cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dispersion and exploration for robot teams

Dispersing a team of robots into an unknown and dangerous environment, such as a collapsed building, can provide information about structural damage and locations of survivors to help rescuers plan their actions. We have developed a rolling dispersion algorithm, which makes use of a small number of robots and achieves full exploration. The robots disperse as much as possible while maintaining communication, and then advance as a group, leaving behind beacons to mark explored areas and provide a path back to the entrance. The novelty of this algorithm comes from the manner in which the robots continue their exploration as a group after reaching the maximum dispersion possible while staying in contact with each other. We use simulation to show that the algorithm works in multiple environments and for varying numbers of robots.
Genetics of Natural Competence in Vibrio cholerae and other Vibrios

Many Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria can become naturally competent to take up extracellular DNA from the environment via a dedicated uptake apparatus. The genetic material that is acquired can (i) be used for nutrients, (ii) aid in genome repair, and (iii) promote horizontal gene transfer when incorporated onto the genome by homologous recombination, the process of "transformation." Recent studies have identified multiple environmental cues sufficient to induce natural transformation in Vibrio cholerae and several other Vibrio species. In V. cholerae, nutrient limitation activates the cAMP receptor protein regulator, quorum-sensing signals promote synthesis of HapR-controlled QstR, chitin stimulates production of TfoX, and low extracellular nucleosides allow CytR to serve as an additional positive regulator. The network of signaling systems that trigger expression of each of these required regulators is well described, but the mechanisms by which each in turn controls competence apparatus genes is poorly understood. Recent work has defined a minimal set of genes that encode apparatus components and begun to characterize the architecture of the machinery by fluorescence microscopy. While studies with a small set of V. cholerae reference isolates have identified regulatory and competence genes required for DNA uptake, future studies may identify additional genes and regulatory connections, as well as revealing how common natural competence is among diverse V. cholerae isolates and other Vibrio species.
Enterprise Information Portal Implementation

This case study provides a detailed account of the formation of a knowledge management (KM) division within a multinational pharmaceutical company, and the subsequent undertaking of the first major KM project, which involved the implementation of a portal software technology. Specific issues discussed include rationale for replacing the existing intranet with portal technology, selection of the portal, justification for this selection, challenges in organizing and linking documents, as well as the social and behavioral factors influencing the implementation. A number of dilemmas and tradeoffs are presented with respect to each of the issues.
A reliable, secure phase-change memory as a main memory

The main objective of this research is to provide an efficient and reliable method for using multi-level cell (MLC) phase-change memory (PCM) as a main memory. As DRAM scaling approaches the physical limit, alternative memory technologies are being explored for future computing systems. Among them, PCM is the most mature with announced commercial products for NOR flash replacement. Its fast access latency and scalability have led researchers to investigate PCM as a feasible candidate for DRAM replacement. Moreover, the multi-level potential of PCM cells can enhance the scalability by increasing the number of bits stored in a cell. However, the two major challenges for adopting MLC PCM are the limited write endurance cycle and the resistance drift issue. To alleviate the negative impact of the limited write endurance cycle, this thesis first introduces a secure wear-leveling scheme called Security Refresh. In the study, this thesis argues that a PCM design not only has to consider normal wear-out under normal application behavior, most importantly, it must take the worst-case scenario into account with the presence of malicious exploits and a compromised OS to address the durability and security issues simultaneously. Security Refresh can avoid information leak by constantly migrating their physical locations inside the PCM, obfuscating the actual data placement from users and system software. In addition to the secure wear-leveling scheme, this thesis also proposes SAFER, a hardware-efficient multi-bit stuck-at-fault error recovery scheme which can function in conjunction with existing wear-leveling techniques. The limited write endurance leads to wear-out related permanent failures, and furthermore, technology scaling increases the variation in cell lifetime resulting in early failures of many cells. SAFER exploits the key attribute that a failed cell with a stuck-at value is still readable, making it possible to continue to use the failed cell to store data; thereby reducing the hardware overhead for error recovery. Another approach that this thesis proposes to address the lower write endurance is a hybrid phase-change memory architecture that can dynamically classify, detect, and isolate frequent writes from accessing the phase-change memory. This proposed architecture employs a small SRAM-based Isolation Cache with a detection mechanism based on a multi-dimensional Bloom filter and a binary classifier. The techniques are orthogonal to and can be combined with other wear-out management schemes to obtain a synergistic result. Lastly, this thesis quantitatively studies the current art for MLC PCM in dealing with the resistance drift problem and shows that the previous techniques such as scrubbing or error correction schemes are incapable of providing sufficient level of reliability. Then, this thesis proposes tri-level-cell (3LC) PCM and demonstrates that 3LC PCM can be a viable solution to achieve the soft error rate of DRAM and the performance of single-level-cell PCM.
Spatial Invasions and Melodrama’s Narrative Structure: Innocence, Villainy, and Vigilance in Girlhood

