cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nesiritide: A Novel Approach for Acute Heart Failure

OBJECTIVE:To review preclinical and clinical information related to nesiritide, a recombinant form of B-type natriuretic peptide approved for treatment of acutely decompensated heart failure.DATA SOURCES:Primary and review articles were identified by MEDLINE search (1966–May 2002) using the key words natriuretic peptide and heart failure, and through secondary sources. Natrecor's document submitted for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) New Drug Application were obtained from the FDA Web site.STUDY SELECTION/DATA EXTRACTION:Peer-reviewed articles and abstracts of randomized clinical trials in humans were included in this review.DATA SYNTHESIS:Nesiritide has beneficial actions for treatment of heart failure, including arterial and venous dilatation, enhanced sodium and urinary excretion, and suppression of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone and sympathetic nervous systems. It has been shown to improve hemodynamic parameters, primarily pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, as well as clinical symptoms in p...
THE INTIMATE JUSTICE SCALE: AN INSTRUMENT TO SCREEN FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE AND PHYSICAL VIOLENCE IN CLINICAL PRACTICE

This article describes development of the Intimate Justice Scale (IJS) and reports on a clinical study of the validity, reliability, and clinical usefulness of the instrument. Rather than measuring specific acts of abuse, the IJS measures ethical dynamics of couple relationships, which are evident in patterns of action and attitude expressed over the course of the relationship. Ethical dynamics appear to correlate with partner abuse. The study suggests that the IJS may reliably identify victims of abuse and may discriminate between minor and severe levels of abuse. The IJS can be completed and scored in less than 10 min and may be useful for screening in mental health, medical, and social service agencies. Clinical guidelines and a case example are presented.
Age, Criterion Flexibility, and Associative Recognition

Results. When the easy test preceded the hard test, participants in both age groups adopted a more stringent response criterion on the harder test. When the hard test preceded the easy test, no criterion shift was seen in either age group. Discussion. These results suggest that older adults have preserved metacognitive abilities with regard to assessing the consequences for accuracy of maintaining a lenient criterion when discrimination between experienced and new information becomes more difficult and further suggests that they can take appropriate action to control error rates under these conditions.
Novel Collagen Based Material for Local Drug Delivery Systems

In a search for new drug delivery matrix, the synthesis of a novel collagen material based on tiopronin protected gold clusters (MPC) as a crosslinking agent is proposed. The structure of collagen matrix modified with MPC is studied using transmission electron microscope. The thermal properties are examined with differential scanning calorimetry. To assess the biocompatibility of the matrix, the cytotoxicity assays are conducted.
Electrochemical biosensor for targeted detection in blood using aligned Au nanowires

Abstract In this work, an electrochemical biosensor using aligned Au nanowires in a micro-fluidic platform is proposed for sensitive and selective estimation of targeted species, such as cholesterol in blood. The aligned Au nanowires were modified with specific enzymes—cholesterol oxidase (COX) and cholesterol esterase (CE), using covalent chemistry to act as the working electrode. The biosensor showed a linear relationship between cholesterol level (10–60 μM) and current response, with a sensitivity of 0.85 nA/μM. Further, studies performed with higher level of interfering species usually found in blood showed a stable and selective electrochemical response.
CO2 separation using bipolar membrane electrodialysis

Caustic solvents such as sodium or potassium hydroxides, converted viaCO2 capture to aqueous carbonates or bicarbonates, are a likely candidate for atmospheric CO2 separation. We have performed a comprehensive experimental investigation of CO2 gas regeneration from aqueous potassium carbonate and bicarbonate solutions using bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BPMED). This system allows the regeneration of pure CO2 gas, suitable for subsequent sequestration or reaction to synthetic hydrocarbons and their products, from aqueous carbonate/bicarbonate solutions. Our results indicate that the energy consumption required to regenerate CO2 gas from aqueous bicarbonate (carbonate) solutions using this method can be as low as 100 kJ (200 kJ) per mol of CO2 in the small-current-density limit.
Experimental Demonstration of Thermal Management of High-Power GaN Transistors with Graphene Lateral Heat Spreaders

Graphene is a promising candidate material for thermal management of high-power electronics owing to its high intrinsic thermal conductivity. Here we report preliminary results of the proof-of-concept demonstration of graphene lateral heat spreaders. Graphene flakes were transferred on top of GaN devices through the mechanical exfoliation method. The temperature rise in the GaN device channels was monitored in-situ using micro-Raman spectroscopy. The local temperature was measured from the shift in the Raman peak positions. By comparing Raman spectra of GaN devices with and without graphene heat spreader, we demonstrated that graphene lateral heat spreaders effectively reduced the local temperature by ~ 20°C for a given dissipated power density. Numerical simulation of heat dissipation in the considered device structures gave results consistent with the experimental data.
Cohomologie d'intersection des variétés modulaires de Siegel, suite

