cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiscale Modeling of Red Blood Cell Mechanics and Blood Flow in Malaria

Red blood cells (RBCs) infected by a Plasmodium parasite in malaria may lose their membrane deformability with a relative membrane stiffening more than ten-fold in comparison with healthy RBCs leading to potential capillary occlusions. Moreover, infected RBCs are able to adhere to other healthy and parasitized cells and to the vascular endothelium resulting in a substantial disruption of normal blood circulation. In the present work, we simulate infected RBCs in malaria using a multiscale RBC model based on the dissipative particle dynamics method, coupling scales at the sub-cellular level with scales at the vessel size. Our objective is to conduct a full validation of the RBC model with a diverse set of experimental data, including temperature dependence, and to identify the limitations of this purely mechanistic model. The simulated elastic deformations of parasitized RBCs match those obtained in optical-tweezers experiments for different stages of intra-erythrocytic parasite development. The rheological properties of RBCs in malaria are compared with those obtained by optical magnetic twisting cytometry and by monitoring membrane fluctuations at room, physiological, and febrile temperatures. We also study the dynamics of infected RBCs in Poiseuille flow in comparison with healthy cells and present validated bulk viscosity predictions of malaria-infected blood for a wide range of parasitemia levels (percentage of infected RBCs with respect to the total number of cells in a unit volume).
Two Theorems on the Differentiation of Regular Convolution Quotients

We shall discuss two theorems on the derivatives of generalized functions. The class of generalized functions defined below as regular convolution quotients is a generalization of distributions and is also a generalization of the regular Mikusinski operators. Moreover, is a subclass of the quotients defined by J. and P. Mikusinski (Quotients de suites et leurs applications dans l’analyse fonctionnelle, Comptes Rendus, 239, serie I (1981)). It is a subclass with some local properties, and we discuss some of these local properties. This subclass has been investigated by Piotr Mikusinski (Convergence of Boehmians, Japan. J. Math., Vol 9 (1983) and Boehmians as generalized functions, to appear Japan. J. Math.).
A second major class of Alu family repeated DNA sequences in a primate genome

Abstract We have analyzed repetitive DNA sequences in a prosimian, Galago crassicaudatus, and found that there are two distinct, highly repetitive families of sequences related to the human Alu family. The Type I family is closely analogous to the human Alu Family. The Type II family of repeats, which appears to be present in higher copy number, has a right half that is almost identical to the Type I family. However, the left half of the Type II sequence shows only limited homology to the galago Type I or human Alu families. A comparison of homologous sequences in the left half indicated that they are centered in regions of the Alu family which function as RNA polymerase III promoters. We have also observed at least one example of a Type II left half that was integrated into the genome independent of the Alu family right half sequence. The Type II family appears to be of much more recent evolutionary origin than the Type I and may have arisen by the independent integration of a RNA polymerase III promoter adjacent to the right half of a Type I Alu family sequence.
Achieving Learning Objectives through E-Voting Case Studies

The rapidly increasing use of electronic voting machines in US elections provides a wonderful opportunity to teach students about computer security. In this article, we present an informal e-voting case study to achieve five learning outcomes for students in a typical college (or even high school) classroom. Our intent is to motivate a set of lessons specifically involving e-voting, as well as illustrate the usefulness of mapping outcomes to simplified case studies: (i) understanding how to write a "security specification", (ii) learning about different forms of security policies, (iii) understanding confidentiality, privacy, and information flow, (iv) recognizing the importance of considering usability from a security perspective, and (v) identifying assurances role in establishing confidence in results
Pairing at the chromosomal level.

