cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of minimally invasive antireflux operations in the elderly: a comparative review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to assess the impact of age following laparoscopic fundoplication (LF). METHODS From March 1993 to November 1998, 193 patients underwent LF. Patients comprised 150 young individuals (age 60; median 68). Follow-up included heartburn scores, dysphagia scores, and quality of life determined by the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF36). RESULTS Older patients had more cardiac disease, psychiatric disorders, prior cancers, and upper abdominal operations (P<0.05). DeMeester scores were similar (young 70/older 69). Complications occurred in 13 (8.7%) of the young and 5 (11.6%) of the older patients (P=0.142). No perioperative deaths occurred. Length of stay was longer (P<0.000) in older patients (2.9 versus 1.6 days); resumption of oral intake (young-1.2; older-1.3 days) and return to normal activity (young-3.6; older-4.4 weeks) were similar. Follow-up was available in 102 young (median 17 months) and 35 older (median 18 months) patients. Heartburn and dysphagia scores were excellent in both groups. SF36 scores were similar in both groups. Only 6 (5.9%) of the young group and 1 (2.9%) of the older group were dissatisfied (P=0.652). CONCLUSIONS Despite differences in comorbid disease, outcomes were similar in both groups. LF should be considered a therapeutic option in the older patient with reflux.
SU-G-JeP4-05: Effects of Irregular Respiratory Motion On the Positioning Accuracy of Moving Target with Free Breathing Cone-Beam Computerized Tomography

Purpose: Average or maximum intensity projection (AIP or MIP) images derived from 4DCT images are often used as a reference image for target alignment when free breathing Cone-beam CT (FBCBCT) is used for positioning a moving target at treatment. This method can be highly accurate if the patient has stable respiratory motion. However, a patient's breathing pattern often varies irregularly. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of irregular respiration on the positioning accuracy of a moving target with FBCBCT. Methods: Eight patients’ respiratory motion curves were selected to drive a Quasar phantom with embedded cubic and spherical targets. A 4DCT of the moving phantom was acquired on a CT scanner (Philips Brilliance 16) equipped with a Varian RPM system. The phase binned 4DCT images and the corresponding MIP and AIP images were transferred into Eclipse for analysis. CBCTs of the phantom driven by the same breathing curves were acquired on a Varian TrueBeam and fused such that the zero positions of moving targets are the same on both CBCT and AIP images. The sphere and cube volumes and centrioid differences (alignment error) determined by MIP, AIP and FBCBCT images were compared. Results: Compared to the volume determined by FBCBCT, the volumes of cube and sphere in MIP images were 22.4%±8.8% and 34.2%±6.2% larger while the volumes in AIP images were 7.1%±6.2% and 2.7%±15.3% larger, respectively. The alignment errors for the cube and sphere with center-center matches between MIP and FBCBCT were 3.5±3.1mm and 3.2±2.3mm, and the alignment errors between AIP and FBCBCT were 2.1±2.6mm and 2.1±1.7mm, respectively. Conclusion: AIP images appear to be superior reference images than MIP images. However, irregular respiratory motions could compromise the positioning accuracy of a moving target if the target center-center match is used to align FBCBCT and AIP images.
Chapter 10 – Linear Methods for Nonlinear Maps: Procrustes Fits, Thin-Plate Splines, and the Biometric Analysis of Shape Variability

Publisher Summary A landmark-driven or landmark and-curve-driven unwarping is capable of substantially increasing the precision of clinically or scientifically interesting comparisons or regression slopes and decreasing the sample sizes required for reliable detection of patterns in statistical parametric maps. The statistical methods of Procrustes tangent space are the ordinary, familiar methods of multivariate statistical analysis. The theorems that control their application here—invariances against changes of basis, asymptotic efficiency of permutation tests, etc.—are no different from those in any other domain of application. The visualization that suits this context, the thin-plate spline, is a nearly linear formulation governed by a set of optimality relationships of its own. Procrustes distance is defined as an optimum (minimum), which can be proved to exist even though the domain of optimization is not compact. The usual theorems about the singular-value decomposition (SVD)—such as optimality of low-rank approximation—apply here along with the usual invariances (to orthogonal rotations) that give one the freedom that one needs to seek out interesting bases for feature space after a contemplation of the pattern of the findings.
Time-Domain and ultrafast terahertz spectroscopy

Many basic condensed matter properties and phenomena are governed by the spectrum of electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom at low energies, comparable to the Boltzmann thermal energy (kBT). They determine both the material’s ground state at finite temperature and its dynamical response to electromagnetic or electronic perturbations. Optical access to these low-energy excitations is the realm of terahertz (THz) spectroscopy: an electromagnetic wave of frequency ν = 1 THz = 1012 Hz corresponds to a photon energy hν ≈ 4.136 meV. As a result, measurement of the THz electromagnetic response in the ≈0.1–50 THz range yields
Anesthesia Patients with Concomitant Cardiac and Hepatic Dysfunction

