cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Current Public Knowledge Pertaining to Traumatic Brain Injury: Influence of Demographic Factors, Social Trends, and Sport Concussion Experience on the Understanding of Traumatic Brain Injury Sequelae.

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to assess current broad traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related knowledge in the general public, as well as understanding regarding specific TBI-related conditions including post-concussive syndrome (PCS) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). METHODS: Data were collected from 307 domestic and 73 international individuals via online researcher-developed survey instrumentation utilizing the Amazon Mechanical Turk marketplace, a recently developed website that allows for a streamlined process of survey-based participant recruitment and data collection. Participants completed background demographics questions, a 31-item true/false questionnaire pertaining to TBI-related knowledge, and an inquiry related to willingness to allow (future) child(ren) to participate in several popular U.S. sports. RESULTS: The overall accuracy rate of our U.S. sample was 61%. No accuracy differences were present for gender or geographic region (p's > .05). Participants who self-reported a prior concussion diagnosis, who reported receiving formal concussion training, and who endorsed participation in collegiate, semi-professional, or professional athletic competition, all exhibited lower accuracy rates than the respective comparison groups (p's CONCLUSIONS: Misconceptions regarding TBI remain highly prevalent within the general public and may be explained, to some extent, by inefficiencies in current TBI-education practices. Moreover, misconceptions regarding PCS and CTE are also prevalent and likely reflect inconsistencies in the scientific literature, coupled with misleading media reports. To combat these trends, greater emphasis must be placed on construct definition within the field and streamlined, efficient communication with the general public.© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected]/* */ Language: en
Fireworks algorithm: A new swarm intelligence technique for electromagnetic optimization

This paper presents the application of a new and recently reported swarm intelligence technique, named Fireworks Algorithm (FWA) to electromagnetic and antenna problems. The operation of the basic principles of FWA is discussed. The FWA is then implemented in the optimization of a benchmark antenna problem: gain optimization of Yagi-Uda antennas. The performance of FWA is compared with other nature-based optimization algorithms. Preliminary results indicate the potentials of FWA in efficient optimization of electromagnetic problems.
Active Systemic Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer

By 2020, pancreatic cancer is expected to be the second most common cause of cancer-related death, exceeded only by lung cancer. During her presentation at the NCCN 22nd Annual Conference, Dr. Margaret Tempero offered an update on the current state of systemic treatment of pancreatic cancer, focusing on resectable/borderline resectable, locally advanced, and metastatic disease.
Gender-varying associations between physical activity intensity and mental quality of life in older cancer survivors.

Physical activity can enhance quality of life in cancer survivors, but this conclusion is based largely on research linking moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with quality of life. Light-intensity physical activity may be more feasible than more strenuous exercise for many older cancer survivors. This study reports a secondary analysis of baseline data from a lifestyle behavior intervention trial and examines the hypothesis that older cancer survivors who engage in more light-intensity physical activity, independent of moderate-to-vigorous activity, will report better mental quality of life. Older (≥65 years), overweight or obese breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer survivors (n = 641, 54% female) self-reported their physical activity and mental quality of life (i.e., mental health, emotional role functioning, vitality, and social role functioning from the Short-Form 36 Health Status Survey) as a part of the RENEW trial baseline assessment. Analysis of covariance was used to test hypotheses. For older women (but not men), light physical activity was positively associated with mental quality of life after adjusting for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Light physical activity that involved social participation appeared to be responsible for this association. For older men (but not women), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was positively associated with mental quality of life. Some activity appears to be better than none for important dimensions of mental quality of life. Experimental research is needed to test the hypothesis that older cancer survivors should strive to avoid inactivity regardless of whether they are able to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
Investigating the susceptibility of mice to a bacterial challenge after intravenous exposure to durable nanoparticles.

Aim The goal of this study was to determine whether bacterial clearance in a rodent model would be impaired upon exposure to gold, silver or silica nanoparticles (NPs). Materials & methods Mice received weekly injections of NPs followed by a challenge of Listeria monocytogenes (LM). On days 3 and 10 after LM injections, the animals were sacrificed and their tissues were collected for elemental analysis, electron microscopy and LM count determination. Results The untreated and NP-treated animals cleared LM at the same rate suggesting that bioaccumulation of NPs did not increase the animals' susceptibility to bacterial infection. Conclusion The data from this study indicate that the bioaccumulation of NPs does not significantly affect the ability to react to a bacterial challenge.
Vegetation of Beaver Impoundments

