cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Intrinsic-Layer Growth Temperature to High-Deposition-Rate a-Si:H n-i-p Solar Cells Deposited by Hot-Wire CVD

The authors report progress in hydrogenated amorphous silicon n-i-p solar cells with the i-layer grown by the hot-wire chemical vapor deposition technique. Early research showed that they grew device-quality materials with low saturated defect density (2 x 10{sup 16}/cm{sup 3}), high initial ambipolar diffusion length ({approximately} 2,000 {angstrom}) and low hydrogen content ( 400 C). They re-assess the effects of low substrate temperature on the property of the films and the performance of the solar cells as an alternative avenue to solving this problem. They find that the material grown at 300 C can have similar values of saturated defect density and ambipolar diffusion length as the one grown greater than 400 C. They also study the effect of i-layer substrate temperature ranging from 280 to 440 C for n-i-p solar cells. They now consistently grow devices with Fill Factor (FF) greater than 0.66, with the best close to 0.70 at lower substrate temperature. A collaboration with United Solar System, in where they grew the p-layer and top contact, produced devices with initial efficiencies as high as 9.8%. They producemore » n-i-p solar cells with initial efficiencies as high as 8% when they grow all the hydrogenated amorphous silicon and top contact layers. All these i-layers are grown at deposition rates of 16 to 18 {angstrom}/sec. They need to further improve their p-layer and transparent conductor layer to equal the collaborative cell efficiency. They also report light-soaking results of these devices.« less
A real-time MPEG encoder using a programmable processor

This paper describes the design of a fully programmable multimedia system. The system, which utilizes a single multimedia video processor (MVP), is capable of performing real-time MPEG video and audio encoding at SIF resolution, 30 frames per-second. Support is provided for a windows environment, including a scalable video window for viewing decoded video sequences or monitoring video compression in real time. The system is also well suited to perform image processing, 2-D and 3-D graphics, and many other video and audio processing and compression algorithms. >
Word image matching using dynamic time warping

Libraries and other institutions are interested in providing access to scanned versions of their large collections of handwritten historical manuscripts on electronic media. Convenient access to a collection requires an index, which is manually created at great labor and expense. Since current handwriting recognizers do not perform well on historical documents, a technique called word spotting has been developed: clusters with occurrences of the same word in a collection are established using image matching. By annotating "interesting" clusters, an index can be built automatically. We present an algorithm for matching handwritten words in noisy historical documents. The segmented word images are preprocessed to create sets of 1-dimensional features, which are then compared using dynamic time warping. We present experimental results on two different data sets from the George Washington collection. Our experiments show that this algorithm performs better and is faster than competing matching techniques.
Inhibition sensitive to interaural time difference in the barn owl's inferior colliculus.

Abstract In spontaneously active neurons in the external nucleus of the inferior colliculus of the barn owl, a stimulus-driven discharge was followed by a quiescent period lasting tens of milliseconds before the spontaneous activity resumed. The more favorable the interaural time difference, the longer the quiet period. The duration of the quiescent period also depended on stimulus frequency. Frequencies different from the neuron's best frequency induced shorter quiescent periods, although they could elicit similar rates of impulses. Also, the duration of the quiescent period was independent of interaural intensity difference. Thus, the quiet period is not due to an after-hyperpolarization but was an inhibitory effect that depended on the activity of other neurons. In some neurons, discharge continued after the stimulus without a quiescent period and gradually decayed over a period of 50–100 ms past the stimulus offset. The similarity between the quiescent period of the neurons mentioned above and the time course of the poststimulus discharge in these neurons suggests that these neurons serve as inhibitory interneurons.
When Movements Matter: The Townsend Plan and the Rise of Social Security and Challenging Authority: How Ordinary People Change America

When Movements Matter: The Townsend Plan and the Rise of Social Security. By Edwin Amenta. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006. 352p. $35.00. Challenging Authority: How Ordinary People Change America. By Frances Fox Piven. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. 200p. $21.95 cloth. Do movements matter? In particular, can they extract policy concessions from state actors? And if so, how? These questions have been the focus in recent years of a burgeoning and exciting literature. For Frances Fox Piven, the answer to the question “Do movements matter?” is an emphatic yes. Indeed, she argues that the principal surges in egalitarian social change in American history can be traced directly or indirectly to the intervention of disruptive protest movements. For Edwin Amenta, the answer is also yes, but in a more qualified fashion. Together, these two works are brimming with insights regarding how movement impact might be understood.
SiGe bipolar transistor modeling for a full chip ESD simulation

A new compact model compatible with industry standard circuit simulation tools is developed to predict the current and voltage characteristics of SiGe bipolar transistors beyond their breakdown. This is a region of interest for circuit simulations during ESD (electro-static discharge) events. The enhanced bipolar models are benchmarked versus device-level TLP (transmission line pulse) measurements and used in full-chip ESD event simulation for identifying design weaknesses and optimizing emerging circuit designs for ESD robustness.
Morphine increases metastatic tumor growth

