cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
State-Mandated Benefit Review Laws

Objective To determine which states have laws that require the review of mandated health insurance benefits and describe the various approaches states take in reviewing mandated benefits, as stated in the mandated benefit review (MBR) laws.
Monte Carlo simulations of the extinction rate of densely packed spheres based on solution of Maxwell's equations

In this paper we present results based on Monte Carlo simulations of the extinction rate of a dense medium comprised of dielectric, spherical scatterers. The extinction rate is calculated using an iterative solution to Maxwell's scattering equations. In the past, this formulation was used to compute extinction rates for randomly placed scatterers occupying up to 25% by volume. In the calculations for these results, only the field due to the electric dipole was considered. The results presented here extend the range of fractional volumes and include both the electric and the magnetic dipole. >
Deaf sport in the community

Deaf sport is an integral part of the deaf community. Its development resulted from the community needs of the deaf and the negative attitudes of society toward the disabled. A discussion of these two factors explores the reason why deaf athletes participate in activities that exclude hearing participants. Implications are drawn for the deaf community and for the community at large.
Twin turkey embryos.

Abstract Turkey eggs from 548 artificially inseminated commercial strain of Large White turkey hens were set weekly in a Robbins incubator, Model 14–1. Eggs were saved on two consecutive days each week. The eggs were candled after incubation of 1 or 2 weeks to remove infertile eggs, dead germs and rots. All eggs removed were broken to macroscopically determine fertility. The diet fed was adequate according to known requirements. In the examination of eggs candled in mid-July, live twin embryos were found in an average size turkey egg. The candler had thought it to be a “black rot” since it was so dark. Examination showed 2 normal appearing embryos, each with a yolk sac and an allantois. These can be seen in Fig. 1. The embryos were not connected to each other by any body attachments. Their sizes were about equal and normal for fourteen day old turkey embryos.…
On the fundamental tradeoffs between routing table size and network diameter in peer-to-peer networks

We study a fundamental tradeoff issue in designing distributed hash table (DHT) in peer-to-peer networks: the size of the routing table v.s. the network diameter. It was observed by Ratnasamy et al. that existing DHT schemes either (a) have a routing table of size /spl Oscr/(log/sub 2/n) and network diameter of /spl Omega/(log/sub 2/n), or (b) have a routing table of size d and network diameter of /spl Omega/(n/sup 1/d/). They asked whether this represents the best asymptotic "state-efficiency" tradeoffs. Our first major result is to show that there are straightforward routing algorithms, which achieve better asymptotic tradeoffs. However, such algorithms all cause severe congestion on certain network nodes, which is undesirable in a P2P network. We then rigorously define the notion of "congestion" and conjecture that the above tradeoffs are asymptotically optimal for a congestion-free network. In studying this conjecture, we have thoroughly clarified the role that "congestion-free" plays in this "state-efficiency" tradeoff. Our second major result is to prove that the aforementioned tradeoffs are asymptotically optimal for uniform algorithms. Furthermore, for uniform algorithms, we find that the routing table size of /spl Omega/(log/sub 2/n) is a magic threshold point that separates two different "state-efficiency" regions. Our third and final result is to study the exact (instead of asymptotic) optimal tradeoffs for uniform algorithms. We propose a new routing algorithm that reduces the routing table size and the network diameter of Chord both by 21.4% without introducing any other protocol overhead, based on a novel number-theoretical technique.
Lake-Breeze Fronts in the Salt Lake Valley

Abstract Winds at the Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) during the April–October period from 1948 to 2003 have been observed to shift to the north (up-valley direction) between late morning and afternoon on over 70% of the days without precipitation. Lake-breeze fronts that develop as a result of the differential heating between the air over the nearby Great Salt Lake and that over the lake’s surroundings are observed at SLC only a few times each month. Fewer lake-breeze fronts are observed during late July–early September than before or after that period. Interannual fluctuations in the areal extent of the shallow Great Salt Lake contribute to year-to-year variations in the number of lake-breeze frontal passages at SLC. Data collected during the Vertical Transport and Mixing Experiment (VTMX) of October 2000 are used to examine the structure and evolution of a lake-breeze front that moved through the Salt Lake Valley on 17 October. The onset of upslope and up-valley winds occurred within the val...
Gender-based income differences for physical therapist managers.

