cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Approximate solution of large sparse Lyapunov equations

Describes a simple method for efficiently estimating the dominant eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the solution to a Lyapunov equation, without first solving the equation explicitly. The method is based on the power method and matrix-vector multiplications and is particularly suitable for problems where those multiplications can be done efficiently, such as where the coefficient matrices are large and sparse or low-rank. The same idea is directly applicable to balanced-truncation order reduction of linear systems. >
Some Asymmetry Properties of Composite Membranes

Composite membranes of two types, layer-type and sandwich-type, have been prepared from 2% collodion solutions containing different amounts of polystyrene sulfonic acid. The layer-type membranes were formed by evaporating first a collodion solution containing the least amount of the polyelectrolyte. On top of this collodion solutions containing increasing quantities of the poly-electrolyte were evaporated one after the other. Sandwich-type membranes were formed by trapping some polyelectrolyte between two simple membranes, one containing a small quantity and the other containing a large quantity of the polyelectrolyte.
A Delay-Bounded Dynamic Interactive Power Control Algorithm for VANETs

To enable real-time and robust message delivery, the highly mobile vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) call for comprehensive investigation on the dynamic power control effects on the real-time and robust communications. Ideally, by adjusting transmission power adaptively, VANET nodes may agilely cope with the segmentation problem at light vehicular traffic and with the limited system capacity problem at high traffic load. In this paper, we propose a delay-bounded dynamic interactive power control (DB-DIPC) module which is a fully distributed and proactive approach, wherein neighboring nodes periodically and interactively reach each other via power adjustment to maintain run-time connectivity. DB-DIPC algorithm is distributed, asynchronous, fast converging, and capable of interactive learning and calibrating over multiple iterations. With DB-DIPC, the transmission powers of VANET nodes are verified iteratively and interactively by the neighbor vehicles at run-time, which consequently ensures that the prompt 1-op neighbor connectivity to adapt the high VANET dynamics. Our analytical and simulation studies confirm these salient features of the proposed DB-DIPC mechanism.
An Off-the-Shelf Help List A Comprehensive Catalog of Preference Scores from Published Cost-Utility Analyses

Purpose. The Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine recommends an organized collection of preference measure values for health states that can be used in cost-utility analyses (CUAs). T...
Phase II Study of Lapatinib in Combination With Trastuzumab in Patients With Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2–Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer: Clinical Outcomes and Predictive Value of Early [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Imaging (TBCRC 003)

Purpose Lapatinib plus trastuzumab improves outcomes relative to lapatinib alone in heavily pretreated, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). We tested the combination in the earlier-line setting and explored the predictive value of [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ([18F]FDG-PET) for clinical outcomes. Patients and Methods Two cohorts were enrolled (cohort 1: no prior trastuzumab for MBC and ≥ 1 year from adjuvant trastuzumab, if given; cohort 2: one to two lines of chemotherapy including trastuzumab for MBC and/or recurrence < 1 year from adjuvant trastuzumab). The primary end point was objective response rate by RECIST v1.0; secondary end points included clinical benefit rate (complete response plus partial response plus stable disease ≥ 24 weeks) and progression-free survival. [18F]FDG-PET scans were acquired at baseline, week 1, and week 8. Associations between metabolic response and clinical outcomes were explored. Results Eighty-seven p...
Ground‐water inventory in the Upper Gila River Valley, New Mexico and Arizona: Scope of investigation and methods used

The Division of Ground Water of the Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior, has been making an inventory of the water-resources of the upper Gila River since January 1, 1940. Funds for the project are furnished under a cooperative agreement with the Arizona State Water Commissioner, supplemented by a substantial grant from the United States Engineer Office of the War Department. The State of Arizona wants information regarding the quantity of ground-water available to supplement surface-water irrigation. The Army Engineers would like to know the effect that flood-control structures which may be built on the upper Gila will have on existing relations between river-flow and ground-water storage.
On errors introduced by combined sampling and quantization

In digital computations, errors resulting from sampling and amplitude quantization (round off) are unavoidable. This work evaluates the mean-square error caused by sampling and quantization at the output of a linear network which contains a single quantizer. A detailed answer is given to the question, "Given quantized samples of a signal which is a sample function of a random process, what is the optimum linear filter for recovering the signal from its samples?" This filter is determined and its characteristics are summarized graphically for a specific example. A comparison with the conventional hold circuit shows that the optimum filter is much better if high accuracy is required and quantization is coarse. The difference in performance between the two filters is small when the accuracy requirement is low and the quantization is fine. Also included as Appendix V is a survey of the general quantization errors problem, as it appears in the areas of digital computation and numerical analysis, and a study of multiquantizer networks. It is found that extension of the method to networks which contain more than one quantizer is impractical, if not impossible.
Design of 10-nm-scale recessed asymmetric Schottky barrier MOSFETs

