cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ONE-DIMENSIONAL TIME TO EXPLOSION (THERMAL SENSITIVITY) TESTS ON PETN, PBX-9407, LX-10, AND LX-17

Incidents caused by fire and combat operations can heat energetic materials that may lead to thermal explosion and result in structural damage and casualty. Some explosives may thermally explode at fairly low temperatures ( PBX-9407 > LX-10 > LX-17.
Molecular and Structural Properties of Spider Silk

Spider silk has extraordinary mechanical properties, outperforming some of the best-known man-made and natural materials in the world. Over the past 300 million years, spiders have evolved to produce high performance fibers that are uniquely designed to encompass high-tensile strength and toughness. As scientists have pursued a deeper understanding of the biochemical properties of silk, investigators have discovered that spiders are capable of spinning multiple fiber types that exhibit diverse mechanical properties. These differences are largely attributed to unique combinations of silk proteins spun into the fibers and the primary, secondary, and tertiary structure of the silk proteins in the fibers. Because of the outstanding properties of spider silk and its potential to serve as a next generation biomaterial, researchers have been racing to replicate synthetic spider silk. In this book chapter, we summarize the molecular and chemical properties of different silk types in spiders, their biological functions, and mechanisms of silk extrusion, assembly, and post-spin draw. We also discuss strategies that are being implemented for large-scale production of recombinant silk proteins using a variety of heterologous expression systems, explore purification protocols, and review the different spinning methodologies that are being applied for synthetic silk production.
Juvenile hormone regulation of female reproduction in the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius

To begin studies on reproduction in common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, we identified three genes coding for vitellogenin (Vg, a protein required for the reproductive success of insects) and studied their hormonal regulation. RNA interference studied showed that expression of Vg3 gene in the adult females is a prerequisite for successful completion of embryogenesis in the eggs laid by them. Juvenile hormone (JH) receptor, Methoprene-tolerant (Met), steroid receptor coactivator (SRC) and GATAa but not ecdysone receptor (EcR) or its partner, ultraspiracle (USP) are required for expression of Vg genes. Feeding and mating working through Vg, Met, SRC, EcR, and GATAa regulate oocyte development. Knockdown of the expression of Met, SRC, EcR, USP, BR-C (Broad-Complex), TOR (target of rapamycin), and GATAa in female adults resulted in a reduction in the number eggs laid by them. Interestingly, Kruppel homolog 1 (Kr-h1) knockdown in the adult females did not reduce their fecundity but affected the development of embryos in the eggs laid by females injected with Kr-h1 double-stranded RNA. These data suggest that JH functioning through Met and SRC regulate both vitellogenesis and oogenesis in C. lectularius. However, JH does not work through Kr-h1 but may work through transcription factors not yet identified.
Measurements of gamma rays above 3 MeV using 3D position-sensitive 20×20×15 mm 3 CdZnTe detectors

Measurements of gamma rays above 3 MeV have been made using a system of 20×20×15 mm3 Cadmium Zinc Telluride semiconductor detectors and the GMI VAS_UM2.3TAT4 application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). These detectors are pixellated with 121 anode pixels and use a grid to help steer the charge carriers to the collecting anode. The measurements looked to explore both the spectroscopic and imaging performance of a system for gamma ray sources above 3 MeV. The ASIC has a dynamic range from about 30 keV up to 3 MeV for the cathode signal and each anode pixel signal. Therefore, measurements of sources above 3 MeV add several challenges, including having to differentiate between events that had a signal reaching the maximum for a single channel and those that did not because of multiple interactions with a single crystal or between multiple crystals. Additionally, events with charge sharing or consisting of interactions in more than one detector constituted a large fraction of the events depositing over 3 MeV in the system and led to degradation of the system performance.
Understanding clinical and non-clinical decisions under uncertainty: a scenario-based survey.

Prospect theory suggests that when faced with an uncertain outcome, people display loss aversion by preferring to risk a greater loss rather than incurring certain, lesser cost. Providing probability information improves decision making towards the economically optimal choice in these situations. Clinicians frequently make decisions when the outcome is uncertain, and loss aversion may influence choices. This study explores the extent to which prospect theory, loss aversion, and probability information in a non-clinical domain explains clinical decision making under uncertainty. Four hundred sixty two participants (n = 117 non-medical undergraduates, n = 113 medical students, n = 117 resident trainees, and n = 115 medical/surgical faculty) completed a three-part online task. First, participants completed an iced-road salting task using temperature forecasts with or without explicit probability information. Second, participants chose between less or more risk-averse (“defensive medicine”) decisions in standardized scenarios. Last, participants chose between recommending therapy with certain outcomes or risking additional years gained or lost. In the road salting task, the mean expected value for decisions made by clinicians was better than for non-clinicians(−$1,022 vs -$1,061; <0.001). Probability information improved decision making for all participants, but non-clinicians improved more (mean improvement of $64 versus $33; p = 0.027). Mean defensive decisions decreased across training level (medical students 2.1 ± 0.9, residents 1.6 ± 0.8, faculty1.6 ± 1.1; p-trend < 0.001) and prospect-theory-concordant decisions increased (25.4%, 33.9%, and 40.7%;p-trend = 0.016). There was no relationship identified between road salting choices with defensive medicine and prospect-theory-concordant decisions. All participants made more economically-rational decisions when provided explicit probability information in a non-clinical domain. However, choices in the non-clinical domain were not related to prospect-theory concordant decision making and risk aversion tendencies in the clinical domain. Recognizing this discordance may be important when applying prospect theory to interventions aimed at improving clinical care.
The Sharing Economy: Information Cascades, Network Effects and Power Laws