Walker 256 carcinosarcoma cells produce subpleural pulmonary metastases when given intravenously to the Sprague-Dawley rat. The number of metastases increases when the rat is given morphine subsequent to the tumor load. The increase in the number of metastases can be blocked be pretreatment with the opiate antagonist naloxone. Naloxone itself does not influence the number of metastases. Pentazocine is an opiate that is agonistic to the endorphin kappa-type opiate receptor and partially antagonistic to the mu-type receptor, where morphine acts primarily. While pentazocine alone has no influence on metastases and may decrease the number when given early, pentazocine partially blocks the metastatic inducing effect of morphine.
Components in the Pipeline

State-of-the-art scientific instruments and simulations routinely produce massive datasets requiring intensive processing to disclose key features of the artifact or model under study. Scientists commonly call these data-processing pipelines, which are structured according to the pipe and-filter architecture pattern.1 Different stages typically communicate using files; each stage is an executable program that performs the processing needed at that point in the pipeline.The MeDICi (Middleware for Data-Intensive Computing) Integration Framework supports constructing complex software pipelines from distributed heterogeneous components and controlling qualities of service to meet performance, reliability and communication requirements.
Effect of phenolic antioxidants on microbial growth.

Antioxidants belong to a class of compounds used to retard oxidation of chemicals in foods. These compounds, such as BHA, BHT, TBHQ, PG, etc. are approved to be used in foods by government agencies. In the past 10 years considerable interest has been directed to the antimicrobial properties of these compounds due to the observations by various scientists that many of these compounds can suppress the growth of viruses, protozoa, bacteria, yeast, and molds and their subsequent production of toxic materials in foods. Thus, the dual purpose usage of these compounds (i.e., antioxidation and antimicrobial) has been the subject of many research papers. This review is designed to summarize major publications on this subject as well as present some detailed studies on the effect of major antioxidants on bacteria and mold generated in the laboratory of the author in recent years.
Poesía y patria en Variaciones sobre tema mexicano de Luis Cernuda

Reflexiones sobre la voz lirica en la poesia, que giran en torno a los conceptos del espacio (exilio y patria), deseo y escritura, y de la oposicion identidad/alteridad, lo propio/lo ajeno, en la obra del poeta andaluz mencionada en el titulo. “Cernuda plasma aqui una nueva etica de lo homogeneo, despojando al yo peninsular de su pasado imperial, al poeta, de su agencia mesianica, al amante, de su esperanza de poseer el mundo”.
Preparing for an era of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)--are we there yet? Why we should all be concerned. Part II

September 11, 2001 demonstrated dramatic voids in national preparedness, and catalyzed massive efforts to identify and remedy vulnerabilities. Since Part I of this series appeared in August 2002, significant improvements have been achieved especially in bioterrorism and chemical terrorism for first responders and emergency medicine, law enforcement, and public health (surveillance). Such efforts manifested benefits during the SARS outbreaks and monkeypox cases of 2003. Nevertheless, emerging infectious diseases will continue to pose a threat if we do not remain vigilant and continue to invest in training, surveillance, and treatments. As expected, many poison centers and toxicologists have taken leadership roles nationwide. In regions where such leadership existed, preparedness levels are strong and collaborations resulted in the development of valuable response plans and training, including the Advanced Hazardous Life Support (AHLS) and Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS) courses. Early success notwithstanding, experts suggest that current national preparedness has improved slightly from "1" (9/11) to "3" out of "10". Increasingly it has become evident that the nuclear threat, including radiation terrorism, is significant, against which the US remains inadequately prepared. Arguably the nuclear threat-whether accidental or planned-remains our highest consequence vulnerability, and we must rapidly improve our readiness across disciplines. Special populations including the elderly and children remain marginalized in preparedness protocols. Local vulnerabilities including chemical manufacturing and transportation--not just a risk for terrorism but industrial accidents--continue unabated. Our early success is not an endpoint; much work remains and time is fleeting. This report examines vulnerabilities that must be addressed to enhance preparedness.
Z anomalous couplings and the polarization asymmetry in gamma e-->Ze.

We extend our previous analysis of the sensitivity of the energy dependence of the polarization asymmetry in $\gamma e \to W\nu$ to the possible existence of anomalous trilinear gauge couplings to the $\gamma e \to Ze$ case. We find that by combining the constraints imposed by both the energy dependence of the total cross section and polarization asymmetry, strong limits on the anomalous $\gamma ZZ$ couplings are obtainable at the Next Linear Collider. Further constraints obtained from a consideration of the angular distribution are briefly discussed.
Real-Time Observation of Antimicrobial Polycation Effects on Escherichia coli: Adapting the Carpet Model for Membrane Disruption to Quaternary Copolyoxetanes

