cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid solidification growth mode transitions in Al-Si alloys by dynamic transmission electron microscopy

Abstract In situ dynamic transmission electron microscope (DTEM) imaging of Al-Si thin-film alloys was performed to investigate rapid solidification behavior. Solidification of alloys with compositions from 1 to 15 atomic percent Si was imaged during pulsed laser melting and subsequent solidification. Solely α-Al solidification was observed in Al-1Si and Al-3Si alloys, and solely kinetically modified eutectic growth was observed in Al-6Si and Al-9Si alloys. A transition in the solidification mode in eutectic and hypereutectic alloys (Al-12Si and Al-15Si) from nucleated α-Al dendrites at lower solidification velocities to planar eutectic growth at higher solidification velocities was observed, departing from trends previously seen in laser-track melting experiments. Comparisons of the growth modes and corresponding velocities are compared with previous solidification models, and implications regarding the models are discussed.
An Introduction to the Complex Connection Between Cannabis and Schizophrenia

Abstract The Cannabis sativa plant contains many cannabinoids, including the principal psychoactive component, Δ9-terahydrocannabinol (THC), as well as cannabidiol (CBD). Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug globally. In recent years, its possession is being increasingly decriminalized and even legalized for both medical and recreational use in the United States and worldwide. Among the mental health concerns related to the drug, there is mounting evidence of an intricate link between cannabis use and schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. At the same time, there is early, promising evidence to suggest that CBD may be an effective and well-tolerated antipsychotic agent. This book provides an in-depth overview of the current state of research on the role that cannabis plays in psychosis and psychotic disorders, comprehensively covering a wide range of topics, from epidemiology to pathophysiology to treatment implications.
Trends in Undergraduate Soil Science Education at Selected Universities in the USA from 2009 to 2013

Data were collected from 10 universities in the United States on declared academic majors and gender of students enrolled in seven different soil science courses over a 5-yr period. Combined trends for all courses and trends for each individual course were evaluated. Data were also collected on the number of students participating in soil judging as well as tenure track and non-tenure track full time equivalent (FTE) soil science faculty positions. Environmental science, crop science/horticulture/agronomy, and other agricultural students enrolled in soil science courses in the greatest numbers. Environmental science and engineering students showed rapid increases in enrollment, while crop science/horticulture/agronomy and soil science student enrollment declined. Soil physics was the only class where declared soil science students were the single largest enrolled group. Soil judging numbers were consistent, while FTE faculty showed a slight decline. Students from many different academic majors took soil science courses at the universities investigated, and the most common majors in these courses depended on the course and the material it addressed. Overall student enrollment increased in all subject areas investigated except soil physics. While the results from this study are somewhat mixed, the overall growth in student enrollment in soil science courses at the investigated universities, as well as the broad range of majors enrolled in soil science coursework, indicate an upward trajectory in soil science education at these universities.
Factors affecting patients' functional status and their impact on outcomes of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms

Abstract Objective Despite advances in surgical techniques, ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) remains associated with extremely high mortality. Several preoperative risk factors have been shown to predict poor prognosis after rAAA repair. Notably, a preoperative dependent functional status has previously been shown to be associated with poor outcomes after several vascular surgery procedures. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of preoperative functional status on postoperative outcomes for patients undergoing repair of rAAA. Methods Patients with rAAA were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database for the year 2013. The patients' demographics, procedural data, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. Patients were then divided into two groups: dependent functional status and independent functional status. Preoperative variables and outcomes were compared between these two groups. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was then conducted to assess independent risk factors that predispose to dependent functional status. Results A total of 1239 patients underwent repair of rAAAs. Of these, 34 patients did not have a recorded functional status. The total number of patients analyzed was therefore 1205 (male, 78%; female; 22%; group I, dependent functional status, n = 62 [5%]; group II, independent functional status, n = 1143 [95%]). Bivariate analysis identified the following variables as having a significant association with dependent functional status: age >80 years (odds ratio [OR], 8.70; confidence interval [CI] 1.18-64.43; P = .002), female sex (OR, 2.89; CI, 1.71-4.87; P P P P = .033), current smoker (OR, 0.41; CI, 0.22-0.77; P = .005), and hypertension (OR, 2.86; CI, 1.4-5.87; P = .004). Preoperative functional status had no effect on the following postoperative outcomes: surgical site infection, cardiac arrest, unplanned intubation, readmission, return to the operating room, and death. Dependent functional status was associated with increased length of hospital stay (group I, median of 10 days; group II, median of 7 days). Conclusions Dependent functional status is considered to be strongly associated with poor outcomes after surgical operations. Our study shows that functional status has little or no bearing on the outcomes of operations for rAAA and that preoperative dialysis, female sex, advanced age, and dyspnea are strong predictors of dependent functional status. Dependent functional status should not be used to exclude patients with rAAA from being offered surgical treatment.
Treatment Response and Non-Response in CBT and Network Support for Alcohol Disorders: Targeted Mechanisms and Common Factors