The relentless suffering of the melodramatic heroine opens up space for a critical examination of narrative structure in this chapter. Melodrama’s narrative form positions the heroine as an innocent persecuted by villainy; this narrative sequence continues to confirm frustration with powerless social positions. The chapter concludes by briefly considering how powerlessness and anxiety are translated to the screen in Hardwicke’s Twilight through voice-over and symbolic imagery. This film successfully courted girl audiences, who frequently use melodramatic discourse to create safe spaces for their own Twilight fandom.
Estimating Retrieval Performance Bound for Single Term Queries

Various information retrieval models have been studied for decades. Most traditional retrieval models are based on bag-of-termrepresentations, and they model the relevance based on various collection statistics. Despite these efforts, it seems that the performance of "bag-of-term" based retrieval functions has reached plateau, and it becomes increasingly difficult to further improve the retrieval performance. Thus, one important research question is whether we can provide any theoretical justifications on the empirical performance bound of basic retrieval functions.In this paper, we start with single term queries, and aim to estimate the performance bound of retrieval functions that leverage only basic ranking signals such as document term frequency, inverse document frequency and document length normalization. Specifically, we demonstrate that, when only single-term queries are considered, there is a general function that can cover many basic retrieval functions. We then propose to estimate the upper bound performance of this function by applying a cost/gain analysis to search for the optimal value of the function.
The emerging role of geropathology in preclinical aging studies.

In 2015, the United States National Institute on Aging funded the Geropathology Initiative, designed to develop a systematic approach for using the pathology of aging as a way to assess anti-aging ...
Sex differences in insular cortex gyri responses to a brief static handgrip challenge

Cardiovascular disease varies between sexes, suggesting male-female autonomic control differences. Insular gyri help coordinate autonomic regulation and show a sex-dependent response to a sympathetic challenge. We examined sex-related insular gyral responses to a short static handgrip exercise challenge eliciting parasympathetic withdrawal with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during four 16-s challenges (80% maximum strength) in 23 healthy females (age; mean ± std 50 ± 8 years) and 40 males (46 ± 9 years). Heart rate (HR) and fMRI signals were compared with repeated measures ANOVA (P < 0.05). Additional analyses were performed with age and age interactions, as well as right-handed only subjects. Females showed higher resting HR than males, but smaller percent HR change increases to the challenges. All gyri showed fMRI patterns concurrent with an HR peak and decline to baseline. fMRI signals followed an anterior-posterior organization in both sexes, but lateralization varied by gyri and sex. All subjects showed greater signals in the anterior vs. posterior gyri (females 0.3%, males 0.15%). The middle gyri showed no lateralization in females but left-sided dominance in males (0.1%). The posterior gyri showed greater left than right activation in both sexes. The anterior-most gyri exhibited a prominent sex difference, with females showing a greater right-sided activation (0.2%) vs. males displaying a greater left-sided activation (0.15%). Age and handedness affected a minority of findings but did not alter the overall pattern of results. The anterior insula plays a greater role in cardiovascular regulation than posterior areas during a predominantly parasympathetic withdrawal challenge, with opposite lateralization between sexes. In females, the left anterior-most gyrus responded distinctly from other regions than males. Those sex-specific structural and functional brain patterns may contribute over time to variations in cardiovascular disease between the sexes.
The Genesis of Secular Politics in Medieval Philosophy: The King of Averroes and the Emperor of Dante

In contemporary political discourse, the "clash of civilizations" rhetoric often undergirds philosophical analyses of "democracy" both at home and abroad. This is nowhere better articulated than in Jacques Derrida's Rogues , in which he describes Islam as the only religious or theocratic culture that would "inspire and declare any resistance to democracy" (Derrida 2005, 29). Curiously, Derrida attributes the failings of democracy in Islam to the lack of reference to Aristotle's Politics in the writings of the medieval Muslim philosophers. This paper aims to analyze this gross misconception of Islamic philosophy and illuminate the thoroughgoing influence the Muslim philosophers had on their Christian successors, those who are so often credited as foundations of Western political philosophy. In so doing, I compare the ideal states presented by Averroes and Dante – in which Aristotelian influence is intimately interlaced – and offer an analysis thereof as heralds of what we might call the secularization of the political, inspiring those democratic values that Derrida believes to be absent in the rich philosophy of the Middle Ages.
Interaction of the Antimicrobial Peptide Aurein 1.2 and Charged Lipid Bilayer

