cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Initiation and propagation of interfacial delamination in integrated thin-film structures

Interfacial delamination has been a major reliability issue for both BEoL and packaging systems. The failure is often due to poor adhesion of interfaces. Thus characterization of interfacial properties is critical for material selection and process control. Conventional methods for interfacial adhesion and fracture toughness measurements are generally based on linear elastic fracture mechanics. More detailed local measurements are required to fully characterize the interfaces based on a nonlinear cohesive interface model. With the experimentally determined interfacial properties, cohesive interface modeling can be set up to predict the initiation and evolution of interfacial failure in chip-package systems. In this study, two model systems are considered by approaches of both linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) and cohesive interface modeling (CIM). First, for a brittle thin film on a compliant substrate, the initiation and propagation of delamination from the root of a channel crack is simulated. The effects of the cohesive strength and fracture toughness of the interface on channel cracking of thin films on compliant substrates are analyzed. Second, a four-point bend test is considered, in comparison with experimental measurements of the local crack opening displacements.
The role of the informal sector in the early careers of less-educated workers

Abstract Does work experience gained in the informal sector affect the career prospects of less-educated workers? This paper examines two roles that informal sector jobs play in the early stages of a worker's career: informal jobs may (i) provide the opportunity to accumulate skills, and (ii) act as a screening device that enables employers to learn a worker's ability. The paper develops a matching model of the informal and formal sectors that can accommodate both roles. Implied hazard rates from informal to formal sectors as a function of tenure are shown to differ depending on the role of informal sector jobs: human capital accumulation or screening. Using the ENOE, a longitudinal employment survey from Mexico, hazard functions are estimated for less-educated workers. The estimated hazard functions indicate that informal sector jobs play an important role by screening young less-educated workers.
Estimating the Volatility of Wholesale Electricity Spot Prices in the US

This paper examines the volatility of wholesale electricity prices for five US markets. Using data covering the period from May 1996 to September 2001, for the California-Oregon Border, Palo Verde, Cinergy, Entergy, and Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland markets, we examine the volatility of electricity wholesale prices over time and across markets. We estimate volatility using a TARCH model to study the differences among markets and the seasonal characteristics of each market. For all markets, we find strong evidence for a downward trend in the ARCH term and a significant negative asymmetric effect over the sample period. We also document important differences among the regional electricity markets not only with respect to wholesale price volatility and seasonal variations, but also with respect to asymmetric properties and persistence of volatility.
Methodologies for the reliable construction of ontological knowledge

This paper addresses the methodology of ontology construction. It identifies five styles of approach to ontologizing (deriving from philosophy, cognitive science, linguistics, AI/computational linguistics, and domain reasoning) and argues that they do not provide the same results. It then provides a more detailed example of one of the approaches.
A framework for information systems architecture

With increasing size and complexity of the implementations of information systems, it is necessary to use some logical construct (or architecture) for defining and controlling the interfaces and the integration of all of the components of the system. This paper defines information systems architecture by creating a descriptive framework from disciplines quite independent of information systems, then by analogy specifies information systems architecture based upon the neutral, objective framework. Also, some preliminary conclusions about the implications of the resultant descriptive framework are drawn. The discussion is limited to architecture and does not include a strategic planning methodology.
Reexamination of the Near-Surface Airflow over the Antarctic Continent and Implications on Atmospheric Circulations at High Southern Latitudes*

Abstract Previous work has shown that winds in the lower atmosphere over the Antarctic continent are among the most persistent on earth with directions coupled to the underlying ice topography. In 1987, Parish and Bromwich used a diagnostic model to depict details of the Antarctic near-surface airflow. A radially outward drainage pattern off the highest elevations of the ice sheets was displayed with wind speeds that generally increase from the high interior to the coast. These winds are often referred to as “katabatic,” with the implication that they are driven by radiational cooling of near-surface air over the sloping ice terrain. It has been shown that the Antarctic orography constrains the low-level wind regime through other forcing mechanisms as well. Dynamics of the lower atmosphere have been investigated increasingly by the use of numerical models since the observational network over the Antarctic remains quite sparse. Real-time numerical weather prediction for the U.S. Antarctic Program has been ...
Statistical Language Models for Information Retrieval A Critical Review

Statistical language models have recently been successfully applied to many information retrieval problems. A great deal of recent work has shown that statistical language models not only lead to superior empirical performance, but also facilitate parameter tuning and open up possibilities for modeling nontraditional retrieval problems. In general, statistical language models provide a principled way of modeling various kinds of retrieval problems. The purpose of this survey is to systematically and critically review the existing work in applying statistical language models to information retrieval, summarize their contributions, and point out outstanding challenges.
The Temporal Causality Between Investment And Growth In Developing Economies