AIMS To determine whether mechanisms of drinking behavior change that are targeted by specific treatments mediate the effects of Packaged Cognitive Behavior Therapy (PCBT) and Network Support (NS) on abstinence rates throughout 27 months. DESIGN Secondary analysis of data from two Network Support Project randomized clinical trials, in which participants were assigned to either a case management control treatment (control) or NS treatment in trial 1, or to PCBT or NS treatment in trial 2. SETTING An out-patient substance abuse treatment site at a university medical center in the United States. PARTICIPANTS A total of 249 men and 154 women (n = 403) with alcohol use disorder. MEASUREMENTS The primary outcome was membership in a treatment responder class determined by growth mixture modeling (GMM) of monthly proportion days abstinent (PDA) to 27 months. Key predictors of responder class membership included network change variables, and changes in coping scores and self-efficacy. FINDINGS GMM analyses indicated that a three-class solution provided the best fit to the data: a treatment responder class comprising almost 55% of patients, a late relapsing class that showed post-treatment gains followed by a return to baseline drinking (12.7% of patients) and a non-responder class (32% of patients). Analyses indicated that treatment effects on responder class membership were moderated by baseline drinking (P < 0.001). PCBT effects were mediated by changes in coping scores (P < 0.05). NS treatment effects were also mediated by coping change, as well as by increases in self-efficacy and in number of abstinent friends (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Long-term success in Packaged Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Network Support treatments for alcohol use disorder appears to be mediated by both general mechanisms (developing coping skills and self-efficacy) and treatment-targeted mechanisms (developing network strategies that emphasize social support and avoiding friends who drink).
Assessment of biologically active parathyroid hormone in hyperparathyroid man.

The ability to measure peptide hormone levels in serum by radioimmunoassay (RIA) has revolutionized clinical endocrinology. It has become evident, however, that many peptide hormones circulate in multiple forms1, and that region-specific RIAs may fail to recognize one or more of these hormonal species. Furthermore, inasmuch as antigenic determinants bear no necessary relationship to regions of the hormone molecule required for biologic action, RIA measurements do not always reflect levels of biologically active hormone.
Ethnic and Gender Differences in Distress Among Anglo American, African American, Japanese American, and Mexican American Spousal Caregivers of Persons with Dementia

Distress, coping, and social resources were compared in a sample of 202 Japanese-, Anglo-, African-, and Mexican American spousal caregivers of persons with dementia using a Stress-Coping model. Both ethnicity and gender showed differential effects on the outcome and on the moderating variables. Female caregivers in all ethnic groups reported significantly higher levels of psychiatric symptomatology. All 4 ethnic groups reported high rates of psychological distress, with Mexican Americans reporting significantly higher rates of depression than Anglo or African Americans. Ethnicity was related to (1) the kind of caregiving appraisals (spiritual, pessimistic, and lack of support), (2) coping styles (escape-avoidance and seeking social support), and (3) social support. African Americans were more likely to be spiritual appraisers, to have more positive appraisals, and to have more social support available to them. Gender differences were evident on 4 out of the 6 caregiver appraisals, but none of the coping styles. Although males tended to have more perfectionistic appraisals, they were also more likely to view caregiving with a less negative and more self-efficacious outlook.
Distinct element simulations of earthquake fault rupture through materials of varying density

Abstract Surface manifestations of earthquake fault rupture are strongly affected by the dilatant response of the soil deposit overlying the bedrock fault displacement. The granular material’s in-situ void ratio and effective confining stress affect its dilatancy, and hence, its stress-strain response and ductility. Distinct element method (DEM) assemblages of 3D, non-spherical particles are prepared with different void ratio distributions, and their dilatancy is characterized using direct shear test simulations. DEM simulations capture the response of sand in centrifuge experiments of earthquake fault rupture propagation. Macro-scale mechanisms of ground deformation and micro-scale mechanisms of shear band formation during dip-slip fault rupture propagation are analyzed through particle rotations, homogenized strains, frictional dissipation, and particle displacements. The brittle and ductile responses of granular media undergoing fault rupture are related to changes in the coordination numbers in each particle assemblage. The deformational characteristics of a metastable fabric in the loosest particle assemblages and a stable fabric in the densest particle assemblages are revealed through the accumulation of energy dissipated through friction. The normalized strong contact forces are also greater in magnitude in the loosest particle assemblages and greater in number in the densest assemblages.
Influence of Work Characteristics on the Association Between Police Stress and Sleep Quality.