In this work, we study the intersection cohomology of Siegel modular varieties. The goal is to express the trace of a Hecke operator composed with a power of the Frobenius endomorphism (at a good place) on this cohomology in terms of the geometric side of Arthur’s invariant trace formula for well-chosen test functions. Our main tools are the results of Kottwitz about the contribution of the cohomology with compact support and about the stabilization of the trace formula, Arthur’s L2 trace formula and the fixed point formula of Morel [Complexes ponderes sur les compactifications de Baily–Borel. Le cas des varietes de Siegel, J. Amer. Math. Soc. 21 (2008), 23–61]. We ‘stabilize’ this last formula, i.e. express it as a sum of stable distributions on the general symplectic groups and its endoscopic groups, and obtain the formula conjectured by Kottwitz in [Shimura varieties and λ-adic representations, in Automorphic forms, Shimura varieties and L-functions, Part I, Perspectives in Mathematics, vol. 10 (Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 1990), 161–209]. Applications of the results of this article have already been given by Kottwitz, assuming Arthur’s conjectures. Here, we give weaker unconditional applications in the cases of the groups GSp4 and GSp6.
Tricked by Truncation: Spurious Duration Dependence and Social Contagion in Hazard Models

We show both analytically and through Monte Carlo simulations that applying standard hazard models to right-truncated data, i.e., data from which all right-censored observations are omitted, induces spurious positive duration dependence and hence can trick researchers into believing to have found evidence of social contagion when there is none. Truncation also tends to deflate the effect of time-invariant covariates. These results imply that not accounting for right truncation can lead managers to rely too much on word of mouth in generating new product adoption and to poorly identify the customers most likely to adopt early. Not accounting for right truncation can also lead to suboptimal pricing decisions and to erroneous assessments of variations in customer lifetime value. We assess the effectiveness of four possible solutions to the problem and find that only using an analytically corrected likelihood function protects one against truncation artifacts inflating coefficients of contagion and attenuating coefficients of time-invariant covariates.
Effects of ethylene glycol on the torsion elastic constant and hydrodynamic radius of p30δ DNA

Upon increasing the concentration of ethylene glycol (EG) at 37°C, the twist energy parameter, ET, which governs the supercoiling free energy, was recently found to undergo a decreasing (or reverse) sigmoidal transition with a midpoint near 20 w/v % EG. In this study, the effects of adding 20 w/v % EG on the torsion elastic constant (α) of linear p30δ DNA and on the hydrodynamic radius (RH) of a synthetic 24 bp duplex DNA were examined at both 40 and 20°C. The time-resolved fluorescence intensity and fluorescence polarization anisotropy (FPA) of intercalated ethidium were measured in order to assess the effects of 20 w/v % EG on: (1) α; (2) RH; (3) the lifetimes of intercalated and non-intercalated dye; (4) the amplitude of dye wobble in its binding site; and (5) the binding constant for intercalation. The effects of 20 w/v % EG on the circular dichroism (CD) spectrum of the DNA and on the emission spectrum of the free dye were also measured. At 40°C, addition of 20 w/v % EG caused a substantial (1.27- to 1.35-fold) increase in α, a significant change in the CD spectrum, and a very small, marginally significant increase in RH, but little or no change in the amplitude of dye wobble in its binding site or the lifetime of intercalated dye. Together with previously reported measurements of ET, these results imply that the bending elastic constant of DNA is significantly decreased by 20 w/v % EG at 40°C. At 20°C, addition of 20 w/v % EG caused a marginally significant decrease in α and very little change in any other measured properties. Also at 20°C, addition of 30 w/v % betaine caused a marginally significant increase in α and significant but modest change in the CD spectrum, but very little change in any other properties. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 85: 222–232, 2007. This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Dose Response for Radiation Cataractogenesis: A Meta-Regression of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Regimens

Purpose/Objective(s) To perform a meta-regression on published data and to model the 5-year probability of cataract development after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with and without total body irradiation (TBI). Methods and Materials Eligible studies reporting cataract incidence after HSCT with TBI were identified by a PubMed search. Seventeen publications provided complete information on radiation dose schedule, fractionation, dose rate, and actuarial cataract incidence. Chemotherapy-only regimens were included as zero radiation dose regimens. Multivariate meta-regression with a weighted generalized linear model was used to model the 5-year cataract incidence and contributory factors. Results Data from 1386 patients in 21 series were included for analysis. TBI was administered to a total dose of 0 to 15.75 Gy with single or fractionated schedules with a dose rate of 0.04 to 0.16 Gy/min. Factors significantly associated with 5-year cataract incidence were dose, dose times dose per fraction (D•dpf), pediatric versus adult status, and the absence of an ophthalmologist as an author. Dose rate, graft versus host disease, steroid use, hyperfractionation, and number of fractions were not significant. Five-fold internal cross-validation showed a model validity of 83% ± 8%. Regression diagnostics showed no evidence of lack-of-fit and no patterns in the studentized residuals. The α/β ratio from the linear quadratic model, estimated as the ratio of the coefficients for dose and D•dpf, was 0.76 Gy (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.05-1.55). The odds ratio for pediatric patients was 2.8 (95% CI, 1.7-4.6) relative to adults. Conclusions Dose, D•dpf, pediatric status, and regimented follow-up care by an ophthalmologist were predictive of 5-year cataract incidence after HSCT. The low α/β ratio indicates the importance of fractionation in reducing cataracts. Dose rate effects have been observed in single institution studies but not in the combined data analyzed here. Although data were limited to articles with 5-year actuarial estimates, the development of radiation-induced cataracts extends beyond this time.
The Social Context of Workplace Bullying and Its Link to the Health of Workers in Brazil