Anesthesia and surgery in patients with hepatic and cardiac dysfunction poses a challenge for anesthesiologists. It is imperative to optimize these patients perioperatively. Cirrhosis is associated with a wide range of cardiovascular abnormalities. Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is characterized by blunted contractile responsiveness or systolic incompetence, and/or diastolic dysfunction. In liver disease, anesthetic drug distribution, metabolism, and elimination may be altered. Among patients with liver disease, propofol is a reasonable anesthetic choice and cisatracurium is the preferred neuromuscular blocker. Regional anesthesia should be used whenever appropriate if not contraindicated by coagulopathy, because it reduces the need for systemic analgesia.
Evaluation of Prosthetic Valve Function by Platelet Function Analysis and Von Willebrand Factor Indices

Abstract Abstract 1128 Background Dysfunctional or mismatched prosthetic heart valves can results in high shear stress related von Willebrand factor (VWF) impairment, and clinical bleeding. This mechanism is similar to that seen in aortic stenosis patients, where gastrointestinal bleeding related to VWF multimer loss is well described (Heyde syndrome). In this study, we compared the results of VWF testing of patients with normally functioning cardiac valve prostheses, dysfunctional prosthetic valves, severe native aortic stenosis, and normal controls. Methods A total of 75 patients, 31 female and 44 male with a median age of 79.5 years were recruited to this study. Thirty patients had severe aortic stenosis (mean gradient > 40 mm Hg); 39 patients had normally functioning prosthetic valves, 21 aortic (AVR) and 18 mitral valves (MVR); and 6 patients had with dysfunctional valves (4 aortic and 2 mitral). Whole blood and plasma samples were drawn from patients and tested for platelet function analyzer-100 collagen ADP closure time (PFA-CADP), VWF antigen (VWF:Ag), VWF activity by latex immunoassay (VWF:Ltx), VWF multimer analysis and VWF multimer densitometry ratio of large vs medium to low molecular weight multimers (>15 mers/2–15 mers). Results The 6 dysfunctional prosthetic valve patients included patient-prosthesis mismatch (2) and (one each), thrombosed mechanical aortic prosthesis, torn biological aortic prosthesis, severe tissue mitral prosthetic regurgitation, and post-mitral valve repair severe mitral regurgitation. Four of six patients had clinically significant bleeding. Most aortic stenosis and all 6 prosthetic dysfunction patients had abnormal VWF multimers which is rare in normally functioning prostheses and completely absent in normal donors. VWF:Ltx/Ag was lower in AS and MVR than normal. VWF:Ltx/Ag ratio, VWF:multimer ratio and PFA-CADP were all significantly abnormal in patients with dysfunctional prosthetic valve. VWF:multimer ratios in normally functioning prostheses tended to be intermediate between normals and than those of patients with severe AS or prosthetic valve dysfunction ( Table ). Table . Normals Prosthetic Dysfunction AVR MVR Severe AS Abnormal VWF multimers 0/21 6/6 2/21 1/18 26/30 Multimer ratio >15/2–15 mers 0.24 ± 0.05 0.13 ± 0.01 *, † 0.17 ± 0.02 * 0.19 ± 0.04 * 0.13 ± 0.03 *, † PFA-100 CADP 89 ± 16 141 ± 36 *, † 98 ± 29 93 ± 31 181 ± 69 *, † Ltx/Ag 0.96 ± 0.11 0.71 ± 0.06 *, † 0.93 ± 0.09‡ 0.87 ± 0.05 * 0.87 ± 0.16 *, † * p Conclusions VWF testing including quantitative von Willebrand multimer analysis and PFA-CADP reliably separate dysfunctional from normally functioning cardiac prostheses, and should be considered in the evaluation of patients with cardiac prostheses, especially those who have clinically significant bleeding. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Eribulin in advanced urothelial cancer (AUC) patients (pts): A California Cancer Consortium trial—NCI/CTEP 7435.

4504 Background: There is an unmet need for new agents in AUC. We previously reported that eribulin, a microtubule modulator derived from black Pacific sea sponge toxin, is highly active against me...
Coded Language Among Muslim Activists: Salafīs and the Prophet’s Sermon of Necessity

This article examines how use of the Prophet Muḥammad’s Khuṭbat al-ḥāja (Sermon of Necessity) became a distinguishing marker of Salafism. To understand the Sermon’s role, the article draws on the notion of “coded language,” messages that communities use to communicate with insiders while excluding outsiders. The article analyzes the content of the Sermon and describes its spread among Salafīs. The Sermon was championed by Muḥammad Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī (1914-99), who played a pivotal role in shaping Salafī practice. Relating the Sermon’s spread to methodological debates about studying Salafism, the article suggests that the Sermon furnishes one empirical criterion that can be used to date Salafism’s crystallization to the mid-twentieth century. The article closes by examining how jihādīs selectively use the Sermon to “Salafize” their speech, and by discussing how instances of opposition to the Sermon’s use were connected to debates over the validity of Salafism and the status of al-Albānī.
Statistical clustering of parametric maps from dynamic contrast enhanced MRI and an associated decision tree model for non-invasive tumour grading of T1b solid clear cell renal cell carcinoma

