cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Some Aspects of the Materials Science of Low-K Integration

The microelectronic industry’s transition to low dielectric constant insulators in the wiring levels of integrated circuits has proven to be more difficult than expected. Materials properties are an integral part of the problem, as much for yield as for reliability. Unfortunately, many properties which are important for manufacturing robustness tend to degrade as the dielectric constant is lowered. Although materials properties are a useful guide to low-K manufacturability, inflexibility with regard to specifications could ultimately limit future progress. Application of basic principles of materials science to the integration of low-K dielectrics can give critical insight into the nature of the difficulties. Several examples of problems in low-K integration which benefit from such analysis are given.
Judicial Philosophies in Collision: Justice Blackmun, Garcia, and the Tenth Amendment

This essay offers a reflective overview of the Supreme Court's federalism cases from National League of Cities v. Usery (1976) to that decision's reversal just nine years later in Garcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority (1985). These cases illuminate the rise and fall of a constitutional doctrine and the intellectual evolution of the Justice, Harry A. Blackmun, who cast the crucial deciding vote in this field. Most intriguingly, they illustrate the collision, in an unusual context, of the different philosophies of judicial decisionmaking which have vied for supremacy on the modern Court.The essay begins with an overview of the contradictory ideological labels applied to judicial behavior, moves directly to an analysis of the multi-faceted character of the Garcia decision, devotes the bulk of the discussion to tracing how Garcia grew out of the theoretical and practical tensions inherent in National League of Cities and its progeny, and concludes with a brief reflection on Garcia's philosophical significance and its vindication in the political process to which it paid homage.
Integrating traditional and emerging treatment options in heart failure.

PURPOSE: This paper reviews traditional approaches for the management of heart failure, as well as the emerging approach of using an aldosterone inhibitor. SUMMARY: In addition to prevention, the goals of heart failure therapy are to relieve symptoms, improve quality of life, slow progression of heart failure through both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies, minimize or prevent acute exacerbations, reduce hospitalizations, improve survival, favorably influence neurohormones, and reduce costs. Symptoms are alleviated with diuretics and digoxin; if digoxin is used, the target therapeutic range appears to be 0.4-0.8 ng/mL. Large, well-controlled clinical trials have documented the effectiveness of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and beta-adrenergic blocking agents in reducing the mortality and morbidity in patients with heart failure ranging from post myocardial infarction left ventricular dysfunction to severe heart failure. Recent large studies have documented the effectiveness of aldosterone receptor antagonists in improving mortality and morbidity in patients with heart failure. There was a 30% reduction in mortality in patients with NYHA class III-IV heart failure when spironolactone compared with placebo was added to a regimen consisting of digoxin, furosemide, and an ACE inhibitor. A later study in which a gamma-blocker was also included in the regimen showed that patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction with symptoms of mild heart failure following myocardial infarction taking eplerenone had a 15% relative reduction in all-cause mortality and a 21% reduction in sudden cardiac death compared with placebo. The incidence of gynecomastia was 9% and 0.5% for spironolactone and eplerenone, respectively. CONCLUSION: The data support adding aldosterone receptor antagonists alongside ACE inhibitors and beta-adrenergic blocking agents as ways to reduce mortality and morbidity in the treatment algorithm for heart failure. More research is needed to determine the usefulness of aldosterone receptor antagonists across the entire spectrum of heart failure.
The Evolution of a Malignant Hematology Nurse Practitioner Service

Nurse practitioners (NPs) have been suggested as one possible solution to the predicted oncologist shortage. Although NPs are in a unique position to positively affect the care of patients with hematologic malignancies who are hospitalized, little information exists regarding the inpatient role of the NP in hematology and oncology. The purpose of this article is to describe the successful implementation and evolution of a highly functioning inpatient malignant hematology NP service.
Hyperpolarization-Activated, Mixed-Cation Current (I h) in Octopus Cells of the Mammalian Cochlear Nucleus

Octopus cells in the posteroventral cochlear nucleus of mammals detect the coincidence of synchronous firing in populations of auditory nerve fibers and convey the timing of that coincidence with g...
Aminoxyl (nitroxyl) radicals in the early decomposition of the nitramine RDX.

The explosive nitramine RDX (1,3,5-trinitrohexahydro-s-triazine) is thought to decompose largely by homolytic N–N bond cleavage, among other possible initiation reactions. Density-functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the resulting secondary aminyl (R2N·) radical can abstract an oxygen atom from NO2 or from a neighboring nitramine molecule, producing an aminoxyl (R2NO·) radical. Persistent aminoxyl radicals have been detected in electron-spin resonance (ESR) experiments and are consistent with autocatalytic “red oils” reported in the experimental literature. When the O-atom donor is a nitramine, a nitrosamine is formed along with the aminoxyl radical. Reactions of aminoxyl radicals can lead readily to the “oxy-s-triazine” product (as the s-triazine N-oxide) observed mass-spectrometrically by Behrens and co-workers. In addition to forming aminoxyl radicals, the initial aminyl radical can catalyze loss of HONO from RDX.
Distribution of the Blood Sugar Between Plasma and Corpuscles in Man.

