cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Water adsorption and interface energetics of zinc aluminate spinel nanoparticles: Insights on humidity effects on nanopowder processing and catalysis

Microcalorimetry was used to study the adsorption of water molecules on the surface of ZnAl2O4 nanoparticles ranging from the anhydrous to the fully hydrated states. Water adsorption of ZnAl2O4 showed similar behavior to the isostructural γ-Al2O3 and revealed possible existence of hydrophobic sites on the surfaces. At the lowest measured coverage (0.49 H2O per nm2), the enthalpy of adsorption is −155.46 kJ/mol. This value decays with increasing coverage and at around 13 H2O per nm2, the heat of adsorption levels at −44 kJ/mol, suggesting further adsorbed water has liquid-like features. The anhydrous surface energy for ZnAl2O4 was calculated to be 1.36 ± 0.08 J/m2 using water adsorption microcalorimetry data. High-temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry was also used to assess the surface energy, which was 1.29 ± 0.33 J/m2. Surface energies at different hydration states are reported and showed decrease with increasing coverage, suggesting that low humidity conditions allow higher driving forces for coarsening.
Massive Brain Hemorrhage: A Review of 144 Cases and an Examination of Their Causes

A detailed clinicopathological study of the causes and locations of massive nontraumatic brain hemorrhage in 144 patients is reported. A cause of the hemorrhage, such as an aneurysm, angioma, arteritis, neoplasm or a blood dyscrasia (leukemia, hemophilia), was proved in two-thirds (95) of these patients. Twelve normotensive patients had no cause found to explain their hemorrhage. Systemic hypertension, generally mild, defined as a pre-ictal pressure of > 140/90 or by excessive heart weight, was present in 58 of the 144 patients. Twenty-one of these 58 hypertensive patients had a clear discernible cause for their brain hemorrhage (i.e., leukemia, metastatic carcinoma, angioma, aneurysm), whereas no satisfactory morphological cause could be found in only 37. Thus, in only about one-fourth of our patients could any serious claim be made that hypertension was the cause of the hemorrhage. Our data would indicate the need for a critical study of the causes of intracranial hemorrhages, and re-evaluation of the t...
A prototype burst transceiver for SAW sensors interrogation

This paper describes a burst transceiver that can be used to power, interrogate and receive response from a wireless passive surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensing system. Since sensors have to measure parameters like temperature, pressure, chemical concentration, gas concentration etc., in inhospitable or inaccessible environments, it is important to establish communication with the sensor for deriving information about the parameter being sensed. The system architecture described in this paper is capable of transmitting a burst energy, receiving the RF sensor response, quadrature down converting the received RF signal, digitizing and collecting the data for processing. First, a brief introduction to a passive SAW wireless sensing system is provided after which the general design requirements for a wireless burst transceiver will be discussed. The sections that follow briefly describe the prototype transmitter and receiver architecture. Finally, the results obtained from the burst transceiver in terms of the cascaded gain and noise figure and signal power levels in the various components are presented.
Adhesion in NiAl-Cr from first principles

We have calculated the work of adhesion (i.e. energy for rigid fracture) and peak interfacial stress for NiAl, Cr, and NiAl-Cr using self-consistent density functional calculations to obtain the complete energy vs. separation curve for each system. Our calculations indicate that the work of adhesion is largest for Cr and smallest for NiAl while those for interfaces of NiAl with Cr are intermediate. We have also estimated that segregation processes could alter the work of adhesion for the AlNi/Cr interface by up to 20% since Al tends to segregate to the free NiAl surface while Ni tends to segregate to the AlNi/Cr interface.
The CICQ Switch with Virtual Crosspoint Queues for Large RTT

The memory size required for a combined input and crosspoint queued (CICQ) switch with an existing credit-based flow control is proportional to the flow control latency between the line cards and switch fabric. Recently, scalable packet switches were implemented with distributed units introducing a large RTT latency between the line cards and switch fabric, making the CP buffer requirement impractical. In this paper, a CICQ switch with virtual crosspoint queues (VCQs) is investigated. The VCQs unit resides inside the switch fabric and is dynamically shared among virtual output queues (VOQ) from the same source port and is operated at the line rate, making the implementation practical. The CICQ switch with VCQ can achieve high throughput for unbalanced traffic while reducing over 87% of the total buffer size requirement in the switch fabric, thus making the scalable implementation of a distributed CICQ switch practical.
Predicted reliability of aerospace electronics: Application of two advanced probabilistic concepts

Two advanced probabilistic design-for-reliability (PDfR) concepts are addressed and discussed in application to the prediction, quantification and assurance of the aerospace electronics reliability: 1) Boltzmann-Arrhenius-Zhurkov (BAZ) model, which is an extension of the currently widely used Arrhenius model and, in combination with the exponential law of reliability, enables one to obtain a simple, easy-to-use and physically meaningful formula for the evaluation of the probability of failure (PoF) of a material or a device after the given time in operation at the given temperature and under the given stress (not necessarily mechanical), and 2) Extreme Value Distribution (EVD) technique that can be used to assess the number of repetitive loadings that result in the material/device degradation and eventually lead to its failure by closing, in a step-wise fashion, the gap between the bearing capacity (stress-free activation energy) of the material or the device and the demand (loading).
Polar-direct-drive experiments on the National Ignition Facilitya)

