cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A scientific visualization workbench

A system for visualization of data from supercomputer simulations has been developed for use by scientists and engineers at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The scientific visualization workbench, as the system is called, is based on an industry standard workstation (a Sun 3/160C), the NeWS window system, and a video/graphics add-in card, which is supported by NeWS. Also involved is a frame buffer attached to a 48-Mbit/s Cray channel and a video link from the frame buffer to the Sun workstation. Computation and graphics preparation are performed on the Cray under the control of a NeWS client program. Images are rasterized and sent to the workstation at the rate of 25 frames/s. The workbench permits the scientist to converse with applications running on a Cray but still retain the convenience and flexibility of a personal workstation environment. Moreover, the video link allows animated graphics images to be displayed on the workstation at a much higher rate than would be possible with a conventional network connection, i.e., Ethernet. Also, NeWS affords the convenience of a modern window system. Live video can be displayed in a window anywhere on the screen, while other windows may contain conventional text or graphics.
When and why should patients with hematologic malignancies see a palliative care specialist

Palliative care is a multidisciplinary approach to symptom management, psychosocial support, and assistance in treatment decision-making for patients with serious illness and their families. It emphasizes well-being at any point along the disease trajectory, regardless of prognosis. The term "palliative care" is often incorrectly used as a synonym for end-of-life care, or "hospice care". However, palliative care does not require a terminal diagnosis or proximity to death, a misconception that we will address in this article. Multiple randomized clinical trials demonstrate the many benefits of early integration of palliative care for patients with cancer, including reductions in symptom burden, improvements in quality-of-life, mood, and overall survival, as well as improved caregiver outcomes. Thus, early concurrent palliative care integrated with cancer-directed care has emerged as a standard-of-care practice for patients with cancer. However, patients with hematologic malignancies rarely utilize palliative care services, despite their many unmet palliative care needs, and are much less likely to use palliative care compared to patients with solid tumors. In this article, we will define "palliative care" and address some common misconceptions regarding its role as part of high-quality care for patients with cancer. We will then review the evidence supporting the integration of palliative care into comprehensive cancer care, discuss perceived barriers to palliative care in hematologic malignancies, and suggest opportunities and triggers for earlier and more frequent palliative care referral in this population.
A Simulation-based Randomized Controlled Study of Factors Influencing Chest Compression Depth.

Author(s): Mayrand, Kelsey P.; Fischer, Eric J.; Ten Eyck, Raymond P. | Abstract: Introduction: Current resuscitation guidelines emphasize a systems approach with a strong emphasis on quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Despite the American Heart Association (AHA) emphasis on quality CPR for over 10 years, resuscitation teams do not consistently meet recommended CPR standards. The objective is to assess the impact on chest compression depth of factors including bed height, step stool utilization, position of the rescuer’s arms and shoulders relative to the point of chest compression, and rescuer characteristics including height, weight, and gender. Methods: Fifty-six eligible subjects, including physician assistant students and first-year emergency medicine residents, were enrolled and randomized to intervention (bed lowered and step stool readily available) and control (bed raised and step stool accessible, but concealed) groups. We instructed all subjects to complete all interventions on a high-fidelity mannequin per AHA guidelines. Secondary end points included subject arm angle, height, weight group, and gender. Results: Using an intention to treat analysis, the mean compression depths for the intervention and control groups were not significantly different. Subjects positioning their arms at a 90-degree angle relative to the sagittal plane of the mannequin’s chest achieved a mean compression depth significantly greater than those compressing at an angle less than 90 degrees. There was a significant correlation between using a step stool and achieving the correct shoulder position. Subject height, weight group, and gender were all independently associated with compression depth. Conclusion: Rescuer arm position relative to the patient’s chest and step stool utilization during CPR are modifiable factors facilitating improved chest compression depth.
The tortoise and the (soft)ware: Moore's law, Amdahl's law, and performance trends for human-machine systems

Human interaction with computing and communication systems involves a mix of parallel and serial processing by the human-computer system. Moore's Law provides an illustration of the fact that the performance of the digital components of any human-computer system has improved rapidly. But what of the performance of those human components? While we humans are amazing information processing machines, our information processing capabilities are relatively fixed. This paper reviews 100 years of the human performance literature and shows, graphically, the disparity between the non-growth in human performance and the geometrical improvements in computational capability. Further, Amdahl's Law demonstrates, algebraically, that increasingly the (non-parallelizable) human performance becomes the determining factor of speed and success in most any human-computer system. Whereas engineered products improve daily, and the amount of information for us to potentially process is growing at an ever quickening pace, the fundamental building blocks of human-information processing (e.g., reaction time, short-term memory capacity) have the same speed and capacity as they did for our grandparents. Or, likely, for the ancient Greeks. This implies much for human-computer interaction design; rather than hoping our users to read or to type faster, we must look for optimally chosen human channels and maximally matched human and machine functions. This tortoise and the (hard-and soft-)ware race demands renewed enthusiasm for, and increased, systematic attention paid to the practice of usability and to research in human-computer interaction.
Brain blood flow SPECT: posterior flow deficits in young patients with depression.

