cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overcoming the Challenges of Teaching Political Science in the Hispanic-Serving Classroom: A Survey of Institutions of Higher Education in Texas.

What challenges do political science educators face teaching in the Hispanic-serving classroom? How do they adapt their teaching styles and strategies when confronting these challenges? This preliminary study explores these and related questions through a survey conducted of political science instructors at colleges and universities across Texas. The answers to these questions are important for both pedagogical and policy reasons. There is a growing body of literature focused on the scholarship of teaching and learning in political science to which this study contributes. 1 In addition, findings from this research may help to develop policy recommendations in the area of Hispanic and minority education. Many have predicted a sharp increase in the number of Hispanics attending postsecondary schools. In addition, education researchers have argued that our educational institutions have failed the minority communities (Justiz, Wilson, and Bjork 1994). In this article, we provide a brief overview of the state ...
Corpora for theory and practice

In this paper intuition-based studies of reflexive forms such as myself are contrasted with a corpus-based investigation of actual usage of reflexives. The examination of reflexives in English in several corpora reveals a variety of patterns, which are analysed within a schema-based approach to grammar (Barlow and Kemmer 1994). This approach follows the cognitive/functional tradition of grammatical analysis in viewing all grammatical units as composed of form-meaning pairings.The paper demonstrates that a schema-based approach is well-suited to the task of describing the major and minor patterns of use revealed by corpus analysis. The importance of text analysis in language teaching is highlighted and connections between the schema-based grammatical formalism and data-driven approaches to second language learning (Johns 1991b) are briefly explored.
Teaching software inspection effectiveness: An active learning exercise

This paper discusses a novel active learning exercise which teaches students how to perform and assess the effectiveness of formal software inspections. In this exercise, students are responsible for selecting an artifact from their senior capstone design projects. The students then use fault injection to strategically place faults within the artifact that should be caught by the inspection exercise. Based on the needs of the team, students prepare an inspection packet consisting of a set of inspection instructions, applicable checklists, and the inspection artifact. Students then “hire” a set of inspectors based on classmates' backgrounds and experiences. The team leader then holds two inspection meetings and reports the results. The results are then used to assess the effectiveness of the inspection. Overall, in analyzing 5 years worth of data from this exercise, it is found that students are capable of selecting appropriate materials for inspection and performing appropriate software inspections. The yield of students is lower than an experienced professional might have and the inspection rates tend to be slightly higher than desired for their experience. However, the yield is related to individual preparation time. Students overall find this to be a highly educational experience and highly recommend it be continued for future classes.
Comments on heuristic models for electron turbulence

The difficulties imposed by the largely nonlinear character of the differential equations governing turbulence resulted in many proposals for empirical models. We shall prove that some often used models are incorrect as they are clearly not properly normalized.
An anterior limit of FGF/Erk signal activity marks the earliest future somite boundary in zebrafish

Vertebrate segments called somites are generated by periodic segmentation of the anterior extremity of the presomitic mesoderm (PSM). During somite segmentation in zebrafish, mesp-b determines a future somite boundary at position B-2 within the PSM. Heat-shock experiments, however, suggest that an earlier future somite boundary exists at B-5, but the molecular signature of this boundary remains unidentified. Here, we characterized fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signal activity within the PSM, and demonstrated that an anterior limit of downstream Erk activity corresponds to the future B-5 somite boundary. Moreover, the segmentation clock is required for a stepwise posterior shift of the Erk activity boundary during each segmentation. Our results provide the first molecular evidence of the future somite boundary at B-5, and we propose that clock-dependent cyclic inhibition of the FGF/Erk signal is a key mechanism in the generation of perfect repetitive structures in zebrafish development.
Polylysine-enhanced effectiveness of plastocyanin in photosystem I

Abstract 1. Chloroplast fragments from either Chlamydomonas reinhardi or spinach, which lack plastocyanin, or from Euglena gracilis depleted of cytochrome c552, require a large excess of exogenously added plastocyanin or cytochrome c552 to restore Photosystem I activity. 2. In the presence of a small amount of polylysine, Photosystem I activity of chloroplast fragments is stimulated greatly by plastocyanin or cytochrome c552, and the reaction is saturated at a lower concentration of these proteins. Higher concentrations of polylysine inhibit Photosystem I activity; the inhibition is not reversed by plastocyanin or cytochrome c552. 3. Salt protects chloroplast fragments from stimulation by polylysine plus plastocyanin or cytochrome c552, and also reverses this stimulation. 4. The data suggest that polylysine, at low concentration, enhances binding of plastocyanin or cytochrome c552 to chloroplast membranes, thereby increasing the effective concentration at their site of function. The total inhibition of Photosystem I activity, independent of the presence of plastocyanin or cytochrome c552, at higher polylysine concentrations is similar probably to that observed previously in chloroplasts which retain their plastocyanin.
Laboratory Characterization of Steeply Dipping Expansive Bedrock in the Rocky Mountain Front Range

