cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decomposition and colonisation by invertebrates of native and exotic leaf material in a small stream in New England (Australia)

In many parts of south-eastern Australia, native riparian vegetation has been cleared and exotic willows planted. In order to evaluate some of the possible effects of this practice, the decomposition and colonisation by invertebrates of the leaves of three native plant species along with those of willow were examined. Decomposition of leaves of the willow Salix babylonica L. and the indigenous macrophyte Myriophyllum propinquum A. Cunn. was much faster than for leaves of the indigenous trees Eucalyptus blakelyi Maiden and Casuarina cunninghamiana Miq. Both macroinvertebrates and current were found to have a significant influence upon decomposition. The pattern of preferential colonisation suggested that plant detritus represented a primary food source for invertebrates and not simply a refuge. Colonisation was found to be a function of the stage of decomposition, regardless of plant species. The lower temporal availability of willow leaves compared to the native evergreen tree leaves appears to be insufficient to enhance the production of the benthic macroinvertebrates.
Navigation-Guided Endoscopic Intraventricular Injectable Tumor Model: Cadaveric Tumor Resection Model for Neurosurgical Training

Background Intraventricular tumors present difficult challenges to the neurosurgeon. Neurosurgeons have begun to explore the possibilities of using the endoscope in the radical resection of solid intraventricular lesions. There is a steep learning curve when dealing with such lesions with an endoscope. Objective The aim of this study was to create a laboratory training model for neuroendoscopic surgery of intraventricular lesions guided by the navigation system. We believe this technique is more reliable than the traditional approach using contrast injection with C-arm x-ray guidance. Materials and Methods Five formalin-fixated, latex-injected cadaveric heads were used. The arterial system was injected with red latex through the common carotid arteries, and the venous system was injected with blue latex through the internal jugular veins at the C6 vertebral level. The contrast-enhancing tumor polymer, Stratathane resin ST-504-derived polymer (SRSDP), was injected into the lateral ventricle via Frazier's point under direct endoscopic visualization and real-time neuronavigation guidance. When navigation was used for trajectory planning, the peel-away sheath was registered using a frameless navigational system (BrainLAB, Feldkirchen, Germany). A questionnaire was distributed to all participants in an endoscopic cadaveric course in which the models were used to evaluate the endoscopic tumor model. Results Neurosurgeons participating in the course performed an endoscopic approach to resect the intraventricular tumor model through an ipsilateral frontal burr hole. The properties of the SRSDP mixture could be manipulated through varying concentrations of the materials used, in order to reach the desired consistency of a nodular solid lesion and possibility for piecemeal resection. The tumor model allowed participants to compare between normal and pathologic endoscopic anatomy in the same cadaveric head. Conclusion This injectable tumor model with the combination of neuroendoscopy and navigation can improve the accuracy of the endoscopic approach and minimize the risk of cadaveric brain specimen damage that in return augments the feeling of lifelike conditions. Using this endoscopic injectable tumor model technique can assist neurosurgeons' preparation for the challenges associated with an endoscopic piecemeal resection of a solid lesion in the lateral or third ventricle.
The upper gastrointestinal endoscopy report.

The endoscopy report is the primary means of communicating details of the endoscopic procedure and findings. Standardization of terminology, format, and content has greatly improved the endoscopy report. Exciting recent advances include the trend toward computerization in gastroenterology and the introduction of computerized endoscopic databases.
The impact of decellularization agents on renal tissue extracellular matrix

The combination of patient-specific cells with scaffolds obtained from natural sources may result in improved regeneration of human tissues. Decellularization of the native tissue is the first step...
The tracker and calorimeter systems of the Mu2e experiment

The Mu2e experiment at Fermilab is a sensitive search for lepton flavor violation via muon-to-electron conversion in the field of an aluminum nucleus. The requirements for the tracking and calorimeter systems of the experiment, as well as the design of systems that fulfill these requirements, are briefly described.
Exogenous Factors and Spillovers: The Role of the State

One of the most intriguing questions in studies of participation is whether the state can play a supportive role in stimulating civicness. Ideally, civic participation should remain mostly autonomous from state actions. The risks of too much state interference on civic groups are well known, ranging from stifling self-sufficiency to undermining political pluralism (see Jeong and Oh 2010). But in very poor communities, where levels of human and other forms of capital are very low, it might be naive to expect participation to emerge without state support.
An approach to using RASP tools in analog systems education

This paper presents the assessment results of using Field Programmable Analog Arrays (FPAAs) and its concomitant design automation software, RASP Tools, in an analog graduate level course to integrate hands-on activities for learning. We describe our teaching methodology as well as experiments involving the FPAA SoC and its tool suite created for this course. We are evaluating the student satisfaction of using RASP Tools and FPAA SoCs for analog design and our blended approach to convey this material. Metrics considered are students' perception of hardware & software capabilities, self-efficacy in the core areas, and their assessment of the course methodology.
Pharmacogenomics in Molecular Oncology