SPECT evaluation of regional cerebral blood flow is commonly used to evaluate patients who are thought to have one of the dementias. The most common of these is Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is characterized by posterior superior parietal areas of regional cerebral blood flow reduction, which are often symmetrical and comprise the most reliable SPECT diagnostic sign of AD. There are other causes of such flow abnormalities, which can produce errors in diagnosis. To the list of possible causes of posterior flow abnormalities must be added the affective disorders, including unipolar and bipolar depression, which may cause posterior inferior regional cerebral blood flow deficits. Two cases, occurring in young persons, illustrate this finding.
The Identification of Lattice Defects in GaAs and AlGaAs

Anion antisite defects are the first convincingly identified intrinsic lattice defect in GaAs. Photo-EPR allowed to determine the energy levels of this double donor, with the single donor level being midgap. This level appears to be very similar to the technologically important “EL2” center in GaAs. However, various evidence indicates that EL2 is not due to ideal, undistorted antisite defects. Fermi level pinning at Schottky contacts on GaAs has been ascribed to intrinsic lattice defects. Antisite defects are a likely candidate for this process. Finally, the microscopic identity of the “DX” center in AlGaAs will be discussed. This defect has been generally identified with a complex of a donor atom and an unknown partner. A number of recent experimental observations indicate that this defect might rather be due to isolated donors, which get deep levels because of the change of bandstructure in the alloy system.
The Responsiveness of Interaction Patterns to Emergency

The isolated community, where nothing much is happening to engage interest, is proverbially curious, gossipy, and avid of sensation. In the American colonies, the ordeal of listening to long sermnons in confortless churches was not too high a price for the satisfaction of other than religious interests, swapping gossip in the churchyard, for example, between services. Baiting a mangy old bear would do at a pinch. Governor-baiting could afford a still higher thrill when the chance came round, eagerly to be improved. Then one could go back to his isolation on a distant farm with something gratifying in his head to think about. This is what, at the far end of the scale, the travelled man enjoys. He can beguile his vacant moments by thinking, as Homer says he does: "Would I were there!-or there!" The boredom of the man who has retired from an active life is said to be the prime cause of his early break-up and death. What he then needs is some avocation, or hobby, to fill his days with interest. It does not matter to him that that interest is trivial-or foolish; at any rate, it kills time. It is a "pastime." And immortal, unending time is a curse. According to an ancient proverb, idleness gives Satan his chance-for a man has got to be doing something, and presently he will do anything, to pass the time. Today, floods of stark banality are hourly loosed upon the tortured ether by the radio. Staccato ejaculators and languishing crooners self-consciously beguile empty evenings or even attend upon laborers or speeding drivers, to distract them from focussing their attention oa what they are about. Anything will do to get excited over, from a prizefight to a rivalry of geographical districts over plural births. If the strange devices upon the banners of the present era are deciphered and interpreted, they turn out to be some version of "Enjoy !"-not "Excelsior!" but rather "Felicior!" That boredom acts as a spur to activity in selfgratification is a truth that, to be recognized, needs only suggestion. The actuality it represents should be deliberately worked as a major strand into the pattern of the gratification-fabric.
Geological Evaluation of West Virginia Landslides

The major urban areas of West Virginia have been mapped for landslides at a scale of 1:24,000 under an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant. The mapping covered 36 quadrangles where recent landslides, old landslides, rockfalls, and slide-prone areas were identified. With a landslide density of 18 per square mile covering on average 11 acres each, consideration of several geological factors that are understandable to decisionmakers and the general public was warranted. From this database, a random selection of 2,416 landslides were analyzed using 12 geological map factors to ascertain the conditions associated with past failures and attempt to assess future risk. Three natural factors associated with the sampled landslides appear to be critical for the evaluation of future risks: rock formation, soil series, and slope percent. These factors, when normalized for their actual areal distribution, provide an inexpensive, preliminary assessment of the hazard prior to any financial investment or development decision. For example, if an area has one high-risk factor, building regulations may be required to meet certain additional requirements. As the number of high-risk factors increase, perhaps with consideration given to moderate or low-risk factors, these requirements would change accordingly. Examples of landslides and this normalization procedure for several areas in West Virginia are discussed. Landslide reduction techniques will also be presented.
Shopping Orientations and Product Usage Rates

BACKGROUND This article investigates the hypothesis that urban shoppers, in their search for identity, develop shopping orientations which are related to usage rates of some categories of products. This study evolved from our con
44 IMMUNONIOSOMES TARGETED TO VASCULAR INFLAMMATION.

