cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PULSE RADIOLYSIS STUDIES IN MODEL LIPID SYSTEMS: FORMATION AND BEHAVIOR OF PEROXY RADICALS IN FATTY ACIDS

— Radiolytic formation and peroxidation of fatty acid radicals have been investigated by pulse radiolysis techniques in oleate, linoleate, linolenate and arachidonate systems. A strong absorption band at 280 nm associated with conjugated radicals, Rconj, formed in polyunsaturated fatty acid moieties has been used as a probe for kinetic processes occurring at doubly allylic sites in the hydrocarbon chain. Formation of Rconj by O- has been found to be more efficient than the less selective OH radical. Peroxidation of Rconj is shown to be somewhat slower, (kR+ O2˜ 3 × 108M-1 s-1), than O2 reactions with radicals in oleate (kR+ O2= 1 × 109M-1 s-1). Peroxy radicals generated in these reactions disappear slowly by essentially second order processes (2kRO1˜ 107M-1 s-1). The superoxide radical, O-2, shows little if any reactivity towards 0.01 M linolenate or arachidonate over periods of 20 s.
Debts, Oligarchies, and Holisms: Deconstructing the Fallacy of Composition

This is a critical appreciation of Govier’s 2006 ISSA keynote address on the fallacy of composition, and of economists’ writings on this fallacy in economics. I argue that the “fallacy of composition” is a problematical concept, because it does not denote a distinctive kind of argument but rather a plurality, and does not constitute a distinctive kind of error, but rather reduces to oversimplification in arguing from micro to macro. Finally, I propose further testing of this claim based on examples involving public vs. private debt in economics; oligarchic tendencies in politics, and the emergence of societal wholes in sociology.
Deinterleaving Markov processes via penalized ML

We study the problem of deinterleaving a set of finite memory (Markov) processes over disjoint finite alphabets, which have been randomly interleaved by a memoryless random switch. The deinterleaver has access to a sample of the resulting interleaved process, but no knowledge of the number or structure of the Markov processes, or the parameters of the switch. We present a deinterleaving scheme based on minimizing a penalized maximum-likelihood cost function, and show it to be strongly consistent, in the sense of reconstructing, almost surely as the observed sequence length tends to infinity, the original Markov and switch processes. Solutions are described for the case where a bound on the order of the Markov processes is available, and for the case where it is not. We demonstrate that the proposed scheme performs well in practice, requiring much shorter input sequences for reliable deinterleaving than previous solutions.
Medullary Thyroid Cancer: It is a pain in the neck?

Background: Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) commonly presents with lymph node (LN) metastases, and has a worse prognosis than papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Tumor size and LN involvement have been shown to affect stage of disease; however, to our knowledge, ours is the first study that attempts to correlate anterior neck pain on presentation with the extent of disease. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients with MTC who underwent an operation from February 1998 through December 2008. We compared the symptom of anterior neck pain with the pathologic extent of disease. Our control group comprised patients who underwent an operation for PTC. Analysis was performed using the Fisher's exact test and the Mann-Whitney test. Results: Of the 109 patients with MTC, 50 (46%) met our inclusion criteria. Of the 50 patients with MTC, 11 presented with neck pain, compared to 3 of the 50 patients with PTC (p = 0.041). Of those 11 patients, 9 (82%) had LN involvement on final pathology, as compared with 14 (36%) of the 39 without neck pain (p = 0.014). Of patients with neck pain, 18% were diagnosed at stage I to II and 82% at stage III to IV, compared to 64% at stage I to II and 36% at stage III to IV (p = 0.014). Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that more patients with MTC present with anterior neck pain than do patients with PTC and that patients with MTC and neck pain have an increased risk of LN metastases. The results of this study suggest that MTC patients, who present with concomitant neck pain, should undergo a total thyroidectomy, prophylactic bilateral central neck dissection, and ipsilateral lateral neck dissection.
Optimizing resource utilization using transformations

A transformational approach aimed at improving the resource utilization in high level synthesis is introduced. The current implementation combines retiming and associativity in a single framework. This combination of transformations results in considerable area improvements, as is amply demonstrated by benchmark examples. A novel learning while searching iterative improvement probabilistic algorithm has been developed and is used to resolve the associated NP-complete combinatorial optimization problem. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithms and the transformations is demonstrated using standard benchmark examples, with the aid of statistical analysis, and through a comparison with estimated minimal bounds. The proposed algorithm has proven to be very effective in reaching the optimal solution as well as in runtime. >
Siliciclastic Incursion in Southern Florida and Development of Florida Reefs During Late Cenozoic: ABSTRACT

