cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Epidemiologic Association of Fuchs' Heterochromie Iridocyclitis and Ocular Toxoplasmosis

Between January 1983 and July 1987, I examined 25 patients at the Department of Ophthalmology, West Virginia University, who had the anterior segment characteristics of Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis. Of these patients, 16 had fundus lesions suggestive of ocular toxoplasmosis. Of these 16 patients, 13 had a positive serologic test for toxoplasmosis, two patients were not tested, and one patient had a negative test at 1:16. The remaining nine patients with Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis had no fundus lesions suggestive of toxoplasmosis. A chart review of 792 consecutive patients at the Retinal Unit, West Virginia University, during a six-month period disclosed that 24 of 590 patients (4%) had chorioretinal scars suggestive of toxoplasmosis. I concluded from these data that in at least one subgroup of patients with Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis there is a significant association with the chorioretinal scars of toxoplasmosis (F
Proton Conductivity in Phosphoric Acid: The Role of Quantum Effects

Phosphoric acid has one of the highest intrinsic proton conductivities of any known liquids, and the mechanism of this exceptional conductivity remains a puzzle. Our detailed experimental studies discovered a strong isotope effect in the conductivity of phosphoric acids caused by (i) a strong isotope shift of the glass transition temperature and (ii) a significant reduction of the energy barrier by zero-point quantum fluctuations. These results suggest that the high conductivity in phosphoric acids is caused by a very efficient proton transfer mechanism, which is strongly assisted by quantum effects.
Abstract PR02: Combinational targeting of 5-LOX/COX and PI3K/AKT signaling to prevent progression of PanINs to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in p48Cre/+.LSL-KrasG12D/+ mice

Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains one of the deadliest of all cancers, with almost uniform lethality despite aggressive treatment (5-year survival rate of Citation Format: Altaf Mohammed, Naveena B. Janakiram, Misty Brewer, Rebekah L. Ritchie, Stan Lightfoot, Vernon E. Steele, Chinthalapally V. Rao. Combinational targeting of 5-LOX/COX and PI3K/AKT signaling to prevent progression of PanINs to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in p48Cre/+.LSL-KrasG12D/+ mice. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2013 Oct 27-30; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2013;6(11 Suppl): Abstract nr PR02.
Sensitivity of Template Matching for Pulmonary Nodule Detection: A Case Study

Template matching is a common approach for pulmonary nodule detection from CT scans which may take different shapes, sizes and density distributions. The process of nodule detection is essentially two steps: isolation of candidate nodules, then elimination of false positives. The process of outlining the detected nodules and their classification complete the CAD system for early detection of lung nodules. This paper is concerned with the template design and evaluation of the effectiveness of the first step in the nodule detection process. Only parametric templates are considered and a model-based approach is used for selecting the nodule size and gray level distribution. The effectiveness of the template matching is investigated by cross validation with respect to the ground truth provided by radiology experts, and is described by receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curves indicating the probability of detection as a function of shape, size and orientation of the templates. We use samples from the ELCAP lung images database in our experiments. Experiments show that variations in the template shape and/or orientation has minimal effect on well-circumscribed nodule detection. Also the semi-circular template best simulates juxta-pleural, pleural-tail and vascular nodules. It is found that smaller template radii yield higher sensitivity, while the performance tends to decrease for larger template sizes. The rate of performance decay depends on template shape and nodule type.
Engineered proteins: A carbon monoxide antidote

A re-engineered haemoglobin-like protein protects mice poisoned with the lethal gas carbon monoxide.
Guidance for the determination of status indicators and dietary requirements for magnesium.

Balance data obtained since 1997 indicate that the Estimated Average Requirement and Recommended Dietary Allowance for magnesium should be 175 and 250 mg/d, respectively, for 70 kg healthy individuals, and increase or decrease based on body weight. Urinary excretion data from balance studies indicate that 40 to 80 mg (1.65 to 3.29 mmol) Mg/day are excreted when magnesium intakes are 250 mg/day. The change in urinary magnesium excretion with the change in dietary magnesium intake occurs within a few days. Thus, urinary magnesium would be most useful for population studies. Metabolic unit depletion/repletion experiments show that serum magnesium concentrations decrease only after a prolonged depletion if an individual starts with an adequate magnesium status. Individuals with serum magnesium concentrations in excess of 0.75 mmol/L (1.82 mg/dL), or as high as 0.85 mmol/L (2.06 mg/dL), might be magnesium-deficient because such individuals respond to magnesium supplementation. A combination of a dietary intake <250 mg /day, urinary excretion <80 mg (3.29 mmol)/day, and serum magnesium concentration < 0.85 mmol/L (2.06 mg/dL) and preferably <0.80 mmol/L (1.94 mg/dL) could indicate that an individual would respond to magnesium supplementation.
Prevalence and predictors of intracranial aneurysms in patients with bicuspid aortic valve