We have proposed and simulated a new 10-nm and sub-10 nm n-MOSFET that has a recessed channel and asymmetric source/drain Schottky Contacts (RASC MOSFETs). The recessed channel can effectively suppress short-channel effects, and the asymmetric source/drain contacts in which a higher Schottky barrier at the source contact can yield smaller off-state current while a lower Schottky barrier at the drain can yield larger on-state current. The simulated results show that the device can exhibit an on/off ratio as high as 10/sup 6/ and an on-state current of 393 /spl mu/A//spl mu/m with a supply voltage of 1.0 V. Furthermore, the parameters of RASC MOSFETs are rather insensitive to size variations. These characteristics make the 10-nm or even sub-10 nm transistors potentially suitable for logic and memory applications.
Moisture Distribution Measurements in Adhesive-Bonded Composites Using the D(3He,p)4He Reaction

Adhesive bonding of composite materials for many aircraft components offers a distinct advantage in weight and cost reduction compared to similar structures that have been joined by riveting. However, the long term performance of adhesive-bonded components depends on the degree and rate of moisture absorption by the adhesive in the service environment. To investigate the rate and the mechanism of water transport in adhesive-bonded composite materials, a nuclear reaction analysis method based on the D(3He,p)4He reaction is used to measure the moisture distributions. Samples of graphite/epoxy composite materials were bonded with an epoxy adhesive and isothermally conditioned in a controlled D2O environment at 70% relative humidity and 77°C for various exposure times. The moisture profiles were measured along the adhesive (adhesive scan) as well as through the thickness of the bonded joint (transverse scan). The dimensions of the probing beam were 125 ?m × 125 ?m for the adhesive scan and 25 ?m × 200 ?m for the transverse scan. Absolute deuterium concentrations were determined by comparison of the proton yield from the composite/adhesive to that from reference standards. Calculations from diffusion models of water transport based on parameters determined from bulk measurement techniques are compared to the measured profile and the agreement indicates that classical Fickian diffusion describes the transport of moisture in these materials.
Normalized data nonlinearities for LMS adaptation

Properly designed nonlinearly-modified LMS algorithms, in which various quantities in the stochastic gradient estimate are operated upon by memoryless nonlinearities, have been shown to perform better than the LMS algorithm in system identification-type problems. The authors investigate one such algorithm given by W/sub k+l/=W/sub k/+/spl mu/(d/sub k/-W/sub k//sup t/X/sub k/)X/sub k/f(X/sub k/) in which the function f(X/sub k/) is a scalar function of the sum of the squares of the N elements of the input data vector X/sub k/. This form of algorithm generalizes the so-called normalized LMS (NLMS) algorithm. They evaluate the expected behavior of this nonlinear algorithm for both independent input vectors and correlated Gaussian input vectors assuming the system identification model. By comparing the nonlinear algorithm's behavior with that of the LMS algorithm, they then provide a method of optimizing the form of the nonlinearity for the given input statistics. In the independent input case, they show that the optimum nonlinearity is a single-parameter version of the NLMS algorithm with an additional constant in the denominator and show that this algorithm achieves a lower excess mean-square error (MSE) than the LMS algorithm with an equivalent convergence rate. Additionally, they examine the optimum step size sequence for the optimum nonlinear algorithm and show that the resulting algorithm performs better and is less complex to implement than the optimum step size algorithm derived for another form of the NLMS algorithm. Simulations verify the theory and the predicted performance improvements of the optimum normalized data nonlinearity algorithm. >
Effects of Acute Insulin Withdrawal and Administration on Plasma Glucagon Responses to Intravenous Arginine in Insulin-dependent Diabetic Subjects

To assess further the role of insulin in the abnormal alpha-cell dysfunction found in human diabetes mellitus, the effects of acute insulin withdrawal and administration on plasma glucagon responses to intravenous arginine were studied in eight insulin-dependent diabetic subjects. Arginine infusions (30 gm. over 30 minutes) were performed during and at one and four hours after discontinuation of a 14-hour insulin infusion (1.5 U. per hour), which had rendered the subjects euglycemic, and on another occasion before and one and four hours into a five-hour infusion of insulin (1.5 U. per hour). During the last hour of the 14-hour infusion, glucagon responses to arginine (area under the curve, nanograms per milliliter per minute) were similar to those found in normal subjects (10.3 ± 0.8 vs. 9.0 ± 0.8, respectively). After discontinuation of the insulin infusions, glucagon responses increased progressively (p These results demonstrate a rapid effect of insulin on glucagon responses to arginine and suggest that the abnormal responses seen in diabetes mellitus are the immediate result of insulin deficiency. Since abnormal glucagon responses to glucose in diabetes are not as readily corrected by insulin, the mechanisms underlying the abnormal responses to these two stimuli may differ.
Spatial Science and Its Traditions

