cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A critical review of against intellectual monopoly

Against Intellectual Monopoly, by Michele Boldrin and David Levine (2007), is a coherent, well-written, and persuasive argument against strong forms of government protection of intellectual property rights. The authors contend that intellectual property rights do not generally promote social welfare, that intellectual property protection generates perverse distributional outcomes, and that firms do not respond to greater levels of protection of intellectual property protection by actually producing more innovation or, if they do, such additional creation is not socially optimal. Although generally quite sound, the book is not without problems; its normative judgments of drug companies are wildly overstated, and the first-mover argument does not adequately address the virtually instantaneous availability of many copyrighted goods online. The book is not written from an Austrian perspective per se, but does extend the logic of the benefits of competitive markets to non-physical goods, and draws conclusions that libertarians are likely to welcome. The authors hold that major technological progress occurs more or less spontaneously as a result of individuals making incremental changes to improve products and processes, and that the financial incentives generated by intellectual property monopoly do not significantly fuel innovation. The authors persuasively argued this point in many parts of the book, and provide dozens of strong supporting examples of how intellectual monopoly probably slows technological change. They also provide examples of markets that flourished because of an absence of strong intellectual property rights: Hollywood emerged as the global leader in film production because it was too remote for Washington to enforce Edison’s patents there, the German chemical engineering political action group’s campaign against domestic patenting laws while actively encouraging patent laws in rival countries, the fast-paced and generally highly responsive fashion markets, the growth of Silicon Valley as the hub of IT innovation instead of Route 128 because California would not enforce non-compete labor agreements, etc. The sheer number of anecdotes presented in support of their argument—industries harmed by strong intellectual property, industries which Rev Austrian Econ (2011) 24:81–84 DOI 10.1007/s11138-010-0127-z
Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography and Prophylactic Transfusion Program Is Effective in Preventing Overt Stroke in Children with Sickle Cell Disease

Objective To assess the impact of our transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) program on the incidence of first stroke and the rate of transfusion for stroke prevention in children with sickle cell disease. Study design In this single-institution, retrospective study, we compared the incidence of stroke and of transfusion for stroke prevention in 475 patients observed in the 8-year period before instituting TCD screening with the rate in 530 children in the 8-year period after. Results The incidence of overt stroke in the pre-TCD period was 0.67 per 100 patient-years, compared with 0.06 per 100 patient-years in the post-TCD period ( P P = .008). Conclusions Our program has been successful in reducing the rate of first overt stroke, but with increased use of transfusion. Additional modifications to screening might further reduce the risk of first stroke, and studies of alternative treatments may be beneficial.
Mechanism of two-electron oxidation of deoxyguanosine 5'-monophosphate by a platinum(IV) complex.

Many transition metal complexes mediate DNA oxidation in the presence of oxidizing radiation, photosensitizers, or oxidants. The final DNA oxidation products vary depending on the nature of metal complexes and the structure of DNA. Here we propose a mechanism of oxidation of a nucleotide, deoxyguanosine 5‘-monophosphate (dGMP) by trans-d,l-1,2-diaminocyclohexanetetrachloroplatinum (trans-Pt(d,l)(1,2-(NH2)2C6H10)Cl4, [PtIVCl4(dach)]; dach = diaminocyclohexane) to produce 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2‘-deoxyguanosine 5‘-monophosphate (8-oxo-dGMP) stoichiometrically. The reaction was studied by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), 1H and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The proposed mechanism involves PtIV binding to N7 of dGMP followed by cyclization via nucleophilic attack of a phosphate oxygen at C8 of dGMP. The next step is an inner-sphere, two-electron transfer to produce a cyclic phosphodiester intermediate, 8-hydroxyguanosine cyclic 5‘,8-(hy...
Isomerization of carbonium ions in collision complexes

Abstract Rate constants for proton transfer to the C4H8 isomers, cis- and trans-2-butene, 1-butene, and methylcyclopropane from various proton donors (such as CH3CNH+, CH3CHOH+, AsH4+, H3S+ and H3O+) are reported, and the structures of the product C4H9+ ions have been determined. It is seen that when proton transfer to form the sec-butyl ion is endothermic for a particular reactant pair, proton transfer to form the tert-butyl ion may be observed but only if the [M·i-C4H9+] complex (corresponding to the transition state for the rearrangement of the C4 moiety from an unbranched to a branched structure in the non-covalently bonded complex) is energetically accessible to the separated reactants. When proton transfer to form the sec-butyl ion is exothermic, it will be the exclusive proton transfer channel if the transition state for the isomerization process is energetically unaccessible. In some mixtures, on the other hand, both sec-butyl and tert-butyl ions are formed as products. The probability of rearrangement in the complex is greater, the greater the dipole moment of the M species, since a larger dipole moment is associated with a deeper well depth for the ion/molecule complex, and hence, a lower energy for the “transition state complex”. When proton transfer to form an unrearranged sec-butyl product ion is highly exothermic ( > 10 kcal mol−1), that channel will predominate over the rearrangement channel, even if the transition state for the isomerization is energetically favorable. Similar models are shown to explain results from the literature on structure retention or ring opening in protonated cyclopropane ions. Results on the protonation of 2-pentene indicate that rearrangement of sec-C5H11+ to tert-C5H11+ occurs in the ion/molecule complex when proton transfer to give a separated sec-C5H11+ product is endothermic.
Ocular blood flow in dogs using radiolabelled microspheres.