The discovery of the phenomenon of nonhomologous pairing in the female of Drosophila melanogaster provided a genetic tool for analyzing chromosome behavior, which has made it possible to establish a temporal order of meiotic events that includes two types of pairing, one preceding exchange (exchange pairing) and one following exchange (distributive pairing). Studies with free X-duplications support the assumption that the initial pairing for exchange involves parasynapsis rather than short, effectively paired regions. Recognition at exchange pairing is correlated with the extent of euchromatic homology in the duplication up to a physical length between 11 μ and 25 μ of the salivary gland chromosome, at which point full recognition (equivalent to the same length of homology carried on a normal X chromosome) is achieved. Recognition at distributive pairing is correlated with total size of the chromosome, is independent of homology, and is restricted to chromosomes which have not undergone exchange with an independent homologue. Temperature-treatment and labeling studies indicate that there is a rough coincidence between the temperature-sensitive period for recombination and that of DNA replication. Temperature-induced recombinants have been shown to be meiotic, not oogonial, in origin; and marked sensitivity to temperature likewise appears to reside in the early oocyte rather than in the oogonia. The temperature responses of interstitial and proximal chromosomal regions reveal a chronological and a quantitative difference, with the later and most pronounced response in the region spanning the centromere. If temperature acts directly, exchange pairing is initiated at the interphase stage; whereas the excellent correlation between segregation behavior and mitotic metaphase length of noncrossover chromosomes suggests that distributive pairing occurs between greatly condensed chromosomes, late in the cycle.
Blood transfusion is an important predictor of hospital mortality among patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) has been associated with increased mortality but prior studies have not adequately adjusted for transfusion-indication bias. This is a retrospective study of consecutive aSAH patients admitted to the intensive care units of two academic medical centers over a 7-year period. Data collection included demographics, World Federation of Neurosurgical Surgeons score (WFNS), modified Fisher score (mFisher), admission and nadir hemoglobin (Hb) level, vasospasm, cerebral infarction, acute lung injury, and hospital mortality. The association between RBC transfusion and mortality was evaluated using a multivariate logistic regression analysis using the propensity for RBC transfusion as a covariate. We identified 318 patients. The median age was 54 years (46, 65), and 204 (64 %) were females. Hospital mortality was 13 % (42/318). Seventy-two (23 %) patients were transfused. Predictors of transfusion were admit and nadir Hb levels (p < 0.001), age (p = 0.02), gender (0.008), WFNS score (p < 0.001), mFisher score (p = 0.009), surgical versus endovascular treatment (p < 0.001) and moderate to severe vasospasm (p = 0.025) were predictors of transfusion. After adjustment for probability of receiving RBC transfusion, APACHE IV and nadir Hb, transfusion remained independently associated with hospital mortality (OR 3.16, 95 % CI = 1.02–9.69, p = 0.047). Among patients with aSAH, RBC transfusion was independently associated with an increased mortality after adjustment for the most common clinical indications for transfusion.
Input-specific plasticity at excitatory synapses mediated by endocannabinoids in the dentate gyrus

Endocannabinoids (eCBs) mediate transient and long-lasting synaptic plasticity in several brain structures. In the dentate gyrus, activation of the type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) by exogenous ligands reportedly depresses excitatory synaptic transmission. However, direct evidence of eCB signaling at excitatory synapses in this region has been lacking. Here, we demonstrate that eCB release can be induced by a brief postsynaptic depolarization of dentate granule cells (DGCs), which potently and transiently suppresses glutamatergic inputs from mossy cell interneurons (MCs) but not from entorhinal cortex via the lateral and medial perforant paths. This input-specific depolarization-induced suppression of excitation (DSE) is calcium-dependent and can be modulated by agonists of cholinergic and group I metabotropic glutamate receptors. Inhibiting the synthesis of 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), one of the most abundant eCBs in the brain, by diacyglycerol lipase (DGL) does not abolish DSE. Moreover, preventing the breakdown of anandamide, the other main eCB, does not potentiate DSE. Thus, eCB signaling underlying DSE in the dentate does not require DGL activity and is unlikely to be mediated by anandamide. Finally, we find that manipulations known to induce eCB-LTD at other central synapses do not trigger LTD at MCF-DGC synapses.
In vitro analysis of equine, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells demonstrates differences within age- and gender-matched horses

Summary Reasons for performing the study Stem cell therapies are used routinely in equine practice. Most published reports characterise stem cells derived from younger horses; however, middle-aged horses are often in athletic performance, and experience degenerative medical conditions. Thus, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from this group should be investigated. Objective To describe differences in in vitro adherence, proliferation and potential for differentiation of equine bone marrow-derived MSCs (equine BMMSCs) harvested from middle-aged (10–13 years old) female donors. Study design Descriptive study of stem cell characteristics. Methods Equine BMMSCs from 6 horses were cultured in vitro and evaluated for viability, proliferation, osteogenesis, chondrogenesis, adipogenesis, cluster-of-differentiation markers and gene expression. Results Equine BMMSCs from all 6 donors demonstrated fibroblastic, cellular morphology, adherence to plastic and expression of cluster-of-differentiation markers. They varied in their rate of proliferation and trilineage differentiation. The equine BMMSCs of one of 6 donors demonstrated a higher rate of proliferation, enhanced ability for cell passaging and a more robust in vitro differentiation. Comparatively, equine BMMSCs from 2 donors demonstrated a lower rate of proliferation and lack of osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. Conclusion The results of this study confirm that donor-to-donor variation in equine BMMSCs exists and this variation can be documented using in vitro assays. Subjective assessment suggests that the rate of proliferation tends to correlate with differentiation potential.
Antigenic variation of gonococcal pilus involves assembly of separated silent gene segments.