Connectivity generates familiarity and induces collaboration, and also the phenomenon of copying, known also as FOMO (fear of missing out). Imitating others’ behavior derives from the social influence of networks which is different from homophily or joining groups with similar characteristics. While financial markets have manifested granularity in the unbundling of functions of financial intermediation, such as payments, risk management, savings and investment, there has also been the formation of OB due to copying. Connectivity has fostered imitation to economize on search costs and to benefit from shared networks. Copying can have adverse consequences, as when all economic agents congregate at the same hub, and, by adopting the same behavior, precipitate disastrous consequences as we saw in the 2008 financial crisis.
Myocardial Perfusion Scintigraphy as an Adjunct to Selective Coronary Arteriography: A Preliminary Report

A study is presented of 50 patients who underwent both selective coronary arteriography and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy following intracoronary injection of 99mTc-labeled human albumin microspheres (HAM). Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy was used as an adjunct to coronary arteriography in order to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the degree of ischemia present in the myocardium. Technetium-99m-labeled HAM was injected directly into the coronary circulation of these patients at the completion of coronary arteriography. From the scintigraphic images subsequently obtained, conclusions were drawn as to the relative blood flow to the myocardium. The patients were monitored throughout the procedure and no significant changes in heart rate, electrocardiogram, or blood pressure could be attributed to the intracoronary injection of HAM.
Gain of von Willebrand Factor Binding Function Induced by a Mutation within the Leucine-Rich Repeat Region of Platelet Glycoprotein Ibα.

The first step of platelet adhesion to areas of vessel injury is carried out by the platelet glycoprotein (GP) Ib-IX-V complex, which binds von Willebrand factor affixed to the subendothelial matrix. The GP Ib-IX-V complex comprises four polypeptides, each belonging to the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) family of proteins. Glycoprotein Ibα is the largest of these and contains the VWF binding site within a ~300-amino acid domain at its N-terminus that contains 8 tandem LRRs. In this study, we investigated the role in VWF binding of charged residues in this region of GP Ibα that are conserved across three species: humans, dogs and mice. Each of eleven charged residues was converted to Ala: His37, Glu40, Asp83, His86, Asp106, Glu128, Lys137, Lys152, Glu162, Asp175 and Lys189. All of the GP Ibα mutants expressed normally on the surface of CHO bIX cells, which stably express GP Ibb and GP IX. GP Iba expression was detected by the monoclonal antibody WM23, which binds a region uninvolved by the mutations. In three mutants, His86Ala, Glu128Ala, and Asp175Ala, the mutations appeared to induce large conformational changes, as they markedly altered the binding of the antibodies AN51 and SZ2, with epitopes located N-terminal and C-terminal to the LRRs, respectively. As a result, cells expressing the mutants Glu128Ala and Asp175Ala were unable to adhere to the surface when perfused over immobilized VWF. By contrast, cells expressing mutant His86Ala adhered to the surface and rolled on it much more slowly than did cells expressing wild-type GP Ibα. The His86Ala cells also displayed a left-shifted VWF binding curve in the presence of ristocetin compared to the wild-type cells. We investigated this residue further by converting the His to Glu, a residue of opposite charge. Cells expressing the His86Glu mutant rolled even more slowly over a VWF surface than the His86Ala cells at 20 dynes/cm 2 , but not at 2.5 dynes/cm 2 . Previously, mutations of GP Ibα causing gain of VWF-binding function have been confined to the disulfide loop formed by a bond between Cys209 and Cys248, which lies immediately C-terminal to the LRR region of GP Ibα. This is the first report of a gain-of-function phenotype due to a mutation in the LRR region of GP Ibα. Since His86 is more than 20 A away from the major region of GP Ibα in direct contact with VWF defined by published crystal structures, our data suggests that the leucine-rich repeats regulate the affinity for VWF through long-range allosteric alterations of GP Ibα structure.
POEMS Syndrome (Takatsuki Syndrome)