Objective To determine the prevalence and outcomes of intracranial aneurysm (IA) in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). Methods Retrospective review of patients with BAV who underwent brain MR angiography at the Mayo Clinic from 1994 to 2013. Results There were 678 patients included in this study—mean age 57±13 years, men 480 (71%), mean follow-up 10±3 years (5913 patient-years). Coarctation of aorta (COA) was present in 154 (23%) patients. There were 59 IAs identified in 52 of 678 patients (7.7%). IA was present in 20/154 patients (12.9%) with COA and 32/524 patients (5.7%) without COA (p Among the 52 patients with IA, enlargement occurred in three patients (6%), rupture in two patients (4%) and four patients (8%) underwent coil embolisation. For the 626 patients without IA at baseline, no patient developed IA over 7±2 years of imaging follow-up. Conclusions BAV is associated with a higher prevalence of IA compared to the general population, and this risk is higher in patients with COA, right–left cusp fusion and female gender.
Comparison of retroperitoneal and transperitoneal robotic partial nephrectomy for Pentafecta perioperative and renal functional outcomes

We compared quality outcomes between transperitoneal (TRPN) and retroperitoneal robotic partial nephrectomy (RRPN). Two-center retrospective analysis of TRPN and RRPN from 10/2009 to 10/2015. Perioperative/renal function outcomes were analyzed. Primary endpoint was Pentafecta, a composite measure of quality [negative margin, no 30-day complication, ischemia time ≤25 min, return of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) to >90% from baseline at last follow-up, and no chronic kidney disease upstaging]. Multivariable analysis (MVA) for factors associated with lack of optimal outcome was performed. 404 patients (TRPN 263, RRPN 141) were analyzed. Comparing TRPN vs. RRPN, mean tumor size (3.1 vs. 2.9 cm, p = 0.122) and RENAL score (7.4 vs. 7.2, p = 0.503) were similar. Most TRPN were anterior (65.0%) and most RRPN posterior (65.3%, p 90% (55.9 vs. 57.4%, p = 0.833), and lack of CKD upstaging (84.0 vs. 87.2%, p = 0.464). Pentafecta rates were not significantly different (TRPN 33.9 vs. RRPN 43.3%, p = 0.526). MVA revealed increasing RENAL score (OR 1.5, p < 0.001) and decreasing baseline eGFR (OR 2.4, p = 0.017) as predictive for lack of Pentafecta. TRPN and RRPN have similar quality outcomes, though RRPN may offer modest benefit for operative time and have utility in posterior tumors. Association of increasing RENAL score and decreased baseline eGFR with lack of Pentafecta suggests dominant role of non-modifiable factors.
Some new alternative stability conditions for fractional order systems

Recently, fractional calculus has attracted much attention since it plays an important role in many fields of science and engineering. Especially, the study on stability of fractional differential equations appears to be very important. This paper puts forward some new alternative stability conditions for fractional order systems based on existing stability conditions for fractional systems. And we propose some remarks about equivalent existing theorems. This paper shows that the two kinds of different situations, respectively are : 0 < α < 1 and 1 < α < 2. And we propose three theorems based on existing conclusions of fractional order systems. Finally, the numerical examples are given to illustrate the effects of conclusion.
Incidence and Management of Immune-Related Adverse Events in Patients Undergoing Treatment with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

The unleashing of the immune system in an effort to fight cancer has proven to be an incredible advance in the war on cancer. However that breakthrough has come with a price in the form of serious and potentially fatal immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Rapid recognition and early intervention is imperative to avoid significant morbidity and mortality. Additionally, providers need to be aware that there are still new, rare, and long-term emerging irAEs that were not previously reported in clinical trials. Because of the significant difference between irAEs and those caused by chemotherapy and/or targeted therapy, providers must have a thorough understanding of which events would be considered immune related and require treatment. This review will cover descriptions of the most common and uncommon but serious irAEs experienced by patients on immunotherapy, as well as management of these irAEs.
Pupillary dilation: an eye-opening problem

Dilation of the pupil is a procedure with both clinical and legal ramifications. Optometrists must be familiar with the requirements of informed consent, which must be met when utilizing dilation on the 4-8 percent of patients with anterior chamber angles that are narrow enough to cause an angle closure. Optometrists also must recognize those circumstances under which pupillary dilation is necessary, both for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. The correct drug regimen must be selected, whether it is for "routine" pupillary dilation or for a patient with a condition requiring a special drug regimen. Patients with dilated pupils must be appropriately managed, and failure to warn a patient of common and expected side effects may create liability if the failure to warn is the cause of injury. If complications--such as acute angle closure--occur, the optometrist must be prepared to manage the situation so as to minimize the risk of injury to the patient.
1.4 X-Ray Crystallography: Crystallization