This paper addresses the ongoing debate regarding the temporal causality between economic growth and investment. It examines the link between long-term economic growth and investment in 80 developing economies for the average period 1982-97 by employing the New Growth model in a Simultaneous Equation approach. Findings reveal a strong positive one-way relationship between investment and subsequent growth. This result supports the argument that investment is instrumental and precedes growth rather than the reverse. Unlike the mainstream view regarding the “direct” trade--growth nexus, results show that trade openness becomes insignificant once investment enters the model. Additionally, trade openness is found to positively and significantly affecting investment, and hence fostering growth via the investment variable. Finally, risk is negatively associated with investment indicating that perhaps investors are less attracted to risky markets in developing economies.
Is Aristotle's Function Argument Fallacious? Part 1, Groundwork: Initial Clarification of Objections

—is the result of a fallacious inference.2 But, for all its notoriety, there is a considerable lack of clarity and precision, among detractors and defenders alike, over what the alleged fallacy is. Glassen objects that “there can be no doubt that Aristotle did confuse the notion of the goodness of with the notion of the good of man” (1957, p. 322). Ackrill objects that “it is not self-evident that the best thing for a man is to be the best possible man” (1973, p. 20). Wilkes objects that there is a logical gap between “the life of the good man” and “the life that is good for a man” (1978, pp. 343, 345)—that
Virtual Hierarchies

Abundant cores per chip will encourage a greater use of space sharing, where work stays on a group of cores for long time intervals. Virtual hierarchies can improve performance and performance isolation of space-shared workloads, while still supporting globally shared memory to facilitate dynamic partitioning and content-based page sharing.
In Situ Vibrational Study of the Reductive Desorption of Alkanethiol Monolayers on Gold by Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy

In situ sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG) was used to monitor the reductive desorption of decanethiol (DT) and octadecanethiol (ODT) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) grown on evaporated gold on silica. At negative potentials, the alkyl chains of both monolayers became disordered as monitored by the appearance of methylene symmetric stretching modes in the collected spectra. The increased tilting of the terminal methyl groups on the chains of the DT monolayer further support this observation. The disappearance of the methyl C–H stretching vibrational modes at the reductive potential suggests that DT molecules diffused away from the surface after reduction. ODT molecules, on the other hand, retained their two-dimensional structure near the gold surface, implied by the strong methyl vibrational modes at the reductive potential. After four reductive cycles, a large portion of the DT SAM was fully desorbed, while the ODT monolayer existed as a combination of physisorbed and chemisorbed mo...
Method To Measure the Viscoelastic Properties of Nanometer Entangled Polymer Films

In this paper, we report a method to measure the viscoelastic properties, namely the plateau shear modulus and zero-shear viscosity, of nanometer polymer films. In this method, atomic force microsc...
Design and Development of EM2

The principal design objectives for EM2 are to achieve an economically competitive power source that improves resource utilization, reduces waste and meets a self-imposed high standard of safety. In order to meet this challenge, EM2 departs from traditional nuclear technologies and embraces technical advances in materials, physics design, power conversion, control and passive safety methods. EM2 is a modular helium-cooled fast reactor with a 265MWe net output. It uses a combined Brayton-Rankine cycle to achieve a net conversion efficiency of 53%. The core design is predicated on the convert-and-burn principle in which fertile material is converted to fissile and burned in situ. This allows the core to achieve a 30 year life without refueling or reshuffling. The combination of high efficiency and convert-and-burn reduces the rate of once-through high-level waste production by 80% relative to an LWR. This principle also enables the core to be multi-fuel capable including LEU, natural and depleted U, Th and spent LWR fuel. The base fuel is in the form of UC pellets with SiC composite cladding. These materials allow a high power density and a core outlet temperature of 850°C for high efficiency. The core outlet helium goes directly to a variable speed turbo-compressor within the primary coolant system. The direct Brayton cycle eliminates costly steam generators and large, steam-condensate system components. The bottoming cycle is a self-contained Organic Rankine cycle (ORC). General Atomics (GA) has a bench-scale fuel fabrication facility for making both EM2 fuel pellets and cladding. GA cladding materials have been irradiated in ORNL’s HFIR to demonstrate the desired irradiation saturation behavior. The design is highly modularized not only reduce cost but also the risks associated with construction cost and schedule.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Localization of the brachial plexus: Sonography versus anatomic landmarks.