To apply a statistical clustering algorithm to combine information from dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) into a single tumour map to distinguish high-grade from low-grade T1b clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). This prospective, Institutional Review Board -approved, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act -compliant study included 18 patients with solid T1b ccRCC who underwent pre-surgical DCE MRI. After statistical clustering of the parametric maps of the transfer constant between the intravascular and extravascular space (K trans ), rate constant (K ep ) and initial area under the concentration curve (iAUC) with a fuzzy c-means (FCM) algorithm, each tumour was segmented into three regions (low/medium/high active areas). Percentages of each region and tumour size were compared to tumour grade at histopathology. A decision-tree model was constructed to select the best parameter(s) to predict high-grade ccRCC. Seven high-grade and 11 low-grade T1b ccRCCs were included. High-grade histology was associated with higher percent high active areas (p = 0.0154) and this was the only feature selected by the decision tree model, which had a diagnostic performance of 78% accuracy, 86% sensitivity, 73% specificity, 67% positive predictive value and 89% negative predictive value. The FCM integrates multiple DCE-derived parameter maps and identifies tumour regions with unique pharmacokinetic characteristics. Using this approach, a decision tree model using criteria beyond size to predict tumour grade in T1b ccRCCs is proposed. • Tumour size did not correlate with tumour grade in T1b ccRCC. • Tumour heterogeneity can be analysed using statistical clustering via DCE-MRI parameters. • High-grade ccRCC has a larger percentage of high active area than low-grade ccRCCs. • A decision-tree model offers a simple way to differentiate high/low-grade ccRCCs.
Functional outcomes of traumatic lower extremity reconstruction.

Abstract Background Lower extremity trauma accounts for over 300,000 injuries annually. While soft tissue transfer is a well-accepted practice for open fracture coverage, functional outcomes remain unclear. Hypothesis This study investigates functional outcomes following soft tissue reconstruction for open tibial fractures. Materials and methods A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database of open tibia fractures requiring soft tissue reconstruction was performed at an urban level 1 trauma center between October 2013 and March 2015. Outcomes were evaluated using Pearson’s chi square test with significant p value Results In 30 patients, fractures were graded Gustilo-Anderson type I (3.3%), 30% type II, 3.3% type IIIa, 53.3% type IIIb, and 10% type IIIc. Fixation was 56.7% plate and screw, 20% intramedullary nail, and 16.7% external fixator. Definitive closure was achieved in 43.3% through local rotational flap (38.5% gastrocnemius, 61.5% soleus), and in 56.7% by free tissue transfer (29.4% latissimus, 23.5% rectus, 17.6% ALT, 17.6% gracilis). In 10 patients, 70% returned to full ambulation, 30% required an assistance device, and 50% achieved union in 6 months. Local flap use was predictive of ambulation at discharge. Discussion Following lower extremity fracture, 70% of patients returned to pre-injury function. Use of a local tissue flap was associated with early ambulation.
When singing with cochlear implants, are two ears worse than one for perilingually/postlingually deaf individuals?

Many individuals with bilateral cochlear implants hear different pitches when listening with their left versus their right cochlear implant. This conflicting information could potentially increase the difficulty of singing with cochlear implants. To determine if bilateral cochlear implants are detrimental for singing abilities, ten perilingually/postlingually deaf bilateral adult cochlear implant users were asked to sing “Happy Birthday” when using their left, right, both, or neither cochlear implant. The results indicated that bilateral cochlear implant users have more difficulty singing the appropriate pitch contour when using both cochlear implants as opposed to the better ear alone.
Benign and malignant vascular tumors of the upper extremity

Vascular tumors of the upper extremity comprise a wide and varied group of pathologies. A variety of benign and malignant tumors exist. Proper diagnosis is imperative for the proper management of these lesions. On occasion, diagnosis can be made by a careful history and physical examination. However, the differentiation of benign from malignant tumors often requires permanent histologic section analysis by an experienced tumor specialist. The malignant vascular lesions, although rare, are aggressive in their behavior and require prompt diagnosis and treatment for patient survival.
Ensemble Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics and the Two-Slit Experiment

An evolution equation model is provided for the two-slit experiment of quantum mechanics. The state variable of the equation is the probability density function of particle positions. The equation has a local diffusion term corresponding to stochastic variation of particles, and a nonlocal dispersion term corresponding to oscillation of particles in the transverse direction perpendicular to their forward motion. The model supports the ensemble interpretation of quantum mechanics and gives descriptive agreement with the Schrodinger equation model of the experiment.
Structural Reliability Evaluation of Thermoelectric Generator Modules: Influence of End Conditions, Leg Geometry, Metallization, and Processing Temperatures

Structural reliability of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) in medium to high temperature applications still remains a challenge. Currently there are no established standards for evaluating the thermomechanical reliability of TEGs during new material and module development phases in the industry. In this work we implemented a procedure for evaluating the reliability of brittle TE materials based on the common practice in the ceramics industry. The probabilistic thermomechanical reliability of TEG couples and modules is evaluated using Weibull analysis. Finite element simulations were carried out to study the influence of TEG couple parameters such as leg geometry, dimensions, spacing, metallization thickness, and processing conditions on the stresses, and the structural reliability evaluations were conducted based on the TE material stresses. Results showed that the boundary conditions and processing temperatures have significant influence on the TE material and metallization stresses and overall device reliability. The external compressive load significantly enhanced structural reliability. Results also showed that among geometrical parameters the leg length has a dominating influence on the overall stresses compared to the leg cross-sectional shapes. The cross-section geometry of legs showed considerable effect at shorter lengths, and the influence diminished with increased lengths. The proposed approach for evaluating the structural reliability could be integrated with performance optimization techniques for developing optimal and reliable TEG devices.
The relationship between confidence and accuracy with verbal and verbal + numeric confidence scales.