This essay deals with a frequently discussed theme: the organization of work and the health of people who work, revealing that as ways to organize work have been modified in today’s workplace, work has intensified and the forms of exploitation of the working class have multiplied. Various studies in this field allow us to understand the conditions of work and organizational density, including work itself and the use of time by the capitalist establishment as well as emergent risks that workers are exposed to in their daily work lives and the demands that they are subjected to during their exhaustive work days. KEY WORDS organization of work, workplace bullying, flexibilization of labor
Networks of width one are universal classifiers

It is well known that a three-layered neural network can perfectly separate (classify) two classes, that is, two types of data points in n-dimensional space. The number of hidden units is adjusted according to the requirements of the classification problem and can be very high for data sets which are difficult to separate. This paper shows that a neural network of width one, i.e. containing at most one computing element in every layer, can perfectly separate two point sets. The network is slender, but can be long. This shows that there is tradeoff between the length and the width of a neural network. The computing elements considered here are perceptrons, and the topology of the network can be best described as a stack of perceptrons.
CMRF: analyzing differential gene regulation in two group perturbation experiments

Background Microarray experiments often measure expressions of genes taken from sample tissues in the presence of external perturbations such as medication, radiation, or disease. The external perturbation can change the expressions of some genes directly or indirectly through gene interaction network. In this paper, we focus on an important class of such microarray experiments that inherently have two groups of tissue samples. When such different groups exist, the changes in expressions for some of the genes after the perturbation can be different between the two groups. It is not only important to identify the genes that respond differently across the two groups, but also to mine the reason behind this differential response. In this paper, we aim to identify the cause of this differential behavior of genes, whether because of the perturbation or due to interactions with other genes.
Does Motivation Affect Emerging Adults’ Intelligence and Complex Postformal Problem Solving?

It has been suggested by some past research that there is a relationship between postformal thought and intelligence. Also, prior research suggests that motivated individuals tend to perform better on measured tasks, such as taking tests. The two distinct studies reported here first test the hypothesis that, supposing that IQ and postformal thought tap into some similar cognitive operations, individuals would use some similar patterns of responses in showing both intelligence and reported postformal operations. The participants in this research were two separate samples of 41 emerging adult undergraduate students from Towson University who chose to sign up through the research pool website. In the first study materials consisted of a consent form, demographic questionnaire, a use of postformal thought survey, and the WASI abbreviated test. In the second study a pretest and posttest reported motivation survey were added. In the first study no significant relations were found between the reported use of postformal thought and the WASI IQ scores. In the second study there was a significant correlation between motivation and intelligence and between motivation and an individual’s reported level of postformal thought. However, there was no significant relationship found between postformal thought and intelligence, even with motivation controlled. Further studies of the cognitive mechanisms underlying IQ and postformal complex problem solving may help determine the cognitive skills needed to differentially succeed at each of these skills.
Pricing Expected Deviations from Absolute Priority in Bankruptcy

We estimate pre-bankruptcy shareholders’ expected negotiating power using accounting information available at the bankruptcy filing. We find that the equity value on the day following the bankruptcy filing reflects theoretical determinants of priority violations. Specifically, the post-petition value of pre-bankruptcy shareholders’ claims on the bankrupt firms’ assets is positively related to the ratio of unsecured-to-secured debt, tax-loss-carry-forwards, and intangible asset value which would be lost in liquidation. Our results further suggest that the option to put leased assets back to the lessor increases shareholder power. Our results are (a) significant after controlling for firm size, financial health, and the likelihood of emergence; (b) not driven by multicollinearity in explanatory variables; and (c) robust to variation in post-bankruptcy equity valuation date.
Adenosine-induced late preconditioning in mouse hearts: role of p38 MAP kinase and mitochondrial KATP channels

We investigated the role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation and opening of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+[(KATP)mito] channel in the adenosine A1 receptor (A1AR)-ind...
A novel work zone short-term vehicle-type specific traffic speed prediction model through the hybrid EMD–ARIMA framework