Purpose Interscalene brachial plexus blocks are performed for perioperative management of surgeries involving the shoulder. Historically, these procedures employed anatomic landmarks (AL) to determine the location of the brachial plexus as it passes between the anterior and middle scalene muscles in the neck. In this study, we compared the actual location of the brachial plexus as found with sonography (US) to the anticipated location using AL. Methods The location of the brachial plexus was evaluated using US and AL in 96 subjects. The distance between the two locations was measured. A multivariate analysis of variance was used to determine the significance of the difference and a 2 × 2 analysis of variance was used to compare differences in gender, height, and body mass index. Results The brachial plexus was located on average 1.8 cm inferior (p = 0.0001) and 0.2 cm lateral (p = 0.09) to the location determined with AL. A significant difference was also associated with gender (p = 0.03), but not with height or body mass index. Conclusions US is a reliable method that accurately pinpoints the roots of the brachial plexus. The brachial plexus is often located inferior to the location anticipated using AL. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2016
Epidemiological analysis on 4 531 patients exposed to rabies in Mianyang from 2009 to 2010

Objective To analyze the epidemiological factors of the patients exposed to rabies and the control measure after the exposition in Mianyang from 2009 to 2010 for the purpose of prevention of rabies.Methods The descriptive research methods in this study was used.Including the gender,age,time admitted to out-patient department(OPD),level of exposure,treatment for the bitten wound,timeliness of inoculating rabies vaccine and therapy with human rabies immunoglobulins,and the species of attacking animal.Results There were 4 531 rabies patients admitted to the clinic of 9 CDC of Mianyang city.The ratio of male to female was 1.14:1.Children under 10 years old and adults of 41-50 years old constituted majority of cases who were injured by animals(accounting for 23.31% and 15.12%).The exposed cases which were sent to hospitals within 24 hours accounted for 92.45%.Most of the exposure was class 2(53.59%)and the wounds were on the limbs(87.46%).93% of the patients were bitten by dogs.The percentage of cases received human rabies immunoglobulins was only 45.35%.Conclusion We should do early wound cleaning and timely immunization with rabies vaccine after rabies exposure for the control and prevention of rabies,strengthen the management of dogs,avoid the contact with rabid animals,and strengthen the public and medical personnel education on rabies control and prevention.
Efficacy of Glucagon in the Relief of Ureteral Colic Following Treatment by Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy: A Randomized Double-Blind Trial

AbstractIn a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled study 18 patients were evaluated in regard to the effectiveness of glucagon to treat ureteral colic following extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. The study groups were comparable. There was no significant difference between glucagon and placebo in relief of pain or in the amount of gravel passed within 48 hours of treatment. We conclude that despite its desirable physiological attributes, glucagon has no demonstrable benefit in the treatment of ureteral colic following extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.
Maternal Mortality and Morbidity

Maternal mortality and serious morbidity from obstetric anesthesia are rare. Although this is reassuring, important lessons can still be learned to continue to reduce the incidence toward zero. Moreover, changing demographics of the obstetric population are likely to challenge obstetric anesthesiologists to maintain the impressive safety record they have attained. Assisted reproductive technologies have allowed older women and those with major coexisting disease to bear children. Obesity is increasing to epidemic levels.
Gain bandwidth transform-limited pulses from an active-passive mode-locked Nd:YAG laser

The temporal and spectral development of picosecond pulses from a high-power active-passive mode-locked Nd:YAG oscillator-amplifier system1 are described. Spectral measurements with a high-resolution spectrograph are performed simultaneously with temporal measurements using an ultrafast streak camera. Near transform-limited pulses (25 psec, 0.8 cm−1, FWHM) are generated in the early part of the mode-locked pulse train. For pulses selected near the maximum of the pulse train the spectral and temporal widths broaden. As previously reported for mode-locked Nd:glass2–4 and Nd:YAG1,5 lasers, an irregular spectral structure is observed due to self-phase modulation and spectral hole burning.
7-N-Acetylcysteine-pyrrole conjugate—A potent DNA reactive metabolite of pyrrolizidine alkaloids

Abstract Plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are widespread throughout the world and are the most common poisonous plants affecting livestock, wildlife, and humans. PAs require metabolic activation to form reactive dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids (dehydro-PAs) that are capable of alkylating cellular DNA and proteins, form (±)-6,7-dihydro-7-hydroxy-1-hydroxymethyl-5 H -pyrrolizine (DHP)-DNA and DHP-protein adducts, and lead to cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and tumorigenicity. In this study, we determined that the metabolism of riddelliine and monocrotaline by human and rat liver microsomes in the presence of N -acetylcysteine both produced 7- N -acetylcysteine-DHP (7-NAC-DHP) and DHP. Reactions of 7-NAC-DHP with 2′-deoxyguanosine (dG), 2′-deoxyadenosine (dA), and calf thymus DNA in aqueous solution followed by enzymatic hydrolysis yielded DHP-dG and/or DHP-dA adducts. These results indicate that 7-NAC-DHP is a reactive metabolite that can lead to DNA adduct formation.
146-P: ASSOCIATION OF HLA-LINKED LYMPHOMA RISK MARKERS WITH CHILDHOOD LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA

Aim The strongest susceptibility markers for lymphomas map to the HLA class II region and mark ancestral lineages: rs2395185 (Hodgkin lymphoma, protection, DRB4 lineage); rs10484561 (follicular lymphoma, risk, DR1/DR10 lineage) and rs2647012 (follicular lymphoma, protection, DRB3/DRB5 lineages). Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) also shows an association with the DRB4 family. We aimed to assess the relevance of these lymphoma-associated polymorphisms in childhood ALL. Methods The three SNPs were genotyped by TaqMan allelic discrimination assays in 159 incident childhood ALL cases and 176 healthy, age-matched controls contemporaneously recruited at Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. Results Call rate was >90% for all SNPs. SNP genotypes were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in controls. The case-control set was validated by replicating an association observed in GWAS (IKZF1 rs4132601) and confounding by ethnicity/race was controlled by self-reported data. The DRB4 lineage-specific rs2395185 replicated the male-specific DRB4/DR53 risk association previously observed in European studies by HLA typing (per allele OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.2 to 2.8; P = 0.009; OR (recessive model) = 6.0, P = 0.04). While rs10484561 did not show any association, variant homozygosity for rs2647012 was a protective marker among males with OR = 0.36 (95% CI = 0.13 to 0.96; P = 0.04). Conclusions Modification of susceptibility to lymphoid malignancies by markers of ancestral lineages, rather than individual HLA alleles, suggests the involvement of shared functional characteristics of lineages in the mechanism. The DRB4 lineage has unique features like lower expression levels of HLA-DR molecules, poor interaction with CD4, and disrupted intracellular transport and possibly contains extra amount of DNA in the DR/DQ region. Elucidation of the mechanism of the risk association of the DRB4 lineage with childhood ALL and protection for Hodgkin lymphoma warrants further studies.
Role of Vitamin D in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Vitamin D is a secosteroid hormone that possesses immunomodulatory properties and has been demonstrated to potentially influence inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis and activity. Epidemiologic data have associated vitamin D deficiency with an increased risk of IBD, hospitalizations, surgery, and loss of response to biologic therapy. Conversely, IBD itself can lead to vitamin D deficiency. This bidirectional relationship between vitamin D and IBD suggests the need for monitoring and repletion of vitamin D, as needed, in the IBD patient. This review discusses the role of vitamin D in IBD and provides practical guidance on vitamin D repletion.
America’s Neopluralism

I was favored, as I prepared to address Walton’s assignment for the symposium from which this volume derives, by the opportunity to read a brilliantly crafted paper he delivered at Penn State University in the Spring of 1986. In that paper (and more recently in The Moral Manager 1), he examined the implications of three propositions relating to the “warrants,” the writs so to say, affording legitimacy in the eyes of other Americans to the nation’s top managers’, their owners’, and their directors’ multifaceted ways and means.
MinGen: Minimal generator set selection for small signal stability in power systems: A submodular framework

Increased power transfers over a wide geographical area impact the small-signal stability of the power system, defined as the ability to damp oscillations between generators in different geographical areas. Wide-area control architectures have been proposed to control the generators in order to mitigate these oscillations. Ensuring that all unstable oscillating modes are removed depends on selecting a subset of generators to participate in wide-area control, which is inherently a discrete optimization problem that in the current literature does not have any solution algorithms with provable stability guarantees. In this paper, we present MinGen, a submodular optimization framework for generator selection for small-signal stability. We prove that small-signal stability is achieved when the unstable modes are controllable and observable from the set of selected generators, and map these properties to submodular constraints. We develop a computationally efficient and submodular MinGen algorithm with provable optimality bounds for generator selection, which can be generalized to enhance robustness to communication link failures. We evaluate our approach via a numerical study on the IEEE New England test case.
An Optimal Nonnegative Eigenvalue Decomposition for the Freeman and Durden Three-Component Scattering Model

Model-based decomposition allows the physical interpretation of polarimetric radar scattering in terms of various scattering mechanisms. A three-component decomposition proposed by Freeman and Durden has been popular, though significant shortcomings have been identified. In particular, it can result in negative eigenvalues for the component terms and the remainder matrix, hence violating fundamental requirements for physically meaningful decompositions. In addition, since the algorithm solves for the canopy term first, the contribution of the canopy is often over-estimated. In this paper, we show how to determine the parameters for the Freeman–Durden model in a way that minimizes the total power in the remainder matrix without favoring any individual component in the model, while simultaneously satisfying the constraints of nonnegative eigenvalues. We illustrate our analytical solution by comparison with the Freeman–Durden algorithm, as well as the nonnegative eigenvalue decomposition (NNED) proposed by van Zyl et al. The results show that this optimum algorithm generally assigns less power to the volume scattering than either the original Freeman–Durden or the NNED algorithms.
An electromechanical effect on cell membranes