Aurein 1.2 is a potent antimicrobial peptide secreted by frog Litoria aurea. As a short membrane-active peptide with only 13 amino acids in sequence, it has been found to be residing on the surface of lipid bilayer and permeabilizing bacterial membranes at high concentration. However, the detail at the molecular level is largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the action of Aurein 1.2 in charged lipid bilayers composed of DMPC/DMPG. Oriented Circular Dichroism results showed that the peptide was on the surface of lipid bilayer regardless of the charged lipid ratio. Only at a very high peptide-to-lipid ratio (~1/10), the peptide became perpendicular to the bilayer, however no pore was detected by neutron in-plane scattering. To further understand how it interacted with charged lipid bilayers, we employed Small Angle Neutron Scattering to probe lipid distribution across bilayer leaflets in lipid vesicles. The results showed that Aurein 1.2 interacted strongly with negatively charged DMPG, causing strong asymmetry in lipid bilayer. At high concentration, while the vesicles were intact, we found additional structure feature on the bilayer. Our study provides a glimpse into how Aurein 1.2 disturbs anionic lipid-containing membranes without pore formation.
Abstract P244: Do Interventions in Acute Myocardial Infarction Improve Outcome Past 30 Days?

Survival after myocardial infarction (MI) has improved dramatically since the advent of thrombolytic therapy. Multiple therapies have been evaluated in the past 3 decades to attempt to improve both short and long term survival in patients suffering an acute MI. There is, however, little information on how survival from 1 month to 1 year after MI has changed since the advent of thrombolytic therapy. To answer this question, we searched for randomized clinical trials of acute MI that provided both 30 day and 1 year mortality rates. Utilizing a competing risk model, we calculated both the 1 year and the landmarked 30 day to 1 year mortality hazard ratios in each of the clinical trials. These mortality hazard ratios are in comparison to published US Life Tables and are normalized for age, gender and length of follow up. We then compared these mortality rates in each of the past 3 decades for both the one year and the landmark 30 day to 1 year timeframes. We performed meta-analysis on these interventions to determine if the change in 30 day to 1 year mortality is due to the interventions examined in these studies. There has been a marked improvement in survival with a 63% reduction in both 1 year, and 30 day to 1 year mortality. Meta analysis demonstrated that there has been no additional survival benefit seen after 30 days with the interventions evaluated: principally thrombolysis and antithrombotic therapies. Despite the dramatic improvement in mortality over time, the interventions in these trials do not appear to contribute to this improvement. Despite the lack of benefit after 30 days with acute thrombolysis, angioplasty and antithrombotic agents, profound improvement in survival has occurred. It is probable that other post MI interventions commonly utilized, including aspirin, beta blocker therapy, invasive strategies, and smoking cessation, are contributing to this marked reduction in post MI mortality.
Enhanced optical alignment of a digital micro mirror device through Bayesian adaptive exploration

As the use of Digital Micro Mirror Devices (DMDs) becomes more prevalent in optics research, the ability to precisely locate the Fourier “footprint” of an image beam at the Fourier plane becomes a pressing need. In this approach, Bayesian adaptive exploration techniques were employed to characterize the size and position of the beam on a DMD located at the Fourier plane. It couples a Bayesian inference engine with an inquiry engine to implement the search. The inquiry engine explores the DMD by engaging mirrors and recording light intensity values based on the maximization of the expected information gain. Using the data collected from this exploration, the Bayesian inference engine updates the posterior probability describing the beam’s characteristics. The process is iterated until the beam is located to within the desired precision. This methodology not only locates the center and radius of the beam with remarkable precision but accomplishes the task in far less time than a brute force search. The empl...
Economic feasibility of and vegetation responses to biomass harvest in managed loblolly pine plantations

We evaluated two biomass harvest methods, (1) Whole Tree Thinning (WTT; third-row thinning), and (2) Whole Tree Thinning with Fuelchips (WTTF; third-row thinning plus remove all accessible hardwood...
Optimizing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Calcified Lesions: Insights From Optical Coherence Tomography of Atherectomy