Background and Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine whether income differences associated with gender exist for therapists in management positions and whether such differences also exist for salaried and self-employed individuals after adjusting for differences due to hours worked, years worked full-time, leave taken from the profession, number of years at a facility, and number of years in a position. Subjects. The subjects were 969 physical therapists who held management positions throughout the United States. Methods. Subjects responded to a survey designed for male and female administrators. Respondents were assigned to groups of salaried therapists or self-employed therapists, t tests were used to compare characteristics based on gender, and analysis of covariance was used to compare income based on gender after controlling for certain variables. Results. After adjusting for the set of five covariates, the data showed that self-employed female therapists earned 77% of the average salary earned by the self-employed male therapists. A similar analysis revealed that the salaried female managers earned 89% of the average salary earned by male managers. Within the five practice subgroups of salaried managers, salary differences existed only for those therapists working in acute care settings. Conclusion and Discussion. For the physical therapist managers who responded to the survey, there were gender-based salary differences. Regardless of whether the therapists were salaried or self-employed, salary differences existed for some areas of practice but did not appear to exist in other areas of practice.
Integrating spatial information into probabilistic relational models

Growing trend of using spatial information in various domains has increased the need for spatial data analysis. As spatial data analysis involves the study of interaction between spatial objects, Probabilistic Relational Models (PRMs) can be a good choice for modeling probabilistic dependencies between such objects. However, standard PRMs do not support spatial objects. Here, we present a general solution for incorporating spatial information into PRMs. We also explain how our model can be learned from data and discuss on the possibility of its extension to support spatial autocorrelation.
QUANTITATIVE DIMENSION MEASUREMENT OF ICF COMPONENTS USING Xradia MicroXCT MICROSCOPE

National Ignition Facility (NIF) specifications have stringent dimensional accuracy requirements on target components. For example, the laser-hole diameter on an ablator capsule must be characteriz...
Dietary Boron Affects Bone Calcification in Magnesium and Cholecalciferol Deficient Chicks

The etiologies of several bone diseases can be traced to either deficient or excessive nutriture and/or improper metabolism of specific inorganic substances. The marked effects on bone morphology of several dietary inorganic substances, including calcium, magnesium, and copper, were described in the early classical literature. Several dietary organic compounds, including the essential fatty acids and cholecalciferol, also affect bone morphology. However, the effects of various inorganic-, or organic- inorganic interactions on bone morphology are not well known. Further study of the effects of those interactions may be helpful in determining the etiology of various bone disorders, including osteoporosis. Thus, in this study, we examined the effects of interactions among three natural, ubiquitous, dietary inorganic substances, ie., boron, magnesium and molybdenum, on bone morphology in the cholelcalciferol-deficient chick.
Rational Targeting of Active-Site Tyrosine Residues Using Sulfonyl Fluoride Probes

This work describes the first rational targeting of tyrosine residues in a protein binding site by small-molecule covalent probes. Specific tyrosine residues in the active site of the mRNA-decapping scavenger enzyme DcpS were modified using reactive sulfonyl fluoride covalent inhibitors. Structure-based molecular design was used to create an alkyne-tagged probe bearing the sulfonyl fluoride warhead, thus enabling the efficient capture of the protein from a complex proteome. Use of the probe in competition experiments with a diaminoquinazoline DcpS inhibitor permitted the quantification of intracellular target occupancy. As a result, diaminoquinazoline upregulators of survival motor neuron protein that are used for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy were confirmed as inhibitors of DcpS in human primary cells. This work illustrates the utility of sulfonyl fluoride probes designed to react with specific tyrosine residues of a protein and augments the chemical biology toolkit by these probes uses in tar...
Comparison of Wavefront Measurement Techniques on a Two-Dimensional Heated Jet

A comparison of common optical wavefront measurement techniques is presented as an inter-calibration of these techniques. The sensors compared are the one-dimensional SmallAperture Beam Technique (SABT) sensor, the one-dimensional Malley Probe, and two traditional two-dimensional Shack-Hartmann type sensors: one by Wavefront Sciences, and the other by Xinetics. The comparison was performed on a known, periodic, and repeatable optical aberration generated by a two-dimensional heated jet. The results showed good agreement between all tested wavefront sensors. The typically underappreciated effect of aperture sizing on the optical aberrations is also examined.
Discussion Principles and Applications on H3C IRF Technology

This paper discusses the basic concepts and working principles of H3C Switches IRF system,also analyzes the typical applications of IRF technology in network system.
Current Professional Thinking on the Deaccessioning of Rare Books in Academic Libraries

In 1981, Brown University was the site of the first (and to date only) conference to be devoted entirely to the topic of deaccessioning rare books. In effect, the Brown symposium, organized by Samuel Streit and Thomas Adams, brought deaccessioning out of the back room and into the light of day.1 One might have expected a spirited curatorial debate to follow, much like the one that raged in the art museum world in the 19705 and ’80s. Instead, after an initial boomlet of articles on deaccessioning of rare books, [he rest has been largely silence—a silence which may mean . . .
Management of Atherosclerotic Renal Artery Disease in Younger Patients

AbstractFrom 1970 to 1990, 57 patients 50 years old or younger were treated for hypertension caused by atherosclerotic renal artery disease. Predisposing factors for atherosclerosis included smoking in 43 cases, hyperlipidemia in 15, diabetes in 8 and hyperuricemia in 8. Of the patients 47 had a family history of atherosclerotic vascular disease or a significant related disorder. Evidence of generalized atherosclerosis was present in 55 patients. Atherosclerotic renal artery disease was present unilaterally in 16 cases, bilaterally in 39 and in a solitary kidney in 2.Of the patients 34 were treated surgically, 20 medically and 2 by percutaneous angioplasty. Surgically treated patients experienced significant postoperative improvement in blood pressure (p = 0.001) and renal function (p = 0.05). Medically treated patients experienced significant improvement in blood pressure (p = 0.03) but renal function deteriorated. Younger patients with atherosclerotic renal artery disease suffer from a more severe and a...
Popular Music Celebrity Endorsements in Food and Nonalcoholic Beverage Marketing