Abstract The pilus is a major outer-membrane protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae that undergoes phase and antigenic variation. In strain MS11 pilus expression is regulated at two expression loci on the chromosome, pilE1 and pilE2, although many other regions contain silent pilin information. A comparison of variant pilin sequences has revealed that the gene can be divided into a constant, a semivariable, and a hypervariable region. We report here that complete pilin genes are found only at the expression loci. Silent constant and variable region pilin gene segments are located on separate and distinct restriction fragments, and the generation of a complete pilin gene within the expression loci is the result of multiple recombination events. Conserved sequences within and flanking the pilin gene are proposed to act as recombination sites during the gene conversion events needed to produce a functional pilin gene.
Prosodic Differences Between Declaratives and Polar Questions In Fataluku

The primary goal of the present study is to describe the basic prosodic differences between declaratives and polar questions in Fataluku, an underdocumented Papuan language spoken in the island nation of East Timor. Two robust prosodic differences between statements and questions are observed, namely, the duration of the final vowel and the intonational tune at the right margin of the sentence. Declaratives have a shorter final vowel that carries a low f0, while questions have a much longer final vowel that has a rising-falling f0 pattern. I postulate a L% boundary tone for declaratives and a L+HL% boundary tone for questions, proposing that the final syllables of questions are lengthened to accommodate the more complex sequence of final tones.
Caveolin-1 is Associated with Tumor Progression and Confers a Multi-Modality Resistance Phenotype in Pancreatic Cancer

Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is a 21 kDa protein enriched in caveolae, and has been implicated in oncogenic cell transformation, tumorigenesis, and metastasis. We explored roles for Cav-1 in pancreatic cancer (PC) prognostication, tumor progression, resistance to therapy, and whether targeted downregulation could lead to therapeutic sensitization. Cav-1 expression was assessed in cell lines, mouse models, and patient samples, and knocked down in order to compare changes in proliferation, invasion, migration, response to chemotherapy and radiation, and tumor growth. We found Cav-1 is overexpressed in human PC cell lines, mouse models, and human pancreatic tumors, and is associated with worse tumor grade and clinical outcomes. In PC cell lines, disruption/depletion of caveolae/Cav-1 reduces proliferation, colony formation, and invasion. Radiation and chemotherapy up-regulate Cav-1 expression, while Cav-1 depletion induces both chemosensitization and radiosensitization through altered apoptotic and DNA repair signaling. In vivo, Cav-1 depletion significantly attenuates tumor initiation and growth. Finally, Cav-1 depletion leads to altered JAK/STAT, JNK, and Src signaling in PC cells. Together, higher Cav-1 expression is correlated with worse outcomes, is essential for tumor growth and invasion (both in vitro and in vivo), is responsible for promoting resistance to therapies, and may serve as a prognostic/predictive biomarker and target in PC.
Rehearsal #1

The works are about the sense of isolation and alienation experienced by the individual in modern society. In the author's eyes, we human are within a technological and bureaucratic landscape, and he express this kind of alienation by using metaphoric virtual media, such as text, voice, image and music made from digital information, typically used to make data visualization or works that are systematic, impersonal and informational.
Fade to Black: Hurricane Katrina and the Disappearance of Creole New Orleans

How could you have reelected Ray Nagin? More accusation than query, it was a question frequently put to New Orleanians after the mayor's successful campaign in the months following Hurricane Katrina's devastation of the Gulf Coast. Mayor C. Ray Nagin had been overwhelmed?as had every other public official regardless of race, gender, or po litical affiliation?by what was only in part a "natural" disaster. The scenes of suffering and degradation outside the Superdome and the New Orleans Convention Center testi fied to the city's callous incompetence and to a mind-numbing sloth that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in city hall. Reelect Ray Nagin? How, indeed. On the surface, Nagin's close victory over the white liberal Mitch Landrieu in a May 2006 runoff following a twenty-three-candidate nonpartisan primary seemed easy to ex plain. Nagin was the only African American among the three major candidates in what had been a majority-black city. Landrieu, his most dangerous challenger, was the state's lieutenant governor and the son of Maurice "Moon" Landrieu, a former mayor of New Orleans who had orchestrated the civil rights revolution in city government and politics in the 1970s. Ron Forman, a civic leader and head of the Audubon Nature Institute, which includes the city's world-famous zoo and aquarium, emerged as the favorite of the old, conservative elite, much of which had backed Nagin in 2002.1 Queasy at the thought of a liberal Landrieu victory in 2002, members of the elite then found Nagin, a black ex ecutive for Cox Cable (a tv, Internet, and phone provider) who mouthed familiar "re form" slogans, preferable to a traditional Democrat. The conservative realists who flocked to Nagin's successful 2002 candidacy abandoned him four years later for a revived white hope. The mayor thus found his 2006 campaign hemorrhaging white voters and alienat ing the black masses, who not only offered a strong critique of his performance, but had never warmly embraced Nagin himself. Before Katrina roughly 67 percent of New Orleans's residents were black; their ma jority among registered voters was slightly less. Driven from the city by Katrina, they re mained Nagin's electoral base and his vehicle on the road to a second term. In eliminating Forman and the twenty other candidates, it remained for Nagin, Landrieu, and the en
A survey of compliance issues in cloud computing