Structure determination of biological macromolecules using x-ray crystallography has been greatly improved in recent years through the development of a number of key technologies and better integration with sample preparation steps. This has enabled the crystallization of large numbers of proteins, including integral membrane proteins. This chapter discusses the crystallization process as well as the development of automation that has dramatically increased the likelihood of success. Most noteworthy has been the introduction of crystallization protocols that use nanoliter protein solutions and the insight that production of high-quality crystals requires high protein sample quality. The latter underscores the importance of the development of powerful biophysical characterization techniques.
ON SOME LIMITS AND RESOURCES OF COMMON-SENSE PSYCHOLOGY

The past two decades have been a period of active research and writing both in philosophical action theory and in cognitive psychology. Before this period, and to some extent during the first half of it, philosophers of action tended to conceive the common-sense action-explaining framework implicit in everyday parlance as radically different from the kinds of explanatory systems provided by scientific theorizing. At about the same time, moreover, empirically oriented psychologists tended to view the common-sense action-explaining framework as lacking conceptual precision and predictive power, and thus as unscientific. Often, though by no means always, the attitude of these philosophers of action — separatists, we might call them — was: so much the worse for scientific psychology as a way to approach action, which is, after all, conceptually anchored in the common-sense framework of intentionalistic concepts, those of belief, desire, intention, and the like. And often, though by no means always, the attitude of scientific, empirically oriented psychologists was: so much the worse for the common-sense framework as a route to understanding human behavior, which is, after all, a natural phenomenon on which scientific investigation should have the last word.
Nonequilibrium Vortex Dynamics in Superfluid Phase Transitions and Superfluid Turbulence

The nonequilibrium dynamics of superfluid phase transitions and superfluid turbulence are calculated using vortex renormalization methods. In two dimensions the Kosterlitz-Thouless recursion relations are solved in conjunction with the Fokker-Planck equation for the vortex-pair dynamics, yielding complete solutions for quenched 2D superfluid transitions that are in agreement with scaling predictions and numerical simulations. For the case of 2D superfluid turbulence the steady-state solution is found to be a forward cascade of enstrophy, and it is argued that the energy spectrum varies as k?3. The extension of the theory to three dimensions using vortex- loop renormalization is discussed.
Synaptic proteins expressed by oligodendrocytes mediate CNS myelination

Oligodendrocytes ensheath neuronal axons with myelin, a proteolipid-rich membrane that increases conduction velocity and provides trophic support. Our lab and others have provided evidence that vesicular release from neurons promotes myelin sheath growth. Complementarily, transcriptomic and proteomic approaches have revealed that oligodendrocytes express many proteins that allow dendrites to sense and respond to vesicular release at synapses. Do axon-myelin contacts use similar communication mechanisms as nascent synapses to form myelin sheaths on axons? To test this, we used fusion proteins to track synaptic vesicle localization and membrane fusion within spinal cord axons of zebrafish larvae during developmental myelination. Additionally, we used a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated GAL4 enhancer trap and genetically-encoded intrabody to detect expression and localization of PSD-95, a component of dendritic postsynaptic complexes, within oligodendrocytes. We found that synaptic vesicles accumulate at ensheathment sites over time and are exocytosed with variable patterning underneath myelin sheaths. Accordingly, we also found that most, but not all sheaths localized PSD-95 with patterning similar to exocytosis site location within the axon. By querying published transcriptome databases, we found that oligodendrocytes express numerous transsynaptic adhesion molecules that function across synapses to promote synapse formation and maturation. Disruption of candidate PDZ-binding transsynaptic adhesion proteins in oligodendrocytes revealed that these proteins have variable effects on sheath length and number. We focused on one candidate, Cadm1b (SynCAM1), and demonstrated that it localized to myelin sheaths where both its PDZ binding and extracellular adhesion to axons are required for myelin sheath growth. Our work reveals shared mechanisms of synaptic and myelin plasticity and provides new targets for mechanistic unraveling of activity-regulated myelination.
Image-based multi-scale mechanical analysis of strain amplification in neurons embedded in collagen gel.

AbstractA general multi-scale strategy is presented for modeling the mechanical environment of a group of neurons that were embedded within a collagenous matrix. The results of the multi-scale simulation are used to estimate the local strains that arise in neurons when the extracellular matrix is deformed. The distribution of local strains was found to depend strongly on the configuration of the embedded neurons relative to the loading direction, reflecting the anisotropic mechanical behavior of the neurons. More importantly, the applied strain on the surrounding extracellular matrix is amplified in the neurons for all loading configurations that are considered. In the most severe case, the applied strain is amplified by at least a factor of 2 in 10% of the neurons' volume. The approach presented in this paper provides an extension to the capability of past methods by enabling the realistic representation of complex cell geometry into a multi-scale framework. The simulation results for the embedded neuron...
A mouse model for the study of transplanted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell survival and proliferation in lumbar spinal fusion