BACKGROUND: Food and beverage marketing has been associated with childhood obesity. We quantified the number and type of food or beverage brands promoted by music celebrities, assessed the nutritional quality of the products, and examined Teen Choice Award data to assess the celebrities’ popularity among adolescents. METHODS: This was a descriptive study. A list of music celebrities associated with the 2013 and 2014 Billboard Hot 100 Chart, which ranks songs according to sales and radio impressions, was compiled. Data on celebrity endorsements were gathered from official company Web sites, YouTube commercials, an advertising database, and media reports. Nutritional quality of foods was assessed according to the Nutrient Profile Index, whereas nonalcoholic beverages were evaluated based on calories from added sugar. Teen Choice Award nominations were used to measure the celebrities’ popularity among adolescents. RESULTS: Of the 590 endorsements made by the 163 celebrities in the sample, consumer goods (eg, fragrances, makeup) represented the largest endorsement category (26%), followed by food and beverage (18%) and retail (11%). Sixty-five celebrities were collectively associated with 57 different food and beverage brands owned by 38 parent companies. Of these 65 celebrities, 53 (81.5%) had ≥1 Teen Choice Award nomination. Forty-nine (71%) of the 69 nonalcoholic beverage references promoted sugar-sweetened beverages. Twenty-one (80.8%) of the 26 endorsed foods were energy dense and nutrient poor. Baauer, will.i.am, Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5, and Britney Spears had the most food and beverage endorsements. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that music celebrities who are popular among adolescents endorse energy-dense, nutrient-poor products.
Chain conformations and phase behavior of conjugated polymers

Conjugated polymers may play an important role in various emerging optoelectronic applications because they combine the chemical versatility of organic molecules and the flexibility, stretchability and toughness of polymers with semiconducting properties. Nevertheless, in order to achieve the full potential of conjugated polymers, a clear description of how their structure, morphology, and macroscopic properties are interrelated is needed. We propose that the starting point for understanding conjugated polymers includes understanding chain conformations and phase behavior. Efforts to predict and measure the persistence length have significantly refined our intuition of the chain stiffness, and have led to predictions of nematic-to-isotropic transitions. Exploring mixing between conjugated polymers and small molecules or other polymers has demonstrated tremendous advancements in attaining the needed properties for various optoelectronic devices. Current efforts continue to refine our knowledge of chain conformations and phase behavior and the factors that influence these properties, thereby providing opportunities for the development of novel optoelectronic materials based on conjugated polymers.
Lowest energy Frenkel and charge transfer exciton intermixing in one-dimensional copper phthalocyanine molecular lattice

We report the results of the combined experimental and theoretical studies of the low-lying exciton states in crystalline copper phthalocyanine. We derive the eigen energy spectrum for the two lowest intramolecular Frenkel excitons coupled to the intermolecular charge transfer exciton state and compare it with temperature dependent optical absorption spectra measured experimentally, to obtain the parameters of the Frenkel-charge-transfer exciton intermixing. The two Frenkel exciton states are spaced apart by 0.26 eV, and the charge transfer exciton state is 50 meV above the lowest Frenkel exciton. Both Frenkel excitons are strongly mixed with the charge transfer exciton, showing the coupling constant 0.17 eV which agrees with earlier experimental measurements. These results can be used for the proper interpretation of the physical properties of crystalline phthalocyanines.
The continuous-time triangular Pólya process

We study poissonized triangular (reducible) urns on two colors, which we take to be white and blue. We analyze the number of white and blue balls after a certain period of time has elapsed. We show that for balanced processes in this class, a different scaling is needed for each color to produce nontrivial limits, contrary to the distributions in the usual irreducible urns which only require the same scaling for both colors. The limit distributions (of the scaled variables) underlying triangular urns are Gamma. The technique we use couples partial differential equations with the method of moments applied in a bootstrapped manner to produce exact and asymptotic moments. For the dominant color, we get exact moments, while relaxing the balance condition. The exact moments include alternating signs and Stirling numbers of the second kind.
Our Polarized, Presidential Federalism