We investigated the vegetation of beaver meadows and other beaver-flooded sites using a combination of field, greenhouse, model, and GIS studies. The beaver meadows were dominated by two graminoid plant species, Calamagrostis canadensis and Carex lacustris. Carex dominated in wetter sites along streams and the edges of residual beaver ponds which had lower nitrate availability (determined using in situ resin bags), whereas the ubiquitous Calamagrostis dominated in mesic to dry portions of beaver meadows that had higher nitrate availability. Greenhouse studies with these two species plus Scirpus cyperinus and Carex rostrata investigated the effects of fertilization and wetness: increased N supply increased plant height, biomass, leaf nitrogen, and the vertical distribution of photosynthetic machinery, effects that were accentuated at field moisture capacity (as opposed to saturation). In the field, light attenuation in various beaver meadow communities was primarily a function of canopy height. A model that combined the results of the greenhouse and light attenuation studies correctly predicted that Calamagrostis had a competitive advantage over Carex lacustris under high levels of nitrogen availability, whereas the reverse was true under low nitrogen, saturated conditions. Field observations of plant cover at 108 sample points in two Kabetogama beaver meadows were analyzed using agglomerative hierarchical clustering and non-metric multidimensional scaling to distinguish eight plant assemblages. The most diverse of these assemblages occurred along the upland edges of the beaver meadows, where forest species were beginning to encroach upon the meadows. The GIS analysis showed that “wet meadow/fen mosaic complex” was the most common beaver impoundment vegetation within the Kabetogama Peninsula, followed by deep marsh mosaic complex, speckled alder swamp, Canada bluejoint eastern meadow, and northern water lily aquatic wetland. Voles may affect the recolonization of beaver meadows by conifers due to their influence on ectomycorrhizae (symbiotic root-associated fungi).
Machine learning approaches to admixture design for clay-based cements

Replacement of 30% of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) by metakaolin (MK) reduces the CO2 intensity but negatively impacts the workability. A critical challenge facing adoption of this next-generation infrastructure material is developing admixture systems that impart workability similar to unblended OPC while retaining the advantages in strength and environmental stability conferred by MK. Hierarchical machine learning is a highly-supervised methodology that integrates physical and statistical modelling to understand and optimize complex systems. Here it is applied to designing admixture formulations for OPC-MK blends, providing exceedingly rapid admixture development as well as formulations tailored to specific materials. Elucidating how MK impacts workability of these systems was addressed by screening the effects of superplasticizers, viscosity-modifying admixtures, and water-reducing admixtures on pore solution properties, OPC rheology and the colloidal properties of MK suspensions. Changes in slump spread of 70% OPC/30% MK blends as a function of admixture formulation were fit using regression methods. Increases in slump spread were found to be a strong function of pore solution viscosity, effects of superplasticizer on MK zeta potential and electrosteric interactions, and coupling between pore solution viscosity and osmolality with MK zeta potential and electrosteric interactions, respectively. Work toward designing new admixtures that optimize these interactions will also be pursued.
Are suicidal thoughts reinforcing? A preliminary real-time monitoring study on the potential affect regulation function of suicidal thinking.

Abstract Background Theoretical work and clinical observation suggest that many patients experience relief from negative affect after thinking about suicide, which may increase the likelihood of future suicidal thoughts. Accordingly, our objective was to examine whether the occurrence of suicidal thinking was followed by decreased negative affect and increased positive affect. Methods Participants were 43 adults who attempted suicide at least once in the past year (78% female, 78% White, M age = 23.28 years, SD age = 4.38 years) who completed 28 days of smartphone-based real-time monitoring, where they were signaled four times/day to report on current affect and whether they were having suicidal thoughts. Participants could initiate a survey whenever they had a suicidal thought. Results First, we examined changes in affect that occurred when suicidal thinking at the current time (T) but not at T + 1 (approximately 4–8 h later). Negative affect decreased and positive affect increased when participants went from a period when they were experiencing suicidal thoughts to a period where they were not. Second, to assess the time course of changes in affect, we examined changes in affect before and after participant-initiated reports of suicidal thinking. Positive affect increased and sadness decreased. Limitations Given its preliminary nature, the study has some limitations including insufficient power to expand beyond a 4–8 h timespan. Conclusions Findings provide preliminary evidence that suicidal thinking leads to shifts in affect. These shifts in affect may be reinforcing, helping to explain (in part) why suicidal thinking is so persistent for some patients.
Qualitative Analysis of Partnerships' Effect on Implementation of a Nationally Led Community-Based Initiative.

