cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Noise Control of Landing Gears Using Elastic Membrane-Based Fairings

As part of a NASA contract started in 2002 intended to quantify and mitigate the noise emission of a 777 main landing gear, an innovative approach to noise control was developed and tested at Virginia Tech. The objective was to develop an alternative to conventional rigid fairings that would account for issues encountered in full scale implementation and constraints such as weight, dimensions, cost, maintainability, ease of inspection, and stowage, among others. After designing and testing several devices and materials, an innovative concept of making fairings from elastic cloth membranes was found to address most of the system constraints while providing significant noise reduction. As a result, a series of flexible fairings were developed to target the most dominant noise sources of a 26%-scale 777 main landing gear in terms of their contribution to the overall noise levels as determined from previous wind tunnel testing. In this manner, devices were designed for the strut, braces, lower truck, torque link and cable harness. These new fairing concepts were tested to demonstrate the potential noise benefits as well as to establish the feasibility of these devices for full-scale implementation. For this study, aeroacoustic measurements were performed using a 63-element microphone phased array. The results for the most promising devices are presented in the form of acoustic maps and reduction in the integrated spectra with respect to the baseline configuration. The effect of the fairing material on the noise reduction potential is also shown.
Advanced General Dentistry Program Directors’ Attitudes and Behaviors Regarding Pediatric Dental Training for Residents

The oral health of children became a more prominent concern with the U.S. surgeon general’s report on oral health in America in 2000. The purpose of our study was 1) to assess General Practice Residency (GPR) and Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) (here jointly referred to as advanced general dentistry [AGD] programs) directors’ current behaviors with regard to pediatric training of residents and 2) to assess their attitudes about which components of pediatric oral health training should be included in AGD programs. A twenty-one item survey was mailed to all GPR and AEGD programs accessed through the American Dental Association website. Seventy percent of directors (N=187) completed and returned the survey. Responses indicated that AGD residents receive adequate clinical exposure to pediatric patients and provide much-needed services to uninsured, underinsured, and underserved people. Although clinical training in pediatric treatment was high, didactic hours focused on pediatric treatment did not seem commensurate with clinical activity. Program directors indicated strong attitudinal support for teaching residents many components of pediatric oral health care, although most directors have concerns over increasing didactic hours spent on pediatric oral health due to already crowded curricula. Approximately 88 percent of directors said that they would implement a pediatric oral health module in their curricula if they had access to one.
Consistency and cost of dual-task gait balance measure in healthy adolescents and young adults

Matched control data are commonly used to examine recovery from concussion. Limited data exist, however, examining dual-task gait data consistency collected over time in healthy individuals. The study purposes were to: 1) assess the consistency of single-task and dual-task gait balance control measures, 2) determine the minimal detectable change (MDC) of gait balance control measures, and 3) examine the extent to which age and task complexity affect dual-task walking costs in healthy adolescents and young adults. Twenty-four adolescent (mean age=15.5±1.1years) and 21 young adult (mean age=21.2±4.5years) healthy participants completed 5 testing sessions across a two-month period, which involved analyses of gait balance control and temporal-distance variables during single-task and dual-task walking conditions in a motion analysis laboratory. Cronbach's α and MDCs were used to determine the consistency of the gait balance control variables and the smallest amount of change required to distinguish true performance from change due to the performance/measurement variability, respectively. Dual-task costs were evaluated to determine the effect of task complexity and age across time using 3-way ANOVAs. Good to excellent test-retest consistency was found for all single-task and dual-task walking (Cronbach's α range: 0.764-0.970), with a center-of-mass medial-lateral displacement MDC range of 0.835-0.948cm. Greater frontal plane dual-task costs were observed during more complex secondary tasks (p<0.001). The results revealed good-excellent consistency across testing sessions for all variables and indicated dual-task costs are affected by task complexity. Thus, healthy controls can be effective comparators when assessing injured subjects.
Predicting Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Wave Amplitude from Unstable Ring Current Plasma Conditions

Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves in the Earth's inner magnetosphere are enhanced fluctuations driven unstable by ring current ion temperature anisotropy. EMIC waves can resonate with relativistic electrons and play a important role in precipitation of MeV radiation belt electrons. In this paper, we investigate the excitation and saturation of EMIC instability in a homogeneous plasma using both linear theory and nonlinear hybrid simulations. We have explored a four-dimensional parameter space, carried out a large number of simulations and derived a scaling formula that relates the saturation EMIC wave amplitude to initial plasma conditions. Such scaling can be used in conjunction with ring current models like RAM-SCB to provide global dynamic EMIC wave maps that will be more accurate inputs for radiation belt modeling than statistical models.
The Neopterygian Amia as a Living Fossil

