cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cu-Compatible Ultra-High Permittivity Dielectrics for Embedded Passive Components

Barium titanate thin films have been prepared by chemical solution deposition on 18 μm thick, industry standard copper foils in the absence of chemical barrier layers. The final embodiment exhibits randomly oriented BaTiO 3 grains with diameters between 0.1 and 0.2 μm, and an equiaxed morphology. The average film thickness is 0.6 μm and high resolution cross sectional microscopy shows no indication of interfacial phases. The BaTiO 3 films are sintered in a high temperature reductive atmosphere such that copper oxidation is avoided. Subsequent lower-temperature, higher oxygen pressure anneals are used to minimize oxygen point defects. Permittivities greater than 3000 are observed, with loss tangents under 2.5%. The BaTiO 3 phase exhibits pronounced ferroelectric switching and coercive field values near 20 kV/cm. Temperature dependent measurements indicate a ferroelectric transition near 100 °C with very diffuse character. Combining the approaches of the multilayer capacitor industry with traditional solution processed thin films has allowed pure barium titanate to be integrated with copper. The high sintering temperature – as compared to typical film processing – provides for large grained films and properties consistent with well-prepared ceramics. Integrating BaTiO 3 films on copper foil represents an important step towards high capacitance density embedded passive components.
Improvement of image sticking on liquid crystal displays with polymer layers produced from mixed monomers

ABSTRACTAs a model of polymer-sustained-alignment liquid crystal display (PSA-LCD), the LC cells having the polymer layers produced from the homopolymers and copolymers of 4,4ʹ-dimethacryloyl-oxy-biphenyl (4,4ʹ-DMABiph) and 2,6-dimethacryloyl-oxy-naphthalene (2,6-DMANaph) were prepared and investigated image sticking phenomenon with evaluations of residual direct current voltage (VrDC) and difference in pre-tilt angle before and after application of alternate current (AC) voltage (Δtilt). The VrDC was effectively improved by adding a small amount of 2,6-DMANaph to 4,4ʹ-DMABiph because the concentrations of radicals and ions in the LC layer were decreased due to increase in the rate constant of the polymerisation with the addition of 2,6-DMANaph under UV light exposure. The Δtilt was proportionally increased with increasing the weight ratio of 2,6-DMANaph in the mixed monomers of 4,4ʹ-DMABiph and 2,6-DMANaph. We confirmed that the range of the weight ratio for 2,6-DMANaph in the mixed monomers of 4,4ʹ-DMAB...
ANALYSIS OF EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS ON EPIDEMIC CEREBROSPINAL MENINGITIS IN FUJIAN PROVINCE IN RECENT 12 YEARS

Objective:To provide the evidence of drawing pr eventive measures by ex ploring the epidemic characteristic and tendency of epidemic cerebrospinal menin gitis during recent twelve years in Fujian province Methods:Da ta were input us ing EXCEL and analysed using SPSS 10 5 of windows Result:Epid emic periodicity of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis has been destroyed since 1980s when N me ningtidis A was u sed popularly in Fujian The incidence rate of epidemic cerebros p inal meningitis descends year by year Fujian has reported 1635 cases including 12 2 deaths from 1990 to 2001 The incidence rate of epidemic cerebrospinal mening itis i s between 0 03/10 5 and 1 23/10 5,and the epidemic situation has been steady during recen t twelve years A majority of cases were distributed in the mount aino us areas and the remote rural areas.There were not signi ficant differences among incidence of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis in different areas excep t Xia men The disease distribution is not obviously different in different are as in Fujian A large majority of cases occured in population under 14 years old b etween February and April every year. The fatality rate of disperse children is the highest one of all Conclusion: Enhance of the serogroup surveillance and the forecast of epidemic situation, ensure of routine preventive vaccination and emergent p reventive vaccination play important roles It is signifi c ant to controll the occurrences and epidemics of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis
Surface patterning of polymeric membranes and its effect on antifouling characteristics

ABSTRACTSurface roughness of membranes is often perceived by many as a factor that promotes fouling during filtration, and thus is undesirable. Almost all liquid-based separation membranes display flat surfaces with an intrinsic surface roughness that is associated with the membrane manufacturing process. Recently, polymer ultrafiltration and thin film composite membranes containing regular, periodic surface patterns were fabricated using cost-effective lithographic methods. Here, we review the work to date on the fabrication and characterization of these patterned membranes with a focus on processing–structure–performance relationships. In addition, the antifouling performance of these membranes against model foulants including colloidal suspensions and protein solutions is also highlighted.
Food Allergen Risk Management in the United States and Canada

Allergen risk management in the US and Canada involves a complex interaction of national and local authorities and regulations. The primary focus at the national level in both countries is on the labeling of packaged food and on the use of Good Manufacturing Practice to avoid cross contact. At the state and provincial level, the primary focus is on providing information and preventing cross contact in restaurants, delis, and other food service settings.
Evidence of suppressed hot carrier relaxation in type-II InAs/AlAs1-xSbx quantum wells