POEMS syndrome [1], also known as osteosclerotic myeloma, Takatsuki syndrome [2], and Crow–Fukase syndrome [3, 4], is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome due to an underlying plasma cell disorder. The acronym POEMS refers to several, but not all, of the features of the syndrome: polyradiculoneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal plasma cell disorder, and skin changes. Not all of the features within the acronym are required to make the diagnosis. There are other important features not included in the POEMS acronym, including papilledema, extravascular volume overload, sclerotic bone lesions, thrombocytosis/erythrocytosis (P.E.S.T.), elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels, abnormal pulmonary function tests, and a predisposition towards thrombosis. Lastly, there is a Castleman’s disease variant of POEMS syndrome that may not be associated with a clonal plasma cell disorder [5, 6]. Table 15.1 outlines the range of expected frequencies of each of the features based on the largest published series [2, 7–11].
An efficient transient thermal simulation methodology for Power Management IC designs

Power Management devices are becoming ubiquitous in every electronic system for achieving energy efficiency with constrained power/thermal budget. Multi-Function and Multi-Channel PMICs are becoming common design trend to support diverse voltage/power requirements of complex SoCs. In this paper, we present an approach to perform a full chip level thermal analysis with the capability to perform a detailed sub-modeling for electro-thermal analysis with Finite Element method and perform thermal-aware EM and stress analysis. The approach in transient thermal, thermal-aware EM and stress analyses includes the generation of thermal-aware chip power maps, conversion of converged thermal profiles in Power Devices to thermal loadings and detailed sub-modeling of on-chip structures for transient thermal, thermal-aware EM and thermal-induced stress analyses.
The monastic conversion of Romuald of Ravenna and the church of Sant’Apollinare in Classe

ABSTRACTRomuald of Ravenna was one of the foremost reformers of the late tenth and early eleventh century, devoting his energy to establishing monastic communities that emphasised asceticism. After his death, he was celebrated for this work in a vita written by Peter Damian that described the conditions of the conversion of Romuald, who rejected the world after an encounter with St Apollinaris in the church of Sant’Apollinare in Classe outside Ravenna. Peter Damian’s detailed account of this space not only created a fitting location for the conversion to monastic life, but in its appropriation of the visual, textual and hagiographic landscape it would have invited his eleventh-century audience who entered Sant’Apollinare in Classe to share in the same type of experience as his monastic hero, Romuald, and to connect with Ravenna’s late antique patron saint directly.
The accessibility, readability, and quality of online resources for gender affirming surgery.

Abstract Background The transgender population is disproportionally affected by health disparities related to access to care. In many communities, transgender specialists are geographically distant and locally available medical professionals may be unfamiliar with unique needs of transgender patients. As a result, use of Internet resources for information about gender affirming surgery is particularly important. This study simulates a patient search for online educational material about gender affirming surgery and evaluates the accessibility, readability, and quality of the information. Methods An Internet search for the term “transgender surgery” was performed, and the first 10 relevant hits were identified. Readability was assessed using 10 established tests: Coleman–Liau, Flesch–Kincaid, FORCAST, Fry, Gunning Fog, New Dale-Chall, New Fog Count, Raygor Estimate, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, and Flesch Reading Ease. Quality was assessed using Journal of the American Medical Association criteria and the DISCERN instrument. Results Review of 69 results was required to identify 10 sites with relevant patient information. There were 97 articles collected; overall mean reading level was 14.7. Individual Web site reading levels ranged from 12.0 to 17.5. All articles and Web sites exceeded the recommended sixth grade level. Quality ranged from 0 to 4 (Journal of the American Medical Association) and 35 to 79 (DISCERN) across Web sites. Conclusions Web sites with relevant patient information about gender affirming surgery were difficult to identify from search results. The content of these sites universally exceeded the recommended reading level. A wide range of Web site quality was noted, and this may further complicate successful navigation. Barriers in access to appropriately written patient information on the Internet may contribute to disparities in referral, involvement, satisfaction, and outcomes.
Reduction in pain: Is it worth the gain? The effect of opioids on the GI tract.

The use of opioid medications for acute and chronic pain has increased significantly in the past 20 years in the United States. Given the high density of opioid receptors in the gastrointestinal tract, side effects are common in these patients including constipation, dysphagia, bloating, nausea, and vomiting. These side effects, which are experienced by most patients who take opioids, can lead to significant impairment in quality of life. Unlike other side effects from opioids, gastrointestinal side effects do not diminish with continued use, often leading patients to reduce or discontinue their opioid treatment to relieve these side effects. Therefore, physicians must be aware and anticipate potential side effects in patients receiving opioids to ensure appropriate pain management.
New insights on the effects of varenicline on nicotine reward, withdrawal and hyperalgesia in mice