This paper presents a hybrid short-term traffic speed prediction framework through empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA). The goals of this paper are to investigate (1) does the hybrid model provide better short-term traffic conditions (i.e. traffic speeds) than the traditional models? (2) how the performance of the hybrid model varies for varying scenarios such as mixed traffic flow and vehicle-type specific traffic prediction in a work zone, on-ramp, and off-ramp; and (3) why hybrid models provide better prediction than other single-staged models. Using empirical data from a work zone on interstate I91 in Springfield, MA and the on/off-ramp data from the Georgia State Route 400, the proposed hybrid EMD–ARIMA modelling framework is tested in the four distinct scenarios aforementioned. The prediction results of the hybrid EMD–ARIMA model are evaluated against the experimental data and also compared with the results from the traditional ARIMA, the Holt–Wint...
Contamination Effects in Mo/Ni Superlattices

A softening of the shear elastic constant c 44 has been observed previously in Mo/Ni superlattices as a function of decreasing bilayer thickness below approximately 100 A.[1] We have prepared a series of Mo/Ni superlattice films by ion beam sputtering doped with varying concentrations of either aluminum or oxygen. The chemical and structural properties of these films were then determined using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The shear elastic properties were characterized by measuring the surface acoustic wave (SAW) velocity of the deposited films. We demonstrate structural and elastic property effects resulting from Al and O impurity incorporation in Mo/Ni multilayers.
Is There a Role for Diet in the Therapy of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often inquire about dietary interventions to improve RA symptoms. Although the majority of studies of diet and RA were published prior to the start of the twenty-first century, this review discusses the evidence for a relationship between diet, in particular omega-3 fatty acid supplements, vitamin D supplements, alcohol, and the Mediterranean diet and RA disease activity. We review possible mechanisms by which these dietary intakes may affect RA disease activity. Given the complexity of studying the relationship between diet and RA disease activity, we highlight areas deserving further study before specific recommendations can be made to RA patients.
Study of LDPC Codes Based on Matlab

LDPC codes is a kind of linear group codes with near Shannon limit.Based on studying the basic theory of LDPC codes,the impact of codes length,column weight and iteration times on BER performance of LDPC codes are demonstrated by computer simulation and theoretical analysis.The simulation experiment indicated that:LDPC code long-code error performance is superior to short-code error performance,but when the code length reaches a certain value,then increase the code length,BER of LDPC codes lower rate would be small.When the code length is small,increasing the column weight,LDPC codes performance will deteriorate;when code length is large enough,increasing the column weight,LDPC codes performance will be improved,but when the column weight reaches a certain value,as set out priority to increasing the performance of LDPC codes will be worse.To increase the number of decoding iterations,LDPC codes performance will be improved;but when the number of iterations is large enough,then increase the number of iterations,LDPC codes will no longer reduce the error rate.
Effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions in primary care.

For men who engage in excessive or hazardous drinking and present to their primary care physician for issues not specifically related to alcohol treatment, an intervention of one to four sessions administered by a physician, nurse, or psychologist is effective in reducing weekly alcohol consumption one year later. It is also effective in reducing emergency department visits and alcohol-related injuries. The effect was not demonstrated in women. Longer counseling did not significantly improve the effect.
In-Flight Performance of the OCO-2 Cryocooler

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) will have completed its first year in space on July 2, 2015. The OCO-2 instrument incorporates three bore-sighted, high-resolution grating spectrometers, designed to measure the near-infrared absorption of reflected sunlight by carbon dioxide and molecular oxygen. The cryocooler system design is coupled with the instrument's thermal control design to maximize the instrument's performance. A single-stage NGAS pulse tube cryocooler provides refrigeration to three focal plane arrays to ~120 K via a high conductance flexible thermal strap. A variable conductance heat pipe (VCHP) based heat rejection system (HRS) transports waste heat from the instrument located inside the spacecraft to the space-viewing radiators. The HRS provides tight temperature control of the optics to 267 K and maintains the cryocooler at 300 K. Soon after entering the A-Train on August 3, 2014, the optics and focal planes were cooled to their operating temperatures. This paper provides a general overview of the cryogenic system design and reviews the in-flight cryogenic performance during the Observatory's first year.
The reactivity of Fe(II) associated with goethite formed during short redox cycles toward Cr(VI) reduction under oxic conditions