Introduction. The American Heart Association (AHA) was funded to implement a nationally led initiative to implement policy, systems, and environment (PSE) interventions in communities across the Un...
The Supreme Court's Noble Lie

Is it ever acceptable for judges to lie to the American public? The Supreme Court believes that it is. In fact, for the better part of a century, the Justices have been propagating a lie that cuts to the very heart of judicial decision making. In public, the Justices profess strict adherence to legal formalism, but in private, they acknowledge that realist considerations influence many of their rulings. In this Article, I highlight this inconsistency and examine the Supreme Court’s reasons for perpetuating its public lie. I argue that the Justices are pursuing a strategy that has been in use since the time of Ancient Greece. Specifically, they are telling a “noble lie” to cultivate judicial legitimacy. Drawing upon work in democratic and legal theory, I maintain that this strategy is incompatible with the U.S. constitutional system. If the Justices are truly concerned with preserving judicial legitimacy, they should abandon the noble lie and begin an honest dialogue with the American people.
Ageostrophic Secondary Circulation at a Submesoscale Front and the Formation of Gravity Currents

AbstractLarge-eddy simulations are performed to investigate the development of the ageostrophic secondary circulation (ASC) and associated transport in a submesoscale front. Based on the observatio...
Loading characteristics of gold-bromo species onto activated carbon

The loading characteristics of gold-bromide species onto activated carbon were evaluated using a batch system. The overall loading of gold onto activated carbon was rapid for the first few hours, but it continued without cessation as a result of the reduction of gold. Therefore, conventional equilibrium considerations were not applicable. Although loading continued slowly after several days, an abnormally high, loading capacity value of 10–12 meq/g carbon (650–800 kg Au/t) could be attained in 72 hours. The loading of gold-bromo species by activated carbon was by the mass transfer of (AuBr4)− species to the external surface to be reduced to metallic gold by carbon. Elution of gold from loaded carbon was feasible provided the carbon had not been loaded to high capacity values. If loading is carried to high levels, complete elution becomes impractical, and the gold may be recovered by ashing the carbon. For the high loading capacities observed, this option would appear to be cost effective. The effect of several variables on the loading capacity of the activated carbon for gold-bromo species is discussed.
TO and Innovativness in TSFs:Perspectives from Operations, Marketing and Strategic Management

Technology orientation (TO) is an important type of firm strategic orientation, yet it is sparsely addressed in the literature. This study examines the relationship between technology orientation a...
Teachers' Use of Educative Features in Guides for Nature of Science Read-Alouds

This study investigates the use of specific educative features for supporting the teaching of nature of science (NOS) during read-alouds of elementary science trade books. Educative features are components of educative curriculum materials that aim to increase teachers’ content knowledge and support effective instructional practices. Understanding how teachers use specific educative features is important for the future design of curriculum materials that can be used to improve teachers’ views of NOS in tandem with changing their teaching practices. Qualitative data from teacher interviews and observations of read-alouds were used to determine which educative features teachers used and how effective they were perceived as being. Results indicate that teachers varied in their use of educative features and tended to focus on the ones that addressed specific teaching moves as opposed to those that supported understanding why the curriculum was developed as it was. Based on these findings, recommendations for future research that highlights the importance of all educative features are provided.
A Multimethod and Interdisciplinary Approach to Educating Postsecondary Students on Arctic Challenges and Governance

Challenges to the Arctic region abound and intersect. Warming, ice and permafrost melting, and pollution jeopardize health and food security of Indigenous and other Northern communities. Problems r...
Mechanisms of Dietary Fat Involvement in Tumorigenesis: Role of Fatty Acids and Eicosanoids in Macrophage Function

Deficiencies or excesses of certain dietary fats have been shown to influence tumorigenesis at select sites. In a similar manner, diets which are deficient in essential fatty acid(s) (EFA) or which contain a high level of fat may influence some components of the immune response. Fatty acids added to lymphocytes or macrophages in culture have been shown to influence immune function (reviewed in 1). However, both enhancement and suppression of T- and B-cell responses have been demonstrated depending on how fatty acids were introduced into culture (reviewed in 2). Based on in vitro fatty acid manipulation, it has been hypothesized that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) take part in immunoregulatory mechanisms and that the concentration of these fatty acids could influence the interaction of lipids and binding glycoproteins within the membrane of cells involved in immune response (2). However, changes in immune response after manipulation of fatty acids in vitro may or may not relate to changes of immune function in vivo because of the complexity of cell interactions and regulatory products produced.
Molecular annotation of food - towards personalized diet and precision health.

Abstract Background Personalized diet requires matching human genotypic and phenotypic features to foods that increase the chance of achieving a desired physiological health outcome. New insights and technologies will help to decipher the intricacies of diet-health relationships and create opportunities for breakthroughs in dietary interventions for personal health management. Scope and approach This article describes the scientific progress towards personalized diet and points out the need for integrating high-quality data on food. A framework for molecular annotation of food is presented, focusing on what aspects should be measured and how these measures relate to health. Strategies of applying trending technologies to improve personalized diet and health are discussed, highlighting challenges and opportunities for transforming data into insights and actions. Key findings and conclusions The goal of personalized diet is to enable individuals and caregivers to make informed dietary decisions for targeted health management. Achieving this goal requires a better understanding of how molecular properties of food influence individual eating behavior and health outcomes. Annotating food at a molecular level encompasses characterizing its chemical composition and modifications, physicochemical structure, and biological properties. Features of molecular properties in the food annotation framework are applicable to varied conditions and processes from raw materials to meals. Applications of trending technologies, such as omics techniques, wearable biosensors, and artificial intelligence, will support data collection, data analytics, and personalized dietary actions for targeted health management.
Strength of nonhuman primate studies of developmental programming: Review of sample sizes, challenges, and steps for future work