Hot carrier solar cells (HCSCs) have been proposed as devices, which can increase the conversion efficiency of a single junction solar cell above the Shockley-Queisser limit. For practical implementation of such systems, solar cells operating with efficient hot carrier extraction must circumvent two fundamental challenges: 1. Find an absorber material in which hot carriers are sustained either via inhibiting or circumventing phonon relaxation pathways; 2. Implement energy selective contacts in which only a narrow range of energy within the hot carrier distribution is extracted; thereby, reducing cooling losses in the contacts. Here, type-II InAs/AlAs 0.16 Sb 0.84 quantum-wells are investigated as a candidate system for hot carrier absorbers. Continuous wave power and temperature dependent photoluminescence measurements are presented that indicate: a transition in the dominant hot carrier relaxation process from conventional phonon-mediated carrier relaxation − below 90 K − to a regime where inhibited radiative recombination dominates the hot carrier relaxation − at higher temperatures 1 . The reduction in the PL efficiency is strongly coupled to an increase in the hot carrier temperature extracted from the measurements. This behavior is attributed to a build-up of electrons in the QWs, which appears to inhibit electron-phonon relaxation 2 .
On the segmentation of pedestrians in infrared images

The brightness of objects of in infrared images slightly differ from the surrounding background and hence it makes a challenging task to segment pedestrians in infrared images. Recently Zhaoying Liu et al. have suggested an iterative method using multiple features for the segmentation of ships. We have proposed a modified iteration less method along with Gamma correction for the segmentation of pedestrians. The segmentation results on benchmarking OSU thermal pedestrian database are promising.
Cardiovascular events during carfilzomib therapy for relapsed myeloma: practical management aspects from two case studies

Objectives and importance: Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) have an increased risk of cardiovascular comorbidities due to disease burden and treatment-related risk factors. Proteasome inhibitors...
Antiviral Resistance and Implications for Prophylaxis

Development of prophylactic, preemptive, and therapeutic strategies has reduced the morbidity and mortality of viral infections after HSCT. However, the future success of such strategies is threatened by the increasing emergence of antiviral-resistant virus strains. In some cases, resistance is common enough to warrant changes in recommendations for prophylaxis (e.g., influenza in the 2008–2009 season). In other cases (HSV, VZV, CMV, HBV), resistance has not yet altered the primary class of agent(s) utilized for prophylaxis or preemptive therapy at the majority of centers, but clinicians should have a heightened awareness of the possibility of antiviral resistance and a low threshold to alter therapy in the setting of high viral loads, unusual clinical presentations, or refractoriness to standard therapy. A detailed overview of the scope of this problem and strategies for managing patients with these difficult-to-treat infections is presented in this chapter.
Geometric searching and link distance

Given n orthogonal line segments on the plane, their intersection graph is defined such that each vertex corresponds to a segment, and each edge corresponds to a pair of intersecting segments. Although this graph can have Θ(n2) edges, we show that breadth first search can be accomplished in O(nlogn) time and O(n) space. As an application, we show that the minimum link rectilinear path between two points s and t amidst rectilinear polygonal obstacles can be computed in O(nlogn) time and O(n) space, which is optimal. We mention other related results in the paper.
Chemoprevention of Barrett’s Esophagus and Oral Leukoplakia

Studies of premalignant lesions constitute an important approach to devising strategies for preventing cancer. Cancer develops through a series of sequential steps involving initiation, promotion, and progression to invasive malignancy. However, many of the early steps in this pathway are reflected as changes at the subcellular level only and, therefore, cannot be identified phenotypically as clinical lesions. Premalignant lesions are often the first clinically recognizable lesions. that can be used to identify a tissue affected by carcinogens. Barrett’s esophagus and oral leukoplakia, for example, are considered premalignant lesions for esophageal adenoearcinoma and oral cancer, respectively. Lesions such as these characterize one of the better-defined, intermediate end points whose reversal or suppression can be studied to evaluate useful approaches for the overall chemoprevention of cancer.
Electrolyzed Water Application in Fresh Produce Sanitation

Abstract Electrolyzed water has gained more interest recently in food sanitation and safety against plant pathogens, seed treatment, postharvest disease control, fungal control, and foodborne pathogens. Different electrolyzed water solutions such as acidic, alkaline, and neutral electrolyzed water solutions were applied by many researchers. This chapter focuses on electrolyzed water definition, production mechanisms, advantages and disadvantages, their impacts on plant pathogens, fungi, bacteria, and foodborne pathogens, regulations, and future of electrolyzed water technology.
Social Media Posts by Recreational Marijuana Companies and Administrative Code Regulations in Washington State.