Real-time atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used for analyzing effects of the antimicrobial polycation copolyoxetane P[(C12)-(ME2Ox)-50/50], C12–50 on the membrane of a model bacterium, Escherichia coli (ATCC# 35218). AFM imaging showed cell membrane changes with increasing C12–50 concentration and time including nanopore formation and bulges associated with outer bacterial membrane disruption. A macroscale bactericidal concentration study for C12–50 showed a 4 log kill at 15 μg/mL with conditions paralleling imaging (1 h, 1x PBS, physiological pH, 25 °C). The dramatic changes from the control image to 1 h after introducing 15 μg/mL C12–50 are therefore reasonably attributed to cell death. At the highest concentration (60 μg/mL) further cell membrane disruption results in leakage of cytoplasm driven by detergent-like action. The sequence of processes for initial membrane disruption by the synthetic polycation C12–50 follows the carpet model posited for antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). However, the nanoscale...
A Gaze-Contingent Adaptive Virtual Reality Driving Environment for Intervention in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

In addition to social and behavioral deficits, individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often struggle to develop the adaptive skills necessary to achieve independence. Driving intervention in individuals with ASD is a growing area of study, but it is still widely under-researched. We present the development and preliminary assessment of a gaze-contingent adaptive virtual reality driving simulator that uses real-time gaze information to adapt the driving environment with the aim of providing a more individualized method of driving intervention. We conducted a small pilot study of 20 adolescents with ASD using our system: 10 with the adaptive gaze-contingent version of the system and 10 in a purely performance-based version. Preliminary results suggest that the novel intervention system may be beneficial in teaching driving skills to individuals with ASD.
A Study of the Temperature-Dependence of Low-Frequency, Raman-Active Phonons in Stage-2 Graphite-K and Graphite-Rb Intercalation Compounds

We report results from a Raman scattering study of stage 2 Graphite-Rb and Graphite-K in the low frequency region (ω < 150 cm−1) as a function of temperature (80K < T < 300K). Four features are seen in the 80K spectra and are interpreted in terms of a Born- von Karman lattice dynamics model. The temperature-dependence of the Raman spectra is discussed in connection with reported phase transitions in stage 2 alkali-metal graphite compounds.
Using Antenarrative to Uncover Systems of Power in Mid-20th Century Policies on Marriage and Maternity at IBM

In this article, we use extant International Business Machines' internal communications to demonstrate how Boje’s notion of “antenarrative” can serve as a methodology for feminist historiography an...
Breaking the Linkage Between Labrador Sea Water Production and Its Advective Export to the Subtropical Gyre

AbstractDeep water formation in the northern North Atlantic has been of long-standing interest because the resultant water masses, along with those that flow over the Greenland–Scotland Ridge, constitute the lower limb of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), which carries these cold, deep waters southward to the subtropical region and beyond. It has long been assumed that an increase in deep water formation would result in a larger southward export of newly formed deep water masses. However, recent observations of Lagrangian floats have raised questions about this linkage. Motivated by these observations, the relationship between convective activity in the Labrador Sea and the export of newly formed Labrador Sea Water (LSW), the shallowest component of the deep AMOC, to the subtropics is explored. This study uses simulated Lagrangian pathways of synthetic floats produced with output from a global ocean–sea ice model. It is shown that substantial recirculation of newly formed LSW in the ...
The protective effects of jolkinolide B on mouse models of endotoxemia

Objective To investigate the protective effects of jolkinolide B on mouse endotoxemia.Methods The mouse model of endotoxemia were prepared by intra-peritoneal injecting lipopolysaccharide(LPS)and the protective effects of JB at the concentrations of 10,5and 2.5 mg/kg on mouse models of endotoxemia were investigated.Blood was collected to determine serum TNF-α,IL-1βand IL-6levels by ELISA at 8hafter LPS treatment.The numbers of white blood cells were determined by hemocytometer count in the peritoneum wash.Results The mortality rate of mouse model of endotoxemia was decreased by JB pretreatment in a concentration-dependent manner.The numbers of white blood cells and the serum inflammatory cytokine levels such as TNF-α,IL-1βand IL-6were decreased by JB in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion JB exerts its protective effects on endotoxemia mouse by inhibiting the expression of inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory cells infiltration.The jolkinolide B will be the therapeutic drug candidate for endotoxemia..
Natural Convection Heat Transfer Characteristics of a Circle with an Internal Concentric Round Slotted in Different Direction

Using the SIMPLE method the natural convection transfer problem of a circle with an internal slotted circle was numerically simulated under different slotting directions.The natural convection heat transfer characteristics of the slotted circle were analysed under different slotting differents according to the numerical results,which coincide well with the experimental results of an existing literature under the same working conditions.In the same slotting direction,the average equivalent thermal conductivity Keqs increases with the increase of Ra.When Ra is small,Keqs does not change basically with the change of slotting direction.When Ra continues to increase,under a same Ra,with the slotting direction changing from vertical to horizontal,Keqs becomes smaller.When Ra exceeds a critical value,the numerical result of Keqs begins to fluctuate,and the critical value is related to the slotting direction.The natural convection heat transfer of a horizontally slotted round within the circle was studied.It is concluded that with the increase of Ra it is possible to obtain stable solution,periodically oscillating solutions,non-periodic oscillation solution and ultimately reach a chaos state.
Developmental changes in impulse conduction in the canine heart