In the past decade, substantial advances in pharmacogenomics have increasingly unveiled the genetic basis of interindividual differences in drug responses. Majority of these advances have been made in the field of oncology which revolutionized cancer therapy. Pharmacogenomics plays a significant role in the pharmacotherapy of cancer as narrow therapeutic indices, variable response rates, rapid and severe systemic toxicity, and unpredictable efficacy are all hallmarks of cancer therapies. Personalized oncologic care is becoming a trend because of the constant advancement in the clinical molecular diagnostics and biomarker discoveries. In addition, the intricate molecular mechanisms that provoke neoplastic cell transformation along with the dysregulation of alternative complementary pathways have been increasingly understood. This review discusses the current commonly used predictive and prognostic biomarkers in clinical oncology molecular testing.
Unique molecular changes in kidney allografts after simultaneous liver-kidney compared with solitary kidney transplantation

Kidney allografts transplanted simultaneously with liver allografts from the same donor are known to be immunologically privileged. This is especially evident in recipients with high levels of donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies. Here we investigated the mechanisms of liver's protective impact using gene expression in the kidney allograft. Select solitary kidney transplant or simultaneous liver-kidney transplant recipients were retrospectively reviewed and separated into four groups: 16 cross-match negative kidney transplants, 15 cross-match positive kidney transplants, 12 cross-match negative simultaneous liver-kidney transplants, and nine cross-match–positive simultaneous liver-kidney transplants. Surveillance biopsies of cross-match–positive kidney transplants had increased expression of genes associated with donor-specific antigens, inflammation, and endothelial cell activation compared to cross-match–negative kidney transplants. These changes were not found in cross-match–positive simultaneous liver-kidney transplant biopsies when compared to cross-match–negative simultaneous liver-kidney transplants. In addition, simultaneously transplanting a liver markedly increased renal expression of genes associated with tissue integrity/metabolism, regardless of the cross-match status. While the expression of inflammatory gene sets in cross-match–positive simultaneous liver-kidney transplants was not completely reduced to the level of cross-match–negative kidney transplants, the downstream effects of donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies were blocked. Thus, simultaneous liver-kidney transplants can have a profound impact on the kidney allograft, not only by decreasing inflammation and avoiding endothelial cell activation in cross-match–positive recipients, but also by increasing processes associated with tissue integrity/metabolism by unknown mechanisms.
Soaps, synthetic surfactants, and polymers

This chapter reviews the chemical nature, synthesis, and environmental problems associated with biodegradable and nonbiodegradable organic compounds. Most of the polymers and surfactants in the detergents are made mainly from the chemicals derived from petroleum, and contain segments of linear or lightly branched hydrocarbon chains. Both soaps and synthetic detergents have similar structures, and their mechanisms of cleansing are also similar; however, zeolites of the detergents have environmental problems and they promote surface algal blooms. Microorganisms in the environment can utilize the energy of oxidation released by some hydrocarbons, soaps, and surfactants through β-oxidation. The chapter illustrates the microbial metabolism of hydrocarbons, soaps and synthetic detergents, and proposes guidelines to facilitate the understanding of microbial degradation of detergents. Although progress has been made in the synthesis of biodegradable polymers, these materials cost more, and in general, their properties are not as useful as those prepared from petroleum feedstock. A potential problem associated with biodegradable surfactants is the eutrophication of lakes that results from microbial degradation. The biodegradable replacements have solved the environmental problems associated with nonbiodegradable surfactants, and it is likely that biodegradable polymers assume an increasingly larger percentage of the polymer market.
Investigating the Interaction of Ascorbic Acid with Anthocyanins and Pyranoanthocyanins

Juices colored by anthocyanins experience color loss related to fortification with ascorbic acid (AA), thought to be the result of condensation at Carbon-4 of anthocyanins. To further understand this mechanism, pyranoanthocyanins, having a fourth-ring covalently occupying Carbon-4, were synthesized to compare its reactivity with AA against that of anthocyanins. Pyranoanthocyanins were synthesized by combining chokeberry anthocyanins with pyruvic acid. AA (250–1000 mg/L) was added to either chokeberry extract, cyanidin-3-galactoside, or 5-Carboxypyranocyanidin-3-galactoside. Samples were stored in the dark for 5 days at 25 °C and spectra (380–700 nm), color (CIE-L*c*h*), and composition changes (HPLC-MS/MS) were monitored. Extensive bleaching occurred for cyanidin-3-galactoside and chokeberry colored solutions, with a decrease in half-lives from 22.8 to 0.3 days for Cyanidin-3-galactoside when 1000 mg/L AA was added. 5-Carboxypyranocyanidin-3-galactoside solution better maintained color with limited loss in absorbance, due to the formation of colored degradation products (λvis-max = 477 to 487 nm), and half-life decrease from 40.8 to 2.7 days, an 8–13-fold improvement compared to anthocyanins. This suggested alternative sites of reactivity with AA. Carbon-4 may be the preferred site for AA-pigment interactions, but it was not the only location. With Carbon-4 blocked, 5-Carboxypyranocyanidin-3-galactoside reacted with AA to form new pigments and reduce bleaching.
Trends related to program participation, implementation, best practices, challenges and resource requests among oncology care model (OCM) participants.

