cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Uncontrolled Randomized Clinical Trial Demonstrates Similar Long-Term (6 months) Antigingivitis and Antiplaque Efficacy for 2 Mouth Rinses: One that Uses Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC) as an Active Agent and the Other that Uses Essential Oils (EO) as an Active Agent

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Comparison of the effects of cetylpyridinium chloride with an essential oil mouth rinse on dental plaque and gingivitis—a six-month randomized controlled clinical trial Albert-Kiszely A, Pjetursson BE, Salvi GE, Witt J, Hamilton A, Persson GR, et al. J Clin Periodontol 2007;34(8):658-67 Level of Evidence 2 Purpose/Question The purpose of this study was to compare the long-term (6 months) clinical and microbiological effects of an experimental CPC mouth rinse with that of a commercially available and widely used EO mouth rinse in an unsupervised, uncontrolled 6-month randomized clinical trial. Source of Funding This study was supported by a grant from the manufacture of the experimental CPC mouth rinse, Procter & Gamble Company (Mason, OH), and by the Clinical Research Foundation (CRF) for the Promotion of Oral Health, University of Berne, Switzerland. Type of Study/Design This is a parallel randomized 2-group study that had no negative control.
Interventions aimed at improving performance on medication adherence metrics

Background medication adherence is one determining factor of treatment success. Poor medication adherence mitigates optimum clinical benefits and increases total health care costs. Current evidence suggests that for population-based adherence interventions to be effective, a multidisciplinary, multifactorial approach that can be tailored for each individual should be adopted. In the United States, national organizations such as the National Committee for Quality Assurance and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services include medication adherence as a metric of health care system performance Aim of the Commentary This article provides an overview of efforts at Kaiser Permanente Colorado to impact medication adherence-related metrics. Described interventions are supported by electronic data gathering processes with an emphasis on the role of pharmacists.
Synthesis of fluorescent probes directed to the active site gorge of acetylcholinesterase

Abstract Six organophosphorus compounds linked to fluorophore groups were prepared in an effort to selectively modify the active site of acetylcholinesterase and deliver probes to the gorge region. Two compounds that vary by the length of a methylene (CH 2 ) group, pyrene-SO 2 NH(CH 2 ) n NHC(O)CH 2 CH 2 P(O)(OEt)(F) (where n =2 or 3) were found to be potent, irreversible inhibitors of recombinant mouse AChE ( K i ≅10 5 M −1 min −1 ). Size exclusion chromatography afforded a fluorescently-labeled cholinesterase conjugate.
Literacy demands of product information intended to supplement television direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertisements

Abstract The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows television direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertisements that do not fully disclose drug risks if the ads include “adequate provision” for dissemination of the drug’s approved labeling. This requirement can be met in part by referring consumers to multiple text sources of product labeling. This study was designed to assess the materials to which consumers were referred in 23 DTC television advertisements. SMOG assessments showed that the average reading grade levels were in the high school range for the main body sections of the materials and college-level range for the brief summary sections. The Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) instrument identified specific difficulties with the materials, including content, graphics, layout, and typography features. Stronger plain language requirements are recommended. Health care providers should be aware that patients who ask about an advertised drug might not have the full information required to make an informed decision.
Expectant fathers' roles during labor and birth.

Objective To describe and explain the expectant father's experience during labor and delivery. Design A grounded theory methodology was used for data collection and analysis. Setting Semistructured interviews were held in the homes of participants, and data were collected from observations in the labor and delivery rooms. Participants Twenty couples recruited from five hospitals in the San Francisco Bay area. Main outcomes The study identified three roles that expectant fathers adopted: coach, teammate, and witness. Results The roles adopted by expectant fathers were related to the degrees of understanding and mutuality within the couples' relationships. The majority of the men in the study adopted the role of witness. Conclusion The current expectations of the father in the role of coach should be reevaluated.
Current trends in multimedia communications and computing

Multimedia, as the name implies, is a combination of different and diverse media types, for example: image, video, graphics, speech, text and so on. As the information age grows, multimedia systems have also grown in popularity, especially in the arenas of education and entertainment. Examples of such applications are telelearning, home shopping, banking, tele-medicine, pay TV, video-on-demand, immersi-presence, virtual reality and so on. Along with this growth, the burden on the physical media that support multimedia applications has also increased. This implies that the technologies pertaining to communication and coding of multimedia applications also needs to grow in order to keep up with this demand. This special session is devoted to addressing some issues and solutions to the problems in handling multimedia services.
Structural Basis for VEGF-C Binding to Neuropilin-2 and Sequestration by a Soluble Splice Form.

Vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) is a potent lymphangiogenic cytokine that signals via the coordinated action of two cell surface receptors, Neuropilin-2 (Nrp2) and VEGFR-3. Diseases associated with both loss and gain of VEGF-C function, lymphedema and cancer, respectively, motivate studies of VEGF-C/Nrp2 binding and inhibition. Here, we demonstrate that VEGF-C binding to Nrp2 is regulated by C-terminal proteolytic maturation. The structure of the VEGF-C C terminus in complex with the ligand binding domains of Nrp2 demonstrates that a cryptic Nrp2 binding motif is released upon proteolysis, allowing specific engagement with the b1 domain of Nrp2. Based on the identified structural requirements for Nrp2 binding to VEGF-C, we hypothesized that the endogenous secreted splice form of Nrp2, s9Nrp2, may function as a selective inhibitor of VEGF-C. We find that s9Nrp2 forms a stable dimer that potently inhibits VEGF-C/Nrp2 binding and cellular signaling. These data provide critical insight into VEGF-C/Nrp2 binding and inhibition.
Dinámica del dengue y Aedes aegypti en Puerto Rico

Dynamic of Dengue and Aedes aegypti in Puerto Rico We reviewed the literature in an attempt to understand temporal changes in dengue viruses transmission and associated environmental variables, including climate, and the ecology and control of Aedes aegypti. Dengue dynamics can be summarized in three periods: 1915-1969 with self-limited outbreaks of one serotype, 1969-1980 when dengue becomes endemic with circulation of single serotypes, and since 1980 with hyperendemic circulation of several virus serotypes, shortly followed by the establishment of endemic dengue hemorrhagic fever until present. Long-term dengue transmission is stationary, possible resulting from small changes in population density and independently of implied climate change. Dengue epidemics are produced as a result of alternation of dominant serotypes. Dengue is seasonal, with three periods: post-epidemic from December to May (low temperature, little precipitation and mosquitoes), pre-epidemic from June to August with viral amplification (high temperature, abun dant precipitation and mosquitoes), and epide
A thoracic percutaneous lead system: Development and evaluation

A thoracic percutaneous lead system was designed for use in present and future cardiac research in Biomedical Engineering. The lead system was fabricated of Teflon and silicone rubber and was implanted at the junction of the middle and upper third of the left sixth intercostal space of 24 mongrel dogs and observed for variable periods of time. Minimal inflammation was elicited in the skin and subcutis of 17 dogs, but infection and other complications developed in 7 dogs. The reaction of the ribs to the Teflon conduit was characterized by extensive periosteal new bone formation. The pulmonary and pleural reaction to silicone rubber tubing was also studied.
Scientific results of the first orbiting solar observatory

The first Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO 1) was launched March 7, 1962, into a nearly circular 575-km orbit of inclination 33°. This was the first satellite designed to point instruments actively at the Sun. For the first three months the satellite performance was nearly perfect. Since that time the loss of the tape recorders, the decrease of available power, and other problems have degraded the spacecraft performance. However, data varying in quality from continuous to intermittent have been obtained during the periods from March 7 to May 23, 1962; June 23 to July 7, 1962; and October 14, 1962, to date. The pointing accuracy during these periods has consistently been within ±2.5 arc minutes in elevation and ±1.0 arc minute in azimuth with respect to the center of the solar disk.
NMD3 Encodes an Essential Cytoplasmic Protein Required for Stable 60S Ribosomal Subunits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A mutation in NMD3 was found to be lethal in the absence of XRN1, which encodes the major cytoplasmic exoribonuclease responsible for mRNA turnover. Molecular genetic analysis of NMD3 revealed that it is an essential gene required for stable 60S ribosomal subunits. Cells bearing a temperature-sensitive allele of NMD3 had decreased levels of 60S subunits at the nonpermissive temperature which resulted in the formation of half-mer polysomes. Pulse-chase analysis of rRNA biogenesis indicated that 25S rRNA was made and processed with kinetics similar to wild-type kinetics. However, the mature RNA was rapidly degraded, with a half-life of 4 min. Nmd3p fractionated as a cytoplasmic protein and sedimented in the position of free 60S subunits in sucrose gradients. These results suggest that Nmd3p is a cytoplasmic factor required for a late cytoplasmic assembly step of the 60S subunit but is not a ribosomal protein. Putative orthologs of Nmd3p exist in Drosophila, in nematodes, and in archaebacteria but not in eubacteria. The Nmd3 protein sequence does not contain readily recognizable motifs of known function. However, these proteins all have an amino-terminal domain containing four repeats of Cx2C, reminiscent of zinc-binding proteins, implicated in nucleic acid binding or protein oligomerization.
Adjusting for Population Heterogeneity and Misspecified Haplotype Frequencies When Testing Nonparametric Null Hypotheses in Statistical Genetics