Vascular inflammation has been shown to initiate and propagate multiple cardiovascular pathologies; atherosclerosis is promoted and accelerated by inflammatory mechanisms. Site-specific therapies that target chronic pathological inflammation could greatly impact the completion of the AHA9s stated impact goal "to reduce coronary heart disease, stroke and risk by 25 percent. " Interruption of the inflammatory process has been studied using the cell surface glycoprotein CD44 blocked by antibody IM7. CD44 is a principal receptor for hyaluronan, a major component of extracellular matrices, and is expressed in parenchymal cells and leukocytes. Dramatic suppression of inflammation was achieved through the highly selective binding of the antibody-antigen couple as shown by Krettek et al, 2004. We have synthesized nonionic surfactant vesicles, niosomes, by thin-film hydration methods using a mixture of biocompatible sorbitan ester surfactants and cholesterol. We conjugated them to IM7 antibodies through a novel polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate-cyanuric chloride linker incorporated in the vesicle membrane. The figure shows that the resulting "immunoniosomes " bind selectively and specifically to CD44 antigen targets on synoviocytes, our initial cell model, at IgG concentrations far lower than advocated by traditional immunoliposome literature. Bovine aortic endothelial cell models express CD44 and show enhanced binding of immunoniosomes when activated with proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1-beta.
Evaluation of Platelet and Red Blood Cell Parameters with Proposal of Modified Score as Discriminating Guide for Iron Deficiency Anemia and β-Thalassemia Minor.

INTRODUCTION Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) and β-Thalassaemia Minor (BTM) are considered to be important cause of microcytic hypochromic anaemia. Studies have evaluated various red cell parameters which are easily available on electronic cell counters for discrimination of IDA and BTM in different ethnic populations. The analysis of previously established red cell discriminative indices with new cut-off have also been done by studies which may be relevant in their set of population for differentiation. AIM The study was conducted to propose a modified score considering the established red blood cell indices with a new cut off and to formulate index taking into consideration Red Blood Cell (RBC) and platelet parameters for early differentiation of IDA and BTM. MATERIALS AND METHODS The prospective study included cases with MCV< 80 fl and new modified score of 11 was proposed by statistically analysing the previous discriminative indices with new cut-off by giving score 0 for IDA and score 1 for BTM. The summation of all scores gave modified 11 T score. A new cut off for differentiation of IDA and BTM was proposed in the study by using ROC curve and analysing AUC which statistically corresponded to highest accuracy. An attempt to formulate a new index using the RBC and platelet parameters was also made for initial discrimination. RESULTS The study included 153 cases and in addition to red blood cell parameters, mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width also showed statistical significant difference between IDA and BTM (p<0.05). Modified new 11 T score was 87.6% specific for BTM while proposed index showed 80.4% negative predictive value for BTM and correctly identified 75% of cases. CONCLUSION The proposed new index and modified 11T score may be used for initial discrimination of BTM and IDA especially in resource limited regions. Apart from RBC parameters, mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width may also be useful in early differentiation. It is essential to determine cut off of every index in given population for differentiation of these two conditions.
Lactobacillus acidophilus counteracts inhibition of NHE3 and DRA expression and alleviates diarrheal phenotype in mice infected with Citrobacter rodentium

Dysregulated ion transport is a hallmark of diarrhea. Therefore, present studies examined the alleviation of downregulation of the expression of NHE3 and DRA by the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophi...
Parameter selection of multi-class SVM with evolutionary optimization methods for static security evaluation in power systems

Static Security Evaluation (SSE) is one of the most important real-time studies in power systems. Static security can be assessed by different machine learning methods. In this paper, one of the well-known classifiers, namely the Support Vector Machine (SVM), is used for solving the SSE problem. Proper operation of the SVM heavily depends on the appropriate choice of parameters. The optimization problem aims at determining these parameters. This work presents a study of several heuristic optimization methods for static security. In particular, Modified Particle Swarm Optimization (MPSO), Differential Evolution (DE), Ant Colony Optimization for continuous domain (ACOr), and Harmony Search (HS) are employed for determining the optimal SVM parameters. In addition to studying the performance of various optimization techniques, this work is concerned about viewing the SSE problem as a 2-class, a 3-class, or a 4-class classification problem, where each class is associated with a particular level of security. The performance of each method is presented in terms of classification accuracy and execution speed. It is shown that most optimization methods exhibit a similar performance. However, choosing the best optimization method seems to be dependent on the number of classes, and thus, on the number of security levels required by SSE. The New England 39-bus benchmark system is used for simulation.
Bone Sarcoma Pathology: Diagnostic Approach for Optimal Therapy

The pathologic interpretation of malignant bone tumors is one of the more challenging areas in surgical pathology. This is based on the reality that primary bone sarcomas are uncommon, demonstrate significant morphologic heterogeneity, and have a broad spectrum of biology. Accordingly, it is difficult for pathologists to acquire the necessary experience to confidently and accurately diagnose bone sarcomas. The task is further complicated by the fact that it requires the integration of clinical and radiologic information into the diagnostic process. Lastly, molecular aberrations in sarcomas are being newly discovered and their identification is often critical to make specific diagnoses. The pathologist's role in guiding optimal treatment in biopsy specimens is to make an accurate diagnosis and provide the grade and molecular aberrations when appropriate. The pathology report of resected tumors must confirm this information and assess the surgical resection margins and the percentage of necrosis if the sarcoma has been treated with neoadjuvant systemic therapy.
The Comorbidity of Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders Among Hispanic Adolescents.