To support direct-drive inertial confinement fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) [G. H. Miller, E. I. Moses, and C. R. Wuest, Opt. Eng. 43, 2841 (2004)] in its indirect-drive beam configuration, the polar-direct-drive (PDD) concept [S. Skupsky et al., Phys. Plasmas 11, 2763 (2004)] has been proposed. Ignition in PDD geometry requires direct-drive–specific beam smoothing, phase plates, and repointing the NIF beams toward the equator to ensure symmetric target irradiation. First experiments to study the energetics and preheat in PDD implosions at the NIF have been performed. These experiments utilize the NIF in its current configuration, including beam geometry, phase plates, and beam smoothing. Room-temperature, 2.2-mm-diam plastic shells filled with D2 gas were imploded with total drive energies ranging from ∼500 to 750 kJ with peak powers of 120 to 180 TW and peak on-target irradiances at the initial target radius from 8 × 1014 to 1.2 × 1015 W/cm2. Results from these initial experi...
ULC: a file block placement and replacement protocol to effectively exploit hierarchical locality in multi-level buffer caches

In a large client/server cluster system, file blocks are cached in a multilevel storage hierarchy. Existing file block placement and replacement are either conducted on each level of the hierarchy independently, or by applying an LRU policy on more than one levels. One major limitation of these schemes is that hierarchical locality of file blocks with nonuniform strengths is ignored, resulting in many unnecessary block misses, or additional communication overhead. To address this issue, we propose a client-directed, coordinated file block placement and replacement protocol, where the nonuniform strengths of locality are dynamically identified on the client level to direct servers on placing or replacing file blocks accordingly on different levels of the buffer caches. In other words, the caching layout of the blocks in the hierarchy dynamically matches the locality of block accesses. The effectiveness of our proposed protocol comes from achieving the following three goals: (1) The multilevel cache retains the same hit rate as that of a single level cache whose size equals to the aggregate size of multilevel caches. (2) The nonuniform locality strengths of blocks are fully exploited and ranked to fit into the physical multilevel caches. (3) The communication overheads between caches are also reduced.
Science Signaling Podcast: 5 May 2015

This Podcast features an interview with James Martin, primary author of a Research Article that appears in the 5 May 2015 issue of Science Signaling , about how reducing Hippo signaling might improve the ability of the heart to regenerate. The kinase Hippo prevents overgrowth of the heart during embryonic development by suppressing activity of the transcriptional coactivator Yap, which promotes expression of genes required for cell proliferation. Although Hippo signaling is important during development to keep the heart from growing too much, it limits the ability of the heart to regenerate in mature animals. Morikawa et al . found that, in addition to promoting the expression of genes that drive cell proliferation, Yap also promoted the expression of genes important for cytoskeletal remodeling in cardiomyocytes. Compared to cardiomyocytes from control animals, cardiomyocytes from mice lacking Hippo signaling exhibited enhanced migratory properties in vitro and migrated toward sites of injury in vivo. These findings suggest that inhibiting Hippo signaling might be beneficial for promoting healing in damaged hearts.
Ultrasound-mediated delivery of brain-penetrating nanoparticles across the blood-tumor barrier

The intact blood-brain barrier (BBB) presents a major obstacle for drug delivery to the brain. In addition, both high interstitial pressure and a nanoporous electrostatically charged tissue composition, produce a “blood-tumor barrier” (BTB), further complicating the treatment of diseases like glioblastoma. Focused ultrasound (FUS) in conjunction with microbubbles (MB) has been shown to cause reversible, localized disruption of the BBB. Incorporating MR guidance with FUS offers the ability to exquisitely target the BBB disruption to specific regions of the brain, thereby permitting drug delivery in a highly localized manner. This work examines the ability of MR guided FUS to deliver highly specialized brain-penetrating nanoparticles (NP) across both the BBB and the BTB in tumor-bearing rats. NPs were 60 nm in diameter and covered with an exceptionally dense brush layer of PEG to permit excellent diffusion through brain tissue. Initial studies utilized fluorescent polystyrene tracer particles to measure NP delivery and inform dosing of cisplatin-loaded biodegradable NPs.
Stress analysis of borehole subjected to fluid injection in transversely isotropic poroelastic medium

Abstract This paper proposes an analytical solution, using the combined Laplace–Fourier integral transform technique, for a borehole drilled in transversely isotropic porous medium and subjected to a fluid discharge over a finite length of its surface. Especially, the coupled boundary condition between the total radial stress and injection-induced pore pressure at the borehole surface is addressed in a rigorous fashion, which leads essentially to a set of dual integral equations that can be solved through standard numerical procedure. The study focuses on the calculation of stress fields around the borehole with particular attention given to the time-dependent effective tangential stress and pore pressure distributions. Numerical solutions are presented for verification with those recently derived for the limiting case of an isotropic medium and, more importantly, to investigate the influences of material anisotropy on the stress responses of the borehole and porous medium.
Trajectories of maternal gestational weight gain and child cognition assessed at 5 years of age in a prospective cohort study