Over the past three-plus decades, American federalism has taken on a decidedly executive, presidential coloration. The trend has persisted under Republican and Democratic administrations, and on all accounts it has accelerated. Moreover, federalism has become increasingly polarized at the federal and, perhaps more consequentially, at the state level. Controversies over environmental policy, immigration, health care, and other salient issues have been fought by remarkably cohesive, sharply polarized blocs of states. The extant literature has ably limned executive, presidential federalism’s contours and especially its intergovernmental dynamics. This Article seeks to extend and broaden the scholarly inquiry. It urges greater attention to questions of political economy; comparative politics; fiscal federalism; and constitutionalism and judicial capacity.Those lines of inquiry and especially a comparative perspective provide cause for concern. Polarized, presidential federalism is a defining feature of political systems (especially in Latin America) that share our formal institutional arrangements, such as Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela. Those systems tend toward a highly personalized style of executive government, political and fiscal instability, and institutional corruption. The Article expresses no view on the likelihood of a similar scenario in the United States, let alone predict it. However, it suggests that such a trajectory is within the range of possibilities.
All-cause mortality after fertility-sparing surgery for stage I epithelial ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE To compare all-cause mortality between women who underwent fertility-sparing surgery with those who underwent conventional surgery for stage I ovarian cancer. METHODS In a cohort study using the National Cancer Database, we identified women younger than 40 years diagnosed with stage IA and unilateral IC epithelial ovarian cancer between 2004 and 2012. Fertility-sparing surgery was defined as conservation of one ovary and the uterus. The primary outcome was time from diagnosis to death. We used propensity score methods to assemble a cohort of women who underwent fertility-sparing or conventional surgery but were otherwise similar on observed covariates and conducted survival analyses using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS We identified 1,726 women with stage IA and unilateral IC epithelial ovarian cancer of whom 825 (47.8%) underwent fertility-sparing surgery. Fertility-sparing surgery was associated with younger age, residence in the northeastern and western United States, and serous or mucinous histology (P<.05 for all). Propensity score matching yielded a cohort of 904 women who were balanced on observed covariates. We observed 30 deaths among women who underwent fertility-sparing surgery and 37 deaths among propensity-matched women who underwent conventional surgery after a median follow-up of 63 months. Fertility-sparing surgery was not associated with hazard of death (hazard ratio 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49-1.29, P=.36). The probability of survival 10 years after diagnosis was 88.5% (95% CI 82.4-92.6) in the fertility-sparing group and 88.9% (95% CI 84.9-92.0) in the conventional surgery group. In patients with high-risk features such as clear cell histology, grade 3, or stage IC, 10-year survival was 80.5% (95% CI 68.5-88.3) among women who underwent fertility-sparing surgery and 83.4% (95% 76.0-88.7) among those who had conventional surgery (hazard ratio 0.86, 95% CI 0.49-1.53, P=.61). CONCLUSION Compared with conventional surgery, fertility-sparing surgery was not associated with increased risk of death in young women with stage I epithelial ovarian cancer.
Retrospective Analysis of Predictors of Proficient Power Mobility in Young Children With Severe Motor Impairments

Abstract Objectives To determine if child characteristics, maternal education, intervention parameters, type of wheelchair control mechanism, or a combination of these variables were associated with proficient power mobility skills in children with severe motor impairments aged 14 to 30 months; and to determine if performance on the Wheelchair Skills Checklist (WSC) was associated with performance on the Powered Mobility Program (PMP). Design Secondary data analyses on data collected from 2 previously completed randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Setting Intervention and outcomes measurements took place in natural environments. Participants Participants included children who were assigned to the intervention groups in 2 RCTs (N=31). Intervention Children practiced maneuvering individually customized power wheelchairs for 12 months in natural environments. Main Outcome Measures Proficiency was assessed using the WSC and the PMP. The Battelle Developmental Inventory and Merrill-Palmer-Revised were used to assess baseline cognition and motor skills. Baseline mobility was assessed using the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory. Results Cognition, fine motor skills, and wheelchair control mechanism were associated with proficiency. Cognition, type of wheelchair control, and diagnosis all predicted proficiency while controlling for other covariates using multiple regression analysis. Agreement between the WSC and PMP was 94.7%. Conclusions Cognition, type of wheelchair control, and diagnosis might predict power mobility proficiency in young children with severe motor impairments. These factors however should not be used to determine whether a child has the opportunity to participate in a training program. Agreement between the WSC and PMP could help researchers and clinicians compare results across studies that use only one of these outcome measures.
Intracavernous, Transurethral, and Topical Therapies for Erectile Dysfunction in the Era of Oral Pharmacotherapy

It is estimated that 20 to 30 million American men suffer from some degree of erectile dysfunction (ED) (1). As the male population ages and awareness of the problem increases, this number is expected to at least double by 2025 (2).
Get thee to the gym! A field experiment on improving exercise habits

Abstract We explore the efficacy of a combination of interventions to encourage exercise in a field experiment hosted at a large public university. The experimental groups include individuals and teams and those with and without information about peers. We find that team incentives are associated with greater behavior modification (e.g. more gym visits) than individual incentives. Information on peers’ gym attendance (either in a team or individual setting) also promotes more frequent gym use relative to a simple individual incentive. In addition, being in a team and receiving information on peers are effective in changing a non-user of the gym to a user. We also observe that periodic information feedback has a longer-lasting impact on gym attendance than other interventions. Our findings provide insight for any organization seeking to incentivize behavior change in the most efficient, and cost effective, manner.
An Empirical Evaluation of the Toolbox Model of Lottery Choices