Abstract Background Police officers' stress perception, frequency of stressful events (stressors), and police work characteristics may contribute to poor sleep quality through different mechanisms. Methods We investigated associations of stress severity (measured by stress rating score) and frequency of stressors with sleep quality and examined the influence of police work characteristics including workload, police rank, prior military experience, and shift work on the associations. Participants were 356 police officers (256 men and 100 women) enrolled in the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress Study from 2004 to 2009. A mean stress rating score and mean frequency of stressors occurring in the past month were computed for each participant from the Spielberger Police Stress Survey data. Sleep quality was assessed using the global score derived from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index survey. Linear associations of the stress rating score and frequency of stressors with sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global score) were tested. Age, sex, race/ethnicity, and smoking status were selected as potential confounders. Results The stress rating score was positively and independently associated with poor sleep quality (β = 0.17, p = 0.002). Only workload significantly modified this association (β = 0.23, p = 0.001 for high workload group; p-interaction = 0.109). The frequency of stressors was positively and independently associated with poor sleep quality (β = 0.13, p = 0.025). Only police rank significantly modified the association (β = 0.007, p = 0.004 for detectives/other executives; p-interaction = 0.076). Conclusion Both police officers' perception of stress severity and the frequency of stressors are associated with poor sleep quality. Stress coping or sleep promotion regimens may be more beneficial among police officers reporting high workloads.
Medieval Literature in the Contact Zone

In Marco Polo’s Le Devisement du Monde: Narrative Voice, Language and Diversity, Simon Gaunt explains why “tramontane” sometimes means “north”: The rare noun and adjective tramontane and tramontain...
Negative eWOM in Social Media and Stock Evolution: An Abstract

Negative perceptions of United Airlines’ corporate reputation increased 500% after the event regarding the forcible removal of a ticketed passenger on April 9, 2017, a video that became viral and traveled the world first-class through social media. Under these circumstances, the objectives of this study are threefold. We first want to explore the way consumers behave and interact online in the case of what they perceive as a significant negative event for a brand. Second, we want to assess how different brand events, from the same organization or other companies, interact and affect each other regarding social media and the public’s attention on NWOM. Third, we focus on the relationship between negative word-of-mouth and fluctuations in the stock market price of the targeted brand.
Communication in Negotiation

At its very heart, negotiation is a communication-driven process. It can be discussed, to a surprising extent, through a communication-focused frame. Communication is a distinctly human activity, and conducting communication poorly is at the heart of innumerable conflicts and failed negotiation. If we could get what we needed without interacting with others, there would be no need for communication. We would reach out and take what we need – likely, in silence. However, we often need other’s permission, acquiescence, or agreement, to achieve what we need, and the act of negotiating with them is a communicative act. Negotiators, therefore, must be master communicators, able to overcome the challenges to communication that frequently occur in negotiation. In this chapter, we focus on direct, verbal, communication, understanding how interpersonal communication works, and spotlighting elements of communication that break down owing to the negotiation environment. We will discuss five key tools negotiators can use for improving negotiation communication, and suggest a structure for carrying out negotiation conversations.
Inorganic arsenic exposure induces sex-disparate effects and exacerbates ischemia-reperfusion injury in the female heart

This is the first mechanistic study examining iAS exposure on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in male and female mice. Following iAS exposure, ischemia-reperfusion injury was exacerbated in ...
Announcement Effects of Macro Economic Variables on Stock Market Returns and Volatility- A Neural Network Approach

We study the effects of macroeconomic variables on stock returns and volatility using a Neural Network approach. Neural network models can discover nonlinear complex patterns with the ability to process high levels of data. Neural networks can be used for any type of similar data sets with the ability to process and uncover similar data patterns, and provide a result. In this paper, we use a learning neural network model to find the relationship and strength of six widely used macroeconomic variables on stock market returns and volatility. Results indicate the three most influential variables are announcements of inflation, unemployment, and national income.
Catalogue of the Persian Manuscripts in the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences: Benedek Péri with Mojdeh Mohammadi and Miklós Sárközy, Leiden: Brill, 2018, ISBN 9789004367883 (hardback), 392 pp.

