experiments was 115 nM ± 41 nM (SEM) (n=23) whereas with fura-2 it was 71 ± 10 nM (n = 30). In no case did we see any change in [Ca...
T helper cytokine patterns: defined subsets, random expression, and external modulation

Although T cell effector subsets, defined by cytokine patterns, have been recognized for more than 20 years, the functional cytokine expression patterns in vivo are still in considerable doubt, particularly for human T cells. At least three new subsets have been recently identified, but the committed cytokine pattern of a T cell (e.g., Th1 cells produce IL-2, interferon-gamma, and lymphotoxin) may differ from the expression pattern of one cell on one occasion, which may be a subset of its full potential. Recent advances in flow cytometry allowed detailed cytokine patterns of antigen-stimulated cells to be identified directly ex vivo. These patterns are clearly more diverse than the major subsets identified as committed phenotypes. Additional contributions to diversity may include new committed subsets, random expression of only part of the committed pattern, and modification of the expression patterns by cytokines and other mediators.
Ubiquitous Accessibility, Common Technology Core, and Micro Assistive Technology: Commentary on “Computers and People with Disabilities”

Much has changed since 1992 when the original CACM article by Ephraim Glinert and Bryant York was published. In the early 1990's, accessibility was mostly an add-on, with only Apple computers having built-in access. Computers were playing an increasingly important role in education and employment, but had not yet completely integrated themselves into all aspects of life as completely as they have today. The World Wide Web as we know it had not yet been born. Today there are accessibility features built directly into every major operating system, and one OS even includes a built-in screen reader. Assistive technologies are more numerous and capable. And awareness of the importance of access is much higher. However, some things have not changed. Assistive technologies lag behind mainstream technologies in both compatibility and functionality. Effective assistive technologies are often beyond the financial reach of those who need them. Effective assistive technologies are not available in many countries and many languages, even though technology is reaching into education, employment, and daily living of more countries and more people in each country every year. In moving forward we need to build on what we have achieved and explore new concepts, such as a common technical core, ubiquitous accessibility, micro assistive technology, and free public accessibility. Cooperative and collaborative approaches also need to be explored if we are to have any hope of catching up and keeping up with the ever-accelerating mainstream information and communication technologies.
File allocation involving worst case response times and link capacities: Model and solution procedure

Abstract A major design issue facing the designer of a distributed computing system involves the determination of the number of file copies and their locations in the distributed environment. This problem is commonly referred to as the file allocation problem (FAP). In this paper, a FAP model is formulated that seeks to obtain the lowest cost file allocation strategy, that ensures the attainment of acceptable levels of response times during peak demand periods, for all on-line queries. Unlike previous FAP research, the proposed model treats response time on a query-by-query basis, and not as a single, system wide average delay constraint . A Laggrangian relaxation based solution procedure is proposed for the resulting 0/1 integer programming problem. Results of computational experiments with the proposed solution procedure are reported.
The Usefulness of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in Pediatric Patients with Vertebral Osteomyelitis or Discitis

The Usefulness of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in Pediatric Patients with Vertebral Osteomyelitis or Discitis
Quantitative 3D reconstruction of airway and pulmonary vascular trees using HRCT

Accurate quantitative measurements of airway and vascular dimensions are essential to evaluate function in the normal and diseased lung. In this report, a novel method is described for three-dimensional extraction and analysis of pulmonary tree structures using data from High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT). Serially scanned two-dimensional slices of the lower left lobe of isolated dog lungs were stacked to create a volume of data. Airway and vascular trees were three-dimensionally extracted using a three dimensional seeded region growing algorithm based on difference in CT number between wall and lumen. To obtain quantitative data, we reduced each tree to its central axis. From the central axis, branch length is measured as the distance between two successive branch points, branch angle is measured as the angle produced by two daughter branches, and cross sectional area is measured from a plane perpendicular to the central axis point. Data derived from these methods can be used to localize and quantify structural differences both during changing physiologic conditions and in pathologic lungs.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Conditional Lending Under Altruism

We analyze how the altruism of an international financial institution (IFI) towards its low-income member countries (LICs) alters the effectiveness of its loans. We study IFI loans to a credit-constrained LIC. The IFI`s repayment policy is determined by the interplay of its concerns for the welfare of the loan recipient and its fiduciary responsibilities to creditor countries. If the IFI is unable to commit to repayment terms in advance, conditional loans are superior to unconditional loans. Thus, IFI altruism and the inability to commit are sufficient reasons to equip loans with conditions. Conditional loans produce an efficient allocation of resources, so altruism is not a fundamental reason that loans fail to increase welfare.