Nonhuman primate (NHP) studies are crucial to biomedical research. NHPs are the species most similar to humans in lifespan, body size, and hormonal profiles. Planning research requires statistical power evaluation, which is difficult to perform when lacking directly relevant preliminary data. This is especially true for NHP developmental programming studies, which are scarce. We review the sample sizes reported, challenges, areas needing further work, and goals of NHP maternal nutritional programming studies. The literature search included 27 keywords, for example, maternal obesity, intrauterine growth restriction, maternal high-fat diet, and maternal nutrient reduction. Only fetal and postnatal offspring studies involving tissue collection or imaging were included. Twenty-eight studies investigated maternal over-nutrition and 33 under-nutrition; 23 involved macaques and 38 baboons. Analysis by sex was performed in 19; minimum group size ranged from 1 to 8 (mean 4.7 ± 0.52, median 4, mode 3) and maximum group size from 3 to 16 (8.3 ± 0.93, 8, 8). Sexes were pooled in 42 studies; minimum group size ranged from 2 to 16 (mean 5.3 ± 0.35, median 6, mode 6) and maximum group size from 4 to 26 (10.2 ± 0.92, 8, 8). A typical study with sex-based analyses had group size minimum 4 and maximum 8 per sex. Among studies with sexes pooled, minimum group size averaged 6 and maximum 8. All studies reported some significant differences between groups. Therefore, studies with group sizes 3-8 can detect significance between groups. To address deficiencies in the literature, goals include increasing age range, more frequently considering sex as a biological variable, expanding topics, replicating studies, exploring intergenerational effects, and examining interventions.
Transformations in High School Geometry Before 1970.

MANY high school geometry texts that have appeared in the last couple of years include sections or chapters devoted to transformations. It is customary to think of such material as new to the geometry scene and particularly as new to sec ondary school texts. One purpose of this article is to show that this thinking is erroneous?indeed there has existed a vast literature illus trating ways in which transformations can be used in elementary geometry. In fact, this literature includes such a large number of geometry texts that one is forced to ask why transformations did not enter the standard curriculum earlier. This question is considered here, in con junction with the history, and answering it constitutes the second major purpose of this article.
Crystal Growth of Alkali Uranyl Borates from Molten Salt Fluxes: Characterization and Ion Exchange Behavior of A2(UO2)B2O5 (A = Cs, Rb, K)

A new family of layered alkali uranyl borates, A2(UO2)B2O5 (A = Cs, Rb, K), was synthesized as high quality single crystals via high temperature flux growth methods. At room temperature, the compou...
Improvements and deficits progression among ischemic stroke patients with pre-stroke depression and thrombolytic therapy

Abstract Background This study aims to identify predictors of improvement or deficit progression in ischemic stroke patients with pre-stroke depression and to evaluate the impact of identified predictors on pre-ischemic stroke depressed patients that received thrombolytic therapy. Methods We performed logistic regression analysis to determine demographic and clinical risk factors that are independently associated with clinical improvement or deficits in ischemic stroke patients with pre-stroke depression that received thrombolytic therapy. Multicollinearity effect in the regression models was controlled using variance inflation factors and the fitness of the models was determined using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. Results A total of 5469 ischemic stroke patients were identified of which 4748 patients were not diagnosed with depression while 721 were diagnosed with pre-stroke depression. After controlling for all variables with multivariate analysis, we found that the female gender (OR = 2.545, 95 % CI, 1.167–5.553, P = 0.019), coronary artery disease (OR = 2.935, 95 % CI, 1.296–6.645, P = 0.01), heart rate (OR = 1.025, 95 % CI, 1.001–1.049, P = 0.044), and improvement in ambulation (OR = 2.161, 95 % CI, 1.076–4.343, P = 0.03) were associated with neurological deficits while antidepressant medication (OR = 0.226, 95 % CI, 0.075‐0.686, P = 0.009), and direct admission (OR = 0.212, 95 % CI, 0.071‐0.636, P = 0.006) were associated with improvements in pre-stroke depressed patients who received recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA). Conclusions Our findings indicate that neurological deficits or improvements in hemispheric ischemic stroke patients with pre-stroke depression are associated with baseline stroke severity and that a stratification based on NIHSS scores.
99Tc-MDP SPECT/CT Uptake in the External Occipital Protuberance Secondary to Excessive Use of Electronics by Teenagers: A Pictorial Essay