Importance Recreational marijuana use was legalized in the state of Washington in 2012, and the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 314-55-155 was implemented to limit the exposure of youths to marijuana advertisements. Objectives To evaluate the content of social media posts by marijuana companies and to assess the compliance of these posts with WAC regulations. Design, Setting, and Participants In a cross-sectional study, a content analysis of 1027 social media posts was conducted to identify and assess compliance of WAC regulations with the business pages of recreational marijuana companies located on Facebook and Twitter platforms in the state of Washington from December 1, 2015, through November 30, 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures Application of coding based on WAC regulations to focus on the prohibition of language that promoted the overconsumption of marijuana, that described its curative or therapeutic benefits, or that was designed to appeal to youths; and the requirements for warnings about intoxication, driving, health risks, and age restrictions for marijuana. Results Of the 1027 posts on Facebook and Twitter from business pages of 6 marijuana companies, Facebook followers ranged from 342 to 1592 persons and Twitter followers ranged from 374 to 2915 persons per company. Findings for WAC regulations included 17 posts (1.7%) that encouraged overconsumption; 137 posts (13.3%) that promoted therapeutic benefits; and 9 posts (0.01%) that appealed to youths. Requirements for warnings addressing intoxication, driving, health risks, and age restrictions were present on 110 posts (10.7%). Some businesses repeatedly violated particular regulations; 7 of 17 (41.2%) posts encouraging overconsumption derived from 1 marijuana company. Conclusions and Relevance Most social media posts by marijuana companies were consistent with WAC regulations that prohibit particular messages, but few companies provided required warning messages. Findings can be used toward implementation strategies for marijuana prevention to address these influential media messages.
Resisting and Redefining State Violence: The gendered politics of transitional justice in Tunisia

ABSTRACTFor decades, thousands of Tunisian women suffered from systematic sexual violence at the hands of state agents, with many now seeking justice and public recognition of those crimes followin...
NASH: Toward End-to-End Neural Architecture for Generative Semantic Hashing

Semantic hashing has become a powerful paradigm for fast similarity search in many information retrieval systems. While fairly successful, previous techniques generally require two-stage training, and the binary constraints are handled ad-hoc. In this paper, we present an end-to-end Neural Architecture for Semantic Hashing (NASH), where the binary hashing codes are treated as Bernoulli latent variables. A neural variational inference framework is proposed for training, where gradients are directly backpropagated through the discrete latent variable to optimize the hash function. We also draw the connections between proposed method and rate-distortion theory, which provides a theoretical foundation for the effectiveness of our framework. Experimental results on three public datasets demonstrate that our method significantly outperforms several state-of-the-art models on both unsupervised and supervised scenarios.
Performance and Aging Aware Resource Allocation for Concurrent GPU Applications Under Process Variation

Platform heterogeneity prevails as a solution to the throughput and computational challenges imposed by parallel applications and technology scaling. Number-crunching or computationally intensive applications can achieve high performance when executed on a GPU. Although time multitasking is broadly available for GPUs, spatial multitaskingis not extensively explored. Randomly pairing concurrent applications and equally dividing resources among them can lead to poor performance and high divergence in the aging of the computational components. Low performance results from inefficient utilization of the available hardware, while unbalanced aging increases the probability of system failure. Additionally, process variation intensifies the effects on aging. In this paper, we present a methodology to efficiently allocate streaming multiprocessors for concurrent GPU applications. This paper considers process variation and takes actions both at the application and the kernel level. Experimental results show up to 23% and 14% higher throughput, compared to an aging aware and a performance/aging aware approach, respectively, while the relative delay deviation is reduced up to 5.9× and 4.9×, respectively.
Interleukin 1 beta and Matrix Metallopeptidase 3 Contribute to Development of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor–Dependent Serrated Polyps in Mouse Cecum

Background & Aims Transgenic mice (HBUS) that express the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligand HBEGF (heparin-binding epidermal growth factor–like growth factor) and a constitutively active G protein–coupled receptor (US28) in intestinal epithelial cells develop serrated polyps in the cecum. Development of serrated polyps depends on the composition of the gut microbiota and is associated with bacterial invasion of the lamina propria, accompanied by induction of inflammation and up-regulation of interleukin 1 beta (IL1B) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 3 in the cecum. We investigated the mechanisms by which these changes contribute to development of serrated polyps. Methods We performed studies with C57BL/6 (control) and HBUS mice. To accelerate polyp development, we increased the exposure of the bacteria to the lamina propria by injecting HBUS mice with diphtheria toxin, which binds transgenic HBEGF expressed by the epithelial cells and causes apoptosis. Mice were given injections of IL1B-neutralizing antibody and the MMP inhibitor N-isobutyl-N-(4-methoxyphenylsulfonyl)glycyl hydroxamic acid. Intestinal tissues were collected from mice and analyzed by histology, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry. We examined fibroblast subsets in polyps using single-cell RNA sequencing. Results Administration of diphtheria toxin to HBUS mice accelerated development of serrated polyps (95% of treated mice developed polyps before 100 days of age, compared with 53% given vehicle). IL1B stimulated subsets of platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha+ (PDGRFA+) fibroblasts isolated from cecum, resulting in increased expression of MMP3. Neutralizing antibodies against IL1B or administration of the MMP inhibitor reduced the number of serrated polyps that formed in the HBUS mice. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis showed subsets of fibroblasts in serrated polyps that express genes that regulate matrix fibroblasts and inflammation. Conclusions In studies of mice, we found that barrier breakdown and expression of inflammatory factors contribute to development of serrated polyps. Subsets of cecal PDGFRA+ fibroblasts are activated by release of IL1B from myeloid cells during the early stages of serrated polyp development. MMP3 produced by PDGFRA+ fibroblasts is important for serrated polyp development. Our findings confirm the functions of previously identified serrated polyp–associated molecules and indicate roles for immune and stromal cells in serrated polyp development.
Web Exclusive. Annals On Call - Bacterial Panels: Pros and Cons.