Optimal coronary stent implantation is among the few successful strategies in preventing stent failures, notably in-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis.1 Understanding the intravascular milieu is a prerequisite for optimization of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Calcified lesions limit stent expansion, the most robust predictor of target lesion revascularization, and are thus associated with worst outcomes.2 Coronary angiography is a poor discriminator of calcium distribution and thickness. Reliance on angiography to guide PCI and define procedural success in severe coronary calcification is associated with poor outcomes.3 Both intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography (OCT) enable detailed evaluation of cross-sectional calcium distribution (angle of calcium), and OCT provides additional information on calcium thickness. The combination of large calcium angle (>270°) and thickness (>670 μm) predicts nondilatable lesions.4 OCT is the ideal method to capture these parameters and indicate or defer the use of atherectomy before stent implantation and guide optimization of PCI. Preintervention OCT imaging delineates plaque constituents and provides accurate measurements of the minimal lumen area, lesion length, and reference vessel diameters, as well as visualization of the projected stent landing zones. These parameters can be used for procedural planning, including proper lesion preparation and stent sizing. Knowledge of plaque characteristics can be used to select a plaque modification strategy prior to stent implantation and to minimize stent edge dissection at the stent landing zone.5 Calcified lesions pose a bigger challenge, with difficult device delivery, suboptimal stent expansion, and increased procedural time and complications. Although atherectomy facilitates stent delivery and improves procedural success and acute lumen gain, long-term outcomes in severely calcified lesions are not improved with the routine use of angiographically guided ablative techniques in the drug eluting stent era.6 Indiscriminate use of atherectomy can also increase procedural complications. Intravascular frequency domain OCT is the …
Optical properties of soda lime float glass from 3 mm to 148 nm (0.41 meV to 8.38 eV) by spectroscopic ellipsometry

The optical properties of soda lime float glass (SLG) have been characterized over a wide spectral range from 0.41 meV to 8.38 eV using spectroscopic ellipsometry and from 0.74 to 4.80 eV by unpolarized transmittance spectroscopy to retain sensitivity to the onset of high photon energy absorption. In all, the raw measured spectra are collected using four separate instruments, each covering different portions of the full measured spectrum. The glass is modeled as two separate surface layers on either side of a bulk SLG slab to account for variations in surface properties arising from the float glass fabrication process. The measurements are sensitive to the thicknesses of each of these layers and to the optical properties of each, which are reported as both the complex dielectric function (e = e1 + ie2) and complex index of refraction (N = n + ik). Despite the measurements being collected on multiple instruments, the optical properties of each layer are represented as single, continuous parametric functions.
Background independence in string theory

I discuss various aspects of background independence in the context of string theory, for which so far we have no manifestly background independent formulation. After reviewing the role of backgrou...
Evidence for genetic heterogeneity in tuberous sclerosis: One locus on chromosome 9 and at least one locus elsewhere

Linkage of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), an autosomal dominant disorder, to markers on chromosome 9 was reported first in 1987. This assignment was confirmed by an international collaborative study that suggested more than one locus may be responsible for the phenotype. We studied 14 multigenerational TSC families (13 previously unreported) with markers for nine loci in the linked region of chromosome 9q32-q34. Our results confirm the previous reports that the genetic locus in one-third to one-half of families maps to chromosome 9. Comparison of clinical findings in the chromosome 9-linked families with those in the chromosome 9-unlinked families reveals only a higher incidence of ungual fibromata in the chromosome 9-linked families.
Innovations in Quality Improvement of Intravascular Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections

Significant reductions in catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) have occurred in the United States. Reductions in CRBSIs are attributed to the widespread implementation of the practice-based measures and innovations in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of CRBSI. Diagnosis of CRBSI historically required removal of the central venous catheter (CVC) for catheter tip culture. Removing the CVC for CRBSI diagnosis predisposes many patients to potential life-threatening complications. Advances in diagnostic techniques such as culturing catheter hubs, catheter entry site cultures, applying differential time to positivity, molecular diagnostics, biomarkers, and innovative approaches like biosensors on the CVC lumen may provide an alternative to CVC removal. Removal of the CVC is common for the treatment of CRBSI; however, antimicrobial lock therapy is increasingly used as a CVC salvage method. Implementation of newer technology such as antimicrobial coated catheters, chlorhexidine-impregnated dressings, and antiseptic port protectors are crucial for the prevention of CRBSIs. Increasing evidence also support newer sutureless CVC securement devices prevent CRBSIs. CRBSI remains a significant clinical problem despite advances made in the diagnosis, management, and prevention. Molecular techniques are increasingly being used for pathogen identification in CRBSI, but the optimal diagnostic test remains debatable. Increasing experience is being gained with antimicrobial lock therapy for CRBSI treatment with catheter salvage. Use and adherence to practice-based measures and technological innovations has significantly reduced CRBSIs. Continued efforts are required to develop a cost-effective and targeted approach for CRBSI prevention.
The Utility of Prostate Specific Antigen Density, Prostate Health Index, and Prostate Health Index Density in Predicting Positive Prostate Biopsy Outcome is Dependent on the Prostate Biopsy Methods

ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate prognostic markers, prostate-specific antigen, prostate health index (PHI), and prostate volume indexed measures (prostate-specific antigen density and prostate health index density) for predicting positive prostate cancer biopsies in magnetic resonance (MR) transrectal ultrasound fused versus nonfused transrectal ultrasonography biopsy. Methods A retrospective cohort of 211 patients that had at least 1 suspected MR lesion, Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System ≥3, and subsequent biopsy (2015-2017). Clinical characteristics and prognostic biomarkers were evaluated as predictors of prostate cancer detection by type of biopsy guidance (fused vs nonfused). Results One-hundred twenty-one patients had nonfused and 90 had fused biopsies. PHI and PHID had greater area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) in predicting positive biopsies than prostate-specific antigen or PSAD for both nonfused and fused biopsy. PHI 0.78 (95% CI 0.67-0.88) and PHID 0.82 (95% CI 0.73-0.91) had the greatest AUC for predicting biopsy results for nonfused and fused biopsies, respectively. Multiple-variable models did not improve model fit compared to single variables. Based on Youden's index, a cut-off value of 45.9 for PHI in nonfused and 0.64 for PHID in fused biopsies would reduce the number of negative biopsies by 77.3% and 63.4%, respectively, but the percentage of missed clinically significant cancer biopsies would be 19% and 12%, respectively. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that the choice of prognostic biomarkers for predicting positive biopsies is a function of the biopsy guidance method. Volume indexed derivatives appear to have greater value when a MRI-US fused method is used.
Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: An Update on Imaging

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), arising from the parafollicular C cells of the thyroid, accounts for 1–2% of thyroid cancers. MTC is frequently aggressive and metastasizes to cervical and mediastinal lymph nodes, lungs, liver, and bones. Although a number of new imaging modalities for directing the management of oncologic patients evolved over the last two decades, the clinical application of these novel techniques is limited in MTC. In this article, we review the biology and molecular aspects of MTC as an important background for the use of current imaging modalities and approaches for this tumor. We discuss the modern and currently available imaging techniques—advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based techniques such as whole-body MRI, dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) technique, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with 18F-FDOPA and 18F-FDG, and integrated positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) hybrid imaging—for primary as well as metastatic MTC tumor, including its metastatic spread to lymph nodes and the most common sites of distant metastases: lungs, liver, and bones.
A Brief Introduction to the Problem of Professional Responsibility

Professionals in education and medicine are well aware that serious and repeated attempts at systemic reform and program improvement have not overcome political criticism or client dissatisfaction. Advances in research are not overcoming inadequacies in professional practice that are producing distressing gaps in health care and educational attainment; gaps separating the rich from the poor, majority from minority ethnic groups, and English speakers from English learners. The central problem, this chapter suggests, is one of empowering professional responsibility among those who provide educational and medical services. In the literature of both occupations, there is a rich history of deliberation over the nature of professional responsibility. Key points of convergence are noted (e.g., professions are complex and professionals responsible for client well-being). So are points of divergence (e.g., Does being professional mean working in a particular occupation, or attaining superior performance within an occupational group, or does it mean execution of specifically professional tasks?). This chapter introduces an exploration of professional responsibility pursued throughout this volume to bring fresh perspective to a neglected side of education and medical reform and improvement. The chapter closes with a brief orientation to the rest of this book.
Investigating the effect of chemical ingredient modifications on the slow cook-off violence of ammonium perchlorate solid propellants on the laboratory scale

Rocket propellants that contain ammonium perchlorate (AP) often have a violent response during slow heating. Two laboratory tests have been developed to determine the reaction violence of these mat...
Catching the Midnight Sun: Performance and Cost of Solar Photovoltaic Technology in Alaska

This paper is an update to the original 2017 review of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology cost and performance in Alaska by E. Whitney and C. Pike in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy (volume 9, pp. 061704:1-9). Solar PV technology remains a nascent but promising energy option in remote Alaska microgrids, which can serve as examples for isolated electrical grids worldwide. Capacity factors for community-scale solar PV installations in Alaska range from 7% to 15%, which can still be economically viable given the high cost of diesel typically used in rural powerhouses. With remote locations and challenging conditions, total installed costs can be significantly higher than those in the rest of the United States, although trends indicate that costs per kilowatt-hour (kWh) are lower for larger system sizes and are decreasing with time as seen elsewhere.
A 200-Year History of the Study of Childhood Language Disorders of Unknown Origin: Changes in Terminology

Purpose The current “specific language impairment” and “developmental language disorder” discussion might lead to important changes in how we refer to children with language disorders of unknown or...
Doctrinal Redundancy and the Two Paradoxes of Personal Jurisdiction