Abstract Varenicline, a partial agonist for α4β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and a full agonist for α3β4 and α7 nAChRs, is approved for smoking cessation treatment. Although, partial agonism at α4β2* nAChRs is believed to be the mechanism underlying the effects of varenicline on nicotine reward, the contribution of other nicotinic subtypes to varenicline's effects on nicotine reward is currently unknown. Therefore, we examined the role of α5 and α7 nAChR subunits in the effects of varenicline on nicotine reward using the conditioned place preference (CPP) test in mice. Moreover, the effects of varenicline on nicotine withdrawal-induced hyperalgesia and aversion are unknown. We also examined the reversal of nicotine withdrawal in mouse models of dependence by varenicline. Varenicline dose-dependently blocked the development and expression of nicotine reward in the CPP test. The blockade of nicotine reward by varenicline (0.1 mg/kg) was preserved in α7 knockout mice but reduced in α5 knockout mice. Administration of varenicline at high dose of 2.5 mg/kg resulted in a place aversion that was dependent on α5 nAChRs but not β2 nAChRs. Furthermore, varenicline (0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg) reversed nicotine withdrawal signs such as hyperalgesia and somatic signs and withdrawal-induced aversion in a dose-related manner. Our results indicate that the α5 nAChR subunit plays a role in the effects of varenicline on nicotine reward in mice. Moreover, the mediation of α5 nAChRs, but not β2 nAChRs are probably needed for aversive properties of varenicline at high dose. Varenicline was also shown to reduce several nicotine withdrawal signs.
8. Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery

Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) was first described in the 1990s. A variety of techniques allow the surgeon to insert the gloved nondominant hand into the abdomen to assist in retraction. The technique is used less commonly than in the past decade. It remains useful for procedures for laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, where the specimen must be removed intact in an atraumatic fashion. For most other procedures, emphasis on smaller incisions and single-incision techniques has taken precedence.
Religion and Psychology in Transition: How It Came to Be Written

The Person, Culture and Religion group at the American Academy of Religion agreed to sponsor a symposium at their 1997 meeting on my book Religion And Psychology In Transition: Psychoanalysis, Feminism and Theology (1996). I asked Professors Diane Jonte-Pace and Bonnie MillerMcLemore if they would offer critiques, which they kindly agreed to do. Professor Lewis Rambo said he wanted to publish the discussion and asked me to write an introduction to this set of papers, focusing on how I came to write this book and to think about religion and psychology in the ways that I do. The following is an attempt to do that in the form of a very abbreviated autobiographical statement. I was not raised in any religious tradition. My father came from a Protestant background and my mother was Jewish and their marriage was predicated on the irrelevance of religion. Secular rationalism was the milieu in which I grew up: religion was not attacked but ignored. Emotional expression was discouraged (even punished) and imagination was suspect. One was to be controlled and reasonable at all times. Order, quiet, and efficiency were to be imposed at all costs. In my first two years of college I did not think about religion either. I had immersed myself in the world of student politics, of late-night debates over the relevance of Marxism and weeklong treks to the nation's capital to petition for an end to nuclear testing or segregation in the south. Religion played no part in this. I served under the leadership of men from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference but always saw the issues of Jim Crowism in political and legal terms like justice and fairness, not theological or moral ones.
The Remote Food Photography Method and SmartIntake App for the Assessment of Alcohol Use in Young Adults: Feasibility Study and Comparison to Standard Assessment Methodology

Background: Heavy drinking is prevalent among young adults and may contribute to obesity. However, measurement tools for assessing caloric intake from alcohol are limited and rely on self-report, which is prone to bias. Objective: The purpose of our study was to conduct feasibility testing of the Remote Food Photography Method and the SmartIntake app to assess alcohol use in young adults. Aims consisted of (1) quantifying the ability of SmartIntake to capture drinking behavior, (2) assessing app usability with the Computer System Usability Questionnaire (CSUQ), (3) conducting a qualitative interview, and (4) comparing preference, usage, and alcohol use estimates (calories, grams per drinking episode) between SmartIntake and online diet recalls that participants completed for a parent study. Methods: College students (N=15) who endorsed a pattern of heavy drinking were recruited from a parent study. Participants used SmartIntake to send photographs of all alcohol and food intake over a 3-day period and then completed a follow-up interview and the CSUQ. CSUQ items range from 1-7, with lower scores indicating greater usability. Total drinking occasions were determined by adding the number of drinking occasions captured by SmartIntake plus the number of drinking occasions participants reported that they missed capturing. Usage was defined by the number of days participants provided food/beverage photos through the app, or the number of diet recalls completed. Results: SmartIntake captured 87% (13/15) of total reported drinking occasions. Participants rated the app as highly usable in the CSUQ (mean 2.28, SD 1.23). Most participants (14/15, 93%) preferred using SmartIntake versus recalls, and usage was significantly higher with SmartIntake than recalls (42/45, 93% vs 35/45, 78%; P=.04). Triple the number of participants submitted alcohol reports with SmartIntake compared to the recalls (SmartIntake 9/15, 60% vs recalls 3/15, 20%; P=.06), and 60% (9/15) of participants reported drinking during the study. Conclusions: SmartIntake was acceptable to college students who drank heavily and captured most drinking occasions. Participants had higher usage of SmartIntake compared to recalls, suggesting SmartIntake may be well suited to measuring alcohol consumption in young adults. However, 40% (6/15) did not drink during the brief testing period and, although findings are promising, a longer trial is needed.
PKC epsilon signaling effect on actin assembly is diminished in cardiomyocytes when challenged to additional work in a stiff microenvironment.