Civil infrastructure in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains faces a unique geological hazard arising from underlying beds of steeply dipping expansive bedrock. Efforts to mitigate damaging differential movements that commonly occur among adjacent bedrock strata near the surface typically involve overexcavation and recompaction of the in situ materials as engineered fill. This paper examines the practice by quantifying the swelling-related properties of two dissimilar bedrock end members obtained from a site near Denver, Colo. where overexcavation is warranted. Atterberg limits, compaction, suction, and volume change shrinkage tests are conducted for each end member and several mixtures prepared to represent the wide range of subsurface conditions expected in the region. The objective is to examine the extent to which properties of the remolded fill may be predicted from the properties and relative amounts of the end member materials comprising it. Linear relationships are found between end member mass fraction and each of the properties measured liquid limit, plasticity limit, plasticity index, wopt, dmax, t/w, and Ch, thus providing a quantitative basis for simplifying the design of future overexcavation programs. Optimum moisture content occurs at 90% saturation regardless of bentonite mass fraction. Suction compression index Ch for compacted specimens is found insensitive to molding water content.
Visual attention: The past 25 years

This review focuses on covert attention and how it alters early vision. I explain why attention is considered a selective process, the constructs of covert attention, spatial endogenous and exogenous attention, and feature-based attention. I explain how in the last 25 years research on attention has characterized the effects of covert attention on spatial filters and how attention influences the selection of stimuli of interest. This review includes the effects of spatial attention on discriminability and appearance in tasks mediated by contrast sensitivity and spatial resolution; the effects of feature-based attention on basic visual processes, and a comparison of the effects of spatial and feature-based attention. The emphasis of this review is on psychophysical studies, but relevant electrophysiological and neuroimaging studies and models regarding how and where neuronal responses are modulated are also discussed.
Using computers to teach the roles of professional psychologists

Computers are often used in undergraduate experimental design and statistics courses, but they can also be used in other courses with different instructional objectives. This article describes a course designed to teach the roles of professional psychologists through the use of computers. Student comments and my observations were used to evaluate this approach, and they are discussed in terms of the students' application of course material and its novelty.
Ballistics of Transversely Impacted Fibers

The rate-independent theory of transverse impact of textile fibers is reviewed and cast in a form that provides convenient preliminary guidance to designers of impact-resistant textile structures. It is shown that energy-absorption rate increases monotonically with fiber modulus, but that decreased ductility at high modulus may result in an optimum fiber stiffness for transverse critical velocity. A reaction-rate fraction model is suggested as a means of rationalizing the observed variation in experimental transverse critical velocities.
Hyper Text and Hypertension: Post-Structuralist Critical Theory, Social Studies of Science and Software

Hypertext - advanced software for organizing information according to webs of conceptual, rather than symbolic, links - has recently provoked humanists to reconsider post-structuralist semiotic concepts. Debates about the design and uses of hypertext, among both software developers and humanists, reflect a conflict between two problematic views of text: as a medium for social interaction, and as a replication of a cognitive structure. Post-structuralist critical theory (PSCT), in challenging concepts of authorship and univocal meaning, argued that semiotic products were more closely connected to each other than to `reality' or to their `original' producers. PSCT's notion of `intertextuality' captured this hyperactive, social aspect of language products. Theories of social construction of scientific knowledge (SCSK), I argue, have crucially relied upon similar, essentially semiotic concepts such as inscription devices, discourse repertoires and the textualization of heterogeneous resources. As SCSK's pract...
Reduced Flux through the Purine Biosynthetic Pathway Results in an Increased Requirement for Coenzyme A in Thiamine Synthesis in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium

Work presented here establishes a connection between cellular coenzyme A (CoA) levels and thiamine biosynthesis in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Prior work showed that panE mutants (panE encodes ketopantoate reductase) had a conditional requirement for thiamine or pantothenate. Data presented herein show that the nutritional requirement of panE mutants for either thiamine or pantothenate is manifest only when flux through the purine biosynthetic pathway is reduced. Further, the data show that under the above conditions it is the lack of thiamine pyrophosphate, and not decreased CoA levels, that directly prevents growth.
Embracing Our Ethos, Reclaiming Our Heart

A profession's ethos is an interlacing of sentiment, value, and thought that describes its character, conveys its genius, and manifests its spirit. The ethos endures over time, serving as touchstone against which individuals may strike their actions to know their worth. As a profession's inner voice, the ethos inspires individuals and calls them back if they stray too far. This discussion of the occupational therapy profession's ethos has two discernable parts. The first invites deliberation, given its historical ground. The second is a blend of ideas and images, a clutch of reflections inviting affect and will to join in thought. My hope is to illuminate the ethos of the profession in such a way that a new perspective on current challenges is possible. I set before you this idea: To advance into the future with the ethos that has characterized occupational therapy since its inception is a reclamation of the profession's heart.
Molecular diagnosis of occult HCV and HBV infections

