cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lateralizing and localizing value of seizure semiology: Comparison with scalp EEG, MRI and PET in patients successfully treated with resective epilepsy surgery.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the lateralizing and localizing value of seizure semiology in patients who became completely seizure free after resective epilepsy surgery. Methods We analyzed seizures of patients who were seizure free after focal resection limited to the temporal lobe (30 patients), frontal lobe (27 patients), parietal lobe (8 patients) and occipital lobe (8 patients). Three investigators independently analyzed video segments of seizures blinded to clinical information and attempted to lateralize and localize the seizure focus, based on pre-defined criteria. Inter-observer agreement measured and positive predictive value were calculated and compared with scalp interictal, ictal EEG, MRI and PET. Results Seizure semiology correctly lateralized 19/30 (63%) temporal lobe epilepsy patients (kappa = 0.64); lobar localization was correct in 27/30 patients (90%) (Kappa = 0.6). Twenty of 27 (74%) frontal lobe patients were correctly lateralized (kappa = 0.55) and localized (Kappa = 0.41). Seven of 8 (87%) of parietal lobe patients were correctly lateralized (kappa = 0.83) and lobar localization was correct in 3/8 patients (37%) (Kappa = 0.5). Seven of 8 (87%) occipital lobe patients were correctly lateralized (kappa = 0.67) and lobar localization was correct in 7/8 patients (87%) (Kappa = 0.67). Collectively, seizure semiology was correctly lateralizing in 74% and correctly localizing in 77% of patients. Lateralization in secondarily generalized seizures was significantly higher compared to seizures that did not generalize (p = 0.0001). In non-lesional patients, lateralization was correct in 81% while localization was correct in 88% of patients. Conclusion Seizure semiology has high lateralizing and localizing value, on par with interictal/ictal scalp EEG and MRI.
Outcomes of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Patients Supported with a Left Ventricular Assist Device.

Abstract Background: An increasing number of end-stage heart failure patients are supported with left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation and must be maintained on consistent anticoagulat...
Buchanan, Hayek, and the Limits of Constitutional Ambitions

James Buchanan shared with F.A. Hayek a deep appreciation of the market as a creative discovery process. Like Hayek, Buchanan understood that the results of market processes are ever-changing, highly complex, and cannot possibly be consciously planned. Yet while Buchanan also shared Hayek’s commitment to classical liberalism—both normatively and as supplying a framework for research—Buchanan rejected Hayek’s thoroughgoing ‘evolutionary’ perspective. Unlike Hayek, Buchanan believed that human beings could and should—in an appropriately structured setting for social contracting—consciously design and choose the foundational rules that undergird society’s daily operations. When subjected to critical evaluation, however, Buchanan’s case for consciously designed and implemented constitutional rules for society does not stand up.
The American antitrust experience and its relationship to the regulation of monopolistic conditions in South Africa

The Sherman Antitrust Law was enacted in 1890. In contrast with the South Mriean Regulation of Monopolistic Conditions Act 24 of 1955 which runs to about 13 pages, or the English Fair Trading Act, 1973, which, with schedules, is some 134 pages long, the Sherman Act, disregarding a later amendment which has since been repealed, can be reproduced in a little more than a page.
The functional and environmental performance of mixed cathode ray tubes and recycled glass as partial replacement for cement in concrete

Abstract Concrete is one of the most abundantly produced and commonly used construction materials in the world. The production of cement—the main binder in concrete—is energy-intensive, using roughly ten times the national average ratio for energy to gross output of goods and services. Given the high demand for concrete globally and the amount of energy used to produce cement, it is worthwhile to find lower embodied-energy materials to partially replace cement to improve the environmental impacts of concrete without decreasing the concrete performance. One such potential cement replacement is the panel glass found in discarded cathode-ray tubes (CRTs). It is against this backdrop that this study aimed to investigate the technical feasibility and the environmental impacts of using a novel blend of recycled glass and CRT panel glass as pozzolanic material for replacing a portion of ordinary portland cement (OPC) in concrete. Additionally, this study simultaneously looked at the concrete functional performance and environmental impact, and the study was performed at an industrial scale using existing production infrastructure, production volumes, standardized testing, and a life-cycle assessment (LCA) to support the functional testing and environmental impact quantification. Results show that the novel blend of glass met the required performance standards, and when it was blended with cement, the mixture produced concrete with similar or improved functional performance and significantly reduced environmental impacts across all examined impact categories. Future work is needed to examine the additional benefits of diverting CRTs from their current end-of-life pathways and de-risking CRT storage.
Simulation of Random Network of Hodgkin and Huxley Neurons with Exponential Synaptic Conductances on an FPGA Platform

Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are becoming a promising choice as a heterogeneous computing component when floating-point optimized architectures are added to the current FPGAs. The maturing high-level synthesis tools offer a streamlined design flow for researchers to develop a parallel application using a high-level language on FPGAs. In this paper, we choose a random network of Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) neurons with exponential synaptic conductance to evaluate the performance of the simulation of networks of spiking neurons on an FPGA. Focused on the conductance-based HH benchmark, we execute the benchmark on a general-purpose simulator for spiking neural networks, identify a computationally intensive kernel in the generated C++ code, convert the kernel to a portable OpenCL kernel, and describe the optimizations which can reduce the resource utilizations and improve the kernel performance. We evaluate the kernel on an Intel Arria 10 based FPGA platform, an Intel Xeon 16-core CPU, an Intel Xeon 4-core low-power processor with a CPU and a GPU integrated on the same chip, and an NVIDIA Tesla P100 discrete GPU. For the kernel execution time, the Arria 10 GX1150 FPGA is 2X and 3X faster than the two CPUs, but it is 2.5X and 4.8X slower than the two GPUs, respectively. The FPGA consumes the least power, but its performance per watt is 1.56X and 1.96X lower than the two GPUs, respectively.
Carrier-Density-Induced Ferromagnetism in EuTiO 3 Bulk and Heterostructures

${\mathrm{EuTiO}}_{3}$ is an antiferromagnetic (AFM) material showing strong spin-lattice interactions, large magnetoelectric response, and quantum paraelectric behavior at low temperatures. Using electronic-structure calculations, we show that adding electrons to the conduction band leads to ferromagnetism. The transition from antiferromagnetism to ferromagnetism is predicted to occur at $\ensuremath{\sim}0.08\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{electrons}/\mathrm{Eu}$ ($\ensuremath{\sim}1.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{21}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$). This effect is also predicted to occur in heterostructures such as ${\mathrm{LaAlO}}_{3}/{\mathrm{EuTiO}}_{3}$, where ferromagnetism is triggered by the formation of a high-density two-dimensional electron gas in the ${\mathrm{EuTiO}}_{3}$. Our analysis indicates that the coupling between Ti $3d$ and Eu $5d$ plays a crucial role in lowering the Ti $3d$ conduction band in the ferromagnetic (FM) phase, leading to an almost linear dependence of the energy difference between the FM and AFM ordering on the carrier concentration. These findings open up possibilities in designing field-effect transistors using ${\mathrm{EuTiO}}_{3}$-based heterointerfaces to probe fundamental interactions between highly localized spins and itinerant, polarized charge carriers.
Neoadjuvant cryotherapy improves dysphagia and may impact remission rates in advanced esophageal cancer

Background and study aims Liquid nitrogen spray cryotherapy (LNSC) can provide rapid dysphagia relief, and is postulated to stimulate a local antitumor immune response. The aim of this prospective pilot clinical trial was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of LNSC when administered prior to chemoradiotherapy. Patients and methods Treatment-naive adult patients with dysphagia at the time of biopsy-proven squamous carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus were prospectively enrolled at two tertiary medical centers. Patients underwent a single session of LNSC. The primary outcome measure was change in dysphagia at 1 and 2 weeks post-cryotherapy. A secondary outcome measure was clinical complete response rate (CR) following chemoradiotherapy. Results Twenty-five patients were screened, of whom 21 patients were eligible and enrolled. There were seven with metastatic and 14 with locally advanced cancer. The primary outcome of dysphagia improvement of ≥ 1 point occurred in 15/21 patients (71 %) at 1 week, and 10/20 patients (50 %) at 2 weeks. The median dysphagia score improved by 1 at 1 week (P = 0.0003), and 0.5 at 2 weeks (P = 0.02). Six of nine patients (67 %) with locally advanced cancer who completed chemoradiation did not have residual tumor cells on mucosal biopsy, and five of nine patients (56 %) had a clinical CR. There were no serious cryotherapy-related complications. Conclusions LNSC provided safe and effective palliation for esophageal cancer patients who presented with dysphagia at index diagnosis. Its combination with chemoradiotherapy did not lead to any serious toxicity. Our study provides a scientific rationale for pursuing larger clinical trials addressing synergistic effects of combining LNSC with chemoradiation.
Shared Syntactic Representations in Balanced Bilinguals: Cross-Linguistic Priming with and without Verb Overlap.