6524Background: The OCM is an alternative payment model (APM), developed by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to improve the quality of oncology care. The Patient Outcomes & Poli...
Patient-reported outcomes of multifocal and accommodating intraocular lenses: analysis of 117 patients 2-10 years after surgery.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the satisfaction levels of patients at least 2 years after cataract surgery implantation with bilateral accommodating or bilateral multifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs) and to determine the relative rate of spectacle independence and adverse symptoms in that same time frame. Design Patient questionnaire administered in a single-center private practice at least 2 years after cataract surgery with presbyopia-correcting IOL implantation. Methods Patients who had undergone uncomplicated cataract surgery with an accommodating or multifocal IOL implant were eligible for inclusion. Patients with visually significant non-IOL-related postoperative morbidity were excluded. Patients with astigmatism or residual refractive error were not excluded. The main outcome measure was patient satisfaction at least 2 years after IOL implantation. Results Sixty-eight patients who received accommodating lenses and 49 patients who received multifocal lenses completed the questionnaire. The mean age of all patients was 75.7 years at the time of survey; the mean number of years since cataract surgery was 5.4 years. Overall, there were no significant differences between the two groups or within each group between the different lenses used. About 90% of patients in each group were "very satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied" with their vision at least 2 years after the initial surgery. Conversely, only one in eleven patients found his vision to be worse than expected. Conclusions The majority of patients who received either accommodating or multifocal IOLs remain satisfied with their lens of choice more than 5 years after the original surgery. Glare and halos remain more noticeable in patients who received multifocal lenses.
A Study of the Relationship between a Mechanical Coupling Metric and Gait Characteristics for an Ankle-Actuated Biped Robot

This paper presents a study of the relationship between the magnitude of coupling between the actuated and unactuated degrees of freedom for an ankle-actuated biped robot and the robustness and cost of transport of the gait. It extends prior results that considered only the instantaneous coupling at individual poses to analyze the cumulative effects of coupling over entire trajectories. The coupling metric is general in that it can be computed directly from the Lagrangian of the system. By using a two-link biped model, a family of ankle-actuated candidate gaits defined by fourth-order Bezier polynomials is generated, and the feasibility of the gaits is verified in the sense that the unilateral constraint of ground reaction force is satisfied. The correlation between the coupling metric and the maximum magnitude of disturbance that can be rejected is significant. It indicates that robust gaits tend to have small coupling under zero disturbance so that the “reserve” coupling may be utilized to reject the disturbance. Moreover, gaits with smaller cost of transport under zero disturbances have smaller coupling and therefore should be more robust.
Bayesian-based survival analysis: inferring time to death in host-pathogen interactions

The standard approach to modeling survival times, or more generally, time to event data, is often based on parametric assumptions that may not fit the data collected well. One of the goals of this article is to discuss and compare several commonly used parametric and non-parametric, as well as a Bayesian semi-parametric method for survival data. We do so in the context of the data from an experimental system where insect herbivores become infected when consuming a lethal virus along with the plant on which the virus resides. We used data collected on individual insects that were fed known doses of virus along with varying genotypes of a single plant species (soybean), to compare how the insect’s diet affects its time to death. Through hazard characterization and model selection, we found that the flexible semi-parametric analysis is better at describing the time-to-death data while maintaining a relatively parsimonious form. Unlike the standard parametric and non-parametric approaches, the Bayesian semi-parametric approach better captured the rapid decline in the hazard function after a window of time where the host was most vulnerable to the virus. For our study system, being able to accurately model time to death and quantify how plant genetics affects within-insect disease processes allows us to gain a better understanding of the host-pathogen interaction at an individual level. While we show the appropriateness of the Bayesian semi-parametric approach for infection data, this method readily applies to data sets concerned with characterizing a time until any event.
An integrated multi-echelon robust closed- loop supply chain under imperfect quality production

Abstract- In this paper, we consider a novel closed loop supply chain design consisting of multiple periods and multiple echelons. The models are considered under imperfect quality production with multiple uncertainties to provide meaningful solutions to practical problems. In addition, we assume that the screening is not always perfect, and inspection errors are more likely to take place in practice. We measure the amount of quality loss as conforming products deviate from the specification (target) value. In our study, we develop three robust counterparts models based on box, polyhedral, and combined interval and polyhedral uncertainty sets. We utilize different a priori probability bounds to approximate probabilistic constraints and provide a safe solution. The objective is to minimize the total cost of the supply chain network. Finally, numerical examples are provided to illustrate the proposed models. The paper is expected to provide more insights in managing this important problem.
Carbon‒Carbon Bond Activation of Ketones

