cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fabrication technologies for three-dimensional integrated circuits

The MIT approach to 3D VLSI integration is based on low-temperature Cu-Cu wafer bonding. Device wafers are bonded in a face-to-back manner, with short vertical vias and Cu-Cu pads as the inter-wafer throughway. In our scheme, there are several reliability criteria, which include: (a) structural integrity of the Cu-Cu bond; (b) Cu-Cu contact electrical characteristics; and (c) process flow efficiency and repeatability. In addition, CAD tools are needed to aid in design and layout of 3DICs. This paper discusses recent results in all these areas.
Can I Make my Own Decision? A Cross-Cultural Study of Perceived Social Network Influence in Mate Selection:

Two studies examined the comparative influence of network members on one's intention to marry and relational commitment among 616 college students in both China and the United States. Compared with U.S. participants, Chinese students believed that their dating partners would meet their filial piety beliefs, that such beliefs were more important in their potential decision to marrying their dating partners, and that they were more likely to comply with network members regarding the decision to marry. Network influence predicted Chinese marital intentions and relationship commitment, whereas relationship length and beliefs about support, care, living a better life, and network influence predicted U.S. participants' marital intentions and/or relationship commitment.
From the Inside Out How Institutional Entrepreneurs Transformed Mexican Journalism

This article addresses how to create democratic news media that foster participatory citizenship and government accountability. Using the case of Mexico, where journalism underwent a deep transformation in the 1980s and 1990s, the research finds that societal-level changes such as democratization and economic liberalization are only part of the explanation. What went on inside news organizations determined whether media took on a civic orientation enabling the creation of a public sphere, resisted societal-level change altogether, or reacted to only market-based cues. The result of these disparate transformations was the dissolution of an authoritarian institution into three competing models of news production with profoundly different sociopolitical implications. The study also discusses the application of sociological theory on organizations and institutions to the question of journalistic change in some depth.
Analysis of benign ventricular tumors: Long-term outcome after resection

Objective We sought to compare clinical and pathologic characteristics of ventricular tumors and to detect whether differences exist in short- and long-term survival after resection. Methods From 1964 to 2005, 323 patients had cardiac surgery for resection of primary cardiac tumors; 53 (16%) patients had primary ventricular tumors. We randomly sampled 53 characteristics of ventricular tumors. Results Patients with ventricular tumors were younger than those with atrial tumors (34.8 vs 54.6 years; P P P = .04), and mitral stenosis ( P = .008) at the time of presentation. Patients with ventricular tumors had an increased incidence of myocardial invasion (14% vs 2%; P = .02) and had significantly longer cardiopulmonary bypass (80 vs 65 minutes; P P = .03) times. Operative mortality was 4% and 0% in the ventricular and atrial groups, respectively ( P = not significant). Follow-up was obtained in 89% of patients at a mean follow-up time of 7.21 years. A Kaplan–Meier survival plot demonstrated no difference in survival characteristics of both groups. At follow-up, 81% and 74% of ventricular and atrial tumors, respectively, were minimally symptomatic (New York Heart Association class I/II; P = .13). Patients with atrial and ventricular tumors had a 6% and 0% tumor recurrence rate, respectively ( P = .12). Conclusion Surgical resection for ventricular tumors is effective and results in excellent long-term outcome. Early surgical treatment should be strongly considered in patients with primary ventricular tumors.
A C/ka dual frequency dual Layer circularly polarized reflectarray antenna with microstrip ring elements

This paper reports a dual frequency dual layer circularly polarized reflectarray operating in the C and Ka bands. A 0.5-m right-hand circularly polarized planar reflectarray antenna is designed using microstrip ring elements of variable rotations to achieve a cophasal beam at broadside. The microstrip ring elements are more compact than the traditional reflectarray elements and can minimize blockage for the multilayer multifrequency applications. The highest efficiencies measured are 46% at 7.3 GHz and 38% at 31.75 GHz. The tested cross-polarization levels are -21 dB at 7.3 GHz and -29.2 dB at 31.75 GHz at the broadside direction. The tested results show that the designed ring element is suitable for both the single and dual layer applications with good bandwidth and circularly polarized performance.
Preterm Fetal Hypoxia-Ischemia Causes Hypertonia and Motor Deficits in the Neonatal Rabbit: A Model for Human Cerebral Palsy?