In recent publications the suggestion that the blood sugar is unevenly distributed between corpuscles and plasma, and that the ratio of cell sugar to plasma sugar in blood of normal persons and of persons with diabetes is different, has been revived. Johns1 has expressed the opinion that the corpuscles of the blood of persons with diabetes are less permeable to glucose than those of the blood of normal persons. Folin and Svedberg,2 on the other hand, have found evidence by the analysis of unlaked blood filtrates that the corpuscles of persons who have diabetes are slightly more permeable to glucose than the corpuscles of normal persons. The average ratios reported by Folin and Svedberg are 0.59 for normal persons and 0.69 for persons with diabetes, and are to be considered as representing the distribution of fermentable reducing substances. These values, indicating that the corpuscles contain less sugar than the plasma, are much lower than those obtained in a recent study in this laboratory, in which the ...
Traffic sign vandalism and demographics of local population: A case study in Utah

Among the different types of traffic sign damage, vandalism is exclusively caused by humans. Traffic sign vandalism is a serious concern, since it can lead to an increase in unsafe driving behaviors. In addition, it results in increased costs to transportation agencies to replace, repair, or maintain the vandalized signs. This paper examines the association between the local population demographics and traffic sign vandalism rates in the State of Utah. To accomplish this goal, sign data of over 97,000 traffic signs across Utah were digitally collected by an equipped vehicle. Sign damage data were obtained from the inspection of daytime digital images taken of each individual sign. Demographic data of Utah's counties, including population density, ethnicity, age, income, education, and gender, were obtained from the U.S. Census. The association between demographic groups and vandalism rates was tested using chi-square and trend tests. The results reveal that the most statistically significant variables comprise median household income, completion of at least an associate degree, and population density. According to the fitted linear regression model, a relationship exists between sign vandalism rate and local population demographic. The findings of this investigation can assist transportation agencies in identifying areas with a higher likelihood of sign vandalism, based on demographic characteristics. Such information can then be used to encourage scheduled sign inspections and to implement various countermeasures to prevent sign vandalism.
G.P.167

Few clinical trials involve non-ambulatory boys and men with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We previously tested clinical outcomes in 91 subjects and found Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Brooke and Egen Klassifikation (EK) Scales, grip, key and pinch strength showed excellent intra-rater reliability and feasibility. We then followed subjects every six months. Over the two-year study, eight died (mean 18.7; range 33–12 years) and 33 missed at least one visit or dropped out. Four of the eight who died were taking corticosteroids and four were not. Sixty-six completed baseline and 12-month follow-up; 51 completed baseline and 24-month follow-up; 39 completed all 5 visits. FVC and and grip strength both declined significantly over one and two years (two tailed p for all
Race and Street- Level Bureaucrats: With a Little Help from My Friends

Policies are rarely self-implementing, and education policies are no exception. The decentralized structure of American education allows for both extensive discretion by school districts as well as discretion within individual schools. School are archetypical street-level bureaucracies with vast discretion vested in teachers with only modest oversight even in the current era of high stakes testing (Davis 2011; May and Winter 2000; but see Boser and Hanna 2014 for a differing view). School boards can be conceptualized as political principals who, by necessity, must delegate to agents to carry out their policy objectives. One of the most proposed hypotheses about principal-agent relationships, the ally hypothesis, holds that principals should select agents who share their values in order to maximize the objectives that the principal seeks. Given the importance of race in education policy, African-American school board members are quite likely to believe that African-American administrators and teachers will share their values and that increasing the number of black teachers and administrators can generate positive gains for black students (see Chapters 5 and 6). The reform structures of the Progressive Era with its effort to separate policy from administration and the creation of a professional superintendent means that school boards cannot directly hire teachers and can rarely hire administrators. They do hire the superintendent, however, so a board priority focused on the racial diversity of faculty and staff is something that a superintendent can ignore only by assuming some risk. The organizational structure of school districts creates a chain of principal-agent relationships whereby the superintendent hires administrative personnel and the administrative personnel hire teachers. This chapter will examine the racial representation of the administrative and teaching faculty of our national sample of school districts with two objectives in mind. From a substantive perspective, we seek to show how school board representation and partisanship directly affect the composition of the district's administrative and teaching staff. From a theoretical perspective, we seek to build on Chapter 3 and the impact of structure and partisanship on representation by examining whether or not there are downstream consequences of partisanship on the various ways to select school board members.
Triplet exciton dissociation and electron extraction in graphene-templated pentacene observed with ultrafast spectroscopy