Abstract We used radioactive microspheres of different sizes to determine the rate of blood flow through the various parts of the eye in dogs. The use of either 15 ± 5 μm or 25 ± 5 μm microspheres gave reproducible measurements of total ocular and uveal blood flows. Using these sphere sizes, retinal flow was found to be close to 1% of the total ocular blood flow and showed poor reproducibility due in part to the small number of spheres trapped in the retinal vessels.
Increased intraocular pressure and visual field defects in high resistance wind instrument players.

Abstract Objective In this twofold study, part 1 aimed to determine whether the playing of high resistance wind instruments elevates intraocular pressure (IOP) and if so, to investigate the mechanism of IOP elevation and whether its magnitude differs while playing high resistance versus low resistance instruments. The purpose of part 2 was to evaluate whether high resistance players have a greater incidence of glaucomatous changes than other musicians. Design Three case reports and a cross-sectional study. Participants Two players of high resistance instruments and one player of high and low resistance wind instruments participated in part 1 of the study. Nine high resistance wind players, 12 low resistance wind players, and 24 nonwind players were recruited among professional musicians in the Boston area to participate in part 2. Intervention In part 1, IOP and uveal thickness changes were measured by pneumatonometry and ultrasound biomicroscopy in two participants playing their high resistance wind instruments (trumpet and oboe) and in a third participant playing both high (trumpet) and low (clarinet and saxaphone) resistance instruments. Each musician in part 2 underwent medical and musical history, measurement of IOP, Humphrey visual field testing, slit-lamp examination, gonioscopy, and dilated examination. Main outcome measures Intraocular pressure and uveal thickness changes, and visual field loss and optic nerve head appearance were the main parameters measured in part 1 and part 2, respectively. Results In part 1, pneumatonometry showed IOP elevation dependent on the force of blowing, and ultrasound biomicroscopy revealed uveal thickening associated with IOP elevation. The magnitude of IOP elevation was dependent on the amount of expiratory resistance provided by the particular instrument. Part 2 showed that life hours of high resistance wind instrument playing had a significant relationship to abnormal visual field ( P = 0.03) and corrected pattern standard deviation (CPSD) scores ( P = 0.007) in univariate logistic regression and univariate linear regression, respectively. A 0.011-unit increase in CPSD for each 1000 life hours of high resistance wind playing was found. Conclusions High and low resistance wind musicians experience a transient rise in their IOP while playing their instruments as a result least in part of uveal engorgement. The magnitude of IOP increase is greater in high resistance wind players versus low resistance wind players. High resistance wind musicians had a small but significantly greater incidence of visual field loss (abnormal fields and increased CPSD scores) than other musicians, which was related to life hours of playing. The cumulative effects of long-term intermittent IOP elevation during high resistance wind instrument playing may result in glaucomatous damage, which could be misdiagnosed as normal-tension glaucoma.
Preliminary Clinical Studies Using A Self Scanning Lineak Diode Array To Obtain 1024 X 1024 Digital Radiographs

A digital radiography system using self scanning linear diode arrays is being developed for improved diagnosis at reduced radiation dose. Our technique is based on the use of solid state sensors with 1024 diodes per inch and with very high dynamic range. The slit geometry of our method results in image improvement and dose reduction by efficiently rejecting scattered x-rays in the patient. In our present configuration the images have a field of view of six inches by six inches or 6 inches by 12 inches and are digitized to 1024 x 1024 pixels with 12 bits. This digital system differs from the conventional digital radiography in that no image intensifier TV fluoroscopy chain is required. Preliminary clinical studies have demonstrated the high detail of our system at low radiation levels. In dog studies the system has clearly visualized very small coronary arteries following aortic root injection of contrast material. Even with intravenous injections some of the coronary arteries could be seen.
A new selective colorimetric and fluorescent chemodosimeter for HSO4(-) based on hydrolysis of Schiff base.