Research design is the critical process that transforms an idea, interest, or question from “just a thought” into a meaningful and purposeful investigation of social or physical processes. The central emphasis of research design is the process itself. For this reason, research design does not refer to the end product, the results, a new grand theory, or a specific methodology. Rather, research design is an iterative process that is an on-going negotiation between the researcher, peers, and the standards of good science. This process transcends discipline, epistemology, or subfield. Indeed, social and natural scientists alike must undertake the same steps to distill the essence of a research question and design a successful project.
Thermoplastic building blocks for the fabrication of microfluidic masters

Microfluidic channels are typically fabricated in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using a combination of photolithography and soft lithography. Photolithography, while ubiquitous in the fabrication of microfluidic devices, generally requires skilled technicians, expensive chemicals, and specialized equipment. This manuscript describes a simple method for the fabrication of masters for use in soft lithography that is based on combining thermoplastic “building blocks” using thermal “welding.” This approach is applicable to the fabrication of an array of devices that possess many of the basic functionalities (e.g., droplet generation, mixing, and splitting) required in microfluidics. In addition to these systems, which are routinely fabricated using photolithographically produced masters, this manuscript describes how thermoplastic building blocks can be stacked, assembled, and replicated to fabricate microfluidic devices with channel crossings and/or channels of variable cross-sectional height—geometries that normally require multiple steps of photolithography. The methods described here enable a range of scientists of varying expertise to prototype a variety of functional microfluidic devices easily and rapidly, even when access to traditional fabrication techniques or time is limited, or when an optimized design is not available.
Fundamental Constants and the Hydrogen Atom

A review is given of the latest adjustment of the values of the fundamental constants. The new values are recommended by the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) for international use. Most of the fundamental constants are obtained by the comparison of the results of critical experiments and the corresponding theoretical expressions based on quantum electrodynamics (QED). An important case is the Rydberg constant which is determined primarily by precise frequency measurements in hydrogen and deuterium.
Workplace violence: occupational health nurses' beliefs and experiences.

The purpose of this descriptive study was to describe occupational health nurses' beliefs about workplace violence and violence prevention education. The study examined what nurses believe about their intentions and ability to provide violence prevention education, as well as barriers they perceive to providing such programs. A survey was sent to a random sample of 700 members of the AAOHN; 357 surveys were used for data analysis. The study found that many occupational health nurses believe they and their companies are at risk for violence. In addition, many of the occupational health nurses had experienced harassment, threats, or assaults at their workplaces during the previous 12 months. Few occupational health nurses had provided violence prevention programs in their workplaces or intended to provide such programs during the following 12 months. The largest barrier to providing violence prevention education was the employer did not recognize violence prevention education as part of the nurse's job responsibilities. Language: en
Generations, Politics and Philosophy in Thucydides and Plato

The singular character of Athens’ success in establishing its presence among the Greek poleis has recently been traced (by Josiah Ober) to Athenian skill in the utilization of knowledge. Just as important, however, is the psychic character of innovative energy that is often represented as belonging particularly to youthfulness. As articulated within Pericles’ final speech in Thucydides’ History , Athens will achieve a reputation extending forever because of its wars. The Thucydidean Alcibiades contends that a youthfulness resistant to the decay of age can only be achieved by endless competition. This representation of an Athenian youthfulness and energy that is telescoped in competition points to a darker and more dangerous side of Athens’ success that Ober may underemphasize. This dimension of Athenian practice seems more consistent with David Pritchard's recent efforts to see war as a central political and cultural constituent of classical Athenian society. This conception of youthful activity as competitive daring is challenged by the activities of Socrates who engages the young as potential partners in education. This paper explores the dynamic between youthful daring and youthful educability by paralleling Socrates’ practice in the Republic with selected portions of Thucydides’ narrative in the History. The outcome of this comparison can point not only to political and cultural dangers that Ober may underplay,but also to political cultural possibilities underappreciated by Pritchard. The broader implications of this comparison point to the importance of alternative frames of reference for political theory, a problem that occupies not only texts within the history of political thought but also the choices of political agents within a turbulent world.
Allostery: A lipid two-step

A sensor of membrane depolarization controls the activity of a bound enzyme through a novel mechanism involving two sequential voltage-dependent transitions allosterically coupled to changes in the substrate specificity of the catalytic domain.
Occurrence of Blood Meals in Two Species of Corethrella in Florida

As we examined the March 1967 collections from resting boxes developed for Culiseta melanura (Coquillett), (Edman et al. 1968), some small Diptera attracted attention because of the presence of an apparent blood meal in some females. With the aid of Alan Stone3 the specimens were identified as Corethrella brakeleyi (Coquillett) and Corethrella, n. sp. no. 1. The published literature provides no information on the diet of adult chaoborids but at times refers to this group as the nonbiting mosquitoes. Since our discovery appeared to be the 1st record of blood feeding in this family of Diptera, we wanted to confirm our visual observation. Several of the more engorged individuals were checked with the benzidine test which confirmed the presence of blood (hemoglobin). Although the blood meals are extremely small, several were tested with precipitating antimammal and antibird sera in an attempt to characterize the blood sources. These tests established that some individuals contained mammalian blood, while others contained avian blood. The small amount of extract available prevented more specific characterization.
Total and regional deposition of inhaled aerosols in supine healthy subjects and subjects with mild-to-moderate COPD