We compare the ultrafast dynamics of singlet fission and charge generation in pentacene films grown on glass and graphene. Pentacene grown on graphene is interesting because it forms large crystals with the long axis of the molecules “lying-down” (parallel to the surface). At low excitation fluence, spectra for pentacene on graphene contain triplet absorptions at 507 and 545 nm and no bleaching at 630 nm, which we show is due to the orientation of the pentacene molecules. We perform the first transient absorption anisotropy measurements on pentacene, observing negative anisotropy of the 507 and 545 nm peaks, consistent with triplet absorption. A broad feature at 853 nm, observed on both glass and graphene, is isotropic, suggesting hole absorption. At high fluence, there are additional features, whose kinetics and anisotropies are not explained by heating, that we assign to charge generation; we propose a polaron pair absorption at 614 nm. The lifetimes are shorter at high fluence for both pentacene on glass and graphene, indicative of triplet–triplet annihilation that likely enhances charge generation. The anisotropy decays more slowly for pentacene on graphene than on glass, in keeping with the smaller domain size observed via atomic force microscopy. Coherent acoustic phonons are observed for pentacene on graphene, which is a consequence of more homogeneous domains. Measuring the ultrafast dynamics of pentacene as a function of molecular orientation, fluence, and polarization provides new insight to previous spectral assignments.
Commercial Aspects in the Acquisition of Patient Data Management Systems

The increasing importance of information technology in the area of health care, especially hospitals, will certainly present a decisive key factor in the future success of such institutions. The development of feasible and functioning information systems in the medical profession is in constant evolution and finds resonance in the utilization thereof in hospitals. More and more feasible and functioning information systems are being developed for the medical market and are being released for use in hospitals.
Intussusception reduction: Effect of air vs. liquid enema on radiation dose

Both air and radiopaque liquid contrast are used to reduce ileocolic intussusception under fluoroscopy. Some suggest air lowers radiation dose due to shorter procedure times. However, air enema likely lowers radiation dose regardless of fluoroscopy time due to less density over the automatic exposure control cells. We test the hypothesis that air enema reduction of ileocolic intussusception results in lower radiation dose than liquid contrast enema independent of fluoroscopy time. We describe a role for automatic exposure control in this dose difference. We retrospectively evaluated air and liquid intussusception reductions performed on a single digital fluoroscopic unit during a 26-month period. We compared patient age, weight, gender, exam time of day and year, performing radiologist(s), radiographic image acquisitions, grid and magnification use, fluoroscopy time and dose area product. We compared categorical and continuous variables statistically using chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests, respectively. The mean dose area product was 2.7-fold lower for air enema, 1.3 ± 0.9 dGy·cm2, than for liquid, 3.5 ± 2.5 dGy·cm2 (P<0.005). The mean fluoroscopy time was similar between techniques. The mean dose area product/min was 2.3-fold lower for air, 0.6 ± 0.2 dGy·cm2/min, than for liquid, 1.4 ± 0.5 dGy·cm2/min (P<0.001). No group differences were identified in other measured dose parameters. Fluoroscopic intussusception reduction using air enema uses less than half the radiation dose of liquid contrast enema. Dose savings are independent of fluoroscopy time and are likely due to automatic exposure control interaction.
Synthesis of LewisX-O-Core-1 threonine: A building block for O-linked LewisX glycopeptides.

LewisX (LeX) is a branched trisaccharide Galβ1→4(Fucα1→3)GlcNAc that is expressed on many cell surface glycoproteins and plays critical roles in innate and adaptive immune responses. However, efficient synthesis of glycopeptides bearing LeX remains a major limitation for structure-function studies of the LeX determinant. Here we report a total synthesis of a LeX pentasaccharide 1 using a regioselective 1-benzenesulfinyl piperidine/triflic anhydride promoted [3 + 2] glycosylation. The presence of an Fmoc-threonine amino acid facilitates incorporation of the pentasaccharide in solid phase peptide synthesis, providing a route to diverse O-linked LeX glycopeptides. The described approach is broadly applicable to the synthesis of a variety of complex glycopeptides containing O-linked LeX or sialyl LewisX (sLeX).
Potentiation and overshadowing in odor-aversion learning: Role of method of odor presentation, the distal-proximal cue distinction, and the conditionability of odor

Abstract Four experiments with rat subjects examined interactions between odors and tastes in compound aversion conditioning. In Experiments 1 and 2, a saccharin taste potentiated the conditioning of an almond odorant presented on a cup near the location of the drinking spout, but overshadowed the same odorant when it was mixed in drinking water. This difference depended on the type of odor administered during conditioning rather than testing (Experiment 2). Experiments 3 and 4 examined implications of two other differences between the cup and drink odors: (1) while the cup odor was a distal cue that suppressed approach to the spout, the drink odor was primarily a proximal cue that suppressed consumption, and (2) the cup odor was less conditionable than the drink odor when the stimuli were conditioned alone. In Experiment 3, unlike the proximal saccharin taste, the proximal drink odor failed to potentiate the conditioning of a different distal odor. In Experiment 4, substantial dilution of the proximal drink's concentration resulted in both weaker conditioning of the stimulus alone, and potentiation of its conditioning by saccharin. The results suggest that the difference in the conditionability of the cup and drink odors, and not their status as distal and proximal cues, may be critical in the production of potentiation. Weakly conditionable target stimuli are uniquely potentiated by saccharin.
Leveraging metadata conventions to improve usability of an ease-grid 2.0 passive microwave data product