Occult HCV and HBV infections are recently identified entities whose existence became evident when nucleic acid amplification assays of enhanced sensitivity were employed for the detection of viral genomes and their replicative intermediates. These long-term silent infections are consequences of persistent low-level viral replication progressing in hepatocytes as well as in cells of the immune system. Detection of these new forms of HCV and HBV persistence requires a thorough testing approach in which analysis of serial serum and peripheral blood lymphoid cell samples and, when feasible, liver tissue samples is performed under strict contamination-controlled conditions using nucleic acid amplifications targeting different regions of viral genomes. This review focuses on the identification and general characteristics of occult HCV and HBV infections, and also acknowledges data from experimental occult infection in the woodchuck model of hepatitis B.
Miniature dual polarized L-shaped horn antenna array for broadband millimeter-wave electronically scanned arrays

In this paper, a miniature dual polarized L-shaped horn antenna array is presented for millimeter-wave electronically scanned array radar. Through measurements of the L-shaped horn antenna and waveguide feed, the 10 dB return loss for both waveguide ports showed better than 16% bandwidth for 34 to 40 GHz operation. In addition, better than 15 dB isolation was achieved throughout this frequency range. The measured gain of the antenna at 35 GHz is 5.3 dB with 19 dB cross-polarization discrimination. The L-shaped horn antenna demonstrates approximately 96 degree beamwidth in the E-plane and 70 degree beamwidth in the H-plane, which therefore allows for the wide-angle beam scanning for phased arrays. Finally, the L-shaped horn antenna array was implemented as part of a broadband millimeter-wave phased array.
Medium-chain and long-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency: Clinical, pathologic and ultrastructural differentiation from Reye's syndrome

The clinical and pathologic findings in 12 patients with medium-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency and three patients with long-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency are summarized. Although these inborn errors of intramitochondrial beta-oxidation of fatty acids present with similar findings to Reye's syndrome, there are clinical, laboratory and hepatic histologic differences. Younger age at presentation, history of unexplained sibling death, a previous episode of lethargy, hypoglycemia or acidosis precipitated by fasting stress and only mildly elevated serum transaminases with normal or only mildly prolonged prothrombin time may all suggest an acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency. Long-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency is differentiated from medium-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency by younger age at presentation, more profound cardiorespiratory depression, evidence of cardiomyopathy, and sequelae of muscle weakness, hypotonia and developmental delay. Definitive diagnosis is made by assay of medium-chain or long-chain enzyme activity in cultured skin fibroblasts or in leukocytes. Hepatic light microscopic alterations are essentially limited to steatosis, which may be either macro- or microvesicular. The cases with microvesicular steatosis can be differentiated morphologically from Reye's syndrome by electron microscopy, showing the absence of the mitochondrial changes characteristic of Reye's. Four of seven cases of acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency showed some variations from normal in the appearance of the hepatocyte mitochondria. The relationship of these variations to the basic metabolic defect(s) remains to be determined.
The Future Japan

Two decades after the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate, the optimism of the early Meiji years was dissipating. In 1886 Tokutomi Soho's passionately eloquent Shorai no Nihon (The Future Japan) presented his panoramic view of the 'world trend' of history and proclaimed that Japan must transform into an industrial and a democratic nation. Translated for the first time into English, The Future Japan offers valuable insights into the motives that led Japan to become one of the world's great powers.
Toward more secure, stronger and smarter electric power grids

Grid communications and control systems are often thought to be much more securely protected than is actually the case. An effective remedial program begins with a thorough and clear-eyed assessment of all vulnerabilities; especially to malware and intrusions. Both the importance and difficulty of protecting power systems have long been recognized. The critical assets that must be accounted for include thousands of transformers, line reactors, series capacitors, and transmission lines. Physical protection of these widely diverse and dispersed assets is impractical and command control layers yield new benefits only if designed correctly and securely, posing additional challenges. Our strategic focus is to better understand the true dynamics of complex interdependent energy/communications/economic networks in order to enable stronger, greener, more secure and smarter power grids. The objective of this project is to model, design and develop a reconfigurable smart end-to-end system supported by secure sensing/wireless communication network and fault-resilient real-time controls.
Mechanisms of knowledge transfer