We studied the age-related changes that occur in conduction in Purkinje fiber bundles (PF) from adult and 8-wk-old dogs. As PF are stretched, conduction velocity increases to a maximum when bundle length is approximately 1.5 times control. Conduction velocity in adult PF was significantly faster than that in 8-wk PF at all bundle lengths, the maximum being 2.32 +/- 0.45 m/s (mean +/- SD) in adult and 1.56 +/- 0.59 m/s in 8-wk-old dogs. At greater than 1.5 times control length, conduction velocity decreased, as did resting potential, action potential amplitude, and upstroke velocity. At 1.5 times control length, the ratio of PF to collagen in the bundles increased, and structural changes consistent with both unbuckling and unfolding of the cell membranes were seen. At greater degrees of stretch, cleft size diminished, and intracellular edema was noted. In sum, structural changes in cardiac PF can explain the changes in conduction velocity that occur with stretch. At all degrees of stretch, however, velocity is faster in PF from adult than from young dogs.
Germplasm Ownership: Related Corn Inbreds.

Corn (Zea mays L.) germplasm ownership methods are unwieldy and limit progress. Agronomic performance in hybrids better identifies inbreds for distinctness, i.e., independent varieties (IVs) or for dependency, i.e. essentially derived varieties (EDVs) than do molecular methods alone. Our objectives were to assess hybrid agronomic performance of some popular, closely related inbreds on the basis of molecular methods, and to offer thoughts on developing inbreds and on germplasm ownership. Significant agronomic differences were detected between the following: two hybrids in the same genetic group on the basis of 21 isozymic loci; two closely related inbreds (B73 and LH119) with 88.6% (62/70) RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) similarity; and two closely related inbreds (Mo17 and LH51) with 88.2% (60/68) RFLP similarity. We suggest raising dependency standards for patenting inbreds to 90% or more, allowing the right to use and also paying a small royalty for only 5 yr on EDVs to the owner of the IV, and maintaining a research exemption to provide elite inbreds for developing new inbreds and experimental hybrids to all breeders. This will help maintain genetic gain for corn grain yield and serve the common good.
Effect of 3′, 5′-Cyclic Amp on Gene Expression in Escherichia Coli

The disparity between the known roles of cyclic AMP (cAMP) in bacteria and higher cells has been puzzling. In mammalian cells, as participants of this Symposium have been reminding us, a number of effects are exerted independent of the transcription process, presumably by activating latent enzymatic machinery-or possibly latent messenger RNA. In contrast, for the best characterized systems in bacteria, cyclic AMP helps to determine the repertoire of gene transcription open to the cell [1–5].
Thermal-Stress Response of Coral Communities to Climate Change

With the current rapid rate of climate change, coral communities are being repeatedly subjected to anomalously high thermal-stress events. Most global models predict that within the next 100 years, few reef corals will survive in tropical oceans. Yet thermal stresses have long been spatially and temporally variable across the oceans, and coral communities in different geographic regions are likely to be inherently different in their capacity to tolerate thermal stress. Using a spatially explicit Bayesian approach, we examined the response of coral communities to the hazards of climate-change associated thermal stress. We used the rates of change in sea-surface temperatures and the maximum sea-surface temperatures from 1980 to 2012 as predictive covariates of global records of coral bleaching over the same time period. There were negative relationships between the rates of change in sea-surface temperatures and coral bleaching, although the results were misleading because the highest rates of change in sea-surface temperatures were recorded at high latitudes, where average sea-surface temperatures are characteristically cooler than at low latitudes. Also, the results suggested that the most hazardous localities for corals, which experienced the highest maximum sea-surface temperatures, were in the northern hemisphere, particularly in the northern and western Indian Ocean, and along the rim of the eastern and western Pacific Ocean. Coral populations in these localities have suffered the greatest mortality. When a capacity to adapt to thermal stress was considered in the model, several localities responded positively, particularly corals in the Hawaiian Islands, the northern Marshall Islands, Micronesia, the Line Islands, the Cook Islands, the southern Great Barrier Reef, and along the coast of Brazil.
Water-gas shift: comparative screening of metal promoters for metal/ceria systems and role of the metal