Objective: The comorbidity of psychiatric disorders and substance abuse disorders among adolescents and adults is well-documented in the literature. The current study investigates the relationship ...
Loss of Brap Results in Premature G1/S Phase Transition and Impeded Neural Progenitor Differentiation

Summary Cells initiate fate decisions during G1 phase by converting extracellular signals into distinctive cell cycle kinetics. The DNA replication timing is determined in G1 phase; lengthened G1 and hastened S phases correlate with increased neurogenic propensity of neural progenitor cells (NPCs), although the underlying molecular control remains elusive. Here, we report that proper G1 phase completion in NPCs requires Brap, a Ras-Erk signaling modulator with ubiquitin E3 ligase activity. We identified Skp2 and Skp2-associated SCF ubiquitin ligase as a key target of Brap-mediated polyubiquitination. Loss of Brap resulted in elevated Skp2, which increased p27 Kip1 destruction, leading to G1 phase truncation and premature S phase entry. The aberrantly executed G1 in Brap-mutant NPCs, followed by hindered S phase progression and increased G2 phase arrest, which together prolonged the cell cycle, impeded neuronal differentiation and culminated in microcephaly. These findings demonstrate that neuronal differentiation is potentiated during G1 phase by Brap-directed cascade of events in cell signaling and protein turnover.
Electrically conductive pili: Biological function and potential applications in electronics

Electrically conductive pili (e-pili) enable long-range electron exchange between microorganisms and their extracellular environment and show promise as a ‘green’ electronic material. Most studies have focused on the e-pili of G. sulfurreducens, which play a role in Fe(III) oxide reduction and interspecies electron transfer, and confer conductivity to current-producing biofilms. However, a diversity of other microorganisms have recently been found to possess e-pili, including e-pili with unique structures. Aromatic amino acids are key elements in electron transport along the length of e-pili and the conductivity of synthetic e-pili can be tuned by manipulating aromatic content. e-Pili are attractive as an electronic material because they can be produced from renewable feedstocks and are biodegradable, yet they are also highly robust for device fabrication. Basic information on the structure of e-pili, mechanisms for electron transport, and other electronic properties is required in order to better understand their biological function and to guide the design of synthetic e-pili for applications as electronic components.
Elaborative feedback: Engaging reward and task-relevant brain regions promotes learning in pseudoword reading aloud

Although much is known about the cognitive and neural basis of establishing letter-sound mappings in learning word forms, relatively little is known about what makes for the most effective feedback during this process. We sought to determine the neural basis by which elaborative feedback (EF), which contains both reward-related and content-specific information, may be more helpful than feedback containing only one kind of information (simple positive feedback, PF) or the other (content feedback, CF) in learning orthography-phonology (spelling-sound) mappings for novel letter strings. Compared to CF, EF activated the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, implicated in reward processing. Compared to PF, EF activated the posterior middle temporal, superior temporal, and supramarginal gyri—regions implicated in orthography-phonology conversion. In the same comparison, EF also activated the left fusiform gyrus/visual word form area—implicated in orthographic processing. Also EF, but not CF or PF, modulated activity in the caudate nucleus. In a postscan questionnaire, EF and PF were rated as more pleasant than CF, suggesting that modulation of the caudate for EF may be due to the coupling of reward and skill content. These findings suggest the enhanced effectiveness of EF may be due to concurrent activation of reward-related and task-relevant brain regions.
Phonon Scattering in Glasses and Highly Disordered Crystals

A thermal conductivity varying as Tδ below 1 K, with the exponent δ close to, but less than 2, appears to be common to all noncrystalline solids1. Here, we studied the following questions: How closely does this power law actually describe the data, and can the same power law also occur in suitably disordered crystals? In answer to the first question, we show in the upper part of Fig. 1 for two different glasses (exp -Λ)/Λ, where Λexp are the experimental data points, and Λ is a least squares fit to the data below ~0.6 K. The scatter of the points is less than 5% in this temperature range; at higher temperatures, the data deviate systematically as the conductivity approaches the plateau region. For the nitrate glass sample shown, Λ= 1.62 × 10−4 T 1.87(W cm−1 K−1); the uncertainty of the exponent is ±0.01; for the prefactor, it is ~10% because of uncertainty in the geometry of the sample. For three other samples of the same glass the exponents were found to be (1.84 ± 0.01), (1.86 ± 0.01), and (1.87 ± 0.01). The pre-factors also agreed to within the experimental uncertainty. For the WO3-doped borate glass shown in Fig. 1, Λ = 1.047 × 10−4 T1.907 (W cm−1 K−1); for an undoped sample, Λ = 1.24 × 10−4 T1.910, again with the uncertainty in the exponent of ± 0.01.
Numerical study of the critical drop size on a thin horizontal fiber: Effect of fiber shape and contact angle