This short Essay* explores the extent to which personal jurisdiction does (or does not) occupy some common space with doctrines of foreign sovereign immunity. Much of the attention paid to the transnational complications in personal jurisdiction has centered around the problem of non-resident alien defendants whose due process protections have been strengthened to the point that American litigants have trouble suing such defendants in a convenient forum state or in any American forum at all. Far less attention has been given to the equally paradoxical result that when the nonresident alien defendant is a foreign state, the due process protections for personal jurisdiction fall to zero. In this brief Essay, I argue that both paradoxes share a conceptual origin: the problem of redundancy in constitutional personal jurisdiction doctrine. This Essay tells the parallel stories of personal jurisdiction and foreign sovereign immunity. Considering these two stories in the same space gives further evidence of the extent to which personal jurisdiction overlaps with other procedural doctrines. But it also shows how the peculiar historical path of each doctrine can mask the extent of the shared space and thus delay a reckoning with the extent and consequences of the overlap. By the time that personal jurisdiction had come to occupy some serious shared space with several other procedural doctrines, the lack of engagement both furthered the detachment of the doctrines and solidified much of the redundancy between personal jurisdiction and other procedural doctrines. At several junctures, scholars have wondered what constitutional personal jurisdiction doctrine can and should add to procedural doctrines that regulate access to courts and parties’ amenability to suit in U.S. jurisdictions, and procedural doctrines that sort lawsuits into geographically suitable or appropriate locations. I suggest that it is useful to refocus on the question of what doctrines can and should regulate the amenability of foreign sovereigns (as well as the agencies and instrumentalities of foreign sovereigns) to suit in American courts as a way of further identifying the lack of clarity and conceptual weaknesses in each doctrine. *This Essay is a response to Professor Ingrid Wuerth’s article in the Fordham Law Review, The Due Process and Other Constitutional Rights of Foreign Nations.
Health Benefits of Tai Chi Exercise: A Guide for Nurses

Tai chi is an ancient Chinese internal martial art that has increased in popularity across the United States over the past 2 decades. Tai chi combines gentle physical movement, mental imagery, and natural, relaxed breathing. There is increasing scientific evidence showing the impact of tai chi exercise on multifaceted areas of health and well-being, including positive effects on cognition, depression, anxiety, sleep, cardiovascular health, and fall prevention. A review of the health benefits of tai chi exercise is presented, as well as recommendations for nurses seeking to answer patient questions about tai chi.
Impact of an at home exercise program in the pediatric, adolescent, and young adult cancer population newly diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Background: Over 30,000 cases of leukemia are diagnosed each year in the United States. For individuals ages 0-39, the one-year relative survival rate is 84.5%, and the 5-year survival is 94%. Improved survival rates come with long-term health challenges due to treatment, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, fatigue, low quality of life (QOL), and reduced physical activity (PA). Current literature shows structured exercise in adult survivors can be beneficial for improving the long-term health effects resulting from treatment. Exercise induces the release of many growth factors into the bloodstream that aid in repair of the body following insult. Three factors specific to nerve damage is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), and Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). The benefits of exercise seen in adult survivors may translate to young survivors. We hypothesized that an 8-week at home exercise program in newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients (ages 5-25) would improve outcomes compared to baseline or a control group. The preliminary findings presented are based on the initial ten subjects and include physical, biomarker and self-reported outcomes. Experimental Methods: Newly diagnosed ALL patients were assigned to an 8-week at home exercise intervention during the consolidation phase of treatment. Fitbit activity tracker data and questionnaires were used for assessing adherence and feasibility. Blood samples were taken at baseline and at week eight. Results: Subjects were not able to complete over 75% of the exercise intervention; however, they did increase their overall physical activity and their neuropathy scores decreased compared to baseline. BDNF significantly increased in the control group, but not in the exercise group. Conclusion: The results indicate that an exercise program in this population during the consolidation phase may not be feasible. It also supports the association between neuropathy, physical activity, and BDNF levels after long term exercise.
Peacemaking, Justice, Restoration, and Forgiveness

We often talk about peacemaking while neglecting to address the ultimate goal of justice, restoration and forgiveness. Without justice, there can be no restoration or forgiveness. Without restoration and forgiveness we have accepted an empty victory even if the parties in mediation reach an ultimate “settlement”.
Evaluating the Impact of Lead-Time Bias on the Observed Efficacy of Early Salvage Radiation Therapy in Prostate Cancer: A Post-Hoc Analysis of the RTOG 9601 Trial