Police departments often use verbal confidence measures (highly confident, somewhat confident) with a small number of values, whereas psychologists measuring the confidence–accuracy relationship typically use numeric scales with a large range of values (20-point or 100-point scales). We compared verbal and verbal + numeric confidence scales for two different lineups, using either two or four levels of confidence. We found strong confidence–accuracy relationships that were unaffected by the nature of the scale at the highest level of confidence. High confidence corresponded to high accuracy with both two- and four-level scales, and the scale type (verbal only or verbal + numeric) did not matter. Police using a simple scale of “highly confident” and “somewhat confident” can, according to our results, rest assured that high confidence indicates high accuracy on a first identification from a lineup. In addition, our two lineups differed greatly in difficulty, yet the confidence–accuracy relationship was quite strong for both lineups, although somewhat lower for the more difficult lineup.
3099 Risk of substance abuse onset in adults diagnosed with epilepsy or migraine

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The study investigated whether adults diagnosed with epilepsy or migraine (a neurological disorder with common features to epilepsy) are at increased risk for developing substance abuse disorders following diagnosis compared to (presumably healthy) adults with lower extremity fracture (LEF). METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using a subset of surveillance data of hospital admissions, emergency department visits and outpatient visits in South Carolina, USA from January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2011. Individuals aged 18 years or older were identified using the International Classification of Disease, 9th Revision Clinical modification (ICD-9) with a diagnosis of epilepsy (epilepsy-cohort 1; n = 78,547; 52.7% female, mean age [SD] 51.3 years [19.2]), migraine (migraine-cohort 2; n = 121,155; 81.5% female, mean age [SD] 40.0 years [14.5]), or LEF (control cohort; n = 73,911; 55.4% female, mean age [SD] 48.7 years [18.7]). Individuals with substance abuse or dependence diagnosis following epilepsy, migraine, or LEF were identified with ICD-9 codes. Cox proportional hazard regression analyses modelled the time to substance abuse diagnosis comparing epilepsy to LEF and comparing migraine to LEF. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Adjusting for insurance payer, age and sex, adults with epilepsy are diagnosed with substance abuse disorders at 2.5 times the rate of those with LEF [HR 2.54 (2.43, 2.67)] and adults with migraine are diagnosed with substance abuse disorders at 1.10 times the rate of those with LEF [HR 1.10 (1.04, 1.16)]. An interaction between exposure and insurance payer was found with hazard ratios comparing epilepsy to LEF of 4.56, 3.60, and 1.94 within the commercial payer, uninsured and Medicaid strata, respectively. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Compared to adults with LEF, adults with epilepsy had a substantially higher hazard of subsequent substance abuse, while adults with migraine showed a small, but still significant, increased hazard of subsequent substance abuse.
Gas-phase pyrolysis products emitted by prescribed fires in pine forests with a shrub understory in the southeastern United States

Abstract. In this study we identify pyrolysis gases from prescribed burns conducted in pine forests with a shrub understory captured using a manual extraction device. The device selectively sampled emissions ahead of the flame front, minimizing the collection of oxidized gases, with the captured gases analyzed in the laboratory using infrared (IR) absorption spectroscopy. Results show that emission ratios (ERs) relative to CO for ethene and acetylene were significantly greater than in previous fire studies, suggesting that the sample device was able to collect gases predominantly generated prior to ignition. Further evidence that ignition had not begun was corroborated by novel IR detections of several species, in particular naphthalene. With regards to oxygenated species, several aldehydes (acrolein, furaldehyde, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde) and carboxylic acids (formic, acetic) were all observed; results show that ERs for acetaldehyde were noticeably greater, while ERs for formaldehyde and acetic acid were lower compared to other studies. The acetylene-to-furan ratio also suggests that high-temperature pyrolysis was the dominant process generating the collected gases.
Lidar: a new self-driving vehicle for introducing optics to broader engineering and non-engineering audiences