Population heterogeneity and misspecified population haplotype frequencies are potential sources of bias in a variety of hypothesis testing problems in statistical genetics. Several strategies have been proposed for adjusting for population heterogeneity, but the theoretical basis for the strategies has been developed in relatively narrow contexts, and the methods in general do not exploit all of the available information. Here a generally applicable approach for efficient adjustment is proposed. Practical issues related to the implementation of the approach are described, and a number of settings where the approach may be applied are outlined.
Mechanical Separation of the Epidermis from the Corium1

Various methods for separating the epidermis from the corium have been described. These methods have included the utilization of tryptic digestion (1), heat (2), ionic changes, (3), and suction (4). All of these methods have the disadvantage of altering to some degree the physical and/or chemical integrity of one or both layers and are therefore unsatisfactory for studies of the skin which require an isolated, but otherwise intact, epidermis or corium.
Influence of Doubled CO2 on Ozone via Changes in the Brewer–Dobson Circulation

In this short note, the effect of enhanced circulation due to doubling CO2 on ozone is investigated. The difference of Brewer–Dobson circulation (BDC) between the doubled CO2 and control run from an idealized atmospheric general circulation model is added to the BDC climatology derived from National Centers for Environmental Prediction—Department of Energy Reanalysis 2 (NCEP2) from 1979 to 2002. Then it is used to drive the California Institute of Technology/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Caltech/JPL) two-dimensional chemistry and transport model. The results reveal that the total ozone increases by 7 and 3.5 Dobson units (DU) in the high latitudes of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, respectively, and decreases by 4 DU in the Tropics as a result of the increase in BDC associated with doubled CO2 .I f the change of eddy mixing coefficients after doubling CO2 is also considered, the total ozone will increase by 6.5 and 3 DU in the high latitudes of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres after combining both effects from the change in BDC and eddy mixing coefficients.
Assisting Students With High-Incidence Disabilities to Pursue Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Persons with disabilities have been underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields for many years. Reasons for this include low expectations for students wi...
Adaptive spatio-temporal organization in groups of robots

This paper presents experiments, in simulation, with a group of robots that improve their performance on a straightforward transportation task by using reinforcement learning to associate input states with a set of abstract behaviors. We show that the improvement in performance is a result of the group adapting its spatio-temporal organization to the given environment. Spatio-temporal adaptation is a general form of adaptation in that it can improve performance over a range of different tasks and environments. Hence it increases the general applicability and autonomy of robotic systems. Lastly, we present two communication strategies that improve this ability to adapt by generally improving learning rates for cooperative robots in highly dynamic domains.
Structure of guanosine‐3′,5′‐cytidine monophosphate. I. Semi‐empirical potential energy calculations and model‐building

synopsis The conformation and packing scheme for guanosine-3’,5’-cytidine monophosphate, GpC, were computed by minimizing the classical potential energy. The lowest energy conformation of the isolated molecule had dihedral angles in the range of helical RNA’s, and the sugar pucker was C3‘ endo. This was used as the starting conformation in a packing search over orientation space, the dihedral angles being flexible in this step also. The packing search was restricted by constraints from our x-ray data, namely, (1) the dimensions of the monoclinic unit cell and its pseudo-C2 symmetry (the real space group is P21), (2) t,he location of the phosphorous atom, and (3) the orientation of the bases. In addition, a geometric function was devised to impose Watson-Crick base pairing. Thus, a trial structure could be sought without explicit inclusion of intermolecular potentials. An interactive computer graphics system was used for visualizing the calculated structures. The packing searches yielded two lowest energy schemes in which the molecules had the same conformation (similar to double-helical RNA) but different orientations within the unit cell. One of these was refined by standard x-ray methods to a discrepancy index of 14.4% in the C2 pseudocell. This served as the starting structure for the subsequent refinement in the real P21 cell.5
The Drosophila tango gene encodes a bHLH-PAS protein that is orthologous to mammalian Arnt and controls CNS midline and tracheal development

The Drosophila single-minded and trachealess bHLH-PAS genes control transcription and development of the CNS midline cell lineage and tracheal tubules, respectively. We show that Single-minded and Trachealess activate transcription by forming dimers with the Drosophila Tango protein that is an orthologue of the mammalian Arnt protein. Both cell culture and in vivo studies show that a DNA enhancer element acts as a binding site for both Single-minded::Tango and Trachealess::Tango heterodimers and functions in controlling CNS midline and tracheal transcription. Isolation and analysis of tango mutants reveal CNS midline and tracheal defects, and gene dosage studies demonstrate in vivo interactions between single-minded::tango and trachealess::tango. These experiments support the existence of an evolutionarily conserved, functionally diverse bHLH-PAS protein regulatory system.
Bringing the Military Back in: Military Expenditures and Economic Growth 1990 to 2003