Background: To evaluate the potential impact of lead-time bias on the reported beneficial role of early salvage radiotherapy (sRT), defined as delivering radiation at a relatively low pre-sRT prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value, in treating prostate cancer patients with biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy (RP). Methods: All available demographic, tumor-specific, and overall survival data from 760 men who participated in the RTOG 9601 trial were extracted using the Project Data Sphere platform. Patients were stratified based on pre-sRT PSA ( 1.5-4.0 ng/mL [n=118]) as reported in the original trial. Cox regression analysis assessed the impact of pre-sRT PSA on overall mortality, after controlling for covariates. To ascertain the role of lead-time bias, survival time zero was set to the time of (1) initiation of sRT, and (2) RP. Findings: There were no statistically significant differences amongst men within the three groups, except for a greater proportions of African-American patients and men with post-RP PSA nadirs ≥0.5 ng/mL within the higher pre-sRT PSA groups. For men with pre-sRT PSA 1.5-4 ng/mL, estimated 15-year overall mortality was 39%, 45%, and 50%, respectively (p=0.005) when calculated from time since sRT, and 23%, 29%, and 36% respectively (p=0.08) when assessed from time since RP. On multivariable regression analyses, pre-sRT PSA >1.5-4.0 ng/mL was significantly associated with overall mortality only when measured from time of initiation of sRT (HR 1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-2.28; p=0.008), but not from time since RP (HR 1.24, 95% CI 0.87-1.76; p=0.2). Interpretation: Our findings suggest that the putative survival benefit with early sRT instituted at lower PSA thresholds is mitigated when measured from time since surgery, highlighting the role of lead-time bias. These findings need further validation given their significant clinical implications. Funding Statement: There was no funding for this study. The corresponding author had full access to all data in the study and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication. Declaration of Interests: Firas Abdollah is a consultant for GenomeDx Biosciences. Ethics Approval Statement: An institutional review board waiver was obtained before the study was conducted, in accordance with institutional regulation when dealing with de-identified previously collected data.
Asset Choice And Time Diversification Benefits

The issue of time diversification has been controversial. While some findings support time diversification, others do not. For example, Hodges, Taylor and Yoder (1997) find bonds outperform stocks, but Mukherji (2002) finds stocks provide time diversification benefits. This paper investigates whether the differences in the findings of Hodges, Taylor and Yoder (1997) and Mukherji (2002) stem from methodological variation. Results indicate that the differences in the procedure used to estimate the holding period returns may in fact be the reason for the difference in findings. Using a procedure to estimate holding period returns that is similar to Hodges, Taylor and Yoder (1997), and a performance measure that is similar to Mukherji (2002), we do not find that stocks provide time diversification benefits.
Hybrid Equity Swap and Cap Pricing Under Stochastic Interest by Markov Chain Approximation

Hybrid equity-rate derivatives are commonly traded between financial institutions, but are challenging to price with traditional methods. Especially challenging are those contracts which involve an explicit interest rate (fixing) dependence in the cashflows, which stretches typical measure-change approaches beyond their practical limit. We introduce a framework for pricing equity swaps, equity cap/floors, and other hybrid derivatives under general stochastic short-rate models with a correlated equity. By utilizing the machinery of Continuous Time Markov Chain (CTMC) approximation, and a decoupled representation of the equity-rate model, we derive closed-form approximations for the hybrid contract prices based on a regime-switching model and prove theoretical convergence. The numerical implementation of the method is fast and very accurate, achieving superquadratic convergence in numerical experiments. The framework also provides a practical alternative to traditional approaches such as trees for pricing bonds and bond options under short-rates models which lack closed-form solutions.
Canada’s Potential Productivity and Output Growth: A Post-Crisis Assessment

This study investigates the impact of the current financial crisis on Canada’s potential GDP growth. Using a simple accounting framework to decompose trend GDP growth into changes in capital, labour services, and total factor productivity, we find a sizeable drop in Canadian potential growth rate in the short term. The estimated decline of about 1 percentage point originates from a sharply decelerating capital stock accumulation (as investment has dropped steeply). However, over the medium term, we expect Canada’s potential GDP growth to gradually rise to around 2 per cent, below the pre-crisis growth rate, partly reflecting the effects of population aging.
Why People Turn to Bombs

What Makes a Terrorist . Economics and the Roots of Terrorism. By Alan B. Krueger . Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2007. 192 pp. $24.95, £14.95. ISBN 9780691134383. The author argues that terrorists are not drawn from the desperately poor but come from better-educated and well-off classes and wish to effect social and political change.
Bayes regression with autoregressive errors : A Gibbs sampling approach

Abstract This paper develops a practical framework for the Bayesian analysis of Gaussian and Student-t regression models with autocorrelated errors. As is customary in classical estimation procedures, the posteriors are conditioned on the initial observations. Recourse is taken to the method of Gibbs sampling, an iterative Markovian sampling method, and it is shown that the proposed approach can readily deal with high-order autoregressive processes without requiring an importance sampling function or other tuning constants. Several examples, including one with AR(4) errors, are used to illustrate the ideas.
Use of bismannose photolabel to elucidate insulin-regulated GLUT4 subcellular trafficking kinetics in rat adipose cells. Evidence that exocytosis is a critical site of hormone action