While the interior of a cell is a complex collection of various macromolecules, under the influence of an electric field, in at least one critical way, the intracellular material can be represented as a dielectric with an effective resistivity and dielectric constant. So, the cell has the equivalent of an electrical relaxation time constant and that time constant is different from that of the extracellular or intracellular medium. Analysis shows that the difference in time constants yields a net mechanical force on the cell membrane under the influence of an appropriate electrical pulse. When the force is large enough it can destroy the mechanical integrity of the cell providing access to the interior. In addition to modeling the process, the experimental data show visual evidence of cell lysing and chemical evidence that the intracellular material is released.
The Pathology of Pituitary Adenomas

Modern concepts of the biology of pituitary adenomas are dramatically different from those that were held from the time of Harvey Cushing1 until only a few years ago. Application of techniques such as electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, and tissue culture to the study of pituitary adenomas, coupled with advances in the evaluation of the endocrinological state of patients with these tumors, has yielded information that required this revision of concepts. Because the traditional concepts dominated our thinking for so long, it is useful to review them.
SAI-16: pH and lactate imaging of atherosclerotic plaques: introducing a 3-french, 360-degree side-viewing, near-infrared spectroscopic catheter to monitor metabolic activity of atherosclerotic plaque

hot plaques, BC showed a T resolution of 0.01°C capable of detecting T heterogeneity in various conditions of blood flow, plaque T, and luminal stenosis. We have tested this system in 5 inbred atherosclerotic dogs and 10 Watanabe rabbits. T heterogeneity was detected in all. By adding an ultrasound assembly to the BC, we are developing a combined ThermoElastography system, which, in its final prototype, will provide thermal, structural, and elasticity data for detecting plaques and determination of their functional status.
Perioperative Management of the Adult Patient on Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Requiring Noncardiac Surgery

The use of venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is increasing worldwide. These patients often require noncardiac surgery. In the perioperative period, preoperative assessment, patient transport, choice of anesthetic type, drug dosing, patient monitoring, and intraoperative and postoperative management of common patient problems will be impacted. Furthermore, common monitoring techniques will have unique limitations. Importantly, patients on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation remain subject to hypoxemia, hypercarbia, and acidemia in the perioperative setting despite extracorporeal support. Treatments of these conditions often require both manipulation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation settings and physiologic interventions. Perioperative management of anticoagulation, as well as thresholds to transfuse blood products, remain highly controversial and must take into account the specific procedure, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuit function, and patient comorbidities. We will review the physiologic management of the patient requiring surgery while on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
Diet Selection by a Lizard Ant-Specialist in an Urban System Bereft of Preferred Prey

Abstract Habitat loss, land-use transformation, climate change, and biological invasions all elevate the importance of plasticity in food selection for the continued persistence of dietary specialists. Horned lizards (Phrynosoma spp.) are myrmecophagic specialists and the abundance of ant prey make their populations vulnerable to habitat loss, as well as invasive ants and associated pest control programs. We studied ant use by Phrynosoma cornutum (Texas Horned Lizards) on an insular urban reserve in central Oklahoma that was bereft of harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex spp.), presumed to be their chief prey. The five most commonly available ant genera based on bait station captures were Monomorium (69%), Forelius (11%), Pheidole (10%), Crematogaster (7%), and Tapinoma (2%). Based on the examination of 124 scat samples from adult and juvenile P. cornutum, Crematogaster (81%), Pheidole (12%), Formica (6%), and Monomorium (1%) were used as prey. Consumption of prey in several ant genera by P. cornutum disproportio...
Are Foley catheters needed after minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum

Abstract Background High narcotic requirements after minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE) can increase the risk of urinary retention. Placement of intraoperative Foley catheters to minimize this risk is variable. This study determines the rate of urinary retention in this population to guide future practice. Materials and Methods We reviewed retrospectively all patients who underwent MIRPE from January 2012 to July 2016 at 2 academic children's hospitals. Data collected included demographics, BMI, severity of the pectus defect, postoperative pain management, and the incidence of urinary retention and urinary tract infection (UTI). Results Of 360 total patients who underwent MIRPE, 218 had an intraoperative Foley catheter. Patients with epidural pain control were more likely to receive a Foley catheter. The urinary retention rate was 34% for patients without an intraoperative Foley, and 1% in patients after removal of an intraoperatively placed Foley. Urinary retention was greater with an epidural compared with patient-controlled anesthesia (55% vs 26%, P = .002) in the no intraoperative Foley group. No urinary tract infections were identified. Epidural pain control was the only risk factor on multivariate analysis for retention in patients without an intraoperatively Foley catheter. Conclusion Intraoperative Foley catheters obviate urinary retention without increasing the risk of urinary tract infection after MIRPE. These results will allow surgeons to better counsel patients regarding Foley placement.
Engineering Needs and the College Mathematics Core