Bone marrow aspirate has been successfully used alongside a variety of grafting materials to clinically augment spinal fusion. However, little is known about the fate of these transplanted cells. Herein, we develop a novel murine model for the in vivo monitoring of implanted bone marrow cells (BMCs) following spinal fusion. A clinical-grade scaffold was implanted into immune-intact mice undergoing spinal fusion with or without freshly isolated BMCs from either transgenic mice which constitutively express the firefly luciferase gene or syngeneic controls. The in vivo survival, distribution and proliferation of these luciferase-expressing cells was monitored via bioluminescence imaging over a period of 8 weeks and confirmed via immunohistochemistry. MicroCT imaging was performed 8 weeks to assess fusion. Bioluminescence imaging indicated transplanted cell survival and proliferation over the first 2 weeks, followed by a decrease in cell numbers, with transplanted cell survival still evident at the end of the study. New bone formation and increased fusion mass volume were observed in mice implanted with cell-seeded scaffolds. By enabling the tracking of transplanted bone marrow-derived cells during spinal fusion in vivo, this mouse model will be integral to developing a deeper understanding of the biological processes underlying spinal fusion in future studies. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
Challenges and Potential Solutions to Develop and Fund NASA Flagship Missions

Large, strategic “Flagship” missions have unique characteristics that lead to challenging developmental difficulties for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Missions such as the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), and the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) had technical and programmatic challenges that led to significant schedule delays and subsequent cost growth. Although NASA has instituted policies that have reduced cost growth for more “typical” NASA science missions, NASA Flagship missions remain a distinct challenge due to their requirement to provide unprecedented science or tackle bold exploration goals, typically while concurrently developing new technologies. The unique challenges presented by Flagship missions make it extremely difficult to fully predict cost and schedule given that the technical and programmatic advances needed to meet performance requirements are unprecedented. This paper addresses why Flagship missions are unique and proposes a new programmatic approach to develop and fund Flagship missions.
Deadly cats down under

The debate over the extent to which cats are an ecological problem and, if so, what solutions to pursue has become increasingly nasty. Underlying this unpleasantness has been a lack of enough good information. But there is a place where scientists do know, where research on cats and their impact and possible solutions has been deep and broad. That place is Australia, and two new books pro­vide insightful analysis of what we have learned and what can be done.
Information asymmetry and leverage adjustments: a semiparametric varying‐coefficient approach

Information asymmetry reflects the risk and uncertainty faced by investors and is a measure of a firm's transparency. High information asymmetry could increase the cost of external financing, which in turn impedes a firm's leverage (debt–asset ratio) adjustment. The paper studies the adjustment speed towards the target leverage in the presence of information asymmetry by using microlevel data from China. In contrast with previous studies, we allow heterogeneity in the adjustment speed coefficient by modelling it as a non‐parametric function of information asymmetry and other firm characteristics. This refinement not only allows for more flexibility in the model, but it also facilitates further exploration into the differences and determinants of firms’ financing behaviour. We uniquely build the firm level measure of information asymmetry into the traditional partial leverage adjustment framework. Based on our firm level measure of the adjustment speed, our paper explores why the leverage adjustment speed matters by examining its association with corporate performance indicators. We find that China's firms do have leverage targets and they slowly adjust towards these targets. We also find that the adjustment speed decreases with an increase in information asymmetry. Overall, firms which converge towards their targets faster perform better in value, profitability, investment and costs.
“What If I Aint Ate in 2 Days, Why the Hell Would I Want You to Poke Into My Arm”: A Critical Cultural Analysis of Testing Makes Us Stronger

Despite medical advancements, Black gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (BMSM) are the group most disproportionately impacted by HIV in the United States. Recent figures estimate one in two Black MSM will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. From 2011 to 2015, the Center for Disease Control ran Testing Makes Us Stronger, a health communication campaign designed to increase rates of HIV testing in the Black MSM community. Past studies document the campaign’s visibility, but fail to explain the continuous rise of HIV transmissions within the Black MSM community. Previous research on Testing Makes Us Stronger analyzes exposure to the campaign, but fails to capture the experiences and opinions of its target audience. Using the Culture-Centered Approach, this study conducted 20 semi-structured phone interviews to unveil how culture and systemic inequities influence rates of HIV transmission in the Black MSM community. Thematic analysis found three key themes: (1) trans invisibility, (2) call for holistic approaches and (3) importance of local organizations. Findings from the study suggest HIV campaigns would benefit from working in tandem with other organizations designed to combat systemic inequalities. Keywords: HIV, Black MSM, testing, campaign, critical health
Scheduling DAGs When Processor Assignments Are Specified

The problem of scheduling a workload represented as a directed acyclic graph (DAG) upon a dedicated multiprocessor platform is considered, in which each individual vertex of the DAG is assigned to a specific processor and the entire DAG is required to complete execution within a specified duration. A representation of this scheduling problem as a zero-one integer linear program is obtained.
Reconsidering the RBANS Factor Structure: a Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analytic Factor Analysis