A central goal of cognitive science is to develop a general theory of transfer to explain how people use and apply their prior knowledge to solve new problems. Previous work has identified multiple mechanisms of transfer including (but not limited to) analogy, knowledge compilation, and constraint violation. The central hypothesis investigated in the current work is that the particular profile of transfer processes activated for a given situation depends on both (a) the type of knowledge to be transferred and how it is represented, and (b) the processing demands of the transfer task. This hypothesis was investigated in two laboratory training studies. The results from Experiment 1 show that each mechanism predicts specific behavioural patterns of performance across a common set of transfer tasks. The results from Experiment 2 show that people can adaptively shift between transfer mechanisms depending on their prior knowledge and the characteristics of the task environment. A framework for the development of a general theory of transfer based on multiple mechanisms is proposed and implications of the theory are discussed for measuring and understanding knowledge transfer.
In Vitro Activities of Doripenem, a New Broad-Spectrum Carbapenem, against Recently Collected Clinical Anaerobic Isolates, with Emphasis on the Bacteroides fragilis Group

Doripenem was evaluated against 527 recent clinical isolates, i.e., 404 Bacteroides fragilis isolates and 123 gram-positive anaerobe isolates. Against B. fragilis, doripenem was as active as imipenem, meropenem, and piperacillin-tazobactam and more active than ertapenem or ampicillin-sulbactam. Doripenem was active against isolates resistant to ertapenem, ampicillin-sulbactam, cefoxitin, clindamycin, and moxifloxacin. All of the gram-positive isolates tested were susceptible to doripenem.
subSeq: Determining appropriate sequencing depth through efficient read subsampling

Motivation: Next-generation sequencing experiments, such as RNASeq, play an increasingly important role in biological research. One complication is that the power and accuracy of such experiments depends substantially on the number of reads sequenced, so it is important and challenging to determine the optimal read depth for an experiment or to verify whether one has adequate depth in an existing experiment. Results: By randomly sampling lower depths from a sequencing experiment and determining where the saturation of power and accuracy occurs, one can determine what the most useful depth should be for future experiments, and furthermore confirm whether an existing experiment had sufficient depth to justify its conclusions. We introduce the subSeq R package, which uses a novel, efficient approach to perform this subsampling and to calculate informative metrics at each depth. Availability and Implementation: The subSeq R package is available at http://genomics.princeton.edu/storeylab/subSeq/.
A Social Network Comparison of Low-Income Black and White Newlywed Couples

Relative to White families, Black families have been described as relying on extended social networks to compensate for other social and economic disadvantages. The presence or absence of supportive social networks should be especially relevant to young couples entering marriage, but to date there has been little effort to describe the social networks of comparable Black and White newlyweds. The current study addressed this gap by drawing on interviews with 57 first-married newlyweds from low-income communities to compare the composition and structure of Black and White couples' duocentric social networks. The results indicated that low-income Black couples entered marriage at a social disadvantage relative to White couples, with more family relationships but fewer positive relationships and fewer sources of emotional support (for wives), fewer connections to married individuals, and fewer shared relationships between spouses. Black couples' relative social disadvantages persisted even when various economic and demographic variables were controlled.
Decision Support for Natural Ventilation of Nonresidential Buildings

This paper describes a decision-support framework assisting the design of nonresidential buildings with natural ventilation. The framework is composed of decision modules with input, analysis algorithms and output of natural ventilation design. The framework covers ventilation with natural driving force and mechanical-assisted ventilation. The proposed framework has two major assessment levels: feasibility assessment and comparison of alternative natural ventilation approaches. The feasibility assessment modules assess the potential of the site with the design proposition for natural ventilation in terms of wind, temperature, humidity, noise, and pollution conditions. All of the possible natural ventilation approaches and system designs are assessed by first applying constraint functions to each of the alternatives. Then the comparison of alternative approaches to natural ventilation continues by assessing the critical performance mandates that include energy savings, thermal comfort, acoustic control, indoor air quality, and cost. Approaches are finally ranked based on their performance.
Endothelial dysfunction in the peri-operative setting

While peri-operative macrovascular events (e.g. myocardial infarction, stroke, etc) are readily evident, their absolute incidence remains relatively low. In contrast, microvascular dysfunction and its role in peri-operative morbidity is not readily appreciated nor easily measured. Given the ubiquitous presence of endothelium in all organs, microvascular dysfunction is likely to have a greater impact, through impaired perfusion, on non-cardiovascular complications (e.g. wound healing and end organ failure) than that which is readily appreciated. The endothelium is a highly responsive organ, with its phenotypic expression (set point) determined by host (genetic) and the
Comparison of Two Methods for Estimating the Sampling-Related Uncertainty of Satellite Rainfall Averages Based on a Large Radar Dataset