Background There has been concern that low gestational weight gain may cause poor fetal neurodevelopment. Methods The association between maternal weight gain and child IQ was examined using serial antenatal weight measurements (median 12) from a prospective cohort of non-obese Scandinavian women (1986–1988). Linear mixed models with piecewise regression were used to estimate participants’ (n=552) trimester-specific average rate of weight gain. Linear regression was used to assess the association between weight gain and children9s (n=344) full-scale, performance and verbal IQ measured at age 5 using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence-Revised. Results Children born to mothers who gained below versus within the 2nd trimester 2009 recommendations tended to have lower IQ scores (Full-scale: 106.6 (SD 15.1) vs 110.2 (15.2), p=0.04; verbal: 102.5 (14.3) vs 105.0 (14.9), p=0.10; performance: 109.5 (15.4) vs 113.4 (14.5), p=0.03). After adjustment there were no differences in child IQ by weight gain adequacy (full-scale: β below =−1.1 (95% CI −5.1 to 2.9), β above =1.5 (−3.8 to 6.8); verbal: β below =−0.2 (−3.1 to 2.6), β above =1.8 (−3.6 to 7.3); performance β below =−1.2 (−4.6 to 2.2), β above =1.0 (−4.6 to 6.7)). No differences were observed based on 3rd trimester adequacy. No differences were observed in IQ scores by quintile of weight gain for any trimester, particularly after adjustment for maternal IQ. Conclusions Our findings are reassuring that among normal weight women, pregnancy weight gain is not associated with child cognitive development. Further investigation should be conducted in contemporary cohorts that also include obese mothers, who are at the greatest risk for low weight gain.
Analysis of Bright Harvest Remote Analysis for Residential Solar Installations

Bright Harvest provides remote shading analysis and design products for residential PV system installers. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) through the NREL Commercialization Assistance Program, completed comparative assessments between on-site measurements and remotely calculated values to validate the accuracy of Bright Harvest’s remote shading and power generation.
Vibrational spectra and structure of organophosphorus compounds

Abstract The ir spectrum of liquid trimethyl thiophosphate has been recorded from 4000 to 33 cm −1 . The Raman spectra of the liquid and the solid have been recorded and depolarization values have been measured for the liquid. Assignment of the fundamentals based on their frequency and depolarization values is given and discussed. A doublet was observed for v (PS), indicating the presence of at least two rotational isomers. One line of the Raman doublet disappeared upon freezing the compound, confirming the existence of isomers. The vibrational data are consistent with C 3 molecular symmetry for the isomer present in the solid. The Raman spectra of O,O-dimethyl phosphorochloridothioate have been recorded in the liquid and solid phases. Assignment of certain bands to different isomers have been made, based on the difference between the liquid-phase and solid-phase Raman spectra.
The Woodrats of the Eastern United States

Although Goldman in 1910 considered Neotoma floridana (Ord) and N. pennsylvanica Stone (= N. magister Baird) as being quite distinct species (he separated them by the remaining members of the subgenus Neotoma as understood by him), some mammalogists in recent years have suggested that the two be considered conspecific. Burt and Barkalow (1942) indicated that separation into two species was unjustified on the basis of the shape of the baculum. Recent field guides and manuals (Burt and Grossenheider, 1952; Palmer, 1954) have tended to lump the two species together. It is the purpose of the present paper to review the distribution and characteristics of eastern woodrats, and to present evidence for the relegation of the name N. magister to subspecific status under N. floridana . New material obtained by the authors from the southern Appalachians, where the two forms meet, has been helpful in clarifying the situation. To assess critically the differences in eastern woodrats we have examined specimens of all six populations which are currently named, that is, magister, floridana, illinoensis, haematoreia, rubida and smalli . We wish to extend our sincere thanks to the following curators who have made the necessary loans. Abbreviations used in the present paper are listed. George G. Goodwin (American Museum of Natural History); Frederick A. Ulmer, Jr. (Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia); Viola S. Schantz (Biological Surveys Collection, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service—BSC); J. Kenneth Doutt (Carnegie Museum); Colin C. Sanborn (Chicago Natural History Museum); W. Gene Frum; Donald W. Hoffmeister (University of Illinois Natural History Museum); Arthur Stupka (Great Smoky Mountains National Park—GSMNP); Barbara Lawrence (Museum of Comparative Zoology); Randolph L. Peterson (Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology); William H. Burt (Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan); David H. Johnson and Charles O. Handley, Jr. (United States National Museum—USNM). We …
Effects of Distraction and Commitment on the Persuasiveness of Television Advertising

Television commercials differing in levels of distraction were presented to subjects who varied in their degree of commitment to competing products. Results lend only limited support to the predict...
The other 1 percent.