1160 Objectives: According to the World Health Organization, gaming disorder is now officially a medical condition that has been listed in most recently published International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 11. This is particularly true in children where 97% of teen boys and 83% of teen girls play video games, per the Pew Research Center. Kids and teens age 8 to 18 spend an average of more than seven hours a day looking at electronics resulting in steadily growing concerns about screen time. External occipital protuberance (EOP) is a midline bony prominence in the occipital bone that the ligamentum nuchae and trapezius muscle attach to its tip. The ligamentum nuchae Extends from the EOP on the skull and median nuchal line to the spinous process of C7 (Fig 1). Its function is to limit flexion and to provide an attachment for the trapezius and splenius capitis. The use of electronics leads to an extended period of neck hyperflexion resulting in a gradual chronic irritation which leads to exostosis at the EOP. These changes would result in a focus of increased MDP uptake in bone scanning that may mimic skull metastases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the frequent electronic use induces a false positive lesion in bone scanning is being reported. We documented the interval development of such lesion after few years of frequent gaming and electronic use (Figures 2-4). Therefore, EOP uptake may represent a common potential pitfall in staging and restaging pediatric patients undergoing bone scanning. This pictorial essay is to illustrate various representative cases with varieties of findings with different patterns of EOP uptake which would include mild and moderate uptake, focal and diffuse uptake, with and without cervical spine changes. Also, correct and careful interpretation of the CT scan as part of the SPECT/CT or PET/CT examination is of special importance in differentiating benign from malignant uptake. We will also show the appearance of some of these findings by other imaging modalities for further characterization.
Special Educators’ Experiences of Interpersonal Interactions While Serving Students With Emotional/Behavioral Disorders:

Students with emotional/behavioral disorders are increasingly included in general education settings, requiring their special educators to coordinate with other educators. Yet, research provides li...
Distance and Utility in the Distribution of Raw Materials in the Cedar Mountains of New Mexico

The distribution of raw materials between two quarry sites and three Mimbres village sites in the Cedar Mountains of southwestern New Mexico was not a random process. Factors of site function, diff...
A Water‐Rich Transition Zone Beneath the Eastern United States and Gulf of Mexico from Multiple ScS Reverberations

We examine mantle discontinuities beneath the United States and Gulf of Mexico using multiple ScS reverberations from earthquakes in Central and South America captured by 65 broadband and long-period seismometers across the United States. The depths of discontinuities and the impedance contrasts across them were estimated using a hierarchical waveform inversion and stacking method. The path-averaged depth of the 410-km discontinuity varies moderately across the study area and is particularly shallow (∼395 km) beneath the eastern United States. Topography on the 660-km discontinuity is more subdued and is close to the global mean depth. The 520-km discontinuity is seen consistently across the study area, though both the depth and the impedance contrast of the discontinuity vary significantly. Corridors in the eastern United States and Gulf of Mexico have extremely strong 520-km discontinuities relative to the corresponding 410-km and 660-km discontinuities. We attribute the shallow 410-km and strong 520-km discontinuities beneath the eastern United States and Gulf of Mexico to a locally water-rich transition zone.
Comparison of intraoral and extraoral approaches to mandibular angle fracture repair with cost implications

Objectives/Hypothesis The objective of this study was to analyze outcomes of intraoral and extraoral approaches to mandibular angle fractures and provide cost estimates for comparison. Study Design A retrospective review from January 2005 to June 2013 was performed of patients who underwent open reduction internal fixation of mandibular angle fractures at a level I trauma center. Methods Patients were treated by three surgical specialties: otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and plastic and reconstructive surgery. Inpatient and outpatient medical records were reviewed for pertinent data including age, gender, duration of follow-up, presence of other mandible fractures, surgical approach, surgical team, operative time, and postoperative complications. Results Of the 155 patients with mandibular angle fractures, 74% underwent open reduction internal fixation through an intraoral approach, whereas 26% of patients were treated with an extraoral approach. The occurrence of any complication was 69.6% in the extraoral group and 39% in the intraoral group (P = 0.009). In propensity-weighted analysis, however, the occurrence of any complication was less frequent in intraoral cases but no longer statistically significant (odd ratio 0.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.08 to 1.02; P = 0.053). Operating room time was significantly shorter with the intraoral approach. We estimate that the intraoral approach directly saves at least $2,900 per case. Conclusion We recommend the use of an intraoral approach for the repair of mandibular angle fractures when clinically appropriate. This can result in a comparable rate of success, however, with significant cost savings to the health care system. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 2015
Soft Tissue Injuries