The uncertainty of rainfall estimated from averages of discrete samples collected by a satellite is assessed using a multi-year radar data set covering a large portion of the United States. The sampling-related uncertainty of rainfall estimates is evaluated for all combinations of 100 km, 200 km, and 500 km space domains, 1 day, 5 day, and 30 day rainfall accumulations, and regular sampling time intervals of 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, 8 h, and 12 h. These extensive analyses are combined to characterize the sampling uncertainty as a function of space and time domain, sampling frequency, and rainfall characteristics by means of a simple scaling law. Moreover, it is shown that both parametric and non-parametric statistical techniques of estimating the sampling uncertainty produce comparable results. Sampling uncertainty estimates, however, do depend on the choice of technique for obtaining them. They can also vary considerably from case to case, reflecting the great variability of natural rainfall, and should therefore be expressed in probabilistic terms. Rainfall calibration errors are shown to affect comparison of results obtained by studies based on data from different climate regions and/or observation platforms.
Federal Government Ethics: Social Media

The federal government has not escaped the increasing worldwide use of social networking. Federal employees are using social networks (social media) for personal and professional reasons. Leadership and management are wrestling with the ethical implications. The role of ethical theory and practice in the global business environment is discoursed from the federal government’s vantage point with respect to social networking. Given the history of federal government officials and employees acting in an unethical manner, multiple normative ethical theories are investigated. The leadership is examined with a utilitarian lens and non-management employees are studied from the Kantian perspective. Additionally, virtue ethics are discussed as a counter argument to the aforementioned theories. Cultural intelligence is discussed as having reciprocal relationship with the multicultural and global aspect of social networking. It is argued that ethical intelligence needs to be created to support the minimum requirement of a code of ethics for federal employees to follow when using social networking.
Validity Evidence for the State Mindfulness Scale for Physical Activity

ABSTRACTBeing attentive to and aware of one’s experiences in the present moment with qualities of acceptance and openness reflects the state of mindfulness. Positive associations exist between state mindfulness and state autonomous motivation for everyday activities. Though this suggests that state mindfulness links with adaptive motivational experiences, no suitable measure of state mindfulness exists that would facilitate the examination of these relationships in a physical activity context. Thus, we revised the State Mindfulness Scale (Tanay & Bernstein, 2013) and provided score validity evidence for the measure in a physical activity context. A bi-factor model reflecting mindfulness of the mind and body as specific factors and a general mindfulness factor was supported. Validity evidence, such as positive relationships with intrinsic motivation, and a negative relationship with body surveillance support score use. The revised scale can facilitate investigations of the role of mindfulness in physical a...
Liver xanthine oxidase and Qo2 in relation to thyroid activity.

SummaryThe Qo2 of a liver slice, in contrast to an homogenate, was relatively independent of the xanthine oxidase activity of the liver, since the latter could be varied widely by dietary procedures without affecting the former.Thyroxine increased the liver slice Qo2 of rats fed stock chow, a purified 21% casein diet, or a purified 8% casein diet; no hyperthyroidal exhaustion of the liver Qo2 could be produced.Thyroxine had no effect on liver xanthine oxidase when rats were fed a purified 21% casein diet, but tended to give higher values with chow-fed adult rats. When administered with a low protein diet, thyroxine prevented the marked depletion of liver xanthine oxidase and gave results more characteristic of starvation than of a low protein diet.Growth hormone and ACTH had no effect on liver xanthine oxidase.
Toxicological and Regulatory Aspects of Dietary Fibre

The growth of public interest in the dietary fibre hypothesis as promoted in the lectures and writings of Burkitt and Trowell in the early 1970s led to a public demand for high-fibre foods, and this encouraged food producers and retailers to produce and promote both existing and modified products claiming to be good sources of dietary fibre. Two general strategies can be adopted by consumers wishing to increase their intake of fibre. The first approach is to increase the consumption of foods containing abundant quantities of cell wall polysaccharides as original structural components. Such foods include many vegetables and fruits, and of course high-extraction cereal products of a traditional type. These foods are already familiar to most of us and it is simply their variety and relative proportions in the diet which need to be modified. This approach has often been favoured by advisory bodies such as NACNE in setting dietary recommendations for the UK population. The second strategy is to consume foods in which the dietary fibre content has been increased by the food manufacturer, using modern processing techniques to incorporate Supplements based on NSP or, perhaps, resistant starch.
SIL Determination in Designing Safe Instruments for Nature Gas Dehydration Unit

A semi-quantitative safe integrity level(SIL) determination process based on hazard and operability(HAZOP) was provided to assess safe instrument system(SIS) in the nature gas dehydration unit so that the risk level can meet the indicated criteria;firstly,having the scenario with the highest risk identified from HAZOP results,and then having the effectiveness of the related protection layer studied to make sure the existence of safe system and the SIL as required.The result indicates that this method can be applied to determining SIL of SIS effectively so that the risk level of the dehydration unit becomes acceptable.
Alkalinization of mepivacaine improves the quality of motor block associated with interscalene brachial plexus anesthesia for shoulder surgery.