Only one major interruption has occurred in the long history of shallow-water carbonate deposition that has prevailed in southern Florida since the Jurassic. This break resulted from a substantial incursion of the finer siliciclastic sands interbedded or mixed with surprisingly coarse quartz sands during the late Cenozoic. Along the southeastern margin, this influx was succeeded by the development of reefs during the Quaternary. The siliciclastics occur in the subsurface beneath a section of Pliocene to Holocene shallow-water carbonates. Recent study of well samples shows that these sediments are thickest (120-200 m) along a north-south trend that extends from the central part of southern Florida to the upper Florida Keys. These sediments are largely composed of quartzose grains ranging in size from very fine sand to granule (0.06-4 mm), with minor proportions of calcareous clays, phosphatic grains, and marine faunal fragments. The medium sand to granule-sized sediments are composed of well-rounded quartzose grains and occur either interbedded or mixed with finer fractions. The sudden influx of siliciclastics in southern Florida beginning in the Miocene is quite unexpected considering the remoteness of the Appalachians, the postulated source. This southward transport may have been accomplished by rivers and/or longshore currents. The siliciclastic section extends southward slightly beyond the curving arc of Quaternary reef deposits. The coincidence of the southeastern edge of siliciclastics with the arc of Quaternary reefs suggests that reef development may have been localized on the siliciclastic margin. End_of_Article - Last_Page 244------------
Lessons learned and future directions: designing for multidisciplinarity in collaborative innovation networks (COINs)

This paper describes lessons learned through participation in the collaborative online innovation networks (COINs) seminar, a multidisciplinary collaboration involving global virtual team (GVT) projects. The paper is a narrative case study based on insights gained through four COINs seminars. Lessons learned suggest a need for explicit learning objectives that prepare students beyond the use of technical platforms and tools. Significant opportunities for learning are rooted in the multidisciplinary and multicultural context of the seminar and the interactions that occur between GVT members. The case underscores the importance of social learning as a means of identifying and understanding the mechanisms that facilitate or inhibit collaboration at the team level. Insights from the seminar have led us to think about how the linkage between social learning, collaboration, and the knowledge sharing challenges encountered by multidisciplinary global virtual teams might be integrated into a theoretical framework to guide the development of explicit learning objectives.
Dynamic Response of Cable Networks

A method is presented for calculating the nonlinear dynamic response of three-dimensional cable networks. Large changes in geometry are considered in the analysis. The method is applied to three typical cable networks, a planar network, a hyperbolic roof net, and a general three-dimensional layered system. Static response, mode shapes and frequencies, and the development of frequency-amplitude curves are all examined. Agreement, where available, with experimental data appears to be quite good.
Robot Spatial Distribution and Boundary Effects Matter in Puck Clustering

Puck Clustering, a particularly widely studied problem domain for self-organized multi-robot systems, involves gathering spatially distributed objects, called pucks, into piles within a planar workspace. Structures in the environment (partially formed clusters) encode information about where clusters should be formed, and their positions are involved in the mechanics of subsequent cluster formation. In this paper, we consider questions regarding the spatial distribution of robots and clusters, and their relation to the boundaries of the workspace. Prior theoretical analysis has assumed a uniform distribution of robots for gathering all objects into a single pile. Yet, in some instances, a disproportionate amount of time may be spent by robots on the boundary. Also, others have documented that the boundary can cause cluster growth itself. This paper considers the problem of clustering square boxes in the center of the workspace. The flat edges of these objects appear to exacerbate the affinity for cluster growth near boundaries. However, by exploiting the shape of our objects, we show that novel "Twisting" and "Digging" operations overcome this effect and enhance production of central clusters. We analyze the dynamics of boundary versus central puck clusters, and investigate how the spatial distribution of the robots changes along with the clustering process: showing stark differences between the standard mode of clustering and the mode we introduce here.
Toward a Lockean Theory of Intellectual Property

In what follows, a Lockean theory of intellectual property rights will be explained and defended. In part, I will argue that the non-rivalrous nature of intellectual property, mentioned above, does not pose an insurmountable problem for the Lockean. The first part will consist of a protracted argument, grounded in the Lockean proviso, that seeks to justify individual acts of intellectual property appropriation. In the second part, I will examine how an institution or system of intellectual property might be justified, rather than justifying individual instances of intellectual property acquisition directly. Finally, if successful, my theory will support the original intuition that something ethically wrong has occurred when computer software, music, or other intellectual works are pirated.
Business and Human Rights Litigation in U.S. Courts Before and after Kiobel

This Chapter examines the landscape for business and human rights cases in U.S. courts under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) both before and after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum Co. It concludes that such cases today face a series of challenges, including personal jurisdiction, the question of corporate liability, the standard for aiding and abetting liability, and satisfying Kiobel’s “touch and concern” test.
Statistical Methodology for Industrial Problems

The 10 articles in this issue develop statistical methodology that was developed in response to real problems that arose in industry. These articles demonstrate increasing needs for methods that can handle data with a variety of attributes, such as multivariate, binary (pass/fail), categorical, correlated, incomplete, or non-Gaussian. To solve these problems, authors incorporate tools from various areas of mathematics, including functional analysis, optimization, graph theory, and numerical analysis. Control charts, experimental design and analysis, density estimation, calibration methods, and sampling plans remain important methods in industrial settings, and these methods can be expected to apply to other environments as well.
Comparison of TD-DFT Methods for the Calculation of Two-Photon Absorption Spectra of Oligophenylvinylenes

