cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fault Isolation and Failure Analysis of 3D Packaging

The high level of functional integration and the complex package architecture in advanced 3D packages pose a significant challenge for conventional Fault Isolation (FI) and Failure analysis (FA) methods. High-resolution nondestructive FI and imaging tools, as well as innovative applications of FA techniques are required to tackle the technical and throughput challenges. In this Chapter, the applications of FI and FA techniques such as Time domain reflectrometry (TDR), Electro Optic Terahertz Pulse Reflectometry (EOTPR), Lock-in Thermography (LIT), Scanning Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) Microscopy (SSM), Scanning Acoustic microscopy (SAM), 2D X-ray radiography, 3D X-ray Computed Tomography (CT), laser ablation, Plasma Focused Ion Beam (FIB), Broad-beam Argon Ion Milling, Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), and Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) to 3D packages are reviewed along with the key FI and FA challenges. 3D package FA Strategies of building up efficient FI-FA flow and in-depth root cause studies to provide solution paths are discussed and demonstrated by case studies.
In Ruins: Architecture, Memory, Countermemory

In July 2012, survivors of a Bosnian War–era concentration camp and killing ground at the Omarska mine declared one of the landmarks of London’s newly constructed Olympic Park a “Memorial in Exile,” standing in for the memorial for which they had been unsuccessfully advocating at the site of their imprisonment and abuse.1 Their declaration opens to reconsideration some of the predominant ways in which architecture, memory, and violence are understood. Before the war, Omarska was part of a state-owned mining complex near the city of Prijedor. In May 1992, during mass violence in and around Prijedor, Bosnian Serb forces transformed Omarska into a camp for people expelled from the city and nearby towns and villages. When the camp was closed three months later, in response to international media pressure, an estimated 3,334 people had been held captive there, and between 700 and 800 of those prisoners had been killed.2 People were not only imprisoned and killed in Omarska; the camp also functioned as a site for the formation of political subjects. Just as the factory was a space where the modern industrialized worker was made, the mine’s functional ruin at Omarska yielded a space where citizens of socialist Yugoslavia were remade as subaltern ethnic communities of Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats.3 Ethnicity, in other words, was not only a social construction; it was also conjoined to the architectural reconstruction of a mine into a camp. After the war, in the partition of Bosnia, Omarska was included in the Republika Srpska, a political entity whose government has refused to acknowledge both the violence that took place at Omarska and the Bosnian genocide more generally. The war continued, in other words, not least by explicit denial of its violence and implicit acceptance of its results. Postwar reconstruction has extended the …
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Strategies for Therapeutic Gut Microbiota Modulation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and their Next-Generation Approaches

The human gut microbiome exerts a major impact on human health and disease, and therapeutic gut microbiota modulation is now a well-advocated strategy in the management of many diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Scientific and clinical evidence in support of complementary and alternative medicine, in targeting intestinal dysbiosis among patients with IBD, or other disorders, has increased dramatically over the past years. Delivery of "artificial" stool replacements for fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) could provide an effective, safer alternative to that of human donor stool. Nevertheless, optimum timing of FMT administration in IBD remains unexplored, and future investigations are essential.
Folsom Mobility and Organization of Lithic Technology: A View from Blackwater Draw, New Mexico

In a 1988 article, Kelly identified the variable role of bifaces in the organization of hunter-gatherer lithic technology as cores, long use-life tools, and products of the shaping process. He also...
A Kernel Support Vector Machine Trained Using Approximate Global and Exhaustive Local Sampling

AGEL-SVM is an extension to a kernel Support Vector Machine (SVM) and is designed for distributed computing using Approximate Global Exhaustive Local sampling (AGEL)-SVM. The dual form of SVM is typically solved using sequential minimal optimization (SMO) which iterates very fast if the full kernel matrix can fit in a computer's memory. AGEL-SVM aims to partition the feature space into sub problems such that the kernel matrix per problem can fit in memory by approximating the data outside each partition. AGEL-SVM has similar Cohen's Kappa and accuracy metrics as the underlying SMO implementation. AGEL-SVM's training times greatly decreased when running on a 128 worker MATLAB pool on Amazon's EC2. Predictor evaluation times are also faster due to a reduction in support vectors per partition.
The role of consequences of moral action in maximizing moral elevation

Moral elevation is described as a state of positive emotion that includes uplifting feelings, positive views of humanity and a desire to be a better person. Numerous empirical studies have demonstr...
TEMPORAL TRENDS, DETERMINANTS AND IMPACT OF HIGH-INTENSITY LIPID LOWERING THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH STABLE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE UNDERGOING PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION

Current guidelines recommend high intensity lipid lowering (HILL) for treatment of established coronary artery disease (CAD). Adherence to and predictors of HILL use in usual-care setting remains unknown. We analyzed 8,976 consecutive patients with CAD undergoing PCI from Jan 2010 to May 2016 in
Alzheimer’s Disease, Dendritic Spines, and Calcineurin Inhibitors: A New Approach?