The Recent bowfin, Amia calva, is a primitive neopterygian fish distinguished by a very long dorsal fin, a posteriorly rounded, hemicercal caudal fin with epaxial fin-rays, “amiid” scales, uniquely ossified centra that are diplospondylous in the caudal region, a double articulation (quadrate and symplectic) with the lower jaw, loss of suborbitals, and other characters. Of the cited characters, the hemicercal caudal fin is primitive for neopterygians; the double articulation of the lower jaw is a derived feature for all Halecomorphi; diplospondylous vertebrae are derived within the Amiidae; and expaxial caudal fin-rays, the loss of suborbitals, and the loss of the endoskeletal basipterygoid process are acquired in parallel by amiids and teleosts. Many additional characters unite amiids with teleosts and certain other neopterygians in the Halecostomi (see Chapter 16, Fig. 2).
Mapping differential cellular protein response of mouse alveolar epithelial cells to multi-walled carbon nanotubes as a function of atomic layer deposition coating

AbstractCarbon nanotubes (CNTs), a prototypical engineered nanomaterial, have been increasingly manufactured for a variety of novel applications over the past two decades. However, since CNTs possess fiber-like shape and cause pulmonary fibrosis in rodents, there is concern that mass production of CNTs will lead to occupational exposure and associated pulmonary diseases. The aim of this study was to use contemporary proteomics to investigate the mechanisms of cellular response in E10 mouse alveolar epithelial cells in vitro after exposure to multi-walled CNTs (MWCNTs) that were functionalized by atomic layer deposition (ALD). ALD is a method used to generate highly uniform and conformal nanoscale thin-film coatings of metals to enhance novel conductive properties of CNTs. We hypothesized that specific types of metal oxide coatings applied to the surface of MWCNTs by ALD would determine distinct proteomic profiles in mouse alveolar epithelial cells in vitro that could be used to predict oxidative stress an...
A note on finding minimum mean cycle

Abstract In a directed graph with edge weights, the mean weight of a directed cycle is the weight of its edges divided by their number. The minimum cycle mean of the graph is the minimum mean weight of a cycle. Karp gave a characterization of minimum cycle mean and an O ( n m ) algorithm to compute it, where n is the number of vertices and m is the number of edges. However, an algorithm he suggested for identifying a cycle with this mean weight is not correct. We propose an alternative.
Renegotiating the World Order: Institutional Change in International Relations

Rising powers often seek to reshape the world order, triggering confrontations with those who seek to defend the status quo. In recent years, as international institutions have grown in prevalence and influence, they have increasingly become central arenas for international contestation. Phillip Y. Lipscy examines how international institutions evolve as countries seek to renegotiate the international order. He offers a new theory of institutional change and explains why some institutions change flexibly while others successfully resist or fall to the wayside. The book uses a wealth of empirical evidence - quantitative and qualitative - to evaluate the theory from international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, European Union, League of Nations, United Nations, the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization, and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. The book will be of particular interest to scholars interested in the historical and contemporary diplomacy of the United States, Japan, and China.
Solid State Sensing of Nonpolar VOCs Using the Bistable Expansion and Contraction of Helical Polycarbodiimides

A molecular switch that operates from the discrete expansion and contraction of helical polymer chain segments in response to chemical environment is studied and applied to volatile organic compound (VOC) sensing. Populations of expanded/contracted segments of poly(N-(1-naphthyl)-N′-(n-octadecyl)carbodiimide (polyNOC) are found to be sensitive to solvent composition yet can be retained and modulated in the solid state. Previous studies have established that the two discrete local conformations of polyNOC can be measured in solution using infrared spectroscopy. Infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction are used to study polyNOC in the solid state at various conformation populations. Results provide insight into the role of the core-dual shell structure of polyNOC on the mechanism of reversible switching between expanded/contracted, helical-rod conformations. Solid-state switching is applied to sensing VOC’s using infrared spectroscopy for transduction...
Linguistic Features of Collaboration in Peer Response: Modal Verbs as Stance Markers

Chapters 11 and 12 have demonstrated the need for a corpus-based approach to further understand spoken learner-learner (peer response) interactions, and described one way of addressing this need: the L2PR corpus. We have also explored the results of a qualitative analysis of social dynamics in the corpus, and considered the relationship between these dynamics and learning outcomes. In sum, our analysis in Chap. 12 found that pairs who assume a collaborative or expert-novice stance, as opposed to a dominant-dominant or dominant-passive one (Storch 2002), experience better revision outcomes after peer response sessions. In the current chapter, we analyze one feature of learner stance in two sub-sections of the corpus: collaborative talk and non-collaborative talk. Comparing frequencies in the use of modal verbs across the two sub-corpora, we explore how the two groups of learners use these devices to deliver and respond to feedback during peer response sessions.
Elucidating the Energy- and Electron-Transfer Dynamics of Photon Upconversion in Self-Assembled Bilayers