The primary aim was to perform a systematic literature review and extract data necessary for a meta-analytic factor analysis of the RBANS. Secondary aims were to examine the potential validity and utility of the resulting factor structure. Literature was identified through a review of PsycINFO, PubMed, MEDLINE, Academic Search Complete, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, CINAHL Complete, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, and SocINDEX. A two-stage meta-analytic structural equation modeling method was implemented to pool correlation matrices from primary studies and perform confirmatory factor analyses. Following model selection, factor scores were computed for two datasets and subjected to correlation and diagnostic accuracy analyses. A pooled correlation matrix was computed from 24 sample correlation matrices (N = 5299). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the theoretical five-factor model produced the best fit but only when error terms between Story Memory and Story Recall as well as between Figure Copy and Figure Recall were included. Regression-based factor scores showed mixed relationships with the manual-defined indices, and the overall diagnostic accuracy of the factor scores was adequate in both samples examined (AUC = 0.71 and 0.87). The five-factor model was an unexpected result given the failure of multiple previous studies to find support for that model. The five-factor model demonstrates several areas of potential improvement, including better representation of the factors by the indicators. The factor scores implied by this model also require further validation.
LGBTQ&A: Development of a needs assessment to define access, needs, and barriers to health care services among LGBTQ older adults

While health-related research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) older adults has grown, more research is necessary to understand this population. Howard Brown Health (HBH) conducted a mixed-method needs assessment in Cook County, IL. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of the community survey, focus group guidebook, and study protocol. HBH created the needs assessment to increase knowledge about access to and need for services and barriers to care among LGBTQ aging patients. Furthermore, the study explored how subgroups based on sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, and veteran status differed in access, need, and barriers to care. Study participants were 50 years and older, self-identified as LGBTQ, and resided in Cook County. With this knowledge, HBH plans to launch culturally competent wellness programs to improve the quality of life of its LGBTQ older adult patients.
Adoption of Image-Driven Machine Learning for Microstructure Characterization and Materials Design: A Perspective

The recent surge in the adoption of machine learning techniques for materials design, discovery, and characterization has resulted in increased interest in and application of image-driven machine learning (IDML) approaches. In this work, we review the application of IDML to the field of materials characterization. A hierarchy of six action steps is defined that compartmentalizes a problem statement into well-defined modules. The studies reviewed in this work are analyzed through the decisions adopted in them at each of these steps. Such a review permits a granular assessment of the field, for example, the impact of IDML on materials characterization at the nanoscale, the number of images in a typical dataset required to train a semantic segmentation model on electron microscopy images, the prevalence of transfer learning in the domain, etc. Finally, we discuss the importance of interpretability and explainability, and provide an overview of two emerging techniques in the field: semantic segmentation and generative adversarial networks.
Ethoxyquin Prevents Development Of Neuropathy In Rodent Models Of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy And HIV-Associated Neuropathy (S46.004)

OBJECTIVE: Currently, there are no effective disease-modifying therapies for diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated sensory neuropathy (HIV-SN). We evaluated the impact of ethoxyquin on development of DPN and HIV-SN in rodent models. BACKGROUND: Recently, we identified ethoxyquin as potential neuroprotective compound to prevent distal axonal degeneration induced by paclitaxel. This study was carried out as a phenotypic drug screen and the molecular target of ethoxyquin was later identified as heat shock protein 90 (hsp90). In the current study, we evaluated the impact of daily administration of ethoxyquin on development of neuropathy in a rat model of type-1 diabetes and in a mouse model of HIV-SN. DESIGN/METHODS: Diabetes was induced in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats by injection of streptozotocin. After confirmation of fasting hyperglycemia, animals were given daily ethoxyquin and evaluated for presence of neuropathy serially and at the end of 2 months. In the mouse model of HIV-SN, transgenic mice expressing HIV envelope protein gp120 were given daily didanosine for 4 weeks to induce sensory neuropathy. Experimental group was co-administered daily ethoxyquin and both groups were evaluated for presence of neuropathy at the end of 4 weeks. In both the DPN and HIV-SN models, neuropathy was evaluated using sensory nerve conduction studies, thermal sensation evaluation using Hargreaves method, sural nerve morphometry and intraepidermal nerve fiber density using punch biopsies of the hind paws. RESULTS: Ethoxyquin partially prevented development of sensory neuropathy in both rodent models of DPN and HIV-SN using the intraepidermal nerve fiber density as a primary endpoint. CONSLUSIONS: This study extends the neuroprotective role that ethoxyquin plays in peripheral neuropathies to diabetic and HIV-associated neuropathies. Further development of ethoxyquin as a potential disease modifying therapy in peripheral neuropathies is warranted. Acknowledgement: This study was supported by the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy and Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson Medical Research Foundation. Disclosure: Dr. Hoke has received personal compensation for activities with Unilab. Dr. Hoke has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Experimental Neurology. Dr. Hoke has received research support from Acorda Phamaceuticals. Dr. Reed has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zhu has nothing to disclose.
China Talks Juvenile Justice Reform: A Constructivist Case Study