Features such as elasticity, scalability, universal access, low entry cost, and flexible billing motivate consumers to migrate their core businesses to the cloud. However, in doing so there are challenges about security, privacy, and compliance. Businesses are pressured to comply with regulations depending on their service types; for example, in the US government agencies are required to comply with FISMA, healthcare organizations are required to comply with HIPAA; public retail companies must to comply with SOX and PCI. We survey work on compliance issues and we conclude that the lack of reference architectures and relevant patterns makes compliance harder than it should be. We also explore current industrial trends of compliance approaches. We end by summarizing compliance issues and give some guidelines about what this architecture and its corresponding patterns should contain.
30 LINKAGE AT 5Q14.3-15 IN PEDIGREES MULTIPLEX FOR SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS STRATIFIED BY AUTOIMMUNE THYROID DISEASE

Autoimmune disorders share molecular mechanisms and pathways, suggesting that some genetic effects will be selectively concentrated between them. To identify genetic effects potentially shared between SLE and AITD we selected families from the Oklahoma collection of pedigrees multiplex for SLE that contained a member with AITD, either Graves9 disease or Hashimoto9s thyroiditis. Methods We identified a total of 35 pedigrees (25 European-American, 6 Hispanic, 2 Native American and 2 Asian-American) containing at least one SLE patient with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). Nineteen pedigrees were used in the initial genome scan while an independent sample of sixteen was used to replicate findings. Phenotypic characterization included a diagnosis of Graves9 disease or Hashimoto9s thyroiditis by a physician in the medical records with at least two of the following: presence of antimicrosomal antibodies, a consistent thyroid biopsy report, radioiodine ablation therapy, hormone replacement therapy, or the expected abnormalities in the serum levels of TSH. Results We identified a strong, robust, and reproducible linkage effect in chromosome 5 (5q14.3-q15) at D5S1462. The first 19 pedigrees produced a two-point parametric LOD = 4.97, which was later confirmed in the replication sample (LOD = 2.89). All 35 pedigrees together produce LOD = 7.86 under a dominant model with 90% penetrance and a disease allele frequency of 10% (NPL = 0.00003). Multipoint LOD scores and heterogeneity LOD scores (HLOD) were computed using the same models described above. The 35 pedigrees produced LOD (HLOD) = 6.90 at 5q14.3-15 between D5S1725 and D5S1453, a 12 cM interval, with the peak at D5S1462 at 96.64 cM (NPL = 2.31, p = .01, α = 1.00). Fine mapping further confirms the genetic linkage effect and narrows the region likely to contain the gene to ˜ 5 Mb. The SLE pedigrees selected for AITD in affecteds suggest that the gene responsible for the 5q14.3 effect contributes to both of these autoimmune diseases. 5q14.3-15 has already been linked to AITDs in another linkage study. Conclusion These results suggest that stratifying SLE pedigrees by other autoimmune disorders may facilitate the discovery of genes related to SLE and that 5q14.3-15 harbors a susceptibility gene shared by SLE and AITD.
United We Stand? Negotiating Space and National Memory in the 9/11 Arizona Memorial:

This essay examines Moving Memories, the 9/11 Memorial in Tucson, Arizona, as an instance of resistance to dominant ideologies regarding the public memory of national tragedy. Though Moving Memories was designed to reveal the conflicting viewpoints embodied by those affected by 9/11, area residents and government representatives argue that it fails to capture the “true” sentiment of Arizonans. This analysis provides a theoretical interrogation of the memorial’s unveiling and later contestation, illustrates the political value of unity over dissention, and theorizes the implications of spatiality in memorialization by way of a detailed review of one of Moving Memories’ particularly divisive features.
Abstract 101: Interleukin 17A Upregulates Both Renal Proximal and Distal Tubule Sodium Transporters in Angiotensin II-dependent Hypertension

We have previously shown that angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension is associated with an increase in T cell production of interleukin 17A (IL17A), and that IL17A promotes hypertension and end-organ damage. However, the precise mechanism is unknown. Recently, we reported that Ang II infusion into C56Bl/6J wild type (WT) mice blunted the rate of natriuresis following an acute saline challenge, while the rate of salt and water excretion in IL17A-/- mice was unaffected by Ang II. Following 2 weeks of Ang II infusion (490 ng/kg/min), proximal tubule sodium hydrogen exchanger 3 (NHE3) abundance was depressed in IL17A-/- but not WT mice, suggesting enhanced pressure natriuresis in IL17A-/- mice. We then performed renal transporter profiling on mice deficient in IL17A, or the related isoform IL17F, after prolonged (4 weeks) of Ang II infusion (490 ng/kg/min), a time when the blood pressure reduction in IL17A-/- mice is most prominent. Interestingly, at this time, deficiency of IL17A, but not IL17F, blunted the activation of distal tubule transporters, specifically sodium-chloride cotransporter (NCC) and the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC). We hypothesized that IL17A directly modulates renal sodium transporters as a mechanism to regulate salt and water excretion and hypertension. To test this hypothesis, we treated cultured human renal proximal tubule cells and mouse distal convoluted tubule (mDCT15) cells with recombinant IL17A or IL17F. We found that IL17A, but not IL17F, increased NHE3 protein levels (1.4-fold, p=0.003) and SGK1 mRNA expression (3.9-fold, p=0.01). In mDCT15 cells, IL17A but not IL17F, increased NCC activity as measured by thiazide-inhibited sodium uptake (1.78 vs 1.62 μmol/mg/20min, p<0.001), and this increase was significantly blunted with an SGK1 inhibitor (GSK 650394) and in cells lacking Nedd4-2 (an E3 ubiquitin ligase downstream of SGK1). Moreover, in mDCT15 cells, acute IL17A treatment caused phosphorylation of SGK1 on Ser78. These studies are the first to describe a mechanistic link by which IL17A modulates renal sodium transporters and suggests that targeting IL17A may improve renal function and slow the progression to renal failure in hypertension and other autoimmune disorders.
Junction Topological Constraints in Hairpin Ribozyme Folding