Abstract Despite substantial development of sophisticated subject-specific computational models of aerosol transport and deposition in human lungs, experimental validation of predictions from these new models is sparse. We collected aerosol retention and exhalation profiles in seven healthy volunteers and six subjects with mild-to-moderate COPD (FEV1=50–80%predicted) in the supine posture. Total deposition was measured during continuous breathing of 1 and 2.9 µm-diameter particles (tidal volume of 1 L, flow rate of 0.3 L/s and 0.75 L/s). Bolus inhalations of 1 µm particles were performed to penetration volumes of 200, 500 and 800 mL (flow rate of 0.5 L/s). Aerosol bolus dispersion (H), deposition, and mode shift (MS) were calculated from these data. There was no significant difference in total deposition between healthy subjects and those with COPD. Total deposition increased with increasing particle size and also with increasing flow rate. Similarly, there was no significant difference in aerosol bolus deposition between subject groups. Yet, the rate of increase in dispersion and of decrease in MS with increasing penetration volume was higher in subjects with COPD than in healthy volunteers (H: 0.798±0.205 vs. 0.527±0.122 mL/mL, p=0.01; MS: −0.271±0.129 vs. −0.145 ±0.076 mL/mL, p=0.05) indicating larger ventilation inhomogeneities (based on H) and increased flow sequencing (based on MS) in the COPD than in the healthy group. In conclusion, in the supine posture, deposition appears to lack sensitivity for assessing the effect of lung morphology and/or ventilation distribution alteration induced by mild-to-moderate lung disease on the fate of inhaled aerosols. However, other parameters such as aerosol bolus dispersion and mode shift may be more sensitive parameters for evaluating models of lungs with moderate disease.
A comparison of fresh and frozen poultry.

Although taste panel judges could not significantly distinguish between fresh and frozen paired poultry halves, those who did distinguish between them mostly preferred the fresh samples.
Gene expression profiling of extrahepatic ducts in children with biliary atresia

As an inflammatory obliterative cholangiopathy of neonates, biliary atresia (BA) affects both intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. Its etiology has remained largely unknown. Gene expression profiling was conduced for extrahepatic bile duct tissues (including porta hepatis & common bile duct) to identify novel targets for further studies of BA. Among these tissues, porta hepatis was regarded as fibrosis group while common bile duct as self-control group. The analysis of gene expression profile in these tissues was performed with Affymetrix human microarray. Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to confirm these results. The differential expressions of genes were identified through fold-change filtering. Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway analyses were performed using standard enrichment computation method. It was found that a total of 140 genes were differentially expressed between porta hepatis and common bile duct tissues, 19 genes up-regulated and 121 genes down-regulated. Moreover, GO analysis found that cell adhesion molecules, extracellular matrix formation, protein digestion & absorption functions may be involved in the pathogenesis of porta hepatis fibrosis. Lastly the qRT-PCR data confirmed that IL7 and CLDN2 were significantly up-regulated and both might be involved in the etiology of BA, the expression level of VCAM1 was positively correlated with severity of liver fibrosis in the BA infants. Our results demonstrated that the expressions of these aberrant genes responding to fibrosis in porta hepatis of patients with BA. Further studies of these genes may provide useful insights into the pathological mechanisms of BA.
Effects of food restriction on expression of place conditioning and biochemical correlates in rat nucleus accumbens

When ad libitum-fed rats undergo cocaine place preference conditioning (CPP) but are switched to food restriction for testing, CPP becomes resistant to extinction and correlates with phosphorylation of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor GluA1 at Ser845 in nucleus accumbens (NAc) core. This study tested whether food restriction increases persistence of morphine CPP and conditioned place aversions (CPA) induced by LiCl and naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal. Ad libitum-fed rats were conditioned with morphine (6.0 mg/kg, i.p.), LiCl (50.0/75.0 mg/kg, i.p.), or naloxone (1.0 mg/kg, s.c.) 22 h post-morphine (20.0 mg/kg, s.c.). Half of the subjects were then switched to food restriction. Daily testing resumed 3 weeks later, and brains were harvested when one diet group met extinction criterion. Western analyses probed for pSer845-GluA1, pERK1, and pERK2 in NAc. Food restriction increased persistence of morphine CPP and preference scores correlated with pSer845-GluA1 in NAc core and shell. LiCl CPA was curtailed by food restriction, yet pSer845-GluA1 and pERK2 were elevated in NAc core of food-restricted rats. Food restriction increased persistence of naloxone CPA and elevated pSer845-GluA1 in NAc core and shell, and aversion scores were negatively correlated with pERK1 and pERK2 in NAc core. These results suggest that food restriction prolongs responsiveness to environmental contexts paired with subjective effects of both morphine and morphine withdrawal. A mechanistic scheme, attributing these effects to upregulation of pSer845-GluA1, but subject to override by CPA-specific, pERK2-mediated extinction learning, is explored to accommodate opposite effects of food restriction on LiCl and naloxone CPA.
The radial flow, equation of state and freeze-out phenomena