Abstract Chromium (Cr) is a toxic metal that causes a myriad of health problems and enters the environment as a result of anthropogenic activities and/or natural processes. The toxicity and solubility of chromium is linked to its oxidation state; Cr(III) is poorly soluble and relatively nontoxic, while Cr(VI) is soluble and a known carcinogen. Solid Fe(II) in iron-bearing minerals, such as pyrite, magnetite, and green rusts, reduce the oxidation state of chromium, reducing its toxicity and mobility. However, these minerals are not the only potential sources of solid-associated Fe(II) available for Cr(VI) reduction. For example, ferric (Fe(III)) (hydr)oxides, such as goethite or hematite, can have Fe(II) in the solid without phase transformation; however, the reactivity of Fe(II) within Fe(III) (hydr)oxides with contaminants, has not been previously investigated. Here, we cyclically react goethite with dissolved Fe(II) followed by dissolved O2, leading to the formation of reactive Fe(II) associated with goethite. In separate reactors, the reactivity of this Fe(II) is probed under oxic conditions, by exposure to chromate (CrO42 −) after either one, two, three or four redox cycles. Cr is not present during redox cycling; rather, it is introduced to a subset of the solid after each oxidation half-cycle. Analysis of X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra reveals that the extent of Cr(VI) reduction to Cr(III) depends not only on solid Fe(II) content but also surface area and mean size of ordered crystalline domains, determined by BET surface area analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. Shell-by-shell fitting of the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra demonstrates chromium forms both single and double corner sharing complexes on the surface of goethite, in addition to sorbed Cr(III) species. Finally, transmission electron microscope (TEM) imaging and X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) illustrate that Cr preferentially localizes on the (100) face of goethite, independent of the number of redox cycles goethite undergoes. This work demonstrates that under oxic conditions, solid Fe(II) associated with goethite resulting from rapid redox cycling is reactive and available for electron transfer to Cr(VI), suggesting Fe(III) (hydr)oxides may act as reservoirs of reactive electron density, even in oxygen saturated environments.
Offspring Cardiovascular Disease in Preeclampsia: Nature Versus Nurture?

See related article, pp 591–598 Several epidemiological studies have suggested that the offspring of mothers with preeclampsia and gestation hypertension have increased risk for long-term hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD).1–3 In a study reported in this issue of Hypertension , Alsnes et al,4 using a prospective cohort analysis on offspring cardiovascular risk in young adulthood after hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, confirm that offspring exposed to maternal hypertension during pregnancy had a worse cardiovascular risk profile in adulthood compared with those of normal pregnancies.4 Consistent with previous studies,5,6 differences in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, and waist circumference were found in the adult offspring with exposure to any maternal hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. Intriguingly, the authors also found that the siblings born after a normotensive pregnancy had similar changes as their exposed siblings. These data suggest that the pregnancy milieu of maternal hypertension may be unlikely to play a role in the pathogenesis of offspring hypertension. Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific vascular disease characterized by maternal hypertension and proteinuria and resolves after delivery of the placenta. Mothers with a history of preeclampsia eventually develop salt-sensitive hypertension and CVD.7 Vascular …
Theory and implementation of dynamic watermarking for cybersecurity of advanced transportation systems

We consider a prototypical intelligent transportation system with a control law that is specifically designed to avoid collisions. We experimentally demonstrate that, nevertheless, an attack on a position sensor can result in collisions between vehicles. This is a consequence of the feeding of malicious sensor measurements to the controller and the collision avoidance module built into the system. This is an instance of the broader concern of cybersecurity vulnerabilities opened up by the increasing integration of critical physical infrastructures with the cyber system. We consider a solution based on “dynamic watermarking” of signals to detect and stop such attacks on cyber-physical systems. We show how dynamic watermarking can handle nonlinearities arising in vehicular models. We then experimentally demonstrate that employing this nonlinear extension indeed restores the property of collision freedom even in the presence of attacks.
National Standards and Guidelines for Pesticides in Water, Sediment, and Aquatic Organisms: Application to Water-Quality Assessments

The effects of pesticides1 on water quality commonly are assessed by comparing measured concentrations of individual pesticide compounds in the environment with concentrations that have been determined to have potential adverse effects on humans, aquatic organisms, or other beneficial uses of water. Direct evaluation of the adverse effects of every pesticide present in a given hydrologic system is beyond the scope and budget of most water-quality studies. Many studies rely on standards or guidelines set by federal or state agencies or other institutions to indicate what concentrations may have adverse effects on human health, aquatic organisms, or wildlife. Such standards and guidelines generally are based on laboratory or field studies that document the effects of individual pesticides on specific aspects of water quality. Single-species toxicity tests (using a single species of a test organism) under various laboratory conditions are the most common type of study, whereas artificial ecosystem studies (using multiple species of a test organism) and field studies are relatively uncommon. Such studies rarely consider the effects of exposure to more than one chemical at a time.Technical information from such studies has been used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)2 in issuing national standards, such as drinking-water regulations (for example, see USEPA 1991a) and guidelines, such as ambient water-quality criteria for the protection of human health and aquatic organisms (for example, see USEPA 1980a) to meet its statutory requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also has used its authority under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to set action levels (enforceable regulatory limits) for unavoidable residues of pesticides in foods (FDA 1990).
Thermal Atomic Layer Etching of SiO2 by a "Conversion-Etch" Mechanism Using Sequential Reactions of Trimethylaluminum and Hydrogen Fluoride.