Injury to soft tissue encompasses a vast array of entities due to an assortment of mechanisms. The etiology of an injury can include physical, biological, thermal, metabolic, and chemical means. A sports medicine precis of soft tissue injuries includes sprains, strains, contusions, hematomas, and tendinitides. There are commonalities across this wide assortment of maladies however. The application of mechanical force to human tissue can cause one of two changes: a change in shape (deformation) or a change in velocity (deceleration or acceleration). If tissue tolerance is exceeded, a push can cause contusions, hematomas, and fractures, while a pull results in sprains, strains, and dislocations. A large magnitude of force applied to tissue results in macrotrauma, such as sprains, strains, and crush injuries. Smaller forces that recur over long and/or repetitive sequences result in microtrauma, such as stress fractures and overuse syndromes.
A study on the effectiveness of proportional-integral-derivative control in multi-actuated atomic force microscopy

Improving the speed of atomic force microscopes (AFM) enables the study of dynamic nano-scale processes and unlocks novel scientific discoveries. At the heart of AFM, performance of the sample scanner plays a crucial role in achieving this goal. Multi-actuated AFM scanners have been recently shown to achieve high scan speed, while maintaining a large scan range. Given the stringent requirements of high-speed AFM, control of these multi-component scanners can be quite challenging. The substantially variant dynamics of AFMs in different imaging conditions necessitates a flexible/robust control scheme which can maintain satisfactory tracking performance at high imaging speed. Due to their simplicity and easy adaptation to dynamics variations, PID controllers continue to be the control method of choice for state-of-the-art AFMs. To extend their application to multi-actuated AFMs, in this work we aim to understand the conditions under which a PID controller suffices to meet the requirements of high-speed/large-range atomic force microscopy. For this purpose, the desired characteristics of controllers obtained through H ∞ -optimal design are investigated. It is then concluded that a PID controller combined with auxiliary compensators shares these characteristics and indeed meets the requirements of high-speed/large-range imaging. A simple data-based compensator design scheme is then presented. The proposed methodology is implemented on a multi-component AFM scanner.
A novel SCR ESD protection structure with low-loading and latchup immunity for high-speed I/O pad

A novel SCR device "Latchup-free gate-couple LVTPSCR (LFGCPSCR)" has been proposed to act as an efficient ESD protection device with low loading effect. With the proper control circuit, the trigger voltage under normal operation can be high up to 14V, providing excellent immunity to Latchup. Under ESD events, this novel SCR device could trigger fast and provide an effective discharging path for ESD.
Chemotherapeutic agents and hepatotoxicity.

T HERE ARE THREE major questions to be addressed regarding chemotherapeutic agents and hepatotoxicity. What is the spectrum of hepatotoxicity? Which drugs should be avoided in patients with pre-existing liver disease? And what dosage modifications should be made when faced with abnormal liver function tests? Several recent articles have reviewed this subject.1-5 In the population being considered for chemotherapy, there are multiple other potential causes of abnormal liver function tests that must be considered (Table 1). Patients with metastatic disease may have known or occult hepatic metastases. All patients may have been exposed to hepatotoxins, including other medications, alcohol, chemicals. They may have other coexisting medical conditions that affect the liver or, because of their immunocompromised state, be prone to infectious complications, including the several forms of viral hepatitis. Baseline evaluation of patients about to undergo chemotherapy should therefore always include liver function tests, and when clinically indicated, hepatic imaging.6 The spectrum of hepatic toxicities ranges from the (usually) incidental elevations of transaminases observed with the nitrosoureas to life-threatening massive hepatic necrosis observed with dacarbazine. For the most part, pure single-drug toxicity is observed less often as the emphasis in chemotherapy shifts to combination regimes. Furthermore, the increased use of high-dose regimens with autologous bone marrow or stem-cell support has complicated the picture by revealing toxicities at very high doses that are not observed with conventional doses. Combination chemotherapy has been implicated in the development of fatal hepatic necrosis after haloalkane anesthesia.7 Allopurinol, frequently administered before chemotherapy to prevent urate nephropathy and secondary gout, has also been linked to fulminant hepatic failure, presumably caused by a hypersensitivity reaction.8,9 There is also a report of allopurinol hepatotoxicity potentiated by tamoxifen, a possible drug interaction. lo Several instances of
STOCK MARKET VALUATIONS AND FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT

We outline and test two theories of foreign direct investment based on capital market mispricing. The â¬Scheap assetsâ¬? or â¬Sfire-saleâ¬? theory considers FDI inflows as the purchase of undervalued host country assets, while the â¬Scheap financial capitalâ¬? theory views FDI outflows as a natural use of the relatively low-cost capital available to overvalued firms in the source country. The results are consistent with the cheap financial capital theory: FDI flows are unrelated to host country stock market valuations, as measured by the aggregate market-to-book-value ratio, but are strongly positively related to source country valuations and negatively related to future source country stock returns, especially when capital account restrictions limit cross-country arbitrage.
Maximizing a submodular utility for deadline constrained data collection in sensor networks