Prenatal hypoxia-ischemia to the developing brain has been strongly implicated in the subsequent development of the hypertonic motor deficits of cerebral palsy (CP) in premature and full-term infants who present with neonatal encephalopathy. Despite the enormous impact of CP, there is no animal model that reproduces the hypertonia and motor disturbances of this disorder. We report a rabbit model of in utero placental insufficiency, in which hypertonia is accompanied by marked abnormalities in motor control. Preterm fetuses (67-70% gestation) were subjected to sustained global hypoxia. The dams survived and gave spontaneous birth. At postnatal day 1, the pups that survived were subjected to a battery of neurobehavioral tests developed specifically for these animals, and the tests were videotaped and scored in a masked manner. Newborn pups of hypoxic groups displayed significant impairment in multiple tests of spontaneous locomotion, reflex motor activity, and the coordination of suck and swallow. Increased tone of the limbs at rest and with active flexion and extension were observed in the survivors of the preterm insult. Histopathological studies identified a distinct pattern of acute injury to subcortical motor pathways that involved the basal ganglia and thalamus. Persistent injury to the caudate putamen and thalamus at P1 was significantly correlated with hypertonic motor deficits in the hypoxic group. Antenatal hypoxia-ischemia at preterm gestation results in hypertonia and abnormalities in motor control. These findings provide a unique behavioral model to define mechanisms and sequelae of perinatal brain injury from antenatal hypoxia-ischemia.
FleaNet: A Virtual Market Place on Vehicular Networks

Over recent years, mobile Internet devices such as laptops, PDAs, smart phones etc, have become extremely popular and widespread. Once on board of a vehicle, these devices can automatically connect to the vehicle processor and thus greatly amplify the communications and processing capabilities available to the owner in a "pedestrian mode." We envision that this "amplification" opportunity will be one of the drivers of car to car and car to curb communications. In fact, the car communications system will not be used exclusively for mobile Internet access, but also as a distributed platform for the "opportunistic" cooperation among people with shared interests/goals. Exchanging safety messages among vehicles is a compelling example. Stretching opportunistic cooperation well beyond safety messages, we discuss in this paper the concept of virtual "flea market" over VANET called FleaNet. In FleaNet, customers, either mobile (i.e., vehicles) or stationary (i.e., pedestrians, roadside shop owner), express their demands/offers, e.g., want to buy or sell an item, via radio queries. These queries are opportunistically disseminated exploiting in part the mobility of other customers in order to find the customer/vendor with matching needs/resources. In the paper we identify the key performance metrics, namely query resolution latency, scalability, and mobility. Based on the metrics, using models and simulation, we show that FleaNet can efficiently support a market place over vehicular networks.
Biomedical literature: analysis of journal articles collected by a radiation- and cell-biologist

The author's journal reference cards for 1965 and 1966 were analysed according to three “interest patterns”: (I) the total collection of 1469 article titles, a “potentially useful” set; (II) a subset concerning only his research specialty (deoxyribonucleic acid, histone, chromosomes, or radiation); and (III) a subset of articles defined as “useful” (those actually read by March, 1967). For each pattern, journals were ranked by frequency of use and a scatter diagram was drawn. Patterns I and II largely resembled patterns obtained by counting citations in basic journals or by counting publications of selected researchers. Pattern III was more widely scattered. It is concluded that access to diverse journals is needed by researchers to supply new ideas, and that this diversity of reading is not reflected adequately by citation counting or other indirect means. Current Contents, used by the author for current-awareness purposes in building his card file, generated 88% of all articles. Scatter diagrams indicated the decreased scatter predicted from its use. The 30 most important journals in this collection, including about 80% of titles, are ranked for each pattern.
Intrauterine determinants of diabetic kidney disease in disadvantaged populations

Intrauterine determinants of diabetic kidney disease in disadvantaged populations. Disadvantaged populations worldwide are experiencing an increasing incidence of kidney disease, much of which is attributable to diabetes. This report reviews the evidence that intrauterine exposure to growth retardation, diabetes, and vitamin A deficiency contribute disproportionately to the rising incidence of kidney disease in disadvantaged people, because they encounter these exposures more frequently than people from developed countries. These abnormal intrauterine exposures reduce nephron mass by impairing nephrogenesis, thereby increasing the susceptibility to kidney damage from diseases such as hypertension and diabetes that commonly affect disadvantaged people.
In vitro studies of cefamandole.

Abstract Cefamandole is a new cephalosporin antibiotic that was tested in vitro against 540 clinical isolates of gram-positive cocci and gram-negative bacilli. A concentration of 0.39 μg/ml inhibited 95% of the isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. A concentration of 6.25 μg/ml inhibited over 90% of the isolates of Proteus mirabilis and Escherichia coli, 69% of the isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 31% of the isolates of indole-positive Proteus spp. and Enterobacter spp. It was active against most cephalothin-resistant isolates of E. coli but not of K. pneumoniae.
CORR Insights®: Bilateral Pars Defects at the L4 Vertebra Result in Increased Degeneration When Compared With Those at L5: An Anatomic Study

I t is well known that patients with bilateral pars defects have a greater degree of disc degeneration and risk the development of spondylolysis. We also know that there is a relationship between pelvic incidence, sacral slope, and pelvic tilt with spondylolysis. In terms of instability with or without spondylolysis, it is thought that L4–L5 is inherently more mobile than L5-S1 due to the ligamentous attachments to L5 (iliolumbar) and the fact that L4–L5 often sits above the intercrestal line. Generally, spondylolysis makes a motion segment more unstable. Finally, it is generally agreed upon that increased instability begets increased disc degeneration.
Human Amygdala Represents the Complete Spectrum of Subjective Valence