Therapeutics to effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are lacking. In vitro, animal and human studies have implicated the excessive activation of the protein phosphatase calcineurin (CN) as an early step in the pathogenesis of AD. We discuss recent data showing that the prolyl isomerase Pin1 is suppressed by CN-mediated dephosphorylation induced by Aβ42 signaling. Pin1 loss directly leads to the reductions in dendritic spines and synapses characteristic of early AD pathology. Pin1 activity, and synapse and dendritic spine numbers are rescued by FK506, a highly specific and United States Food and Drug Administration approved CN inhibitor. Solid organ transplant recipients chronically treated with FK506 showed much lower AD incidence than expected. As such, we suggest prospective clinical trials to determine if systemic FK506 can normalize CN activity in the brain, preserve Pin1 function and support synaptic health in early AD.
G. B. Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession and Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market”

In a letter to the Daily Chronicle dated April 30, 1898 describing the genesis of Mrs. Warren’s Profession, George Bernard Shaw denied literary influence, claiming “I never dreamt of Ibsen or De Ma...
The mystery of the sapropels

Sapropels are layers of sediment on the sea floor that are rich in organic carbon. The way in which they were formed has been a matter of intense debate, with researchers usually invoking one of two alternative explanations. Work in the Mediterranean now allows those explanations to be reconciled.
Studio Thinking in Early Childhood

Studio learning environments provide important support for young children as they learn to create and interpret in visual art and design. In this chapter, I use the Studio Thinking Framework, developed from research at Harvard University’s Project Zero that involved close observation of studio art classrooms to see what teachers intend to teach and how they teach it, to inform how we can think about learning in formal and informal early childhood education. I describe strategies teachers can use to create a studio environment that fosters children’s development of habits of mind such as becoming more observant, more engaged and persistent, reflective on their work, and willing to explore and express ideas. I discuss how teachers can use this focus on developing students’ habits of mind in the arts to build connections to other learning areas.
Imaging biomarkers in thyroid eye disease and their clinical associations.

Thyroid eye disease, or Grave’s ophthalmopathy, is a condition that affects muscles and other soft tissues in the eye orbits. It is most often associated with Grave’s disease, an autoimmune disorder causing hyperthyroidism. Computed tomography (CT) imaging of the orbit is the standard clinical practice in the diagnosis and management of thyroid eye disease (TED).1 CT imaging shows distinct structures in the eye orbit, such as globes, the optic nerve, extra ocular rectus muscles, and orbital fat. Previous studies have shown that volumetric and structural measurements of these structures are strongly associated with TED characteristics and risk for optic nerve pathologies.2–9 However, these studies relied on manual measurements on orbital structures and subjective clinical criteria for description of TED.10,11 There is also clinical literature that hypothesized that TED had distinct phenotypes based on clinical and orbital structural characteristics.12–14 In this work, we use an automated pipeline to extract metrics from CT imaging to investigate the phenotypes of TED based on measurements of the optic nerve, extraocular muscle volume, and orbital volume and crowding. The automated segmentation pipeline that identifies structures of interest, namely the globe, the optic nerve, the superior, inferior, lateral and medial extraocular muscles, and orbital fat is based on previous work by Harrigan et al.15 and Chaganti et al.16 We extract structural measurements from the automated segmentation and perform statistical analysis on them to learn phenotypes of action in TED. We then evaluate how these phenotypes are correlated with clinical factors such as visual acuity, color vision, history of smoking, and so on. The main contribution of this work is the identification of the two main orthogonal phenotypes of action. The factor loadings of the top two principal components of the imaging metrics correspond to the descriptions hypothesized in the clinical literature by Nunery.12 Finally, we empirically show that these two phenotypes correspond to different clinical losses, such as visual loss and proptosis, respectively.
Network cost-sharing games: Equilibrium computation and applications to election modeling

We introduce and study a variant of network cost-sharing games with additional non-shareable costs (NCSG+), which is shown to possess a pure Nash equilibrium (PNE). We extend polynomial-time PNE computation results to a class of graphs that generalizes series-parallel graphs when the non-shareable costs are player-independent. Further, an election game model is presented based on an NCSG+ when voter opinions form natural discrete clusters. This model captures several variants of the classic Hotelling-Downs election model, including ones with limited attraction, ability of candidates to enter, change stance positions and exit any time during the campaign or abstain from the race, the restriction on candidates to access certain stance positions, and the operational costs of running a campaign. Finally, we provide a polynomial-time PNE computation for an election game when stance changes are restricted.
THE EFFECT OF CAREER PLAYING POSITION AND DETRAINING TIME ON THE PREVALENCE AND PERSISTANCE OF LEFT VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY IN A POPULATION OF FORMER PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYERS

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is recognized as a component of athlete's heart and has been widely reported in elite athletes. However, there are few reports on the prevalence and persistence of LVH in elite athletes following retirement. Former professional football players (n = 1172) were
Factors associated with self-competence and quality of life in Chinese-American children

The goal of this study was to examine factors associated with self-competence and quality of life in Chinese-American children. A cross-sectional design was used to examine factors associated with Chinese-American children’s self-competence (perception of their own competence) and quality of life. Body mass index was used to measure children’s relative weight. Children completed the Self-Perception Profile for Children, the Pediatric Quality of Life self-report, and the Children's Self-Administered Physical Activity Checklist. Parents provided demographic information and reported their level of acculturation. Sixty-five 8- and 10-year-old Chinese-American children (49% boys, 51% girls) and their parents participated in the study. Boys reported higher levels of competence in athletics than girls reported. Multivariate regression models reveal that an increased level of sedentary activity in Chinese American children contributes to low competence levels with respect to physical appearance and decreased quality of life in the social health domain. Increased BMI is related to decreased selfcompetence in physical appearance. Low levels of sedentary activity have a great influence on selfcompetence and quality of life in Chinese American children. The development of culturally appropriate programs that decrease sedentary activity and improve quality of life is critical for health promotion among Chinese Americans.
Less than 10% of library service users ask for help

User engagement and support is getting increasing attention in the world of institutional repositories as user-driven improvements are becoming the norm [4]. As the Los Alamos National Laboratory Research Library prepared for an interface overhaul intended to modernize current online tools, we developed a pipeline to track and analyze user feedback. We focused our efforts on emails specific to one tool sent to the helpdesk, from its launch in March 2012 to November 2018. We analyzed both email volume and email contents and found that while email volume is stable over time, contents vary in correlation to changes in tool workflows, capabilities, and policies dictating tool use. Our developed methods offer insights into user behavior and guidance for future tool development.
Functional Compartmentalization of HSP60-Survivin Interaction between Mitochondria and Cytosol in Cancer Cells

Heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) and survivin reside in both the cytosolic and mitochondrial compartments under physiological conditions. They can form HSP60-survivin complexes through protein-protein interactions. Their expression levels in cancer tissues are positively correlated and higher expression of either protein is associated with poor clinical prognosis. The subcellular location of HSP60-survivin complex in either the cytosol or mitochondria is cell type-dependent, while the biological significance of HSP60-survivin interaction remains elusive. Current knowledge indicates that the function of HSP60 partly rests on where HSP60-survivin interaction takes place. HSP60 has a pro-survival function when binding to survivin in the mitochondria through interacting with other factors such as CCAR2 and p53. In response to cell death signals, mitochondrial survivin functions through preventing procaspase activation. Degradation of cytosolic survivin leads to the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and aberrant mitosis processes. On the other hand, HSP60 release from mitochondria to cytosol upon death stimuli might exert a pro-death function, either through stabilizing Bax, enhancing procaspase-3 activation, or increasing protein ubiquitination. Combining the knowledge of mitochondrial HSP60-survivin complex function, cytosolic survivin degradation effect, and pro-death function upon mitochondria release of HSP60, a hypothetical scenario for HSP60-survivin shuttling upon death stimuli is proposed.
Stochastic Optimization Forests.

We study contextual stochastic optimization problems, where we leverage rich auxiliary observations (e.g., product characteristics) to improve decision making with uncertain variables (e.g., demand). We show how to train forest decision policies for this problem by growing trees that choose splits to directly optimize the downstream decision quality, rather than splitting to improve prediction accuracy as in the standard random forest algorithm. We realize this seemingly computationally intractable problem by developing approximate splitting criteria that utilize optimization perturbation analysis to eschew burdensome re-optimization for every candidate split, so that our method scales to large-scale problems. We prove that our splitting criteria consistently approximate the true risk and that our method achieves asymptotic optimality. We extensively validate our method empirically, demonstrating the value of optimization-aware construction of forests and the success of our efficient approximations. We show that our approximate splitting criteria can reduce running time hundredfold, while achieving performance close to forest algorithms that exactly re-optimize for every candidate split.
Overlapping activities of ELAV/Hu RNA binding proteins specify multiple neural alternative splicing programs