In this episode of Annals On Call, Dr. Centor discusses T2Bacteria Panels with Dr. Todd McCarty of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Spatial Learning in Smart Applications: Enhancing Spatial Awareness through Visualized Off-Screen Landmarks on Mobile Devices

Smartphones have become a significant platform in everyone’s daily lives. For example, maps and map-based services on smartphones bring great convenience for wayfinding. They affect users’ spatial ...
1970 The price equation

Abstract George Price (1970, 1972) showed how the outcome of evolution could be determined by examining the correlation between fitness and phenotypes.
New faces in the computing landscape not your father's oldsmobile!

With the publication of Curriculum '68 Computer Science asserted that it was distinct from Mathematics and was able to list enough computing topics to justify a unique undergraduate major. Curriculum 2001 describes Computer Science as an academic discipline thirty-three years later, but also to be described are distinct curricula in software engineering, computer engineering, and information systems. However, this is just the work of an ACM/IEEE Computer Society Task Force. There are now other branches of academe offering computing degrees. This paper looks at the proliferation of computing majors and the professional organizations behind them. It also looks at how new colleges, called IT colleges, are in some universities trying to bring all the different computing majors under one roof (or Dean). Finally, the author offers some suggestions to the majority of faculty who work in higher education institutions that try to squeeze computing into one or two majors.
Dare to digress: cinematic self-discovery in Victor Erice’s Dream of Light

Victor Erice’s contemplative documentary ‘Dream of Light’ (1992) begins with a straightforward and unnarrated account of a realist painter, Antonio Lopez, embarking upon a new painting of a quince ...
Managing Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction in the Young Infant

In the last decade, management of congenital UPJ obstruction has become progressively observational despite the lack of precise predictors of outcome. While it is clear that many children will have resolution of their hydronephrosis and healthy kidneys, it is equally clear that there are those in whom renal functional development is at risk. Surgical intervention for the young infant, under 6 months, has become relatively infrequent, yet can be necessary and poses unique challenges. This review will address the clinical evaluation of UPJO in the very young infant and approaches to determining in whom surgical intervention may be preferable, as well as surgical considerations for the small infant. There are some clinical scenarios where the need for intervention is readily apparent, such as the solitary kidney or in child with infection. In others, a careful evaluation and discussion with the family must be undertaken to identify the most appropriate course of care. Further, while minimally invasive pyeloplasty has become commonly performed, it is often withheld from those under 6 months. This review will discuss the key elements of that practice and offer a perspective of where minimally invasive pyeloplasty is of value in the small infant. The modern pediatric urologist must be aware of the various possible clinical situations that may be present with UPJO and feel comfortable in their decision-making and surgical care. Simply delaying an intervention until a child is bigger may not always be the best approach.
Pore-scale simulation of gas flow in microscopic permeable media with complex geometries

Abstract Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is an efficient tool to perform direct numerical simulation of gas flow in micro-size pores. Despite great advances in LBM and its use in describing gas flow in micro-size channels in slip and transitional flow regimes, exploring formulations that are able to capture flow behavior in domains with complex boundary geometries remains a challenging task. As a result, the impact of complexities in pore structures on gas flow may not be fully explored using LBM. In this study, we propose to use the combined bounce-back and Maxwellian diffusive reflection scheme to capture the slip velocity with a new set of slip coefficients. Optimal values of slip coefficients are determined using a gradient based method, where the results from the linearized Boltzmann equation is used as the reference solution. The proposed formulation is further validated against predictions from molecular dynamics simulation in the presence of complex geometries by introducing obstacles of different shapes in straight channels. LBM with the proposed boundary treatment is then used to investigate gas flow in a synthetic microscopic permeable medium. Results indicate that gas exhibits different flow configurations as Knudsen number varies, and apparent gas permeability appears to have up to a second-order dependency on the reciprocal mean pressure in slip and transitional flow regimes.
The Goals of Care - Is There a (Black) Doctor in the House?