Background and Objectives Interscalene block has produced appropriate anesthesia for shoulder surgery. Success is partly determined by the quality of motor block achieved. This study was designed to evaluate the influence of alkalinization of mepivacaine on the quality of motor block achieved with interscalene brachial plexus anesthesia. Methods The study design included a prospective, randomized trial of 2 groups of 20 patients each undergoing shoulder surgery by one surgeon with interscalene block. Both groups received interscalene block with 40 mL 1.4% mepivacaine, 1/200,000 epinephrine, using a 25-gauge, blunt-bevel needle and elicitation of paresthesia in the arm. One group had 1 mL sodium bicarbonate (1 mEq/mL) per 10 mL mepivacaine added and the other had an equal volume of saline. Average pH was determined for each solution in a nonclinical setting. Motor block was graded by a blinded observer after a standard 3-minute injection at 1 and 10 minutes after injection on a 0-5 standard neurologic scale. The surgeon, blinded to group selection, graded the quality of motor block as excellent, good, fair, or poor at preparation, incision, and 15 minutes postincision. Results Both groups were similar demographically. All blocks provided successful surgical anesthesia. Motor block quality was evaluated as better at all times in the study group (alkalinization) by both the blinded observer and the surgeon. Conclusions Alkalinization of mepivacaine improves the quality of motor block after interscalene brachial plexus block for shoulder surgery.
Synthesis of Secondary Unsaturated Lactams via an Aza-Heck Reaction

The preparation of unsaturated secondary lactams via the palladium-catalyzed cyclization of O-phenyl hydroxamates onto a pendent alkene is reported. This method provides rapid access to a broad range of lactams that are widely useful building blocks in alkaloid synthesis. Mechanistic studies support an aza-Heck-type pathway.
Improved technical success, postnatal outcome and refined predictors of outcome for fetal aortic valvuloplasty.

Objectives Fetal aortic valvuloplasty (FAV) may prevent progression of mid-gestation aortic stenosis to hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether technical success and biventricular (Biv) outcome after FAV have changed from an earlier (2000-2008) to a more recent (2009-2015) era and identify pre-FAV predictors of Biv outcome. Methods We evaluated procedural and postnatal outcomes in 123 fetuses that underwent FAV for evolving HLHS at Boston Children's Hospital between 2000 and 2015. The primary outcome measure was circulation type (Biv vs single ventricle) at the time of neonatal hospital discharge. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was performed to construct a stratification algorithm to predict Biv circulation based on pre-FAV fetal variables. Results The FAV procedure was technically successful in 101/123 (82%) fetuses, with a higher technical success rate in the more recent era than in the earlier one (49/52 (94%) vs 52/71 (73%); P = 0.003). In liveborn patients, the incidence of Biv outcome was higher in the recent than in the earlier era, both in the entire liveborn cohort (29/49 (59%) vs 16/62 (26%); P = 0.001) and in those in whom the procedure was technically successful (27/46 (59%) vs 15/47 (32%); P = 0.007). Independent predictors of Biv outcome were higher left ventricular (LV) pressure, larger ascending aorta, better LV diastolic function and higher LV long-axis Z-score. On CART analysis, fetuses with LV pressure > 47 mmHg and ascending aorta Z-score ≥ 0.57 had a 92% probability of Biv outcome (n = 24). Those with a lower LV pressure, or mitral dimension Z-score Conclusions The proportion of patients achieving Biv outcome after FAV has increased, probably owing to an improved technical success rate and modified selection criteria. Fetal factors, including LV pressure, size of the ascending aorta and diastolic function, are associated with likelihood of Biv circulation after FAV. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Vena Cava Interruption

Despite aggressive prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolic disease, the numbers of patients that suffer from pulmonary embolism annually are greater in number than the population of the state of Alaska. With our aging population, the frequency of PE may even increase over time. When used for the correct indications, inferior vena cava filters are lifesaving and safe devices. Recent advancements in inferior vena cava filter design, specifically the development of retrievable IVC filters, have broadened the indications for filter placement and resulted in a marked increase in utilization. Recent recognition of IVC filter complications associated primarily with these new devices has led to increase scrutiny of IVC filters and IVC filter use resulting in FDA alert letters and increasing litigation associated with IVC filters. Current trials, such as the PRESERVE trial, are underway to better understand the real-world use of IVC filters and their rates of complications.
Time-resolved contrast-enhanced MR angiography with single-echo Dixon fat suppression.