Since 1978, a series of Earth-observing, satellite-borne passive microwave sensors has produced a rich record of microwave brightness temperatures. Passive microwave sensors can see through most clouds and collect measurements both day and night, which is especially useful in high latitudes during polar night. Passive microwave measurements are used to derive significant and meaningful climate records of many parameters, including the dramatic decline in Arctic sea ice. Earlier revisions of this significant climate record have been produced as flat, binary, gridded arrays with minimal or no file-level metadata and no machine-readable geolocation. Developed for many applications in polar regions, data were projected to polar azimuthal and global cylindrial projections that users found difficult to handle in standard mapping software packages. Funded by the NASA MEaSUREs program, we are using state-of-the-art image reconstruction techniques to produce a Calibrated Enhanced-Resolution Passive Microwave Equal-Area Scalable Earth Grid 2.0 Brightness Temperature (CETB) Earth System Data Record (ESDR) that leverages the improved EASE-Grid 2.0 projection definitions and netCDF-CF metadata conventions to improve usability of the data products. We describe our approach to defining file-level metadata that is intelligible to standard software packages, including open source netCDF Operators (NCO) and Geospatial Data Abstraction Library (gdal), and the commercial ESRI ArcMap geospatial mapping tool.
Humans, Birds and Burial Practices at Ipiutak, Alaska: Perspectivism in the Western Arctic

Archaeological and ethnohistoric evidence from the coast of western Alaska and St. Lawrence Island indicate that human inhabitants over the past 1500–2000 years incorporated birds into their diets,...
Minimizing Blood Loss and Transfusions in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Blood loss management is critical to positive outcomes in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Transfusions are associated with an increased risk of major and minor adverse events, length of hospitalization, and overall cost associated with surgery. Many techniques have been investigated and compared. Tranexamic acid (TXA), an antifibrinolytic drug widely known to reduce blood loss, may be a bridge to the goal of eliminating blood transfusions from TKA. Administration of TXA can be performed intravenously, topically at the knee joint, orally, or in combination. A single bolus or multiple doses have reduced total blood loss and transfusion rates consistently, safely, and cost-effectively. The uptake in use of TXA by surgeons has been slow due to concerns in patients deemed high risk for thromboembolic events. Newer evidence from studies specifically involving high-risk patients demonstrates that TXA is indeed safe in this cohort and provides benefits that greatly outweigh potential risks. Incorporation of TXA as a routine part of TKA is in the best interest of patients, health care teams, and medical institutions. TXA can be employed seamlessly with other blood saving techniques and has the capacity to increase productivity and decrease overall cost. This can be achieved by reducing the incidence of transfusion and length of stay, and the need for practices such as preoperative anemia treatment and suction drainage.
Phase II Results of an Analytical Round Robin for Elastic-Plastic Analysis of Surface Cracked Plates

The second phase of an analytical round robin for the elastic-plastic analysis of surface cracks in flat plates was conducted under the auspices of ASTM Interlaboratory Study 732. The interlaboratory study (ILS) had ten participants with a broad range of expertise and experience, and experimental results from a surface crack tension test in 4142 steel plate loaded well into the elastic-plastic regime provided the basis for the study. The participants were asked to evaluate a surface crack tension test according to the version of the surface crack initiation toughness testing standard published at the time of the ILS, ASTM E2899, -13, Standard Test Method for Measurement of Initiation Toughness in Surface Cracks under Tension and Bending. Data were provided to each participant that represented the fundamental information that would be provided by a mechanical test laboratory prior to evaluating the test result. Participants were asked to interpret the test according to E2899, including evaluation of crack-front constraint, determination of a critical initiation angle along the crack front, determination of the deformation regime of the test, and determination of the critical J-integral value. The choice of finite element analysis constitutive models and treatment of the stress-strain data was left to the discretion of the participants. The hope was that this process would familiarize participants with the standard and provide the task group with very helpful feedback regarding the interpretation of the requirements as they are written. Overall the participants’ test analysis results were in good agreement and constructive feedback was received that has resulted in an improved published version of the standard E2899-15.
Building Functional Curricula for Students With Severe Intellectual Disabilities and Severe Problem Behaviors