The Goals of Care Why could I establish trust that White clinicians could not? Was it just the color of my skin? I believe that in this Black patient, I saw someone I knew, a story I recognized. I ...
Word learning in monolingual and bilingual children: The influence of speaker eye-gaze

The current study examined the impact of a speaker's gaze on novel-word learning in 4-5-year old monolingual (N = 23) and bilingual children (N = 24). Children were taught novel words when the speaker looked at the object both times while labeling it (consistent) and when the speaker looked at the object only the first time (inconsistent). During teaching, bilingual children differentiated between the target object (that matched the label) and non-target object (that did not match the label) earlier than the monolingual children on trials without eye-gaze information. However, during testing, monolingual children showed more robust retention of novel words than bilingual children in both conditions. Findings suggest that bilingualism shapes children's attention to eye-gaze during word learning, but that, ultimately, there is no bilingual advantage for utilizing this cue in the service of word retention.
Family Control of Firms and Industries

We test what explains family control of firms and industries and find that the explanation is largely contingent on the identity of families and individual blockholders. Founders and their families are more likely to retain control when doing so gives the firm a competitive advantage, thereby benefiting all shareholders. In contrast, nonfounding families and individual blockholders are more likely to retain control when they can appropriate private benefits of control. Families are more likely to maintain control when the efficient scale is small, the need to monitor employees is high, investment horizons are long, and the firm has dual-class stock.
Free-running 2.4GHz Ring Oscillator-Based FSK TX/RX for Ultra-Small IoT Motes

We demonstrate narrowband FSK communication between radios with free-running 2.4GHz ring oscillators requiring neither frequency synthesizer nor external frequency reference (e.g., crystal oscillator). After a single calibration and in an open lab environment, a free-running low-IF ring RX is able to demodulate coded binary FSK signals sent by a free-running ring TX (FSK tone separation 5.5MHz) with input power as low as -67dBm (yielding estimated 5.5m range) to better than 6.5% chip error rate (CER) / 1% packet error rate (PER) as specified by the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. By solely relying on ring oscillators for 2.4GHz tone generation, this work enables 600x chip area reduction when comparing a 10um x 10um ring oscillator (oscillator only, no current DAC) with a 250um x 250um 4.7nH LC tank (inductor only, no capacitor DAC). This work also enables 4x power reduction when comparing 105uW ring oscillator power vs. 400uW LC tank power.
Rural/urban differences in discharge from rehabilitation in older adults with traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among older adults and treatment of this population in nursing homes are increasing. The objective of this study is to examine differences in the quality of care and outcomes of older adults with TBI in rural and urban settings by (1) comparing the rates of successful community discharge; and (2) reasons for not achieving successful discharge among patients in rural and urban environments. DESIGN Retrospective national cohort study of skilled nursing facility (SNF) patients using Medicare inpatient claims linked with Minimum Data Set assessments. Demographic, health, and facility characteristics were compared between rural and urban settings using descriptive statistics. Logistic regression with state random effects was used to identify characteristics that predicted successful discharge. SETTING U.S. skilled nursing facilities (n = 11,771). PARTICIPANTS Medicare beneficiaries aged 66 and older discharged to a SNF following hospitalization for TBI between 2011 and 2015 (n = 61,021). MEASUREMENTS Successful community discharge defined as discharge from SNF within 100 days of admission and remaining in the community for ≥30 days without dying or admission to an inpatient healthcare facility. RESULTS Unadjusted rates of successful discharge were significantly lower for patients in rural settings compared with patients in urban settings (52.1% vs 58.5%, p < 0.01). Patients in rural settings had lower adjusted odds (odds ratio 0.84, 95% confidence interval = 0.80-0.89) of successful discharge. Reasons for not discharging successfully differed between rural and urban settings with rural patients less likely to discharge from SNF within 100 days though also less likely to be rehospitalized within 30 days of SNF discharge. CONCLUSION Given the low overall rate of successful community discharge and worse outcomes among rural patients, further research to explore interventions to improve SNF care and discharge planning in this population is warranted.
Gromov-Hausdorff distance with boundary and its application to Gromov hyperbolic spaces and uniform spaces