Abstract Two new receptors 1 and 2 were prepared, and their chromogenic and fluorogenic behaviors toward various anions were investigated. Receptors 1 and 2 show exclusive response toward HSO 4 - ion and also distinguish HSO 4 - from other anions by different color changes in aqueous solution (CH3CN/H2O = 4/1, v/v). Between them receptor 1 selectively exhibits a pronounced HSO 4 - -induced fluorescence enhancement. The detection limit for the HSO 4 - ion was determined as (0.24 ± 0.03 μM). Thus, the receptor 1 can be used as a colorimetric and fluorescent sensor for the determination of HSO 4 - ion. The sensing mechanism has been suggested to proceed via a hydrolysis process. The hydrolysis product has been isolated and further identified by 1H NMR spectroscopy, ESI-MS analysis and X-ray diffraction.
Nucleosome assembly is required for nuclear pore complex assembly in mouse zygotes

Packaging of DNA into nucleosomes not only helps to store genetic information but also creates diverse means for regulating DNA-templated processes. Attempts to reveal additional functions of the nucleosome have been unsuccessful, owing to cell lethality caused by nucleosome deletion. Taking advantage of the mammalian fertilization process, in which sperm DNA assembles into nucleosomes de novo, we generated nucleosome-depleted (ND) paternal pronuclei by depleting maternal histone H3.3 or its chaperone HIRA in mouse zygotes. We found that the ND pronucleus forms a nuclear envelope devoid of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). Loss of NPCs is accompanied by defective localization of ELYS, a nucleoporin essential for NPC assembly, to the nuclear rim. Interestingly, tethering ELYS to the nuclear rim of the ND nucleus rescues NPC assembly. Our study thus demonstrates that nucleosome assembly is a prerequisite for NPC assembly during paternal pronuclear formation.
Vaccinia Virus Infection & Temporal Analysis of Virus Gene Expression: Part 1

The family Poxviridae consists of large double-stranded DNA containing viruses that replicate exclusively in the cytoplasm of infected cells. Members of the orthopox genus include variola, the causative agent of human small pox, monkeypox, and vaccinia (VAC), the prototypic member of the virus family. Within the relatively large (~ 200 kb) vaccinia genome, three classes of genes are encoded: early, intermediate, and late. While all three classes are transcribed by virally-encoded RNA polymerases, each class serves a different function in the life cycle of the virus. Poxviruses utilize multiple strategies for modulation of the host cellular environment during infection. In order to understand regulation of both host and virus gene expression, we have utilized genome-wide approaches to analyze transcript abundance from both virus and host cells. Here, we demonstrate time course infections of HeLa cells with Vaccinia virus and sampling RNA at several time points post-infection. Both host and viral total RNA is isolated and amplified for hybridization to microarrays for analysis of gene expression.
ENAMEL MICROABRASION: OBSERVATIONS AFTER 10 YEARS

Enamel microabrasion has become accepted as a conservative, nonrestorative method of improving the appearance of teeth with superficial dysmineralization and decalcification defects. This article reviews the technique of enamel microabrasion using a commercially available compound of hydrochloric acid and fine-grit silicon carbide particles in a water-soluble paste. It also describes a method of combining enamel microabrasion with carbamide peroxide home bleaching. Finally, it presents the cases of representative patients who underwent enamel microabrasion (alone or in combination with dental bleaching).
Improved Image Segmentation With A Modified Bayesian Classifier

A method for improving texture segmentation results by slightly modifying the decision surfaces of a Bayesian classifier is presented. Although a Bayesian classifier provides optimum classification within homogeneous regions, it does not necessarily provide accurate localization of region boundaries. In the proposed method, a modified classifier is formed by using a mixture probability density. This approach has the advantage that it is easily implemented in multidimensional classifiers such as those used in classifying the vector output of a filter bank. Experimental results demonstrate improved texture segmentation using the proposed classifier.
Decay of 9.6 d 125Sn to levels of 125Sb

Abstract The decay scheme of 9.62 d 125g Sn has been investigated using NaI(Tl) and Ge(Li) detectors in conjunction with a 4096-channel multi-parameter pulse-height analyser system. Previously unreported γ-rays have been observed at 283, 652.6, 1087.4 and 1164.3 keV. Coincidence evidence indicates the presence of a new level at 2253.1 keV as well as a significant γ-ray branching to the 5 2 + level at 332.0 keV. The β-branching to the ground state has been redetermined to be 82.5±5% and new log ft values calculated. The pattern of levels is found to correspond closely with that predicted by the calculations of Kisslinger and Sorensen.
The Cellular Distribution of Fluorescently Labeled Arrestins Provides a Robust, Sensitive, and Universal Assay for Screening G Protein-Coupled Receptors

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have proven to be a rich source of therapeutic targets; therefore, finding compounds that regulate these receptors is a critical goal in drug discovery. The Transfluor™ technology utilizes the redistribution of fluorescently labeled arrestins from the cytoplasm to agonist-occupied receptors at the plasma membrane to monitor quantitatively the activation or inactivation of GPCRs. Here, we show that the Transfluor technology can be quantitated on the INCell Analyzer system (INCAS) using the vasopressin V2 receptor (V2R), which binds arrestin with high affinity, and the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR), which binds arrestin with low affinity. U2OS cells stably expressing an arrestin-green fluorescent protein conjugate and either the V2R or the β2AR were plated in 96-well plastic plates and analyzed by the INCAS at a screening rate of 5 min per plate. Agonist dose-response and antagonist dose-inhibition curves revealed signal-to-background ratios of approximately 25:1 and 8:1 ...
Early Diagnosis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Children <6 Months of Age: Comparison of Polymerase Chain Reaction, Culture, and Plasma Antigen Capture Techniques