People with severe intellectual disabilities who engage in dangerous behaviors present a major challenge. When building support plans (e.g., IEPs, IHPs) for these individuals, the severity of their harmful behaviors often overshadows all other support objectives. Recently, however, leaders in the field have encouraged a reevaluation of our strategies for delivering support (Touchette, 1989a; Wacker, 1989). We are encouraged to use functional analysis assessment procedures more prescriptively (Carr, Taylor, Carlson, & Robinson, 1989; Donnellan, LaVigna, Negri-Shoultz, & Fassbender, 1989; Durand & Crimmins, 1987; Favell, 1990; Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, & Richman, 1982; Mace et al., 1988; Meyer & Evans, 1989; Van Houten et al., 1988; Wacker et al., 1990) and to apply our technology of instruction in an effort to teach appropriate behaviors that achieve the behavioral function of the dangerous behaviors (Bailey & Pyles, 1989; Carr, 1988; Carr, Robinson, & Palumbo, 1990; Durand, 1990; Horner & Billingsley, 1988). This effort reflects a return to the roots of applied behavior analysis (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968, 1987) and emphasizes that the content of instruction is an important concern for the reduction of problem behaviors. We are moving into an era in which durable, generalized behavior change is the standard for success, and where instructional technology will be viewed as among the most powerful approaches for reducing severe problem behavior.
DeepLesion: automated mining of large-scale lesion annotations and universal lesion detection with deep learning

Extracting, harvesting, and building large-scale annotated radiological image datasets is a greatly important yet challenging problem. Meanwhile, vast amounts of clinical annotations have been collected and stored in hospitals’ picture archiving and communication systems (PACS). These types of annotations, also known as bookmarks in PACS, are usually marked by radiologists during their daily workflow to highlight significant image findings that may serve as reference for later studies. We propose to mine and harvest these abundant retrospective medical data to build a large-scale lesion image dataset. Our process is scalable and requires minimum manual annotation effort. We mine bookmarks in our institute to develop DeepLesion, a dataset with 32,735 lesions in 32,120 CT slices from 10,594 studies of 4,427 unique patients. There are a variety of lesion types in this dataset, such as lung nodules, liver tumors, enlarged lymph nodes, and so on. It has the potential to be used in various medical image applications. Using DeepLesion, we train a universal lesion detector that can find all types of lesions with one unified framework. In this challenging task, the proposed lesion detector achieves a sensitivity of 81.1% with five false positives per image.
The Failure of the Recognition Paradigm in Critical Theory

I argue in this paper that the theory of recognition cannot serve as a paradigm for a critical theory of society. I defend two theses. First, that it is unable to deal with the dynamics and effects of social power in any meaningful way. Specifically, it is unable to deal with what I see to be as the core of critical theory as a tradition of thought, what I call “constitutive power” or that kind of power that shapes and orients the subjectivity of persons. Second, it rests on a flawed theory of the social as intersubjective practices and not as structural and normative-based systems of functional integration. This derives from its insistence on the pragmatist ideas that essentially shred society of its structural-functional features and reduce it to its intersubjective practices. The problem with the pragmatist thesis, however, is that it is both insensitive to issues of power and domination and also can inculcate conformity to the prevailing reality. By shutting Marx out of his revisionism of critical theory, Honneth therefore ends up defanging it as a system of ideas.
Hernia Repair in the United States: Current Situation and Trends

In the USA, the incidence and prevalence of groin and ventral/incisional hernia are unknown, but current estimates suggest that both hernia types represent a common condition with potential morbidity. Various medical conditions prevalent in the USA impact the formation and recurrence of hernias. Increasingly US surgeons are educating patients about modifiable risk factors that impact the success of hernia repair. The USA continues to see a change in the types of operative techniques used for hernia repair. Another paradigm shift occurring in the USA is the way surgeons think about mesh type and location for hernia reinforcement. Outcomes assessment remains a critical topic of discussion and ongoing research among US surgeons. The following chapter will outline hernia epidemiology as well as current trends in pre-habilitation, operative techniques specifically robot-assisted hernia repair, preferred mesh type and location, and surgical outcomes reporting and mentorship.
Evaluation of Allostatic Load as a Mediator of Sleep and Kidney Outcomes in Black Americans

Introduction Poor sleep associates with adverse chronic kidney disease (CKD) outcomes yet the biological mechanisms underlying this relation remain unclear. One proposed mechanism is via allostatic load, a cumulative biologic measure of stress. Methods Using data from 5177 Jackson Heart Study participants with sleep measures available, we examined the association of self-reported sleep duration: very short, short, recommended, and long (≤5, 6, 7–8, or ≥9 hours per 24 hours, respectively) and sleep quality (high, moderate, low) with prevalent baseline CKD, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline and incident CKD at follow-up. CKD was defined as eGFR Results Participants with very short sleep duration (vs. 7–8 hours) had greater odds of prevalent CKD (odds ratio [OR] 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–1.66). Very short, short, or long sleep duration (vs. 7–8 hours) was not associated with kidney outcomes over a median follow-up of 8 years. Low sleep quality (vs. high) associated with greater odds of prevalent CKD (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.00–1.60) and 0.18 ml/min per 1.73 m2 (95% CI 0.00–0.36) faster eGFR decline per year. Allostatic load did not mediate the associations of sleep duration or sleep quality with kidney outcomes. Conclusions Very short sleep duration and low sleep quality were associated with adverse kidney outcomes in this all-black cohort, but allostatic load did not appear to mediate these associations.
A Primer on Determining the Cost Effectiveness of Training – Part 1