Self-assembled bilayers of acceptor (A) and sensitizer (S) molecules on a metal oxide surface is a promising strategy to facilitate photon upconversion via triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA-UC) and extract charge from the upconverted state. The hypothesized mechanism for TTA-UC in a bilayer film includes low energy light absorption, triplet energy transfer, cross-surface energy migration, triplet–triplet annihilation, and electron injection into TiO2. Nonproductive processes can also occur including sensitizer-sensitizer TTA, radiative/nonradiative decay, back-electron transfer, and others. Steady-state and time-resolved emission/absorption spectroscopy were used to determine the rate constants of these processes. The rate constants indicate that S to A triplet energy transfer as well as S and A nonradiative rates are the primary efficiency-limiting processes for TTA-UC at the interface. This information is necessary to guide the design of new self-assembled UC films and is a critical stepping stone towar...
Endothelial Cell Senescence With Aging in Healthy Humans: Prevention by Habitual Exercise and Relation to Vascular Endothelial Function

Our study provides novel evidence in humans of increased endothelial cell senescence with sedentary aging, which is associated with impaired vascular endothelial function. Furthermore, our data sug...
Fearing the Danger Point: The Study and Treatment of Human Starvation in the United Kingdom and India, c. 1880–1974

In the late nineteenth century, nutritional scientists and physicians recognized the clinical symptoms of human starvation, which they regarded primarily as a protein deficiency. In the absence of large studies of advanced starvation, they could not, however, determine how long a normal person could live without food. British physicians and famine relief officers feared the illusive “danger point” at which a starving person could presumably suffer a deadly collapse. Scientists made dramatic advances in their understanding of human nutrition in the first half of the twentieth century. They learned that the most critical factors in starvation were deficiencies in amino acids, vitamins, and, above all, carbohydrates. Yet these advances were slow to influence the treatment of starvation by British physicians. Prison medical officers, in particular, continued to focus on protein in their diagnosis and forcible feeding of the growing number of hunger strikers in British, Irish, and Indian prisons. Long after nutritional scientists had abandoned the Victorian maxim that protein was “the only true nutrient,” prison medical officers continued to forcibly feed hunger strikers a liquid mixture of milk, eggs, beef, and brandy.
Radar detection in K-distributed clutter plus noise using L-statistics

Detection in long-tailed clutter is a challenging problem. Recently, the Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test (GLRT) in K-distributed clutter plus noise has been addressed. It has been shown that the minimum order-statistic detector works well to sort non-fluctuating point targets from clutter. We extend this work to show that, at little additional computational cost, linear combining of sorted values, L-statistics, can provide some additional performance gains, depending on the Clutter-to-Noise Ratio. Results are given primarily through Monte Carlo simulation.
Epilogue: “Those old soixante-huitards ”—Debord as Spectacle in Julian Barnes’ England, England

Contrasting Guy Debord’s Situationist critique of the spectacle with Gilles Deleuze’s vindication of the simulacrum, Barnaby reflects upon the nature of false consciousness that Debord critiques and the nature of authentic consciousness to which literary realism aspires. Realist fiction does not summarize or theorize authentic consciousness in the abstract, but allows the reader to experience and scrutinize the workings of individual consciousness as it negotiates with the discursive statements and sites of vision that comprise its world. Barnaby identifies this process at work in Julian Barnes’ England, England, in which the main character is confronted with two extremes of false consciousness—a commercial theme park of imperial history and a commune of reconstructed folk culture—and must seek authenticity on an individual level among these competing replicas.
An immunohistochemical study of normal human neonate and adult parotid gland tissue. Detection of lysozyme, lactoferrin, a1-antichymotrypsin, a1-antitrypsin and carcinoembryonic antigen.

Summary The immunohistochemical detection and distribution of Lysozyme (Ly), Lactoferrin (Lf), a 1 -Antichymotrypsin (a 1 -AChy), a 1 -Antitrypsin (a 1 -AT) and Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were studied in neonate and adult parotid gland tissue, using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) method. Ly stain in neonates extended into acini, intercalated ducts and occasional cells of large ducts, whereas in adults Ly was usually confined to the intercalated ducts. The distribution pattern of Lf in neonates varied considerably between individual glands showing three staining patterns. Most of the intercalated ducts, some groups of acini and rare striated duct cells were positive for Lf in adults. a 1 -AChy and a 1 -AT in neonates were positive mainly in the large ducts, whereas staining for arAChy and arAT in adults frequently extended into some intercalated duct cells, although less intensively. Finally, CEA in neonates was localized in the lumina and luminal membranes of the acini, in intercalated ducts, and less frequently in the large ducts. In adults CEA was present predominantly in the lumina and luminal membranes of the intercalated duct cells. These differences may suggest an immunohistochemical postnatal differentiation of the parotid gland.
A Concern for Hardening of the Categories