Abstract Fiber-based coalescers are widely used in the chemical industry to separate two immiscible fluids. Due to the complex structure inside a coalescer and the opaque nature of the fiber material, it is impractical to perform direct visualization and measurement of the multiphase flow inside a coalescer. One fundamental problem in understanding the physics inside a liquid-gas coalescer is to determine the maximum size of a drop that can attach and remain on a fiber. Previous studies (Hung and Yao, 1999; Lorenceau et al., 2004; Wang and Desjardins, 2018) have provided models to estimate the maximum size of a drop on a horizontal cylindrical fiber under gravity or cross-flow. However, it is not clear whether these models hold when the fiber shape and contact angle change. In this paper, we numerically investigate the critical drop size on a thin fiber with different shapes and contact angles, and provide a model that can be used for future coalescer modeling and design.
Optimal geometry for off-axis, freeform illumination design

A thorough investigation into the efficiency and performance of off-axis, freeform illumination systems has been conducted, and a method for arriving at the optimal tilt is established for both reflective and refractive designs. The optimal tilt for refractive designs is determined by minimizing the total light lost due to Fresnel reflections across the lens, while the optimal tilt for reflective designs ensures the source is not obstructing the reflected ray bundle. For uncoated lenses, utilizing the proposed tilt can improve efficiency by more than 150%.
Automatic speech recognition system channel modeling.

In this paper, we present a systems approach for channel modeling of an Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) system. This can have implications in improving speech recognition components, such as through discriminative language modeling. We simulate the ASR corruption using a phrase-based machine translation system trained between the reference phoneme and output phoneme sequences of a real ASR. We demonstrate that local optimization on the quality of phoneme-to-phoneme mappings does not directly translate to overall improvement of the entire model. However, we are still able to capitalize on contextual information of the phonemes which a simple acoustic distance model is not able to accomplish. Hence we show that the use of longer context results in a significantly improved model of the ASR channel.
Supervised Outlier Detection

The discussions in the previous chapters focus on the problem of unsupervised outlier detection in which no prior information is available about the abnormalities in the data. In such scenarios, many of the anomalies found correspond to noise or other uninteresting phenomena. It has been observed [338, 374, 531] in diverse applications such as system anomaly detection, financial fraud, and Web robot detection that interesting anomalies are often highly specific to particular types of abnormal activity in the underlying application. In such cases, an unsupervised outlier detection method might discover noise, which is not specific to that activity, and therefore may not be of interest to an analyst. In many cases, different types of abnormal instances could be present, and it may be desirable to distinguish among them. For example, in an intrusion-detection scenario, different types of intrusion anomalies are possible, and the specific type of an intrusion is important information.
Iron and Neurotransmitter Function in the Brain

Iron involvement in basic cell functions as well as in many human diseases has been described in excellent reviews (see, for example, Lauffer, 1992). Neural cells, like any other cell type, require iron for DNA synthesis, mitochondrial respiration, and other vitally important reactions. They are, on the other hand, susceptible to iron toxicity caused by iron overload. But the most remarkable characteristic of neural cells is observed only on the metacellular level: Neurons are organized in a network, which is used for collecting and analyzing of incoming information and producing an adequate response. This response can include regulation of non-neuronal systems.
The Current and Future State of Department of Defense (DoD) Microbiome Research: a Summary of the Inaugural DoD Tri-Service Microbiome Consortium Informational Meeting.

ABSTRACT The Tri-Service Microbiome Consortium (TSMC) was recently established to enhance collaboration, coordination, and communication of microbiome research among Department of Defense (DoD) organizations. The TSMC aims to serve as a forum for sharing information related to DoD microbiome research, policy, and applications, to monitor global advances relevant to human health and performance, to identify priority objectives, and to facilitate Tri-Service (Army, Navy, and Air Force) collaborative research. The inaugural TSMC workshop held on 10 to 11 May 2017 brought together almost 100 attendees from across the DoD and several key DoD partners. The meeting outcomes informed attendees of the scope of current DoD microbiome research efforts and identified knowledge gaps, collaborative/leveraging opportunities, research barriers/challenges, and future directions. This report details meeting presentations and discussions with special emphasis on Tri-Service labs’ current research activities.
Time-Varying Robustness Margins for Wind Turbines