The hairpin ribozyme is an RNA enzyme found in plant viruses that catalyzes cleavage and ligation reactions in RNA replication. The active site is formed when two loop domains located on separate helical arms are in contact. We conduct coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations of the hairpin ribozyme using the TOPRNA model. By modifying the topology of the junction between the two active arms we determine how topology, junction stress, and conformational entropy bias folding propensity. Modifications include using 2- through 5-way junctions, adding a small loop region at the junction, un-pairing one base pair at one or both arms, and shortening or lengthening one of the arms (changing the phase of helix-helix alignment). The TOPRNA model is ideal for answering these topological questions and, using only three beads per residue, it is efficient for throughput. This work is done in collaboration with the Walter group at the University of Michigan, who are conducting single molecule experiments on these hairpin ribozyme constructs, using FRET microscopy to determine their folding propensities. These measurements combined with our simulation data will allow us to isolate the contribution of topology in hairpin ribozyme folding.
Systems of Linear Equations

Systems of linear equations are used in many different disciplines. Systems of linear equations can be used to solve multiple-loop circuit problems in electronics, kinship patterns in anthropology, genetics problems in biology, and profit-and-cost problems in economics. There are many other applications as well. Solving a system of linear equations by graphing is the least accurate method. If the coordinates of the point of intersection are not integers, it can be difficult to read the solution set from the graph. There is another method of solving a linear system that does not depend on the graph. It is called the addition method. A system of linear equations consists of two or more linear equations considered simultaneously. The solution set to a linear system in two variables is the set of ordered pairs that satisfy both equations. The solution set to a linear system in three variables consists of all the ordered triples that satisfy each equation in the system.
A 10 GHz phase noise filter with 10.6 dB phase noise suppression and −116 dBc/Hz sensitivity at 1 MHz offset

This paper presents a phase noise filter technique enabled by the delay-line and PD/CP based frequency discriminator with fully automatic calibration. It features wide bandwidth and insensitivity to amplitude noise. At low/high gain mode, it achieves 10.6/15 dB phase noise suppression with −116/−114.9 dBc/Hz sensitivity at 1 MHz offset, respectively. The suppression bandwidth is 100 kHz–10 MHz with input operating frequency range of 9.99–10.10 GHz. This proof-of-concept design is fabricated in a 65 nm CMOS process with the chip area of 1.68 mm × 1.5 mm. The circuit consumes 102 mW power.
Characteristics of Nurse Directors That Contribute to Registered Nurse Satisfaction.

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to explore RNs and nurse directors' (NDs') perceptions of leadership on units with high RN satisfaction scores.BACKGROUNDIdentifying the characteristics of NDs that contribute to RN satisfaction is important in the recruitment and retention of RNs and in the select
Human-centered design of complex systems: An experience-based approach

This position paper presents a new approach based on my experience in the evolution of human-centered design (HCD) during four decades, and how it has struggled to become a discipline in its own right in complex socio-technical systems’ creation, development and operations. The 20th century saw tremendous industrial developments based on tangible materials that were transformed and assembled to make washing machines, cars, aircraft and power plants; during its last three decades, electronics and software were incrementally added to hardware machines. Operationalization issues moved from hardware to software, making automation and user interfaces central issues. From the beginning of the 21st century, we began to do the exact opposite! Currently, we typically start a project by designing and developing technology on computers, using software only, which is later transformed into hardware (and software). I denote this shift, the ‘socio-technical inversion’. Operationalization issues are moving from software to hardware, making tangibility a central issue. Three useful conceptual models are presented: the SFAC (Structure/Function versus Abstract/Concrete) model; the NAIR (Natural/Artificial versus Cognitive/Physical) model; and the AUTOS (Artifact, User, Task, Organization and Situation) pyramid. Concepts developed in this article are based on the rationalization of a long experience in the aerospace domain.
Photo-excited hot carrier dynamics in hydrogenated amorphous silicon imaged by 4D electron microscopy