By keying philosophy to the designs of law and public policy the editors of this volume align it squarely with the interests of many legislators, judges, district attorneys, police, lawyers, psychiatrists, and workers in social service agencies. The most important and urgent issues of mental illness that concern these varied groups all have to do with conceptual, moral and ethical questions peculiarly within the special competence of philosophers. Studies of these linkages by philosophers, and other scholars dealing with essentially philosophical concerns, therefore, could be informative and perhaps even influential. Yet if ever these hopeful, exciting prospects are to be realized, much more will have to be said about matters of perspective and proportion, of context and structure. The virtual silence of the contributors to this volume on these scores indicates a general problem: the legal and public policy aspects and ramifications of mental illness have never been fully surveyed, mapped and catalogued. Along the artificial lines of categories within various disciplines, to be sure, tiny plots and subdivisions have been staked out. But from these alone one cannot determine if the results are gerrymandered or simply crazy-quilted. With so little appreciation of the general issues of mental illness, it is exceedingly difficult to appraise the accuracy and relative significance of studies on particular issues. Questions about the relationships among parts, and of parts to whole, desperately need systematic, sustained attention.
Deformation mechanisms and work-hardening behavior of transformation-induced plasticity high entropy alloys by in -situ neutron diffraction

ABSTRACTA full picture of tensile deformation mechanism evolution in the FCC-to-HCP transformation-induced plasticity high entropy alloy (TRIP-HEA) was revealed by real-time in situ neutron diffrac...
A cost-effectiveness analysis of a colorectal cancer screening program in safety net clinics.

Abstract STOP CRC is a cluster-randomized pragmatic study of a colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program within eight federally-qualified health centers (FQHCs) in Oregon and California promoting fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) with appropriate colonoscopy follow-up. Results are presented of a cost-effectiveness analysis of STOP CRC. Organization staff completed activity-based costing spreadsheets, assigning labor hours by intervention activity and job-specific wage rates. Non-labor costs were from study data. Data were collected over February 2014–February 2016; analyses were performed in 2016–2017. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) using completed FITs adjusted for number of screening-eligible patients (SEPs), as the effectiveness measure were calculated overall and by organization. Intervention delivery costs totaled $305 K across eight organizations (range: $10.2 K–$110 K). Overall delivery cost per SEP was $14.43 (range: $10.37–$19.10). The largest cost category across organizations was implementation, specifically mailing preparation. The overall ICER was $483 per SEP-adjusted completed FIT (range: $96–$1021 among organizations with positive effectiveness). Lagged data accounting for implementation delay produced comparable results. The costs of colonoscopies following abnormal FITs decreased the overall ICER to S409 because usual care clinics generated more such colonoscopies than intervention clinics. Using lagged data, follow-up colonoscopies increase the ICER by 4.3% to $460. Results indicate the complex implications for cost-effectiveness of implementing standard CRC screening within a pragmatic setting involving FQHCs with varied patient populations, clinical structures, and resources. Performance variation across organizations emphasizes the need for future evaluations that inform the introduction of efficient CRC screening to underserved populations.
Zirconium-Based Metal–Organic Frameworks for the Removal of Protein-Bound Uremic Toxin from Human Serum Albumin

Uremic toxins often accumulate in patients with compromised kidney function, like those with chronic kidney disease (CKD), leading to major clinical complications including serious illness and death. Sufficient removal of these toxins from the blood increases the efficacy of hemodialysis, as well as the survival rate, in CKD patients. Understanding the interactions between an adsorbent and the uremic toxins is critical for designing effective materials to remove these toxic compounds. Herein, we study the adsorption behavior of the uremic toxins, p-cresyl sulfate, indoxyl sulfate, and hippuric acid, in a series of zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The pyrene-based MOF, NU-1000, offers the highest toxin removal efficiency of all the MOFs in this study. Other Zr-based MOFs possessing comparable surface areas and pore sizes to NU-1000 while lacking an extended aromatic system have much lower toxin removal efficiency. From single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses assisted by density functional theory calculations, we determined that the high adsorption capacity of NU-1000 can be attributed to the highly hydrophobic adsorption sites sandwiched by two pyrene linkers and the hydroxyls and water molecules on the Zr6 nodes, which are capable of hydrogen bonding with polar functional groups of guest molecules. Further, NU-1000 almost completely removes p-cresyl sulfate from human serum albumin, a protein that these uremic toxins bind to in the body. These results offer design principles for potential MOFs candidates for uremic toxin removal.
Pachyderm-Shape Guiding Catheters to Simplify BASILICA Leaflet Traversal

Abstract Objectives To test custom-shape guiding catheter curves intended to simplify aortic valve leaflet laceration. Background Bioprosthetic Aortic Scallop Intentional Laceration to prevent Iatrogenic Coronary Artery obstruction (BASILICA) is an adjunct to transcatheter aortic valve replacement. It can be technically demanding using popular coronary guiding catheters and catheter-in-guide coaxial systems. New elephant-trunk shaped Pachyderm Left (PAL1,PAL2,PAL3, Launcher, Medtronic) and Right (PJR4) guiding catheters match the geometric requirements to engage aortic cusp hinge points. We evaluate whether these catheters ease BASILICA compared with conventional-shape coronary guiding catheters used in the BASILICA IDE trial. Methods This is a single-center, consecutive, retrospective observational cohort of patients who underwent BASILICA for risk of TAVR-induced coronary obstruction defined as virtual valve-to-coronary distance Results Nine leaflets in 6 patients were traversed and lacerated using BASILICA and Pachyderm curve guiding catheters for traversal, including three solo left and three doppio left and right leaflets. Leaflet traversal was universally successful. Leaflet time-to-leaflet traversal was shorter using Pachyderm catheters compared with the BASILICA IDE trial (8.3 min (5.6–15) vs 45 min (20, 61), p = 0.016). There were no deaths, strokes, or vascular complications. Conclusions The new Pachyderm shaped guiding catheters significantly hastened the leaflet time-to-traversal during BASILICA TAVR. We recommend they be used instead of conventional coronary-shaped guiding catheters.
Periodicity of certain generalized continued fractions