The author compares science industry in the U.S. and Europe, discusses income inequality in U.S. science research and argues that performance-based pay enables U.S. universities to attract top international science talent. Topics include U.S. college teacher salaries, faculty promotions, research productivity, and the measurement of salary disparities using Gini coefficients. A diagram is presented comparing U.S. faculty income gaps in science, engineering, and mathematics fields from 1973 to 2006.
Seasonal Activity of Buried Overwintering Pink Bollworm Larvae in Central Texas

Seasonal activity of buried diapausing larvae of the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), was studied under different soil-moisture conditions in field cages over a 2-year period. Regardless of the soil-moisture level, 5% or less of the initial larval population burrowed to or near the soil surface during the fall and winter, Activity increased with warm temperatures in the spring and larval movement was greatest at the highest moisture levels.
New approaches for the treatment of refractory meningiomas.

BackgroundComplete surgical resection is the first-line therapy for meningiomas. However, tumor location and biological aggressiveness can make surgical cure impossible. Treatment options for these...
Study of Environmental Impact Assessment Simulation Analogy Feasibility of Power Transmission and Distribution Project

Described the problems in the environmental simulation of transformer substation that should be paid attention to,and analyzed the factors of the environmental impact in the construction period,as well as environmental simulation analogy feasibility of the substation.
The impact of IAIMS on the work of information experts

Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems (IAIMS) programs differ but have certain characteristics in common. Technological and organizational integration are universal goals. As integration takes place, what happens to those implementing the vision ? A survey of 125 staff members, or information experts, involved in information or informatics at an IAIMS-funded institution was conducted during the last year of the implementation phase. The purpose was to measure the impact of IAIMS on the jobs of those in the library and related service units, and the computing, telecommunications, and health informatics divisions. The researchers used newly developed scales measuring levels of integration (knowledge of and involvement with other departments), customer orientation (focus on the user), and informatedness (changes in the nature of work beyond automation of former routines). Ninety-four percent of respondents indicated that their jobs had changed a great deal ; the changes were similar regardless of division. To further investigate the impact of IAIMS on librarians in particular, a separate skills survey was conducted. The IAIMS librarians indicated that technology and training skills are especially needed in the new, integrated environment.
Development of fibrotic penile lesions secondary to the intracorporeal injection of vasoactive agents.

Abstract Fibrotic penile lesions developed in 4 patients who had undergone intracorporeal injection of vasoactive agents. These lesions persisted for at least 3 months, and in some instances they caused pain and curvature of the penis during erection. ( J. Urol., 140: 615–617, 1988 )
Der Rücken nach osteoporosebedingten Wirbeleinbrüchen

Wirbelfrakturen sind neben den Frakturen im Huftgelenkbereich die folgenschwerste Manifestation der Osteoporose. Im Altersvergleich ist die Mortalitat der betroffenen Patienten erhoht. Folgen der Wirbeldeformierungen konnen Schmerzen, Behinderung bei Alltagstatigkeiten, Inaktivitat, eine verminderte Lungenkapazitat, ein erhohtes Sturzrisiko und eine verminderte Lebensqualitat sein. Die Schmerzsymptomatik lasst sich durch die Fraktur per se und in der Folge durch den Verlust an Rumpfhohe, durch kyphotische und skoliotische Veranderungen der Brust- und Lendenwirbelsaule mit Uberstreckung der Halswirbelsaule und die daraus resultierenden Veranderungen am Bandapparat erklaren. Die Kraft der Ruckenstreckmuskulatur zeigt eine negative Assoziation zur Rundruckenbildung. Forciertes Training in die Rumpfbeugung erhoht das vertebrale Frakturrisiko. Neu entwickelte Orthesen helfen uber ein sensomotorisches Wirkprinzip, einen zunehmenden Rundrucken zu vermeiden, und unterstutzen damit die statisch-dynamische Korperhaltung.
Traditions of Communication Theory

Theories of communication, which originated independently in a wide range of disciplines and fields, often vary so much in content, intellectual style, and underlying assumptions as to seem essentially unrelated. Robert T. Craig has offered an historical and institutional interpretation of this problem and proposed to reconstruct the field on the basis of a constitutive metamodel in which multiple traditions of thought engage in dialogue and debate on practical communication problems. This entry sketches the origins and development of communication theory, introduces the constitutive metamodel, overviews seven main traditions of communication theory, and discusses criticisms and applications of the metamodel. Keywords: communication theory; metadiscourse; metatheory; models of communication
Observant and Proactive Communication in Multi-agent Teamwork

This paper investigates effective human team cooperation and incorporated the findings into multi-agent teamwork. We describe how to give agents the same cooperative capabilities, observability and proactivity, that humans use. We show how agents can use observation of the environment and of teammates' actions to estimate the teammates' beliefs without generating unnecessary messages; we also show how agents can anticipate information needs among the team members and proactively communicate the information. Finally, we present two experiments that explore the effectiveness and the scalability of the use of observability and proactivity.
Evaluating the role of watershed properties in long-term water balance through a Budyko equation based on two-stage partitioning of precipitation