Purpose Dixon-based fat suppression has recently gained interest for dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, but multi-echo techniques require longer scan times and reduce temporal resolution compared to single-echo alternatives without fat suppression. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate accelerated single-echo Dixon imaging with high spatial and temporal resolution. Theory and methods Real-valued water and fat images can be obtained from a single measurement if the shared initial phase and that due to ΔB0 are assumed known a priori. An expression for simultaneous sensitivity encoding (SENSE) unfolding and fat-water separation is derived for the general undersampling case, and simplified under the special case of uniform Cartesian undersampling. In vivo experiments were performed in extremities and brain with SENSE acceleration factors of up to R = 8. Results Single-echo Dixon reconstruction of highly undersampled data was successfully demonstrated. Dynamic contrast-enhanced water and fat images provided high spatial and temporal resolution dynamic images with image update times shorter than previous single-echo Dixon work. Conclusion Time-resolved contrast-enhanced MRI with single-echo Dixon fat suppression shows high image quality, improved vessel delineation, and reduced sensitivity to motion when compared to time-subtraction methods.
The possibility of harvesting electrical energy from industrial noise barriers using meta-wall bricks

In this article, the concept of simultaneous noise filtering and energy harvesting are fused to propose metamaterial (MetaWall) bricks made of rubber-metal-concrete composite, as an industrial building material. The MetaWall bricks are capable of filtering acoustics noises more effectively than conventional barriers while harvesting the electrical energy from the trapped acoustic pressure generated by the sound and vibration. MetaWall bricks are made of Acousto-Elastic Metamaterial (AEMM) unit cells as energy harvesting component in the wall. A unit AEMM cell of the brick consists of the concrete exterior, soft rubber inclusions and hard metallic resonators. To exploit the local resonance of the resonator and recover the trapped strain energy in the soft constituents of AEMM, piezoelectric wafers are placed inside each AEMM unit cell. The primary objective of the work is to examine the performance of the MetaWall bricks. A prototype of the MetaWall brick is simulated to verify the concept. The results show that the model could generate about 1.73mW power under 10KΩ resistive load.
Evaluation of routing protocols with FTP and P2P

One of the decisions that need to be made when designing and configuring a computer network in which routing protocol should be used. This paper presents a simulation of a high load File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Application and a high load Peer to Peer (P2P) Application using Riverbed Academic Modeler 17.5. The simulation is configured and run in a World environment to replicate a global network. Each simulation employs either RIP, OSPF, or EIGRP routing protocol. The queuing delay, throughput, link utilization, and IP packets dropped are used as performance parameters to determine which routing protocol is the most efficient for this network setup.
Characterization of Isolated Renal Proximal Tubules for Nephrotoxicity Studies

Isolated tubule or cell suspensions offer an important way of studying the mechanisms of nephrotoxicity in vitro, and screening novel compounds for their potential adverse affects on the kidney. The major drawback, however, appeared to be the short in vitro lifespan of isolated tubules prepared by any technique. In general, most investigators limit incubations to no more than 1 or 2 hr because of loss of viability and functional capabilities. Ormstad (1984) reported rapid loss of viability of isolated renal tubules and cells, where greater than 25% of the cellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leaked to the medium in 1.5 to 2 hr of incubation. Obatomi and Plummer (1986) observed a 40% loss in tubule cell viability during 3-hr incubations of rat proximal tubules. Loss of renal functional capabilities, such as O2 consumption, has also been reported for isolated tubules (Harris et al., 1981).
Some Generic Properties of Paths Generated by Fixed Point Algorithms

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses some inherent properties of the paths generated by the recently developed methods used to solve numerically for fixed points of continuous mappings. These methods usually set up a homotopy between a simple problem that is easily solved, and the problem of interest, and then follow the path of fixed points of this homotopy. Under certain global conditions on the mapping, it can be shown that the path thus generated converges to a fixed point of the problem at hand. There are essentially two fundamental methods for following this path. The earlier method, called the simplicial approach, replaces this homotopy by a piece-wise linear approximation and follows the path of fixed points of this approximation. An approximate solution is then usually guaranteed under a standard existence theorem, such as the Brouwer fixed point theorem or the Leray-Schauder fixed point theorem. A residual subset of a topological space is a countable intersection of open dense subsets.
Robert T. Bapst: Catholic Education and Public Schoolmaster

Over the course of 40 years in the public schools of Buffalo, New York, as principal and superintendent, Robert Bapst earned a reputation as efficient and forward-thinking. His leadership skills first received attention at South Park High School where, as founding principal, he created an environment noted for academic excellence, student development, and good citizenship. What is unusual about Bapst’s tenure was his ability to integrate his Catholic beliefs with the goals of public education. Jesuit-educated, Bapst stressed personal concern for the individual, community-building, and service to others as hallmark Christian values to be integrated within the life of the school. He saw no conflict of interest in this for the church and state cohabited, happily. Evidently his constituents concurred since the records contain no serious challenges to his program.
The Effect of Furosemide on Intracranial Pressure and Cerebrospinal Fluid Formation