We have previously considered continued fractions with “numerator” a positive integer N, which we refer to as $${\text {cf}}_N$$ expansions. In particular, let E be a positive integer that is not a perfect square. For $$N > 1$$ , $$\sqrt{E}$$ has infinitely many $${\text {cf}}_N$$ expansions. There is a natural notion of the “best” $${\text {cf}}_N$$ expansion of $$\sqrt{E}$$ . We have conjectured, based on extensive numerical evidence, that such a best expansion is not always periodic. From this evidence, it is difficult to predict for which N this expansion will be periodic. We show here that for any such E, there are infinitely many values of N for which this expansion is indeed periodic, more precisely, periodic of period 1 or 2, and we obtain formulas for a subset of these expansions in terms of solutions to Pell’s equation $$x^2 - Ey^2 = 1$$ .
Consistency of Offender Behaviors and Victim Targeting in Serial Sexual Violence: An Overview of the Field

In serial crimes such as sexual homicide and rape, the examination of whether offenders are consistent in their behavior over their series, or whether they change, escalate or whether they engage in predictable trajectories over time may provide a substantial addition to our understanding of psychological assessment of behavior, and ultimately may impact the reliability of predictions of re-offending. This chapter aims to give an overview of the field of crime scene analysis and discuss the advancements that have been made in this field, specifically with reference to understanding consistency patterns across an offender’s series in cases of sexual crimes such as rape and homicide. The specific focus is on understanding the specific components of sexual activity during series, its different expressions through the behavior itself, the type of crime (rape and sexual homicide), and also how the sexual component may be expressed through the victim targeted, such as in cases of sex workers. The review aims to outline what we know, and what some of the constructs are that have been used in understanding behavioral consistency.
In acute HF, intensive and sustained vasodilation did not reduce a composite of death or HF readmission at 180 days.

Source Citation Kozhuharov N, Goudev A, Flores D, et al. Effect of a strategy of comprehensive vasodilation vs usual care on mortality and heart failure rehospitalization among patients with acute ...
Manipulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to promote anti-tumor immune infiltration into the TME to sensitize ovarian cancer to ICB therapy.

Abstract Objective Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy shows limited efficacy in ovarian cancers due to the “cold” immune phenotype surrounding these tumors. Previous studies have shown that in ovarian cancer Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation contributes to this immune phenotype. Here, we evaluated the anti-tumor and immune-enhancing properties of the Wnt inhibitor, CGX-1321, used alone or in combination with either DKN-01 or anti-PD-1 therapy, in pre-clinical ovarian cancer models. Methods The parental ID8 murine ovarian cancer model harboring a knock-out of p53 (ID8p53−/−) and MISIIR-Tag spontaneous ovarian cancer models were used to test the effects of CGX-1321 alone or in combination therapies on tumor burden and immune cell landscape in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Flow cytometry and NanoString analyses were used to characterize the changes in tumor-intrinsic signaling and immune-related profiles in the TME of ovarian cancer in response to treatments. Results CGX-1321 significantly reduced tumor burden and constrained tumor progression in the ID8p53−/− and MISIIR-Tag models. Furthermore, CGX-1321 increased infiltrating CD8+ T cells in the TME. Combining CGX-1321 with either DKN-01 or anti-PD-1 therapy also decreased tumor burden and increased CD8+ T cell infiltration in the omentum TME but did not do so to a greater extent that CGX-1321 monotherapy. Conclusions CGX-1321 significantly reduced tumor burden and enhanced CD8+ T cell levels in ovarian cancer, nevertheless the addition of DKN-01 or anti-PD-1 therapies did not enhance these effects of CGX-1321. Further investigation is needed to determine if CGX-1321 + DKN-01 combination treatment sensitizes pre-clinical ovarian cancer to ICB therapy.
Spectral signatures of transverse optical modes in semiconductor nanowires

In order to build nanophotonic devices, it is important to understand and ultimately control the optical mode structure within potential components such as nanoscale waveguides. However, experimental characterization of such modes in the optical regime is difficult due to the nanoscale dimensions of such components and the perturbations that would be induced by a near-field probe. Here, we demonstrate a probe-free, far-field method to characterize the optical modes within GaN nanowires (NWs) based on a novel off-axis scanning confocal microscope system. Using this microscope, we observe spectral signatures resulting from lateral leakage of waveguide modes when they exceed their respective cutoff limits. We identify these modes within hyperspectral images using an analytical model coupled with finite element simulations. The model can also be used to predict the spectral signatures for given geometrical and dielectric parameters, which enabled us to deduce the transverse dimension of the NW from hyperspectral images with an accuracy of ∼30nm.
Illiquidity Premia in Asset Returns: An Empirical Analysis of Hedge Funds, Mutual Funds, and US Equity Portfolios