This paper focuses on robustness analysis for wind turbine control systems. The dynamics of a wind turbine are nonlinear and time-varying due to several effects including blade rotation, wind shear, tower shadowing, and varying wind conditions. Thus classical gain/phase/delay margins, computed using frequency domain concepts, are insufficient for turbine control systems. The robustness analysis in this paper is instead performed in two steps. First, the turbine dynamics are linearized at either constant wind conditions or along a fixed (hub height) wind speed trajectory. This yields a linear time-varying (LTV) model for the turbine dynamics. Next, disk margins are computed using existing results for finite-horizon LTV systems. These disk margins account for uncertainty at the blade pitch and/or generator torque inputs. This method is applied to assess the margins for a 2.5 MW Clipper Liberty turbine operated by the University of Minnesota. The turbine model and source control law used in the analysis was provided by Clipper. These results provide additional insight into the robustness of the existing turbine control law.
Nutrient value of fish manure waste on lactic acid fermentation by Lactobacillus pentosus

The aim of this work was to study the feasibility of using fish manure waste as a nutrient source for lactic acid fermentation. Fish waste contains nitrogen and minerals that could support the growth of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), making it a good candidate as the nutrient source for lactic acid fermentation. Two different fish manure wastes, from Nile tilapia and channel catfish aquaculture, were investigated for their performance on different sugar substrates. Both fish waste types showed low efficiency in the direct fermentation of glucose, but satisfactory efficiencies in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of cellulosic materials, such as pure cellulose and paper sludge. The highest lactic acid yield obtained was 87% and 91%, with a corresponding volumetric productivity of 1.006 and 0.580 g L−1 h−1, and corresponding lactic acid concentration of 96 and 56 g L−1 for cellulose and paper sludge, respectively. Fish waste concentrations did not show much impact on lactic acid production for the SSF process, where increasing fish waste from 10 to 30 g L−1 resulted in less than a 10% yield increase. In the present study, fish manure waste was shown to be an effective and economic nutrient source for lactic acid production by SSF.
The effect of preoperative nutritional status on postoperative complications and overall survival in patients undergoing pelvic exenteration: A multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional cohort study.

Abstract Introduction Optimization of preoperative nutritional status has been recommended and associated with improved outcomes for other oncologic procedures, but has not been studied in patients undergoing pelvic exenteration. Methods A retrospective chart review of 199 patients was conducted. Overall survival (OS) was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate analysis was performed with Cox proportional hazards. Results 199 patients underwent PE with 61 (31%), 78 (40%) and 58 (29%) patients having colorectal, gynecologic and urologic histological diagnoses, respectively. Median OS following PE was 25 months. Preoperative serum albumin Conclusion Poor preoperative nutritional status is associated with increased complications and decreased OS. Surgeons should maximize preoperative nutritional status to improve perioperative outcomes and long-term survival.
Isolated pancreas transplantation: Is rank list position related to outcomes of imported grafts?

Transplant centers may decline an import pancreas offer based on demographics and laboratory test results, without information on actual gland quality. The relationship between position on the match run, indicative of the number of centers that chose not to use a pancreas, and patient and death-censored graft survival, is not known. We studied all 199 isolated pancreas grafts transplanted at the University of Wisconsin since July 2000 and compared overall patient and death-censored graft survival based on import vs local status. Of the 199 isolated pancreas transplants, 184 (92.5%) were imported from another donor service area with a median match rank of 49 (interquartile range 14-129). Median cold ischemia time was longer for imported pancreata (16.6 vs 13.4 hours, P = .02). In multivariate Cox modeling, there was no association with position on the rank list and patient (P = .44) or death-censored graft survival (P = .99). There was an overall rate of 6.5% of graft failure within 30 days; however, there was no association with position on the rank list and graft failure at 30 days (P = .33). Although the logistics may be challenging, sound judgment to accept offers independent of prior centers' decisions can result in quality utilization of imported pancreata.
Tuning the electronic properties of the γ-Al2O3 surface by phosphorus doping.

Tuning the electronic properties of oxide surfaces is of pivotal importance, because they find applicability in a variety of industrial processes, including catalysis. Currently, the industrial protocols for synthesizing oxide surfaces are limited to only partial control of the oxide's properties. This is because the ceramic processes result in complex morphologies and a priori unpredictable behavior of the products. While the bulk doping of alumina surfaces has been demonstrated to enhance their catalytic applications (i.e. hydrodesulphurization (HDS)), the fundamental understanding of this phenomenon and its effect at an atomic level remain unexplored. In our joint experimental and computational study, simulations based on Density Functional Theory (DFT), synthesis, and a variety of surface characterization techniques are exploited for the specific goal of understanding the structure–function relationship of phosphorus-doped γ-Al2O3 surfaces. Our theoretical calculations and experimental results agree in finding that P doping of γ-Al2O3 leads to a significant decrease in its work function. Our computational models show that this decrease is due to the formation of a new surface dipole, providing a clear picture of the effect of P doping at the surface of γ-Al2O3. In this study, we uncover a general paradigm for tuning support–catalyst interactions that involves electrostatic properties of doped γ-Al2O3 surface, specifically the surface dipole. Our findings open a new pathway for engineering the electronic properties of metal oxides’ surfaces.
Polarization Independent, Broad Angle Retro-Reflection with an Optical Meta-Grating