After the peace bonus era, global military expenditures have escalated sharply despite some worldwide declines in military personnel. Theories on the economic impacts of the military institution and escalated military spending greatly differ and include arguments that they either improve domestic economic performance or crowd out growth-inducing processes. Empirical findings on this matter are inconclusive, in part due to a failure to disentangle the various dimensions of military expenditures. We further suggest that modern sociology's relative inattention to such issues has contributed to these shortcomings. We explore a new dimension of military spending that clarifies this issuemilitary expenditures per soldier which captures the capital intensiveness of a countrys military organization. Our cross-national panel regression and causal analyses of developed and less developed countries from 1990 to 2003 show that military expenditures per soldier inhibit the growth of per capita GDP, net of control variables, with the most pronounced effects in least developed countries. These expenditures inhibit national development in part by slowing the expansion of the labor force. Labor-intensive militaries may provide a pathway for upward mobility, but comparatively capital-intensive military organizations limit entry opportunities for unskilled and under- or unemployed people. Deep investments in military hardware also reduce the investment capital available for more economically productive opportunities. We also find that arms imports have a positive effect on economic growth, but only in less developed countries.
Cellular immunotherapy redirected by bispecific antibodies in primary ovarian cancer cells: A preclinical study

2518 Background: Cytokine induced killer cells (CIKs) are ex-vivo activated and expanded CD8+ natural killer T cells that have been shown to have cytotoxic activity against cancers in randomized cl...
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LYMPHATIC AND BLOOD FLOW IN VARIOUS STRUCTURES IN THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY.

Conclusions1. Clearance of small solutes from the mesentery is about 10 times as rapid as clearance of similar materials from muscle. 2. The ratio of clearances of colloidal to diffusible molecules from mesentery is about 2:3 at 29° and decreases to 1:2.5 at 43°C. 3. Experimentally induced increases of capillary filtration, and presumably lymph formation, increase clearance of colloidal material; those diminishing capillary nitration decrease clearance of colloids. 4. Movement of large molecules from injection depots may serve as an index of local lymph flow; clearance of small diffusible molecules measures flow through vessels capable of exchange. 5. Direct determinations of lymph flow rates from the “iliocolic” duct were found to be almost as great as flow from the thoracic duct. However, occlusion of the “iliocolic” duct diminishes thoracic duct flow by only a very small fraction. This paradox can be explained by the existence of connections between abdominal lymphatics and veins.
Restrictions on the Values of Derivatives

(1977). Restrictions on the Values of Derivatives. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 84, No. 9, pp. 722-723.
The Hard x-ray Nanoprobe Beamline at Argonne National Laboratory

The hard X-ray nanoprobe at the Advanced Photon Source provides characterizing of composition and structure of nanoscale materials and devices with high spatial-resolution using x-ray fluorescence, diffraction and Bragg coherent diffraction, and full-field transmission imaging.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and other Gram-positives in healthcare.

Purpose of reviewMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterocci (VRE) are the two most common healthcare-associated multidrug-resistant organisms. The purpose of this article is to review recent data regarding the epidemiology, control and treatment of these or
Pregnancy after forty-four.

Summary A study of 237 pregnancies in women of 44 years of age and over is taken from 71,827 pregnancies on the New York Lying-In Hospital Service over a twenty-year period. The incidence of pregnancy in this group and the incidence of abortion are shown. The age distribution and outcome of the pregnancy are presented. Figures on the occurrence of pregnancy after 46 are obtained from six maternity hospitals in addition to those from our series and these are supplemented by the New York City statistics. A review is made of the primigravid patients appearing in this series, the method of delivery of all patients, and the cesarean sections. In addition, cases of prolonged labor and the indications for operation in the abortions are discussed. Antenatal complications in relation to the viable births and abortions are presented and compared. A consideration of maternal mortality, infants of excessive size, patients appearing twice in the series, and those with intervals of ten years or longer since the preceding pregnancy are presented. A discussion of pregnancy after the menopause is given and those patients in our series who fall into this classification are reported. Perinatal deaths and congenital abnormalities appearing in our series are reviewed and the high incidence of congenital anomaly presented. A discussion of the literature on Mongolism and congenital abnormality is given and tables from three different sources to illustrate the relation of these conditions to maternal age are presented.
Postmortem scavenging by the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana): Impact on taphonomic assemblages and progression