Since Stanley, the self-driven Stanford car equipped with five SICK LIDAR sensors won the 2005 DARPA Challenge, the race to developing and deploying fully autonomous, self-driving vehicles has come to a full swing. By now, it has engulfed all major automotive companies and suppliers, major trucking and taxi companies, not to mention companies like Google (Waymo), Apple and Tesla. With the notable exception of the Tesla self-driving cars, a LIDAR (Light, Detection and Ranging) unit is a key component of the suit of sensors that allow autonomous vehicles to see and navigate the world. The market space for lidar units is by now downright crowded, with a number of companies and their respective technologies jockeying for long-run leading positions in the field. Major lidar technologies for autonomous driving include mechanical scanning (spinning) lidar, MEMS micro-mirror lidar, optical-phased array lidar, flash lidar, frequencymodulated continuous-wave (FMCW) lidar and others. A major technical specification of any lidar is the operating wavelength. Many existing systems use 905 nm diode lasers, a wavelength compatible with CMOS-technology detectors. But other wavelengths (like 850 nm, 940 nm and 1550 nm) are also investigated and, in the long run, the telecom nearinfrared range (1550 nm) is expected to experience significant growth because it offers a larger detecting distance range (200-300 meters) within eye safety laser power limits while also offering potential better performance in bad weather conditions. This paper discusses the above-mentioned technical (optics and photonics) aspects of the most common lidar technologies, with the educational focus of identifying opportunities for employing such discussions in introducing optics to broader engineering audiences, drawing in part on experiences and examples from Kettering University.
Development and Implementation of a Pharmacy Technician Medication History Program.

Purpose:The development and implementation of a pharmacy technician medication history program, current experience with the program, and control elements are described.Summary:A pharmacy technician...
Book Review: Critical Geographies: A Collection of Readings:

Published as two of geography's first open-access, online collections, Radical Theory/Critical Praxis (edited by Rob Kitchin and Duncan Fuller) and Critical Geographies: A Collection of Readings (e...
Diabetic Nephropathy Screening in a Residency Clinic: Improvements Also Reveal Limits of Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) Metric

Quality Improvement Success Stories are published by the American Diabetes Association in collaboration with the American College of Physicians, Inc., and the National Diabetes Education Program. This series is intended to highlight best practices and strategies from programs and clinics that have successfully improved the quality of care for people with diabetes or related conditions. Each article in the series is reviewed and follows a standard format developed by the editors of Clinical Diabetes. The following article describes a resident-led initiative that improved diabetic nephropathy screening in a primary care clinic. It also highlights the challenges of complex metrics, as well as the potential unintended consequences of emphasizing one dimension of a care process over another.
59-OR: Lipoprotein Particle Distribution by NMR in Youth with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) in the TODAY Study

T2D in adolescents is associated with an unfavorable lipid profile, but data on lipoprotein particle size and distribution in this population have yet to be published. The TODAY Study, a randomized treatment trial of T2D in youth, provided the opportunity to evaluate lipoprotein particle distribution and relate lipoprotein particle number and size to HbA1C, need for insulin treatment, gender, race/ethnicity, BMI, and blood pressure (BP). TODAY participants (n=348) with yearly samples available for NMR Lipoprofile assessments (baseline, 12, 24, 36 mos) were included. Baseline participant characteristics (mean±SD) were: age 13.7±2.0 yrs; BMI 34.3±7.6 kg/m2; 62.4% female; 20.7% White, 32.2% Non-Hispanic Black (NHB), 43.7% Hispanic. Analysis demonstrated increasing numbers of LDL, HDL, and VLDL particles over the three yrs (all ps In conclusion, these data demonstrate an atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype in youth with T2D and strong relationships with glycemic control and other cardiac risk factors. Concern regarding premature development of atherosclerosis in youth with T2D is warranted. Disclosure L.E. Katz: None. J.D. Otvos: Employee; Self; LabCorp. K. Drews: None. B. Tesfaldet: None. F. Bacha: Research Support; Self; AstraZeneca, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc. S.M. Willi: Advisory Panel; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH. Research Support; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tolerion, Inc. Other Relationship; Self; Caladrius Biosciences, Inc. S.M. Marcovina: None. S. Mckay: None. R.S. Weinstock: Board Member; Self; JDRF. Consultant; Self; Insulogic LLC. Research Support; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Diasome Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Insulet Corporation, Jaeb Center for Health Research, Kowa Research Institute, Inc., Medtronic, Tolerion, Inc. Funding National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (U01DK61212)
Using Theory to Inform Practice in the Advanced Physics Classroom

Physics education research has focused much more on lower-level, introductory courses as compared to upper division and graduate physics education. However, there are general principles and findings that extend across all areas of learning, such as the strong evidence in favor of active learning environments. But taking the theoretical basis and pedagogical strategies generated by research at one level of education and applying it to create a learning environment appropriate to upper division and graduate physics courses requires careful consideration of the issues facing students, and the instructor, in such courses. For example, the motivations of students in an introductory course are very different from the motivations of students in a graduate course. The number of students in a classroom is often quite different. The size of the research base on student difficulties and the amount of research-based instructional resources available to an instructor will be different. In this paper, we discuss several examples of the application of research-based techniques to classroom instruction in upper division and graduate physics courses, how the specifics of the student audience have resulted in modifications of the pedagogical approach, and the student response to these instructional strategies.
Shall We Run Out of Energy in Our Time