The stiffness of the microenvironment surrounding a cell can result in cytoskeletal remodeling, leading to altered cell function and tissue macrostructure. In this study, we tuned the stiffness of the underlying substratum on which neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were grown in culture to mimic normal (10 kPa), pathological stiffness of fibrotic myocardium (100 kPa), and a nonphysiological extreme (glass). Cardiomyocytes were then challenged by beta adrenergic stimulation through isoproterenol treatment to investigate the response to acute work demand for cells grown on surfaces of varying stiffness. In particular, the PKCɛ signaling pathway and its role in actin assembly dynamics were examined. Significant changes in contractile metrics were seen on cardiomyocytes grown on different surfaces, but all cells responded to isoproterenol treatment, eventually reaching similar time to peak tension. In contrast, the assembly rate of actin was significantly higher on stiff surfaces, so that only cells grown on soft surfaces were able to respond to acute isoproterenol treatment. Forster Resonance Energy Transfer of immunofluorescence on the cytoskeletal fraction of cardiomyocytes confirmed that the molecular interaction of PKCɛ with the actin capping protein, CapZ, was very low on soft substrata but significantly increased with isoproterenol treatment, or on stiff substrata. Therefore, the stiffness of the culture surface chosen for in vitro experiments might mask the normal signaling and affect the ability to translate basic science more effectively into human therapy.
DJ Prof: Mixing instructional modes to improve student learning

Active learning encompasses a broad variety of activities designed to engage students with material while instructors are present to answer questions. In contrast, traditional lecture instruction is passive, and students' initial interaction with material is relegated to homework, which is often completed alone. Freeman et al.'s meta-analysis of 225 studies comparing lecture and active learning concluded that active learning is the "preferred empirically validated teaching practice" and showed that active learning courses have significantly lower failure rates than lecture courses [PNAS, 2014]. Incorporating proven active learning techniques into acoustics courses will improve student learning. In Acoustics Today [2016], John Buck, Jill Nelson, and I compared the professor in an active learning course to a DJ mixing different modes of instruction. DJ Prof designs a student-centered environment combining collaborative in-class exercises, short lecture segments, online video examples, and reading assignments. If you're an active learning skeptic, this talk will highlight empirical evidence of its benefits. If you're interested in getting started with active learning, this talk will suggest easy exercises to try. If you're an experienced DJ Prof, this talk will provide examples to amp up your pedagogical playlist.
BGIM: Bit-Grained Instant-on Memory Cell for Sleep Power Critical Mobile Applications

This paper devises a novel energy-aware Non-Volatile Static Random Access Memory (NV-SRAM) framework for sleep power critical mobile applications. The beyond-Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) hardware architecture has been designed to minimize the overall static and leakage energy consumption while providing fast back-up and restore operations. Differential Spin-Hall Effect Magnetic Random Access Memory devices are utilized to realize the proposed framework called Bit-Grained Instant-on Memory Cell (BGIM). Our results indicate that the proposed BGIM consumes 121.51fJ on average for each back-up operation and 1.56fJ on average for each restore operation. Furthermore, the proposed BGIM can perform rapid back-up operations in 1ns and fast restore operations in 13.2ps. Moreover, the proposed BGIM cell incurs 0.4µm^2 area overhead compared to the traditional 6T SRAM cell, however it eliminates the need for data transmission and a separate non-volatile memory macro.
Tracking the origins of size dependency in the mechanical properties of polymeric nanofibers at the atomistic scale

Abstract Mechanical properties of ultra-fine polymeric nanofibers are highly size-dependent and the mechanisms for causality of the size dependency is still not quite clear yet. In this work, we investigate the origins of this size dependency at the atomistic level. By using molecular dynamics (MD) framework, two fabrication methods are utilized in this study to prepare non-drawn and hot-drawn fibers, in order to investigate the two distinguished mechanisms for nanofiber size dependency. One is rooted in the effect of surface chains which is intrinsic to low dimensional materials and the other is the chain alignment induced by drawing during fiber fabrication process. Our results show that the size dependency is not chiefly attributed to the effect of surface polymeric chains, but rather strongly relates to the chain alignment in nanofiber's microstructure. The atomistic study shows that non-drawn nanofibers have a dense core covered by a less dense shell layer, but interestingly, our investigations reveal that the core-shell structure itself will not result in the remarkable increase of modulus and strength when diameter of the fiber drops down. By testing the hot-drawn fibers, we found the size dependency mainly originates from the chain alignment. When fiber is formed by hot-drawing, higher drawing ratio leads to thinner fiber and more aligned chains in the microstructure. A three-fold increase of modulus and strength is observed when the chain orientation parameter of the hot-drawn nanofiber increases from 0.1491 to 0.3375 while the diameter of the fiber drops from 19 to 10 nm. By examining the energy evolution associated with the bond lengths, bond angles and dihedral angles at the atomistic scale, our results show that the dihedral angles play a vital role in the size-effect. Our results also show the mechanical response of fibers are affected by changing the temperature, additionally, the orientation-induced crystallization is monitored on hot-drawn fibers at 300 K, which makes the fibers become stiffer but less ductile.
Impact of KRAS allele subtypes and concurrent genomic alterations on clinical outcomes to programmed death 1 axis blockade in non-small cell lung cancer.