Increasingly, training professionals are being asked to justify whether training is a worthwhile investment. Discusses the need to justify training expenditures with documented benefits. Provides details, along with examples, on how to calculate the direct, indirect, and full costs of a training course or programme. Also describes the feasibility of linking training outcomes to organizational improvements and the selection of training outcomes (benefits) to be measured and quantified.
The Modern Case For Withholding

Who is responsible for paying taxes to the government? Currently, the answer depends on one’s employment status. Employees enjoy the luxury of not having to think about tax remittance during the year because their employers withhold taxes from their paychecks. Non-employees, on the other hand, face a much more onerous system. They must keep track of and budget for taxes during the year, make quarterly remittances to the IRS, and may face penalties for failing to do so. Although this regime has been in place for many decades, there are several reasons why reform may be in order. First, the independent contractor workforce is expanding, propelled in large part by the growth of the gig economy. This means an increasing number of taxpayers are earning income outside of employment that is not captured by withholding. Second, the rise of the Internet and other advances in technology has made withholding by third parties more efficient and less costly than was historically the case. Finally, advances in the social sciences have shed new light on why many taxpayers appear to prefer withholding and why it may serve to enhance overall welfare. Accordingly, this Article proposes an expanded withholding regime that would condition withholding on the income of the payer, rather than on the employment relationship. Under such a regime, any business of a certain size paying more than a de minimis number of workers would be required to withhold taxes. To address cases where withholding would not be feasible, this Article also introduces the concept of “quasi-withholding.” Quasi-withholding would interject a private third party between the taxpayer and the IRS to facilitate tax payments and replicate the benefits associated with withholding. The third party could be a financial institution or a private business formed specifically to assist with tax remittance. Expanding withholding would vastly simplify the tax system for taxpayers, while enhancing revenue collection for the government, presenting a rare “win-win” opportunity for tax reform.
Micromagnetic simulation of THz signals in antiferromagnetic FeRh by sub-picosecond thermal pulses

The generation of electrical field signals in the terahertz frequency (THz) range has gained increasing attention in recent years. The use of antiferromagnets (AFM) has been proposed as a possible alternative to generate high frequency signals using spin transfer torque (STT) induced damping compensation. In this work, we simulated a potential mechanism for laser-induced THz signals in the AFM phase of FeRh/Pt bilayer films using micromagnetic model. The FeRh film is modeled as two Fe-sublattices coupled via intra-lattice exchange field, and subjected to a sub-picosecond thermal pulse. A partial canting between the magnetizations of two Fe-sublattices, is observed within the first picosecond after the excitation. This short lived state relaxes abruptly into the initial AFM phase, injecting a spin current into the Pt layer via spin pumping, which will eventually be converted into charge current oscillating at THz frequency.
Impact of a 6-Month Micronutrient-Dense Plant-Rich Nutrition Intervention on Health and Well-Being at the Worksite.

This nonrandomized pilot study utilized the health belief model and the theory of planned behavior to assess the effectiveness of perceived behavioral control to determine the impact of a micronutrient-dense plant-rich (mNDPR) dietary intervention on employee health and wellness at the worksite. Seventy-one employees and/or spouses (≥18 years) who met the inclusion criteria were recruited from a regional medical center and a local university. Participants were provided more than 14 hours of in-person lecture combined with take-home materials, and electronic resources to support participants in their transition and adherence to the dietary plan. The study consisted of a 6-hour introductory session followed by weekly 1-hour meetings for 7 consecutive weeks and then monthly 1-hour meetings, for 4 consecutive months over the span of 6 months. Retention of participants was approximately 55 percent. Participants were assessed for measures of weight, waist circumference, and blood pressure; physiological measures of blood cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, and hemoglobin A1c; and well-being measures of gastroesophageal reflux disease, depression, sleep, pain, and worksite productivity, pre-, mid-, and post-intervention. A significant reduction was seen in weight (F(2, 78) = 19.81, p < 0.001) with a mean reduction of 6.65 lb., waist circumference (F(2, 72) = 40.914, p < 0.001) with a mean reduction of 2.8 inches, total cholesterol (F(2, 70) = 19.09, p < 0.001) with a mean reduction of 17.81 mg/dL, HDL (F(2, 70) = 4.005, p=0.023) with a mean reduction of 3.61 mg/dL, LDL (F(2, 56) = 10.087, p < 0.001) with a mean reduction of 13.1 mg/dL, blood glucose (F(2, 70) = 6.995, p=0.002) with a mean reduction of 3.7 mg/dL, hemoglobin A1c (paired samples t (39) = 2.689, p=0.01) with a mean reduction of 0.118%, GERD (F(2, 72) = 7.940, p=0.001, MSE = 4.225) with a mean reduction of 1.4, depressive symptoms as measured by the PHQ 9 (F(2, 72) = 10.062, p < 0.001, MSE = 5.174) with a mean reduction of 2.0, and an improvement in sleep quality was seen as measured by the PSQI (F(2, 74) = 11.047, p < 0.001, MSE = 2.269) with a mean improvement of 1.3. In most cases, improvement occurred across the first two time periods and then leveled off. Blood pressure, triglycerides, pain measurements, and WPAI did not change over time. Effect sizes for significant pairwise comparisons indicated medium to large effects of practical significance. This intervention was therefore effective at improving employee health and well-being. Widespread worksite implementation should be considered to improve the overall wellness of employees.
Rate Versus Rhythm Control in Patients with Normal to Mild Left Atrial Enlargement: Insights from the AFFIRM Trial.