We have seen in the last chapter that the fossil fuel energy sources which we have been using will be exhausted. The amounts of all of these sources initially, before we started to use them, are shown in Table 4.1.
Conversion of Hydrogen to Electricity

The conversion of hydrogen into electricity can be accomplished in fuel cells or in special power plants. In this chapter attention is drawn to the Graz cycle power plant as the power plant with the highest conversion efficiency.
A whole area scanning–enabled direct-counting strategy for studying blocking efficiency in mitigating protein-solid surface binding

The study of protein-solid surface binding as well as blocking efficiency of blocking agents plays an important role in the development of high-performance immunoassays. Although conventional colorimetric based assays are widely employed to monitor protein non-specific binding on the surface of microplate wells and evaluate the performance of blocking agents, there is still a great need to develop new methods to achieve the same goal from a new perspective. In this study, an innovative whole area scanning (WAS)-enabled direct-counting strategy was developed and validated through studying the blocking efficiency of different blocking agents on the non-specific binding of streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase conjugate (Strep-ALP, a model protein) to the surface of 96-well microplates. After non-specific binding of Strep-ALP in wells with or without blocking agents' treatment and loading of ELF™ 97 phosphate (ELFP), ALP in Strep-ALP conjugates converts ELFP to water-insoluble ELF™ 97 alcohol (ELFA), which precipitates locally, self-assembles into large needle structures, and glows green fluorescence upon excitation. After quenching the reaction, WAS of the whole wells allows us to directly count the number of individual fluorescent precipitates, which can be used to calculate and compare the blocking efficiency of three commonly used blocking agents (BSA, casein, and dry milk) based on mitigating the non-specific binding of Strep-ALP. WAS-enabled counting of individual needle-type precipitates opens a new avenue to investigate protein-solid surface binding as well as the efficiency of blocking agents with high sensitivity.
Electrocatalytic CO 2 Reduction

In recent years, the Goddard group has turned to electrocatalysts as ideal systems for catalyst design where one can combine anode and cathode electrodes, with electrolytes, and applied fields to provide the flexibility to control complex reactions. In addition to the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode of the hydrogen fuel cell discussed in Chap. 64 and the water-splitting reactions, HER and OER discussed in Chap. 65, the other the main applications relate to CO2 reduction (CO2R) to form fuels or hydrocarbon products. These studies validate the level of DFT theory and the level of explicit solvent that can be used for the design of improved electrocatalysts.
How Hall electric fields intrinsically chaotize and heat ions during collisionless magnetic reconnection

The origin of extreme and anomalous ion heating during magnetic reconnection has been a long-standing mystery. It is shown in this paper that, at the core of the process, the stochastic heating mechanism is responsible for this energization. The in-plane Hall electric fields that intrinsically develop during collisionless reconnection not only accelerate ions but also thermalize them by inducing chaotic motion. The mechanism explains various observed features of ion heating, e.g., its relation to the guide field strength and the ion mass-to-charge ratio.
How Different Are They? Comparing Teacher Preparation Offered by Traditional, Alternative, and Residency Pathways:

Nontraditional teacher preparation pathways were designed to offer different forms of preparation meant to attract different populations of teachers; however, prior literature suggests they may not...
Understanding the cognitive gap between humanitarians and survivors during humanitarian operations

Abstract Purpose This article intended to add clarity about the role of symbolic constructions used by humanitarian executives and disaster survivors to relate with one another. Design/methodology/approach A total of 30 purposefully sampled decision-makers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The conversations were transcribed in full and analyzed using a deductive approach. The article undergoes an analysis of the institutional logics that are used by both collectives in the aftermath of a disaster. Data from field research trips to Mexico, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Mozambique were also used. Research limitations/implications Considering the limited amount of data collected, the findings of this article cannot be considered representative of the global humanitarian community. But it provides crucial insights to open a new field of research that has not received enough attention yet: the role of symbolic constructions in the relationship between different collectives during international humanitarian interventions. Findings The research supports that disasters affect the cognitive structures of international humanitarian actors and local stakeholders alike but in different ways. Because of this, their post-disaster institutional systems are unarguably different. Implications Consequently, how they perceive and interpret the new post-disaster reality is different, having important implications in the way they relate.
Do mutualistic interactions last longer than antagonistic interactions

Species interactions are crucial and ubiquitous across organisms. However, it remains unclear how long these interactions last over macroevolutionary timescales, and whether the nature of these int...
Psychobiological Treatment Response to a Two-Week Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Integrated Treatment Program: A Case Report