This study investigated cross-linguistic priming in six-year-old, balanced Spanish-English bilinguals (n = 60). We examined bilinguals’ production of transitive forms in English (active, passive) a...
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in infants: evidence for B cell origin of disease by use of monoclonal antibody phenotyping

Since the prognosis of infants with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is so poor, it has been suggested that these leukemias may not be lymphoid in origin, but may originate from stem cell, myeloid, or megakaryocytic progenitors. Alternately it has been hypothesized that these leukemias originate in lymphoid cells at the earliest stages of B cell development. Another possibility is that these leukemias may be of more than one lineage. Therefore we examined leukemic blasts from 12 infants with ALL using monoclonal antibodies to myeloid and lymphoid differentiation antigens. The majority of specimens expressed HLA/DR and reacted with B4 (CD19) but failed to react with stem cell, myeloid, megakaryocytic, or T cell associated antibodies. These results support the speculation that the majority of these leukemias arise in cells at the earliest stages of B cell commitment, and are not of a myeloid or biphenotypic nature.
Increased number of responses may account for reduced resurgence following serial training

Abrupt discontinuation of functional communication training can cause resurgence of challenging behavior. Teaching multiple alternative responses in sequence (serial training) may reduce resurgence, relative to teaching a single alternative. However, previous evaluations of serial training included a different number of response options across comparison conditions. In Experiment 1, we varied both training type (single and serial) and number of response options, and replicated previous findings showing that more resurgence occurred following single training relative to serial training. In Experiment 2, we varied the training type while holding the number of alternative responses constant and obtained no consistent differences in resurgence. In Experiment 3, we varied the number of alternative responses while holding training type constant (i.e., single). More resurgence occurred in the condition with fewer response options, suggesting that the number of available alternative responses, and not explicit serial training of alternatives, was critical to outcomes.
Process-Geometry Interplay in the Deposition and Microstructural Evolution of 7YSZ Thermal Barrier Coatings by Air Plasma Spray

Air plasma spray (APS) yttria-stabilized zirconia (7YSZ) TBCs are often deposited onto model planar surfaces for microstructural evaluation and testing. Recently, an interest on the implications of both TBC deposition and performance on more complex geometries has developed in the scientific and industrial community, as the microstructures can be substantially different depending on the substrate geometry with concomitant implications on performance (e.g. leading-edge failure). In this study, the implications of processing TBCs on cylindrical substrates as opposed to planar surfaces are explored. Particle diagnostics were conducted to understand differences in coating formation dynamics between planar and cylindrical targets. Scanning Electron Microscopy and Image Analysis were concurrently used to quantitatively define the porosity differences among multiple conditions of spraying and to benchmark the transition of porosity from disk to cylinder. Additionally, rods of different radii of curvature were explored in this study to evaluate the effect of the radius of curvature on the TBC deposit microstructure. Finally, a modified approach to established thermoelastic beam curvature techniques is introduced which can see subtle changes in the mechanical properties of coatings produced at torch traverse conditions similar to how they are produced on a curved surface.
Organizational readiness assessment in acute and long-term care has important implications for antibiotic stewardship for asymptomatic bacteriuria.

Background Prior to implementing an antibiotic stewardship intervention for asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB), we assessed institutional barriers to change using the Organizational Readiness to Change Assessment. Methods Surveys were self-administered on paper in inpatient medicine and long-term care units at 4 Veterans Affairs facilities. Participants included providers, nurses, and pharmacists. The survey included 7 subscales: evidence (perceived strength of evidence) and six context subscales (favorability of organizational context). Responses were scored on a 5-point Likert-type scale. Results One hundred four surveys were completed (response rate = 69.3%). Overall, the evidence subscale had the highest score; the resources subscale (mean 2.8) was significantly lower than other subscales (P Conclusions Although healthcare professionals endorsed the evidence about nontreatment of ASB, perceived barriers to antibiotic stewardship included inadequate resources and leadership support. These findings provide targets for tailoring the stewardship intervention to maximize success.
Chapter 21 – Clinical Implications

Publisher Summary There are many fascinating reports from music therapy that have clinical relevance. As we all are aware, music can have an enormous influence on our emotions. In music therapy, the therapist uses music to promote health and well-being, both mentally and physically. This chapter presents glimpses of hope for the treatment of several neurophysiological disorders. The potential for new scientific insights are discussed. This chapter illustrates the possibility that the Mozart effect and music training may be of large potential clinical relevance. The first published results for epilepsy and Alzheimer disease are discussed. Williams's syndrome is a rare genetic brain disorder in which children are born with normal or even above-normal music and language abilities. They are exceptionally outgoing and friendly; however, they are extremely poor in spatial-temporal reasoning, contrary to what would be expected in normal children, in which above-average music ability correlates with above-average spatial-temporal reasoning. Pilot studies are under way for stroke and Williams's syndrome. The epilepsy results are extremely dramatic and hold great potential.
Work-Limiting Disability and Intergenerational Economic Mobility.