Background Atrial fibrillation is the most commonly encountered sustained arrhythmia and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Several trials have demonstrated that no mortality benefit exists when choosing a rhythm-control strategy over a rate-control strategy, with some trials suggesting an increase in mortality. Using the AFFIRM trial database we sought to determine the effect of rhythm control strategy in patients with normal or mild atrial enlargement. Methods AFFIRM Trial database was used to evaluate the effect of rhythm-control strategy compared to rate-control strategy in a subgroup of patients with normal to mild left atrial (LA) enlargement. The primary outcome measures of this study were all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, non-cardiovascular mortality, and hospitalization/ED visit. Results We identified a subgroup of subjects from the AFFIRM trial with normal or mild LA enlargement (n=2022 of 4060 total subjects). Subjects in the rhythm-control group(n= 1022) had an increased risk of all-cause mortality by 34% (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.08-1.67; P=0.007) and hospitalization/ED visits by 10% (RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.05-2.16; P=<0.001) compared to rate control group(n= 1000). Conclusion This study demonstrated that rhythm-control strategy increases the risk of mortality and hospitalization in a subgroup of patients with normal to mild atrial enlargement compared to rate-control strategy. Amiodarone use in this subgroup of patients likely drove these findings.
Evasive Actions: The Gendered Cycle of Stress and Coping for Those Enduring Workplace Bullying in American Higher Education

Previous studies have confirmed that American higher education professionals endure workplace bullying at a rate higher than the general population. Close to two-thirds of American higher education employees were affected by workplace bullying and often endure the bullying at least two to three years. While the frequency of workplace bullying has been examined, along with the corresponding cost of employee disengagement, an analysis of how higher education employees cope with the stress of workplace bullying is absent from the literature. Within the theoretical stress and coping frameworks, this essay examined how higher educational personnel cope with stressful workplace bullying. A chi-square analysis was utilized on a sample (n=355) of American higher education respondents to determine the difference of the gender for respondents’ reactions. The chi-square analysis showed that women were more likely to quit/resign from a job in reaction to workplace bullying, and men are more likely to take more sick time in response to workplace bullying.
CT Performance Optimization

This chapter discusses the principles of optimization in CT imaging and how to target specific levels of image quality under the constraint of mitigating factors such as radiation dose. The goals are to (a) understand the theory behind imaging optimization, (b) learn about practical steps that can be taken to ensure imaging consistency across diverse CT systems, and (c) learn about practical steps that can be taken to optimize clinical performance with respect to radiation dose. These practical guides are based on analysis of both prospective phantom data and retrospective data from dose and image quality monitoring systems.
Controversy in Nutrition Recommendations for Short Bowel Syndrome: How Type of SBS Impacts Response

This review examines the current recommendations for dietary management of patients living with short bowel syndrome (SBS) and outlines the need for future research to provide optimal care for this unique group of patients. Providers caring for patients with SBS lack sufficient data to help guide recommendations regarding diet. The majority of studies are conducted at a single medical institution on a small number of anatomically diverse patients. Multi-center studies would allow for inclusion of a larger number of patients and may lead to more individualized dietary recommendations. Patients with short bowel syndrome should be evaluated on an individual basis by a multidisciplinary team including physicians, dieticians, pharmacists, and nurses specializing in the care of these complex patients. Tailoring both medical and nutritional therapy will help realize the overarching goal for these patients of maintaining adequate nutrition with diet and medications, and achieving independence from parenteral support.
Insomnia and depression: clinical associations and possible mechanistic links.