In this paper we introduce a notion of the Gromov-Hausdorff distance with boundary, denoted by $d_{GHB}$, to construct a framework of convergence of noncomplete metric spaces. We show that a class of bounded $A$-uniform spaces with diameter bounded from below is a complete metric space with respect to $d_{GHB}$. As an application we show the stability of Gromov hyperbolicity, roughly starlike property, uniformization, quasihyperbolization, and boundary of Gromov hyperbolic spaces under appropriate notions of convergence and assumptions.
Knowledge-based system for analysis and design of liquid retaining structures

nnnnn Liquid retaining structures are more vulnerable to corrosion problem and hence have stringent requirements against serviceability limit state of crack. The design procedures of these structures require significant empirical inputs from specialists. With the recent advent of artificial intelligence technology, a coupled knowledge-based system can handle both the symbolic knowledge processing based on engineering heuristics in the preliminary synthesis stage and the extensive numerical crunching involved in the detailed structural analysis stage. nnnnn In this study, a prototype coupled knowledge-based system for the design of liquid retaining structures, LIQSTR, has been developed using the commercial expert system shell VISUAL RULE STUDIO, which acts as an ActiveX Designer under the Microsoft VISUAL BASIC programming environment. The blackboard architecture, which can group all the knowledge together into an integrated system effectively, is employed. By adopting a hybrid knowledge representation approach, production rule system as well as procedural methods under object-oriented programming paradigm are used to express engineering heuristics and standard design knowledge. The basis of design is BS 8007, which is the British Standard on design of concrete structures for retaining aqueous liquid. The present scope of the system covers design of three types of liquid retaining structures, namely, rectangular shape with one compartment, rectangular shape with two compartments and circular shape. Through custom built interactive graphical user interfaces under a user-friendly environment, the user is directed throughout the design process, which includes preliminary design, load specification, model generation, finite element analysis, code compliance checking and member sizing optimization. nnnnn The design of typical examples of the design of liquid retaining structure is also illustrated. This system can act as a consultant to offer assistance and advice to novice designers in the design of liquid retaining structures. Advantages of the system include increase in efficiency, improvement, standardization and optimization of design output and automated record keeping. Besides, machine intelligence can be introduced into the knowledge-based system in addition to the knowledge acquired from human experts and the literatures. This prototype model will become the building block for full system implementation.
The Chinese loess perspective on Marine Isotope Stage 11 as an extreme interglacial

Loess/paleosol sequences have proven to be excellent paleoclimate archives of the past 2.5 million years. Furthermore, the magnetic susceptibility signal of these formations in the Central Loess Plateau of China shows a high degree of similarity with the marine isotope signal, and the enhanced magnetic susceptibility of each paleosol has been correlated to one or more interglacial marine isotope stages (MIS). If MIS 11 was the longest and warmest interglacial of the past 500 ka, then it should have produced the most highly-developed paleosol in the terrestrial record. In the Chinese sequence, S 5 is the most prominent paleosol, and it is generally assumed to represent the terrestrial climatic optimum for the past 1.2 Ma. However, the peak in magnetic susceptibility in S 5 , which is also the highest value in the entire section, is usually correlated to MIS 13, and not MIS 11. Paleosol S4, which has been correlated to MIS11, does not stand out in most of the properties that are associated with the intensity of pedogenesis, such as magnetic susceptibility enhancement, soil thickness, the depth of decalcification, or particle size. Comparison of the degree of soil development of S 1 -S 5 pedocomplexes of Jiaodao and other Chinese loess/paleosol sections does not confirm the unusual duration, warmth or stability of the S 4 soil-forming interval. However, it does confirm that S 5 (especially S 5-1 ) represents the period of either prolonged or most intense pedogenesis within the studied time interval. This raises questions about interpretation of marine and terrestrial paleoclimate proxies and the validity of their correlation to each other and orbital variations.
Chapter 21 Altruism, reciprocity and cooperation in the workplace

Abstract This paper surveys economic models where cooperation arises in the workplace because individuals' utility functions involve a concern for others (altruism) or a desire to respond to like with like (reciprocity). It also discusses empirical evidence which bears on the relevance of these theories. The paper considers separately the feelings employees have for their employers or their supervisors, those that employees have for others that occupy similar positions as themselves and the feelings of supervisors towards their subordinates. Altruism appears to play a role in the last two settings while reciprocity seems useful to explain the way employees react to employer actions which the employees regard as unfair.
On regional pole assignment in discrete-time systems using linear quadratic regulator theory

In this paper we present a simple method which places all the closed-loop poles of a discrete-time control system inside a circle which maximizes the area within the logarithmic spiral corresponding to a damping ratio. An illustrative example is presented along with the proposed algorithm.
Direct-sequence spread spectrum spectral overlay in the instrument landing system glideslope and microwave landing system bands

We compare the performance of direct-sequence spread spectrum (DS-SS) code-division multiple access (CDMA) systems used in spectral overlay mode in two different aeronautical bands: the instrument landing system glideslope (ILS-GS) band, from 329-335 MHz, and the microwave landing system (MLS) band, from 5091-5150 MHz. The purpose of the overlay system is to enable increased spectral efficiency (higher data throughput), for future potential aeronautical data link communications. The effect of the DS-SS system upon the existing aeronautical system (ILS-GS or MLS) is also briefly addressed. Beginning with basic physical characteristics of the two bands, and classical communications analyses, we estimate the potential data rates in both bands for a range of transmit powers, antenna gains, bit error ratios (BER), and example ILS-GS, MLS, and CDMA system parameters. Our comparison uses both analysis and numerical evaluation. We illustrate that while the ILS-GS band offers more favorable propagation conditions, the MLS band offers significantly higher throughputs.
Tests of Reduction and Analysis Algorithms for Astronomical Images