Considering the variety of mathematical needs of engineering students, it is remarkable that essentially a common core of mathematics courses required of engineering students in the first two years of college has existed for so many years. This core has consisted of differential and integral calculus, the elements of analytic geometry needed for the calculus, some aspects of multivariable and vector calculus, and ordinary differential equations. The validity of this core as an appropriate background for current needs of engineers is being increasingly questioned, spurred to some extent by the burgeoning variety of needs of engineers but more importantly by the rapidly increasing use of digital computers in virtually all phases of engineering analysis and design. I will discuss some features of the changes of the core in response to technological developments and digital computation. My discussion will be limited mostly to the programs I know personally, and my viewpoints will probably be conservative. I will generally not distinguish between whether the courses are taken in high school or in college.
Nuclear medicine imaging of CNS: Basis and clinical applications

In this chapter, we present a brief review of the anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of the brain. This will lay the background for a more in-depth presentation of the physiological basis for use of nuclear medicine methods in disease diagnosis and therapy management. This will be discussed in the context of radiopharmaceuticals commonly used to diagnose brain diseases. The specific patterns of radiotracer distribution in diseases related to the brain will be related to the pathophysiology of the disease process.
Exploration of the immune cell landscape in brain cancer utilizing gene expression and copy number data

ABSTRACT Brain cancer is a common cancer that affects more than 700,000 people in the US every year. We explore the dynamic changes in the abundance of immune cells based on RNA and DNA samples extracted from a large cohort of brain cancer patients. We used gene expression data and copy number data from a large brain cancer collections - the REMBRANDT project (REpository for Molecular BRAin Neoplasia DaTa) that includes 671 patients. We applied virtual flow cytometry tools CIBERSORT and xCell to estimate the abundance of the immune cells in the RNA of these samples. The immune cell landscape in this dataset is compared with that of the TCGA brain cancer collection, that includes 511 patients with Lower Grade Glioma (TCGA-LGG) and 156 patients with Glioblastoma (TCGA-GBM). We also discuss how well the results align with published literature, and how this computational analysis can help better understand how immune cells affect clinical outcome and survival in brain cancer patients
Model Calculations for Molecules

Models played an important part in understanding drift-tube experiments where atomic ions moved through atomic gases. Such models were crucial when computers were primitive, and were abandoned only when advances in quantum mechanics, kinetic theory, and computer hardware and software made it possible (see Chaps. 5 and 6) to make accurate, ab initio calculations. For molecules, we have not reached such an advanced position, as demonstrated in Chap. 8. Hence, we will begin this study of model calculations for molecular systems with atomic models that have been applied to molecular systems, without repeating any of the discussion in Sect. 2.8.3.
Molecular packing-dependent photoconductivity in functionalized anthradithiophene crystals

Abstract We relate features observed in time-resolved photocurrent with crystal structure and disorder in crystals of two anthradithiophene (ADT) derivatives with different packing motifs, diF TES-ADT and diF TSBS-ADT. A factor of ∼10–12 higher peak photocurrent was obtained in the diF TES-ADT crystals characterized by a 2D “brickwork” packing as compared to diF TSBS-ADT with a 1D “sandwich-herringbone” packing, primarily due to differences in intrinsic charge carrier mobility. A change from shallow trap-mediated thermally activated regime at 230–300 K (200–300 K), with a zero-electric field activation energy of ∼40–50 meV, in the TES (TSBS) derivative to the temperature independent behavior at lower temperatures in both derivatives was observed. The shallow traps were attributed to structural defects associated, for example, with a solid-solid phase transition in the TES derivative. In diF TES-ADT, most charge trapping in shallow traps occurred on
Global Ambitions: Evidence, Scale, and Child Well-being in El Salvador

Experimental design and metrics have become increasingly common in international assistance, as donor agencies have demanded rigorous forms of evaluation and monitoring. This article contributes to debates about the effects of an "evidence-based turn" on interventions and recipients by exploring two questions: What constitutes evidence when it comes to everyday practices of aid at global scales? How are the goals of assistance affected? The article draws on collaborative research with an NGO and a group of social scientists who seek to improve child well-being in El Salvador. It shows how evidence-making was polysemic and costly, ultimately impacting the NGO's planned intervention. This outcome, I argue, was not a matter of poor planning, but reflects structural, evidence-making demands placed on global assistance at this historical conjuncture. Discussions among stakeholders about the trade-offs between evidence-making and assistance is a possible future route through the challenges described in this article.
Exploring the Peripheral Initiation of Parkinson’s Disease in Animal Models