Although the amygdala is a major locus for hedonic processing, how it encodes valence information is poorly understood. Given the hedonic potency of odor stimuli and the amygdala9s anatomical proximity to the peripheral olfactory system, we combined high-resolution fMRI with pattern-based multivariate techniques to examine how valence information is encoded in the amygdala. Ten human subjects underwent fMRI scanning while smelling 9 odorants that systematically varied in perceived valence. Representational similarity analyses showed that amygdala codes the entire dimension of valence, ranging from pleasantness to unpleasantness. This unidimensional representation significantly correlated with self-reported valence ratings but not with intensity ratings. Furthermore, within-trial valence representations evolved over time, prioritizing earlier differentiation of unpleasant stimuli. Together, these findings underscore the idea that both spatial and temporal features uniquely encode pleasant and unpleasant odor valence in the amygdala. The availability of a unidimensional valence code in the amygdala, distributed in both space and time, would create greater flexibility in determining the pleasantness or unpleasantness of stimuli, providing a mechanism by which expectation, context, attention, and learning could influence affective boundaries for guiding behavior. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our findings elucidate the mechanisms of affective processing in the amygdala by demonstrating that this brain region represents the entire valence dimension from pleasant to unpleasant. An important implication of this unidimensional valence code is that pleasant and unpleasant valence cannot coexist in the amygdale because overlap of fMRI ensemble patterns for these two valence extremes obscures their unique content. This functional architecture, whereby subjective valence maps onto a pattern continuum between pleasant and unpleasant poles, offers a robust mechanism by which context, expectation, and experience could alter the set-point for valence-based behavior. Finally, identification of spatial and temporal differentiation of valence in amygdala may shed new insights into individual differences in emotional responding, with potential relevance for affective disorders.
Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Fellowships: How Many Do We Need?

As hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery outcomes have improved, with patient mortality approaching 1% to 3% for these complex procedures when performed by high-volume surgeons in high-volume centers, the practice of hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgery has grown. Data on the volume of pancreatic and hepatic resections performed between 2006 and 2010, extrapolated from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, 1 demonstrates an increase in the number of procedures performed by 33% and 69%, respectively. Concomitant with this growth has been the emergence of formal training in the field of HPB surgery, and consequently a dramatic increase in the number of HPB surgeons trained. Historically, general surgery or surgical oncology training provided the majority of surgeons performing these operations and providing care for patients with HPB surgical disease. Over the last 2 decades, however, there has been the emergence of dedicated formal training in HPB surgery, as well as focused tracks in HPB surgical training within surgical oncology and abdominal transplantation fellowships.
Toxins and the Heart

Abstract When drugs affect the cardiovascular system, the complication cannot be considered minor, as the consequence will be an effect on cardiac contractile function or rhythm. For the purpose of this chapter, toxic agents refer to medicinal or recreational drugs, and toxins present in food, drink, or nutritional supplements. In general, agents that are “toxic” to the heart induce injury through one (or more) of the following mechanisms: direct toxicity, idiosyncratic reaction related to abnormal metabolism, hypersensitivity, overdose, and/or drug interactions. The heart has a very limited repertoire of responses to disease: (1) the heart can fail as a pump, or (2) the electrical system can fail resulting in a variety of conduction problems and arrhythmias. While the manifestations of cardiac injury are limited, the pathologic changes responsible for the dysfunction are more protein. This diversity of patterns of injury is especially true for injury to the heart by toxic agents.
Genetically engineering self-organization of human pluripotent stem cells into a liver bud-like tissue using Gata6

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have potential for personalized and regenerative medicine. While most of the methods using these cells have focused on deriving homogenous populations of specialized cells, there has been modest success in producing hiPSC-derived organotypic tissues or organoids. Here we present a novel approach for generating and then co-differentiating hiPSC-derived progenitors. With a genetically engineered pulse of GATA-binding protein 6 (GATA6) expression, we initiate rapid emergence of all three germ layers as a complex function of GATA6 expression levels and tissue context. Within 2 weeks we obtain a complex tissue that recapitulates early developmental processes and exhibits a liver bud-like phenotype, including haematopoietic and stromal cells as well as a neuronal niche. Collectively, our approach demonstrates derivation of complex tissues from hiPSCs using a single autologous hiPSCs as source and generates a range of stromal cells that co-develop with parenchymal cells to form tissues.
Aging-aware high-level physical planning for reconfigurable systems