The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is a highly active scavenger whose behavior has significant impacts on rates of decomposition and skeletonization, which have previously not been addressed. In this study, scavenging by the opossum led to the skeletonization of carcasses in half of the accumulated degree days (ADD) of a comparable non-scavenged control carcass. Opossums used body orifices, as well as natural tears caused by the decomposition process, to access internal tissues and consume them. This activity resulted in little movement of the carcass and the retained appearance of natural undisturbed decomposition. This concealed activity has the potential to cause drastically incorrect estimates of time since deposition and post-mortem interval. Scavenging by opossums was also found to leave distinct tooth mark and other defects on bone, which have not been previously distinguished in the literature. This research suggests, beyond effects on PMI, that scavenging by opossums has been historically overlooked and misattributed to canid scavengers.
Role assignment for game-theoretic cooperation

In multiagent systems, often agents need to be assigned to different roles. Multiple aspects should be taken into account for this, such as agents' skills and constraints posed by existing assignments. In this paper, we focus on another aspect: when the agents are self-interested, careful role assignment is necessary to make cooperative behavior an equilibrium of the repeated game. We formalize this problem and provide an easy-to-check necessary and sufficient condition for a given role assignment to induce cooperation. However, we show that finding whether such a role assignment exists is in general NP-hard. Nevertheless, we give two algorithms for solving the problem. The first is based on a mixed-integer linear program formulation. The second is based on a dynamic program, and runs in pseudopolynomial time if the number of agents is constant. Minor modifications of these algorithms also allow for determination of the minimal subsidy necessary to induce cooperation. In our experiments, the IP performs much, much faster.
Modifying deep neural network structure for improved learning rate in speakers' age and gender classification

Speaker's age and gender classification is one of the most challenging problems in the field of acoustic recognition. Although many studies have been done to obtain better results, the classification accuracies are still not satisfactory. Motivated by the success in the deep learning techniques in speech processing field, we developed a DNN architecture to classify speakers' age and gender. In this work, we propose a new data model and we make modifications in GB-RBM and the BB-RBM architectures. This work shows that DNN can be trained by using age and gender real valued data and it will have a solid expressive and distinctive capability to classify the speaker's age and gender if the DNN is skillfully initialized and trained. Experimental results showed that the proposed DNN model and modifications achieved faster learning. To evaluate the proposed model, several experiments were conducted. The dimensional grey scale displays for the activation probability of hidden units, weights and biases histograms, and the MSE metrics were used.
Identifying the Help Givers in a Community of Learners: Using Peer Reporting and Social Network Analysis as Strategies for Participant Selection

The author presents a three-step process for selecting participants for any study of a social phenomenon that occurs between people in locations and at times that are difficult to observe. The process is described with illustrative examples from a previous study of help giving in a community of learners. This paper includes a rationale for combining peer-reporting questionnaires with social network analysis to find the authorities among a community of pre-service teachers. Triangulation is recommended as a technique to verify results and ensure accurate findings from the questionnaires. Implications and limitations are provided to help facilitate a successful modification and adaptation to future studies.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of drug-coated therapies in the superficial femoral artery

Abstract Objective Drug-coated balloons (DCBs) may increase durability of endovascular treatment of superficial femoral artery (SFA) disease while avoiding stent-related risks. The purpose of this study was to use meta-analytic data of DCB studies to compare the cost-effectiveness of potential SFA treatments: DCB, drug-eluting stent (DES), plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA), or bare-metal stent (BMS). Methods A search for randomized controlled trials comparing DCB with POBA for treatment of SFA disease was performed. Hazard ratios were extracted to account for the time-to-event primary outcome of target lesion revascularization. Odds ratios were calculated for the secondary outcomes of primary patency (PP) and major amputation. Incorporating pooled data from the meta-analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, assuming a payer perspective, used a decision model to simulate patency at 1 year and 2 years for each index treatment modality: POBA, BMS, DCB, or DES. Costs were based on current Medicare outpatient reimbursement rates. Results Eight studies (1352 patients) met inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. DCB outperformed POBA with respect to target lesion revascularization over time (pooled hazard ratio, 0.41; P P Conclusions Current data and reimbursements support the use of DCB as a cost-effective strategy for endovascular intervention in the SFA; any additional effectiveness of DES comes at a high price. Use of more than one DCB per intervention significantly decreases cost-effectiveness.
The Genetics of Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder. It is characterized by progressive loss of memory and other cognitive domains along with functional decline that can occur in the third to eighth decades. The early onset (<60 years old) familial forms of AD have an autosomal dominant inheritance linked to three causative genes: APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2. The most common sporadic form of AD occurs after the age of 60 and is associated with the APOE gene. The mechanistic contribution of these genes in AD pathogenesis has been studied extensively but is still unclear, suggesting that other AD associated genes remain to be elucidated. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. Idiopathic PD is the most frequent form of Parkinsonism, although rare forms of PD in which genetic factors dominate exist. Family studies have identified 13 causative genetic loci linked to PD of which 8 genes have been described: four autosomal dominant (SNCA, LRRK2, UCHL1, and HTRA2) and four autosomal recessive (PRKN, DJ1, PINK1, and ATP13A2). In addition, another gene has recently been described as a possible risk factor for PD (GBA). The function of these genes and their contribution to PD pathogenesis remains to be fully elucidated. Like AD, other genes that contribute to PD risk likely exist. The prevalence, incidence, clinical manifestations, and genetic components of these two neurodegenerative disorders, AD and PD, are discussed in this chapter.
EUV metal oxide hybrid photoresists: ultra-small structures for high-resolution patterning