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative movement disorder; however, peripheral symptoms can arise decades prior. In this issue of Neuron, Kim et al. (2019) provide evidence that progressive α-synuclein aggregation initiating in the gut could be a pathogenic epicenter anatomically rippling throughout the nervous system.
Hybrid Transmission Distribution Co-simulation: Frequency Regulation using Battery Energy Storage.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are proving to be an effective solution in providing frequency regulation services to the bulk grid. However, there are several concerns for the transmission/distribution system operators (TSO/DSO) with the frequent dispatching of the distribution-connected fast-responding storage systems. Unfortunately, the existing decoupled models for transmission and distribution (T&D) simulations are unable to capture the complex interactions between the two systems especially concerning frequency regulation problems due to rapidly varying distribution-connected distributed energy resources (DERs). In this paper, an iteratively coupled T&D hybrid co-simulation framework is developed to facilitate the planning studies for the system operators to help integrate distribution-connected BESS in providing frequency regulation services in response to highly variable DERs such as photovoltaic generation (PVs). Specifically, the proposed framework helps evaluate: (1) the effects of distribution-connected DERs/PVs on the response of the system's automatic generation control (AGC) response, and (2) highlights the use of BESS in providing frequency regulation services using integrated T&D model. The proposed framework is demonstrated using the IEEE 9-bus transmission system model (operating in dynamics mode) coupled with multiple EPRI Ckt-24 distribution system models (operating in quasi-static mode). It is shown that the proposed co-simulation framework helps better visualize the system AGC response and frequency regulation especially in the presence of high-levels of DER generation variability requiring frequent dispatch of BESS.
Pacinian hyperplasia presenting with Raynaud's phenomenon.

Pacinian corpuscle pathology is a rare clinical entity and an uncommonly reported cause of digital pain. While many prior reports implicate hand trauma, we describe a case of Pacinian hyperplasia f...
Acute salt stress promotes altered assembly dynamics of nascent freshwater microbial biofilms

Freshwater ecosystems are under increasing threat of salinization due to human activity. Given the contributions of microbial communities to stream ecosystems, it is critical to understand how these communities are affected by the increasing presence of salt in the environment. We used an artificial stream system to investigate how salt concentrations representing the 95th- and 99th-percentile of concentrations observed in NE Ohio streams affect bacterial community succession and what implications this has on community-level functional capabilities. We hypothesized that the successional trajectory of community functionality (in the form of extracellular enzyme activity) and structure (via denitrification gene abundances and community 16S rRNA gene profiles) would be altered in response to increasing salt concentrations. We observed considerable structural changes in bacterial composition among treatments that corresponded with niche expansion by more salt-tolerant taxa. Increases in denitrification gene abundances and modifications to extracellular enzyme activity were also observed. These data suggest that continued salt pollution can dramatically affect community structure and has the potential to modify the functional contributions of the bacterial community to the ecosystem.
Big stories about big squids: The story of the Britannia and the birth of a wartime urban legend

A popular urban legend from World War II involves the survivors of a sunken British troopship being attacked by a giant squid. The story of R.E.G. Cox and the giant squid he claimed that attacked h...
Detection of Local Differences in Spatial Characteristics Between Two Spatiotemporal Random Fields

Comparing the spatial characteristics of spatiotemporal random fields is often at demand. However, the comparison can be challenging due to the high-dimensional feature and dependency in the data. ...
Structural LTP: from synaptogenesis to regulated synapse enlargement and clustering

Nature teaches us that form precedes function, yet structure and function are intertwined. Such is the case with synapse structure, function, and plasticity underlying learning, especially in the hippocampus, a crucial brain region for memory formation. As the hippocampus matures, enduring changes in synapse structure produced by long-term potentiation (LTP) shift from synaptogenesis to synapse enlargement that is homeostatically balanced by stalled spine outgrowth and local spine clustering. Production of LTP leads to silent spine outgrowth at P15, and silent synapse enlargement in adult hippocampus at 2hours, but not at 5 or 30min following induction. Here we consider structural LTP in the context of developmental stage and variation in the availability of local resources of endosomes, smooth endoplasmic reticulum and polyribosomes. The emerging evidence supports a need for more nuanced analysis of synaptic plasticity in the context of subcellular resource availability and developmental stage.
Pain Psychology and Perioperative Pain Management

The experience of pain is a complex phenomenon which encompasses internal processes of sensation, perception, emotion, memory, cognition, and learning that interact with external factors such as culture, socioeconomic status, and the social environment. All these contribute to overall suffering whether pain is acute or chronic in nature. Psychological factors help paint a more complete picture of the dynamic processes involved in pain as it waxes and wanes in intensity and chronicity. From this understanding, psychological interventions have been developed to help individuals cope with and accept pain by learning to confront aversive physical sensations in creative ways rather than simply avoiding them. Oftentimes, these skills cannot be learned, internalized, and enacted within a perioperative timeframe. A comprehensive and coordinated effort in the pre- and postoperative phases would potentially have the greatest positive effect on outcomes.
The Relation Between Voluntary Disclosure and Financial Reporting: Evidence from Synthetic Leases