The thermal atomic layer etching (ALE) of SiO2 was performed using sequential reactions of trimethylaluminum (TMA) and hydrogen fluoride (HF) at 300 °C. Ex situ X-ray reflectivity (XRR) measurements revealed that the etch rate during SiO2 ALE was dependent on reactant pressure. SiO2 etch rates of 0.027, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.31 A/cycle were observed at static reactant pressures of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 4.0 Torr, respectively. Ex situ spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements were in agreement with these etch rates versus reactant pressure. In situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy investigations also observed SiO2 etching that was dependent on the static reactant pressures. The FTIR studies showed that the TMA and HF reactions displayed self-limiting behavior at the various reactant pressures. In addition, the FTIR spectra revealed that an Al2O3/aluminosilicate intermediate was present after the TMA exposures. The Al2O3/aluminosilicate intermediate is consistent with a “conversion-etch” mechanism...
Pituitary Isograft Transplantation in Mice.

The mouse pituitary isograft is a technique developed to administer persistent hormone stimulation, thereby increasing cellular proliferation in the mammary tissue ( Christov et al., 1993 ). The pituitary isograft procedure was first described in 'Induction of Mammary Cancer in Mice without the Mammary Tumor Agent by Isografts of Hypophyses' by O. Muhlbock and L. M. Boot in 1959 (Muhlbock and Boot, 1959). Since then, the procedure has seen wide use. A pituitary gland is harvested posthumously from a donor mouse and implanted under the renal capsule of the recipient mouse through a small abdominal incision just below the last rib. Once the pituitary gland is implanted, it begins releasing hormones. These secretions increase serum levels of multiple hormones including prolactin, progesterone and 17β-estradiol ( Christov et al., 1993 ). Although the effects of these hormones on cancer cell proliferation, growth, differentiation, and longevity are not well characterized, and, in some cases, controversial, the net effect of a pituitary isograft is to increase the proliferation of murine breast tissue depending upon strain specific characteristics ( Lydon et al., 1999 ). Below is a protocol describing how to perform the pituitary isograft procedure. After many of the steps, a time reference is listed in parentheses. Each reference corresponds to a time point in the embedded video of the procedure. (Video 1) Video 1.Pituitary isograft transplantation in mice. Video portraying pituitary isograft transplantation procedure in donor and recipient mice.
Exoskeleton energetics: Implications for planetary extravehicular activity

Humans first visited another world nearly 50 years ago and are poised to return to the Moon and visit Mars in the coming decade(s). Developing a space suit that supports safe, efficient, and effective exploration despite the extremes of temperature, pressure, radiation, and environmental hazards like dust and topography remains a critical challenge. Space suits impose restrictions on movement that increase metabolic rate and limit the intensity and duration of extravehicular activity. In this study, a lower body exoskeleton was used to test a simple model that predicts the energy cost of locomotion across gait and gravity. Energetic cost and other variables were measured during treadmill locomotion, with and without a lower body exoskeleton, in simulated reduced gravity and in Earth gravity. Six subjects walked and ran at constant Froude numbers, non-dimensional parameters used to characterize gait. The springlike energy recovery of the exoskeleton legs was estimated using energetics data in combination with the model. Model predictions agreed with the observed results (no statistical difference). High spring-like energy recovery of the exoskeleton legs lowered measures of the energetic cost of locomotion. For planetary extravehicular activity, our work reveals potential approaches to optimizing space suits for efficient locomotion, for example, tuning the stiffness and spring-like energy recovery of space suit legs.
"Convivencia," Abrahamic Religions and Study Abroad in Spain.

As a point of departure for understanding the complexities of Spanish national and individual identities, it is incumbent that a student begins by investigating Spanish iterations of the three Abrahamic religions. This presupposition of religion’s centrality in the pursuit of better-informed understandings of the Spanish nation, people, history and culture has served as a cornerstone in the construction of Belmont University’s Maymester study abroad program in Spain and as a lodestar in its evolution. This article will describe the genesis of the program, analyze curricular changes over time and offer a critical reflection about why international study is the quintessential milieu for achieving the sought-after objective: understanding the role of religions and the concept of convivencia in the cultivation of Spanish identities.
Impact of change in body mass index during neoadjuvant chemotherapy and survival among breast cancer subtypes