Due to advanced silicon technology, reconfigurable system-on-chip devices such as FPGAs are increasingly becoming sensitive to aging effects. This paper presents a high-level physical planning with reconfiguration strategy in order to mitigate the aging-induced delay degradation in FPGA resources. The proposed solution is an offline framework composed of an aging-aware floorplanner coupled with a proactive aging-aware reconfiguration policy which generates checkpoints aperiodically for runtime reconfiguration. We consider BTI and HCI aging mechanisms and consider the BTI-based aging recovery during idle periods using aging history map. The experiments demonstrate that sequence of configurations generated by this scheme provides average aging-rate reduction on FPGA resources and application performance by 53.2% and 17.5%, respectively.
Investigation of the Food Choice, Promoters and Barriers to Food Access Issues, and Food Insecurity Among Low-Income, Free-Living Minnesotan Seniors

Abstract Objective Investigate food choice, food access, and food insecurity among seniors. Methods Eight focus groups were conducted in 2 counties with high and low Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation rates. A total of 62 seniors (aged ≥ 60 years) were recruited and each attended 1 focus group at a community center. The sample was 79% female and most were Caucasian (91%), similar to state demographics. The focus group themes of how seniors make food choices and access food, and food insecurity perceptions among this population were identified based on discussion commonalities. For quantitative data, P Results Five themes emerged: (1) former experiences affecting eating behaviors; (2) financial and food security driving use of food assistance programs; (3) food access strategies: restaurants, retail markets, and alternative sources; (4) physical changes associated with aging influencing food access and intake; and (5) social influences that play a role in decision making. Conclusions and Implications Both SNAP and congregate dining offer food assistance to seniors, but SNAP use was considered unacceptable by some seniors living in county 1 because of the negative stigma attached to the program or because they lacked program knowledge about income criteria. More effort needs to be made to educate seniors about SNAP. It is important to gain insight into how food insecurity affects their food choices.
Rapid, Robust Trajectory Design Using Indirect Optimization Methods

An efficient methodology is created to formulate robust trajectory design problems within an indirect optimization framework. An augmented cost functional is used to capture the worst case scenario associated with each modeled dispersion. This approach eliminates the need to propagate statistical information, thereby minimizing the dimension of the design problem. The proposed methodology enables robustness considerations to be directly incorporated into the optimization problem in which the mathematical information associated with indirect methods is used to provide explicit interaction information among nominal and dispersed trajectories. Examples illustrate the ability to construct highly coupled, complex solutions that capture all of the robustness considerations of interest to the designer. This approach enables the rapid construction of families of solutions that trade performance and robustness based on designer preference.
ON INDIRECT AFFECT OF ABNORMAL PORE FLUID PRESSURE TO THE SEAL OF GAS IN EACH PHASE

Based on the study of the formation mechanism and conditions of abnormal pore fluid pressure.The affect of abnormal pore fluid pressure to the seal of gas in each phase was deeply studied.Abnormal pore fluid pressure was considered not to seal gas in free phase directly,it can play an indirect role in sealing gas in free phase through increase of capillary seal ability of mudstone caprock.Abnormal pore fluid pressure was considered not also to seal gas in waterdissolving phase directly,it can play an indirect role in sealing gas in waterdissolving phase through increase of adsorptive fore of mudstone caprock.Abnormal pore fluid pressure was considered not to seal gas in diffusion phase directly,it can play an indirect role in sealing gas in diffusion phase through the formation of abnormal gasbearing concentration of mudstone caprock.
Increased skin lymph protein clearance after a 6-h arterial bradykinin infusion

When bradykinin (0.15-0.28 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) was infused into both femoral arteries of 11 anesthetized dogs, skin lymph flows increased by 25-371% within 2 h, and mean lymph protein concentrations increased by one-third. To determine whether, in addition to the initial increase in permeability, a 6.5- to 10-h bradykinin infusion caused a sustained effect, the bradykinin infusion into one hindpaw was stopped after 2 h (2HR), whereas the contralateral hindpaw was infused continuously (CONT). Two hours after the bradykinin infusion was stopped, Ringer lactate equal to 10% of the dog9s body weight was given intravenously to further increase lymph flow. After Ringer lactate infusion, increase in lymph protein clearance from the CONT hindpaws was greater than that from the 2HR hindpaws (change in clearance from before Ringer lactate infusion to final: 2HR, 6.9 +/- 1.4 to 8.8 +/- 1.1; CONT, 23.4 +/- 2.5 to 40.2 +/- 4.8 microliters/min). In the final lymph samples of the CONT, but not 2HR, hindpaws, the lymph-to-plasma ratio for immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M divided by the albumin lymph-to-plasma ratio exceeded the value of these ratios in the base-line samples. An intravenous bolus of Evans blue dye was given less than 2 h before the end of the experiment. The concentrations of dye in the final lymph samples were greater in CONT hindpaws (12.6 +/- 3.7% plasma equivalents) than in the 2HR hindpaws (1.1 +/- 0.5%). A continuous 6.5- to 10-h intra-arterial bradykinin infusion produced a sustained increase of transvascular protein clearance in skin that is consistent with a sustained increase in microvascular membrane permeability.
Application of Social Justice and Cultural Responsiveness Strategies: Using Cultural Assessments in Counseling and Psychotherapy