In this paper, a four-parameter Budyko equation is derived for mean annual water balance by applying the proportionality relationship to a two-stage partitioning of precipitation. The four dimensionless parameters include the Horton index (H, defined as the ratio of evaporation to total wetting) and λ (the ratio of initial evaporation to total wetting) for slow runoff, and β (the ratio of initial wetting to total wetting) and γ (the ratio of total wetting to its potential) for fast runoff. The derived four-parameter equation balances model parsimony and representation of dominant hydrologic processes, and provides a framework to disentangle the roles of climate variability, vegetation, soil and topography on long-term water balance in gauged watersheds. The four parameters are determined for 165 watersheds by using observations of precipitation, potential evaporation, streamflow, and soil properties. Based on the principal component regression analysis, average time interval between rainfall events, slope, normalized difference vegetation index, and wilting point are identified as the dominant controlling factors on H and λ; saturated hydraulic conductivity and the difference between field capacity and residual soil moisture are identified as the dominant controlling factors on β; and γ is controlled by effective soil water storage capacity, frequency of rainfall events, and climate seasonality. The combination of four-parameter Budyko equation and the principal component regression equations provides a model to assess the long-term responses of evaporation and runoff to climate and watershed property changes in ungauged watersheds.
Human skin gene expression doesn't correlate with protein expression? Unless both parameters are quantified

Many cosmetic companies utilize in vitro gene array studies to display significant stimulation or inhibition of various human skin biomarkers to validate in vivo actions that are reported to enhance dermal health. This follows the central dogma of DNA-to-RNA results in protein expression; however, gene and protein expressions do not usually correlate. Unless both gene and protein expressions are quantified which require further investigational time and investment. Where data are available, this short commentary displays the in vitro comparison of four human skin biomarkers for the gene and protein expressions of the stimulation of collagen type I and elastin and the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 3, when equol was tested. The results demonstrate a good correspondence between gene and protein expressions for the human skin biomarkers tested.
Individualized drug dosing using RBF-Galerkin method: Case of anemia management in chronic kidney disease

Abstract Background and Objective Anemia is a common comorbidity in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is frequently associated with decreased physical component of quality of life, as well as adverse cardiovascular events. Current treatment methods for renal anemia are mostly population-based approaches treating individual patients with a one-size-fits-all model. However, FDA recommendations stipulate individualized anemia treatment with precise control of the hemoglobin concentration and minimal drug utilization. In accordance with these recommendations, this work presents an individualized drug dosing approach to anemia management by leveraging the theory of optimal control. Methods A Multiple Receding Horizon Control (MRHC) approach based on the RBF-Galerkin optimization method is proposed for individualized anemia management in CKD patients. Recently developed by the authors, the RBF-Galerkin method uses the radial basis function approximation along with the Galerkin error projection to solve constrained optimal control problems numerically. The proposed approach is applied to generate optimal dosing recommendations for individual patients. Results Performance of the proposed approach (MRHC) is compared in silico to that of a population-based anemia management protocol and an individualized multiple model predictive control method for two case scenarios: hemoglobin measurement with and without observational errors. In silico comparison indicates that hemoglobin concentration with MRHC method has less variation among the methods, especially in presence of measurement errors. In addition, the average achieved hemoglobin level from the MRHC is significantly closer to the target hemoglobin than that of the other two methods, according to the analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical test. Furthermore, drug dosages recommended by the MRHC are more stable and accurate and reach the steady-state value notably faster than those generated by the other two methods. Conclusions The proposed method is highly efficient for the control of hemoglobin level, yet provides accurate dosage adjustments in the treatment of CKD anemia.
Do hospital admission rates increase in colder winters? A decadal analysis from an eastern county in England.

Background The aim of the study was to measure the effect of colder winters compared to warmer winters on hospital admission rates in Suffolk County. Methods The setting of this study was Suffolk County in eastern England. The period of the study was financial years 2003/04-2012/13. The study was an analytic ecological study. Analysis involved calculation of rate ratios of hospital admission rates in colder winters compared to warmer winters, in all persons and the elderly. Results The main finding of the study was that all rate ratios for hospital admission rates in colder winters compared to warmer winters were significantly raised with effects of 2-5%. Rate ratios for all admissions in persons of all ages and persons aged 65 years and over were, respectively, 1.02 (99% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 1.03; P < 0.001) and 1.02 (99% CI: 1.01, 1.04; P < 0.001). Rate ratios for emergency admissions in persons of all ages and persons aged 65 years and over were, respectively, 1.05 (99% CI: 1.03, 1.06; P < 0.001) and 1.04 (99% CI: 1.01, 1.06; P < 0.001). Conclusion In Suffolk County, hospital admission rates are significantly raised in colder winters compared to warmer winters. This evidence may be useful in planning hospital services.
Quantifying diversity of electricity generation in the U.S.