In 2012 China amended its Criminal Procedure Law, adding a brand new chapter on juvenile defendants. The chapter is surprising in how well it reflects and complies with international laws and norms on juvenile justice. This begs the question – why has China been increasingly compliant with international laws on juvenile justice, when it continues to have a reputation for non-compliance in other areas? This paper explores the development of juvenile justice laws in China and treats the juvenile justice system as a case study with which to explore the benefits of using Constructivist theories in understanding China’s approach to international law. The paper ultimately notes that there is an underlying notion of created and dialectical identity that runs through much of the modern Constructivist work and which may open up new avenues of scholarship to better understand state engagement with international law.
Some Applications of Recursive Functionals to the Foundations of Mathematics and Physics

We consider two applications of recursive functionals. The first application concerns Godel’s theory T , which provides a rudimentary foundation for the formalization of mathematics. T can be understood as a theory of the simply-typed lambda calculus that is extended to include the constant 0N, the successor function S, and the operator RT for primitive recursion on objects of type T . It is known that the functions from non-negative integers to non-negative integers that can be defined in this theory are exactly the
Carcinoid abdominal crisis: A case report

Over the past 40 years, the incidence of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) has been increasing. Distal small bowel (i.e., midgut) NETs most often cause carcinoid syndrome manifested as cutaneous flushing, diarrhea, bronchial constriction, and cardiac involvement. Carcinoid abdominal crisis occurs when submucosal tumors impede the vascular supply to the gut leading to mesenteric ischemia and worsening abdominal pain. Here, we report the case of a young woman with progressively worsening abdominal pain. J. Surg. Oncol. 2014 110:348–351. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Arts Education in Schools: Private Foundations and Public Responsibility

The arts play an essential role in reflecting the heritage and transmitting the culture of society. As a result, advocates often urge arts education in the public schools as a method of fostering understanding and appreciation of the arts. Although the public appears to support the goals of arts education, government at all levels often cannot or will not provide the resources to establish and maintain quality programs. Advocates therefore often rely upon the private sector, especially foundations, to establish and fund such programs. Historically, philanthropic organizations often have played this role, a fact which Congress uses to justify allowing such organizations tax-exempt status. This Article argues, however, that the private sector cannot and should not be the primary source of funds and resources for arts education. Private foundations, by their very nature, are equipped to play only a limited role in the establishment and maintenance of arts programs in schools. Foundations best serve the goals of the private and public sectors when they act chiefly as catalysts and risktakers in helping to build, supplement, and enrich arts programs to which public schools make a permanent commitment. An arts education effort must center on the support and commitment by the public sector, and public schools themselves must assume the ultimate responsibility for these programs, which are so important to children's general education. This Article begins with a brief analysis of the process of change in American education, in which advocates for subject areas such as art and music lobby and compete for resources from the local school boards who determine the curriculum taught to America's 46 million school children. It next examines the historical and political background of arts education in American schools. Although polls show that it has wide public support, arts education usually exists on
The Inevitable Instability of American Corporate Governance

American corporate governance faces two core instabilities. The first is the separation of ownership from control - distant and diffuse stockholders own, while concentrated management controls - a separation that creates not only great efficiencies but also big recurring breakdowns. In every decade since World War II, we've faced a fundamental large firm problem. Each emanated from this fundamental instability. We will not stabilize, once-and-for-all, this instability because some form of separation is necessary for large firms, because it provides large efficiencies, and because once we resolve one derivative problem, another will in time arise. The Enron-type scandals are just the latest manifestation of the core fissure in the large American public firm.The second instability arises from our decentralized and porous regulatory system. Decentralization has key advantages - such as flexibility, specialization, and multiple informational channels - but with the advantages come costs in porosity. Our decentralized regulatory system leaves each regulator with weaknesses. Most importantly, they are not fully independent from the regulated. The regulated entities often deter the incompletely independent regulated from acting. The regulated can induce political authorities to deny the regulator enough power to act, they can get Congress to cut the regulator's funding, they can fight the potential regulations in courts and Congress, and they can weaken the quality of the regulation that they face. The Enron-class scandals illustrate this regulatory instability of American corporate governance well. Thus one structural response to the first fissure - separation and managers without immediate bosses - would be to facilitate gatekeeping, via strong boards that check managers, via strong shareholders with the motivation to channel managers toward profitability, via powerfully independent, professionally-driven accountants who verify managers' report card, and so on. Some of these gatekeeping functions arise from contract, best practice, and the natural path of the market. Many are facilitated by regulation, but here the regulated - often managers themselves - can affect the regulatory outcomes, often weakening it. Some regulation that does occur arises when public outrage is sufficiently high that the regulation is more brittle and less supple than would be ideal.Neither of these instabilities can be solved once-and-for-all, so that we can put it behind us. Instead, we resolve the local and immediate problem, move on, and in time face a new problem emanating from one or both of these core instabilities. We muddle through; we don't solve, because we can't.
Development and Validation of an Augmentation to the Commercial CFD Software FLUENT™ Enabling the Tracking of Ellipsoidal Particles in Low Reynolds Number Flows