Objective To examine whether work-limiting disability may modify intergenerational economic mobility in the United States. Methods Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, common metrics of intergenerational mobility are estimated by parent work-limiting disability. These include rank slope coefficients capturing persistence of socioeconomic status and absolute upward economic mobility capturing expected child outcomes. Results Parent-child pairs with work-limiting disability experience five to twelve percentiles lower absolute economic mobility at the 25th percentile of parent income. More severe and/or chronic conditions have larger disparities and higher parent income is associated with smaller disparities. Women may experience larger mobility differences, while non-Hispanic black children may face a higher likelihood of parents experiencing work limitations. Conclusions Work-limiting disability appears to modify children's economic opportunity. This contributes to the understanding of disparate access to opportunity in the United States while also identifying economic disadvantages associated with disability for subsequent generations.
The lipid droplet as a signaling node

Abstract Lipid droplets are widely recognized as the primary energy storage depot in most cell types. However, as the field of lipid droplet biology has grown, roles for these dynamic organelles have expanded beyond storage of lipids. These studies show that lipid droplets orchestrate numerous signaling cascades as a means to govern cellular function and disease development. Moreover, lipid droplets elicit these effects through changes in the sequestration and production of signaling lipids as well as influencing proteins that coat the droplet surface. This chapter will summarize research evaluating how lipid droplets communicate within cells and provide a context for how this communication (or miscommunication) can lead to cellular dysfunction.
Transit use for single-parent households: Evidence from Maryland

Abstract Single parents face unique transportation barriers in their lives. Although helping single parents obtain private vehicles (e.g., car donation programs) would be a potential solution, we cannot ignore the high expense of maintaining and operating a vehicle, which may impose a heavy financial burden on single-parent families and constrain their ability to access opportunities and services. In contrast, public transit could be a more accessible and affordable transportation mode that benefits single-parent families. This study examined the association between public transit use and single parents using 2017 National Household Travel Survey and American Community Survey data for Maryland, United States. Using zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression, we found that single parents used transit more than the average resident, and census block groups with more single-parent families had more transit commuters, holding other demographic and socioeconomic variables constant. This association was more significant in large metropolitan and urban areas than the state average. The findings highlight the vital role of public transit in single parents' daily travel. We discussed policy implications related to helping single parents access opportunities and services.
Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Inhibitors and COVID-19: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

Introduction Increased virulence, the severity of illness, and mortality have all been hypothesized with respect to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi)/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) use in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Our study aims to assess whether ACEi/ARB use in patients with COVID-19 conferred worsened severity of illness or increased mortality. Additionally, we explore the possibility of an unearthed protective benefit due to their interruption of the RAS signaling pathway as observed in cardiovascular diseases. Methods The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and EMBASE were searched for studies relevant to COVID-19 severity, mortality, and inflammation in the context of ACEi/ARB use. Eight studies were included with a total of 17,943 patients, 4,292 (23.9%) of which were taking an ACEi or an ARB. The study population was 47.9% female and the average age across all studies was 65. The studies chosen had a sample size of at least 100 patients. Results Mortality outcomes were assessed in six studies and showed no significant difference in mortality among the ACEi/ARB and control groups (odds ratio [OR]: 0.99, 95%CI: 0.48-2.04). Seven studies assessed the severity of COVID-19 and showed no statistically significant difference in disease severity when comparing the ACEi/ARB group to the control group (odds ratio [OR]: 1.30, 95% CI 0.87-1.94). Four studies reported the length of stay with no significant difference between the ACEi/ARB groups as compared to non-users. Four studies included inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and D-Dimer, which were noted to be consistently lower in the ACEi/ARB groups when compared to control groups, however, this was not statistically significant. Conclusion Our study found no significant difference in mortality, severity of illness, or length of stay between ACEi/ARB users and non-users with COVID-19 infection. These results support the continuation of ACEi and ARBs in the setting of COVID-19 as advised by the American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA). The decrease in CRP and D-dimer suggests a possible protective effect related to ACEi/ARB use in COVID-19, however, more studies with larger sample sizes are needed to establish this effect.
Injustices in pandemic vulnerability: A spatial-statistical analysis of the CDC Social Vulnerability Index and COVID-19 outcomes in the U.S.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated health injustices in the U.S. driven by racism and other forms of structural violence. Research has shown the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in the most marginalized communities. ObjectivesWe examined the associations between COVID-19 cumulative incidence (CI) and case-fatality risk (CFR) and the CDCs Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), a composite score assessing historical marginalization and thus vulnerability to disaster events. MethodsUsing county-level data from national databases, we used population density, Gini index, percent uninsured, and average annual temperature as covariates, and employed negative binomial regression to evaluate relationships between SVI and COVID-19 outcomes. Optimized hot spot analysis identified hot spots of COVID-19 CI and CFR, which were compared in terms of SVI using logistic regression. ResultsAs of 2/3/21, 26,452,031 cases of and 448,786 deaths from COVID-19 had been reported in the U.S. Negative binomial regression showed that counties in the top SVI quintile reported 13.7% higher CI (p<0.001) than those in the bottom SVI quintile. Additionally, each unit increase in a countys SVI score was associated with a 0.2% increase in CFR (p<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that counties in the lowest SVI quintile had significantly greater odds of being in a CI hot spot than all other counties, yet counties in the highest SVI quintile had 63% greater odds (p=0.008) of being in a CFR hot spot than counties in the lowest SVI quintile. ConclusionWe demonstrated a significant relationship between SVI and CFR, but the relationship between SVI and CI is complex and warrants further investigation. SVI may help elucidate unequal impacts of COVID-19 and guide prioritization of vaccines to communities most impacted by structural injustices.
Parity Reversion in Real Exchange Rates During the Post-Bretton Woods Period