Charge carrier dynamics in amorphous semiconductors has been a topic of intense research that has been propelled by modern applications in thin-film solar cells, transistors and optical sensors. Charge transport in these materials differs fundamentally from that in crystalline semiconductors owing to the lack of long-range order and high defect density. Despite the existence of well-established experimental techniques such as photoconductivity time-of-flight and ultrafast optical measurements, many aspects of the dynamics of photo-excited charge carriers in amorphous semiconductors remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate direct imaging of carrier dynamics in space and time after photo-excitation in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) by scanning ultrafast electron microscopy (SUEM). We observe an unexpected regime of fast diffusion immediately after photoexcitation, together with spontaneous electron–hole separation and charge trapping induced by the atomic disorder. Our findings demonstrate the rich dynamics of hot carrier transport in amorphous semiconductors that can be revealed by direct imaging based on SUEM.
A novel vector for transgenesis in the rat CNS

The larger brain of the rat enables a much greater repertoire of complex behaviors than mice, likely making rats preferential for investigating neurodegeneration. Because molecular tools for specific expression of transgenes in the rat brain are sparse, we chose Prnp encoding the prion protein (PrP) to develop a novel vector to drive transgene expression in the rat brain. We compared the rat Prnp sequence with mouse and Syrian hamster Prnp sequences, identifying conserved genetic elements and hypothesizing that these elements would be able to drive neuronal transgene expression. We investigated this by generating a vector termed RaPrnp that encompasses portions of the rat Prnp gene. Importantly, we replaced the rat Prnp open reading frame (ORF) with a cloning site for rapid and seamless In-Fusion cloning. To validate the in vivo neuronal specificity of the RaPrnp vector in rats, we generated stable RaPrnp-LacZ/enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) transgenic (Tg) rat lines, which led to robust LacZ activity and high EGFP fluorescence in the central nervous system of embryos and adult animals. Next, we restored the rat Prnp ORF and generated multiple Tg(RaPrnp-PrP) lines, demonstrating that overexpression of Prnp accelerates the onset of scrapie. While the incubation time in wild-type (WT) rats was 175 ± 3 days post inoculation (dpi), one line, Tg2919, overexpressed RaPrPC at 4.4-fold and exhibited a reduced incubation time of 149 ± 2 dpi. The second line, Tg2922, overexpressed RaPrPC at 9.7-fold compared with WT animals and had an incubation time of 112 ± 0 dpi. Tg2922 rats inoculated with rat RML showed extensive vacuolation of the brainstem in contrast to WT and Tg2919 animals in which vacuolation was most prominent in the hippocampus and striatum as well as the motor and sensory cortices. It is possible that construction of Tg rats with modified phenotypes will prove more advantageous than mice for neurodegeneration studies.
Games, Sport and Power. Edited by Gregory P. Stone

(1973). Games, Sport and Power. Edited by Gregory P. Stone. Journal of Leisure Research: Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 72-73.
On the Role of Connectors in Modeling and Implementing Software Architectures

Abstract : Software architectures are software system models that represent the design of a system at a high level of abstraction. A software architecture typically focuses on the coarse-grained organization of functionality into components and on the explicit representation and specification of inter-component communication. A notable feature of many architectural models \201and the languages used to express them\202 is their representation of communication concerns in explicit model elements, which are typically called connectors. However there is little consensus yet in the software engineering community on the role of connectors in an architectural model, or even on the necessity of making them first-class model elements. In this paper we demonstrate the utility of explicit connectors in architectural models through a presentation and analysis of an architecture for a meeting scheduler system. We show how the functional abstraction provided by connectors contributes to the mobility, distribution and extensibility of the design, as well as its ability to sustain runtime structural change. Furthermore, we demonstrate how connectors encapsulate important aspects of inter-component communication, including the number and identity of communication recipients, the policy used to select these recipients, the choice of implementation technology for the communications, and architectural constraints on component composition.
Holistic Engineering: The Dawn of a New Era for the Profession

span in the world when it was completed in 1937. At the time, it was widely recognized as an engineering marvel and a symbol of technology in harmony with its surroundings. When the bridge opened to a ceremonial trickle of cars, it would have been hard to imagine that an estimated 100 million tons would eventually cross annually between San Francisco and Marin County. Even less foreseeable, however, were the nearly two suicides per month, facilitated by this testament to the power of engineering thought. As we say in the profession, the bridge has exceeded its “design specs.” The Golden Gate Bridge is a useful metaphor in considering the scope of the challenge faced by every engineer beginning a design project: how to design for a specific objective without creating unintended consequences. Avoiding unintended consequences has never been more difficult or important than it is today, as population soars and technology, ever more complex, becomes increasingly embedded in human experience. In this evolving world, a new kind of engineer is needed, one who can think broadly across disciplines and consider the human dimensions that are at the heart of every design challenge. In the new order, narrow engineering thinking will not be enough. American higher education is in an unusual position to create the 21st century engineer. Engineering and technical education are very much in the public eye now. For more than a year, Congress has debated how to best respond to the National Academy of Engineering’s report Rising Above the 33 Holistic Engineering: The Dawn of a New Era for the Profession
Particle Fluxes, Distribution Functions and Violation of Invariants