Can a toolbox of simple heuristic rules help explain lottery choices relative to Expected Utility Theory (EUT)? While a mixture model of EUT plus heuristic rules will obviously fit data better than EUT only, given the small sample sizes there is a danger of overfitting. Therefore, instead of goodness-of-fit measures, we focus on forecasting performance. Using two datasets of binary lottery choices and reasonable holdout subsets for testing forecasting performance, we find that the EUT-only model forecasts better than the toolbox mixture model with EUT. Even when the toolbox model with EUT fits the data significantly better, EUT-only forecasts better. J.E.L. Classifications: C52, C53, C91, D81
Divergent Learning Effects from Alliance Experience and Cross-border M&A Entries

Drawing on a learning perspective, we argue that prior alliance experience may have divergent learning effects on subsequent M&A entries into a host country depending on whether the alliances were made as an institutionally embedded choice when regulations restrict foreign M&As or as a strategic choice when regulations encourage foreign M&As. While in the former case, MNCs that had M&A in mind might stretch themselves and learn beyond what alliance relationship offers, whereas in the latter case, MNCs just focus on learning about the particularities of managing alliances. Thus, alliance experience before the change in regulations from restricting to encouraging cross-border M&As in the host country may also change from a positive effect on subsequent M&As to a negative effect. Additionally, we argue that this effect is moderated by economic distance. Analyses based on a sample of 1,561 MNCs from 40 different home countries entering China through M&As over an 11-year period (2003–2013) provide considerable...
Abstract P114: Cardiac and Renal Adrenergic Receptor Expression in Spontaneously Hypertensive Caribbean Vervets

Sympathetic nerve activity and adrenergic receptor stimulation causes development and maintenance of hypertension in patients and experimental animal models. The Caribbean vervet ( Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus ), an Old World non-human primate, is a translational model of human cardiovascular disease due to its recent divergence, genetic similarity, upright posture, complex social structure, and diurnal behavior. Outbred and randomly selected adult Caribbean vervets exhibit systolic blood pressures (SBP) >140 mmHg in 36% of our cohort (124 of 345 individuals). We hypothesized that gene expression of adrenergic receptor subtypes in renal and cardiac tissue would be elevated in HT Caribbean vervets, and may contribute to spontaneous hypertension. Gene expression was measured using qRT-PCR and RQs compared using the Mann-Whitney U Test. HT animals (n=18, SBP: 168.24±7.25mmHg) had increased expression of both α- and β-adrenergic receptor subtypes in renal outer medulla (a 1a : NT RQ 1 ± 0.43 vs. HT RQ 2.26 ± 0.50, p 1d : NT RQ 1 ± 0.34 vs. HT RQ 2.25 ± 0.32, p 2a : NT RQ 1 ± 0.24 vs. HT RQ 1.92 ± 0.19, p 2c : NT RQ 1 ± 0.15 vs HT RQ 1.65 ± 0.15, p 1 : NT RQ 1 ± 0.24 vs. HT RQ 1.88 ± 0.18, p 2 : NT RQ 1 ± 0.21 vs. HT RQ 1.87 ± 0.24, p 1 -adrenergic receptor expression in renal cortex and inner medulla was similar between the two groups. Inner medullary β 2 adrenergic receptor expression was elevated in HT animals (NT RQ 1 ± 0.25 vs HT RQ 1.62 ± 0.10, p 1 adrenergic receptor expression was upregulated in the left ventricular myocardium of HT animals (NT RQ 1 ± 0.16 vs HT RQ 1.88 ± 0.35). Together, these data suggest that the HT Caribbean vervet may exhibit an exaggerated response to sympathetic nerve activity due to increased adrenergic receptor expression in the kidney and heart, which could contribute to the spontaneous hypertension observed in this translational large animal model.
A circulating form of NADH oxidase activity responsive to the antitumor sulfonylurea N-4-(methylphenylsulfonyl)-N'-(4-chlorophenyl)urea (LY181984) specific to sera from cancer patients.

Our laboratory has described a drug-responsive NADH oxidase activity of the external surface of the plasma membrane of HeLa and other cancer cells, but not from normal cells, that was shed into media conditioned by the growth of cancer cells such as HeLa. The shed form of the activity exhibited the same drug responsiveness as the plasma membrane-associated form. In this study, sera from tumor-bearing and control rats, cancer patients, normal volunteers, and patients with diseases other than cancer were collected and assayed for a cancer-specific form of NADH oxidase responsive to the antitumor sulfonylurea N-(4-methylphenylsulfonyl)-N′-(4-chlorophenyl)urea (LY181984). With sera from tumor-bearing rats and cancer patients, LY181984 added at a final concentration of 1 μM either inhibited or stimulated the activity. With sera from control rats, normal volunteers, or patients with disorders other than cancer, the drug was without effect on the NADH oxidase activity of the sera. The activity altered by the antitumor sulfonylurea was present both in freshly collected sera and in sera stored frozen. Inhibition was half maximal at about 30 nM LY181984. The sulfonylurea-altered activity was found in sera of nearly 200 cancer patients including patients with solid cancers (e.g., breast, prostate, lung, ovarian) and with leukemias and lymphomas. We postulate that the serum presence of the antitumor sulfonylurea-responsive NADH oxidase represents an origin due to shedding from the patient's cancer. If so, the antitumor-responsive NADH oxidase would represent the first reported cell surface change universally associated with all forms of human cancer.
Yeast checkpoint controls and relevance to cancer