Abstract ELAV/Hu factors are conserved RNA binding proteins that play diverse roles in mRNA processing and regulation. The founding member, Drosophila Elav, was recognized as a vital neural factor 35 years ago. Nevertheless, still little is known about its impacts on the transcriptome, and potential functional overlap with its paralogs. Building on our recent findings that neural-specific lengthened 3’ UTR isoforms are co-determined by ELAV/Hu factors, we address their impacts on splicing. In ectopic contexts, all three members (Elav, Fne and Rbp9) induce similar and broad changes to cassette exon and alternative last exon (ALE) splicing. Reciprocally, double mutants of elav/fne, but not elav alone, have opposite effects on both types of mRNA processing events in the larval CNS. Accordingly, while fne mutants are normal, fne loss strongly enhances elav mutants with respect to neuronal differentiation. While manipulation of Drosophila ELAV/Hu factors induces both exon skipping and inclusion, motif analysis indicates their major direct effects are to suppress cassette exon usage. Moreover, we find direct analogies in their roles in global promotion of distal ALE splicing and terminal 3’ UTR extension, since both involve local suppression of proximal polyadenylation signals via ELAV/Hu binding sites downstream of cleavage sites. Finally, we provide evidence for analogous co-implementation of distal ALE and APA lengthening programs in mammalian neurons, linked to ELAV/Hu motifs downstream of regulated polyadenylation sites. Overall, ELAV/Hu proteins orchestrate multiple conserved programs of neuronal mRNA processing by suppressing alternative exons and polyadenylation sites.
What Drives Greater Assimilation of Telestroke in Emergency Departments

Abstract Objective Although many emergency departments (EDs) have telestroke capacity, it is unclear why some EDs consistently use telestroke and others do not. We compared the characteristics and practices of EDs with robust and low assimilation of telestroke. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with representatives of EDs that received telestroke services from 10 different networks and had used telestroke for a minimum of two years. We used maximum diversity sampling to select EDs for inclusion and applied a positive deviance approach, comparing programs with robust and low assimilation. Data collection was informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. For the qualitative analysis, we created site summaries and conducted a supplemental matrix analysis to identify themes. Results Representatives from 21 EDs with telestroke, including 11 with robust assimilation and 10 with low assimilation, participated. In EDs with robust assimilation, telestroke workflow was highly protocolized, programs had the support of leadership, telestroke use and outcomes were measured, and individual providers received feedback about their telestroke use. In EDs with low assimilation, telestroke was perceived to increase complexity, and ED physicians felt telestroke did not add value or had little value beyond a telephone consult. EDs with robust assimilation identified four sets of strategies to improve assimilation: strengthening relationships between stroke experts and ED providers, improving and standardizing processes, addressing resistant providers, and expanding the goals and role of the program. Conclusion Greater assimilation of telestroke is observed in EDs with standardized workflow, leadership support, ongoing evaluation and quality improvement efforts, and mechanisms to address resistant providers.
The Medicaid expansion did not crowd out access for medicaid recipients with disabilities in Oregon.

Abstract Background The Affordable Care Act (ACA) substantially increased the number of Medicaid enrollees, which could have reduced access to health care services for those already on Medicaid before the expansion. Objective To examine the association of the ACA expansion on health care access and utilization for adults ages 18–64 years who have qualified for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in Oregon. Methods We used Oregon Medicaid claims and enrollment data from 2012 to 2015 and information from the American Community Survey and the Local Area Unemployment Statistics. Multivariate regressions compared changes in health care access and utilization before and after the expansion among Medicaid recipients who qualified for SSI across counties in Oregon with higher and lower Medicaid enrollment increases due to the expansion. Health care access and utilization outcome measures included: primary care visits, non-behavioral health outpatient visits, behavioral health outpatient visits, emergency department (ED) visits and potentially avoidable ED visits. Results The Medicaid expansion led to an uneven increase in Medicaid enrollment across Oregon’s counties (mean increase from the first quarter of 2012 to the third quarter of 2015: 12.4% points; range: 7.3 to 18.6% points). Access and utilization outcomes for SSI Medicaid recipients were mostly unaffected by differential enrollment increases. ED visits increased more in counties with a larger Medicaid enrollment increase (estimate: 1.8, p Conclusions We did not find evidence that an increase in Medicaid enrollment due to the ACA negatively impacted access and utilization for adult Medicaid recipients on SSI, who were eligible for Medicaid prior to expansion.
NMDAR-independent acetylcholine, serotonin, and norepinephrine mediated modulation of synaptic eligibility traces into LTD in mice visual cortex

Abstract In reward-based learning, synaptic eligibility traces are a well-defined theoretical solution for the conversion of initial co-activation of pre and postsynaptic neurons into long-term changes in synaptic strength by reward-linked neuromodulators. However, the types of neuromodulators involved in such a phenomenon in mouse visual cortex remain unknown. To characterize the Ex vivo condition, we used optogenetic stimulation of channelrhodopsin-(ChR2) expressing Cre/Ai32(ChR2-eYFP); Tph2-Cre/Ai32(ChR2-eYFP); Thi-Cre/Ai32(ChR2-eYFP) homozygous mice, which release acetylcholine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, respectively. With these mice it is possible to measure the transformation of eligibility traces into long-term changes by endogenous neuromodulators. Here we delineated that layer 2/3 neurons in the visual cortex showed no LTD after conditioning with paired-pulse low-frequency stimulation (ppLFS; 2Hz, 15 min). However, if conditioning was paired with acetylcholine, serotonin, or norepinephrine release upon 473 nm optical stimulation in brain slices, LTD occurs in every case. Thus, our data suggests a new pathway to connect the gap between stimulus and reward. Moreover, we found that stimulation by theta-glass or metal stimulators evoked IPSC traces with the same amplitudes but differences in decay kinetics, further questioning the appropriate use of stimulators in brain slices for evoking an event.
Amplitude modulations of cortical sensory responses in pulsatile evidence accumulation