9082Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) treatment can result in durable responses for KRAS-mutant (mut) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The impact of KRAS allele subtypes and concurr...
Tools for Public Participation in Science: Design and Dissemination of Open-Science Hardware

The Open Science Hardware (OSH) movement has been gaining momentum to make scientific instruments widely accessible through open-source blueprints or DIY kits which can be built for a fraction of the cost of their commercial counterparts. Even though the designs of OSH are freely and openly available over the internet, in most cases, building or assembling science equipment from online designs require knowledge and skills in areas such as digital fabrication and basic electronics. Due to this, some open science practitioners face a multitude of challenges when replicating or customizing those designs to be used in their science experiments.To this end, through ethnographic field work and participatory design, my doctoral research explores such practical challenges faced by open science practitioners and tries to create new mediums and workflows to support efficient and inclusive dissemination of OSH.
Local Governments’ Responses to Revenue Changes: The Effects of Unreserved General Fund Balances

Volatile revenues affect the quality and consistency of municipal service provision. This article investigates how cities use unreserved general fund balances to mitigate annual expenditure fluctua...
Principals' Intentions to Promote Physical Education.

The Principals’ Attitude toward Physical Education (PAPE) survey was used to assess public principals’ intention to promote physical education (PE). Principals (n = 106) from randomly selected midd...
Materials systems for 2-photon lithography

Abstract This chapter will focus on materials strategies for 2-photon, 3D patterning materials. Considering that the patterning process and the 2-photon sensitive photoactive materials are already well discussed, they will only be mentioned briefly when important and this chapter will focus on the polymers and oligomers that are patterned. This chapter will summarize progress in the development of hard materials systems and include mention of filled systems. It will also focus in particular on new softer materials such as elastomers and hydrogels. Applications of these materials will be described briefly as part of each materials section. The review is intended to give an overview of the many different kinds of 3D photopatternable materials that have been successfully processed using 2-photon lithography, but it is not intended to be an exhaustive compilation of materials systems.
Modeling of oil–water separation efficiency in three-phase separators: Effect of emulsion rheology and droplet size distribution

Abstract The multi-fluid Eulerian multiphase model coupled with the inhomogeneous population balance model is applied to predict the gas, oil, and water separation behavior and emulsion destabilization in a high-pressure horizontal three-phase separator. The population balance model is applied to predict the evolving droplet size distribution due to droplet coalescence in the crude oil emulsion. The effect of water fraction on the emulsion viscosity was incorporated to predict the existence of the dense packed layer or zone (DPZ) – a high water-fraction emulsion layer formed at the interface between the oil and water phases. The novel emulsion viscosity model incorporates a dependence on the local droplet size. Parameter estimation for the droplet coalescence kernel in the population balance equation is determined from experimental measurements of emulsion separation kinetics. A proportional integral derivative (PID) controller logic is used to maintain the gas/oil and oil/water interface levels by automatically adjusting the oil and water outlet pressure, respectively. The pilot separator experimental measurements include inlet and outlet flowrates and density, and electrical capacitance measurement of the vertical water concentration profile. The CFD model determines the flow patterns, phase distributions and the dispersed water droplet size distribution in the emulsion in the separator. The model results are in good agreement with the data for the separation efficiency from the water flow rate in and out of the separator, the phase distributions and the DPZ at different flow rates and water fractions. This study demonstrates the importance in multiphase separator design and troubleshooting of including the influence of water fraction on emulsion viscosity and the droplet size distribution with droplet coalescence phenomena. The methodology presented has significant advantages over previously published methods and improves on the value and potential impact toward research and industry practice.
Adaptive Cell Balancing of Series Connected Batteries Using Hybrid Droop Controller

Cell Balancing is a significant element of any Battery Management System (BMS) to increase the operational lifetime of batteries. In this paper, a decentralized control structure is proposed for BMS based on hybrid droop concept where, battery cell balancing is achieved through individual DC/DC converters for series connected batteries. The control approach distributes the power sharing among the batteries according to their State of Charges (SOCs). The decentralized control scheme eliminates the need for any communication links among the converters, which makes the system more reliable and robust compared to the conventional systems. Additionally, the output bus voltage regulation makes the system suitable for high voltage applications and grid-tied configurations. The performance of the proposed control algorithm is verified through circuit simulations, and experimental tests.
Scalable Writing Pedagogy for Strengthening Cohesion with Interactive Visualization