This useful volume sheds light on a relatively unknown collection of Persian manuscripts, namely those preserved in the Oriental Collection of the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Bu...
Adolescents in Educational Systems

Much of adolescents’ daily activities involves schooling, and it might be assumed that the legal system concerns itself with the extent to which students receive quality educations and with the need to ensure that schools provide appropriate curricular opportunities. But, that is not the case, with a few notable exceptions like those involving discrimination (and addressed in another chapter). Instead, concerns center on the schools’ power to shape students’ learning environments, especially when schools suspect or seek to prevent misbehavior. As a result, the major constitutional cases involving educational systems focus on the ability of schools to limit students’ freedoms and reduce protections from governmental intrusions. Examples include the power of schools to limit students’ speech (First Amendment) as well as expand the ability of schools to invade students’ privacy (Fourth Amendment) and exert control (such as through corporal punishment, the Eighth Amendment). Although the Court long announced that students have constitutional rights in school settings (especially in public schools), the cases that have developed in this area of the law reveal that students are not the constitutional persons the Court has held them up to be. This chapter presents materials exploring the nature of students’ limited rights, rationales for their limitations, and their implications. This context complements well others, such as those including child welfare and family life, as it provides yet another example of the Constitution’s focus on limiting the government’s power.
Vasorin/ATIA Promotes Cigarette Smoke-Induced Transformation of Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells by Suppressing Autophagy-Mediated Apoptosis.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Escaping cell death pathways is an important event during carcinogenesis. We previously identified anti-TNFα-induced apoptosis (ATIA, also known as vasorin) as an antiapoptotic factor that suppresses reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. However, the role of vasorin in lung carcinogenesis has not been investigated. METHODS: Vasorin expression was examined in human lung cancer tissues with immunohistochemistry and database analysis. Genetic and pharmacological approaches were used to manipulate protein expression and autophagy activity in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs). ROS generation was measured with fluorescent indicator, apoptosis with release of lactate dehydrogenase, and cell transformation was assessed with colony formation in soft agar. RESULTS: Vasorin expression was increased in human lung cancer tissues and cell lines, which was inversely associated with lung cancer patient survival. Cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE)–induced vasorin expression in HBECs. Vasorin knockdown in HBECs significantly suppressed CSE-induced transformation in association with enhanced ROS accumulation and autophagy. Scavenging ROS attenuated autophagy and cytotoxicity in vasorin knockdown cells, suggesting that vasorin potentiates transformation by impeding ROS-mediated CSE cytotoxicity and improving survival of the premalignant cells. Suppression of autophagy effectively inhibited CSE-induced apoptosis, suggesting that autophagy was pro-apoptotic in CSE-treated cells. Importantly, blocking autophagy strongly potentiated CSE-induced transformation. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that vasorin is a potential lung cancer–promoting factor that facilitates cigarette smoke–induced bronchial epithelial cell transformation by suppressing autophagy-mediated apoptosis, which could be exploited for lung cancer prevention.
Robust Olefin Metathesis Catalyst Bearing a Tridentate Hemilabile NHC Ligand

An olefin metathesis catalyst bearing a tridentate hemilabile N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand was synthesized and characterized. The solid-state crystal structure reveals coordination from all ...
Higher and colder: a history of extreme physiology and exploration: by Vanessa Heggie, Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 2019, 264 pp., $40.00 USD (hardcover), ISBN 9780226650883

Vanessa Heggie’s Higher and Colder serves as a concise introduction to 20th century physiological research. Through narrating the history of physiological research in high-altitude and Polar Region...
The Clinical and Economic Burden of Norovirus Gastroenteritis in the United States

Background Although norovirus outbreaks periodically make headlines, it is unclear how much attention norovirus may receive otherwise. A better understanding of the burden could help determine how to prioritize norovirus prevention and control. Methods We developed a computational simulation model to quantify the clinical and economic burden of norovirus in the United States. Results A symptomatic case generated $48 in direct medical costs, $416 in productivity losses ($464 total). The median yearly cost of outbreaks was $7.6 million (range across years, $7.5-$8.2 million) in direct medical costs, and $165.3 million ($161.1-$176.4 million) in productivity losses ($173.5 million total). Sporadic illnesses in the community (incidence, 10-150/1000 population) resulted in 14 118-211 705 hospitalizations, 8.2-122.9 million missed school/work days, $0.2-$2.3 billion in direct medical costs, and $1.4-$20.7 billion in productivity losses ($1.5-$23.1 billion total). The total cost was $10.6 billion based on the current incidence estimate (68.9/1000). Conclusion Our study quantified norovirus' burden. Of the total burden, sporadic cases constituted >90% (thus, annual burden may vary depending on incidence) and productivity losses represented 89%. More than half the economic burden is in adults ≥45, more than half occurs in winter months, and >90% of outbreak costs are due to person-to-person transmission, offering insights into where and when prevention/control efforts may yield returns.
Facilitators, barriers and lessons learnt from the first state-wide naloxone distribution conducted in West Virginia.