This is a status report on the on-going work [1] aiming at producing new hydro-based event generator HKM (the hydro-kinetic model) which incorporates such features as EOS with the QCD phase transition. We discuss whether data on radial flow can help us to restrict EOS. We argue that the usual fixed-T freeze-out condition is too crude and a more sophisticated one is needed: the “local” one is studied in details. Comparison with RQMD shows that the results for heavy ions agree well, while for medium one hydro overpredicts flow. Both RQMD and HKM reproduce magnitude of radial flow at SPS, but need additional repulsion between baryons (relative to resonance gas [13]) to reproduce it at AGS. New ideas related with event-per-event fluctuations are discussed, which can help better measure matter properties at the freeze-out.
Language diversity and thought: Development of the linguistic relativity hypothesis in America: Whorf

Introduction Benjamin Lee Whorf (1897–1941) was trained as a chemical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked as a fire prevention engineer for the Hartford Insurance Company for his entire professional career. Avocationally, however, he pursued a wide variety of interests, centering for the most part on a deep concern for the apparent conflict between science and religion. This general interest eventually became focused on linguistic problems, and it is in the area of language-related studies that he made his most important scholarly contributions. (Biographical accounts of Whorf's life and his interests can be found in Carroll, 1956, and Rollins, 1972 and 1980. Whorf, 1956a, also contains a bibliography of most of Whorf's published and unpublished works.) Whorf was initially self-taught in linguistics, but later (after 1931) benefited significantly from interaction with Sapir and his circle of students at nearby Yale. His interest in and formulation of the specifically linguistic relativity principle probably stemmed in large part from this contact with Sapir. It is important to realize that despite his “amateur” status, Whorf's work in linguistics was and still is recognized as being of superb professional quality by linguists. He produced general descriptive works on the modern Nahuatl (Aztec) and Hopi languages, partial descriptive studies of a variety of other languages contemporary and ancient, historical reconstructions of the Uto-Aztecan and adjacent language families, epigraphic studies of Mayan and central Mexican hieroglyphic writings, and a number of theoretical articles.
Reconsidering the device in the drawer: lapses as a design opportunity in personal informatics

People stop using personal tracking tools over time, referred to as the lapsing stage of their tool use. We explore how designs can support people when they lapse in tracking, considering how to design data representations for a person who lapses in Fitbit use. Through a survey of 141 people who had lapsed in using Fitbit, we identified three use patterns and four perspectives on tracking. Participants then viewed seven visual representations of their Fitbit data and seven approaches to framing this data. Participant Fitbit use and perspective on tracking influenced their preference, which we surface in a series of contrasts. Specifically, our findings guide selecting appropriate aggregations from Fitbit use (e.g., aggregate more when someone has less data), choosing an appropriate framing technique from tracking perspective (e.g., ensure framing aligns with how the person feels about tracking), and creating appropriate social comparisons (e.g., portray the person positively compared to peers). We conclude by discussing how these contrasts suggest new designs and opportunities in other tracking domains.
Time-resolved carbon monoxide measurements during the low- to intermediate-temperature oxidation of n-heptane, n-decane, and n-dodecane

Abstract Time-resolved mid-infrared laser absorption measurements of carbon monoxide were carried out during the low- and intermediate-temperature oxidation of n-heptane, n-decane, and n-dodecane in a shock tube. Dilute mixtures of n-alkane/O2/Ar were shock heated, initiating oxidation and resulting in CO formation and heat release with time scales of 1 to 10 ms. Experiments are reported in two temperature and oxygen concentration ranges, 686–797 K at 5% O2 and 1121–1290 K at 0.5% O2, for pressures around 10 atm. For measurements in the lower temperature range, first-stage ignition was observed and found to exhibit negative-temperature-coefficient behavior. The low-temperature reactivity was found to increase with increasing n-alkane chain length and first-stage ignition delay to be well correlated with literature derived cetane numbers. The time-resolved CO measurements and first-stage ignition delay times provide quantitative targets for kinetic models that are sensitive to important low-temperature ignition chemistry; comparisons are made with n-alkane kinetic models from the literature.
Averaged Condensed Phase Model for Simulating Molecules in Complex Environments