We establish a link between illiquidity and positive autocorrelation in asset returns among a sample of hedge funds, mutual funds, and various equity portfolios. For hedge funds, this link can be confirmed by comparing the return autocorrelations of funds with shorter vs. longer redemption-notice periods. We also document significant positive return-autocorrelation in portfolios of securities that are generally considered less liquid, e.g., small-cap stocks, corporate bonds, mortgage-backed securities, and emerging-market investments. Using a sample of 2,927 hedge funds, 15,654 mutual funds, and 100 size- and book-to-market-sorted portfolios of US common stocks, we construct autocorrelation-sorted long/short portfolios and conclude that illiquidity premia are generally positive and significant, ranging from 2.74% to 9.91% per year among the various hedge funds and fixed-income mutual funds. We do not find evidence for this premium among equity and asset-allocation mutual funds, or among the 100 US equity portfolios. The time variation in our aggregated illiquidity premium shows that while 1998 was a difficult year for most funds with large illiquidity exposure, the following four years yielded significantly higher illiquidity premia that led to greater competition in credit markets, contributing to much lower illiquidity premia in the years leading up to the Financial Crisis of 2007–2008.
Deep learning in image reconstruction: vulnerability under adversarial attacks and potential defense strategies

In this work, we studied the adversarial attacks and their corresponding defense strategies specifically in x-ray computed tomography image reconstruction tasks. After a small amount of imperceptible noise was added to the input image, these barely noticeable additional noise to the input image resulted in artifactual false-positive structures into output images of the well referenced high performance deep learning reconstruction methods. Since the adversarial attacks often occur at a specific stage of the entire imaging chain, defense measures can be developed to incorporate the uncontaminated data in the imaging chain into the image reconstruction framework to eliminate hazardous effects of adversarial attacks.
Early Outcomes of Direct Heart Transplant Off Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support after New Heart Allocation Policy: Analysis Based on Etiology of Cardiomyopathy

Purpose The new heart allocation policy from October 2018 prioritizes patients on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) at the highest listing status, which may influence treatment strategies in acute cardiogenic shock. The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of direct orthotopic heart transplant (OHT) from VA-ECMO at our institute after the allocation change. Methods From October 2018 to September 2020, 56 adult patients received OHT at our center. Of these, 10 patients (17.9%) underwent OHT from VA-ECMO. The outcomes of these patients were compared between myocardial infarction (MI) (N=5) and Non-MI patients (N=5). Results Patients in the MI group were significantly older than the non-MI group (59.8+/-11.1 vs 32.6+/-7.9 years-old, P=0.016). Eight patients were blood type A and 2 patients were blood type O. Pre-ECMO cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed in 2 patients (40%) in the MI group and 3 patients (60%) in the Non-MI group. The length of VA-ECMO support before transplant was 5.8+/-4.1 days in MI group, and 3.0+/-1.9 days in Non-MI group (P=0.222). Mean ischemic time of a donor heart (MI: 173.8 +/- 65 min vs. Non-MI: 179.2+/-65 min, P=0.548) was comparable. There was no hospital mortality in either group. VA-ECMO support was continued in 80% of patients in MI group, and 20% in Non-MI group (P=0.206) post-OHT. Temporary hemodialysis was required in 3 patients in MI group (60%) and none in Non-MI group (P=0.168). Tracheostomy was performed in 2 patients in MI group who were decannulated before discharge. There was one mortality in MI group (63 year-old, post-cardiotomy patient) 8 months after transplant due to renal failure and infection. Conclusion Compared to Non-MI patients, MI patients bridged to OHT from VA-ECMO were older, frequently required continuation of mechanical support, and had more adverse events such as renal failure or respiratory failure. Although further experience and follow-up is necessary, our series of direct OHT off VA-ECMO after new allocation policy showed favorable overall outcomes, especially in patients on VA-ECMO support without shock from MI.
Perfluoroalkylated substances (Pfas) associated with microplastics in a lake environment

The presence of both microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is ubiquitous in the environment. The ecological impacts associated with their presence are still poorly understood, however, these contaminants are extremely persistent. Although plastic in the environment can concentrate pollutants, factors such as the type of plastic and duration of environmental exposure as it relates to the degree of adsorption have received far less attention. To address these knowledge gaps, experiments were carried out that examined the interactions of PFAS and microplastics in the field and in a controlled environment. For field experiments, we measured the abundance of PFAS on different polymer types of microplastics that were deployed in a lake for 1 month and 3 months. Based on these results, a controlled experiment was conducted to assess the adsorption properties of microplastics in the absence of associated inorganic and organic matter. The adsorption of PFAS was much greater on the field-incubated plastic than what was observed in the laboratory with plastic and water alone, 24 to 259 times versus one-seventh to one-fourth times background levels. These results suggest that adsorption of PFAS by microplastics is greatly enhanced by the presence of inorganic and/or organic matter associated with these materials in the environment, and could present an environmental hazard for aquatic biota.
Impact of Morphine Dependence and Withdrawal on the Reinforcing Effectiveness of Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Methamphetamine in Rats.