This chapter addresses broaching cultural issues early in therapy by offering to conduct cultural assessments to incorporate clients’ cultural identities, worldview, acculturation levels, privilege, and oppressions into the counseling process by explicitly addressing social-cultural differences and accepting the differences by incorporating them into the counseling process. The chapter presents the process for conducting cultural assessments on cultural identity exploration, worldview, acculturation assessments is presented. It also addresses variables that facilitate cross-cultural encounters. The last part of the chapter presents case studies incorporating relevant cultural assessments before designing and implementing counseling interventions.
Genetic alterations in childhood melanoma.

Overview:Melanoma is rare in children. However, the clinical features of the disease in this population have been well-documented through single-institution experiences and population-based analyse...
Finite Element Analysis of Damage and Elasto-Plastic Behavior of Metal Matrix Composites

Damage and elasto-plastic analysis is of particular importance to metal matrix composites since the onset of damage and plastic yielding begins very early in the loading process as compared to the composite ultimate strength. Voyiadjis and Park [1,2] proposed the two different damage models for metal matrix composites. The first damage model accounts for all types of damages in the composites as a single damage variable, while the second damage model accounts separately for the damage of matrix and the fibers. This is coupled with the interfacial damage between the matrix and the fibers exclusively. These damage models are namely the “Overall Damage Approach”, and the “Local Damage Approach”, respectively. A finite element analysis is presented here for quantifying damage and predicting the failure loads of the center-cracked laminate plates.
ANALOG COMPUTATION OF CARDIAC DIPOLE LOCATION

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on analog computation of cardiac dipole location. It presents a lead system developed by Nelson, et al. for determining the three orthogonal magnitude components of the resultant dipole of the in vivo heart. The system consists of a resistor network and is adjusted for different thorax geometries using two ganged potentiometers with output voltages being amplified to usable levels. The chapter presents a system that has been developed using operational amplifiers and multipliers. Input instrumentation amplifiers provide an amplified sum of potentials from appropriate electrodes on the thorax. Potentials are measured relative to a central terminal. The amplified sums are multiplied by voltages proportional to geometrical quantities. These voltages are adjustable for different body sizes and shapes. Multiplier outputs representing positive terms are summed and applied to the positive; input to a differential amplifier; and negative terms are applied to the negative terminal. Online solution for dipole location is possible by means of analog circuits.
Complete and Incomplete Hepatitis B Virus Particles: Formation, Function, and Application

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a para-retrovirus or retroid virus that contains a double-stranded DNA genome and replicates this DNA via reverse transcription of a RNA pregenome. Viral reverse transcription takes place within a capsid upon packaging of the RNA and the viral reverse transcriptase. A major characteristic of HBV replication is the selection of capsids containing the double-stranded DNA, but not those containing the RNA or the single-stranded DNA replication intermediate, for envelopment during virion secretion. The complete HBV virion particles thus contain an outer envelope, studded with viral envelope proteins, that encloses the capsid, which, in turn, encapsidates the double-stranded DNA genome. Furthermore, HBV morphogenesis is characterized by the release of subviral particles that are several orders of magnitude more abundant than the complete virions. One class of subviral particles are the classical surface antigen particles (Australian antigen) that contain only the viral envelope proteins, whereas the more recently discovered genome-free (empty) virions contain both the envelope and capsid but no genome. In addition, recent evidence suggests that low levels of RNA-containing particles may be released, after all. We will summarize what is currently known about how the complete and incomplete HBV particles are assembled. We will discuss briefly the functions of the subviral particles, which remain largely unknown. Finally, we will explore the utility of the subviral particles, particularly, the potential of empty virions and putative RNA virions as diagnostic markers and the potential of empty virons as a vaccine candidate.
Don't Stop Re-healin'! Cancer as an Ongoing Stem Cell Affair.

Tumors have long been suspected of hijacking stem cell mechanisms used for tissue maintenance and repair. Ge et al. now show that skin tumors exhibit merged chromatin profiles from distinct stem cell lineages. This "lineage infidelity" recreates a state akin to transient wound repair that persists to maintain uncontrolled growth.
Brewing Violence: Foreign Investment and Civil Conflict

Two prominent features in current world affairs are the unprecedented levels of global economic integration and the growing incidence of intrastate violence. We develop and test a novel argument linking foreign direct investment (FDI) to intrastate armed violence in developing countries. We argue that the entry and presence of multinational corporations causes market concentration in host countries, resulting in high rents. This in turn increases the return to appropriation or create opportunities for rebel groups to enhance their fighting capabilities, thereby increasing the likelihood of conflict. We further posit that state capacity mitigates the positive association between FDI and conflict. Strong states have the capacity to deter rebellions and address citizens' demands through institutionalized mechanisms. Using a sample of developing countries from 1970 to 2013 and addressing endogeneity bias, we find strong support for our hypotheses. Our findings have important implications for understanding the link between economic interdependence and conflict.
Creating a Ribonuclease-Free Environment