How does the brain internally represent a sequence of sensory information that jointly drives a decision-making behavior? Studies of perceptual decision-making have often assumed that sensory cortices provide noisy but otherwise veridical sensory inputs to downstream processes that accumulate and drive decisions. However, sensory processing in even the earliest sensory cortices can be systematically modified by various external and internal contexts. We recorded from neuronal populations across posterior cortex as mice performed a navigational decision-making task based on accumulating randomly timed pulses of visual evidence. Even in V1, only a small fraction of active neurons had sensory-like responses time-locked to each pulse. Here, we focus on how these 'cue-locked' neurons exhibited a variety of amplitude modulations from sensory to cognitive, notably by choice and accumulated evidence. These task-related modulations affected a large fraction of cue-locked neurons across posterior cortex, suggesting that future models of behavior should account for such influences.
Ultralight and fire-extinguishing current collectors for high-energy and high-safety lithium-ion batteries

Inactive components and safety hazards are two critical challenges in realizing high-energy lithium-ion batteries. Metal foil current collectors with high density are typically an integrated part of lithium-ion batteries yet deliver no capacity. Meanwhile, high-energy batteries can entail increased fire safety issues. Here we report a composite current collector design that simultaneously minimizes the ‘dead weight’ within the cell and improves fire safety. An ultralight polyimide-based current collector (9 μm thick, specific mass 1.54 mg cm−2) is prepared by sandwiching a polyimide embedded with triphenyl phosphate flame retardant between two superthin Cu layers (~500 nm). Compared to lithium-ion batteries assembled with the thinnest commercial metal foil current collectors (~6 µm), batteries equipped with our composite current collectors can realize a 16–26% improvement in specific energy and rapidly self-extinguish fires under extreme conditions such as short circuits and thermal runaway. Batteries need to be energy-dense as well as safe. Yi Cui and team develop an ultralight polyimide-based current collector with embedded fire retardants that enables lithium-ion batteries with much-enhanced safety and energy density.
La narrativa revolucionaria de Mirta Yáñez: Entre la norma y el deseo

This article analyzes Mirta Yanez’s Todos los negros tomamos cafe (1976) as a narrative artifact that celebrates experimentation, calling into question the literary forms that were prevalent after the Cuban Revolution (1959). Particularly, I explore the text’s strategic positionality as a polyphonic and fragmented enunciation that challenged the certainties of testimonial narratives. I suggest that Yanez’s narrative raises relevant questions regarding women writer’s cultural place in Cuban literature. Moving from the margins created by a male-dominated cultural field, Yanez created a text that challenges the norm by fully assuming its condition of creative artifact. Resumen Este articulo analiza Todos los negros tomamos cafe (1976) de la narradora cubana Mirta Yanez como un ejemplo de escritura que celebra la experimentacion y que entra en tension con los moldes esteticos dominantes en la literatura cubana posrevolucionaria. Particularmente, exploro la estrategica posicionalidad de una enunciacion polifonica y fragmentada como espacio de contestacion a las certezas desde las que se construyeron las narrativas testimoniales. Sugiero que la narrativa de Yanez se proyecta como una lucida interrogacion acerca de la posicion de las escritoras cubanas en un medio que se rehusaba a incorporar voces disidentes, aun cuando la disidencia se manifestara en el plano de la experimentacion y la exploracion estetica. Deslizandose desde los margenes creados por las normas y politicas de produccion cultural, Yanez configura una narrativa en la que la palabra asume plenamente su calidad de artefacto estetico.
A Bayesian model of capacity across trials

Abstract In nearly all situations, a person’s performance varies across time (i.e., trials), for example due to vigilance decrements or training. When the performance depends on multiple sources of information, the variation could be either due to changes in processing each source or the efficiency of combining the sources. The capacity coefficient is a frequently used statistic for measuring the efficiency of combining multiple sources of information, but in most applications the analyses assume stationary performance across trials. A trial-varying capacity measure would be valuable in determining the nature of the change over trials but dropping the stationarity assumption results in a severe loss in power. In this work, we develop a Bayesian trial-varying model of the capacity coefficient to estimate the efficiency of an individual processing multiple sources of information. This model is based on the Weibull distribution to approximately characterize the processing time of each source, with an inverse gamma distribution prior for the scale parameter and a known shape. This approach provided us a tractable way to update prior estimates for real-time estimation of capacity across trials. We demonstrate the approach with both simulated and human data.
Power System Frequency Control under Large Frequency Difference Disturbance