Abstract Applying the Shannon-Wiener Index, Simpson Index and Stirling Index to primary energy source data from the U.S. Energy Information Agency reveals that the major drivers of diversity change have been the adoption of wind and natural gas.
Ba3Na(OH)3(CO3)2: A Non-centrosymmetric Hydroxycarbonate Crystallized Using the Hydroflux Method

Single crystals of Ba3Na(OH)3(CO3)2 were grown using the hydroflux method and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Ba3Na(OH)3(CO3)2 crystallizes in the hexagonal, non-centrosymmetric space group P63cm with a = 9.31360(10) A and c = 6.2218(2) A. The material exhibits a three-dimensional crystal structure consisting of chains of face-sharing Na(OH)6 octahedra that are hydrogen bonded to carbonate anions; the charge balance is maintained by barium atoms connected to the trigonal planar carbonate groups and surrounding the Na(OH)6 chains. The synthesis and crystal structure of the non-centrosymmetric hydroxycarbonate, Ba3Na(OH)3(CO3)2, is reported.
Supply Chain Management: Developing Visible Design Rules across Organizations

This chapter proposes an integrating view of Supply Chain Management as a set of Visible Design Rules that govern interactions across independent organizations, each with its own hidden operational and organizational information. Applying the principle of modularity from computer architecture to supply chain studies, we specify the basic three elements of visible rules: architecture, interfaces, and standards in the context of supply chains. Subsequently we discuss a set of measurable operations performance metrics, interfaces among supply chain partners in the form of processes that cut through multiple layers of the chain, and partnership and network structure as the architecture of supply chains. We suggest that supply chain management studies and practices should focus more on the overall visibility of standards, interfaces, and structure instead of probing into each organization’s detailed planning and operations, to allow for the maximum flexibility for them to change and innovate. The ultimate goal is to achieve an agile supply chain with quick and accurate response in a fast changing business environment.
Speech-Based Disclosure Systems: Effects of Modality, Gender of Prompt, and Gender of User

Disclosure of personal information is valuable to individuals, governments, and corporations. This experiment explores the role interface design plays in maximizing disclosure. Participants (N = 100) were asked to disclose personal information to a telephone-based speech user interface (SUI) in a 3 (recorded speech vs. synthesized speech vs. text-based interface) by 2 (gender of participant) by 2 (gender of voice) between-participants experiment (with no voice manipulation in the text conditions). Synthetic speech participants exhibited significantly less disclosure and less comfort with the system than text-based or recorded-speech participants. Females were more sensitive to differences between synthetic and recorded speech. There were significant interactions between modality and gender of speech, while there were no gender identification effects. Implications for the design of speech-based information-gathering systems are outlined.
A KETOGENIC DIET MAY RESTORE FERTILITY IN WOMEN WITH POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME: A CASE SERIES

Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of infertility in women. We report the clinical course of 4 women with PCOS trying to conceive while following a ketogenic diet ...
Arteriovenous Malformations of the Anterior Fossa

The modern management of the cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) is based on multidisciplinary and multimodality treatment approach including endovascular embolization, microsurgery, and stereotactic radiosurgery. Complications are well established in the microsurgical treatment of the cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Higher complication rate can potentially reflect in poor patient outcome. Thorough knowledge of the natural history, detailed understanding of the angioarchitectural features, and awareness of the risk factors for hemorrhage are essential in the decision analysis for treatment of the cerebral AVMs. Appropriate patient selection, treatment strategy, choice of equipment, and being aware of ones’ own limitations are vital in minimizing the complications. Complication awareness and high index of suspicion helps in early detection of complications. Having a well-thought-out plan for dealing with individual complications may make the difference between an uneventful outcome and death. In this chapter, we discuss the potential complications in the endovascular and microsurgical treatment of the cerebral AVMs and provide suggestions for avoidance and management of the complications based on the literature review and authors’ institutional experience.
An all-in-one nanoparticle (AION) contrast agent for breast cancer screening with DEM-CT-MRI-NIRF imaging

Conventional X-ray mammography has low diagnostic sensitivity for women with dense breasts. As a result, alternative contrast-enhanced screening tools such as dual energy mammography (DEM), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging are being used or investigated for these women. However, currently available contrast agents are non-ideal, have safety issues, and each imaging technique requires a different contrast agent. We therefore sought to develop a multimodal contrast agent that is functional for each breast imaging modality to simplify the diagnosis process and address the issues of existing contrast agents. Herein, we present a novel "all-in-one" nanoparticle (AION) multimodal imaging probe that has potent DEM, CT, MRI, and NIRF contrast properties and improved biocompatibility. AION were formed by co-encapsulation of a near-infrared fluorophore (DiR), silver sulfide nanoparticles (Ag2S-NP), and iron oxide nanoparticles (IO-NP) in PEGylated micelles. AION showed negligible cytotoxicity, which was in agreement with its minimal silver ion release profiles. AION generated strong contrast with all imaging modalities as demonstrated in phantom imaging. AION allowed in vivo tumor imaging as evidenced by the increase in contrast after injection. This study indicates the potential of AION as an effective multimodal contrast agent for breast cancer diagnosis with a range of imaging methods.
Use of landscape simulation modeling to quantify resilience for ecological applications