C−C bond activation has emerged as an increasingly useful approach for constructing complex molecular scaffolds through unusual bond-disconnection strategies. As a common versatile functional group, ketones provide an excellent handle and platform for C−C bond activation reactions. Utilizing strain-release, carbon-monoxide-extrusion, and directing-group (DG) approaches, diverse transformations of various ketones have been developed in the past few decades through cleavage of their α C−C bonds. This review highlights the development of C−C bond-activation strategies for both strained and less strained ketones with a focus on transition-metal (TM)-catalyzed approaches.
Surgical Management of the Axilla in Patients with Occult Breast Cancer (cT0 N+) After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Occult breast cancer (OBC) is a rare clinical entity. Current surgical management includes axillary lymphadenectomy (ALND) with or without mastectomy. We sought to investigate the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with OBC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Patients with clinical T0N+ breast cancer were selected from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB, 2004–2014) and compared according to axillary surgical approach, SLNB (≤ 4 LNs) or ALND (> 4 LNs). Primary outcome was overall survival (OS), calculated using Kaplan–Meier methods. Secondary outcome was complete pathological response (pCR). A total of 684 patients with OBC were identified: 470 (68.7%) underwent surgery upfront and 214 (31.3%) received NAC. Of the NAC patients, 34 (15.9%) underwent SLNB and 180 (84.1%) ALND. One hundred and fifty-three (72%) patients received radiotherapy (RT). There was no difference in pCR rates between the ALND and SLNB (34.3% vs 24.5%, respectively p = 0.245). In patients undergoing surgery first, improved OS was observed with ALND compared to SLNB (106.9 vs 85.5 months, p = 0.013); however, no difference in OS was found in patients who received NAC (105.6 vs 111.3 months, p = 0.640). RT improved OS in patients who underwent NAC followed by SLNB (RT, 123 months vs no RT, 64 months, p = 0.034). Of NAC patients who did not undergo RT, ALND had superior survival compared to SLNB (113 vs 64 months, p = 0.013). This is the first comparative analysis assessing the surgical management of the axilla in patients with OBC who underwent NAC. In this population, there was a decrease in survival in patients who underwent SLNB alone; however, with the addition of RT, there was no difference in OS between SLNB and ALND. SLNB plus RT may be considered as an alternative to ALND in patients with OBC who have a good response to NAC.
“A Cart that Charged was with hey”: The Symbolism of Hay in Chaucer’s “Friar’s Tale”

Chaucer’s “Friar’s Tale” condemns summoners for their links to Satan and their avaricious attachment to ephemeral goods. These two threads converge in the scene where the tale summoner urges his companion (a fiend) to seize a cart of hay and horses that were insincerely offered to the fiend by a frustrated carter. This essay examines the significance of Chaucer’s decision to specify hay as the contents of the cart. The Bible and other texts had long used hay as a symbol of ephemerality, materiality, and the sin of avarice, a late efflorescence of which is found in another medium, Bosch’s painting “The Haywain”. The summoner’s willful insistence on taking the cart of hay draws him closer to the very substance that symbolizes his own sinful propensities and secures the certainty of his damnation well before the actual event.
Aging reduces cerebral blood flow regulation following an acute hypertensive stimulus

Aging increases arterial stiffness, which has a negative impact on cerebral blood flow (CBF) regulation (decreases CBF and increases CBF pulsatility). The association between arterial stiffness and CBF pulsatility may, in part, explain the relationship between elevated blood pressure (BP) fluctuations and end-organ disease with aging. To understand the mechanisms by which large BP alterations influence cerebral blood flow regulation in both young and old, we examined the effects of age on central and cerebral blood flow regulation following an acute hypertensive stimulus [resistance-exercise (RE)]. Measurements were obtained pre and immediately, 5, and 30 min post-RE in young (n = 35) and older (n = 26) adults. Measurements included cerebral blood velocity (CBv), CBv pulsatility, central pulse-wave velocity (PWV), beta-stiffness index (β), and carotid blood flow pulsatility. Central hemodynamics and BP were continuously recorded. Mean CBv increased immediately post-RE only in the young and decreased below baseline at 5 min post-RE in both groups (interaction, P < 0.05). Older adults had a greater increase in CBv pulsatility immediately post-RE compared with the young (interaction, P < 0.05). Mean BP was higher and carotid pulsatility was lower in the older group and increased immediately post-RE in both groups (P < 0.05). PWV increased immediately post-RE (P < 0.05). There were no changes in β. In conclusion, with aging, greater central arterial stiffness leads to a greater transmission of pulsatile blood velocity from the systemic circulation to the cerebral circulation following an acute hypertensive stress.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Reductions in cerebral blood flow and increases in flow pulsatility with aging are associated to cerebrovascular disease; however, little is known about how an acute hypertensive stimulus effects cerebral blood flow regulation in an aged population. Following the hypertensive stimulus, older adults elicit an attenuated increase in cerebral blood velocity and greater transmission of pulsatile velocity to the brain compared with young adults, demonstrating reduced cerebral blood flow regulation to elevated blood pressure responses with aging.
Data Mining in Large Frequency Tables With Ontology, with an Application to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System