With the normalization of cross-regional power transmission and the high proportion of new energy sources connected to the grid, the frequency fluctuation range of the grid has increased, which led to higher requirements for the frequency modulation speed and stability of the main regulating resources especially thermal power units. In this paper, we study the dynamic frequency characteristics of the hybrid grid, and propose a frequency control method for thermal power units based on frequency difference signal in large disturbance environments. By introduce multi-level forward feedback and difference-based feedback controllers on the turbine side, boiler side and auxiliary control side, the unit's frequency modulation performance is further optimized. Test results show that this control strategy effectively improves the response speed of the primary frequency modulation while ensuring the control stability.
Seasonal variability of invertebrate prey diet and selectivity of the dominant forage fishes in Lake Huron

Abstract Predators can shift their diets and even selectivity in response to changing environmental conditions. Since the early 2000s, Lake Huron experienced major food-web shifts that have caused changes in the prey availability and quality for consumers at multiple trophic levels. Previous studies have reported declining energetic condition for key planktivorous fishes, such as rainbow smelt and bloater, which play a key role in supporting commercially and recreationally important piscivorous fishes. To improve understanding of how changes in the invertebrate prey community have influenced foraging by rainbow smelt and bloater, we processed diets and calculated selectivity along two transects in Lake Huron during 2012. Diet proportions for both species varied seasonally and consisted of mostly calanoid copepods during spring and summer, specifically Leptodiaptomus sicilis and diaptomid copepodites, and Daphnia galeata mendotae in autumn. Bloater selectivity varied primarily by season and transect with Limnocalanus macrurus or Mysis diluviana as the most preferred prey during spring, Chironomidae pupae or L. sicilis during summer, and Chironomidae pupae or Mysis during autumn. Rainbow smelt selectivity was consistent across seasons and transects with Mysis being the species most commonly selected and Bythotrephes longimanus the second most. Both fish species selected for relatively large invertebrate prey, but declining densities of Mysis and the benthic amphipod Diporeia, have caused fish to consume smaller prey with much lower energy density. Our results illustrate how food-web changes underlie the reduced energetic condition of bloater and rainbow smelt, which ultimately reduces the growth potential for recreationally and commercially important piscivorous fish.
Effect of very high travel speeds on melting efficiency in laser beam welding

Calorimetric measurements of the net heat input to the workpiece have been made to determine the effect of very high travel speeds on laser weld melting efficiency. Very high welding speeds are required in welding applications such as automotive where lasers are now applied extensively. Travel speeds as fast as 530 mm/s for continuous wave CO2 laser welding on 304 stainless steel have been examined in this study. Melting efficiency indicates what fraction of the laser power absorbed is used to produce melting rather than undesirable base metal heating. It was found that melting efficiency initially increased then slowly decreased as fusion zone dimensions changed. Dimensionless parameter correlations for melting efficiency based on heat flow theory have been presented for both 2D and 3D heat flow geometries. The levels of melting efficiency observed are close to the maximum values that are predicted with these correlations. Determinations of the melting point isotherms and analysis of changes to the dimensionless parameters have been shown to predict the observed changes in melting efficiency. The results indicate that an enhanced melting efficiency is obtained in high speed laser welding when either the fusion zone aspect ratio or the joint geometry promote 2D heat flow.
Employing layout-templates for synthesis of analog systems

This paper presents an original methodology for layout-aware synthesis of analog systems. Layout parasitics (including capacitance, resistance and inductance) have a critical influence on system performances i.e. speed, bandwidth etc. We discuss the usage of layout templates during an exploration based synthesis methodology that performs combined system parameter search, floorplanning and global routing. Predefined templates express the relative position of blocks and wires so that routing parasitics can be extracted and considered during synthesis. The paper also presents the selection of the best layout template from a set of possible candidates. Two case studies are presented to exemplify the usage of layout templates for synthesis.
A large-volume microfiltration system for isolating suspended particulate organic matter: fabrication and assessment versus GFF filters in central North Pacific

We describe the construction and testing of a home-built ultrafiltration (UF) system, based on commercially available hollow fiber polysulfone membranes, for isolation of suspended particulate organic matter (POMsusp) from large volumes (2000–10,000 L) of ocean water. The overall apparatus consists of two sequential UF steps: a main filtration system (100 L reservoir) driven by a stainless steel centrifugal pump, and a subsequent reduction/ diafiltration system (2 L reservoir) driven by a peristaltic pump. The system can be readily assembled using off-the-shelf parts at a fraction of the cost of commercial UF systems. Our system functioned comparably to previously described commercial units. We conducted a series of tests using both surface (21 m) and mesopelagic (674 m) N. Pacific central seawater from ocean pipeline sources at the Natural Energy Laboratory Authority of Hawaii (NELHA), while simultaneously collecting GFF-POM samples. We evaluated flow rates, fouling behavior, carbon and nitrogen recoveries and compositions, and also bacteria and virus retention of ultrafiltered-POM (UPOM) using both 0.1 µm and 500 kilodalton pore size membranes. We also compared composition of UPOM versus GFF-POM, finding clear differences, which also varied between surface and mesopelagic waters. Finally, to evaluate the appeal of large-volume filtrations at NELHA to study central N. Pacific Gyre POMsusp, we compared our data with offshore station ALOHA.
Global enterprise cloud transformation: Centralize, distribute or federate?