We study the utility maximization problem for data collection in sensor networks subject to a deadline constraint, where the data on a selected subset of nodes are collected through a routing tree rooted at a sink subject to the 1-hop interference model. Our problem can be viewed as a Network Utility Maximization (NUM) problem with binary decisions. However, instead of a separable concave form of system utility commonly seen in NUM, we consider the class of monotone submodular utility functions defined on subsets of nodes, which is more appropriate for the applications we consider. While submodular maximization subject to a cardinality constraint has been well understood, our problem is more challenging due to the multi-hop data forwarding nature even under a simple interference model. We have derived efficient approximation solutions to this problem both for raw data collection and when in-network data aggregation is applied.
Characterization of the Antimonial Antileishmanial Agent Meglumine Antimonate (Glucantime)

Meglumine antimonate (Glucantime), a drug of choice for the treatment of leishmaniasis, is produced by the reaction of pentavalent antimony with N-methyl-D-glucamine, a carbohydrate derivative. We investigated the structure and composition of meglumine antimonate, which remain poorly understood, despite 50 years of use. Measurement of the antimony content of meglumine antimonate powder indicated a 1:1.37 molar ratio of antimony to N-methyl-D-glucamine. Osmolality measurements performed with meglumine antimonate solutions demonstrated an average of 1.43 antimony atoms per molecule of meglumine antimonate. The osmolality of a 1:10 dilution of stock meglumine antimonate increased by 45% over 8 days, suggesting hydrolysis to less complex species. A comparison of the proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of N-methyl-D-glucamine and meglumine antimonate revealed an increase in complexity in the latter but with all of the resonances of the former still being evident, consistent with the presence of coordination complexes between antimony and each of the N-methyl-D-glucamine hydroxyls. Fast atom bombardment and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry coupled with several derivatization procedures provided evidence that up to four N-methyl-D-glucamine hydroxyls are coordinated with each antimony. A series of oligomers were observed. The major moiety has a molecular mass of 507 atomic mass units and consists of NMG-Sb-NMG, where Sb represents antimony and NMG represents N-methyl-D-glucamine. Additional species containing up to four antimony atoms and five N-methyl-D-glucamine moieties and corresponding to the general form (NMG-Sb)n-NMG are also present. These results suggest that this agent is a complex mixture that exists in equilibrium in aqueous solution.
Dermatological reactions to the multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib

The multikinase inhibitor sunitinib has enhanced the treatment of renal cell carcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumor through an improved clinical response with decreased systemic toxicities. However, sunitinib is frequently associated with dermatological adverse reactions. The physical and psychosocial impact of frequent dermatological toxicities can affect consistent antineoplastic therapy and quality of life. Dermatological adverse reaction information was compiled from Pfizer Medical Information and from abstracts from the 2007 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, Prostate Cancer Symposium, and Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. Published clinical trials of sunitinib in MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and EMBASE Drugs and Pharmacology databases were also included. Information was accessed on or before June 30, 2007. In the pooled analysis, all-grade hand–foot skin reaction occurred in 19% of patients (5% grades 3–4), skin discoloration in 28% (0% grades 3–4), dry skin in 16% (1% grades 3–4), skin rash in 13% (1% grades 3–4), dermatitis in 8% (2% grades 3–4), hair color changes in 10% (0% grades 3–4), alopecia in 6% (0% grades 3–4), and phototoxicity in <0.1%. Dermatological reactions associated with sunitinib occur frequently. Evidence-based treatment recommendations are needed in order to maximize quality of life and optimize clinical outcome.
Exploration of treatment options for the management of stage I testicular seminoma.

Seminoma is the epitome of a highly treatable neoplastic malignancy. Approximately 80% of patients presenting with seminomatous germ cell tumors are diagnosed with stage I disease. Men with clinical stage I seminomas have an excellent chance of achieving a cure irrespective of the treatment option selected. With such high disease-specific survival rates, attention has turned to reducing treatment-related morbidity. Adjuvant radiotherapy to the para-aortic retroperitoneal lymph nodes in conjunction with orchidectomy has been the standard treatment since the mid-1990s. There is some evidence, however, suggesting potential deleterious long-term sequelae from radiation treatment. Adjuvant chemotherapy has gained support as an acceptable adjuvant treatment strategy for stage I seminoma. While long-term studies are limited, short-term data regarding the therapeutic efficacy of single-agent carboplatin are promising. Finally, surveillance following orchidectomy is an attractive option for motivated patients inte...
A GENERAL ROUTE TO TIN-NITROGEN HETEROCUBANES

The reaction of the lithiated bis-stannylamine, ((CH3)3)Sn2NLi·THF (1), with (C5H5)2ZrCl2 yields the imido-bridged zirconium dimer, [(C5H5)2ZrN(Sn(CH3)3)]2 (3), which was characterized by single crystal x-ray diffractometry. The heteroleptic stannylamine, [{(CH3)3Sn}{(CH3)3Si}]NLi·Et2O(2), prepared using(1)as a synthetic precursor, reacts with SnCl2 to yield the tin-nitrogen heterocubane, [Sn(μ3-NSi(CH3)3)]4 (4), which is fully characterized by single crystal x-ray diffractometry and standard spectroscopic techniques. The use of this class of stannylamine ligands allows access to heterometallic amido complexes and provides a general route to obtaining tin-nitrogen heterocubanes.
Simultaneous event-related potential and near-infrared spectroscopic studies of semantic processing