The need for configurational sampling dramatically increases the cost of combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) simulations of chemical processes in solution. We developed an averaged condensed phase environment (ACPE) model that constructs an effective polarizable environment directly from explicitly sampled molecular dynamics configurations via the K-means++ algorithm and a mathematically rigorous translation of the molecular mechanics parameters. The model captures detailed heterogeneous features in the environment that may be difficult to describe using a conventional polarizable continuum model. Instead of performing repeated QM/MM calculations for each new configuration of the environment, the ACPE approach allows one to perform a single QM calculation on an averaged configuration. Here, we demonstrate the model by computing electronic excitation energies for several small molecules in solution. The ACPE model predicts the excitation energies in excellent agreement with conventional ...
The Future of Imaging in Detecting Glaucoma Progression

Ocular imaging has been heavily incorporated into glaucoma management and provides important information that aids in the detection of disease progression. Longitudinal studies have shown that the circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer is an important parameter for glaucoma progression detection, whereas other studies have demonstrated that macular parameters, such as the ganglion cell inner plexiform layer and optic nerve head parameters, also are useful for progression detection. The introduction of novel technologies with faster scan speeds, wider scanning fields, higher resolution, and improved tissue penetration has enabled the precise quantification of additional key ocular structures, such as the individual retinal layers, optic nerve head, choroid, and lamina cribrosa. Furthermore, extracting functional information from scans such as blood flow rate and oxygen consumption provides new perspectives on the disease and its progression. These novel methods promise improved detection of glaucoma progression and better insight into the mechanisms of progression that will lead to better targeted treatment options to prevent visual damage and blindness.
Utilizing Social Science Theories, Findings, and Comparative Analyses to Create a Framework for Understanding Economic Inequality”

In this chapter, we argue fostering undergraduate students’ abilities to think analytically about and critically question socioeconomic inequality requires instructors to take three steps in the classroom: (1) identify and subsequently challenge students’ hegemonic beliefs about socioeconomic structures and forces, (2) conceptualize and articulate inequality through a variety of frameworks, and (3) integrate comparative analyses across geographic contexts that underscore the aforementioned points. Though we believe this is a semester-long endeavor, we provide an in-class activity that instructors may use to help students think in this manner.
Prioritized task scheduling in fog computing

Fog computing, similar to edge computing, has been proposed as a model to introduce a virtualized layer between the end users and the back-end cloud data centers. Fog computing has attracted much attention due to the recent rapid deployment of smart devices and Internet-of-Things (IoT) systems, which often requires real-time, stringent-delay services. The fog layer placed between client and cloud layers aims to reduce the delay in terms of transmission and processing times, as well as the overall cost. To support the increasing number of IoT, smart devices, and to improve performance and reduce cost, this paper proposes a task scheduling algorithm in the fog layer based on priority levels. The proposed architecture, queueing and priority models, priority assignment module, and the priority-based task scheduling algorithms are carefully described. Performance evaluation shows that, comparing with existing task scheduling algorithms, the proposed algorithm reduces the overall response time and notably decreases the total cost. We believe that this work is significant to the emerging fog computing technology, and the priority-based algorithm is useful to a wide range of application domains.
EagleKeeper: a coached practice environment for flightline avionics

The approach to training complex, technical tasks that we have shaped at the Learning Research and Development Center is one of learning by doing with reflection after tasks are performed. That is, we engineer work-like experiences in a simulated environment, providing coaching so that trainees are never unable to complete a task, and opportunities for students to "replay" a record of their solution, critique that performance with the "computer" coach, compare it to expert performances, and ask questions about their own or a simulated expert's actions. We refer to tutoring systems based on this approach as intelligent coached practice environments. The approach has been shown to be effective when the training tasks represent the hardest parts of the real job. In fact, recent versions of our tutoring systems have achieved not only high levels of training on specific jobs, but also substantial transfer to new but related jobs [Gott et al., in press].
Luteal Phase Deficiencies in Peripubertal Rhesus Monkeys: Mechanistic Considerations

Short luteal phases in peripubertal monkeys were identified by abbreviated progesterone secretion. Evaluation of the hormonal profiles for LH, FSH, and estradiol revealed that depressed serum concentrations of FSH during the follicular phase and LH and estradiol during the luteal phase were associated with luteal defects. In addition, morphological differences in the corpora lutea of short and normal luteal phases were identified. A mechanism is presented whereby inadequate follicular phase FSH secretion results in abbreviated luteal function.
Sliding scale: A case study in metric selection

A sustainable built environment will require significant innovations to the conventional mode of building design and delivery. Metrics-based rating systems by their nature steer a project development because of their narrowly bounded definition of “success”. However, the reductive nature of any single measurement or system constrains innovation, particularly the high-level re-thinking that will ultimately be required for the conceptual and technological leaps to achieve “true” or functional sustainability. This paper presents a case study of the challenges inherent in selecting and implementing an appropriate rating system for the design and delivery of an office park currently under construction near Amsterdam. It specifically looks at BREEAM, LEED-NC and GreenCalc+. This paper offers a brief discussion of what these three systems measure, and how each proved insufficient at capturing the innovation and high ambition of this project. It offers further discussion of why the team chose to define a unique set of metrics to benchmark the project over the course of its design and delivery. This paper attempts to succinctly problematize what is, in fact, a measurement challenge facing any piece of the built environment viewed over its lifetime of changes and adaptations.
Emotions, Sociology of