Three techniques were evaluated for their ability to detect human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in infants from birth to 6 months of age. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and HIV cocultivation were of comparable sensitivity, detecting 90% of all positive specimens. Both techniques found positive results in approximately 5% of samples from seroreverting children. Both assays detected HIV in only half of infected newborns, suggesting that this fraction of children was infected during gestation. Plasma p24 antigen was detected in three-fourths of all samples tested but in only half of infected children during the first 2 months of life and 88% of samples from children during the next 4 months. The specificity of p24 antigen detection was 100%.
On generating T-X family of distributions using quantile functions

The cumulative distribution function (CDF) of the T-X family is given by R{W(F(x))}, where R is the CDF of a random variable T, F is the CDF of X and W is an increasing function defined on [0, 1] having the support of T as its range. This family provides a new method of generating univariate distributions. Different choices of the R, F and W functions naturally lead to different families of distributions. This paper proposes the use of quantile functions to define the W function. Some general properties of this T-X system of distributions are studied. It is shown that several existing methods of generating univariate continuous distributions can be derived using this T-X system. Three new distributions of the T-X family are derived, namely, the normal-Weibull based on the quantile of Cauchy distribution, normal-Weibull based on the quantile of logistic distribution, and Weibull-uniform based on the quantile of log-logistic distribution. Two real data sets are applied to illustrate the flexibility of the distributions.
Liquid crystal polymers containing macroheterocyclic ligands. 4. Synthesis of mesomorphic polymers containing crown ethers by cationic cyclocopolymerization of 1,2‐bis(2‐ethenyloxyethoxy)benzene with mesogenic vinyl ethers

Cationic cyclopolymerization, polymerization and/or cyclocopolymerization of 1,2-bis(2-ethenyloxyethoxy)benzene (DVE), 11- [(4′-cyano-4-biphenyl)oxy]undecanyl vinylether (CVE), and 3 - [2 - (1,2,2- trifluoroethoxy - 2 - (4- methoxy - 4′- (α - methylstilbene)oxy)) - 1 - (trifluorometh - yl)trifluoroethoxy] - 1 - [2-(ethenyloxy)ethoxy]-2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropane (MVE) initiated with H2O/EtAlCl2/S(CH3)2 lead to polymers and copolymers with narrow molecular weight distribution. Poly (DVE) is amorphous, while poly(CVE) and poly(MVE) display a SA and crystalline mesophase. The poly(DVE-co-MVE)s are amorphous. Poly(DVE-co-CVE)s containing 50 mol % and above of CVE structural units displays a SA mesophase.
Capacity of wireless erasure networks

In this paper, a special class of wireless networks, called wireless erasure networks, is considered. In these networks, each node is connected to a set of nodes by possibly correlated erasure channels. The network model incorporates the broadcast nature of the wireless environment by requiring each node to send the same signal on all outgoing channels. However, we assume there is no interference in reception. Such models are therefore appropriate for wireless networks where all information transmission is packetized and where some mechanism for interference avoidance is already built in. This paper looks at multicast problems over these networks. The capacity under the assumption that erasure locations on all the links of the network are provided to the destinations is obtained. It turns out that the capacity region has a nice max-flow min-cut interpretation. The definition of cut-capacity in these networks incorporates the broadcast property of the wireless medium. It is further shown that linear coding at nodes in the network suffices to achieve the capacity region. Finally, the performance of different coding schemes in these networks when no side information is available to the destinations is analyzed
Synthesis and recognition of biological motion patterns based on linear superposition of prototypical motion sequences

The linear combination of prototypical views has been shown to provide a powerful method for the recognition and analysis of images of three-dimensional stationary objects. We present preliminary results on an extension of this idea to video sequences. For this extension, the computation of correspondences in space-time turns out to be the central theoretical problem, which we solve with a new correspondence algorithm. Using simulated images of biological motion we demonstrate the usefulness of the superposition of prototypical sequences for the synthesis of new video sequences, and for the analysis and recognition of actions. Our method permits to impose a topology over the space of video sequences of action patterns. This topology is more complicated than a linear space. We present a new method that is based on the structural risk minimization principle of statistical learning theory, which permits to exploit this knowledge about the topology of the pattern space for recognition.
Social utility Functions-part I: theory

The dominant approaches to utility-based multiagent decision theory rely on the premise of individual rationality-the doctrine that each individual is committed to achieving the best outcome for itself, regardless of the effect doing so has on others. This fundamentally asocial concept is the basis of conventional von Neumann-Morgenstern (vN-M) utilities but is inadequate to characterize truly cooperative artificial systems. Social utility functions differ from conventional vN-M utilities in that they are functions of multiple decision-maker preferences, rather than actions, and thus permit individuals to expand their spheres of interest beyond the self. A logical basis for coherent reasoning in multiagent environments must obey exactly the same desiderata as do multivariate probability functions. By taking a dual utilities approach (one to account for effectiveness and one to account for efficiency), a new game-theoretic structure, called satisficing games, provides a decision-making procedure that accounts for both individual and group interest and presents a framework for the design of sophisticated multiagent societies.
Nursing Time: Research, Practice, and Theory Dimensions