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, using 13.5 nm radiation, is considered one of the most prominent candidates for next generation lithography. The main challenge for EUV resists is to simultaneously satisfy resolution, LWR (line-width roughness) and sensitivity requirements according to the ITRS roadmap1. Over the past few years, our main effort has been to focus on ZrO2 and HfO2 nanoparticle-based photoresists. However, both Zr and Hf are relatively low EUV absorbing metals2, and integration of high EUV absorption elements is considered to be a more promising route to further improve lithographic performance under EUV radiation. Here, we demonstrate novel zinc oxide-based nanoparticle photoresists, possessing small particle size, good solubility in spin-coating solvents, good film-forming abilitie and patterning by incorporating a photo-acid generator or photo-radical generator.
A New Oxidation Based Technique for Artifact Free TEM Specimen Preparation of Nuclear Graphite

Abstract Graphite is a key component in designs of current and future nuclear reactors whose in-service lifetimes are dependent upon the mechanical performance of the graphite. Irradiation damage from fast neutrons creates lattice defects which have a dynamic effect on the microstructure and mechanical properties of graphite. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can offer real-time monitoring of the dynamic atomic-level response of graphite subjected to irradiation; however, conventional TEM specimen-preparation techniques, such as argon ion milling itself, damage the graphite specimen and introduce lattice defects. It is impossible to distinguish these defects from the ones created by electron or neutron irradiation. To ensure that TEM specimens are artifact-free, a new oxidation-based technique has been developed. Bulk nuclear grades of graphite (IG-110 and NBG-18) and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) were initially mechanically thinned to ∼60 μm. Discs 3 mm in diameter were then oxidized at temperatures between 575 °C and 625 °C in oxidizing gasses using a new jet-polisher-like set-up in order to achieve optimal oxidation conditions to create self-supporting electron-transparent TEM specimens. The quality of these oxidized specimens were established using optical and electron microscopy. Samples oxidized at 575 °C exhibited large areas of electron transparency and the corresponding lattice imaging showed no apparent damage to the graphite lattice.
Ionic channels in cultured Drosophila neurons

Cultured “giant” Drosophila neurons derived from cytokinesis-arrested embryonic neuroblasts express various membrane channels and excitability patterns. Both current- and voltage-clamp recordings could be performed on the same neuron owing to the large cell size, thus making it possible to elucidate the functional role of individual types of channels. This culture system has been used to analyze the mutational perturbations in ion channels and the resultant alterations in membrane excitability.
Tubular and interstitial renal diseases produced by immunologic mechanisms

E generalmente riconosciuto che la maggior parte delle glomerulonefriti umane o sperimentali sono prodotte da meccanismi immunologici. Per contro, scarsa attenzione e stata fino ad oggi rivolta alla possibilita che questi stessi meccanismi patogenetici responsabili dell’insorgenza di glomerulonefrite abbiano parte anche nella genesi di malattie renali tubulari ed interstiziali. Il presente articolo riassume i piu recenti studi che suggeriscono come anticorpi diretti contro membrane basali tubulari, complessi antigene-anticorpo o fenomeni mediati da ipersensibilita cellulare siano coinvolti nell’insorgenza di malattie tubulari ed interstiziali, associate o disgiunte da glomerulonefrite.
I Know (What) You Are, But What Am I? The Effect of Recategorization Threat and Perceived Immutability on Prejudice.

Learning one is similar to a stigmatized group can threaten one’s identity and prompt disassociation from the group. What are the consequences of learning of a similarity to a stigmatized group whe...
Imagining Ecologies through Sound: An Historic-ecological Approach to the Soundscape of the Mississippi Flyway

This paper documents an example of the development of what I term “imagined ecologies,” an individual or community’s understanding of themselves as part of an ecological system. An examination of game call instructions and training records offers a strategy for understanding the soundscape of the Mississippi Flyway. I show that the sounds made and ways of listening to them — by humans and non-humans — was critical to the formation of an imagined ecology that saw nature as, paradoxically, a resource that could be managed and harvested but not quite replicated.
Engagement in mHealth behavioral interventions for HIV prevention and care: making sense of the metrics.