Some recent studies suggest the post-Bretton Woods period offers a sample that is far too short to reveal any significant evidence on purchasing power parity reversion in individual series of real exchange rates. This study shows that the post-Bretton Woods data contain substantial information on parity reversion. Two efficient univariate unit-root tests, which require much shorter sample sizes than conventional tests to attain the same statistical power, are applied to individual real exchange rate series to uncover parity reversion. Empirical results show that an efficient unit-root test yields favorable evidence on parity reversion even during the Bretton-Woods era.
A Simplified James Webb Space Telescope Effective Radius Deep Field Simulation Using a Geometric-Focused Ensemble Approach.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is expected to observe objects as far as z = 15 with a sensitivity 100-times greater than the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Recent studies predict the characteristics of JWSTs deep field image using a deterministic approach based on recent observational measurements with corresponding ranges of uncertainty. This study presents a simplified geometric-focused deep field simulation of galaxy effective radius using an ensemble approach to demonstrate the high variability in results due to the uncertainty ranges of observational measurements. This study conducted two ensemble simulations: a parameter sensitivity ensemble, where each initial condition was perturbed individually, and a 1000-member full ensemble where all initial conditions were perturbed simultaneously. A mean galaxy coverage percentage was calculated for each ensemble as an output variable to objectively compare model runs. This study found the uncertainty in the estimated number of unseen galaxies in the HUDF provides the largest variability of results. The 1000-member ensemble resulted in a standard deviation of +/- 30.30%. The Apparent Galaxy Wall (AGW) effect is introduced and defined as >/= 50% area of a deep field image occupied by galaxies. A one-way one-sample t-test was conducted on the 1000-member ensemble, and this study concluded the JWST is likely to observe the AGW effect with an estimated galaxy coverage percentage of 55.12 +/- 30.30%. A discussion is included on the potential impacts of the AGW effect being observed and its potential to form a pseudo-cosmological horizon that may inhibit the effectiveness of future observatories.
Finite Element Solutions of Coupled Groundwater Flow and Transport Equations under Transient Conditions Including the Effect of the Selected Time Step Sizes

The subject of mass transport of hazardous and/or potentially hazardous materials in the groundwater environment is one that has received wide attention, both in the recent past and in the present, as is evidenced by the large number of papers in the literature on this subject. Pinder and Frind (1972) were one of the first investigators to use the Galerkin’s procedure in conjunction with the finite element technique to model the transport of salt water in aquifers. Pickens and Lennox (1976) developed models to simulate the transient two-dimensional movement of conservative wastes in steady-state, saturated groundwater flow systems. Huyakorn and Taylor (1976), on the other hand, compared three different formulations that could be used to solve the steady-state saltwater encroachment problem. They also illustrated that by using the ‘subregion analysis’ one could overcome the instability problems arising from high velocities near the seawater face for an idealized rectangular confined aquifer. Frind (1980) extended the solution of the transient saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers by considering the presence of an aquitard above a fully confined aquifer that extends out under the sea. In most of these studies, either the results were presented for fixed values of the field parameters or the density variations due to the presence of contaminants were neglected, an assumption that is not valid as shown by the authors (1980).
Multidimensions of Media Multitasking and Adaptive Media Selection

This study identifies 11 basic cognitive dimensions of media multitasking behaviors based upon resource theories. These dimensions provide a conceptual framework to help compare and synthesize media multitasking studies. In addition, using 2 empirical data sets, we examine how these cognitive dimensions interact with each other to predict choices of media multitasking behaviors in daily life in an adaptive manner to conserve limited mental resources. A systematic understanding of the multiple cognitive dimensions of media multitasking behaviors has the potential to foster theory-guided designs and more mindful selection of media tasks, technologies, and environments to curb negative consequences of media multitasking and utilize its benefits.
Soul Searching? State-Level Search Term Correlates of Political Behavior