Perspectives on time are relevant to knowledge development and professional practice within a discipline. Two scholars present their work on time as related to their programs of nursing research, theory development, and professional practice.
Consequences of third‐person perception in support of press restrictions in the O. J. Simpson trial

A nationwide telephone survey about the O. J. Simpson trial affirmed the third-person effect perceptual-bias hypothesis that people perceive news media coverage to exert greater influence on other people than on themselves. The study did not indicate an association between third-person perception and support for restrictions on press coverage of the trial. The findings suggested that respondents' opinion about Simpson's guilt interacted with the third-person effect and that perceptual bias remains a fruitful, although complex, predictor of support for press restriction. It suggested that people perceive issues as legitimate or illegitimate topics of public discourse, and that issue legitimacy may be associated with willingness to support press restrictions.
Regulation of NF-κB, AP-1, NFAT, and STAT1 Nuclear Import in T Lymphocytes by Noninvasive Delivery of Peptide Carrying the Nuclear Localization Sequence of NF-κB p50

Activation of T lymphocytes by Ags or cytokines results in translocation of the transcription factors NF-κB, AP-1, NFAT, and STAT from the cytoplasm into the nucleus. The first step in the nuclear import process is recognition of a nuclear localization sequence (NLS) within the karyophilic protein by a cytoplasmic receptor such as the importin (karyopherin)-α subunit. The NLSs of NF-κB, AP-1, and NFAT differ and the NLS of STAT1 has not yet been identified. Herein we demonstrate that the inducible nuclear import of NF-κB, AP-1, NFAT, and STAT1 in Jurkat T lymphocytes is significantly inhibited by a cell-permeable peptide carrying the NLS of the NF-κB p50 subunit. NLS peptide-mediated disruption of the nuclear import of these transcription factors results in inhibition of IκBα and IL-2 gene expression, processes dependent on NF-κB or the combination of NF-κB, AP-1, and NFAT. Further, we show that inhibitory NLS peptide interacts in vitro with a cytoplasmic NLS receptor complex comprised of the Rch1/importin (karyopherin)-β heterodimer expressed in Jurkat T cells. Taken together, these data indicate that the inducible nuclear import of NF-κB, AP-1, NFAT, and STAT1 in Jurkat T cells can be regulated by NLS peptide delivered noninvasively to the cytoplasm of Jurkat T cells to target members of the importin (karyopherin)-αβ NLS receptor complex.
The lesions in bovine udders shedding nonhemolytic coagulase-negative staphylococci.

Inflammatory and atrophic lesions were found in 12 out of 13 quarters examined from 6 cows which were shedding nonhemolytic, coagulase-negative staphylococci. A few foci of neutrophils were observed in all except one quarter and this one had vacuolated alveolar epithelium. The most severe lesions were small and consisted of interstitial infiltration by fibroblasts, lymphocytes and plasma cells, and of vacuolated epithelium and neutrophils in alveoli. Milder lesions included both focal and widespread exudation of small numbers of neutrophils into alveoli and slight alveolar epithelial vacuolation.
Expanding opportunities for ethics committees: residential centers for the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled.

Over the past 15 years, ethics committees have become common within the acute care hospital setting. Their development within long-term care settings has evolved more slowly and has been confined primarily to nursing homes. In this paper, I describe the development of an ethics committee in a residential center for the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled (MR/DD). I describe how the committee has progressed and some of the ethical issues in this setting.
Origin of the solar system

The current status of the classical model of solar-system formation is surveyed, reviewing the results of recent observational and theoretical investigations. Topics addressed include interstellar clouds, the collapse of interstellar gas, the primitive solar nebula, the formation of the sun, planetesimal accumulation, planetary accumulation, major planetary collisions, the development of planetary atmospheres, and comets. The relative merits of conflicting theories on many key problems are indicated, with reference to more detailed reviews in the literature.
The effect of adding Fascial Manipulation® to the physical therapy plan of care for low back pain patients

Fig. 1 Block diagram model of the mechanobiological response of fibrous load bearing tissue under biophysical stimuli including the impact of viscoelasticity/viscoplasticity. (R stands for repair, ED for enzymatic degradation, MD for mechanical degradation of the extracellular matrix). chanical behaviors, FT mechanical reaction to biophysical stimuli is influenced by the type of stimulus input and the stimulus history; 3) Under macroscopic biophysical stimuli, ECM molecules are subjected to stress and strain, and could thus undergo mechanical degradation (MD). Changes to mechanical properties and ECM structure related to MD in FT and non-linear over time and heterogeneous across the tissue; 4) When FLBT are subjected to macroscopic biophysical stimuli, these stimuli are scaled down to microscopic biophysical stimuli which are, in turn, transformed into biochemical signals that the cells can sense. In response to these signals, the cell can degrade the ECM via enzymatic degradation (ED) or repair (R) it and 5) The tissue global mechanobiological response is the result of competitive dynamics between degradation and repair leading to an inverse-U relationship between stimulation and tissue quality. Conclusion: Our analysis showed that viscoelasticity and viscoplasticity of live FLBT could influence tissue mechanobiological response, but experiments are required to confirm it. The impact of viscoelasticity and viscoplasticity may prove to have significant implications for in vivo clinical applications.
Klayman v. Obama: The D.C. District Court Misinterprets the NSA Metadata Collection Program as a Violation of Individual Fourth Amendment Rights