Background: Engagement is the primary metric by which researchers can assess whether participants in a mHealth intervention used and interacted with the intervention’s content as intended over a pre-specified period to result in behavior change. Paradata, defined as the process data documenting users’ access, participation, and navigation through a mHealth intervention, have been associated with differential treatment outcomes in mHealth interventions. Within behavioral mHealth interventions, there has been an increase in the number of studies addressing the HIV prevention and care continuum in recent years, yet few have presented engagement metrics or examined how these data could inform design modifications, promote continued engagement, and supplement primary intervention efficacy and scale-up efforts. Methods: We review common paradata metrics in mHealth interventions (e.g., amount, frequency, duration and depth of use), using case studies from four technology-driven HIV interventions to illustrate their utility in evaluating mHealth behavioral interventions for HIV prevention and care. Across the four case studies, participants’ ages ranged between 15 and 30 years and included a racially and ethnically diverse sample of youth. The four case studies had different approaches for engaging young men who have sex with men: a tailored brief intervention, an interactive modular program, a daily tool to monitor and self-regulate treatment adherence, and an online platform promoting social engagement and social support. Each focused on key outcomes across the HIV prevention and care continuum [e.g., safer sex behaviors, HIV testing, antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence] and collected paradata metrics systematically. Results: Across the four interventions, paradata was utilized to identify patterns of use, create user profiles, and determine a minimum engagement threshold for future randomized trials based on initial pilot trial data. Evidence of treatment differences based on paradata analyses were also observed in between-arm and within-arm analyses, indicating that intervention exposure and dosage might influence the strength of the observed intervention effects. Paradata reflecting participants’ engagement with intervention content was used to suggest modifications to intervention design and navigation, to understand what theoretically-driven content participants chose to engage with in an intervention, and to illustrate how engagement was linked to HIV-related outcomes. Conclusions: Paradata monitoring and reporting can enhance the rigor of mHealth trials. Metrics of engagement must be systematically collected, analyzed and interpreted to meaningfully understand a mHealth intervention’s efficacy. Future mHealth trials should work to identify suitable engagement metrics during intervention development, ensure their collection throughout the trial, and evaluate their impact on trial outcomes.
Interpreting LSTM Prediction on Solar Flare Eruption with Time-series Clustering

We conduct a post hoc analysis of solar flare predictions made by a Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) model employing data in the form of Space-weather HMI Active Region Patches (SHARP) parameters calculated from data in proximity to the magnetic polarity inversion line where the flares originate. We train the the LSTM model for binary classification to provide a prediction score for the probability of M/X class flares to occur in next hour. We then develop a dimension-reduction technique to reduce the dimensions of SHARP parameter (LSTM inputs) and demonstrate the different patterns of SHARP parameters corresponding to the transition from low to high prediction score. Our work shows that a subset of SHARP parameters contain the key signals that strong solar flare eruptions are imminent. The dynamics of these parameters have a highly uniform trajectory for many events whose LSTM prediction scores for M/X class flares transition from very low to very high. The results demonstrate the existence of a few threshold values of SHARP parameters that when surpassed indicate a high probability of the eruption of a strong flare. Our method has distilled the knowledge of solar flare eruption learnt by deep learning model and provides a more interpretable approximation, which provides physical insight to processes driving solar flares.
The Characteristics Differentiating Expert and Competent Strength and Conditioning Coaches

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the skills, knowledge, and experiences differentiating expert and competent strength and conditioning (S&C) coaches. Method: The participants were...
Combined Valve Operations in the Aortic and Mitral Positions With or Without Added Tricuspid Valve Repair

There is limited clinical evidence on when to address tricuspid regurgitation in patients with aortic and mitral valve disease requiring surgical intervention. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential added value of performing a tricuspid valve repair concomitantly in patients requiring double valve surgery (DVS) of the aortic and mitral valves. We reviewed 223 cases of multivalve surgery from 2011 to 2016. In this single-institution series, 190 underwent DVS in aortic and mitral positions and 33 had triple valve surgery in aortic, mitral, and tricuspid positions. Preoperative and postoperative echocardiograms were evaluated to determine changes in valve function. A logistic regression model was performed to assess relationship of patient comorbidities and type of valve operations to perioperative adverse events. Mid-term survival was similar between the 2 groups (P = 0.541). Compared to DVS, TVS was not associated with an increased risk of perioperative adverse events, including need for pacemaker or mortality on multivariable analysis. Within the DVS subgroup, 19.8% of patients experienced improvement in tricuspid valve function with decrease in the degree of tricuspid regurgitation within a 6-month postoperative follow-up. Our study indicates that repairing the tricuspid valve while addressing the aortic and mitral valves does not pose significant additional risk. The observed improvement of the degree of tricuspid regurgitation without tricuspid operation suggests the need to further define subpopulations of patients with multivalvular disease.
Spiking Sparse Coding Algorithm with Reduced Inhibitory Feedback Weights