Near-infrared optical topography (NIROT) signals and event-related potentials (ERPs) were measured simultaneously during a semantic processing task to evaluate the ability of these techniques to detect hemodynamic and electrophysiologic responses generated by semantic anomalies and to compare these results to earlier independent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and ERP measurements. Candidate brain regions were first identified from activations detected by NIROT during a simple block-design task (in this case reading sentences vs. passive viewing), and defined regions (corresponding to Broca's and Wernicke's areas) were used for guiding the localization of optodes and electrodes for recording during tasks involving semantic anomalies. In five of six subjects, ERP measurements showed the characteristic N400 wave, whereas event-related NIROT showed results that agreed with previous fMRI studies. There were transient hemodynamic signals recorded in specific optodes that corresponded to activation in Broca's area, but slightly anterior to the region activated during the simple reading task, and in Wernicke's area, but slightly inferior to that for the simple reading task. A between-subject correlation of the ERP and NIRS data was also employed to identify areas of activation. The highest correlations were obtained in Broca's area, centered more anterior than for the reading task and in Wernicke's area, slightly inferior to that for the reading task. This study confirms that event-related studies are feasible using NIROT and produce results similar to those obtained with fMRI. Even though the spatial resolution is lower in NIROT than in fMRI, small differences in the locations of activation centers could be detected with NIROT. This, together with the feasibility of simultaneous ERP recording, makes NIROT attractive as a new approach to studying language function in healthy subjects as well as in those with functional abnormalities.
Middlesex : A Pastoral Theological Reading

This article, written for the Group for New Directions in Pastoral Theology’s conference on the theme of “Emotion, Mood, and Temperament,” focuses on Middlesex, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, Professor of Creative Writing in the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University. The novel, set in 20th century America and written as a fictional memoir, is a coming-of-age story of Cal/Calliope, a man with an intersex condition caused by 5-alpha-reductase deficiency. The mission statement of the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) states that the organization is “devoted to systemic change to end shame, secrecy, and unwanted genital surgeries for people born with an anatomy that someone decided is not standard for male or female.” This essay employs the resources of pastoral theology to assist in the project of ending shame regarding intersex conditions by offering a pastoral theological reading of Middlesex. As such, this essay is an example of the discipline of pastoral theology being employed in the field of medical humanities in particular and the field of clinical humanities more broadly, and it also serves as an example as to how one might offer a pastoral theological reading of a novel.
Dosimetric Verification of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy of 172 Patients Treated for Various Disease Sites: Comparison of EBT Film Dosimetry, Ion Chamber Measurements, and Independent MU Calculations

Abstract Three independent dose verification methods for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) were evaluated. Planar IMRT dose distributions were delivered to EBT film and scanned with the Epson Expression 1680 flatbed scanner. The measured dose distributions were then compared to those calculated with a Pinnacle treatment planning system. The IMRT treatments consisted of 7 to 9 6-MV beams for different treatment sites. The films were analyzed using FilmQA (3cognition LLC, Great Neck, NY) software. Comparisons between measured and calculated dose distributions are reported as dose difference (DD) (pixels within ± 5%), distance to agreement (DTA) (3 mm), as well as gamma values (γ) (dose = ± 3%, distance = 2 mm). Point dose measurements with an ion chamber at isocenter were compared to dose calculated at that point. An independent monitor units (MUs) calculation program was also used for verification. For the film dose distributions, DD values varied from 92% to 97%, with head-and-neck and lung treatments showing lower values. Gamma varied from 93% to 98%, and DTA was well above 99%. The isocenter dose measurements deviated from 0.008 to 0.028 from the calculated dose. The larger deviations were attributed to high-dose gradients at the isocenter. RadCalc MU calculations gave differences from 0.027 to 0.079. The larger differences observed were for beams crossing large areas of heterogeneous tissue and were attributed to the limitations of the simple path-length correction method employed in RadCalc. In conclusion, the 3 independent verification methods for each IMRT patient at our institution demonstrated very good agreement between measurements and calculations and gave us the confidence that our IMRT treatments are delivered accurately.
Method for Determining Spins of Neutron Resonances

The proposed method for measuring the spin of $S$-wave neutron resonances is based on the detailed properties of the low-energy capture $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectrum. Measurements on nuclei with resonances of known spin show that this method gives reliable spin assignments. It is also applied to unassigned resonances in $^{167}\mathrm{Er}$ and $^{187,189}\mathrm{Os}$.