This chapter comes down from the lofty heights of pure theory and introduces the concept of flux of an ensemble of adiabatically behaving particles. It defines the corresponding physical concepts of differential directional flux and that of the ubiquitous distribution function as average quantities linking actual particle ensembles with macroscopic, measurable quantities like the mass, charge, number and energy densities; bulk velocity; pressure and temperature. Particular attention is given to transformation of phase-space related coordinates and corresponding transformations of the distribution function. A whole section is dedicated to the pressure tensors and related definitions, and the physical meaning of their components, especially the perpendicular and parallel pressures in the case of a magnetically trapped ensemble of charged particles. In the definition of the perpendicular and parallel temperatures we try to deactivate the usual tendency to associate these concepts with a Maxwellian distribution of particle velocities, showing that even a mono-energetic and mono-pitch angle ensemble of particles can have both. The example of a static distribution of trapped particles is examined in detail. Another section is dedicated to flux mapping in invariant Φ, J, M space and corresponding expressions, including their mutual transformations and relations to particle distribution functions in phase space and other invariant coordinate spaces. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of trapped particle diffusion, with emphasis on the processes involved and their effects on the distribution function. The Fokker-Planck equation is derived for the radial diffusion case, and some general qualitative rules for the determination of diffusion coefficients are given.
Inspection and quality control in friction stir welding

Abstract The quality of the weld is typically one of the main motivations for choosing FSW as a manufacturing process. Other reasons for using FSW may include the associated end-use efficiencies gained by FSW along with manufacturing costs savings, but what is always of primary importance is that the quality of the weld satisfies the application needs and that the process will be robust and repeatable in production. In Chapter 9, the various types of weld defects are shown. This chapter discusses the typical steps for developing FSW for a given application and some approaches for establishing weld quality requirements, including techniques that can be used to measure results both during welding and post welding.
Abstract B15: Colorectal cancer knowledge and adherence among Hispanic workers

Background: Hispanics report the lowest CRC screening rate of any ethnic group in the United States. Hispanics comprise 14% of Utah9s population and are growing rapidly. Most of the Hispanics in Utah are foreign-born immigrants who work low-wage jobs that do not offer health benefits, making them a high-risk population for low CRC screening rates. We partnered with companies in Salt Lake County with a large Hispanic employee population to implement an educational intervention to improve knowledge of and adherence to cancer screenings. We identify demographic predictors of CRC knowledge and adherence pre-intervention, and of improvements in adherence post-intervention. Methods: Current and previous employees of service/manual labor companies (e.g., professional cleaning, restaurants, construction) were recruited by local businesses and community organizations. Promotoras held educational sessions at the local businesses. Pre- and post-interviews measured CRC screening knowledge, adherence, demographics, and perceptions of CRC risk. Interviews were conducted in person or on the phone within 10 months of the intervention. Participants aged ≥50 were given FOBT/FIT tests. Chi-square tests examined differences in knowledge among participants and adherence preintervention. Multivariable logistic regression models identified predictors of knowledge, awareness, and adherence preintervention, and identified characteristics associated with improvements in adherence post-intervention. Results: We recruited 307 Hispanic employees. 95% of our population were Hispanic immigrants, 88% speak Spanish, 64% make $25,000 or less a year, and 70% do not have health insurance. 40% of adults aged ≥50 were adherent to CRC screening guidelines before the intervention; after the intervention, 66% of eligible adults were adherent, with the majority of the improvement in FOBT/FIT tests. We found significant differences in initial knowledge of CRC among participants aged 18 to 49 years (51%) vs age ≥50 years (85%, p Conclusions: Knowledge of CRC screenings among Hispanics is related to older age, education, and insurance. Providing FOBT/FIT yielded significant improvements in adherence. Ensuring that Hispanics have access to health insurance and affordable CRC screenings is a critical factor in improving CRC screenings in this vulnerable population. Citation Format: Judy Y. Ou, Anne C. Kirchhoff, Echo L. Warner, Laura Martel, Deanna Kepka. Colorectal cancer knowledge and adherence among Hispanic workers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Tenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2017 Sep 25-28; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2018;27(7 Suppl):Abstract nr B15.
A High-Frequency LCLC Network Based Resonant DC-DC Converter for Automotive LED Driver Applications

This paper introduces a high-frequency resonant dc-dc converter that inherently achieves a load-independent output current while maintaining high efficiency across a wide output voltage range. These properties make the proposed converter well-suited for automotive LED driver applications, where a varying number of LEDs need to be driven with a constant current. The proposed converter achieves load-independent output current by utilizing an LCLC resonant network, and achieves high efficiency using a comprehensive design optimization methodology. This LCLC resonant converter is also capable of regulating its output current at any desired value by utilizing phase-shift control. A prototype 2-MHz LCLC resonant converter designed for an input voltage of 14 V, an output voltage range of 3 V to 50 V (corresponding to a string of 1 to 15 LEDs), and a constant 0.5 A output current is built and tested. The LCLC resonant converter prototype achieves a peak power stage efficiency of 91.8% and maintains an average efficiency of 89.2% over its output voltage range.
Nonreciprocal Graphene-Based Leaky-Wave Antennas: Theory and Applications