Background Overdose education and naloxone distribution programmes are known to reduce opioid-related deaths. A state-wide naloxone distribution effort of 8250 rescue kits was undertaken by government, community and university partners in West Virginia in 2016–2017. The purpose of this study was to discern the barriers, facilitators and lesson learnt from implementing this endeavour in a rural state with the highest opioid overdose fatality rate in the US. Methods Structured interviews (n=26) were conducted among both internal and external stakeholders. Those who participated were >18 years of age and were the lead representative from agencies that either received naloxone (ie, external stakeholders) or helped implement the distribution (ie, internal stakeholders). The interviews followed standardised scripts and lasted approximately 40 min. Sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed. Qualitative content analysis was performed by two researchers to determine themes surrounding facilitators or barriers to programme implementation. Results The primary facilitators reported by stakeholders included collaborative partnerships, ease of participating in the programme, being established in prevention efforts, demand for naloxone and the need for personal protection from overdose. The primary barriers identified by stakeholders included bureaucracy/policy/procedures of their organisation or agency, stigma, logistical or planning issues, problems with reporting, lack of communication post distribution and sustainability. Numerous lessons were learnt. Conclusions Based on the implementation of the programme in 87 organisations, including law enforcement and fire departments, the impact of facilitators outweighed that of barriers. These findings may inform others planning to conduct a similar, large-scale project.
Chemical doping of organic semiconductors

Abstract This chapter reviews the fundamentals and recent progress in the understanding of the molecular electrical doping of organic semiconductors; that is, the doping of conjugated polymers (CPs) and conjugated molecules (COMs). In contrast to inorganic semiconductors, the potential of using doping to improve the performance of organic electronic devices has been established only in the last decade, however, with resounding success. Doping COMs and CPs allows both increasing conductivity by orders of magnitude and tuning their energy levels to reduce energy barriers for charge transport. In this chapter, we focus on the broad range of phenomena observed upon doping organic semiconductors and highlight two distinctly different scenarios: the immediate, pairwise formation of ions and the formation of ground-state charge transfer complexes between the semiconductor and the dopant through supramolecular hybridization of their respective frontier molecular orbitals. Doping-related modifications of the organic semiconductor density of states and conditions for carrier release after the initial charge transfer are discussed, spectroscopic evidence for the underlying processes at work are summarized and correlations between the respective doping scenario and the underlying microstructure are highlighted. This chapter is a carefully revised and updated version of Hase, H., Salzmann, I., 2019. Doping in organic semiconductors. In: Ostroverkhova, O. (Ed.), Handbook of organic materials for electronic and photonic devices, second ed., Woodhead Publishing, pp. 349–383, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102284-9.00011-5 .
Literature Review of Energy Storage for Power System Economics

Storage of clean and renewable energy is very essential for the electricity market as we look forward to reducing the carbon footprint in the atmosphere. In achieving this, we need to greatly decarbonize the transportation system which contributes greatly to the depletion of the ozone layer with the constant emission of carbon dioxide CO 2 into the atmosphere. Hence, a battery storage solution (vanadium redox flow battery) is proposed in this study. However, the presence of reliable storage in the electricity market goes a long way in reducing the carbon footprints and thus brings down the cost of electricity per megawatt-hour (MWh) of energy as it would allow electricity to be stored during off-peak hours and later re-introduced into the grid to be utilized during peak hours which is when consumption exceeds the generated capacity. In this study, a careful examination of various storage solutions that can be used for the electricity grid, also taking into consideration the various sources of energy, and looking at different types of batteries and their comparative advantages. All these aided in making a conclusion to propose that the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) can be an efficient and effective means of storage industrially and for individual household. Besides that, this storage solution can further be utilized in electric cars and buses used for commercial transportation. On the long run, this will generally reduce the cost of transportation for both public transport users and personal car owners and simultaneously conserving our environment by reducing the amount of emission done by fossil fuel.
Uniform Supported Metal Nanocrystal Catalysts Prepared by Slurry Freeze-Drying

Colloid immobilization is an established way to load metal nanocrystals (NCs) onto solid supports to make heterogeneous (photo)catalysts. The use of preformed colloidal NCs enables excellent contro...
Housing was Undersupplied During the Great Housing Bubble

The overriding challenge of the 21st-century economy has not been too much money, too much credit, or too many homes. To the contrary, at the heart of the housing “bubble,” the sense of stagnation, and the sense of inequity is a distressing lack of homes. In this brief, based on the evidence I presented in my book Shut Out, I argue that we did not have a housing bubble. We had a housing supply bust — first in the places where people want to live, in places where there is more economic opportunity. That supply bust caused prices to rise to extreme levels in those cities — most notably in New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, and San Francisco — metropolitan areas I call the Closed Access cities. After the turn of the century, millions of households flooded out of those cities because of the shortage of housing — so many that they overwhelmed cities in the main destinations for those households, such as inland California, Arizona, and Florida. Then we imposed a credit and monetary bust on the entire country in a misplaced attempt to alleviate the problem. Policymakers tried to solve that supply problem by imposing a demand bust. The demand bust succeeded so well that a decade later we are still mired in the most depressed period of homebuilding since the Great Depression. Since the demand bust didn’t solve the supply problem in fact, it made it worse — the problems we associate with the bubble are now worse. This has led to rising housing costs, income stagnation and inequality, and labor markets that have been slow to recover.
MIPAC: Dynamic Input-Aware Accuracy Control for Dynamic Auto-Tuning of Iterative Approximate Computing