Apart from conflicting with precedent, the D.C. District Court's finding that the NSA metadata collection program is an "arbitrary invasion" of privacy seems misguided given the limited and unchanged nature of telephone metadata and the immense importance of domestic counterterrorism efforts.
Mitigating the Risk of Microemboli Formation During Irrigated Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation

Catheter ablation with open-irrigated radiofrequency catheters is an established therapy for drug-refractory atrial fibrillation.1 The catheters are commonly used because they reduce thrombus formation and steam pops.2,3 However, left atrial procedures, even with open irrigation, are associated with a higher prevalence of embolic complications (stroke, transient ischemic attack, asymptomatic cerebral embolism [ACE], and decline in cognitive function).4,5 ACE lesions can occur during left atrial ablation procedures and have been attributed to microemboli formation. They are considered the largest complication of pulmonary vein isolation procedures. Understanding the parts of the ablation procedure associated with microemboli formation will help us develop strategies to reduce stroke and ACE. See Article by Takami et al The report of ACE lesions imaged with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation led investigators to determine ways to reduce risk and improve safety of this procedure.6 Ablation with a multielectrode radiofrequency catheter was noted to increase the risk of ACE by 1.5× over irrigated catheters and cryoballoon ablation.7 In 2013, the effects of embolizing …
Empyema management: A cohort study evaluating antimicrobial therapy.

Summary Objectives Empyemas require aggressive antimicrobial and surgical management. However, the specifics of antimicrobial therapy have not been studied in clinical trials. The present study examines management and outcomes among a cohort of patients with empyema cared for in a tertiary-care referral hospital over a decade. Methods We retrospectively identified patients hospitalized with empyema from January 2000 through December 2010 at one institution. Patient demographics, laboratory findings, treatments, and patient outcomes were abstracted using a standard form. Data were summarized with standard descriptive statistics. Results A total of 91 patients were identified. The predominant organisms were viridans group streptococci, which were isolated in 64% of cases with cultures. The median length of hospitalization was 9 days. Length of antimicrobial therapy from time of source control was variable, with a median (interquartile range) duration of 27 (15–31) days. Of note, longer courses of parenteral, but not oral, therapy were associated with fewer cases of clinical failure. Conclusions This descriptive analysis demonstrated a higher rate of viridans group streptococci than expected. Three weeks of therapy was generally adequate and prevented clinical failure, but further study is needed with a much larger cohort to better define the optimal drug regimen, route, and duration of antimicrobial therapy for empyema.
Comparative Study of the Autoignition of Methyl Decenoates, Unsaturated Biodiesel Fuel Surrogates

The autoignition of methyl 9-decenoate and a mixture of methyl 5-decenoate and methyl 6-decenoate [methyl 5(6)-decenoate], biodiesel fuel surrogate compounds structurally representative of unsaturated compounds found in fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) fuels, has been studied using the shock tube technique. Measurements of ignition delay times were made in reflected shock-heated gases at pressures around 20 atm for fuel/air mixtures at equivalence ratios of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 and at a wide range of temperatures from 700 to 1300 K, spanning a range of temperatures relevant to autoignition in compression ignition engines. A comparison of ignition delay times for the methyl decenoates and methyl decanoate illustrates the influence of the presence and location of a double bond within the methyl ester carbon chain on low- and high-temperature reactivities. At high temperatures (>900 K), the three surrogate components have indistinguishable ignition delay. While in the negative temperature coefficient (NTC) and lo...
Evaluation of routine anaerobic blood cultures in the BacT/alert blood culture system

To evaluate the use of routine anaerobic blood cultures with the BacT/Alert system, results of 12,289 blood culture sets collected from adults over a 9-month period were reviewed. Of the sets included in the study, 1,306 (10.6%) from 808 patients grew 1 or more organisms. Anaerobes were present in 39 sets from 38 patients. Of the positive sets, both bottles were positive in 60.7% of cases, the aerobic bottle only in 23.7%, and the anaerobic bottle only in 15.6%. When only the 254 patients who had 2 or more positive sets were considered, both bottles were positive in 71.5% of cases, the aerobic bottle only in 20.7%, and the anaerobic only in 7.8%. In this subset of patients gram-positive bacilli, gram-negative bacilli other than Enterobacteriaceae, and yeasts grew significantly more frequently in aerobic bottle. No organisms preferred the anaerobic bottle. These data support the selective use of the BacT/Alert anaerobic blood culture bottle in patients at risk for anaerobic bacteremia.
Conservation and Economy: The North Carolina Geologicai Survey, 1891–1920