Chronic insomnia is highly comorbid with multiple psychological and physical disorders, but most notably depression. While insomnia is now viewed as a risk factor for depression, and not just a ‘symptom’ of the disorder, the reasons for this change in classification (from symptom to risk factor) have yet to be clearly articulated. This is one goal of the present review. Furthermore, efforts to identify the mechanisms, by which insomnia is related to increases in depression is a burgeoning area of research. Here, our second goal is to highlight several potential mechanisms that can be targets for future research.
Microfluidics Meets Dilute Solution Viscometry: An Undergraduate Laboratory to Determine Polymer Molecular Weight Using a Microviscometer.

This paper describes a student laboratory experiment to determine the molecular weight of a polymer sample by measuring the viscosity of dilute polymer solutions in a PDMS microfluidic viscometer. Sample data are given for aqueous solutions of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). A demonstration of shear thinning behavior using the microviscometer is described as well. The results of the implementation of the procedure with undergraduate students are also discussed.
Chapter 2 – Food Regulations

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an understanding of food regulations in the USA. There is a need to ensure that food is manufactured in a sanitary manner within a sanitary environment. Food regulations in the USA are a patchwork of rules and regulations that have developed over time. For a single food, there are numerous government agencies (FDA, USDA-FSIS, USDA-AMS, CPB, and others) that have inspection roles. It is recommended that individuals interested in producing food machinery, starting a food business, or producing a food product contact the appropriate regulatory agencies prior to commencing production. Food produced and sold without proper regulatory inspection is not in compliance with federal, state, and/or local laws, and may be deemed “adulterated”. Producing adulterated food is a serious crime and persons found guilty may be subject to civil and criminal penalties, including prison.
APA Health CARE: A Student-Led Initiative Addressing Health Care Barriers Faced by the Asian and Pacific Islander American Immigrant Population in Los Angeles

Asian and Pacific Islander Americans face cultural, linguistic, and financial barriers to accessing health care. APA Health CARE (APAHC), a UCLA student-led organization, attempts to bridge these disparities through free community health screenings, health education seminars, and follow-up procedures. From 2011 to 2018, participants’ demographic and health-related information were recorded during health fairs and follow-up phone calls. Trends in participant characteristics were analyzed over time. Health fair data were compared to data from follow-up phone calls to assess the effectiveness of health fair education and referral practices. 5635 participants from 69 health fairs were screened over the 8-year period. Follow-up contact was attempted for 2258 participants, of which 555 responded. Over time, a greater proportion of participants reported higher income, health insurance, and access to a regular doctor. Of those contacted at follow-up, 32.3% reported visiting a doctor, 50.2% reported making lifestyle changes, and 68.0% of those who were uninsured at health fairs reported obtaining health insurance within 1 month of attendance. Despite an observed increase in the proportion of participants having insurance and a regular doctor, health fair attendance remained consistent, possibly due to Asian American immigrants’ preference for services that are convenient and linguistically and culturally accessible. Attendees reported visiting a physician, making lifestyle changes, and obtaining health insurance based on health fair referrals, suggesting measurable success with referral uptake and follow through. Student-led initiatives similar to APAHC can serve as catalysts to increase health literacy and motivate communities to seek health insurance and care.
The Development of Kant’s Pre-Critical Metaphysics from 1758 to 1766

This chapter begins with an exploration of a phenomenological shift that takes place in Kant’s philosophizing between 1758 and 1764, which brings to light the experiential aspects of Kant’s approach to metaphysics that have been implicit in his thinking all along. That phenomenological turn places a strong emphasis on the cognitive perspective of the subject within the world. While this does not institute a fundamental rejection of the content of his past metaphysics, it does begin to make clearer the way in which he has made appeal to indemonstrable facts of sensible-scientific and intuitive-mathematical cognition. While most scholars believe that Kant has an empiricist turn in this decade, especially in 1766’s Dreams of a Spirit-Seer, I show that his previous metaphysical views and arguments remain the model of how metaphysics should proceed and what truths it is able to achieve.
Effects of premilking udder hygiene on environmental bacterial contamination, chemical residue, and sediment in milk

The objective of our work was to determine the effects of various udder preparations and disinfectants (udder wash sanitizers and postmilking teat dip used as a premilking disinfectant dip) on reducing bacterial populations, sediment and chemical residue in milk.
Ebb and Flow in Safe Harbors: Some Exemplary Experiences Under One Old Statute and One New

What do a grand, rather old statute rooted in the gritty world of coal and steel and smokestacks (the National Labor Relations Act, also known as the Wagner Act) and a splendid, rather new statute rooted in the sparkly world of silicon and plastic and computers (the Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act, Title II of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act) have in common? A lot, of course, including this: neither contains “safe harbors” identified as such by Congress. And both contain “safe harbors” identified as such by other government actors. This article will explore some aspects of judges’ and bureaucrats’ discovery and development of safe harbors, comparing their long-term experience with the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and their shorter-term experience with the Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act (OCILLA).