There is some clinical evidence that furosemide, when administered by the intravenous route, can effectively lower intracranial pressure (ICP) in a variety of clinical conditions (Cottrell, Marlin 1981; Samson, Beyer 1982). This present study investigates the relationship between dosage and the magnitude of the fall in ICP under controlled experimental conditions. In order to clarify one possible mechanism for the effect of furosemide, the alteration in cerebrospinal fluid (csf) formation with this drug was measured within the dosage range shown to lower ICP. In addition, the effect of furosemide on choroid plexus Na+—K+ adensoine triphosphatase (ATPase) was estimated since this enzyme is directly linked to the transchoroidal movement of sodium and water.
Building and Validating Hierarchical Lexicons with a Case Study on Personal Values

We introduce a crowd-powered approach for the creation of a lexicon for any theme given a set of seed words that cover a variety of concepts within the theme. Terms are initially sorted by automatically clustering their embeddings and subsequently rearranged by crowd workers in order to create a tree structure. This type of organization captures hierarchical relationships between concepts and allows for a tunable level of specificity when using the lexicon to collect measurements from a piece of text. We use a lexicon expansion method to increase the overall coverage of the produced resource. Using our proposed approach, we create a hierarchical lexicon of personal values and evaluate its internal and external consistency. We release this novel resource to the community as a tool for measuring value content within text corpora.
Local Excision Versus Radical Resection for 1- to 2-cm Neuroendocrine Tumors of the Rectum: A National Cancer Database Analysis.

BACKGROUND The optimal surgical management for 1- to 2-cm, nonmetastatic rectal neuroendocrine tumors remains unknown. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine overall survival and operative outcomes in patients who underwent local excision versus radical resection of rectal neuroendocrine tumors. DESIGN The National Cancer Database (2004-2013) was queried to identify patients with nonmetastatic rectal neuroendocrine tumors who underwent local excision or radical resection. SETTING The study included national data. PATIENTS There were 274 patients in the local excision group and 47 patients in the radical resection group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was overall survival. Secondary outcomes included 30-day mortality, hospital length of stay, and procedural outcomes. RESULTS There were no differences in demographics between the 2 groups. Patients who underwent radical resection had slightly larger tumors with higher stage and grade. Patients undergoing local excision had higher rates of positive margins (8.23% vs 0%; p = 0.04). There were no deaths within 30 days in either group, but patients who had radical resection had longer median hospital length of stay (0 vs 3 d; p < 0.01). After adjusting with a Cox proportional hazards model, no difference was seen in survival between the 2 patient groups (HR = 2.39 (95% CI, 0.85-6.70); p = 0.10). LIMITATIONS There are several limitations, which include that this work is a retrospective review; the data set does not include variables such as depth of tumor invasion, which may influence surgical treatment or local recurrence rates; and patients were not randomly assigned to treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS There is no survival benefit to radical resection of 1- to 2-cm, nonmetastatic rectal neuroendocrine tumors. This suggests that local excision may be a feasible and less morbid option for intermediate-sized rectal neuroendocrine tumors. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A744.
A Unifying Mechanistic Model of the Auditory Cortex with Inhibitory Subtypes

Abstract Several recent studies implicate parvalbumin- (PV) and somatostatin- (SOM) positive interneurons in processing the temporal context of sounds in the auditory cortex. We built minimal rate and spiking models of AC in order to understand how these interneurons modulate cortical processing. Our models not only replicate findings from recent experiments involving optogenetic manipulation of PV or SOM activity, accounting for the differential effects of PVs and SOMs in stimulus-specific adaptation, forward suppression and tuning-curve adaptation, but also provided for a simple mechanism for changes to PV-modulated functional connectivity. The unifying mechanisms of our model include dynamic synapses from SOMs and PVs to pyramidal neurons, such as depressing and facilitating synapses from PVs and SOMs to pyramidal neurons, respectively. To reproduce experimental studies, we fine-tuned two key parameters: the strength of thalamic inputs and the strength of optogenetic inactivation. Our model will be useful in predicting the function of PVs and SOMs in sensory processing.
A Social Psychological Model of Scientific Practices: Explaining Research Practices and Outlining the Potential for Successful Reforms.

A crescendo of incidents have raised concerns about whether scientific practices in psychology may be suboptimal, sometimes leading to the publication, dissemination, and application of unreliable or misinterpreted findings. Psychology has been a leader in identifying possibly suboptimal practices and proposing reforms that might enhance the efficiency of the scientific process and the publication of robust evidence and interpretations. To help shape future efforts, this paper offers a model of the psychological and socio-structural forces and processes that may influence scientists’ practices. The model identifies practices targeted by interventions and reforms, and which practices remain unaddressed. The model also suggests directions for empirical research to assess how best to enhance the effectiveness of psychological inquiry.