This chapter focuses on the process of isolation of ribonucleic acid (RNA) from biological sources enriched in ribonucleases (RNase) and then protecting the RNA from degradation in the ensuing protocols. RNases are a ubiquitous family of enzymes, present in virtually all living cells, that can degrade RNA molecules through both endonucleolytic and exonucleolytic activity. They are remarkably stable enzymes and their control is of paramount importance. It is incumbent upon the investigator to ensure that both equipment and reagents are purged of nucleases from the onset of the experiment. The most straightforward procedure to this end is for the lab to develop a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP), including a checklist, which each person in the lab is obligated to follow. Protocols for the isolation of RNA begin with cellular lysis mediated by buffers that typically fall into one of two categories depending on the required degree of cellular disruption and concomitant RNase inhibition: (1) those consisting of harsh chaotropic agents such as one of the guanidinium salts, which disrupt the plasma membrane and subcellular organelles and which simultaneously inactivate RNase; and (2) those that gently solubilize the plasma membrane while maintaining nuclear and other organelle integrity, such as the nonionic, hypotonic lysis buffers. The disadvantage of using gentle lysis buffers is that the lysis buffer alone is not sufficiently chaotropic to fully inhibit RNase activity; and the drawback of harsh chaotropic procedures is that the investigator is not able to discriminate between RNAs from various subcellular compartments once various subpopulations have been mixed. There are many commercial products available for RNase control. Failure to do so will inevitably result in a useless sample of degraded RNA and marked reduction in lab productivity.
Wear-out stress monitor utilising temperature and voltage sensitive ring oscillators

The authors propose an on-chip wear-out monitoring technique, which is based on monitoring the environmental conditions experienced by a digital circuit. The frequency of the T-sensitive ring oscillator (RO) emulates the wear-out stress strength caused by the temperature conditions based on the model of exponential dependence of the stress on the inverse of temperatures. The frequency of the VT-sensitive RO emulates the stress due to time-dependent dielectric breakdown, which is stressed by voltages as well as temperatures. Thus, the accumulated counts driven by the ROs directly indicate the total wear-out stress that the product has experienced so far. The measured results of a test chip fabricated by 28 nm High-k Metal Gate process confirm the expected dependence of T-/VT-sensitive RO frequencies on temperatures and voltages, enabling the emulation of wear-out. The methodology is presented to estimate the stress amount of various wear-out factors having different thermal activation energies. The proposed wear-out stress monitor would make automotive microcontrollers more reliable when they operate at boosted voltages and elevated temperatures to meet performance requirements of cutting-edge applications such as advanced driver assistance systems.
“Where Did I Come From?” The Impact of ART on Families and Psychotherapists

ABSTRACTThis article focuses on the field of assisted reproductive technology (ART) and psychoanalysis as it relates to people who’ve struggled emotionally in pursuit of their wish to create a fami...
Judging the Public Benefit Corporation

This chapter examines the role of courts in the Delaware Public Benefit Corporation (“PBC”) context. In the traditional corporate law context, Delaware courts are an important mechanism for resolving disputes and communicating standards of corporate governance through common law adjudication. Delaware law functions as the de facto national corporate law for publicly traded corporations. To date, the Delaware courts have not been asked to resolve major disputes in PBCs and, accordingly, have not had occasion to communicate standards of corporate governance. Both as prediction and guidance, this chapter explores how the traditional function of Delaware courts might translate to the PBC context.
Orienting the Map: Where K to 12 Teachers Stand in Relation to Text Complexity.

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to examine how K to 12 teachers defined the concept of text complexity within the context of materials selection. Using a tripartite definition of text complexity as our benchmark, we found that a majority of participants were unable to adequately define the concept of text complexity. Teachers who were able to define text complexity, however, also considered a wider range of factors in their evaluation of texts for instruction. Our findings suggest that developing a firm understanding of text complexity is beneficial to teachers during the materials selection process.
Periacetabular Osteotomy for Adolescent Neuromuscular Hip Dysplasia: Cerebral Palsy

The adolescent neuromuscular patient with hip instability and dysplasia presents a treatment challenge with little guidance in the literature regarding the optimal treatment. In cerebral palsy, specifically, hip instability is the most common hip disorder and can lead to decreased physical endurance, pain, arthritis, and fixed dislocation. Generally, the pathophysiology is increased contracture of the hip adductors and hip flexor (psoas) which slowly creates an adduction and flexion contracture with slow migration of the femoral head out of the acetabulum. In ambulating cerebral palsy patients, a hip that centers and is congruent can be treated with a redirectional osteotomy with careful attention to maintain posterior coverage while improving lateral coverage. While classically redirection osteotomies are contraindicated in such cases as they typically create retroversion, an appropriately executed periacetabular osteotomy can maintain and even improve posterior coverage.
Multi-decadal trends and influences on dissolved organic carbon distribution in the Barataria Basin, Louisiana from in-situ and Landsat/MODIS observations