This paper explores the extent to which personality differences between liberals and conservatives manifest in different search engine queries. Using data provided by Google Correlate, I find that, in fact, there is a strong relationship between votes for either Romney or Obama in the 2012 US Presidential election and distinctive patterns of conservative or liberal search term items. I also find that highly correlated search terms can be used to predict the national election outcome; using 2012 data and a search term correlated strongly with votes for Romney, I could accurately predict the outcomes of 48 of 50 states. This research suggests that liberals and conservatives use Google in systematically divergent ways, reflecting and probably reinforcing preexisting differences. I conclude by discussing limitations and the potential for using search term activities to predict political behavior as an area warranting further study.
Implicit Bias and the Illusion of Mediator Neutrality

Plaintiff (P), the owner/operator of a carpet cleaning business, sued the defendant-homeowners for $500 in a breach of contract action for the unpaid balance of a $1,000 carpet cleaning agreement. Defendants (Ds or Mr. and Mrs. D) counterclaimed for the return of the $500 deposit they paid before work began. Ds hired plaintiff to dry out and clean the soaked carpet in their basement that flooded during a storm. Ds refused to pay the balance because the carpet had not dried out as promised by P. Under the small claims court mediation program, the parties were required to attempt mediation before a trial date is set. P was a middle-aged white male who attended the mediation in work clothes. Ds were an equally mature married couple of Asian descent who spoke with noticeable accents. They were dressed in what might be called “business casual” attire. The mediation was conducted around a large conference table by two white co-mediators, a male who looked to be in his 40’s and a younger female. The mediators conducted a “caucus model” facilitative-style mediation. P presented the case as a simple breach of contract: the agreement between the parties required the homeowners to make two $500 payments and the second one had not been paid. Mr. D complained that the business owner was trying to cheat him, to charge him for work that was unsatisfactory. During the mediation, P and Mr. D had very different demeanors. P was matter-of-fact and even-tempered. Mr. D was angry and agitated. Mrs. D sat quietly behind and to the right of her husband during the mediation. She spoke once and was quickly shushed by her husband. In the joint session P described the business transaction and his actions placing large fans in the basement to dry out the carpet. He stated that he stressed to the homeowners the importance of keeping the upstairs door to the basement open for air to circulate. The carpet did not dry as he expected because Ds did not keep the door open as instructed. When he went to the house the following day, he found the door shut. The mediators asked P a number of questions about the contract, his interaction with Ds, and
Explanation of the Anti-Injunction Act Issue in HHS v. Florida (Affordable Care Act Litigation)

This short article sorts through and reviews all the arguments surrounding the issue of whether the Anti-Injunction Act, 26 USC §7421 (AIA), bars the federal courts from hearing constitutional challenges to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The AIA says that “no suit for the purpose of restraining the assessment or collection of any tax may be maintained in any court by any person.” If the AIA bars this lawsuit, the Supreme Court will not be able to decide whether the ACA is constitutional and the lower court opinions will be vacated. The parties to this case all want the Supreme Court to decide the ACA’s constitutionality. They all argue that the Anti-Injunction Act (AIA) does not bar this lawsuit, but for different reasons. Three amici disagree and argue that AIA bars this lawsuit, but several amici join the parties in arguing that it does not.
Container Terminal Berth Planning: Critical Review of Research Approaches and Practical Challenges

A comparative, up-to-date, critical review of existing research efforts relating to berth planning is presented. Existing models are critically reviewed on the basis of their efficiency in addressing key operational and tactical questions relating to vessel service and their relevance and applicability to different marine terminal operator berth-planning strategies and contractual service arrangements between terminal operators and ocean carriers. The strengths and deficiencies of the existing models in addressing real-world problems in a systemic and coherent manner are discussed. The paper concludes with some insights for future research issues.
Clathrate hydrates of air in antarctic ice.

Measurements of the dissociation pressure of nitrogen hydrate and oxygen hydrate show that the clathrate hydrate of air with the formula (N2, O2) 6H2O should exist below about 800 meters in the Antarctic ice sheet. This accounts for the disappearance of gas bubbles at depths greater than 1200 meters. The hydrate should exist from this depth to prise 0.06 percent of the ice.
Structure and magnetism of [M3](6/7+) metal chain complexes from density functional theory: analysis for copper and predictions for silver.

The ground-state electronic structure of the trinuclear complex Cu3(dpa)4Cl2 (1), where dpa is the anion of di(2-pyridyl)amine, has been investigated within the framework of density functional theory (DFT) and compared with that obtained for other known M3(dpa)4Cl2 complexes (M = Cr, Co, Ni) and for the still hypothetical Ag3(dpa)4Cl2 compound. Both coinage metal compounds display three singly occupied x2−y2-like (δ) orbitals oriented toward the nitrogen environment of each metal atom, generating antibonding M−(N4) interactions. All other metal orbital combinations are doubly occupied, resulting in no delocalized metal−metal bonding. This is at variance with the other known symmetric M3(dpa)4Cl2 complexes of the first transition series, which all display some delocalized bonding through the metal backbone, with formal bond multiplicity decreasing in the order Cr > Co > Ni. An antiferromagnetic coupling develops between the singly occupied MOs via a superexchange mechanism involving the bridging dpa ligand...
Peripheral and cerebral asymmetries in the rat