We hypothesized that an increase in BMI category during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) would be associated with pathological complete response (pCR) rate and worse survival outcomes in primary breast cancer patients. We reviewed the records of 4029 patients with stage I–III breast cancer who had undergone NAC and definitive surgery at our institution between May 1, 1990 and April 30, 2013. BMI values at baseline and after NAC were recorded, and the corresponding BMI category was assessed with the WHO classification. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and multivariate Cox regression models were used to estimate the effect of covariates of interest on OS and RFS. The median follow-up period was 3.95 years. A change in BMI category from normal to obese during NAC was independently associated with shorter OS duration than was maintaining a normal weight [hazard ratio (HR) 1.637; 95%CI 1.066–2.514; p = 0.0242]. Kaplan–Meier curves among breast cancer subtypes showed differences, and a decrease in BMI led to better RFS and OS rates in obese patients with HR+/HER2− disease; those who maintained BMI also showed better prognosis for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We saw no association between BMI change and pCR rate. Our data suggest that inability to maintain normal weight during NAC is a predictive marker of poor survival but not pCR. It may be important for patients to maintain a normal weight during NAC.
GIS Education in U. S. Public Administration Programs: Preparing the Next Generation of Public Servants

Geographic information systems (GIS), data, and analysis are common and crucial resources for public agencies throughout the United States. Applications of GIS run the gamut from delivery of emerge...
Federating Identity Management for a Regional HPC Resource

The University of Colorado Boulder Research Computing group operates RMACC Summit, a shared regional high-performance computing resource managed jointly by the University of Colorado Boulder and Colorado State University and funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Access to the resource is additionally available to partner institutions in the Rocky Mountain Advanced Computing Consortium, particularly to institutions without local high-performance computing resources. Users from these institutions would typically be required to acquire an account at the operating institution and then acquire a dedicated account for the resource. Alternatively a dedicated login environment to differentiate between accounts originating from different institutions could be provided. CU Boulder's Research Computing group has obviated these concerns, providing access to a single, uniform Linux login environment that is used simultaneously by CU Boulder, CSU, and partner institutions facilitated by an XSEDE login service. The use of the existing XSEDE identity and access infrastructure allows CU Boulder's Research Computing group to support a pervasively distributed user community on the RMACC Summit supercomputer without requiring formal identity federation with each RMACC partner institution; and encourages wider familiarity with and adoption of XSEDE in the RMACC user community.
Hyperbolic phase field modeling of brittle fracture: Part I—Theory and simulations

Abstract We propose a new phase field model of dynamic brittle fracture, in which material damage evolves according to a hyperbolic partial differential equation. This model can be stably discretized using explicit time integration, without imposing crippling time step restrictions with refinement in space. The model is derived from microforce balance by including effects of microscopic inertia. Quantitative predictions of the proposed model differ from those of parabolic and elliptic phase field models in that there is a mild rate-toughening effect, but major qualitative solution features are essentially the same. We compute finite element approximations of solutions to several dynamic fracture scenarios to support these claims. Part II of this series will incorporate the proposed model into a hybrid isogeometric–meshfree framework for air-blast–structure interaction and provide further demonstrations of the model’s physical and numerical properties.
Dynamic cardiac anatomy: the "cypress tree" papillary muscle root

Introduction: The understanding of gross cardiac anatomy has been relatively stable over the last 80 years, reliant on well-established autopsy findings. The advent of dynamic imaging by cardiac MRI and CT provides a window to view anatomic features in vivo, providing insights typically masked at autopsy due to death. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with its high spatial and temporal resolution allows detection of anatomic features not previously appreciated at autopsy. Methods: Two hundred fifty-five sequential, CMR examinations were retrospectively examined to describe the anatomic features of the LV (left ventricular) PM (papillary muscles). Specifically, the origin of the base of the PM was delineated. The insertion of the PM was seen in 255/255 patients. Results: In 249 out of 255 patients (97.6%), the appearance of the PM was not a uniform muscle arising from the inner face of the LV myocardium, but was a finger-like series of long, slender trabeculae carneae traversing >1 cm before inserting into the main body of PM challenging our previous understanding of PM anatomy. Conclusion: The capabilities of dynamic CMR to view cardiac features in vivo non-invasively provides a useful tool to study cardiac anatomy. Unlike the widely accepted representation of papillary muscles, uniformly arising from the floor of the LV, the base resolves into a ‘cypress-tree’ root-like structure with multiple thin projections before coalescing into a thick muscle head. Such observations have far reaching clinical implications in areas such as mitral regurgitation, post-MI remodeling and electrical transmission of the His-Purkinje system, and further work is indicated to delineate the role of non-invasive imaging in these areas.
The Relationship Between Identity Importance and Identity Salience: Context Matters