The reduction and analysis of the data from large scale CCD surveys will require a degree of automation greater than any yet attempted in optical astronomy. The very large number of objects, plus the demanding uses to which the data will be put combine to present a challenging problem.
Computational environment design

The Internet has evolved into a platform on which large numbers of individuals take action and join in collaborations via crowdsourcing, social media, and electronic commerce. When designing social and economic systems on the Internet, a key challenge is understanding how to promote particular desired behaviors and outcomes. I call this problem computational environment design. Notable abilities afforded by the Internet, such as the ability to recruit large numbers of individuals to join problem-solving efforts via crowdsourcing and social media, and the ability to engage in a data-driven iterative design process, are creating new opportunities and inspiring new methods for computational environment design. This dissertation focuses on these abilities and proposes an approach for arriving at effective designs by reasoning and learning about characteristics of participants and how these characteristics interact with a system's design to influence behavior. The dissertation consists of two major components. The first component focuses on designing crowdsourcing and human computation systems that leverage a crowd to solve complex problems that require effective coordination among participants or the recruitment of individuals with relevant expertise. I show how reasoning about crowd abilities and limitations can lead to designs that make crowdsourcing complex tasks feasible, effective, and efficient. The solutions introduce new design patterns and methods for human computation and crowdsourcing; notable contributions include a crowdware design for tackling human computation tasks with global constraints, and incentive mechanisms for task routing that harness people's expertise and social expertise by engaging them in both problem solving and routing. The second component focuses on understanding how to design effective environments automatically. I introduce a general active, indirect elicitation framework for automated environment design that learns relevant characteristics of participants based on observations of their behavior and optimizes designs based on learned models. Theoretical contributions include developing an active, indirect elicitation algorithm for a sequential decision-making setting that is guaranteed to discover effective designs after few interactions. Practical contributions include applications of the active, indirect elicitation framework to crowdsourcing. Specifically, I demonstrate how to automatically design tasks and synthesize workflows when optimizing for desired objectives given resource constraints.
Gas Chromatographic Separations of Drugs and Drug Metabolites

Gas chromatographic methods may be used for the separation of many drugs and drug metabolites for purposes of identification or estimation. The most useful technics involve the use of columns with relatively thin films of thermostable liquid phases coated on inert or inactivated supports, and used with high-sensitivity detectors. Classes of compounds which may be studied include barbiturates, quinolines used as antimalarials, and phenothiazines and diphenylamines.
Readout of GEM stacks with the CERN SRS system

The PHENIX Collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy ion Collider (RHIC) is considering a Gas-Electron Multiplier (GEM) tracker as part of a major upgrade of the PHENIX apparatus. The CERN RD51 collaboration has developed a “Scalable Readout System” (SRS) to facilitate a standard readout system which is suitable for GEM stacks. For the tests we are currently conducting, we have implemented the readout of the SRS into our bench-top DAQ system, “RCDAQ”. In addition to showing some early data from our GEM test detector, we will introduce the concepts behind RCDAQ, show the implementation of the SRS, and highlight the main features of the system.
Interferon Inducers Protect Mice against Plasmodium berghei Malaria

Injection of mice with two interferon inducers, Newcastle disease virus or statolon, 20 hours after inoculation with Plasmodium berghei sporozoites, prevented or delayed the development of detectable malarial parasitemia and death.
Observations from over a decade of experience in developing faster, better, cheaper missions for the NASA small explorer program

Abstract The Small Explorer (SMEX) Project at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has accumulated nearly a decade of experience building missions with the underlying philosophy of “Faster, Better, Cheaper” (FBC). Five satellites are now successfully operating on-orbit with only one serious instrument anomaly. Together this Project has accumulated 14.6 years of on-orbit experience without a spacecraft bus failure. Additionally, this project, under the Explorer Technology Infusion effort, has developed a protoflight version of a 21st Century FBC spacecraft bus that has just completed environmental qualification and has been selected at the base spacecraft for NASA's Triana mission. Design and production of these six high performance spacecraft, in just ten years time, has provided a unique base of experience from which to draw lessons learned. This paper will discuss the fundamental practices that have been used by the SMEX Project in achieving this record of success.
NMAM methods update: a laboratory response to concerns about technologically outdated and problematic methods.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety Health (NIOSH) publishes the NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM). The NMAM, although subject to various revisions and the incorporation of supplemental editions over the years, still contains many methods that are technologically outdated or problematic, as identified in a recent survey of the various users of the NMAM. Whereas the survey identified a number of problematic methods based on various chromatographic techniques, those selected for inclusion in this project employed analysis by gas chromatography (GC). The GC methods selected for evaluation were categorized as Phases 1, 2, 3, and 4 based on necessity as determined by the results of the client survey or internal assessment. The Phase 1 methods included: NMAM 1606 (Acetonitrile), NMAM 2005 (Nitroaromatic Compounds), and NMAM 1453 (Vinyl Acetate); the Phase 2 methods: NMAM 1003 (Halogenated Hydrocarbons), NMAM 1501 (Aromatic Hydrocarbons), NMAM 2555 (Ketones I), and NMAM 1403 (Alcohols IV); the...
Glycosylation site-targeted PEGylation of glucose oxidase retains native enzymatic activity