In this paper we demonstrate that a sparse coding algorithm using spiking neurons can be designed to have reduced inhibitory feedback connections by modifying SAILNet [1]. This modification makes it easier for a circuit designer to implement sparse coding in hardware because there is less circuitry for learning and fewer parameters to store in memory. We show our modification and compare it with SAILNet. Our analysis shows that the modification is more sparsely active than the original algorithm without significantly affecting the reconstruction of the input stimulus. It is also experimentally shown that by tuning the value of inhibitory synapse strength, sparsity can be controlled. The learned receptive fields are similar to those of SAILNet and retain information from stimulus such that reconstructed stimulus can be identified by a convolutional neural network for classification.
The Impact of Pulsed Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 on the Formation of C2+ Products over Cu

We report the results of experimental and theoretical studies aimed at developing a detailed understanding of how pulsed electrolysis alters the production of the temporal evolution of products ove...
Energy transfer from a pulsed thermal source to He II below 0.3 K

Results of measurements of the angular distribution of the energy flux radiated from a pulsed heater immersed in He II at low temperatures (around 230 mK). It is shown that the energy transfer from a pulsed carbon heater at a relatively high temperature to ambient liquid helium maintained at low temperature cannot be adequately described by the phonon-coupling models. The experimental data on the velocity and angular distribution of the energy flux radiated from the plane of the heater indicate that the energy from the heater is transferred to a layer of hot helium adjacent to the surface of the heater and that this layer acts as the effective source of excitations radiated into the ambient liquid helium. The extent and shape of this source depend on the total energy flux produced by the heater.
The Law of Armed Conflict: International Humanitarian Law in War

Newly revised and expanded, The Law of Armed Conflict, 2nd edition introduces law students and undergraduates to the law of war in an age of terrorism. What law of armed conflict (LOAC), or its civilian counterpart, international humanitarian law (IHL), applies in a particular armed conflict? Are terrorists legally bound by that law? What constitutes a war crime? What (or who) is a lawful target and how are targeting decisions made? What are 'rules of engagement' and who formulates them? How can an autonomous weapon system be bound by the law of armed conflict? Why were the Guantanamo military commissions a failure? This book takes students through these LOACIHL questions and more, employing real-world examples and legal opinions from the US and abroad. From Nuremberg to 9/11, from courts-martial to the US Supreme Court, from the nineteenth century to the twenty-first, the law of war is explained, interpreted, and applied.
An Applied Researcher's Guide to Estimating Effects from Multisite Individually Randomized Trials: Estimands, Estimators, and Estimates.

Researchers face many choices when conducting large-scale multisite individually randomized control trials. One of the most common quantities of interest in multisite RCTs is the overall average ef...
Combined application of ascorbic acid and endophytic N-fixing Azotobacter chroococcum Avi2 modulates photosynthetic efficacy, antioxidants and growth-promotion in rice under moisture deficit stress.

This group has previously reported the role of ascorbic acid (AA) as an antioxidant for survivability and ability to enhancing diazotrophic efficacy in Azotobacter chroococcum Avi2 under hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) stress. However, the present study showed the combined application of AA and Avi2 in drought-susceptible (IR64 and Naveen) and drought-tolerant (Ankit and Satyabhama) rice cultivars to determine their photosynthetic efficacy (chlorophyll fluorescence-imaging), antioxidants, and plant growth-promotion (PGP) under moisture deficit stress (MS, -60 kPa). The results indicated that combined application of AA and Avi2 significantly (p < 0.05) increased the total chlorophyll, relative water content, electrolytic leakage, super oxide dismutase, and catalase activities in all rice cultivars as compared to other MS treatments, whereas stress indicators like proline and H2O2 contents were proportionally increased under MS and their concentration were normalized under combined application of AA and Avi2. Photochemical quenching, non-photochemical quenching, photosynthetic electron transport rate, and the effective quantum efficiency were found to be increased significantly (p < 0.05) in Avi2 + AA as compared to other MS treatments. Moreover, rice roots harbored significantly (p < 0.05) higher copy number of nifH gene in Avi2 + AA treatment followed by Avi2 compared to flooded control and other MS treatments. Combined application of AA and Avi2 also increased the grain yield significantly (p < 0.05) by 7.09 % and 3.92 % in drought-tolerant (Ankit and Satyabhama, respectively) and 31.70 % and 34.19 % in drought-susceptible (IR64 and Naveen, respectively) rice cultivars compared to MS treatment. Overall, the present study indicated that AA along with Avi2 could be an effective formulation to alleviate MS vis a vis enhances PGP traits in rice.