Checkpoint controls arrest cells with defects in DNA replication or DNA damage. For several reasons, checkpoint controls may be relevant to ontogeny and treatment of cancer. Firstly, mutations in two human genes, TP53 and ATM, give rise to cellular defects in cell cycle checkpoints and are associated with cancer. Secondly, although checkpoint defects potentially render the cell damage sensitive, they may do so only in combination with other defects in the cell's response to damage. Therefore, manipulation of checkpoint defects, requiring a description of normal and mutant pathways, will be required for this type of therapeutic approach. Those pathways are being described in yeast cells. In budding yeast, the study of checkpoint genes has led to the view that these genes have many roles in the cellular responses to DNA damage, including roles in arrest in multiple stages of cell cycle, in transcriptional induction of repair genes, in DNA repair itself and additionally some undefined role in DNA replication. The checkpoint pathways and proteins that carry out these responses may consist of sensor proteins that detect damage, signaller proteins that transduce an inhibitory signal and target proteins that are altered to arrest cell division (or cause other changes in cell behaviour). Yeast genes that may act at each step have been identified, leading to a working model of checkpoint pathways. An initial step in the pathway may involve the processing of damage to an intermediate that signals arrest and acts in DNA repair. Human checkpoint pathways may have defects in processing damage as well.
The Integration of Historical Cartographic Data within the GIS Environment

The application and integration of historical cartographic data in GIS has received much recent attention. This chapter discusses the current status of the use of such data in the larger GIS environment, and presents three case studies where such data are being used in France, Central Africa, and North Carolina. A new technique for georegistration of historical maps is presented. A brief discussion of the issues involved in incorporating such data is discussed, along with some consideration of future directions.
Radiation tolerance of the optic pathway in patients treated with proton and photon radiotherapy.

Abstract Introduction Radiation-induced optic neuropathy (RION) is a complication of radiation therapy (RT) that causes blindness. We aimed to define the tolerance of the anterior optic pathway to fractionated RT and identify risk factors for RION. Materials/methods Patients with chordoma or chondrosarcoma of the skull base treated with proton and photon therapy between 1983 and 2013, who received a minimum of 30 Gy (relative biologic effectiveness [RBE]) to the anterior optic pathway were assessed. Optic neuropathy with radiographic correlation occurring ≥6 months after completion of RT in the absence of tumor recurrence or other probable cause was diagnosed as RION. Results Of 514 patients, 17 developed RION. With median follow-up of 4.8 years, cumulative incidence of RION was 1% among patients receiving Conclusion In our study cohort, rates of RION were very low with conventionally fractionated RT up to 59 Gy. At doses ≥60 Gy, there is an increased risk of RION, with greater risk for women and older patients.
Enhanced Perioperative Care for Major Spine Surgery.

STUDY DESIGN The enhanced perioperative care (EPOC) program is an institutional quality improvement initiative. We used a historically controlled study design to evaluate patients who underwent major spine surgery before and after the implementation of the EPOC program. OBJECTIVE To determine whether multidisciplinary EPOC program was associated with an improvement in clinical and financial outcomes for elective adult major spine surgery patients. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA The enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs successfully implemented in hip and knee replacement surgeries, and improved clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. METHODS We compared 183 subjects in traditional care (TRDC) group to 267 intervention period (EPOC) in a single academic quaternary spine surgery referral center. One hundred eight subjects in no pathway (NOPW) care group was also examined to exclude if the observed changes between the EPOC and TRDC groups might be due to concurrent changes in practice or population over the same time period. Our primary outcome variables were hospital and intensive care unit lengths of stay and the secondary outcomes were postoperative complications, 30-day hospital readmission and cost. RESULTS In this highly complex patient population, we observed a reduction in mean hospital length of stay (HLOS) between TRDC versus EPOC groups (8.2 vs. 6.1 d, standard deviation [SD] = 6.3 vs. 3.6, P < 0.001) and intensive care unit length of stay (ILOS) (3.1 vs. 1.9 d, SD = 4.7 vs. 1.4, P = 0.01). The number (rate) of postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) admissions was higher for the TRDC n = 109 (60%) than the EPOC n = 129 (48%) (P = 0.02). There was no difference in postoperative complications and 30-day hospital readmissions. The EPOC spine program was associated with significant average cost reduction-$62,429 to $53,355 (P < 0.00). CONCLUSION The EPOC program has made a clinically relevant contribution to institutional efforts to improve patient outcomes and value. We observed a reduction in HLOS, ILOS, costs, and variability. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3.
Investigation of the disruption of algal biomass with chlorine.