ABSTRACT A majority of the commercially available computational fluid dynamics packages are equipped with a module for Lagrangian tracking of spherical particles. No such module exists in an off-the-shelf product enabling the Lagrangian tracking of ellipsoidal shaped particles. This work took advantage of the user defined function facilities provided in FLUENT TM to gain this capability. Three user defined functions were implemented to transpose the spherical geometry to an ellipsoidal geometry. The orientation of the ellipsoid was determined by numerically solving the equations of rotational motion. Hydrodynamic drag was taken to be a function of Reynolds number and orientation. Two tests were performed to validate the rotational and translational motions of the ellipsoid in low Reynolds number flows. First, a simple shear configuration was examined with a single particle suspended at the center of the domain. The particle was allowed to rotate without translation. This was repeated for several particle sizes and flow rates and the simulated time for the particle to perform a single rotation was compared with the theoretical findings of Jeffery (1922). The results showed strong agreement for the range of particle sizes and flow rates examined. Second, a horizontal pipe with circular cross-section setup was simulated. Particles were injected from the pipe inlet and their motions were analyzed. Deposition efficiency was shown to be a function of aspect ratio and dimensionless relaxation time. Strong agreement was shared with a previously published empirical expression.
Electrochemical strengthening of clayey sandy soils

Abstract Most previous studies and applications of electrochemical stabilization of soils through electroosmosis have been made on clayey soils. The object of this investigation was to find out if relatively small amounts of clay (1.5%–3.5%, by weight) present in a sandy soil would be enough for stabilization and strengthening to be possible. The results indicate increases of cohesion of the order of 100–200 lb./sq.ft. X-ray analyses of treated soils indicate that sheet structures of clays are reduced and silicates destroyed upon treatment by electroosmosis. Newly-formed minerals also cement the soil. These neoformations include gibbsite, limonite, calcite, hydrohematite, hydrogoethite (hydrolepidocrocite), hisingerite, allophane, allophanoid, gypsum, hematite, magnetite, nontronite, trona and natron (Na2 CO3, 10H2O). The process seems to be irreversible.
Enoyl-acyl carrier protein-reductase (fabI) plays a determinant role in completing cycles of fatty acid elongation in Escherichia coli

The role of enoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) reductase (E.C. 1.3.1.9), the product of the fabI gene, was investigated in the type II, dissociated, fatty acid synthase system of Escherichia coli. All of the proteins required to catalyze one cycle of fatty acid synthesis from acetyl-CoA plus malonyl-CoA to butyryl-ACP in vitro were purified. These proteins were malonyl-CoA:ACP transacylase (fabD), β-ketoacyl-ACP synthase III (fabH), β-ketoacyl-ACP reductase (fabG), β-hydroxydecanoyl-ACP dehydrase (fabA), and enoyl-ACP reductase (fabI). Unlike the other enzymes in the cycle, FabA did not efficiently convert its substrate β-hydroxybutyryl-ACP to crotonyl-ACP, but rather the equilibrium favored formation of β-hydroxybutyryl-ACP over crotonyl-ACP by a ratio of 9:1. The amount of butyryl-ACP formed depended on the amount of FabI protein added to the assay. Extracts from fabI(Ts) mutants accumulated β-hydroxybutyryl-ACP, and the addition of FabI protein to the fabI(Ts) extract restored both butyryl-ACP and long-chain acyl-ACP synthesis. FabI was verified to be the only enoyl-ACP reductase required for the synthesis of fatty acids by demonstrating that purified FabI was required for the elongation of both long-chain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. These results were corroborated by analysis of the intracellular ACP pool composition in fabI(Ts) mutants that showed β-hydroxybutyryl-ACP and crotonyl-ACP accumulated at the nonpermissive temperature in the same ratio found in the fabI(Ts) extracts and in the in vitro reconstruction experiments that lacked FabI. We conclude that FabI is the only enoyl-ACP reductase involved in fatty acid synthesis in E. coli and that the activity of this enzyme plays a determinant role in completing cycles of fatty acid biosynthesis.
DRAGOON: An Information Accountability System for High-Performance Databases