Around the turn of the century North Carolinians set out to change the impression that the South was backward, unhealthy, and ignorant. The conservation effort that began in 1891 was in part a response to such notions, in part a recognition that economic progress was impossible until a comprehensive program could be developed to overcome the persisting lag in resource development caused by the Civil War. The creation of the Geological Survey in 1891 by the North Carolina General Assembly, it was hoped, would contribute to just such a program. Its assignment: to examine the nature and extent of the mineral, forest, and water resources of the state and to foster economic development., Competent leadership insured a healthy start to the work of the survey. Joseph A. Holmes, professor of Geology and Natural History at the University of North Carolina, won national acclaim for his direction of the Geological Survey. In 1893 Gifford Pinchot and W. WV. Ashe were brought in to survey the forests of the state, Pinchot identifying the important trees and Ashe describing forest regions.2 Holmes published the results of their work, and by the end of 1899 two million dollars had been invested in the timber and timberlands of the state. At the same time a powerful educational campaign
A variant transcript encoding an isoform of the human protein tyrosine kinase EPHB2 is generated by alternative splicing and alternative use of polyadenylation signals

A variant transcript encoding an isoform of the human protein tyrosine kinase EPHB2 is generated by alternative splicing and alternative use of polyadenylation signals
The Use of Hair Analysis to Test Children for Exposure to Methamphetamine

Hair testing is the most effective means of identifying and protecting children who are exposed to clandestine methamphetamine. The goal of this article is not simply to advocate the use of hair analysis on all children presented to the hospital in an effort to serendipitously identify children who may be at risk of drug exposure. It is the authors' hope that medical, legal, legislative, law enforcement, and social service personnel may become sufficiently informed about clandestine methamphetamine laboratories and how to respond to them, and that upon discovery of any such environment to which children are exposed hair testing will not even be necessary to bolster evidence that such environments are harmful to children. Instead, children should be removed from such environments whether or not their hair tests positive for exposure. As methamphetamine continues to move east, destroying individuals and families across the country, every state will be forced to respond to the crisis. Eastern states should take heed from the successful comprehensive efforts made by states like Oklahoma, Colorado, and Arkansas, to quell the tidal wave of destruction. As part of an interdisciplinary response to the problem, health care providers should employ hair analysis whenever they suspect a child has been exposed to methamphetamine. As hair analysis technology continues to advance, concerns regarding the methodologies used, the reliability of the tests, and any possible bias in hair testing will be overcome. Medical and legal professionals should not overlook this effective and reliable resource for protecting children from the harms of methamphetamine.
the rest is construction: An Interactive Installation Evoking Somatic and Cognitive Effects of Anxiety

This paper describes the rest is construction, an interactive installation which seeks to emulate the experience of living with anxiety to a viewer through haptic and visual interactions. The use of haptic and display technologies will be discussed, particularly as they relate to the visual and technological aesthetics of the piece.
Point-of-load inductor with high swinging and low loss at light load

Point-of-load converter at light load has low efficiency owing to the “fixed losses” such as core loss and ac winding loss. This paper focuses on two-dimensional (2D) gapping of a ferrite core to shape inductance versus load current to reduce inductor loss at light load. Since the maximum inductance of conventional stepped gap is limited by the cross-sectional area of the thin gap, a 2D gap is formed by joining two orthogonal gaps to gain flexibility. Higher inductance is achieved at light load compared with uniform-gap and stepped-gap geometries having the same volume and dc resistance. Ac resistance is reduced at light load thanks to a magnetic path that steers ac flux away from the winding. Two C-cores with 2D gap were fabricated and tested on a buck converter with 50% reduced total inductor loss at 10% load current.
Multi-label image classification with a probabilistic label enhancement model

In this paper, we present a novel probabilistic label enhancement model to tackle multi-label image classification problem. Recognizing multiple objects in images is a challenging problem due to label sparsity, appearance variations of the objects and occlusions. We propose to tackle these difficulties from a novel perspective by constructing auxiliary labels in the output space. Our idea is to exploit label combinations to enrich the label space and improve the label identification capacity in the original label space. In particular, we identify a set of informative label combination pairs by constructing a tree-structured graph in the label space using the maximum spanning tree algorithm, which naturally forms a conditional random field. We then use the produced label pairs as auxiliary new labels to augment the original labels and perform piecewise training under the framework of conditional random fields. In the test phase, max-product message passing is used to perform efficient inference on the tree graph, which integrates the augmented label pair classifiers and the standard individual binary classifiers for multi-label prediction. We evaluate the proposed approach on several image classification datasets. The experimental results demonstrate the superiority of our label enhancement model in terms of both prediction performance and running time comparing to the-state-of-the-art multi-label learning methods.
An Evolution in Student-Centered Teaching.