Vaccine safety is a concerning problem of the public, and many signal detecting methods have been developed to identify relative risks between vaccines and adverse events (AEs). Those methods usually focus on individual AEs, where the randomness of data is high. The results often turn out to be inaccurate and lack of clinical meaning. The AE ontology contains information about biological similarity of AEs. Based on this, we extend the concept of relative risks (RRs) to AE group level, which allows the possibility of more accurate and meaningful estimation by utilizing data from the whole group. In this paper, we propose the method this http URL (Zero Inflated Gamma Poisson Shrinker with AE ontology) based on the zero inflated negative binomial distribution. This model has two purples: a regression model estimating group level RRs, and a empirical bayes framework to evaluate AE level RRs. The regression part can handle both excess zeros and over dispersion in the data, and the empirical method borrows information from both group level and AE level to reduce data noise and stabilize the AE level result. We have demonstrate the unbiaseness and low variance features of our model with simulated data, and obtained meaningful results coherent with previous studies on the VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) database. The proposed methods are implemented in the R package this http URL, which can be installed from the Comprehensive R Archive Network, CRAN. The results on VAERS data are visualized using the interactive web app Rshiny.
Customizing Your Demons: Anxiety Reduction via Anthropomorphizing and Destroying an "Anxiety Avatar".

Character customization is a prominent feature in digital games, affording users the ability to tailor one's virtual self-representation (avatar) to match aspects of their actual or ideal self, influencing psychological well-being. The mental health implications of character customization can be partially explained by self-discrepancy theory, which argues that achieving congruence with one's avatar reduces cognitive dissonance. However, the role of undesirable self-concepts such as mental health ailments have largely been overlooked in this context despite forming part of one's identity. In theory, customization of an avatar representing undesirable self-concepts presents a self-regulatory paradox: individuals desire to reduce discrepancies with a self-representation, yet they also desire to enlarge discrepancies with a disliked-self. To reconcile this, two experiments explored the psychological implications of imbuing avatars with undesirable self-concepts. In Study 1 (N = 90), participants customized an avatar to represent anxiety within themselves (i.e., an anxiety avatar). Customization significantly reduced state anxiety compared to a control group, supporting the proposed discrepancy-reduction mechanism. Study 2 (N = 122) employed a 2 (customization: yes, no) × 2 (destruction: yes, no) between-subjects design, with participants either destroying or observing an anxiety avatar. Destruction of customized anxiety avatars resulted in the largest reduction in anxiety among all conditions, supporting the proposed discrepancy-enlargement mechanism. Theoretical and practical implications for the use of avatar-based e-mental health interventions are discussed.
Social media split testing and message framing: emerging capacities to encourage residential water conservation

Water conservation in residential landscapes remains essential to mitigate projected global water shortages. Social media has seldom been used to drive engagement in conservation and may be an impo...
Combining the Information From Econometrics Learning (EL) and Machine Learning (ML)

This paper provides a basis for combining the information from econometric learning-EL and machine learning-ML, to understand the hidden economic behavioral processes and systems, and predict the distributive impacts of economic policies and sharp changes in the direction of the economy. We use the key concepts of entropy methods, to develop a theoretical economic framework for combining EL and ML, in self-organizing-optimizing economic behavior systems, that involves nonlinear dynamics at the macro-level and stochastic individual behavior at the micro level. The paper contains both the theory and empirical applications relating to combining EL and ML, and evaluating the resulting nature of the economic behavior system.
Do Parents Expect Too Much or is it All About Grades? The Discrepancy between Parents' Aspirations and Child's Academic Performance, and Parental Satisfaction with the School

Schooling is related to health and future labor market outcomes. The school parents choose for their children often depends on feedback received from other parents. Therefore it is important to understand whether parental satisfaction with the school depends only on objective measures of the quality of the school. We examine the association between children's academic performance, parents' aspirations, the mismatch between the two, and parents' satisfaction with different aspects of children's schooling. The findings suggest that excellent academic performance of the child is associated with higher parental satisfaction, regardless of parents' aspirations. High expectations accompanied by low performance are negatively related to parental satisfaction with all aspects of children's schooling. The results have implications related to school rankings and the significance of parental school reviews.
Demystification of CSR Disclosures: Evidences from OPEC Countries

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has increasingly attracted attention from the business, political and public spheres over the last decade. This is a special phenomenon, particularly in the oil and gas industry due to the rise in demand for oil, the usefulness of gas and the undisputable significance of oil and gas to the development and sustainment of the global economy. Oil and gas companies have also attached greater importance to the corporate social responsibility disclosure due to their increasing activities and the environmental impact on local communities. However, corporate social responsibility disclosure has been confined to the developed countries while the developing countries suffer from environmental disclosure practices. Several studies also show that large revenues from extractive industries may undermine economic, political and social development in developing countries; a problem coined as the "paradox of plenty". Using disclosure index approach that is based on the content analysis method, this paper identifies the level of corporate social responsibility disclosure (CSRD) of some members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Handcuffed in School: Legal and Practice Considerations

Incidences such as students committing shootings, fighting with teachers and other students, perpetrating sexual assault, and bringing weapons to schools are concerning for administrators, teachers, and the public. To respond to such situations school officials have increasingly been using exclusionary and aversive measures as well as expanding police presence in schools. The purpose of this paper is to examine case law involving law enforcement in schools, with a specific emphasis on arresting and/or handcuffing students. We examined 33 court cases in which students were handcuffed in school. Although handcuffing was used in each of these cases, only nine students were arrested and charged. Students are being handcuffed for non-criminal offenses.
Determining Variable Costs in the Acute Urolithiasis Cycle of Care Through Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing.