Rats learn a novel foraging pattern better with their right-side whiskers than with their left-side whiskers. They also learn better with the left cerebral hemisphere than with the right hemisphere. Rotating an already learned maze relative to the external environment most strongly reduces right-whisker performance; starting an already learned maze at a different location most strongly reduces left-whisker performance. These results suggest that the right-periphery-left-hemisphere system accesses a map-like representation of the foraging problem, whereas the left-periphery-right-hemisphere system accesses a rote path. Thus, as in humans, functional asymmetries in rats can be elicited by both peripheral and cortical manipulation, and each hemisphere makes qualitatively distinct contributions to a complex natural behavior.
Matching analysis on seven manufacturing CD SEMs

The control of critical dimensions is of primary importance in a semiconductor manufacturing line. While the use of level- dedicated CDSEMs assures maximum process control, it is preferable to use multiple CDSEMs interchangeably to minimize the effect of any CDSEM unavailability caused by systems being down, preventive maintenance, or when maximum flexibility and enhanced production throughput are required. Maintaining process control while measuring on multiple CDSEMs requires that CDSEM tool-to-tool matching of less than 5 nm be achieved and maintained. This paper describes a methodology whereby a seven-system CDSEM toolset is initially baselined to determine the subset(s) of systems which most closely match. A method of evaluating the inherent matching of seven OPALTM7830i CDSEMs within a single manufacturing facility is presented. The matching analysis was performed using a single production- level wafer, a level known to have previously exhibited poor matching results. All seven CDSEMs were networked to a common database server to insure that all measured consistently across the toolset. An experiment is described to ascertain the effects of multiple electron-beam measurements on this semiconductor sample and to evaluate any relative dimensional changes. A methodology for monitoring and controlling CDSEM system parameters during the matching evaluation is described. Finally, a procedure for determining the subset(s) of matched CDSEMs using analysis-of-variance (ANOVA), least significant difference (LSD, also known as a pairwise t-test) and Duncan's Multiple Range Test is presented. Using these methods, three subsets of systems are defined within the seven-system toolset that exhibited similar matching performance.
Connexin mutation that causes dominant congenital cataracts inhibits Gap junctions, but not hemichannels, in a dominant negative manner

The connexin (Cx) 50, E48K, mutation is associated with a human dominant congenital cataract; however, the underlying molecular mechanism has not been characterized. The glutamate (E) residue at position 48 is highly conserved across animal species and types of connexins. When expressed in paired Xenopus oocytes, human (h) and chicken (ch) Cx50 E48K mutants showed no electrical coupling. In addition, this mutation acts in a dominant negative manner when paired hetero-typically or hetero-merically with wild-type Cx50, but has no such effect on Cx46, the other lens fiber connexin. A similar loss-of-function and dominant negative effect was observed using dye transfer assays in the same system. By using two different dye transfer methods, with two different tracer dyes, we found chCx50 E48K expressed in chicken lens embryonic fibroblast cells by retroviral infection similarly failed to induce dye coupling, and prevented wild-type chCx50 from forming functional gap junctions. In contrast to its effect on gap junctions, the E48K mutation has no effect on hemichannel activity when assayed using electrical conductance in oocytes, and mechanically induced dye uptake in cells. Cx50 is functionally involved in cell differentiation and lens development, and the E48K mutant promotes primary lens cell differentiation indistinguishable from wild-type chCx50, despite its lack of junctional channel function. Together the data show that mutations affecting gap junctions but not hemichannel function of Cx50 can lead to dominant congenital cataracts in humans. This clearly supports the model of intercellular coupling of fiber cells creating a microcirculation of nutrients and metabolites required for lens transparency.
Time-resolved surface kinetics by IR diode laser reflection-absorption spectroscopy

Abstract An IR reflection-absorption technique using diode lasers as light sources was developed with a capability of μsec time resolution for studying surface kinetic processes. A polarization subtraction scheme was used to eliminate the absorption by species other than the adsorbate studied. The technique was first applied to the study of CO adsorption on, and thermal desorption from, a Cu(100) surface. On a timescale of one second, a 0.002 monolayer sensitivity was demonstrated. Absorption traces directly monitoring the CO concentration on the surface with real-time resolution at various frequencies near the CO stretching mode allow the in situ observation of adsorption and desorption. The observations suggest that there is more than one adsorption configuration for CO on Cu(100).
Determination of Garbaghol Ophthalmic Solution by Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