I investigate how the use and voluntary disclosure of synthetic leases is affected by incentives to defer cash outflows and manage the financial statements by keeping debt off the balance sheet. I find that managers of cash-constrained firms with incentives to defer cash payments are more likely to finance asset purchases with synthetic leases. The mandated reporting for synthetic leases allows managers to avoid disclosing the financial consequences of these transactions. Managers of firms with incentives to use off-balance-sheet financing do not provide transparent disclosure about their synthetic leases. However, managers of cash-constrained firms, which are less likely to use synthetic leases for financial reporting reasons, do voluntarily disclose the existence and financial consequences of these contracts. Alternative tests around FIN 46 adoption corroborate these findings.
Effect of Interfacial Microstructure on Mechanical Properties of Vacuum Rolling Clad Pure Titanium/High Strength Low Alloy Steel

At different rolling temperatures of 850, 900 and 950℃ with constant vacuum level of 1× 10-2Pa and total rolling reduction ratio of 90%, the three-layer clad plates of pure Ti/high strength low alloy(HSLA) steel/pure Ti were successfully fabricated via vacuum rolling cladding(VRC) without the addition of interlayer, and the influence of interfacial microstructures on the bonding properties of the clad interface was investigated in detail. At a rolling temperature of 850℃, the clad interface only contained continuous TiC layer 0.5 μm in thickness, while at rolling temperatures of 900 and 950℃, the interface consisted of TiC and β- Ti. With increasing the rolling temperature, the interfacial thickness gradually increased. Under various rolling temperatures, an obvious ferrite band was detected in the HSLA steel side adjacent to the clad interface, and this width significantly increased as the rolling temperature increased. At a rolling temperature of 900℃, a maximum interfacial shear strength of 337 MPa with the fracture occurring at the interface between HSLA steel and TiC was achieved, and after 180° bending testing, no macro/micro- crack was generated at the clad interface, showing sound bonding properties of the clad plate through VRC.
Earth politics: Territory and the subterranean – Introduction to the special issue

Abstract The special issue Earth Politics: Territory and the Subterranean explores how and to what political and economic effects people have territorialized the underground. Through studies of a range of activities – from scientific exploration to 3-D geological modeling to laboratory analysis to recreational caving – authors in the issue challenge the idea that the subterranean is a world apart, detached from the sociopolitical worlds of the surface, and instead focus on the complicated relations and processes that remake and weave meaning into often unseen depths. In this introductory article, we situate the issue within expanding literatures on geological materiality, territorial politics, and vertical/volumetric space, and we discuss two overlapping themes running through the issue's articles: the politics of subterranean knowledge production and the politics of subterranean materialities. We conclude by reflecting on the meaning of ‘earth politics’, emphasizing the injustices that derive from – and are sedimented into – dominant modes of knowing and interacting with the matters of the subsurface.
Leptomeningeal neoplasms

Leptomeningeal metastases are a late, devastating complication of systemic cancer that typically occurs in conjunction with other systemic relapse. The most common neurologic symptoms include headache, altered mentation, and difficult walking. Diagnosis is established by neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis. The prognosis is poor with a median survival of 6 to 8 weeks; therefore most treatment interventions are palliative. Radiotherapy should be given to sites of bulky or symptomatic tumor. Intrathecal chemotherapy is most effective in patients with lymphoma, leukemia, and breast cancer. Systemic chemotherapy may be more effective in treating bulky leptomeningeal tumor. Ventriculoperitoneal shunting can be extremely useful in patients with obstructive hydrocephalus or increased intracranial pressure.
Handwritten Chess Scoresheet Recognition Using a Convolutional BiLSTM Network

Chess players while playing in Over-the-Board (OTB) events use scoresheets to record their moves by hand, and later the event organizers digitize these sheets for an official record. This paper presents a framework for decoding these handwritten scoresheets automatically using a convolutional BiLSTM neural network designed and trained specifically to handle chess moves. Our proposed network is pretrained with the IAM handwriting dataset [1] and later fine-tuned with our own Handwritten Chess Scoresheet (HCS) dataset [2, 3]. We also developed two basic post-processing schemes to improve accuracy by cross-checking moves between the two scoresheets collected from the players with white and black pieces. The autonomous post-processing involves no human input and achieves a Move Recognition Accuracy (MRA) of 90.1% on our test set. A second semi-autonomous algorithm involves requesting user input on certain unsettling cases. On our testing, this approach requests user input on 7% of the cases and increases MRA to 97.2%. Along with this recognition framework, we are also releasing the HCS dataset which contains scoresheets collected from actual chess events, digitized using standard cellphone cameras and tagged with associated ground truths. This is the first reported work for handwritten chess move recognition and we believe this has the potential to revolutionize the scoresheet digitization process for the thousands of chess events that happen each day.