Abstract In situ diffuse reflectance mode (DRIFTS) measurements for adsorption of CO and under the water-gas shift (WGS) reaction revealed that formates emerge on the surface of reduced ceria after the reaction of CO with geminal OH groups. These groups are formed after reduction of the ceria surface shell. X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) results demonstrated that the process of surface shell reduction was strongly catalyzed by the presence of metal, while changing very little, if at all, the catalysis of bulk ceria reduction. For 1% Pt/ceria, under steady state WGS at a high H2O/CO ratio, surface formate concentrations were strongly limited at high CO conversions, while Pt-CO was affected only slightly. Under high H2O/CO ratios, CO exhibits a first order rate dependency, and therefore, the active site is expected to move to sparser coverages of CO, which suggested that the WGS mechanism likely proceeded via formates. Later, XANES work gave no evidence for the reoxidation of ceria surface by water under a hydrogen environment, which would be necessary to substantiate an alternate mechanism, referred to as the ceria-mediated redox process. Later, isotope switching from H2O to D2O was carried out to validate the possibility that decomposition of surface formates could be the rate limiting step for the mechanism, as was proposed and demonstrated earlier by Shido and Iwasawa. In agreement with their findings, we also observed a normal isotope effect, consistent with a link between the activation energy barrier of the rate limiting step to the breaking of the CH bond of the formate. In this study, a variety of metals were screened to try to gain further insight into the role played by the metal in the catalysis of metal/ceria systems for WGS. One group of metals was selected on the basis of reduction temperature, since spillover from reduced metal likely catalyzes the reduction of ceria surface. Therefore, we tested the following metals, moving from lowest to highest reduction temperature: Pt
Emergency Department, Hospital Inpatient, and Mortality Burden of Atrial Fibrillation in the United States, 2006 to 2014

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is increasing in the United States as the population ages, but national surveillance is lacking. This cross-sectional study (2006 to 2014) analyzed data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample, and the National Vital Statistics System. Event totals were estimated independently for emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and mortality, and then collectively after applying criteria to identify mutually exclusive events. Rates were calculated for AF as primary diagnosis or underlying cause of death (primary AF), as well as secondary diagnosis or contributing cause of death (co-morbid AF), and standardized by age to the 2010 US population. From 2006 to 2014, event rates increased for primary AF (249 to 268 per 100,000) and co-morbid AF (1,473 to 1,835 per 100,000). In 2014, an estimated 599,790 ED visits, 453,060 hospitalizations, and 21,712 deaths listed AF as primary. A total of 684,470 mutually exclusive primary AF and 4,695,997 mutually exclusive co-morbid AF events occurred. Among ED visits and hospitalizations with primary AF, the most common secondary diagnoses were hypertension, heart failure, ischemic heart disease, and diabetes. The mean cost per hospitalization with primary AF was $8,819. Mean costs were higher for those with co-morbid AF versus those without co-morbid AF among hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of ischemic heart disease, heart failure, stroke, hypertension, or diabetes (all p ≤0.01). In conclusion, with the substantial health and economic impact of AF and an aging US population, improved diagnosis, prevention, management, and surveillance of AF are increasingly important.
Waste Disposal in the Aqueous Medium: Sewage Disposal

Wastes are discarded or unwanted materials resulting from the domestic and industrial activities of humans. Wastes carried in water are described as sewage. It is important to determine the quantity of carbon in sewage so as to know the most appropriate method to use for treating it. One of the most common methods is the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) which measures the oxygen consumed by microorganisms to degrade the carbon over a 5-day period. Other methods are chemical in nature and related to the potential of the microbial breakdown. These chemical methods are the Permanganate Value (PV) Test, the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), and Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS).
Lagrangian Xgraphs: A logical data-model for spatio-temporal network data: A summary

Given emerging diverse spatio temporal network (STN) datasets, e.g., GPS tracks, temporally detailed roadmaps and traffic signal data, the aim is to develop a logical data-model which achieves a seamless integration of these datasets for diverse use-cases (queries) and supports efficient algorithms. This problem is important for travel itinerary comparison and navigation applications. However, this is challenging due to the conflicting requirements of expressive power and computational efficiency as well as the need to support ever more diverse STN datasets, which now record non-decomposable properties of n-ary relations. Examples include travel-time and fuel-use during a journey on a route with a sequence of coordinated traffic signals and turn delays. Current data models for STN datasets are limited to representing properties of only binary relations, e.g., distance on individual road segments. In contrast, the proposed logical data-model, Lagrangian Xgraphs can express properties of both binary and n-ary relations. Our initial study shows that Lagrangian Xgraphs are more convenient for representing diverse STN datasets and comparing candidate travel itineraries.
Wisdom: Paul’s Exercises of Care for a Commercialized Corinth

This chapter unfolds an account of wisdom that is tied up in exercises and engaged with critiquing and transforming the social fabric. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is framed in terms of the ancient philosophical practices of the care of the self and the city—in which pedagogy is seen not just as informative but as curative. This account of wisdom positions philosophical theology to be more directly engaged in issues of everyday conduct and the transformation of social norms. This approach holds promise for contemporary problems—especially the ecological crisis—where educational models of informing the ignorant often fail in yielding transformed lives and communities.
Evaluation of copper hydroxide as a repellent and feeding deterrent for Cuban brown snail (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Pleurodontidae)