Targeted PEGylation of glucose oxidase at its glycosylation sites was investigated to determine the effect on enzymatic activity, as well as the bioconjugate's potential in an optical biosensing assay. Methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-hydrazide (4.5kDa) was covalently coupled to periodate-oxidized glycosylation sites of glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger. The bioconjugate was characterized using gel electrophoresis, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and dynamic light scattering. Gel electrophoresis data showed that the PEGylation protocol resulted in a drastic increase (ca. 100kDa) in the apparent molecular mass of the protein subunit, with complete conversion to the bioconjugate; liquid chromatography data corroborated this large increase in molecular size. Mass spectrometry data proved that the extent of PEGylation was six poly(ethylene glycol) chains per glucose oxidase dimer. Dynamic light scattering data indicated the absence of higher-order oligomers in the PEGylated GOx sample. To assess stability, enzymatic activity assays were performed in triplicate at multiple time points over the course of 29 days in the absence of glucose, as well as before and after exposure to 5% w/v glucose for 24h. At a confidence level of 95%, the bioconjugate's performance was statistically equivalent to native glucose oxidase in terms of activity retention over the 29 day time period, as well as following the 24h glucose exposure. Finally, the bioconjugate was entrapped within a poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogel containing an oxygen-sensitive phosphor, and the construct was shown to respond approximately linearly with a 220±73% signal change (n=4, 95% confidence interval) over the physiologically-relevant glucose range (i.e., 0-400mg/dL); to our knowledge, this represents the first demonstration of PEGylated glucose oxidase incorporated into an optical biosensing assay.
Performance of substance use disorder treatment systems: The effect of case-mix adjustment

Aims: Transitional care between detoxification (detox) and rehabilitation in either residential or outpatient settings prevents detox readmissions and reduces patients’ risk of death due to accidental overdose. As state agencies seek to evaluate local treatment systems on their performancewith transitional care for detox patients, it is important to assess the effect of case-mix adjustment on performance outcomes. Methods: Admissions data on all detox patients from 32 counties in California were abstracted from the California Outcomes Measurement System for 2008–2009 (N=24,928). Counties were ranked based on the proportion of detox patients transferred to any form of treatment within 14 days of discharge from a detox service. Case-mix adjusterswere identified by examining their predictive power in a series of binarymixedmodels. Adjusted rankings were based on the mean predicted probability of a detox transfer for each county. A Kendall’s tau coefficientwas used to evaluate the impact of adjustment on county rankings. Results: Important case-mix adjusters included Medi-Cal coverage, stable living situation, criminal justice referral to treatment, high school education, primary drug problem, prior treatment, lifetime mental illness diagnosis, and receipt of medication during treatment. The impact of case-mix adjustment on the county rankingswasminimal (Kendall’s tau= .9758), but it affected the relative rankings of 11 counties. Conclusions: This study represents a first step in exploring the utility of case-mix adjustment for monitoring county-wide performance in transitional care for detox patients. Case-mix adjustment with CalOMS data has minimal impact on county rankings. Subsequent analyses will examine the role of county-level factors on transitional care performance such as county size, number of treatment programs, and funding levels. Financial support: Kirschstein-NRSA award (NIDA 5F31DA031509-01); State of California/Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs Evaluation Services to Enhance the Data Management System in California.
Modeling of RTD-gated GaN HEMTs at Terahertz frequencies using a full-wave simulation toolset coupled with particle-based equations

Terahertz devices can be used for a variety of applications, including secure communications, imaging, radar, and radio astronomy. The demand for higher frequency devices has compelled designers to scale device dimensions down to a point where a trial-and-error approach in fabrication can no longer be used. Instead, device optimization via simulations has become vitally important to reduce time and production costs involved. Although many simulation models exist for microwave transistors, modeling them at terahertz frequencies comes with new challenges, as quantum and electromagnetic wave effects that could once be neglected become limiting factors in device performance. This requires the development of more complete toolsets that can describe the inherent electromagnetic nature and associated wave effects. Specifically, modeling of terahertz devices must include full wave electromagnetic modeling along with all relevant semiconductor device physics.