The American Physiological Society (APS) Teaching Section annually honors an educator through its Claude Bernard Distinguished Lecture at the Experimental Biology meeting. Since I knew about my selection for almost a year, I had a long time to think about what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it. The theme of my presentation was "nothing in education makes sense except in the light of student learning." My presentation began with a video of my "And, But, Therefore" description of my educational scholarship (see Randy Olson Great Challenges Day at TEDMED 2013, Ref. 10). "Physiology is the basic foundation of all the health professions AND physiology can be hard for students to figure out BUT many physiology courses expect students to memorize a large number of facts; THEREFORE, my scholarship is to help students learn physiology better for the long-term with various types of student-centered learning opportunities." To stress the goal of student-centered learning, my brief video was followed by a 2-min video of one of my students describing her experiences with student-centered learning in one of my two-semester Advanced Human Physiology classes. Since I have been convinced that Randy Olson is an expert on science communication (11), the rest of my presentation was the story about how I have evolved from a sage-on-the-stage lecturer into a student-centered learning facilitator. I have chosen Olson's "And, But, Therefore" approach to narrative for this written version of key aspects of the presentation.
Reconfigurable Computing and Nanoscale Architecture

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews proposals for nanoscale configurable architectures that address the demands and opportunities of atomic-scale, bottom-up fabrication. It focuses on the nanoPLA architecture, which is designed to exploit nanowires as the key building block. Despite the concrete focus on nanowires, many of the design solutions employed by the nanoPLA are applicable to other atomic-scale technologies. This study reviews the bottom-up technology building blocks exploited by the nanoPLA, including nanowires, ordered assembly of nanowires, and programmable crosspoints. These technologies are sufficient for constructing and understanding the basic nanoPLA design. It reviews emerging atomic-scale technologies and shows how they can be assembled into a complete reconfigurable architecture. The chapter also explores how continued feature size scaling influences the design of integrated circuits. As device feature sizes approach the atomic scale, traditional techniques, abstractions, and solutions may no longer be appropriate. Manufacturing at the atomic scale demands higher regularity and produces less controlled structures. At the same time, physical imperfections (e.g., defects, faults, wear) occur at significantly higher rates. Postfabrication configurability appears to be an essential tool for dealing with these atomic-scale effects. This, too, suggests the growing importance of reconfigurable architectures for future technologies.
A review of cathode and anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Lithium ion batteries are one of the most commercially sought after energy storages today. Their application widely spans from Electric Vehicle (EV) to portable devices. Their lightness and high energy density makes them commercially viable. More research is being conducted to better select the materials for the anode and cathode parts of Lithium (Li) ion cell. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the existing and potential developments in the materials used for the making of the best cathodes, anodes and electrolytes for the Li-ion batteries such that maximum efficiency can be tapped. Observed challenges in selecting the right set of materials is also described in detail. This paper also provides a brief history of battery technology and their wide applicability in the energy market today, the chemistry and principle of operation behind the batteries, and their potential applications even beyond the energy sector. Safety concerns related to Li-ion batteries have also been taken into account considering recent events.
Optimizing agent coupling strengths in a network dynamics with inter-agent delays for achieving fast consensus

A linear time-invariant consensus network dynamics with homogeneous inter-agent delays is studied in terms of rate of convergence in agents' states, with respect to inter-agent coupling strengths as parameters. Such convergence rate can be accurately obtained only by measuring the settling time of agents' states from simulations since the estimation of settling time cannot be always reliably done using the rightmost eigenvalues. In particular, this study presents how coupling strength and convergence speed are related for a given delay in a fully connected graph. While we know that agents' states will reach consensus faster with larger inter-agent coupling strengths as long as the delay in the network is sufficiently small, we show here that this is not always the case with larger time delays. We find out that the convergence rate, specifically the settling time of the agents, is influenced by the ratio of inter-agent delay τ to the delay margin of the entire network τ★, not just τ itself and regardless of agents' coupling strengths being weak or strong. Moreover, when the coupling strengths are homogeneous, we demonstrate that the coupling strength vs. time delay τ can be strategically tuned to achieve the fastest consensus reach in the network. This tuning can also be empirically formulated based on the data obtained from carefully designed simulation studies.
Electrical Impedance Myography and Its Applications in Neuromuscular Disorders

Electrical impedance myography (EIM) refers to the specific application of electrical bioimpedance techniques for the assessment of neuromuscular disorders. In EIM, a weak, high-frequency electrical current is applied to a muscle or muscle group of interest and the resulting voltages measured. Among its advantages, the technique can be used noninvasively across a variety of disorders and requires limited subject cooperation and evaluator training to obtain accurate and repeatable data. Studies in both animals and human subjects support its potential utility as a primary diagnostic tool, as well as a biomarker for clinical trial or individual patient use. This review begins by providing an overview of the current state and technological advances in electrical impedance myography and its specific application to the study of muscle. We then provide a summary of the clinical and preclinical applications of EIM for neuromuscular conditions, and conclude with an evaluation of ongoing research efforts and future developments.