Repellents and feeding deterrents are underutilized tactics for plant pest damage suppression. Here I report on laboratory and screenhouse studies that assessed a copper hydroxide-based fungicide as a chemical barrier to prevent the Cuban brown snail, Zachrysia provisoria (Pfeiffer, 1858) (Gastropoda: Pleurodontidae) from accessing plants and from feeding on foliage. This snail species is considered to be one of the most important molluscs affecting plants in Florida. Studies were conducted as a follow-up to previous research with different molluscs that demonstrated the potential usefulness of copper hydroxide formulated in a commercial fungicide as a repellent. Although the residue of copper hydroxide displayed repellency to Z. provisoria in laboratory studies, it did not effectively prevent snails from climbing the sides of pots to access plants in screenhouses. Addition of 2 spreader-stickers, Bonide Turbo® and Southern Ag®, to the copper hydroxide to enhance retention of the fungicide did not improve performance. However, when copper hydroxide was applied to pots and foliage, feeding on vegetation was significantly suppressed under screenhouse conditions. I attribute these results to better fungicide residue persistence on foliage than on plastic pots. ResumenLos repelentes y disuasorios de alimentacion son tacticas pocas utilizadas para la supresion de dano de las plagas en las plantas. Aqui se informa sobre los estudios de laboratorio e invernadero con malla que evaluaron un fungicida a base de hidroxido de cobre como una barrera quimica para evitar que el caracol marron cubano, Zachrysia provisoria (Pfeiffer, 1858) (Gastropoda: Pleurodontidae) tenga acceso a las plantas e inhibir su alimentacion sobre el follaje. Se considera esta especie de caracol como uno de los moluscos mas importantes que afecta a las plantas en la Florida. Se realizaron los estudios como seguimiento de investigaciones anteriores con diferentes moluscos que demostraron la utilidad potencial del hidroxido de cobre formulado en un fungicida comercial como repelente. Aunque el residuo de hidroxido de cobre mostro repelencia a Z. provisoria en estudios de laboratorio, no evito eficazmente que los caracoles treparan por los costados de las macetas para acceder a las plantas en los invernaderos con malla. La adicion de 2 adhesivos spreader, Bonide Turboy Southern Ag, al hidroxido de cobre para mejorar la retencion del fungicida no mejoro el rendimiento. Sin embargo, cuando se aplico hidroxido de cobre a las macetas y al follaje, se suprimio la alimentacion de la vegetacion significativamente en las condiciones de invernadero con malla. Se atribuye estos resultados a una mejor persistencia de los residuos de fungicidas en el follaje que en las macetas de plastico.View this article in BioOne
HLA-a*0101 Allele Is Associated with Increased Risk of Cutaneous Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Introduction Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) remains a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality after unmodified and ex-vivo CD34+ selected/T-cell depleted (TCD) allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT). We identified a cluster of patients who developed severe cutaneous aGVHD and expressed MHC class I HLA-A*0101. Objective To investigate if HLA-A*0101 expression correlates with an increased risk of severe cutaneous aGVHD after alloHSCT. Methods We evaluated 831 patients who received unmodified or TCD allograft at a single institution between 03/2010 and 02/2017. Patients who received cord blood transplants or Results HLA-A*0101 was expressed in 206 (25%) patients (98 TCD, 108 unmodified). These patients had similar demographics to those lacking HLA-A*0101 (Table). At day 180, patients expressing HLA-A*0101 had higher incidence of grade III-IV cutaneous aGVHD compared with patients lacking HLA-A*0101 expression in both the TCD (8% vs. 3%, p=0.027) and unmodified (11% vs. 4%, p=0.01) cohorts (Fig 1). In a multivariate cause-specific Cox model, the presence of HLA-A*0101 in the TCD alloHSCT cohort correlated with increased risk of grade III-IV cutaneous aGVHD [HR=2.79 (95% CI: 1.07-7.28), p=0.036] after adjusting for related status of donor. In the unmodified alloHSCT cohort, presence of HLA-A*0101 allele correlated with increased risk of grade III-IV cutaneous aGVHD [HR=2.68 (95% CI: 1.24-5.79), p = 0.012)] after adjusting for myeloablative v non-myeloablative conditioning and donor relationship status. There were no statistically significant differences in OS or TRM between HLA-A*0101 expressing vs non-expressing patients in the cohorts. Conclusions In this group, donor/recipient expression of HLA-A*0101 correlated with an increased incidence and severity of cutaneous aGVHD after TCD and unmodified alloHSCT. If confirmed in a larger cohort, these findings have potential practical implications in the development of prophylaxis or early therapeutic strategies targeting the skin in this high-risk population.
Congenital neuroglial choristoma of the foot.

Abstract Neuroglial choristomas are rare malformations of heterotopic neural tissue that have been previously reported predominantly in the head and neck. Competing theories of embryogenesis propose their origin as encephaloceles that have undergone resorption of their cranial connection or displaced neuroectodermal cells which have undergone ectopic proliferation. Most cases occur in midline or para-midline structures. There have been no prior published cases of a neuroglial choristoma in the extremities. We present a case of a 13-month-old otherwise healthy child who presented to our institution with a slowly growing foot mass who was found to have a neuroglial choristoma. This case suggests an early embryological migration defect as the etiology and offers a unique differential consideration for a benign extremity mass.
Variables associated with reductions in insomnia severity among acutely suicidal patients receiving brief cognitive behavioral therapy for suicide prevention.