Goals of fostering ecological resilience are increasingly used to guide U.S. public land management in the context of anthropogenic climate change and increasing landscape disturbances. There are, however, few operational means of assessing the resilience of a landscape or ecosystem. We present a method to evaluate resilience using simulation modeling. In this method, we use historical conditions (e.g., in North America, prior to European settlement), quantified using simulation modeling, to provide a comparative reference for contemporary conditions, where substantial departures indicate loss of resilience. Contemporary ecological conditions are compared statistically to the historical time series to create a resilience index, which can be used to prioritize landscapes for treatment and inform possible treatments. However, managing for resilience based on historical conditions is tenuous in the Anthropocene, which is characterized by rapid climate change, extensive human land use, altered disturbance regimes, and exotic species introductions. To account for the future variability of ecosystems resulting from climate and disturbance regime shifts, we augment historical simulations with simulations of ecosystem dynamics under projected climate and land use changes to assess the degree of departure from benchmark historical conditions. We use a mechanistic landscape model (FireBGCv2) applied to a large landscape in western Montana, USA, to illustrate the methods presented in this paper. Spatially explicit ecosystem modeling provides the vehicle to generate the historical and future time series needed to quantify potential resilience conditions associated with past and potential future conditions. Our methods show that given selection of a useful set of metrics, managers could use simulations like ours to evaluate potential future management directions.
Principal component analysis modeling of Head-and-Neck anatomy using daily Cone Beam-CT images.

PURPOSE To model Head-and-Neck anatomy from daily Cone Beam-CT (CBCT) images over the course of fractionated radiotherapy using principal component analysis (PCA). METHODS AND MATERIALS Eighteen oropharyngeal Head-and-Neck cancer patients, treated with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), were included in this retrospective study. Normal organs, including the parotid and submandibular glands, mandible, pharyngeal constrictor muscles (PCMs), and spinal cord were contoured using daily CBCT image datasets. PCA models for each organ were developed for individual patients (IP) and the entire patient cohort/population (PP). The first 10 principal components (PCs) were extracted for all models. Analysis included cumulative and individual PCs for each organ and patient, as well as the aggregate organ/patient population; comparisons were made using the root-mean-square (RMS) of the percentage predicted spatial displacement for each PC. RESULTS Overall, spatial displacement prediction was achieved at the 95% confidence level (CL) for the first three to four PCs for all organs, based on IP models. For PP models, the first four PCs predicted spatial displacement at the 80%-89% CL. Differences in percentage predicted spatial displacement between mean IP models for each organ ranged from 2.8% ± 1.8% (1st PC) to 0.6% ± 0.4% (4th PC). Differences in percentage predicted spatial displacement between IP models vs the mean IP model for each organ based on the 1st PC were <12.9% ± 6.9% for all organs. Differences in percentage predicted spatial displacement between IP and PP models based on all organs and patients for the 1st and 2nd PC were <11.7% ± 2.2%. CONCLUSION Tissue changes during fractionated radiotherapy observed on daily CBCT in patients with Head-and-Neck cancers, were modeled using PCA. In general, spatial displacement for organs-at-risk was predicted for the first 4 principal components at the 95% confidence levels (CL), for individual patient (IP) models, and at the 80%-89% CL for population-based patient (PP) models. The IP and PP models were most predictive of changes in glandular organs and pharyngeal constrictor muscles, respectively.
Ultrasound guidance can be used safely for renal tract dilatation during percutaneous nephrolithotomy

Author(s): Armas-Phan, Manuel; Tzou, David T; Bayne, David B; Wiener, Scott V; Stoller, Marshall L; Chi, Thomas | Abstract: OBJECTIVES:To compare clinical outcomes in patients who underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) with renal tract dilatation performed under fluoroscopic guidance vs renal tract dilatation with ultrasound guidance. PATIENTS AND METHODS:We conducted a prospective observational cohort study, enrolling successive patients undergoing PCNL between July 2015 and March 2018. Included in this retrospective analysis were cases where the renal puncture was successfully obtained with ultrasound guidance. Cases were then grouped according to whether fluoroscopy was used to guide renal tract dilatation or not. All statistical analyses were performed using Stata version 15.1 including univariate (Fisher's exact test, Welch's t-test) and multivariate analyses (binomial logistic regression, ordinal logistic regression, and linear regression). RESULTS:A total of 176 patients underwent PCNL with successful ultrasonography-guided renal puncture, of whom 38 and 138 underwent renal tract dilatation with fluoroscopic vs ultrasound guidance, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in patient age, gender, body mass index (BMI), preoperative hydronephrosis, stone burden, procedure laterality, number of dilated tracts, and calyceal puncture location between the two groups. Among ultrasound tract dilatations, a higher proportion of patients were placed in the modified dorsal lithotomy position as opposed to prone, and a significantly shorter operating time was observed. Only modified dorsal lithotomy position remained statistically significant after multivariate regression. There were no statistically significant differences in postoperative stone clearance, complication rate, or intra-operative estimated blood loss. A 5-unit increase in a patient's BMI was associated with 30% greater odds of increasingly severe Clavien-Dindo complications. A 5-mm decrease in the preoperative stone burden was associated with 20% greater odds of stone-free status. No variables predicted estimated blood loss with statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS:Renal tract dilatation can be safely performed in the absence of fluoroscopic guidance. Compared to using fluoroscopy, the present study demonstrated that ultrasonography-guided dilatations can be safely performed without higher complication or bleeding rates. This can be done using a variety of surgical positions, and future studies centred on improving dilatation techniques could be of impactful clinical value.
Echocardiographic Predictors of Left Ventricle Unloading after LVAD Implantation