A brief social history of the discursive use of the word emotion and the connected Western bias against it is presented. This serves to combat the attitudes and fallacies that have blocked the Western ability to understand the importance of emotions as objects of study. Findings are mentioned demonstrating the necessity of emotion for rational thought, and thus their necessity for understanding the social process. Works and concepts are described that represent the beginnings of the sociology of emotions in the United States where its development into a formally recognized field can be clearly traced. Other substantive contributions to the sociology of emotions are organized by how they fit into a cybernetic framework of two forces: (a) the cultural and structural shaping of emotional experience and (b) the aggregate of active individual emotional experiences and efforts that maintain and confirm those structural arrangements. In this way the study of emotion contributes to the broader field of sociology.
Are the persistent effects of "gate control" stimulation on nociception a form of generalization of habituation that is endocannabinoid-dependent?

Abstract Repetitive activation of non-nociceptive afferents is known to attenuate nociceptive signaling. However, the functional details of how this modulatory process operates are not understood and this has been a barrier in using such stimuli to effectively treat chronic pain. The present study tests the hypothesis that the ability of repeated non-nociceptive stimuli to reduce nociception is a form of generalized habituation from the non-nociceptive stimulus-response pathway to the nociceptive pathway. Habituation training, using non-nociceptive mechanosensory stimuli, did reduce responses to nociceptive thermal stimulation. This generalization of habituation to nociceptive stimuli required endocannabinoid-mediated neuromodulation, although disrupting of endocannabinoid signaling did not affect “direct” habituation of to the non-nociceptive stimulus. Surprisingly, the reduced response to nociceptive stimuli following habituation training was very long-lasting (3–8 days). This long-term habituation required endocannabinoid signaling during the training/acquisition phase, but endocannabinoids were not required for post-training retention phase. The implications of these results are that applying principles of habituation learning could potentially improve anti-nociceptive therapies utilizing repeated non-nociceptive stimulation such as transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS), spinal cord stimulation (SCS), or electro-acupuncture.
Prematurity and cardiovascular risk at early adulthood.

Background Theories of early stress exposure and allostatic load offer a lifespan perspective to adult health after prematurity based on these early stressors affecting endocrine and metabolic systems. In this study, we examine cardiovascular and metabolic risk by comparing two groups of preterm infants who experienced a full spectrum of neonatal illness and a term-born group at age 23. Methods Of the 215 infants recruited at birth, 84% participated at age 23. The cohort included 45 full-term (FT), 24 healthy preterm (HPT), and 111 sick preterm (SPT) infants. Socio-economic status was equivalent across groups. Cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes were as follows: blood pressure (BP), fasting glucose and lipid profiles, weight, waist-hip ratio (WHR), and body mass index (BMI). Clinical and subclinical ranges were compared across neonatal groups and gender. Results At age 23, the HPT and SPT groups had higher systolic BP compared with the FT group. The SPT group had lower weight compared with the FT and HPT groups. No group differences were found on diastolic BP, glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipids, low-density lipids, triglycerides, BMI, or WHR. Preterm males had more systolic hypertension and low high-density lipids than FT males. Former preterm males and females had high WHR ratios and BMI at 23 years. Subclinical prehypertensive rates were highest for the HPT female group, followed by the SPT females. Only one (4.2%) HPT adult male was clinically diabetic. Conclusions As young adults, HPT and SPT infants had early indicators of cardiovascular risk but no indicators of metabolic risk. There is utility in using clinical and subclinical ranges to identify early cardiovascular risk in early adulthood.
Insights into the mechanism and pharmacology of neurotransmitter sodium symporters

Neurotransmitter sodium symporters (NSS) belong to the SLC6 family of solute carriers and play an essential role in neurotransmitter homeostasis throughout the body. In the past decade, structural studies employing bacterial orthologs of NSSs have provided insight into the mechanism of neurotransmitter transport. While the overall architecture of SLC6 transporters is conserved among species, in comparison to the bacterial homologs, the eukaryotic SLC6 family members harbor differences in amino acid sequence and molecular structure, which underpins their functional and pharmacological diversity, as well as their ligand specificity. Here, we review the structures and mechanisms of eukaryotic NSSs, focusing on the molecular basis for ligand recognition and on transport mechanism.
Clinical potential of liraglutide in cardiovascular risk reduction in patients with type 2 diabetes: evidence to date