Abstract Introduction This study compared changes in sleep disturbance over time across brief cognitive behavioral therapy for suicide prevention and treatment as usual and examined the mechanisms that link sleep disturbance with several suicide risk factors. Method Active duty U.S. Army soldiers (N = 152) completed a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of brief cognitive behavioral therapy (n = 76) or treatment as usual (n = 76). Six assessments of insomnia symptoms, hopelessness, coping, and suicide beliefs were tracked over 24 months. Results Brief cognitive behavioral therapy patients reported a significant decrease in sleep disturbance symptoms over time while treatment as usual patients did not. These improvements were initially observed during treatment and carried over through 12-months. Changes in sleep disturbance predicted changes in suicide risk. Longitudinal growth modeling was used to assess potential mechanisms of this effect. Results suggested that changes in cognitive flexibility, as defined by measures of hopelessness and suicide beliefs, predicted change in sleep disturbance symptoms. These relationships did not differ across treatment groups. Limitations The participants were active duty military personnel. Therefore, the results may not generalize to other patient populations. A greater number of assessment periods in closer proximity as well as additional measures of constructs of interest would have improved the internal validity of this study. Conclusions Brief cognitive behavioral therapy significantly reduces sleep disturbance and suicide risk. Changes in cognitive flexibility, in part, explain change in sleep disturbance across both treatments.
Preliminary Development of an Integrated Mobility, Lethality, and Survivability Soldier Performance Testing Platform

There is a desire for an integrated tool to measure the impact of military clothing and equipment on mobility, lethality and survivability. This study was a first step to develop such a test platform. Twenty Soldiers executed the test in three levels of encumbrance. Mobility was measured via obstacle completion timing. Lethality tasks included static and dynamic shooting engagements, with traditional marksmanship measures and cognitive decision-making. Quantification of body exposure and exposure to threat time comprised survivability measures. Preliminary results indicated that as encumbrance increased, mobility, lethality and survivability were altered. Obstacle completion times increased, marksmanship precision and vertical stability during the static elements improved, and shooting efficiency and threat elimination during the dynamic elements decreased. By expanding on this methodology, we create additional capabilities for the US Army and our international partners. Lessons learned from this study will allow for improvements to the test platform as it is developed.
From Styrenes to Enantiopure α-Arylglycines in Two Steps

Direct enantioselective synthesis of (R)- and (S)-N-Cbz- or N-BOC-protected α-arylglycinols from styrenes via catalytic asymmetric aminohydroxylation, with enantioselectivities up to 99% and isolated yields up to 80%, is described. In a subsequent oxidation step, these glycinols yield the corresponding carbamate-protected α-arylglycines.
Can Isotropization and Thermalization in Heavy Ion Collisions be Obtained from Summing Feynman Diagrams

We argue that isotropization and, consequently, thermalization of the system of gluons and quarks produced in an ultrarelativistic heavy ion collision does not follow from Feynman diagram analysis to all orders in the coupling constant. We conclude that the apparent thermalization of quarks and gluons, leading to success of Bjorken hydrodynamics in describing heavy ion collisions at RHIC, can only be attributed to the non-perturbative QCD effects not captured by Feynman diagrams.
ExoProsthetics: Assisting Above-Knee Amputees with a Lightweight Powered Hip Exoskeleton

In this paper, we explore the effect of residual hip assistance in one above-knee amputee subject using a novel lightweight powered hip exoskeleton. Differently from a powered prosthesis, a powered hip exoskeleton adds mass proximally. Thus, we expect that the negative effect of the added mass will be lower for a powered hip exoskeleton than a powered ankle and knee prosthesis. Consequently, residual-hip assistance may more easily lead to a net reduction of metabolic effort. To preliminarily assess this hypothesis, we measured the physiological cost index (PCI) while an above-knee subject walked with and without a powered hip exoskeleton. Experimental results show 20.5% reduction of PCI when walking with the powered hip exoskeleton.
A Novel Out-of-Plane Electrothermal Bistable Microactuator

This paper reports an out-of-plane bistable electrothermal microactautor that is comprised of inverted-series-connected (ISC) Cu/W-based multimorphs. S-shaped ISC multimorphs have been previously employed for generating large vertical displacement. In this work, the ISC multimorphs have been engineered into a warped shape via pre-stressed W and unbalanced SiO 2 encapsulation layers. Electrothermal bistable actuators based on the warped ISC multimorphs have been fabricated and tested. A bistable vertical displacement of 25 μm has been obtained.
Abstract 080: Dietary Fructose Enhances Protein Kinase C Activation by Angiotensin II in Proximal Tubules via Changes in Intracellular Calcium

Dietary fructose causes salt-sensitive hypertension. This is in part due to increasing the sensitivity of proximal nephron Na reabsorption to angiotensin II (Ang II) such that lower concentrations ...
Hiring and Training Requirements for Correctional Officers: A Statutory Analysis:

U.S. state statutes provide the minimum hiring and training requirements for correctional officers (COs), but it is unclear whether COs have achieved professionalism. This article utilizes a statut...
Making the Cut: Comparing Methods for Selecting Cut-Point Location in Logistic Regression

Classification measures and entropy variants can be used as indicators of model fit for logistic regression. These measures rely on a cut-point, c, to determine predicted group membership. While re...
Impact of Sugammadex Versus Neostigmine/Glycopyrrolate on Perioperative Efficiency.