Abstract Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) demonstrate high prevalence and comorbidity among post-9/11 veterans. Veterans with this comorbidity often present with multiple co-occurring healthcare needs and increased clinical complexity. The current case report describes the clinical presentation of a veteran with mild TBI and PTSD, both before, during, and after treatment within a multidisciplinary 2-week intensive outpatient program involving prolonged exposure, evidence-based PTSD treatment, and Cognitive Symptom Management and Rehabilitation Therapy, evidence-based treatment for postconcussive symptoms. Mr. A was a 25-year-old White, transgender male who presented with a complex mental health history. At intake, presenting complaints included anxiety, panic attacks, nightmares, and depression secondary to military sexual trauma, as well as reported cognitive difficulties secondary to a concussion. He met current criteria for PTSD as well as panic disorder with agoraphobia. Head injury history consisted of a motor vehicle collision with less than 30 seconds loss of consciousness, brief posttraumatic amnesia, and alterations of consciousness. Mr. A demonstrated habituation during individual exposure sessions as assessed via skin conductance during imaginal exposures and decreased subjective ratings during in vivo exposures, as well as a decrease in trauma-potentiated startle response to trauma cues. Posttreatment data indicates significant reduction in neurobehavioral, posttraumatic stress, and depression symptoms and significant improvement in subjective cognitive functioning. The current findings support the feasibility and efficacy of short-term integrated treatment for complex clinical presentations and the need for larger scale research investigating combined PTSD and TBI intervention.
Exploring the Complex Interactions between Biology and Culture in Human Development

and Sri Lanka, Buddhist Approaches to Human Rights attempts the very difficult task of providing a defense of basic human rights from a Buddhist point of view. The editors, Carmen Meinert and Hans-Bernd Zollner, thankfully address some major issues in their introduction to the volume. For example, they carefully consider the normative basis for defining human rights and consider what human rights might look like from a Buddhist point of view. They avoid a related trap of essentializing Buddhism, through openly questioning who and what ought to serve as representative of Buddhism: philosophical and doctrinal texts or monastic leaders? (This reader would have liked to have seen more attention paid to the voices of laypeople.) They also identify the very complicated relationship between Buddhist doctrine and secular law in relation to human rights and the obvious fact that the traditionally Buddhist countries of Asia do not share the same modern history or secular legal tradition. Some of these challenges are epistemological and present in any attempt to produce Buddhist Approaches to anything. As a whole, the volume does an excellent job of exposing the problems inherent in any endeavor of this nature, but it does not go quite as far in proposing solutions. Future research should continue the best of what is found here—careful ethnographic fieldwork that reconstructs our preconceived notions of Buddhism, through nuanced portraits of how particular Buddhist persons, texts, or practices interact with human rights in a historically contextualized manner.
“Aging Out” of Immigration: Analyzing Family Preference Visa Petitions Under the Child Status Protection Act

In the late 1990s, extensive backlogs and delays by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in processing family-based visa petitions caused many children to “age out” of immigration eligibility and face separation from their families. To rectify this problem, on August 6, 2002, Congress enacted the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA), which permits an applicant to retain classification as a “child” for immigration purposes, even if he or she has reached the age of twenty-one. The CSPA “freezes” the age of the applicant through a mathematical formula that allows the time that a visa petition was pending to be subtracted from his or her age. In Matter of Wang, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) limited the applicability of section 203(h)(3) of the CSPA to certain family-based visa petitions. This Note focuses on the subsequent circuit split between the Second, Fifth, and Ninth Circuits over whether the BIA’s decision in Wang should be given deference under the standard set forth in Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. Ultimately, this Note endorses the Ninth Circuit’s recent holding in Cuellar de Osorio v. Mayorkas. This Note contends that section 203(h)(3) is ambiguous under the first prong of Chevron analysis. Applying Chevron’s second prong, this Note argues that the BIA’s construction of the statute represents a reasonable policy decision for the agency to make and thus merits deference.
On Codes that are Invariant under the Affine Group

Let $k[V]$ be the space of functions from a finite vector space into the algebraically closure of its field of scalars. This paper describes the lattice of subspaces of $k[V]$ which are invariant under the affine group ${\mathrm AGL}(V)$. The description provides a simple method for finding the submodule generated by any set of functions given as polynomials in the standard coordinates.
Rat liver alcohol dehydrogenase. I. Purification and characterization.