Leaky-wave antennas (LWAs) have received considerable attention in recent decades thanks to their exciting radiation and beam-scanning properties [1]. These structures are based on the energy that is gradually radiated to free-space by an electromagnetic wave that propagates trough a waveguide with a phase velocity larger than the speed of light. Even though the fundamentals of leaky-waves were unveiled by electrical engineers during the second half of last century [1], their application to other fields such as optics and physics has allowed to understand and correctly interpret many intriguing phenomena across the electromagnetic spectrum, including extraordinary transmission, electromagnetic induced transparency, Wood's anomaly, or Cherenkov radiation. In addition, leaky-wave antennas with exciting properties, including the ability to independently control their complex propagation constant, reconfigurability, or even non-reciprocity, have recently been put forward at microwaves, millimeter-waves, and optics. At terahertz, a frequency region that lies in the technological gap between the well-developed areas of photonics and electronics, the potential of leaky-waves has not yet been fully exploited due to immature state of technology and relatively large amount of losses that materials exhibit in this band. In a related context, graphene has recently led to a revolution in material science thanks to its outstanding thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties. In particular, this two-dimensional material supports the propagation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at terahertz and infrared frequencies that exhibit moderate loss, strong wave localization, and the exceptional property of being tunable by applying a modest DC bias. Such properties have recently been applied to realize a wide variety of plasmonic antennas, including resonant dipoles and reflectarrays, at terahertz. In addition to inherent reconfigurability, graphene antennas show high radiation efficiency thanks to their large intrinsic wave impedance that permits to easily match photomixers-one of the most common terahertz sources-with high input impedances $(\approx 10\text{k}\Omega)$ . On the contrary, common metallic antennas at terahertz, despite exhibiting lower loss, have a small input impedance (in the range of $100\text{s}\ \Omega$ ) that prevents the efficient coupling of terahertz waves and their subsequent radiation.
Homological stability for Hurwitz spaces and the Cohen-Lenstra conjecture over function fields

We prove a homological stabilization theorem for Hurwitz spaces: moduli spaces of branched covers of the complex projective line. This has the following arithmetic consequence: let ‘ > 2 be prime and A a nite abelian ‘-group. Then there exists Q = Q(A) such that, for q greater than Q, a positive fraction of quadratic extensions of Fq(t) have the ‘-part of their class group isomorphic to A.
Serious immune-related adverse events in patients with head and neck cancer after checkpoint blockade: Systematic review.

Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors confer significant clinical benefit by bolstering immune-system activity, however, they also produce a spectrum of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Rapid recognition and timely treatment of these patients is essential for improved outcomes. Methods We conducted a systematic review of English-language articles in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases on patients with head and neck cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors who developed treatment-related adverse events. Results Of 1715 unique citations, 11 studies met inclusion criteria. Eight patients with serious irAEs were reported from case reports and case series. Overall, 46 treatment-related AEs were identified from the pooled 791 patients with at least 12 having potential relevance to irAEs. The most frequent AEs observed in patients receiving PD-1 inhibitors involved the endocrine, cutaneous, and gastrointestinal systems. Conclusions Characterizing irAEs in longitudinal studies is needed for developing strategies for their prompt recognition and management.
Retinoblastoma vascular perfusion and intra-arterial chemotherapy cycle requirements.

IMPORTANCE Retinoblastoma is a life- and sight-threatening malignancy. BACKGROUND To assess the relationship between tumour perfusion and intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) requirements to achieve retinoblastoma control. DESIGN Retrospective case series at the Ocular Oncology Service of Wills Eye Hospital (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). PARTICIPANTS Fifty-nine eyes of 55 patients. METHODS Review of medical and fluorescein angiography (FA) records for retinoblastoma treated with primary or secondary IAC from 2012 to 2017. Vascular supply of the main tumour was evaluated in the pre-treatment FA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Tumour fluorescence was classified as partial 67%. Partially vs completely perfused tumours were compared for IAC cycle requirements. RESULTS There were 59 eyes of 55 patients with pre-treatment FA managed with IAC. Partially perfused tumours (n = 20, 34%) required fewer IAC infusions than completely perfused tumours (n = 39, 66%) (2.5 vs 3.7 infusions, P = .02), even after adjustment for confounding factors (tumour diameter, thickness and drug scheme, adjusted P = .04). Tumour perfusion correlated with number of IAC cycles required for tumour control (r = 0.46, P < .001). For primary IAC (n = 18, 31%), tumour perfusion was not associated with number of IAC cycles (P = .63). For secondary IAC (n = 41, 69%), partially perfused tumours (n = 15, 37%) required fewer IAC infusions than completely perfused tumours (n = 26, 63%) (2.1 vs 3.7 infusions, P < .01). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE FA demonstrating partial retinoblastoma tumour perfusion is associated with fewer IAC cycle requirements for secondary but not primary IAC. FA might be useful in judging anticipated treatment cycles of retinoblastoma managed with primary or secondary IAC.