Abstract Objective To characterize full cycle of care costs for managing an acute ureteral stone using time-driven activity-based costing. Methods We defined all phases of care for patients presenting with an acute ureteral stone and built an overarching process map. Maps for sub-processes were constructed through interviews with providers and direct observation of clinical spaces. This facilitated calculation of cost per minute for all aspects of care delivery, which were multiplied by associated process times. These were added to consumable costs to determine cost for each specific step and later aggregated to determine total cost for each sub-process. We compared costs of eight common clinical pathways for acute stone management, defining total cycle of care cost as the sum of all sub-processes that comprised each pathway. Results Cost per sub-process included $920 for emergency department (ED) care, $1665 for operative stent placement, $2368 for percutaneous nephrostomy tube placement, $106 for urology clinic consultation, $238 for preoperative center visit, $4057 for ureteroscopy with laser lithotripsy (URS), $2923 for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, $169 for clinic stent removal, $197 for abdominal x-ray, and $166 for ultrasound. The lowest cost pathway ($1388) was for medical expulsive therapy, whereas the most expensive pathway ($8002) entailed a repeat ED visit prompting temporizing stent placement and interval URS. Conclusion We found a high degree of cost variation between care pathways common to management of acute ureteral stone episodes. Reliable cost accounting data and an understanding of variability in clinical pathway costs can inform value-based care redesign as payors move away from pure fee-for-service reimbursement.
Microstructural evolution and surface strengthening of pulse-laser treated Ti/Ni multilayer thin films

Abstract In this study, a picosecond pulse laser was utilized to treat Ti/Ni multilayer thin films to induce desired microstructure change and surface strengthening. It was observed that with the increase of laser pulse-energy, the microstructure of the treated films can be significantly modified. The surface morphology evolves from a homogeneous grain surface, to a cross-hatched pattern surface, and then to a rough melted surface covered with bubbles, voids and cracks. And the cross-section morphology evolves from a multilayered structure to partially intermixed and eventually fully intermixed structure. Due to the precipitation of Ti–Ni intermetallic phase, laser treatment with high pulse-energy led to surface strengthening on Ti/Ni multilayer thin films.
Improved graphical quality measure for monochrome compressed images

A new class of quality measures is emerging in the literature for image compression. The measures in this class are graphical, producing multidimensional output that provides more information than scalar measures like MSE. Eskicioglu charts, a recent addition, computes three features for various frequency ranges, and displays them in a bar chart. Reflecting the human visual response, it is able to specify the amount, type, and distribution of error in compressed images. In this paper, we discuss adding one more dimension to Eskicioglu charts for further improvement. The feature corresponding to the new dimension is the end-of-block disturbances which increases for blockiness and decreases for blurriness.
The Geography of Transport Systems, Second Edition – By Jean‐Paul Rodrigue, Claude Comtois, and Brian Slack

A review of the second edition of the book "The Geography of Transport Systems," by Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Claude Comtois, and Brian Slack is presented.
Super Cats as Alternative Investments: an Overview

This paper provides an overview of the concept of super catastrophes, or Super Cats, as alternative investment opportunities. By way of the recent Pepsi Play For a Billion sweepstakes case we previously published a methodology for valuing Super Cats with a reasonable margin of safety. This overview summarizes that work.
SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST MEN AND WOMEN IN WAR: A MASCULINITIES APPROACH

Rape and sexual violence against men in war remains largely invisible, yet pervasive across time and place. The silence around male rape raises critical questions about male bodies, gender, and power that have been largely ignored by legal scholars and international courts. While feminist and human rights scholars have theorized rape of women as a weapon of war, they have largely ignored sexual violence against men. Following the mass rape of women in former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, international tribunals recognized that sexual violence against women can constitute a weapon of war and a crime against humanity. In both conflicts, men were also raped, castrated, and sexually assaulted; yet male bodies are virtually absent from the international jurisprudence of gender violence during war. Drawing upon masculinities theory, this Article seeks to enrich feminist and human rights accounts of gender violence. Sexual violence against men and women during war are not separate phenomena, but rather are inter-related and mutually constitutive. Both function as gendered tools to empower particular male groups within specific social spaces. Further, sexual violence against men is best understood as part of a continuum of violence against men in society, from bullying of boys, to the rape of men in prison, and the sexual humiliation of Muslim Arab men in Abu Ghraib. Within these settings, sexual violence against men tends to be normalized, shaming its male victims and rendering the violence invisible. By illuminating male-on-male sexual violence, this Article seeks to enrich feminist accounts of gender violence to better explain both violence against men and women.
The temporal profile of 72-kDa heat-shock protein expression following global ischemia