Abstract Alcohol dehydrogenase was purified in 14 h from male Fischer-344 rat livers by differential centrifugation, (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, and chromatography over DEAE-Affi-Gel Blue, Affi-Gel Blue, and AMP-agarose. Following HPLC more than 240-fold purification was obtained. Under denaturing conditions, the enzyme migrated as a single protein band ( M r ⋍40,000 ) on 10% sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. Under nondenaturing conditions, the protein eluted from an HPLC I-125 column as a symmetrical peak with a constant enzyme specific activity. When examined by analytical isoelectric focusing, two protein and two enzyme activity bands comigrated closely together (broad band) between pH 8.8 and 8.9. The pure enzyme showed pH optima for activity between 8.3 and 8.8 in buffers of 0.5 m Tris-HCl, 50 m m 2-(N-cyclohexylamino)ethanesulfonic acid (CHES), and 50 m m 3-(cyclohexylamino)-1-propanesulfonic acid (CAPS), and above pH 9.0 in 50 m m glycyl-glycine. Kinetic studies with the pure enzyme, in 0.5 m Tris-HCl under varying pH conditions, revealed three characteristic ionization constants for activity: 7.4 (pK1); 8.0–8.1 (pK2), and 9.1 (pK3). The latter two probably represent functional groups in the free enzyme; pK1 may represent a functional group in the enzyme-NAD+ complex. Pure enzyme also was used to determine kinetic constants at 37°C in 0.5 m Tris-HCl buffer, pH 7.4 (I = 0.2). The values obtained were Vmax = 2.21 μ m /min/mg enzyme, Km for ethanol = 0.156 m m , Km for NAD+ = 0.176 m m , and a dissociation constant for NAD+ = 0.306 m m . These values were used to extrapolate the forward rate of ethanol oxidation by alcohol dehydrogenase in vivo. At pH 7.4 and 10 m m ethanol, the rate was calculated to be 2.4 μ m /min/g liver.
Rethinking the path of business research in the West: What direction is better for business research in China?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to make instrumental recommendations on how to conduct high-quality business-school research in China. Design/methodology/approach – This paper offers four fundamental questions to guide business-school research in China. Findings – By offering answers to these guidance questions, this paper hopes that business-school research in China will reject the single path of the natural-science model of basic research and choose to also travel the path of the professional-practice model of pragmatic research. Originality/value – The following is an edited version of Professor Allen S. Lee’s keynote address at the Fourth Symposium on Financial Intelligence and Risk Management and the Fifth International Workshop on Electronic Payment and Electronic Commerce in China (FIRM-EPECC 2012), on June 2, 2012, at the Sichuan Key Lab of Financial Intelligence and Financial Engineering (FIFE) of the Southwestern University of Finance of Economics (SWUFE), in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Pe...
Treponema pallidum rare outer membrane proteins: analysis of mobility by freeze-fracture electron microscopy.

Abstract Freeze-fracture and deep-etch electron microscopy were used to investigate the molecular architecture of the Treponema pallidum outer membrane (OM). Freeze-fracture electron microscopy of treponemes freshly harvested from rabbit testes revealed that the intramembranous particles (IMPs) in both the concave and convex OM leaflets were distributed into alternating areas of relatively high and low particle density; in many OM fractures, IMPs formed rows that ran either parallel to or obliquely across the fracture faces. Statistical analysis (runs test) confirmed that the IMPs were nonrandomly distributed in both OM leaflets. Examination of deep-etched specimens revealed that the particles observed in freeze-fractured OMs also were surface exposed. Combined analysis of deep-etched and cross-fractured treponemes revealed that the OM particles were located in regions of the OM away from the endoflagella and closely apposed to the cytoplasmic membrane-peptidoglycan complex. When treponemes were incubated for extended periods with heat-inactivated immune rabbit syphilitic serum, no alteration in the distribution of OM IMPs was detected. In further experiments, approximately 1:1 mixtures of T. pallidum and Escherichia coli or separate suspensions of the nonpathogenic Treponema phagedenis biotype Reiter were fixed at 34 degrees C or after cooling to 0 degree C (to induce lateral phase separations that would aggregate IMPs). Only particles in the T. pallidum OM failed to aggregate in cells fixed at the lower temperature. The combined data suggest that the mobility of T. pallidum rare OM proteins is limited, perhaps as a result of interactions between their periplasmic domains and components of the peptidoglycan-cytoplasmic membrane complex.
Measuring the Credibility of Recommender Systems

Recommender systems promise to support travelers in complex decision-making processes; however, whether a recommendation is seen as credible advice and actually taken into account not only depends on travelers’ perceptions of the recommendation but also the system as the advice-giver. Trust has been identified as an important factor in online relationships but it is often focused on security issues that are of lesser relevance for recommender systems. It is argued that conceptualizations of trust in terms of credibility are more important to evaluate the persuasiveness of recommender systems. The findings of a study to develop and test credibility measures for recommender systems are presented and implications for future research are discussed.
Implications of a heuristic model of auroral Farley Buneman waves and heating

[1] The global implications, particularly with respect to altitude dependence, of the heuristic model of Farley Buneman waves put forward initially by Milikh and Dimant (2002) are studied. This model prescribes a relationship between the background convection electric field that excites the waves and the transverse electric fields of the waves that grow in response. It also prescribes the magnetic aspect angle of the waves, which is related to their ability to heat the auroral E region. The prescription is based on the condition of marginal stability. We reformulate the basic model, which is local, and embed it in the SAMI2 ionospheric model, which includes wave and Joule heating, heat transport, cooling, temperature-dependent collisions, and related chemistry. Within the limits of its underlying assumptions, the combined model can be used to predict the phase-speeds and magnetic-aspect widths of Farley Buneman waves in the auroral zone and the heating they can cause, all as functions of altitude. Model predictions are compared with experimental results, and the efficacy of the model assessed. This modeling exercise highlights the importance of the thickness of the layer in which Farley Buneman waves exist, the strong variations in wave characteristics across the layer, and the consequences this has for coherent scatter radar measurements of the phenomenon.
PREDICTING SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AMONG WOMEN IN BEIRUT: THE IMPORTANCE OF DAILY LIFE

(1989). Predicting Symptoms of Depression among Women in Beirut: The Importance of Daily Life. International Journal of Mental Health: Vol. 18, Mental Health Aspects of Political Repression and Violence—II, pp. 57-70.