Metasurfaces enable a large degree of manipulation of the impinging electromagnetic wavefront over a thin profile. As an example, retroreflective metasurfaces reflect waves in the opposite half space compared to regular mirrors, a functionality highly desirable for identification tagging, radars and street signaling. While common approaches require bulky configurations, gradient metasurfaces have been recently proposed as thin retroreflectors. However, these designs suffer from inefficiencies and sensitivity to loss. Here, we discuss the design and implementation of an ultrathin grating metasurface realizing polarization-independent retroreflection on the impinging wavefront, with a broad angular response and nearly lossless features. By judiciously engineering the metasurface in space, the incident light can be coupled back to an anomalous diffraction order aligned with the impinging direction. We optimize the surface to provide a robust response in angle and frequency, paving the way towards efficient, easy to engineer and polarization-independent retroreflection using a single, deeply subwavelength metasurface layer.
Sheltering Income Through a Corporation

In this article, Glogower and Kamin respond to Michael S. Knoll’s recent argument that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act creates “very close to a level playing field” between passthrough and corporate entities, and they explain why some high-income owners may achieve tax savings by using corporations.
External syringomyelia in longstanding benign foramen magnum tumors.

Background The effect of benign foramen magnum tumours on cranial and spinal dimensions and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) spaces is unclear. In this study, we measured alterations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) spaces in the spinal canal and in the posterior cranial fossa distant from the site of benign foramen magnum tumors. Methods Twenty-nine magnetic resonance imaging scans of patients with foramen magnum tumors (8 meningiomas and 21 C2 neurinomas) were identified for radiological morphometric analysis and compared with normal control scans. The anterior-posterior distance between the pontomedullary junction and the clivus, the spinal canal diameter, spinal cord diameter, and cord-canal ratios were measured at the C6 and T2 levels. Results The mean spinal canal diameter was significantly higher in tumor scans at both the C6 and T2 spinal levels than in controls (13.8 mm vs. 11.4 mm at C6; p<0.0001, and 12.9 mm vs. 11.9 mm at T2; P=0.01). Further, the mean cord:canal ratio was significantly lower in tumor scans at both levels (0.49 vs. 0.64 at C6; P<0.0001, and 0.45 vs. 0.54 at T2; P=0.0009). There was no significant difference in mean anteroposterior distance from the clivus to the pontomedullary junction (10.4 mm vs. 10.3 mm; P=0.91). Conclusion In the presence of benign foramen magnum tumors, the spinal canal diameter and CSF volume in the spinal canal increased at the C6 and T2 levels, distant from the tumor site, a phenomenon we describe as "external syringomyelia".
Reducing Unnecessary Chest X-Ray Films After Thoracic Surgery: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

Background Previous work has identified that inpatient post-thoracic surgery chest x-ray films (CXR) are overutilized. Methods A three-phase rapid cycle quality improvement initiative was performed to reduce empiric post-thoracic surgery CXR use by 25% over 1 year. We adapted evidence-based guidelines and implemented “plan-do-study-act” (PDSA) cycle methodology. The PDSA cycles included (1) education with literature and preintervention statistics; (2) electronic medical record order-set modification; and (3) audit and feedback with monthly status reports. Each cycle lasted 3 months. Use of CXR was tracked in the post-anesthesia care unit and as a daily rate of non–post-anesthesia care unit CXRs. Cost data were estimated from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services fees. Results During the initiative, 292 thoracic surgery inpatients were monitored. Before intervention, 99% of patients (69 of 70) received a post-anesthesia care unit CXR, and the daily rate of other CXRs was 1.6. Overall, there was a significant reduction in CXR utilization (P Conclusions Implementation of our quality improvement initiative safely and systematically reduced empiric CXR use after inpatient thoracic surgery. Results will be used in future quality improvement initiatives to reduce unnecessary postoperative testing.
Results Following Surgical Intervention for Fracture Nonunions: Does Diabetes Predict Poor Outcomes?