Recent estimates suggest increased popularity of the concurrent use of opioids and stimulants, with over 50% of treatment-seeking opioid users reporting regular stimulant use. The goal of the current study was to determine how opioid dependence and withdrawal affect the reinforcing effects of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were allowed to self-administer fentanyl under a progressive ratio (PR) schedule of reinforcement. Baseline evaluations of reinforcing effectiveness of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine were determined. Opioid dependence was then established by administering escalating doses of morphine (10-40 mg/kg) twice-daily for four days and subsequently maintained by once-daily injections of 40 mg/kg morphine. To evaluate the impact of opioid dependence and withdrawal on the self-administration of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, sessions occurred either 12 or 20 hours after the morphine, respectively. During opioid withdrawal, the fentanyl dose-response curve was shifted rightward with an increase in maximal effectiveness, whereas it was shifted rightward with a reduction in maximal effectiveness when evaluated in rats currently dependent on opioids, relative to baseline. The reinforcing effects of cocaine and methamphetamine were unchanged by either condition. The current studies provide direct evidence that the reinforcing effects of fentanyl are increased in opioid-withdrawn rats and reduced in opioid-dependent rats, relative to rats that are not physically dependent on opioids. These findings suggest that motivations to use opioids are dependent on the state of the individual whereas stimulants retain their reinforcing effects regardless of whether the individual is in an opioid-dependent or withdrawn state.
Performance studies of AC-LGAD silicon detectors

A new class of silicon detectors, the Low-Gain Avalanche Diode (LGAD), has already shown excellent timing performances O(30-40 ps) and is being considered for several applications in the most diverse fields, ranging from timing in high energy physics experiments to medical imaging. LGADs typically exhibit a low to moderate gain (5 - 100), short rise time and high signal-to-noise ratio. Fine pixelization of LGADs is difficult to achieve, and to provide fine spatial resolution the AC-coupled LGAD (AC-LGAD) approach was introduced. In this type of device, the signal is capacitively induced on fine-pitched electrodes placed over an insulator. LGAD and AC-LGAD prototypes have been designed and fabricated at Brookhaven National Laboratory and segmented in both pixel matrices and strips. These prototypes are characterized via Transient Current Technique (TCT) using a fast-pulsed IR laser. The timing resolution is measured by studying the time coincidence between signals generated by a beta particle beam from a 90Sr source in two sensors or by using a collimated proton beam. Additional studies of the sensor's performance have been carried out, including the induced signal in neighbouring pixels and strips.
Real-life contextualization of exposure therapy using augmented reality: A pilot clinical trial of a novel treatment method.

BACKGROUND Phobias, including arachnophobia, are common and can be treated with exposure therapy, a method that is limited by a lack of feared objects/situations in clinical settings. METHODS In a pilot parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the feasibility and efficacy of augmented reality exposure therapy (ARET), 25 men and women ages 18 to 45 with arachnophobia were designated (ABAB block allocation) to ARET for arachnophobia (n = 13) or waitlist control (n = 12). Data were collected at baseline, 1-week, and 1-month follow-up, and single-session ARET occurred immediately following baseline collection for the intervention group. RESULTS All ARET participants were able to touch a live tarantula or the tank containing it after single-session exposure; the control group remained >1 meter away from the tank. Effects persisted or improved at 1-month followup. The Fear of Spiders Questionnaire (FSQ) and Behavioral Approach Test (BAT) showed large, significant beneficial effects of ARET compared with a waitlist control group (BAT: P < .001, partial eta squared = .542; FSQ: P < .001, partial eta squared = .720). CONCLUSIONS We found ARET can feasibly be delivered using a wearable device running novel software with rapid responses and sustained effects. Replication and expansion of this pilot RCT will further support use of ARET for this and other specific phobias.
Growth Effects in the Heteroepitaxy of III–V Compounds

The use of thin-film epitaxial deposition has considerably advanced the preparation of III–V compound electronic structures, both in the research laboratory and in the commercial market. The devices may be either homoepitaxial, where the substrate and epitaxial layers are of the same material, e.g., GaP on GaP for visible light-emitting diodes (LEDs), or comprised of heteroepitaxial layers where the substrate and epitaxial layers are of differing III–V materials, e.g., Al x Ga1−x As on GaAs for cw injection lasers. It should be noted that, in actuality, almost all epitaxial layers are heteroepitaxial in that there is a lattice-parameter mismatch between the substrate and epitaxial layer even when they are nominally the same material. This mismatch may arise due to a doping density difference between the substrate and epitaxial layer or even a point defect density difference between the two.
Is Over Practice Necessary? --Improving Learning Efficiency with the Cognitive Tutor through Educational Data Mining