The potential role of the nonconstitutive 72-kDa heat-shock protein (HSP72) in selective neuronal vulnerability to ischemia was studied in rats subjected to graded global ischemia. Immunocytochemistry using a monoclonal antibody against HSP72 was performed on tissue collected after 24 hr of reperfusion. The appearance of HSP72 immunoreactivity correlated in a graded fashion with those regions known to be selectively vulnerable in ischemia. That is, HSP72 was induced in only hilar interneurons and CA1 pyramidal cells following brief ischemia. After intermediate durations of ischemia, HSP72 was expressed in the CA3 neurons and cortical layers 3 and 5, and after the longest intervals, HSP72 appeared in dentate granule cells. Heat-shock protein expression preceded cell death (assessed with acid fuchsin staining) in all regions. This temporal profile suggests that the capability of neurons to express HSP72 is unlikely to account for selective vulnerability of different brain regions following ischemia; its role in neuroprotection during ischemic injury in vivo remains unknown.
Structure of the cytoplasmic β subunit : T1 assembly of voltage-dependent K+ channels

The structure of the cytoplasmic assembly of voltage-dependent K+ channels was solved by x-ray crystallography at 2.1 angstrom resolution. The assembly includes the cytoplasmic (T1) domain of the integral membrane alpha subunit together with the oxidoreductase beta subunit in a fourfold symmetric T1(4)beta4 complex. An electrophysiological assay showed that this complex is oriented with four T1 domains facing the transmembrane pore and four beta subunits facing the cytoplasm. The transmembrane pore communicates with the cytoplasm through lateral, negatively charged openings above the T1(4)beta4 complex. The inactivation peptides of voltage-dependent K(+) channels reach their site of action by entering these openings.
In vivo stimulation of vitellogenesis in Aedes aegypti with juvenile hormone, juvenile hormone analogue (ZR 515) and 20-hydroxyecdysone

Abstract Decapitated blood-fed Aedes aegypti mosquitoes do not undergo normal oocyte maturation. Topical application of 1.25 ng JH analogue (ZR 515) or 250 ng JH-I restored ovarian development in 70–80% of the treated females. The rate of vitellogenin synthesis in these animals was 80% of normal blood-fed controls. When ligated abdomens were treated, 125 pg ZR 515 or 12.5 ng JH-I were sufficient to restore ovarian development in 80% of the animals. The rate of vitellogenin synthesis in these animals was 70% of normal blood-fed controls. On the other hand, injection of 1.25 μg 20-hydroxyecdysone was needed to restore ovarian development and vitellogenin synthesis in decapitated and abdominally ligated females. These experiments indicate that JH concentrations closer to the physiological norm than 20-hydroxyecdysone, can restore ovarian development and vitellogenin synthesis in vivo.
Quadrupole moments and coexistence in even calcium nuclei

Abstract The static electric quadrupole moments of the lowest 2+ states in 42Ca and 44Ca were measured to be −19±8 e · fm2 and −14±7 e · fm2 respectively. Values for B(E2; 01+ → 21+) of 412±15 e2 · fm4 and 473±20 e2 · fm4 were measured for 42Ca and 44Ca respectively. The measured moments were considerably more negative than (fp)” shell model calculations predict. However, an excellent fit was obtained when the known E2 properties of the lowest seven levels of 42Ca were used to decompose these levels into (fp)2 states plus a deformed band. The energy level structure, moments of inertia and intrinsic quadrupole moments of the deformed bands in 40Ca and 42Ca are nearly identical, implying that the lowest K = 0+ band in 40Ca is prolate in shape. Insufficient E2 data are available for a similar model fit to 44Ca. However, this model gives a plausible explanation of the known 44Ca properties.
Isotopic Lithium Abundances in Nine Halo Stars

High-resolution echelle spectra of the 6707.8 ? Li I absorption line in spectra of metal-poor halo dwarfs and subgiants are analyzed for the isotopic fractions of 6Li and 7Li. Positive detections of 6Li are reported for two stars, HD 84937 and BD +26? 3578, and tight upper limits to the 6Li fraction are obtained for an additional seven stars. Two stars, HD 116064 and BD +26? 2606, were found to be double-lined spectroscopic binaries and were rejected from the analysis. Elemental Li abundances were also derived for the nine program stars: the Li abundance is identical across the sample (excluding the spectroscopic binaries) to within ?0.04 dex in log (Li). Two processes involving high-energy particles (cosmic rays) are considered as origins of the 6Li: spallation reactions (e.g., O + p ?6Li) and ?-? fusion reactions. The contribution of spallation reactions may be assessed empirically using the published Be and B abundances. The observed 6Li/Be ratio is significantly in excess of that expected from spallation. In view of the fact that the surface 6Li abundance has almost certainly been somewhat depleted by exposure to warm protons, the conclusion is that ?-? reactions produced most of the observed 6Li. Consequences of this conclusion are sketched.
Inhibitory effects of ambient levels of solar UV-A and UV-B radiation on growth of cv. New Red Fire lettuce