A perplexing finding in the identity literature is that the strength of the relationship between identity importance (also called “prominence” or “centrality”) and identity salience varies dramatically across studies, from near-zero to 0.63, even when the same role identities are examined. I argue that these findings may be due to the influence of the social contexts in which respondents have been asked to report the likelihood of invoking one or more of their valued role identities (i.e., identity salience). I use qualitative data from a study of community volunteers (N = 80) to show that the imagined context matters substantially for whether and when individuals will mention a highly important volunteer identity to another person at a first meeting. Specifically, conversational norms and situational appropriateness guided respondents’ readiness to bring up their volunteer identity when meeting people at a party or on vacation for the first time. These qualitative findings have implications for measuring salience in future quantitative work. Additionally, both role-identity theory (McCall and Simmons 1978) and identity theory (Stryker 1980), may need to incorporate an identity’s normative or situational appropriateness to better predict the likelihood that the identity will become salient in interaction. This possibility echoes a fundamental symbolic interactionist insight: Through imaginatively taking the role of the other, we anticipate and share our role partners’ reactions to our contemplated plans of action. Situationally appropriate role identities (i.e., plans of action) may be those that individuals are most likely to invoke, regardless of those identities’ personal importance.
Enhancing Promotion Decisions using Classification and Network-based Methods

When it comes to making promotions, companies rely upon a variety of metrics and rating systems to support their decisions. However, are they looking at the most important metrics and more broadly, how should they identify employees to promote? The literature predominantly focuses on the measurement of performance, but businesses also need instruments that can predict management potential for promotional decision-making. This paper utilizes the data contained in the Human Resources Information System (HRIS) of a company to analyze drivers of potential for promotion among a sample of its workers. Numerous prior studies have been conducted of human resource variables in a variety of organizations. These studies share in common the use of linear models to report which explanatory variables are statistically significant determinants of the dependent variable – in most cases the performance of employees with a focus on the individual’s output. What they do not deliver, and what this study provides, in addition to regression studies on employee performance, is an analysis of the drivers of promotion potential for management roles. The perspective of our analysis diverges from others in that its primary focus is to identify future leaders of a company rather than identifying strong individual contributors. The methods used consist of basic statistical procedures, multiple classification methods and graph theory analysis. In our study of managerial potential drivers, the logistic regression model performs with the best predictive accuracy and recognizes which factors in a manager reveals leadership potential. In our study of promotion potential from a teamwork perspective, we show that graph network-based methods adapt well to employee data containing several bilateral relationships while preserving the hierarchy of an organization and providing defensible accuracy.
PD-1 Immune Checkpoint Blockade Promotes Therapeutic Cancer Vaccine to Eradicate Lung Cancer.

(1) Background: Targeting inhibitory immune checkpoint molecules has highlighted the need to find approaches enabling the activation of immune responses against cancer. Therapeutic vaccination, which induces specific immune responses against tumor antigens (Ags), is an attractive option. (2) Methods: Utilizing a K-RasG12Dp53null murine lung cancer model we determined tumor burden, tumor-infiltrating T cell (TIL) cytolysis, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and CD4 and CD8 depletion to evaluate the efficacy of PD-1 blockade combined with CCL21-DC tumor lysate vaccine. (3) Results: Anti-PD-1 plus CCL21-DC tumor lysate vaccine administered to mice bearing established tumors (150 mm3) increased expression of perforin and granzyme B in the tumor microenvironment (TME), increased tumor-infiltrating T cell (TIL) activity, and caused 80% tumor eradication. Mice with treatment-induced tumor eradication developed immunological memory, enabling tumor rejection upon challenge and cancer-recurrence-free survival. The depletion of CD4 or CD8 abrogated the antitumor activity of combined therapy. PD-1 blockade or CCL21-DC tumor lysate vaccine monotherapy reduced tumor burden without tumor eradication. (4) Conclusion: Immune checkpoint blockade promotes the activity of the therapeutic cancer vaccine. PD-1 blockade plus CCL21-DC tumor lysate vaccine therapy could benefit lung cancer patients.
Towards detecting levels of alertness in drivers using multiple modalities

Distracted and drowsy driving are two very common causes of car accidents as they contribute to 2.3% of all the fatalities caused on the US roads. Therefore, in the era of smart driving there is an increased need of technologies able to monitor driver's alertness and provide timely alerts to the driver. In this paper, we conduct as pilot study and we present a preliminary, yet novel multimodal dataset, collected from 10 subjects using three different modalities. Our modalities include a thermal camera, an RGB camera, and four physiological indicators. The dataset consists of two recording sessions for each subject, thus, offering in total 20 multimodal driving sessions. We propose a machine learning framework aiming to investigate the hypothesis that multimodal features have higher potential towards driver alertness detection. Our dataset and analysis focus on exploring the differences between alertness and drowsiness as they intersect with the presence of different distractions. The results highlight the validity of our hypothesis and introduce interesting future directions for research.
Recent progress in adsorptive removal of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water/wastewater

Due to chemical and physiological inertness and wide usage in nearly every aspect of our daily life, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are now ubiquitous in the environment, including dri...