For many applications that exhibit strong error resilience, such as machine learning and signal processing, energy efficiency and performance can be dramatically improved by allowing for slight errors in intermediate computations. Iterative methods (IMs), wherein the solution is improved over multiple executions of an approximation algorithm, allow for energy-quality trade-off at run-time by adjusting the number of iterations (NOI). However, in prior IM circuits, NOI adjustment has been made based on a pre-characterized NOI-quality mapping, which is input-agnostic thus results in an undesirable large variation in output quality. In this paper, we propose a novel design framework that incorporates a lightweight quality controller that makes input-dependent predictions on the output quality and determines the optimal NOI at run-time. The proposed quality controller is composed of accurate yet low-overhead NOI predictors, generated by a novel logic reduction technique. We evaluate the proposed design framework on several IM circuits and demonstrate significant improvements in energy-quality performance.
Plasticity in parental effects confers rapid larval thermal tolerance in the estuarine anemone Nematostella vectensis.

ABSTRACT Parental effects can prepare offspring for different environments and facilitate survival across generations. We exposed parental populations of the estuarine anemone, Nematostella vectensis, from Massachusetts to elevated temperatures and quantified larval mortality across a temperature gradient. We found that parental exposure to elevated temperatures resulted in a consistent increase in larval thermal tolerance, as measured by the temperature at which 50% of larvae die (LT50), with a mean increase in LT50 of 0.3°C. Larvae from subsequent spawns returned to baseline thermal thresholds when parents were returned to normal temperatures, indicating plasticity in these parental effects. Histological analyses of gametogenesis in females suggested that these dynamic shifts in larval thermal tolerance may be facilitated by maternal effects in non-overlapping gametic cohorts. We also compared larvae from North Carolina (a genetically distinct population with higher baseline thermal tolerance) and Massachusetts parents, and observed that larvae from heat-exposed Massachusetts parents had thermal thresholds comparable to those of larvae from unexposed North Carolina parents. North Carolina parents also increased larval thermal tolerance under the same high-temperature regime, suggesting that plasticity in parental effects is an inherent trait for N. vectensis. Overall, we find that larval thermal tolerance in N. vectensis shows a strong genetic basis and can be modulated by parental effects. Further understanding of the mechanisms behind these shifts can elucidate the fate of thermally sensitive ectotherms in a rapidly changing thermal environment.
Understanding Immersive Research Experiences that Build Community, Equity, and Inclusion

In this experience report, we describe the rationale and need for immersive research experiences (IREs) in computer science (CS) that are designed to foster an inclusive community that encourages pursuit of graduate education for undergraduate women. Google's exploreCSR supports institutions across the US to execute IREs in computing throughout the academic year. We describe the program design and framework, the evaluation model, and present outcomes from two years of implementation across 29 institutions, with 1,983 (92% female) student participants collectively. The unique features of the program are that it aligns goals, measurements, and best practices across a national network of hands-on, localized IREs, resulting in peer communities and a sizable sample of undergraduates who identify as women and/or African-American/Black, American Indian/Alaska Native/Native American, Hispanic/Latinx, and/or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AAHN). We discuss recommendations for effective IRE programming based on our evaluation and the features found to be particularly salient for AAHN women. The contribution of this work is in describing how a national initiative for IREs builds community and creates conditions known to support persistence of women in computer science.
A Cognitivist Theory of Affordances for Games.

Affordances, broadly construed as opportunities for action, have been used to explain game-related phenomena in a variety of different contexts. This paper presents a cognitivist theory of affordances, which is general enough that it subsumes several related theories, yet precise enough that it provides a useful lens through which to view games. The framework is a re-contextualization of older work that unifies approaches taken in the fields of ecological psychology, interaction design, and human-computer interaction. The Cognitivist Theory of Affordances in Games is thus a theoretical contribution, which synthesizes several views by presenting three independent manipulable entities that are relevant to the study of games: 1) real affordances, what actions are possible in a game, 2) perceived affordances, what actions players perceive possible in a game, and 3) feedback, perceptual information introduced in the game by its designers to advertise real affordances in the hopes of eliciting accurate perceived affordances.
A fair backward explicit congestion control scheme for ATM network