Purpose Neuromuscular blockade in the operating room necessitates the utilization of reversal agents to accelerate postoperative recovery and sustain operating room patient throughput. Cholinesterase inhibitors represent the historical standard of care for neuromuscular blockade reversal within anesthesia practice. Sugammadex, a synthetic gamma-cyclodextrin, was introduced to the market with evidence of more rapid and predictable reversal of neuromuscular blockade compared to alternative agents. Higher medication acquisition costs have limited more extensive use of sugammadex compared to that of neostigmine/glycopyrrolate. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of sugammadex versus neostigmine/glycopyrrolate on perioperative efficiency to validate medication acquisition cost value. Methods A retrospective investigation was performed of patients with a surgical procedure at Houston Methodist Hospital from July 31, 2017 through August 1, 2018. The primary endpoint was time from reversal medication administration to operating room exit. Patient-specific doses were assessed to calculate average medication acquisition costs. The economic benefits of sugammadex were measured through review of average operating room and postanesthesia care unit costs per minute. Results There were a total of 640 surgical cases at Houston Methodist Hospital eligible for inclusion into the research study. The time from medication administration to operating room exit was significantly faster for sugammadex compared to neostigmine/glycopyrrolate (P<0.001) upon univariate analysis. However, when measured with linear regression, the difference in operating room exit time between sugammadex and neostigmine/glycopyrrolate was no longer statistically significant (P=0.122). Medication acquisition cost review highlighted a difference of $178.20, favoring use of neostigmine/glycopyrrolate. Conclusion The utilization of sugammadex does not correlate to consequential time saved in the operating room or extrapolation to workflow capacity for increased surgical case volume. Consideration of the medication acquisition cost promotes more restrictive use of sugammadex to indications with clinical relevance.
Protecting Assets with Heterogeneous Valuations under Behavioral Probability Weighting

We consider a security setting involving a defender who is required to invest (subject to a budget constraint) in protecting a given set of nodes against attacks. Each node has a certain value to the defender, along with a probability of being successfully compromised, which is a function of the investment in that node by the defender. In this setting, we consider the impacts of behavioral probability weighting (vis-a-vis the probability of successful attack) on the investment strategies; such probability weighting, where humans overweight low probabilities and underweight high probabilities, has been identified by behavioral economists to be a common feature of human decision-making. We show that under appropriate conditions on the probability of successful attack, the defender’s optimization problem is convex (even under probability weighting). Furthermore, we show that behavioral probability weighting causes the defender to shift more of her investments to the higher-valued nodes and underinvest in the low-value nodes, compared to the case where the defender perceives the probability of attack correctly. In particular, the number of nodes that have positive investment decreases as the defender becomes more behavioral.
Tax incentive and household saving strategy: A regression discontinuity approach to catch-up contributions

This study examined how the catch-up provision – a tax-deferral incentive – impacts total retirement saving and household saving strategies. Using the Survey of Consumer Finance from 2004 to 2016, ...
The changing nature of ablation-inducing synoptic weather types in the North American Great Lakes basin

The runoff generated by snow cover ablation dominates regional hydrology in the North American Great Lakes basin, while rapid events can represent a physical hazard due to flooding. In determining the likelihood and magnitude of an ablation event, both the presence of snow cover and the synoptic-scale atmospheric environment should be considered, where the atmospheric environment provides the meteorological characteristics and surface energy fluxes necessary for ablation. Pending snowpack availability, variations or changes in the frequency of ablation-inducing synoptic types, and/or varying suitability of meteorological characteristics for snowmelt, can alter the frequency of ablation events. In light of a changing global climate, it is unclear if and how ablation-inducing synoptic types in the Great Lakes basin have transformed in recent decades as from 1960 to 2009, the interannual frequency of snow cover ablation events in the Great Lakes basin has significantly decreased. This study uses synoptic classification as a mechanism for identifying ablation-inducing synoptic weather types and for determining if changes to the frequency and inherent meteorological characteristic of the type are occurring. For a majority of the ten most impactful ablation-inducing synoptic weather types examined, significant trends are noted in their interannual frequencies, which can be partially explained by variations and trends in the phases of common teleconnection indices, such as the North Atlantic and Arctic Oscillations. Collectively, inherent meteorological characteristics of particular weather types in the basin are becoming more suitable for ablation, with increases in surface air temperatures, more southerly wind flow, and less cloud cover, plus increases in liquid precipitation rates during rain-on-snow synoptic types. Independent of snow cover, atmospheric environments suitable for ablation are becoming more frequent and generally more favorable for ablation.