Metformin is the first-line therapy for the management of type 2 diabetes. After 3 months of metformin, add-on therapy can be considered if an individual's glycemic control has not been achieved for hemoglobin A1c, fasting blood glucose levels, and postprandial blood glucose levels. Liraglutide is a potential second-line option for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus, particularly for those who are or may be at a high risk of cardiovascular disease. It can also be used an add-on therapy for those individuals with established cardiovascular disease. Liraglutide has additional benefits, such as no to minimal risk of hypoglycemia and promotion of weight loss through its mechanism of action. This particular article summarizes evidence on cardiovascular biomarkers and surrogate endpoints, along with macrovascular events, with liraglutide therapy. Overall, liraglutide has extensive cardiovascular evidence based on which it could be used as a desirable agent for glycemic control while lowering the risk of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, and hospitalization from heart failure.
Abstract P2-14-19: Surgical and long-term outcomes of patients receiving neoadjuvant pertuzumab-containing regimens for HER2-positive localized breast cancer

Background: The addition of pertuzumab to trastuzumab and chemotherapy significantly improves the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate in HER2+ localized breast cancer in the preoperative setting. Although many patients are converted to breast conserving therapy (BCT) candidates by neoadjuvant HER2-directed therapy, a significant proportion opt for a mastectomy for various reasons. Among mastectomy procedures, nipple sparing mastectomy (NSM) is frequently chosen instead of non-nipple sparing mastectomy (NNSM). In this study, we evaluated the surgical and long-term outcomes of HER2+ patients receiving neoadjuvant pertuzumab-containing regimens. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of localized breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant pertuzumab-containing regimens from 2011 to 2016, who underwent BCT or mastectomy at an academic institution and two community-based practices. Disease characteristics, treatment regimens, surgical outcomes, and recurrence data were extracted from the electronic medical records. Results: Among 90 patients with stage II-III HER2+ breast cancer, 45 received AC-THP (50.0%), 26 received THP (with adjuvant AC) (29.0%), and 19 received TCHP (21.0%). The majority of patients had grade 3 tumors (61.1%), clinical stage II disease (80.0%), invasive ductal carcinoma (86.7%), and ER+ disease (65.6%). Thirty-seven (41.0%) patients underwent BCT and 53 (59.0%) patients underwent mastectomy. Among the mastectomy patients, 38 (71.7%) patients underwent bilateral mastectomies, specifically 33 (62.0%) patients underwent a NSM and 20 (38.0%) patients underwent a NNSM. The type of surgery that patients underwent stratified by type of neoadjuvant regimen is outlined in the Table 1 below. Most patients who underwent BCT and mastectomy received radiation, including 36 (97.3%) BCT, 24 (72.7%) NSM, and 18 (95.0%) NNSM. Over a median follow-up period of 33 months, 6 patients (6.7%) had recurrences with 2 (2.2%) local recurrences and 4 (4.4%) distant recurrences. The 2 local recurrences occurred in one patient who underwent BCT and one patient who underwent NNSM followed by post-mastectomy radiation. Conclusions: Among mastectomy patients, NSM was more commonly pursued than NNSM. Rates of local recurrence following pertuzumab-containing regimens for HER2-positive localized breast cancer were low overall, regardless of the type of surgery. Data on plastic surgery approaches and complication rates will be presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Haddad SA, Spring LM, Jimenez RB, Vidula N, Comander A, Shin JA, Coopey SB, Gadd MA, Hughes KS, Taghian A, Smith BL, Isakoff SJ, Moy B, Bardia A, Specht MC. Surgical and long-term outcomes of patients receiving neoadjuvant pertuzumab-containing regimens for HER2-positive localized breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-14-19.
Does Injection of Hyaluronic Acid Protect Against Early Cartilage Injury Seen After Marathon Running? A Randomized Controlled Trial Utilizing High-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Background:Previous studies have shown that runners demonstrate elevated T2 and T1ρ values on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after running a marathon, with the greatest changes in the patellofemo...
Neurosteroids: Biosynthesis, Molecular Mechanisms, and Neurophysiological Functions in the Human Brain

Abstract This chapter describes current knowledge of endogenous neurosteroids, namely, their mechanism of action and therapeutic benefits in epilepsy, anxiety, and other neurological conditions. Neurosteroids are synthesized de novo within the nervous system and have rapid effects on neuronal excitability. A variety of neurosteroids are present in the brain including allopregnanolone (brexanolone), pregnanolone, allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone, and androstanediol. Synthesized from cholesterol, neurosteroids interact with a wide variety of neurotransmitter receptors including GABA-A receptors, N-methyl- d -aspartate, and other neuronal receptors. Pregnane and androstane neurosteroids are positive allosteric modulators of GABA-A receptors and have therapeutic potential as anticonvulsant and anxiolytic agents. Neurosteroid sulfates are negative allosteric modulators at GABA-A receptors and can alter excitatory neurotransmission within the brain via glutamate receptors. Neurosteroids play a key role in regulation of seizure susceptibility, anxiety, and other neuropsychiatric conditions. Neurosteroid sulfates provide benefits such as attenuation of memory and psychiatric symptoms. Both sulfated steroids and neurosteroids play a key role in endogenous neuroprotective functions in the brain.