Abstract Barataria Basin, a deltaic marsh-estuary system in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM), is an important source of dissolved organic matter (DOM) to the coastal ecosystem. To assess DOM dynamics, monthly measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and colored DOM (CDOM; an optical proxy for DOC) absorption were obtained over a three-year period (2008–2011) along a transect encompassing the upper, middle and lower regions of the Barataria Basin estuary. While CDOM absorption coefficient at 355 nm (ag355) generally decreased and spectral slope at 275–295 nm (S275–295) increased along the transect from the upper to lower basin, deviations were observed associated with hydrologic and meteorological influences. An application of wavelet analysis to the time-series of ag355 and various freshwater sources revealed a spatiotemporal resonance of ag355 with freshwater input from the Mississippi River (MR), the controlled freshwater discharge from the Davis Pond freshwater diversion, and rainfall in the lower, middle and upper basins, respectively. Field measurements and Landsat/MODIS data spanning across different seasons between 2008 and 2011 were used to develop optimized ag355 empirical algorithms for the high river flow, cold front, and normal conditions. Power law models relating a band ratio (green/red) of a satellite sensor to ag355 showed good performance for the MODIS-Aqua (R2~0.81–0.83, N = 581) and Landsat-5 TM (R2~0.72–0.79, N = 304) imagery. ag355-DOC relationships (R2~0.77–0.84, N = 306) applied to historical Landsat-5 TM (1985–2011) and MODIS-Aqua imagery (2002−2012) showed strong environmental influences on multi-decadal CDOM and DOC spatiotemporal trends. Satellite-derived DOC agreed reasonably well with in-situ measured DOC (averaged R2 = 0.71; RMSE = 2.13). While the time-series DOC showed seasonality and decreasing gradients from the upper to lower basin, an overall increase in DOC was observed in the upper and middle basins from 1985 to 2012. However, in the lower basin, DOC increased from 1985 to 2006 but decreased from 2007 to 2012, likely due to the impact of two major hurricanes in 2005. Furthermore, relationships between satellite-derived DOC and land cover variations (1985–2011) along the wetland-estuary interfaces derived from Landsat-5 TM supervised classification showed an increase in DOC with corresponding increase in developed area in the upper basin, while in the lower basin, DOC increased by 41% (R2 = 0.54) between 1985 and 2006 corresponding to a 17% decrease in salt marsh area, suggesting strong land use/land loss impact on the long-term DOC trends in Barataria Basin.
A Tale of Two Pressures- Medical Management Dilemmas in Post-TAVR LVOT Obstruction

Background Systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the anterior mitral valve leaflet after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an extremely rare pathophysiologic phenomenon leading to left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction. We report a case of post-TAVR LVOT obstruction leading to pulmonary edema and respiratory failure successfully treated medically with fluid challenges. Case Presentation A 91-year-old woman with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III was referred to our institution for TAVR evaluation. Patient was deemed to be intermediate risk based on Society of Thoracic Surgeon (STS) score of 4.7%. The baseline transthoracic echocardiogram confirmed the presence of severe aortic stenosis with peak aortic jet velocity of 5.5 m/s, aortic valve area of 0.8 cm2and mean gradient > 40 mmHg with preserved left ventricular function and mild mitral regurgitation. No intra-ventricular gradient, septal wall hypertrophy or SAM of the anterior mitral valve leaflet was noted. Patient underwent successful transfemoral TAVR with a 29 mm Medtronic Evolut PRO valve. Angiography confirmed proper valve position and no paravalvular leak. Post-procedural echocardiogram demonstrated adequate prosthesis performance with new-onset of SAM dynamic LVOT obstruction and concomitant severe mitral regurgitation leading to systolic flow reversal in both left and right pulmonary veins and apical tethering of the anterior mitral leaflet. Postoperative course was further complicated by Enterococcus sepsis leading to atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response resulting in systemic hypotension, pulmonary edema and impending respiratory failure. Despite the congestion in the pulmonary vasculature, the decision was made to optimize diastolic filling and preload by titrated beta-blockade and serial fluid challenges with 250 mL boluses. Patient was able to increase forward stroke volume leading to improvements in mean arterial pressure and resolution of pulmonary congestion. Conclusions The mechanism leading to SAM and LVOT obstruction after TAVR implant is poorly elucidated and rarely reported in the literature. Chronic aortic stenosis results in increased afterload to the LV that is compensated by elevated intra-ventricular pressure to allow adequate systemic perfusion. The increased intra-ventricular pressure also prevents septal inward motion and thus keeps LVOT unobstructed. With TAVR and the relief of the fixed obstruction, intra-ventricular pressure drops simultaneously with a reduction in LVOT cross-sectional area due to an increased flow velocity. A pressure gradient is created between the left atrium and LVOT that pulls the anterior mitral leaflet toward the LVOT creating a dynamic LVOT obstruction. Every effort should be made to optimize diastolic filling and contractility through titrated beta-blockade and fluid challenge.
Stochastic optimal control methodologies in risk-informed community resilience planning