The current pedagogy on cohesion in writing relies primarily on traditional static charts to depict topical connections across sentences. However, since charts are manually generated, they are not practical for inspecting a text during the revision process. We have developed a visualization tool called OnTopic, designed to guide students’ attention to their composing choices that support coherent writing. OnTopic uses natural language processing algorithms to dynamically visualize the topical structure of the student’s draft and thereby help students’ confront and learn to account for their composing decisions. This paper reports on a pilot study that evaluated OnTopic in a series of writing workshops. The results suggest that most students were able to successfully assess their writing from the perspective of topical structure, and develop a plan for specific revisions.
A Performance Comparison of LSTM and Recursive SID Methods in Thermal Modeling of Implantable Medical Devices

This paper investigates application of long short-term memory (LSTM) and recursive system identification (RSID) algorithms to predict the thermal dynamics of bio-implants, e.g. UEA under certain assumptions. Both algorithms implemented in this paper predict the temperature readings of heat sensors using a window size of 10 data points. Simulations in COMSOL software as well as experiments using an in vitro experimental systems are utilized for validation and comparison of algorithm performances. Mean squared error (MSE) of prediction results based on the LSTM algorithm is compared against that of the competitive RSID algorithm for evaluation. Both simulation and experimental results indicate that the LSTM can accurately predict the thermal dynamics of the system and outperforms the RSID algorithm when certain conditions for inputs hold. According to COMSOL simulations and in vitro experiments, the LSTM algorithm returns more reliable predictions for the time period in which the convergence of the adaptive filters in the RSID algorithm is not yet achieved. Alternatively, once the adaptive filters converge, the performance of the RSID algorithm is significantly better than the LSTM for some cases due to its adaptive learning capabilities.
Study on Temperature Rise Test of Valve Bridge Arm Reactor for VSC-HVDC System Based on Equivalent Loss

Aiming at the difference of DC and AC harmonic current characteristics between valve bridge arm reactor for VSC-HVDC system and conventional DC smoothing reactor, based on the Yunnan asynchronous interconnection project, this paper studies and presents the necessity of additional AC temperature rise test for bridge arm reactor, based on equivalent loss principle, recommends AC temperature rise test methods and compares temperature rise experiments to conventional DC and AC dry-type air-core reactor. Results show that firstly, the methods of temperature rise design and test for bridge arm reactor should not simply follow those methods for conventional DC smoothing reactor based on DC current distribution characteristics and AC dry-type air-core reactor based on AC current distribution characteristics, secondly, the bridge arm reactors for Yunnan asynchronous interconnection project meet the temperature rise limit value requirements in AC-DC combined current. Finally, the test method of temperature rise of bridge arm reactor for VSC-HVDC in this paper can be used to guide temperature rise tests of the dry-type reactor in future projects.The research can provide reference for type design and selection of reactors under AC-DC combined large current in future projects.
High speed network issues in a distributed visualization application

The author examines the issues in creating an UltraNet TCP/IP socket-based distributed application. The visualization computation is performed on a Connection Machine, and the results are rendered using a Silicon Graphics 4D/320 VGX workstation. The UltraNet network facilitates high-bandwidth communication between the computers. Ideally, taking advantage of the UltraNet is no more complex than developing TCP/IP and UNIX BSD socket-type applications on a single machine. In practice, there are several problems in developing an application using the UltraNet. The author identifies potential problems and discusses techniques for overcoming them. The performance of UltraNet communication is measured and found to be 10 MB/s for SGI 4D/320 workstations.
Nature Versus Nurture: Preservation and Destruction of Archean Cratons

The factors that promote stability of Archean cratons are investigated from a combined geodynamic, geological, and geophysical perspective in order to evaluate the relative importance of nature<...
High-fidelity prediction of flight trajectories of plate-type debris in boundary layer winds

Abstract From reconnaissance surveys, plate-type objects, such as roof shingles and tiles, are known to be among the most common types of debris objects. Therefore, a reliable prediction of their flight trajectories is instrumental for evaluating the vulnerability of building envelopes, especially in the regions with severe windstorms. Despite the development of several quasi-steady models for this purpose, the current literature lacks high-fidelity models to predict the flight pattern and impact velocity of the windborne debris objects separated from the ground and/or buildings. To address this gap, a coupled computational fluid dynamics and rigid body dynamics simulation framework was developed in the current study to capture the flight trajectories of plate-type debris objects in atmospheric boundary layer winds. Upon establishing a fundamental understanding of main flight characteristics, this study was extended to investigate the effects of initial pitch and yaw angles, plate characteristics, mean wind velocity, and release height on the flight of plate-type debris. In addition, a set of models were developed to predict debris travel distance, as well as linear and angular velocities associated with it. This can be directly employed to assess the impact-induced loading demand that building envelopes are expected to resist due to windborne plate-type debris.
Radiotherapy in Conjunction with Surgical Stabilization of Impending or Pathologic Fractures Secondary to Metastasis: Is There a Difference Between Single and Multifraction Regimens?