A congestion control strategy has been developed in this paper to improve the performance of the network under heavy load. It takes two actions; one is a preventive measure and the other is a reactive measure. The preventive measure tracks the link and buffer space utilization. This measure restricts the call's entry into the network beyond the preset level of link utilization. Whenever the buffer gets filled beyond a threshold point, data cells coming in are dropped based on their priority. The reactive measure monitors the buffer space and its utilization. Whenever the buffers get filled to peak value, control cells are generated and are sent to the host computers responsible for buffer overflow. The control cells have a field set to the rate that the host computer should use. The new rate set in the control cells is based on the current rate of the call. After reducing the rate, the host will not reduce it further for a period of time called the recovery period that is also based on the current call rate. After the recovery period is over, the host computer will again transmit at the previous call rate.
Protecting the permeability pore and mitochondrial biogenesis

Recent evidence links the pathogenesis of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in sepsis to mitochondrial damage. Our hypothesis is that cellular mechanisms maintaining mitochondrial function must be protected in order to prevent MODS. Recent animal experiments indicate that host defences which target and kill microbes, in part via reactive oxygen and nitrogen production, also injure mitochondria, thus activating mitochondrial cell death pathways. To limit such collateral damage, the cell up-regulates and imports into mitochondria several nuclear-encoded proteins for antioxidant defence and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication. Fully integrated responses lead to mitochondrial biogenesis, which may alter cellular phenotype to avoid mitochondrial permeability transition, apoptosis, or energy failure. Key to the cell's vulnerability to oxidant generation by the innate immune response is the mtDNA content. MtDNA depletion is opposed by oxidation reduction (redox) signals that communicate the extent of mitochondrial damage to the nucleus. Molecular studies suggest that redox mechanisms activate two biogenic transcription factors, nuclear respiratory factors 1 and 2, which forestall a deterioration of oxidative phosphorylation during infection. Biogenic failure or an intrinsic biogenic arrest could hasten degradation of mitochondrial function and drive the cell to apoptosis or necrosis. By implication, novel protective strategies for biogenesis hold promise for the prevention of MODS.
Building a competency model for sustainability

Multiple drivers have transformed sustainability from concept to an institutional imperative. Environmental and sustainability knowledge and skills are increasingly valued competencies by many organizations. These emerging attributes help define qualifications for green jobs and organizational performance [1, 2]. The purpose of this paper is to review a sustainability competency model (SCM) that is being applied to an online Masters level Sustainable Systems Engineering degree (SSE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The model will be of interest to companies and organizations that wish to develop institutional and individual capabilities to meet the needs of their customers and stakeholders. The paper reflects knowledge, skills and mindsets developed through behavioural interviews with sustainability experts from business, government and academia. Many of the businesses involved develop and use electronics devices.
A forgotten vascular disease with important clinical implications. Subclavian steal syndrome

BACKGROUND Subclavian Steal Syndrome (SSS) is a fascinating vascular phenomenon in which a steno-occlusive lesion of the proximal subclavian artery causes retrograde flow in the vertebral artery away from the brain stem subsequently causing vertebrobasilar insufficiency. SSS can present with a myriad of neurological and vascular signs and symptoms, but most commonly this phenomenon presents as an incidental finding in an asymptomatic patient. CASE REPORT Our patient is a 73-year-old female sent to the cardiology clinic for surgical clearance in preparation for an elective cholecystectomy. Shortness of breath was her only complaint. Review of systems was remarkable for left arm pain and blurry vision with repetitive movement. Physical examination noticeable for absence of left radial pulse. Percutaneous angiography demonstrated a totally occulted left subclavian artery with collateral circulation form the vertebrobasilar apparatus. CONCLUSIONS Atypical presentation of this unique entity represents a challenge for physicians who require a high index of suspicion to make the diagnosis. We present an atypical case with radiographical evidence of the steal syndrome, followed by an extensive literature review of the most current diagnostic methods as well as latest recommendations for treatment options and secondary prevention.
Regulation of HIV-1 expression by cytokine networks in a CD4+ model of chronic infection