The subcellular trafficking of tracer-tagged GLUT4 between the plasma membranes and low-density microsomes of rat adipose cells has been studied. Cell-surface GLUT4 have been initially tracer-tagged in the insulin-stimulated state with the [3H]bismanose photolabel 2-N-4-(1-azi-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)benzoyl-1,3-bis-(D-mannos- 4-yloxy)-2- propylamine. The half-time for internalization of tracer-tagged GLUT4 when insulin is removed by collagenase treatment is similar to that observed for the decrease in immunodetectable GLUT4 in the plasma membranes and the decrease in glucose transport activity in the intact cells. In contrast, internalization of tracer-tagged GLUT4 also occurs when cells are maintained in the continuous presence of insulin even though the plasma membrane level of immunodetectable GLUT4 and glucose transport activity in the intact cells are unaltered. These data show, for the first time, that insulin has little, if any, effect on the rate constant for GLUT4 endocytosis, but instead, primarily increases the rate constant for exocytosis. Tracer-tagged GLUT4 that is returned to the low-density microsomes can be restimulated with fresh insulin to recycle to the plasma membranes and to a steady-state distribution level that is the same as that observed in cells that are maintained in the continuous presence of insulin. These data suggest that the cells' entire complement of GLUT4 is involved in the recycling process. Following insulin stimulation of adipose cells initially in the basal state, the increase in immunodetectable GLUT4 in the plasma membranes precedes the increase in accessibility of GLUT4 to exofacial 2-N-4-(1-azi-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)benzoyl-1,3-bis(D-mannos-4 -yloxy)-2- propylamine photolabeling, and this in turn precedes the increase in cellular glucose transport activity. Such time course data suggest that there may be plasma membrane intermediate states in the GLUT4 trafficking pathway. The kinetic properties of GLUT4 translocation and its recycling have been interpreted in terms of a subcellular trafficking model that identifies exocytosis, possibly involving-hypothetical "docking" and "fusion" steps, as the critical site of hormone action.
User-Participation and the Design Charrette: A Systematic Approach to Furthering Design Process

Research in architecture is a many-splendored thing. Technical questions on energy efficiency or materiality, social inquiry on user habits or satisfaction, and philosophical queries about the sense of space and place, all fall within the accepted realm of architecture and its creation. Much less considered is how the design process itself may purposefully be used as a research tool to elicit information that will adjust its outcome. This is perhaps because design is often considered "intuitive” rather than systematic, but it is nevertheless surprising when one considers the central role that design takes in architectural education, and more surprising still when one discovers that related disciplines, such as geography, have begun to examine pre-design steps for their research applicability. This paper examines how design – in this case the design charrette – may explicitly be used as a research methodology to change the very planning dialog that it is drawing upon for its process decisions, or put another way, how the designer uses focused discussions with user groups to obtain information vital to the planning process, while at the same time using the ensuing product to stimulate discussion beyond what would be possible without the design. Drawing on a case study taken from the teaching environment, this paper takes the position that design, both as an iterative process and as a participatory field-research process in the form of charrettes, may successfully be employed as a methodology to establish a dialog between researchers (in this case student-practitioners) and user groups. The latter provide initial design information to the researcher while at the same time using evolving products of the research to help define further parameters for exploration. This methodological approach has helped to focus the student-architects on genuine aspects of design problems, as opposed to self-fabricated ones.
Investigation of Reported Aflatoxin Production by Fungi Outside the Aspergillus flavus Group

A screening study of 121 fungus isolates, representing 29 species, for aflatoxin synthesis demonstrated this property only in Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Eight of the organisms found negative were isolates reported by other investigators to produce aflatoxin. Since similar negative reports have come from several other workers, it is concluded that only the A. flavus group of Aspergillus can presently be certified as sources of these toxins. Reasons for possible false-positive findings are discussed along with precautionary measures and differential analytical procedures useful in aflatoxin screening studies.
Patterns of alcohol drinking and its association with obesity: data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994.

Background Recent reports suggest that alcohol use may have a protective effect on obesity. This study explores association between obesity and alcohol consumption in the non-smoking U.S. adult population.
A laser-diode-driven, three-color, solid-state 3-D display

Summary form only given. We demonstrate a solid-state three-dimensional volumetric display, with three wavelength-addressable colors, that is driven entirely with commercially available laser diodes. The display medium is a composite structure consisting of alternating RGB layers of low-phonon bulk halide glass. Each layer has been optimized in terms of host composition and dopant concentration to produce high pixel brightness in a specific dopant ion. The individual red, green, and blue colored pixels are produced by different rare-earth dopants, each of which is capable of undergoing discrete two-step, two-frequency upconversion. We illustrate the composite structure of the device along with the scanning scheme employed to address the individual colours.