Cloud computing rapidly gains popularity as a cost-efficient way of provisioning and consuming IT services. There are two fundamental cloud computing deployment paradigms: public and private. While public cloud has gone a long way since the concept inception, it still fails short on a number of enterprise requirements. We believe that in the foreseeable future the private cloud model, in which the cloud is fully owned by the company and serves users from this company only, will remain the dominant one in the enterprise. While agility is achieved in a private cloud by using virtualization, automation, and self-service, the economic model of a private cloud is not as clear as that of the public one. In this position paper, our focus is on qualitatively analyzing organizational and business factors affecting the cost-effectiveness of private clouds for global enterprises. We analyze the global enterprise structure, which often comprises an overwhelmingly complex and intertwined networks of global organizations, and suggest a simple classification model, reflecting the private cloud maturity levels. We discuss technological and organizational issues arising at each level of maturity and outline a research agenda to address pain points in private cloud computing.
Using Regional Data to Reexamine the Contribution of Demographic and Sectoral Changes to Increasing U.S. Wage Inequality

This paper uses geographical disaggregation to reevaluate the importance of sectoral and demographic shifts in explaining recent changes in the U.S. wage distribution. Using hourly earnings data from the Current Population Survey we explore two approaches to assessing the contribution of demographic and sectoral changes to the increase in inequality in that distribution. The first approach uses fine disaggregations of the sample of workers by age and industry to conduct shift-share analyses. The second approach conducts regression analyses of the trend in inequality of our panel sample of geographic areas as a function of aggregate measures of demographic industry macroeconomic and international trade variables. This chapter is reprinted from the Changing Distribution of Income in an Open U.S. Economy edited by J. H. Bergstrand et al. pp. 183-216 Amsterdam Netherlands Elsevier Science 1994. (EXCERPT)
Drug Absorption in Gastrointestinal Disease and Surgery

It is well recognized that drug absorption from the gastrointestinal tract is influenced by gastric and intestinal motility, surface area available for absorption, and physicochemical properties of the drug. Disease and surgery have been shown to alter these factors. Consequently, drug absorption can be altered as well, and these affect drug therapy. Apparently this effect is variable, but the variability may be due in part to the complexities of performing studies in this area. For example, many patient factors as well as drug characteristics must be considered. In addition, appropriate interpretation of results requires that intravenous data be collected if changes in absorption are based on bioavailability. At this time, the alterations in drug absorption due to gastrointestinal disease and surgery are of unknown or little clinical significance; nevertheless, clinicians should be aware that the possibility of malabsorption exists and anticipate any monitoring of or alterations in therapy that may have to be made.
Abstract P131: Is Older Age (≥ 65 years old) Associated with Increased Mortality Following Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation?

Background: Extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly being used as a life-saving bypass technique for patients whose acute cardiopulmonary failure is potentially reversible and refractory to conventional care. Prognostic data for ECMO among diverse patients are limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between age (≥ 65 vs. <65 years) and 1-year mortality after ECMO, adjusted for confounders. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort analysis of 131 consecutive adult patients (28% ≥65 years old, 26% racial/ethnic minority, 38% female) enrolled in an ECMO database who received veno-arterial ECMO at an academic medical center between 2004-2013. Demographics, comorbid conditions, admission characteristics, and mortality status at 1 year were obtained from the hospital clinical information system, updated monthly with Social Security Death Index data. Univariate and multivariate adjusted Cox proportional hazard analyses were conducted to evaluate the associations bet...
Wireless link SNR mapping onto an indoor testbed

To facilitate a broad range of experimental research on novel protocols and application concepts, we consider an indoor wireless testbed to emulate the performance of real-world networks. A fundamental issue for emulation is the replication of communication links of specified quality. In particular, we need to replicate on the testbed, for every link in the real world, a communication link whose received signal-to-interference-and-noise-ratio (SINR) matches the corresponding link signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR). In this paper, we focus on the downlink SNR mapping associated with a network with a single access point (AP). Four indoor wireless propagation models (commercial buildings with/without line-of-sight path and residential buildings with/without line-of-sight path) and two types of spatial distributions (uniform distribution inside a circular cell and uniform distribution along a line) have been investigated. Based on the characteristics of the indoor testbed, we propose a mapping method with one AP and one interferer, which separates the task into two phases: in the first phase, the best location and transmission power for the interferer node are determined; in the second phase, the topology of receiver nodes is configured by a minimum weight matching algorithm. Through analysis and simulations, we find that when the interferer node is located on the corner across from the AP, we can achieve a mapping range on the order of 57 dB and an average root-mean-square (RMS) mapping error less than 1 dB.
Chronicling the dental therapist movement in the United States