Using the CD4+ model of chronic HIV-1 infection, OM-10.1, we investigated the influence of TNF-alpha regulatory networks on induced viral expression. Previously, OM-10.1 cultures were characterized to respond to exogenous TNF-alpha, as nearly 100% of the cells were activated to express HIV-1 within 24 h. In this study, OM-10.1 cells were pulse-treated, by applying exogenous factors for short periods of time and then washing, to determine if autocrine TNF-alpha could sustain HIV-1 activation in the absence of additional exogenous stimulation. After a TNF-alpha pulse treatment, the progressive increase of HIV-1-expressing OM-10.1 cells was prevented by the continuous presence of anti-TNF-alpha mAb. The inductive activity of supernatant from TNF-alpha pulse-treated OM-10.1 cultures was completely removed by absorption on immobilized anti-TNF-alpha mAb. In addition, TNF-alpha pulse-treated OM-10.1 cells activated HIV-1 expression in untreated OM-10.1 cells when cultured across a permeable membrane indicating paracrine effects. Interestingly, if TNF-alpha pulse-treated OM-10.1 cells were further pulse-treated with anti-TNF-alpha mAb, a marked reduction in autocrine TNF-alpha was observed although the level of newly synthesized TNF-alpha mRNA remained unaffected. A similar degree of inhibition over autocrine TNF-alpha production was observed when soluble TNF receptors were used as the second pulse treatment in these experiments. Although the applicability of these results to in vivo chronically HIV-1-infected cells remains to be realized, these results do indicate that activated HIV-1 expression can be influenced by self-perpetuating mechanisms during periods of limited exogenous stimulation. Furthermore, physiologic mechanisms involving soluble cytokine receptors that counteract autocrine and paracrine activation of HIV-1 expression are shown here to play a regulatory role.
THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF BIOTIN IN MICROORGANISMS. II. MECHANISM OF THE REGULATION OF BIOTIN SYNTHESIS IN ESCHERICHIA COLI.

Abstract : The mechanism of the physiological control of biotin synthesis in Escherichia coli by exogenous biotin has been studied under conditions where enzyme synthesis was inhibited by chloramphenicol or ultraviolet irradiation. The results of such studies suggest that the regulation of biotin synthesis occurs via repression rather than feedback. The experimental findings are discussed in relation to the control of vitamin and amino acid biosynthesis. (Author)
The power of story for motivating adaptive response–marshaling individual and collective initiative to create more resilient and sustainable food systems

What can environmental scientists and teachers do to make our food system more resilient in times of rapid change and food system failures? One low-cost and high-impact way is to encourage people to tell their stories of food and farming. Stories are one way we navigate complexity, and our food system is increasingly complex. Facilitating individuals and groups to talk about their experiences and direct observations is a powerful tool to help people understand their role in the food system. As each individual makes his or her own personal story explicit, they begin to listen to the stories of others and see how their daily choices shape the system. People are then in a position to better understand complexity and make conscious choices that support resilience and systemic change. We offer three cases in different contexts that illustrate how anyone can facilitate an adaptive response and what outcomes could be expected. The first case involves discussion of agricultural ethics in a children’s classroom setting. The second shares experience of apple growers who wanted to reduce pesticide risk but were thwarted by the management complexity. The third case brought together business leaders interested in making regional food systems more resilient. In these cases, narratives based on personal experience helped people understand their role as a central actor in the food system and make them conscious of their responsibility for the health of the system. It encouraged their curiosity and interest in specific questions that scientific inquiry could address. Storytelling empowered people to act individually and collectively to make the food system more resilient within their spheres of influence and built the skills necessary for effective civic engagement on complex systemic issues.
Why the mean is inadequate for accurate scheduling decisions

In a distributed environment, the generalized scheduling problem attempts to optimize some performance criteria by assigning tasks to resources and by determining the order in which those tasks will be executed. Although most resource management systems in use today have the goal of maximizing the use of idle processors, several, such as LSF and SmartNet attempt to minimize the time at which the last job, in each set of jobs, completes. They attempt to deliver better quality of service to jobs by using scheduling heuristics that calculate schedules based upon the expected run-times of each job on each machine. This paper analyzes an exhaustive scheduling algorithm that minimizes the time at which the last job completes, if all jobs execute for exactly their expected run-limes. The authors show that if this assumption is violated, that is, if jobs do not execute for exactly their expected run-times, then this algorithm will underestimate the time at which the last job is exacted to finish, sometimes substantially. The authors conclude that an algorithm that uses not only the expected run-times, but also their distributions, can obtain better schedules.
Triclinic polymorph of bis-(triphenyl-sil-yl) oxide toluene disolvate.

A new polymorph of the title compound, C36H30OSi2·2C7H8, is reported, which is triclinic (P-1) instead of possessing the previously reported rhombohedral symmetry [Honle et al. (1990). Acta Cryst. C46, 1982–1984]. Each of the –SiPh3 units are related by the inversion center. The Si—O—Si moiety is linear with the O atom sitting on an inversion center, and the O—Si—(toluene ring centroid) angle is 3.69 (15)°. Each toluene mol­ecule is 5.622 (2) A from the Si atom and has its closest contacts with the phenyl rings outside of the van der Waals radii.