Abstract The absorptive and restorative abilities of a community are two key elements of community resilience following disasters. The recovery of communities relies on an efficient restoration planning of damaged critical infrastructure systems, household units, and impaired supporting social and economic functions. These interdependent systems form a dynamic system of systems that changes continuously during restoration. Therefore, an effective and practical recovery planning process for a community can be modeled as a sequential dynamic optimization problem under uncertainty. This paper seeks to enhance our understanding of dynamic optimization concepts and their role in formulating post-disaster, community-level recovery strategies. Various methods of classic dynamic programming and reinforcement learning are examined and applied. Simulation-based approximate dynamic programming techniques are introduced to overcome the curse of dimensionality, which is characteristic of large-scale and multi-state systems of systems. The paper aims not only to study the unexplored topic of dynamic optimization in community resilience, but also to be a practical reference for policymakers, practitioners, engineers, and operations analysts to harness the power of dynamic optimization toward assessing and achieving community resilience.
Prevalence of microvascular and macrovascular disease in the Glycemia Reduction Approaches in Diabetes - A Comparative Effectiveness (GRADE) Study cohort.

Abstract Aims The Glycemia Reduction Approaches in Diabetes - A Comparative Effectiveness (GRADE) trial is a randomized clinical trial comparing glycemic effects of four diabetes medications added to metformin in type 2 diabetes (T2D). Microvascular and macrovascular diseases are secondary outcomes. We evaluated the prevalence and risk factor relationships for microvascular and macrovascular complications in the GRADE cohort at study entry. Methods Complication prevalence and risk factors were analyzed based on data from screening in all consenting participants meeting GRADE eligibility. Logistic regression and Z-statistics were used to assess risk factor relationships with complications. Results We enrolled 5047 T2D participants [mean age 57 years; 36% female; mean known T2D duration 4 years (all Conclusions In the GRADE cohort with
Transpositional scaling and niche transitions restore organ size and shape during zebrafish fin regeneration

ABSTRACT Adult fish fins regenerate to their original size and shape regardless of the nature or position of the injury. Spallanzani, Broussonet and Morgan initiated the pursuit of this scaling mystery of appendage regeneration in the 17th and 18th centuries. They and later researchers found the rate of regeneration initially correlates with the amount of tissue removed and then progressively decreases until outgrowth stops as the appendage’s form is restored. Prevailing models speculate that appendage cells harbor positional identities that instruct differential outgrowth after injury. We revisited Morgan’s fin resection experiments using the zebrafish model and show that differential Wnt production by distal niche cell populations determines the extent of regeneration. We identify Dachshund transcription factors as niche markers and show that the niche forms from intra-ray mesenchyme that populates the inside of the cylindrical and progressively tapered fin rays. The niche, and consequently Wnt, steadily dissipates as regeneration proceeds; once exhausted, growth stops. Supported by mathematical modeling, we show longfint2 zebrafish regenerate exceptionally long fins due to a broken niche “countdown timer”. We conclude that regenerated fin size is dictated by the amount of niche formed upon damage – which is simply dependent on the availability of intra-ray mesenchyme defined by bone girth at the injury site. This “transpositional scaling” model contends mesenchyme-niche state transitions and self-restoring skeletal geometry, not individual cell memories, determine a regenerated fin’s size and shape. One Sentence Summary Skeletal geometry provides the positional information for restoring organ size during appendage regeneration.
Regulatory T Cells Support Breast Cancer Progression by Opposing IFN-γ-Dependent Functional Reprogramming of Myeloid Cells

Regulatory T (Treg) cell infiltration of solid tumors often correlates with poor prognosis, but their tumor-suppressive function lacks mechanistic understanding. Through a combination of transgenic mice, cell fate mapping, adoptive transfer, and co-injection strategies, we demonstrate that Treg cell ablation-dependent anti-tumor effects in murine breast cancer require intratumoral recruitment of CCR2+ inflammatory monocytes, which primarily differentiate into tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and lead to reprogramming of their function in an IFN-γ-dependent manner. Furthermore, transcriptomic signatures from murine TAMs in Treg cell-ablated conditions correlate with increased overall survival in human breast cancer. Our studies highlight the strong myeloid dependency of breast cancer and provide the basis for the development of therapeutic strategies based on manipulation of the IFN-γ signaling pathway in monocytes.