The influence of solar UV-A and UV-B radiation at Beltsville, MD, USA, on growth of Lactuca sativa L. (cv. New Red Fire lettuce) was examined during early summer of 1996 and 1997. Plants were grown from seed in plastic window boxes covered with Llumar to exclude UV-A and UV-B, polyester to exclude UV-B, or tefzel (1996) or teflon (1997) to transmit UV-A and UV-B radiation. After 31–34 days, plants grown in the absence of solar UV-B radiation (polyester) had 63 and 57% greater fresh weight and dry weight of tops, respectively, and 57, 72 and 47% greater dry weight of leaves, stems and roots, respectively, as compared to those grown under ambient UV-B (tefzel or teflon). Plants protected from UV-A radiation as well (Llumar) showed an additional 43 and 35% increase, respectively, in fresh and dry weight of tops and a 33 and 33% increase, respectively, in dry weight of leaves and stems, but no difference in root biomass over those grown under polyester. Excluding ambient UV-B (polyester) significantly reduced the UV absorbance of leaf extracts at 270, 300 and 330 nm (presumptive flavonoids) and the concentration of anthocyanins at 550 nm as compared to those of leaf extracts from plants grown under ambient UV-A and UV-B. Additional removal of ambient UV-A (Llumar) reduced the concentration of anthocyanins, but had no further effect on UV absorbance at 270, 300 or 330 nm. These findings provide evidence that UV-B radiation is more important than UV-A radiation for flavonoid induction in this red-pigmented lettuce cultivar. Although previous workers have obtained decreases in lettuce yield under enhanced UV-B, this is the first evidence for inhibitory effects of solar UV-A and UV-B radiation on lettuce growth.
Mechanism of LQTS9 Associated Mutant, Caveolin3-F97C, Regulation of Kir2.1 Channels

Introduction: Caveolin-3 (Cav3) is a cardiac specific structural and anchoring protein necessary for the formation of caveolae. We have previously reported that mutations on Cav3 that cause LQTS-9 (F97C, T78M, A85T, S141R) modulate the current through inward rectifier potassium channel, Kir2.1. This project investigates the mechanism by which Cav3 F97C affects Kir2.1 channel biophysical properties.Methods: On cell western blotting technique andstandard voltage clamp techniques were used to elucidate the mechanism.Results: An extracellular hemagglutinin (HA) tagged Kir2.1 was used in detecting cell surface expression of Kir2.1. HEK293 cells were co-transfected with Kir2.1-HA and Cav3-WT or Cav3-F97C constructs. Cells were fixed 22 hours after transfection with 4% paraformaldehyde. LI-COR odyssey system was used to perform the on cell western. On cell western experiments suggest that Cav3 F97C significantly decreased the cell surface expression of Kir2.1 by ∼50%, shown in the figure below.Conclusion: Our experiments suggest that one of the mechanism by which Cav3 F97C affects Kir2.1 current density is by decreasing the cell surface expression of Kir2.1 channels.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Acute type A aortic dissection complicated by stroke: Can immediate repair be performed safely?

Objective Emergency surgical intervention for acute type A aortic dissection complicated by stroke remains controversial. The urgency of immediate repair in this setting is tempered by the concern that cerebral reperfusion may worsen neurologic outcome. The purpose of this study was to report and analyze our results with acute type A aortic dissection complicated by stroke. Methods Between September 1999 and March 2005, 151 consecutive patients presented with acute type A aortic dissection. Of this group, 16 (10.6%) patients had sustained a preoperative stroke. Mean age was 56 years (range 43-73 years), with 6 (38%) women. Right hemispheric, left hemispheric, and bilateral strokes occurred in 81%, 13%, and 6%, respectively. Computed tomographic scan or transesophageal echocardiography diagnosed aortic dissection; clinical examination, computed tomographic scan, or transcranial Doppler ultrasound diagnosed stroke. Aortic repair was performed with cardiopulmonary bypass, profound hypothermic circulatory arrest, and retrograde cerebral perfusion. One patient with complete neurologic devastation (coma) was not operated on. Results Overall hospital mortality was 18.8% (3/16). Mortality in 2 patients who did not undergo surgery (1 patient who was neurologically devastated, and 1 patient whose aorta ruptured while awaiting surgery) was 100% (2/2). Operative mortality was 7% (1/14). Among patients undergoing surgery, neurologic status completely recovered in 2 (14%) patients, improved in 6 (43%) patients, remained the same in 6 (43%) patients, and worsened in none. Median time from onset of stroke to surgery was 9 hours (range 1-240 hours). Eighty percent of patients who underwent surgical repair within 10 hours had improvement in neurologic status, where as none operated on beyond 10 hours improved (P Conclusions In our experience, surgical repair of acute type A aortic dissection can be performed in the setting of preoperative stroke with acceptable mortality. Moreover, no worsening of neurologic condition was observed after surgical repair. Immediate surgical repair is warranted even if acute type A aortic dissection is complicated by stroke.