This study examined the effectiveness of an educational data mining method --Learning Factors Analysis (LFA) --on improving the learning efficiency in the Cognitive Tutor curriculum. LFA uses a statistical model to predict how students perform in each practice of a knowledge component (KC), and identifies over-practiced or under-practiced KCs. By using the LFA findings on the Cognitive Tutor geometry curriculum, we optimized the curriculum with the goal of improving student learning efficiency. With a control group design, we analyzed the learning performance and the learning time of high school students participating in the Optimized Cognitive Tutor geometry curriculum. Results were compared to students participating in the traditional Cognitive Tutor geometry curriculum. Analyses indicated that students in the optimized condition saved a significant amount of time in the optimized curriculum units, compared with the time spent by the control group. There was no significant difference in the learning performance of the two groups in either an immediate post test or a two-week-later retention test. Findings support the use of this data mining technique to improve learning efficiency with other computer-tutor-based curricula.
Thrombectomy of Arteriovenous Dialysis Grafts with Early Failure: Is it Worthwhile?

Arteriovenous dialysis grafts are prone to frequent thrombosis, which can be treated either percutaneously or surgically. To assess the outcomes of grafts treated for early thrombosis, we retrospectively queried a prospective, computerized database, and identified all grafts placed over a 5-year period that required thrombectomy within 60 days of creation. Technical success was defined as the immediate restoration of graft patency. Primary patency was calculated from thrombectomy to the next intervention, and cumulative graft survival from thrombectomy to permanent graft failure. Of 709 grafts placed, 98 grafts (14%) clotted within 60 days of creation, including 63 (9%) within 30 days of graft creation, and 35 (5%) at 31-60 days after creation. Most (95%) of grafts clotting within 30 days of creation underwent surgical thrombectomy, whereas 71% of those clotting at 31-60 days underwent percutaneous thrombectomy. The immediate technical success was 82% and 80% in grafts undergoing thrombectomy at <30 vs. 31-60 days (p = 0.76). The median primary patency was 11 and 23 days (p = 0.46), and the median cumulative graft survival was 27 and 163 days, respectively (p = 0.29). In conclusion, thrombectomy within 60 days of graft creation is associated with poor primary and cumulative graft patency, and may not be worthwhile.
An interconnected network of core-forming melts produced by shear deformation

The formation mechanism of terrestrial planetary is still poorly understood, and has been the subject of numerous experimental studies. Several mechanisms have been proposed by which metal-mainly iron with some nickel-could have been extracted from a silicate mantle to form the core. Most recent models involve gravitational sinking of molten metal or metal sulphide through a partially or fully molten mantle that is often referred to as a'magma ocean. Alternative models invoke percolation of molten metal along an interconnected network (that is, porous flow) through a solid silicate matrix. But experimental studies performed at high pressures have shown that, under hydrostatic conditions, these melts do not form an interconnected network, leading to the widespread assumption that formation of metallic cores requires a magma ocean. In contrast, here we present experiments which demonstrate that shear deformation to large strains can interconnect a significant fraction of initially isolated pockets of metal and metal sulphide melts in a solid matrix of polycrystalline olivine. Therefore, in a dynamic (nonhydrostatic) environment, percolation remains a viable mechanism for the segregation and migration of core-forming melts in a solid silicate mantle.
Inhibiting amyloid β-protein assembly: Size–activity relationships among grape seed-derived polyphenols

Epidemiological evidence that red wine consumption negatively correlates with risk of Alzheimer's disease has led to experimental studies demonstrating that grape seed extracts inhibit the aggregation and oligomerization of Aβ in vitro and ameliorate neuropathology and behavioral deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. The active agent in the extracts is a mixed population of polyphenolic compounds. To evaluate the relative potency of each of these compounds, HPLC was used to fractionate the mixture into monomers, dimers, and oligomers. Each fraction was analyzed for its effect on Aβ conformational dynamics (circular dichroism), oligomerization (zero-length photochemical cross-linking), aggregation kinetics (Thioflavin T fluorescence), and morphology (electron microscopy). The relative activities of each fraction were determined on the basis of molar concentration (mol/L) or mass concentration (g/L). When molar concentration, the number concentration of each polyphenolic compound, was considered, the oligomer fraction was the most potent inhibitor of Aβ oligomerization and aggregation. However, when mass concentration, the number concentration of phenolic groups, was considered, monomers were the most potent inhibitors. To understand these ostensibly contradictory results, a model of polyphenol:Aβ complexation was developed. This model, which was found to be consistent with published X-ray crystallographic studies, offers an explanation for the effects of functional group polyvalency on inhibitor activity. Our data emphasize the importance of an in-depth understanding of the mechanism(s) underlying 'concentration dependence' in inhibitor systems involving polyfunctional agents.