There have been three attempts to introduce dental therapists (DTs) to the US dental workforce. This account will review early failed attempts to develop DTs, the recent successful Alaska initiative, the Minnesota legislature's authorization of DTs, state dental associations' deliberations on therapists in the workforce, and the efforts of national advocacy groups, foundations, and state legislatures to promote workforce innovation. It concludes with a discussion of the opposition to therapists from elements of organized dentistry.
Another Look at Functionalism and the Emotions

Two chronic problems have plagued functionalism in the philosophy of mind. The first is the chauvinism/liberalism dilemma, the second the absent qualia problem. The first problem is addressed by blocking excessively liberal counterexamples at a level of functional abstraction that is high enough to avoid chauvinism. This argument introduces the notion of emotional functional organization (EFO). The second problem is addressed by granting Block's skeptical conclusions with respect to mentality as such, while arguing that qualitative experience is a concomitant of human mentality considered as a special case: a system with EFO implemented in an organic substrate.
Platelet lipid peroxides as determinant of platelet survival and sympathetic stimulation in patients with hypertension.

Abstract The platelet lipid peroxidation technique was used to determine platelet survival time in 10 patients with uncomplicated essential hypertension and 10 age-matched normotensive and healthy subjects. Mean platelet survival time was 7.3 ± 0.65 days in the hypertensive group and 9.6 ± 0.82 days in the normotensive group ( P However, shortened survival time was observed in four hypertensive and in two normotensive subjects. It is possible that the significant decrease in survival time found in the hypertensive group might reflect more advanced atherosclerotic vascular changes than in the normotensive group. Posture change affects lipid peroxides, probably via the catecholamines.
Vagueness and Ambivalence

What is the proper attitude toward what is expressed by a vague sentence in the face of borderline evidence? Some call this attitude “ambivalence” and distinguish it from uncertainty. It has been argued that Classical Epistemicism conjoined with classical probability theory fails to characterize this attitude, and that we must therefore abandon classical logic or classical probabilities in the presence of vagueness. In this paper, I give a characterization of ambivalence assuming a supervaluationist semantics for vague terms that does not revise either. The theory, which I call the theory of Superprobabilities, identifies the proper attitude toward a vague sentence, in the presence of exact borderline evidence, as the set of classical probabilities of the evidence on each member of the set of all precisifications of a vague sentence. I defend the use of sets of probabilities against objections by generalizing the theory of Superprobabilities to a decision theory called Superrationality. I then compare the merits of the theory of Superprobabilities to Classical Epistemicism and nonclassical probabilities theories with respect to the problem of ambivalence.
Eternal Connection: An Exploratory Study of the Effects of Learning About Near-Death Experiences on Adult Grief

We examined the effectiveness of a near-death experience (NDE) psychoeducational group bereavement intervention in reducing distressing aspects and enhancing a growth aspect of grief among bereaved adults. Participants were 22 females and 2 males (2 African American, 3 Asian, 2 Latina/o, and 17 White non-Latina/o) ranging in age from 20 to 71, with a mean age of 35.3 years. In this experimental design, we randomly assigned 12 participants to the experimental group and 12 participants to the waitlist control group. Effect size findings based on Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist scores indicated modest to substantial benefits of the NDE learning module intervention for bereaved adults in the form of decreased panic behavior, blame and anger, and detachment and increased personal growth. Conclusions include that further research into the effectiveness of NDE-related psychoeducational programs with bereaved individuals is warranted.
Control Volume Analysis of Boundary Layer Ingesting Propulsion Systems With or Without Shock Wave Ahead of the Inlet

The performance benefit of boundary layer or wake ingestion on marine and air vehicles has been well documented and explored. In this article, a quasi-one-dimensional boundary layer ingestion (BLI) benefit analysis for subsonic and transonic propulsion systems is performed using a control volume of a ducted propulsion system that ingests the boundary layer developed by the external airframe surface. To illustrate the BLI benefit, a relationship between the amount of BLI and the net thrust is established and analyzed for two propulsor types. One propulsor is an electric fan, and the other is a pure turbojet. These engines can be modeled as a turbofan with an infinite bypass ratio for the electric fan, and with a zero bypass ratio for the pure turbojet. The analysis considers two flow processes: a boundary layer being ingested by an aircraft inlet and a shock wave sitting in front of the inlet. Though the two processes are completely unrelated, both represent a loss of total pressure and velocity. In real applications, it is possible to have both processes occurring in front of the inlet of a transonic vehicle. Preliminary analysis indicates that the electrically driven propulsion system benefits most from the boundary layer ingestion and the presence of transonic shock waves, whereas the benefit for the turbojet engine is near zero or negative depending on the amount of total temperature rise across the engine.