Regulations and societal expectations have recently emphasized the need to mediate access to valuable databases, even access by insiders. Fraud occurs when a person, often an insider, tries to hide illegal activity. Companies would like to be assured that such tampering has not occurred, or if it does, that it will be quickly discovered and used to identify the perpetrator. At one end of the compliance spectrum lies the approach of restricting access to information and on the other that of information accountability. We focus on effecting information accountability of data stored in high-performance databases. The demonstrated work ensures appropriate use and thus end-to-end accountability of database information via a continuous assurance technology based on cryptographic hashing techniques. A prototype tamper detection and forensic analysis system named DRAGOON was designed and implemented to determine when tampering(s) occurred and what data were tampered with. DRAGOON is scalable, customizable, and intuitive. This work will show that information accountability is a viable alternative to information restriction for ensuring the correct storage, use, and maintenance of databases on extant DBMSes.
New spectroelectrochemical sensor

A new type of spectroelectrochemical sensor that embodies tow modes of instrumental selectivity in addition to selective partitioning through an applied film barrier is described. The sensor consists of a planar optical substrate/electrode coated with a chemically-selective film. SEnsing is based on the change in the attenuation of light passing through the guided wave substrate which accompanies a chemical reaction of an analyte induced by electromodulation. Threefold selectivity for a chosen analyte relative to other environmental components is obtained by the choice of coating material, the electrolysis potential, and the wavelength for optical monitoring. The sensor concept is demonstrated with an indium tin oxide coated glass guided wave device that has been over-coated with a sol-gel derive charge-selective thin film. One such selective coating used was a charge-selective sol-gel processed Nafion-SiO2 composite film. Prototype analytes have been used to demonstrate that the change in the transmittance of the waveguide resulting from electrochemical oxidation/reduction can be used to quantify an analyte.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Recursive discrete Fourier transformation with unevenly spaced data

New recursive techniques for Fourier spectral analysis are reported, for which ongoing spectral estimates are generated from unevenly spaced data in real time. The algorithms are robust and computationally efficient, and are well suited to state variable form involving real number calculations. These methods are particularly attractive in filtering and signal processing applications where signals are not necessarily sampled at a uniform rate.
Phase Compensation Strategies for Modulated-Demodulated Control With Application to Pulsed Jet Injection

Modulated-demodulated control is an effective method for asymptotic disturbance rejection and reference tracking of periodic signals, however, conventional static phase compensation often limits the loop gain in order to avoid sensitivity function peaking in a neighborhood of the frequencies targeted for rejection or tracking. This paper introduces dynamic phase compensation for modulated-demodulated control which improves disturbance rejection characteristics by inverting the plant phase in a neighborhood of the control frequency. Dynamic phase compensation is implemented at baseband which enables the use of low-bandwidth compensators to invert high frequency dynamics. Both static and dynamic phase compensation methods are used to demonstrate a novel application of repetitive control for pulsed jet injection. In this application pulsing an injectant has been shown to produce advantageous effects such as increased mixing in many energy generation and aerospace systems. The sharpness of the pulse can have a large impact on the effectiveness of control. Modulated-demodulated control is used to maximize the sharpness of a pulsed jet of air using active forcing by tracking a square wave in the jet’s temporal velocity profile.
Generalized two-level quantum dynamics. III. Irreversible conservative motion

If the ordinary quantal Liouville equation ℒρ=\(\dot \rho \) is generalized by discarding the customary stricture that ℒ be of the standard Hamiltonian commutator form, the new quantum dynamics that emerges has sufficient theoretical fertility to permit description even of a thermodynamically irreversible process in an isolated system, i.e., a motion ρ(t) in which entropy increases but energy is conserved. For a two-level quantum system, the complete family of time-independent linear superoperators ℒ that generate such motions is derived; and a physically interesting example is presented in detail.
Two-dimensional angular optical scattering for the characterization of airborne microparticles.

Two-dimensional angular optical scattering (TAOS) is recorded for several particle shapes and configurations. A lens is used to collect a large solid angle of the light and transform the angular profile into a planar distribution according to the Abbe sine condition. Qualitative agreement is found between experiment and theory for the TAOS from spheroids having the same aspect ratio but different sizes. A distinctive irregular island structure is observed in the TAOS from clusters of Bacillus subtilis spores and polystyrene latex spheres. The density per solid angle of these islands is found to increase with cluster diameter.
Effect of a magnetic field on the critical conductivity exponent at the metal-insulator transition.

From measurements of the resistivity down to 70 mK in magnetic fields to 7.5 T of a series of just-metallic, uncompensated, p-type Si:B samples, we have established that the critical exponent which characterizes the approach of the zero-temperature conductivity to the insulating phase changes from \ensuremath{\nu}=0.${65}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}0.14}^{+0.05}$ in zero field to \ensuremath{\nu}=1.${0}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}0.20}^{+0.10}$ in a magnetic field of 7.5 T. This is the first clear experimental evidence for a change in universality class at the metal-insulator transition caused by the application of a magnetic field.