AbstractBy using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, carbachol can be assayed in commercial ophthalmic solutions with a minimum of steps and reagents, and with a high degree of accuracy. The sample is freeze-dried to a powder which is first mixed with acetamide, the internal standard, and next is dissolved in methanol. An aliquot of the solution is evaporated to dryness, the residue is dissolved in deuterium oxide, the solution is mixed with the reference standard, and the spectrum is recorded. The quantity of carbachol in the dosage form is calculated from the integral value at ca. 3.27 ppm (carbachol) and ca. 2.01 ppm (acetamide). The mean recovery value ± SD for carbachol added to synthetic formulations was 100.0 ± 0.5% (n = 10), CV = 0.5%. The mean assay values for commercial 15 and 30 mg/ml ophthalmic solutions were 100.2 (n = 3) and 99.9 (n = 3)% of declared, respectively. The proposed method precludes interferences by synthetic celluloses, which are added to carba-chol ophthalmic solutions to b...
Making Sense of High Sensitivity Troponin Assays and their Role in Clinical Care

Cardiac troponin assays have an established and undisputed role in the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with acute myocardial infarction. As troponin assays gets more sensitive and more precise, the number of potential uses has rapidly expanded, but the use of this test has also become more complicated and controversial. Highly sensitive troponin assays can now detect troponin levels in most individuals, but accurate interpretation of these levels requires a clear understanding of the assay in the context of the clinical scenario. This paper provides a practical and up-to-date overview of the uses of highly sensitive troponin assays for diagnosis, prognosis, and risk stratification in clinical practice.
Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) in Older Women

Abstract Given the revision of the Beck Depression Inventory (i.e., BDI-II), the purpose of this research was to examine the Geriatric Depression Scale and the BDI-II in older women to determine if the BDI changes have altered its efficacy with older adults. Results indicate that the BDI-II positively correlated with the GDS (r = .71) and both instruments demonstrated good internal consistency (r = .85 and .84, respectively). Non-response rates were quantitatively comparable, yet qualitatively different, as a number of participants did not respond to the BDI-II “sexual interest” question. The results from this study suggest the revisions made to the BDI have not altered its potential use with older adult populations. Nevertheless, clinicians may prefer to use the GDS when assessing depression in older women, as specific questions found on the GDS may be more relevant to that specific population.
Targeting host pathways to block HSV-1 at the cornea.

Most antiviral strategies act selectively on the virus replication machinery over that of the host, with the difference between host toxicity and antiviral activity determining efficacy. This can involve preferential binding to, or activation by, viral proteins over those of the host. The anti-HSV (herpes simplex virus) drug acyclovir (ACV) is a classic example that employs both strategies: ACV is activated only in HSV-infected cells by the initial phosphorylation by the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-specified thymidine kinase, and then the triphosphate form of ACV is preferentially used by the HSV-1-encoded polymerase over that of the host, resulting in DNA chain termination. While effective, viral genetic changes can result in modified structure or expression of the viral proteins involved, resulting in the development of antiviral resistance. One well-proposed strategy to circumvent antiviral resistance acts is to target host cellular pathways that are required by viruses such as HSV for their replication. However, development of such strategies has been slow, partly due to the obvious complication that host cell pathway inhibition will change the host cell environment and induce cellular toxicity. The key is to identify those cellular pathways that are essential for HSV replication but that, when inhibited, have little effect on the host cell outcome. Alekseev et al. report that topical application of an inhibitor of the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase, an apical host cell kinase with a key role in the activation of the host DNA damage response, can effectively suppress viral replication of HSV-1 in both in vitro and ex vivo and, excitingly, in in vivo models of corneal infection. It is known that HSV-1 hijacks this pathway for its replication, and indeed, the study shows high ATM activation by HSV-1 in the infected corneal cell. However, crucial to the field is the demonstration that inhibition blocks not only viral replication in vivo, but also the development of ocular disease in a mouse model of stromal keratitis. Moreover, the inhibitor also complemented the effectiveness of ACV treatment and was effective against ACV-resistant HSV-1. Remarkably, the inhibition of ATM appears to have few consequences to the health of the cornea and its cells. This establishes a basis for the inhibition of ATM as lead target for antiviral treatment of HSV-1 corneal infections.
A Reconfigurable FPGA-based 16-Channel Front-End for MRI

Parallel MRI acquisitions are generally reconstructed off-line on PCs and computer clusters. Building upon an existing multichannel digital receiver, we present an innovative single-FPGA front-end that performs real-time 2D-FFT reconstruction from arrays of up to 16 coils. Partial reconfiguration enables rapid switching of FPGA modules for maximal flexibility and lower hardware cost. After an acquisition has been buffered, more complicated parallel MRI reconstruction techniques can replace receiver logic. Alternatively, the front- end can be used as a hardware-accelerated reconstruction engine with other receivers or for PCs. As proof-of-concept for real-time non-cartesian reconstruction, a reconfigurable module for next- neighbor regridding of spiral MRI is also demonstrated.