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the functional outcomes of diabetic patients who were treated for a fracture nonunion against matched controls. Materials and Methods: Sixty-one diabetic patients (type 1 or type 2) were identified from a prospective database. This cohort was paired with matched controls and univariate analysis was performed to evaluate for differences in complication rates, time to bony union and functional outcomes at 3, 6, 12, and greater than 24 months post-operatively. Results: The diabetic group was composed of 29 females and 32 males, with an average age of 58 years, and 17 upper extremity nonunions and 43 lower extremity nonunions. Time to bony union, complication rate or functional outcomes at any follow-up time point did not significantly differ between groups. Conclusions : The comorbidity of diabetes mellitus does not lead to worse functional outcomes or increased complications following surgical treatment for a fracture nonunion.
The 'Magnificent Fraud': Trust, International Cooperation, and the Hidden Domestic Politics of American Multilateralism after World War II 1

This article seeks to overturn the conventional wisdom that World War II forced a decisive, bipartisan break in American grand strategy. As they had after World War I, American political elites debated the relative merits of unilateralism and multilateralism. Assessments of the relative costs and benefits of a cooperative and multilateral solution to American security depended on judgments about the likelihood of opportunism by America’s partners. Democrats were more trusting than Republicans, expecting cooperation where the latter anticipated defection. This led to different preferences for the creation and design of the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty. Drawing on theories of ‘‘social orientation’’ and political ideology, I explain why the left is more trusting than the right. Rationalist accounts of the creation and design of the UN and NATO overstate the case for ideological convergence and therefore the importance of structure because they largely ignore behind-the-scene bipartisan consultations that allowed for a compromise prior to the votes on the respective treaties. My social psychological theory of international cooperation demonstrates that multilateralism is a dispositional trait, not a simple functional response to some objective security situation. One of the great truisms in the study of international relations is that World War II forced a decisive and bipartisan break in American foreign policy (Kupchan and Trubowitz 2007; Busby and Monten 2008). After 1945, the United States embarked upon a new internationalist path of engagement that broke with its previous grand strategy of political‐military isolation, ushering in a new age of peace and prosperity. This new course was most evident in its new enthusiasm toward international organizations. Whereas the United States declined to enter the League of Nations after World War I, it joined the United Nations and a few short years later signed and ratified the North Atlantic Treaty. Structuralists argue that the changing nature of military technology, the United States’ unprecedented power, the scope of its interests, and the growing threat of the
Certified lies: detecting and defeating government interception attacks against SSL (short paper)

This paper introduces the compelled certificate creation attack, in which government agencies may compel a certificate authority to issue false SSL certificates that can be used by intelligence agencies to covertly intercept and hijack individuals' secure Web-based communications.
Extension of the three-component model of commitment to five foci - Development of measures and substantive test

We tested the generalizability of Meyer and Allen's (1991) three-component model of commitment to five foci, using a sample of university alumni (N = 478) and a sample of hospital nurses (N = 186). First, measures of affective, continuance, and normative commitment to the organization, the occupation, the supervisor, the work group, and customers were developed and tested using confirmatory factor analysis. Results provided strong support for the three-component model both within and across foci. They also showed that "high sacrifice" and "low alternatives" were distinguishable subcomponents within the continuance organizational commitment scale. Second, using hierarchical regression analysis, we show that commitments directed to foci other than the organization contribute unique variance in intent to quit the organization, above and beyond organizational commitment. Finally logistic regression analysis used to examine the relationships between commitment components and actual turnover measured 18 months after among the alumni sample revealed that affective organizational commitment and high sacrifice were the single significant predictors of turnover.
Sexual activity and vaginal topography in women with symptomatic pelvic floor disorders.

Abstract Introduction Pelvic floor disorders affect vaginal anatomy and may affect sexual function. Aims The aims of this study were to explore the relationship between vaginal anatomy and sexual activity in women with symptomatic pelvic floor disorders and to assess whether vaginal measurements (topography) correlate with sexual function. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study comparing sexually active and nonsexually active women planning urogynecologic surgery. Our primary outcome was the difference in vaginal topography based on Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP‐Q) exam between cohorts. Correlations between POP‐Q measurements and Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire short form (PISQ‐12) scores were assessed in sexually active women. Main Outcome Measure The POP‐Q is a quantitative and standardized examination for prolapse. The PISQ‐12 is a condition‐specific sexual function questionnaire validated in sexually active women with pelvic floor disorders. Results Of 535 women, 208 (39%) were sexually active and 327 (61%) were not. Median genital hiatus (GH) and perineal body (PB) measurements and a PB : GH ratio were not significantly different between the two cohorts. Total vaginal length (TVL) was longer in sexually active women (median 9 vs. 8 cm, P Conclusions In women with pelvic floor disorders, sexual activity is associated with a longer vaginal length. One‐quarter of women indicated they avoided sexual activity because of pelvic floor symptoms. Vaginal topography does not correlate with sexual function based on PISQ‐12 scores. Edenfield AL, Levin PJ, Dieter AA, Amundsen CL, and Siddiqui NY. Sexual activity and vaginal topography in women with symptomatic pelvic floor disorders. J Sex Med 2015;12::416–423.