Purpose The gold standard to determine adequate LV unloading after LVAD implantation remains invasive hemodynamics via right heart catheterization (RHC). Echocardiogram parameters have been used as surrogates for adequate LV unloading as part of LVAD speed optimization protocols. We sought to determine if echocardiogram can be used to precisely predict adequate LV unloading as compared to invasive hemodynamics. Methods Single-center retrospective analysis of all patients that underwent LVAD implantation followed by pump speed optimization using echocardiogram and RHC concomitantly in the catheterization laboratory. Adequate LV unloading was defined as CI >=2.2 and PCWP Results Our sample included 142 patients with a mean age of 57.5. Significant parameters associated with LV unloading are shown in table 1. Not significant parameters include: E/A, E/e’ and PASP estimate. Conclusion Our study shows that echocardiogram is able to determine adequate LV unloading with enough specificity only when it shows very significant changes from the baseline echocardiogram. If the cutoffs are not met, patient would benefit from RHC to determine with confidence if LV is adequately unloaded and if necessary, LVAD speed optimization.
Diagnosis of Peri-Implant Diseases

Dental implants are very successful, however failures happen. From the early ages of implant dentistry until today complications have been reported in the literature. The classification of implant conditions is reviewed.
Selective Use of Inpatient Interstage Management After Norwood Procedure

Background We report our intermediate-term results after Norwood procedure, including use of an interstage inpatient management strategy for high-risk patients, and seek to create a predictive model for probability of discharge. Methods A single-site retrospective review was conducted for all patients undergoing Norwood procedure from 2006 to 2016 (N = 177). We compared those discharged home with those who either remained hospitalized until Glenn procedure or died before Norwood procedure discharge. Multivariable logistic regression was used to develop a predictive model for discharge. Results During the study period, 120 (68%) patients were discharged home, 45 (25%) remained hospitalized, and 12 (7%) died before Glenn procedure (median age: 71 days). Interstage survival for those discharged after Norwood procedure was 100%. Longitudinal survival for the cohort was 86%, 81%, and 77% at 1, 5, and 10 years, resepectively. Ten-year survival was significantly greater for the discharged group compared with the interstage inpatients (86% vs 56%, P Conclusions Survival up to 10 years after Norwood procedure is good using a strategy of inpatient care for a subset of high-risk patients to mitigate home interstage mortality. A probabilistic model used after Norwood procedure was able to predict interstage discharge with good accuracy, but will require external validation to ensure generalizability. Further work is also needed to determine optimal palliative pathways for the high-risk patients because of the notable attrition beyond successful bidirectional Glenn procedure.
Don’t Blame Me, Blame Those around Me: How Family and Friends Induce Unethical Acts

While family and close friends often encourage prosocial behaviors, their influence can also be malevolent. The current research examines how people react to scenarios where a close other pressures...
Analytical study of an effect of gas compressibility on a burning accident in an obstructed passage

The incompressible analytical formulation describing a burning accident in an obstructed passage [F. Kodakoglu et al., “Towards descriptive scenario of a burning accident in an obstructed mining passage: An analytical approach,” in 27th International Colloquium on the Dynamics of Explosions and Reactive Systems (ICDERS), Beijing, China, July 28–Aug 2, 2019, Paper 369] is extended to account for gas compression, which cannot be ignored as soon as the flame velocity starts approaching the speed of sound. The analysis combines the theories of globally spherical, self-accelerating premixed expanding flames with that of ultrafast flame acceleration in obstructed conduits. It is shown that while the entire acceleration scenario may promote the flame velocity up to near-sonic values, the effect of gas compressibility moderates flame acceleration, and such an impact depends strongly on various thermal-chemical properties of the combustible premixture. Starting with gaseous combustion, the formulation is subsequently widened to the gaseous-dusty environments with combustible (coal) and inert (sand) dusts, and their combinations. In particular, it is quantified how the flame evolution and its locus and velocity depend on the type and size of the dust particles.