Algal biofuel has a potential for reducing dependence on fossil fuel while curbing CO2 emissions. Despite these potential benefits, a scalable, sustainable, and commercially viable system has not yet been developed. One of the key barriers is the lack of viable methods for disrupting algal biomass for the separation and extraction of bioproducts. This study experimentally investigated the feasibility of using chlorine as an agent for algal biomass disruption. Chlorine was an effective agent for disrupting algal cell, as demonstrated with cell viability and SEM analyses. For disruption studies conducted using algal suspension at 0.02% solids (0.2 g/L), 90% of the algal cells were disrupted in 6 min at 10 mg/L chlorine dose. Moreover, the results demonstrated that the estimated specific energy requirement, specific cost, and GWP for chlorine were lower than those of the existing methods. The energy requirement for chlorine was 3.73 MJ/ kg of dry algae disrupted, while the requirements for the existing methods ranged from 33 to 860 MJ/ kg of dry algae. The GWP for chlorine was 0.3 kg CO2-eq./kg dry algae, while for the existing methods it varied from 5.9 to 369.8 CO2-eq./kg dry algae. Despite these advantages, it was observed that residual chlorine reacted with and mineralized the cell contents, which is undesirable. Future research efforts must be focused on eliminating or reducing the reaction of residual chlorine with cell contents. If this challenge is addressed, chlorine has a potential to be developed into an energy-efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable method for algal biomass disruption. This will in turn will overcome one of the technical bottlenecks, and ultimately increase algal biofuel production and reduce dependence on fossil fuel and curb CO2 emissions.
Characterization of the CATRiNA neutron detector system

Abstract The Compound Array for Transfer Reactions in Nuclear Astrophysics (CATRiNA) is an array of 16 liquid deuterated-benzene (C 6D6 ) neutron detectors . The fast-response and pulse-shape-discrimination (PSD) capabilities of liquid scintillators allow for the extraction of neutron energies via time-of-flight and for the identification and separation of neutron/gamma interactions. In addition to these properties, deuterated liquid scintillators have a structured pulse-height spectrum with promising capabilities for neutron spectroscopy . In this paper, we report on the development and characterization of the CATRiNA neutron detector system at Florida State University (FSU). Monte-Carlo simulations and measurements with neutron and γ -ray sources, as well as mono-energetic neutrons (E n = 2.3–7.3 MeV) from in-beam measurements using the 7 Li(p,n) reaction, were performed to characterize the detectors. CATRiNA is envisioned to be used to measure several nuclear reactions like (3 He,n), (d,n), (p,n), relevant for nuclear structure and nuclear astrophysics studies.
Large eddy simulations of forced heat convection in a pin-fin array with a priori examination of an eddy-viscosity turbulence model

Abstract Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) modeling remains the predominant technique for engineering simulations of turbulent flow and heat transfer. Most simulations employ the linear-eddy viscosity assumption to model the Reynolds stresses, which is known to produce inaccurate results in complex turbulent flows. The objective of this study is to provide new insight on the inadequacy of LEV models in complex engineering turbulence by performing an a priori examination of a typical LEV model, the k − ω shear-stress transport (SST) model, for flow predictions in a pin-fin array. First, LES results obtained from simulations with three levels of mesh resolution are presented and validated against published experimental data. Second, an a priori examination of the SST model is performed, considering discrepancies between the shape and orientation of the Reynolds stress tensors obtained from the SST model and the LES. The results illustrate that the LES predicted Reynolds stresses have significantly different characteristics in regions of developing versus fully developed turbulence, and in the bulk-flow versus near-wall regions. These differences are not reflected in the Reynolds stresses predicted by the SST model, which predicts very similar Reynolds stress shapes and orientations in these different flow regimes. The analysis provides some insight on correcting the shape of the Reynolds stress tensor in particular; this information will be used in future work to examine practical methods to quantify turbulence model form uncertainties.
Deep Learning for Automated Feature Discovery and Classification of Sleep Stages

Convolutional neural networks (CNN) have demonstrated state-of-the-art classification results in image categorization, but have received comparatively little attention for classification of one-dimensional physiological signals. We design a deep CNN architecture for automated sleep stage classiffication of human sleep EEG and EOG signals. The CNN proposed in this paper amply outperforms recent work that uses a different CNN architecture over a single-EEG-channel version of the same dataset. We show that the performance gains achieved by our network rely mainly on network depth, and not on the use of several signal channels. Performance of our approach is on par with human expert inter-scorer agreement. By examining the internal activation levels of our CNN, we find that it spontaneously discovers signal features such as sleep spindles and slow waves that figure prominently in sleep stage categorization as performed by human experts.
Reflections: Professional Development Using a Gradual Release Model to Facilitate Culturally Responsive Strategies in a Rural Secondary School Curriculum in Malawi:

This self-reflection article explores the collaboration with a nongovernmental organization serving underserved students in Malawi and a private Midwestern university educator preparation program w...
Spatial contrasts in hepatic and biliary PAHs in Tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps) throughout the Gulf of Mexico, with comparison to the Northwest Atlantic

A multinational demersal longline survey was conducted on the Gulf of Mexico continental shelf over the years 2015 and 2016 to generate a Gulf-wide baseline of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in demersal fishes. Tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps) were sampled in all regions of the Gulf of Mexico for biometrics, bile, and liver. Tilefish liver was also obtained from surveys in the northwest Atlantic Ocean for comparison. Liver tissues (n = 305) were analyzed for PAHs and select alkylated homologs using QuEChERS extractions and gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Bile samples (n = 225) were analyzed for biliary PAH metabolites using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Spatial comparisons indicate the highest levels of PAH exposure and hepatic accumulation in the north central Gulf of Mexico, with decreasing concentrations moving from the north central Gulf counterclockwise, and an increase on the Yucatan Shelf. Hepatic PAH concentrations were similar between the Gulf of Mexico and the northwest Atlantic, however, Tilefish from the northwest Atlantic had higher concentrations and more frequent detection of carcinogenic high molecular weight PAHs. Overall, results demonstrate that PAH pollution was ubiquitous within the study regions, with recent exposure and hepatic accumulation observed in Tilefish from both the Gulf of Mexico and northwest Atlantic.
Electrochemical proton-coupled electron transfer of an anthracene-based azo dye

Herein, we report the thermodynamics, kinetics, and mechanism for electrochemical proton-coupled electron transfer involving the anthracene-based azo dye azo-OMe. The peak reduction potential of azo-OMe with organic acids spanning the pKa range of 2.6–23.51 shows a dependence upon the pKa of the acid when the acid pKa falls between 8 and 20 (in acetonitrile). A potential-pKa diagram is constructed and used to estimate the pKa of the azo-OMe species. Heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constants are obtained using rotating disk electrode voltammetry in combination with Koutecký–Levich and Tafel analysis. Electrochemical analysis shows that the reactions are diffusion limited and are kinetically controlled by the electron-transfer step. Kinetic isotope studies indicate a concerted proton, electron transfer event occurs in the pKa-dependent range when using trifluoroacetic acid.
CHAPTER 4 – Normal and Rectifiable Currents

Publisher Summary To define boundary and establish compactness properties, it will be useful to view rectifiable sets as currents, that is, linear functionals on smooth differential forms (named by analogy with electrical currents). Currents associated with certain rectifiable sets, with integer multiplicities, will be called rectifiable currents. The mass of a rectifiable current is just the Hausdorff measure of the associated rectifiable set (counting multiplicities). The larger class of normal currents will allow for real multiplicities and smoothing. This chapter provides an overview of normal and rectifiable currents. It presents a table that gives spaces of currents that play an important role in geometric measure theory.
A Brief History of Plastics

This book chapter provides a comprehensive account of global plastic production, use, and fate from 1950 to 2017 and thus covers all plastic humankind has ever made. It starts with a brief introduction of plastic’s origin and nomenclature, followed by a detailed global material flow analysis of the 68 years of plastic mass production, use, and end-of-life management. The analysis includes all major polymer resins and fibers, as well as all additives, and discusses production by polymer, use by consuming sector, and end-of-life management by waste management type. The historical analysis is followed by a discussion of the current global state of plastic production, use, and end-of-life management. The chapter closes with trend projections from 2017 to 2050, which show that even if recycling and incineration rates were to increase at historical rates, this would not be enough to stem the tide of plastic waste. This suggests that changes and improvements in waste management strategies need to be supplemented with serious source reduction efforts in order to make our use of plastic more sustainable.
Predictors of mortality for patients with COVID-19 and large vessel occlusion.

BackgroundThis study evaluates the mortality risk of patients with emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) and COVID-19 during the pandemic.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study of two co...
Fit Analysis Using 3D Body Scans and Sports Product Design Methods to Develop a Musical Conductor’s Jacket

Musical conducting is the art of directing a group of individuals in an orchestra, band, symphony or chorus to create music. Since the practice of “modern” conducting was established in the 19th century, conductors have been wearing traditional black suit style or tuxedo jackets. The challenge with this product form is that it has never evolved; it is still made from traditional woven materials and 2D pattern shapes from over 200 years ago. It conflicts with the athletic nature of the conductor’s body. It restricts back, shoulder and arm motion, and can be incredibly uncomfortable. Performance and artistry are affected. How could the conductor’s jacket be designed and function more like athletic apparel, while respecting the art? This concept paper looked at capturing musical conductor tasks with 3D body scanning and developing a jacket that borrows knowledge from the sports performance apparel industry.