Abstract Purpose Patients who undergo surgical stabilization for impending or pathologic fractures secondary to metastasis are often treated with radiotherapy to the involved site. We sought to retrospectively analyze outcomes from single versus multifraction regimens of radiotherapy in this setting. Materials/Methods From our institutional radiation database, we identified 87 patients that had an impending or pathologic fracture from metastatic disease and who underwent surgical fixation in conjunction with either neoadjuvant (within five weeks prior to surgery) or adjuvant (within ten weeks after surgery) radiotherapy, representing 99 total treatment sites, between 2004-2016. Patients were included on the basis of intention to treat with bimodality therapy. Baseline patient characteristics were compared using two-sided T tests and Fisher exact tests. Cumulative incidence of local failure, reirradiation and reoperation were calculated using the Fine-Gray method for competing risks. Freedom from complication was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results Baseline characteristics between the single (n=52) and multifraction (n=47) cohorts were similar with the exception of higher rates of synchronous bony metastasis (83% vs 60%, p =0.01) and female patients (71% vs 43%, p=0.004) in the single fraction cohort. There was no significant difference in overall survival between treatment groups. After a median follow-up of 13 months, there was no significant difference in the single and multifraction cohorts, respectively, in the one year cumulative incidence rates of local failure (4% vs 7%, p=0.58), reirradiation (5% vs 4%, p=0.95), reoperation (4% vs 0%, p=0.30), or one year freedom from complication (90% vs 95%, p=0.40). Conclusion This is the first study comparing outcomes between single and multifraction radiotherapy in conjunction with surgical stabilization of an impending or pathologic fracture. We found no difference in outcomes between single and multifraction regimens in this setting. Given these findings, single fraction perioperative radiotherapy may be a viable treatment option in appropriately selected patients pending prospective validation of these findings.
Modeling Interdependencies between the Building Portfolio, Transportation Network, and Healthcare System in Community Resilience

AbstractA community resilience model that takes into account the mutual interdependencies between the building portfolio, transportation network, and healthcare system both during and after a seism...
Minimal history, a theory of plausible explanation: Research Articles

In computational theory, time is defined in terms of steps, and steps are defined by the computational process. Because steps can be described, a computation can be recorded as a binary string. This allows time to be measured in bits, which in turn, allows the definition of various computable complexity measures that account for the minimal amount of computation required to create an object from primitive beginnings. Three such measures are introduced in this article. They are “transcript depth,” which is closely relate to logical and computational depth, and “Kd complexity,” which is similar to Levin's Kt complexity, and “minimal history.” The later two measures are comprehensive in the sense that they characterize all information required for the creation of an object and also all computable internal relationships and redundancies that are present in the object. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 12:48–53, 2007 This paper was submitted as an invited paper resulting from the “Understanding Complex Systems” conference held at the University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign, May 2005
Idiopathic Ventricular Tachycardia: Is Radiofrequency Ablation the First Line Therapy?

The development and refinement of catheter based ablative techniques has had a remarkable effect on the treatment of many types of arrhythmias. The impact of catheter ablation has been favorably compared to that of penicillin for the treatment of pneumococcal pneumonia [1]. Advances in these techniques have essentially eliminated the need for arrhythmia surgery (except for atrial fibrillation), a field that was vigorous only 15 years ago. At the same time, confidence in the use of antiarrhythmic drugs has suffered as our awareness of the cardiac and non-cardiac side effects of such therapy has grown. Clinical trial experience in treating arrhythmias ranging from ventricular tachycardia (VT) in structural heart disease (such as the Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial [2]) to atrial fibrillation in patients largely without structural heart disease (such as the AFFIRM Trial [3]) has consistently demonstrated the potential survival disadvantage conferred by antiarrhythmic drug therapy. These considerations, coupled with the lack of complete efficacy of drug therapy, have led to a further increase in enthusiasm for nonpharmacologic treatment strategies.
Stability of dynamic traveling repairman problem under Polling-Sequencing policies

We establish a necessary and sufficient condition for stability in the dynamic traveling repairman problem (DTRP) [3] under the class of polling-sequencing (P-S) policies satisfying unlimited-polling and economy of scale. The P-S class includes some of the policies proven to be optimal for the expectation of system time under light and heavy loads in the DTRP literature. The number of tasks inside each polling partition is shown to be a Markov chain. Policies such as first come first serve, traveling salesman policy, nearest neighbor and Daganzo's algorithm are shown to have economy of scale.