We investigate the accuracy of different formalisms within density functional theory in prediction of two-photon absorption (2PA) spectra for substituted oligophenylvinylenes compared to the experimental measurements. The quadratic response methods are compared with the recently proposed a posteriori Tamm–Dancoff approximation (ATDA) and previously published third-order coupled electronic oscillator results. Quadratic response is found to overestimate the cross sections in all cases. We trace the reasons to unreliable excited state description above the ionization threshold. In addition, quadratic response lacks the double excitations so that their contributions to the 2PA spectra are redistributed over the nearest single character excitations. This distorts the individual contributions to the 2PA response and affects the overall picture. For this reason, we do not recommend quadratic response for the essential state analysis, while ATDA can be used both for the 2PA predictions and the structure/property ...
Understanding and Manipulating Electrostatic Fields at the Protein–Protein Interface Using Vibrational Spectroscopy and Continuum Electrostatics Calculations

Biological function emerges in large part from the interactions of biomacromolecules in the complex and dynamic environment of the living cell. For this reason, macromolecular interactions in biological systems are now a major focus of interest throughout the biochemical and biophysical communities. The affinity and specificity of macromolecular interactions are the result of both structural and electrostatic factors. Significant advances have been made in characterizing structural features of stable protein–protein interfaces through the techniques of modern structural biology, but much less is understood about how electrostatic factors promote and stabilize specific functional macromolecular interactions over all possible choices presented to a given molecule in a crowded environment. In this Feature Article, we describe how vibrational Stark effect (VSE) spectroscopy is being applied to measure electrostatic fields at protein–protein interfaces, focusing on measurements of guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-...
Situational survey on safety of vaccination sites in rural areas

In order to learn about the basic condition and requirement to operate Expanded Program on Immunization(EPI) in rural areas,a situational survey on vaccination in rural and mountainous areas was developed to explore the guarantee of developing vaccination and the model to develop mobilization and publicity for vaccination.
498 Neurocognitive Decline Associated to Inflammatory Response and Axonal Central Nervous Injury Following Cardiopulmonary Bypass.: Table

Introduction Neurocognitive decline (NCD) is a common complication in cardiac surgical patients. Its pathophysiology remains unknown; leading to significant morbidity particularly in the elderly. We studied the inflammatory response and CRP in relation to NCD following cardiopulmonary bypass and correlated this to a marker of axonal central nervous system (CNS) injury. Methods Prospective cohort of 43 low-risk patients undergoing CABG and/or valve procedures using cardiopulmonary bypass were administered a neurocognitive battery preoperatively, postoperatively at day 4 and at 3 months. Battery consisted of eight validated assessments covering memory, executive function, naming, attention, fluency, and premorbid intelligence. Following published STS Consensus Statement, NCD was defined as one standard deviation from baseline on ≥ 25% of tasks. CRP, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and IL-10 were quantified from serum with high sensitivity immunoassay and fold-change(FC) calculated between preoperative/postoperative samples at 6 hrs. Increase of serum tau protein after surgery (dichotomous) was used as a marker of axonal CNS damage. Results Cohort had an NCD rate of 45% (mean age 72 ± 3.6 years). Baseline characteristics and known predictors of NCD such as age, education level, and perioperative temperature were not significantly different between patients with/without NCD. Patients with NCD had a significantly higher increase of CRP, IL-1β and IL-10 compared to those without NCD, as described in the Table below. Serum tau protein increase was significantly correlated to NCD. Conclusions Increased CRP and inflammatory response perioperatively is associated with NCD in patients following cardiopulmonary bypass. Inflammation plays a key role in NCD pathophysiology, likely via axonal CNS injury, and could become a target for prevention.
Conventional treatments for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: the need for new therapies.

The purpose of this article is to review the management of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) from diagnosis through treatment, with a focus on some of the newer and highly promising treatments. Methods: The current treatment of low-grade NHL is discussed from the oncologist's perspective for the purpose of establishing a context for the development of radioimmunotherapy. Results: Despite considerable progress in our understanding of the pathophysiology of NHL, both the prevalence and incidence of these diseases are increasing. Oncologists in the U.S. and Europe currently are trying to use the Revised European-American Lymphoma classification system to accurately categorize patients. Accurate diagnosis of an NHL requires physical examination and radiographic studies to assess nodal enlargement and prognostic features. Treatment for low-grade NHL during the past 30 yr has consisted of high-dose radiation and cytotoxic agents, administered alone or in combination, and high-dose therapy with stem cell transplant. Unfortunately, despite the advent of new drugs and treatment regimens, there has been little or no improvement in outcome. However, recent clinical use of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in patients with low-grade or transformed low-grade NHL has resulted in less toxicity than conventional treatments, as well as response rates that are comparable or superior to those achieved with chemotherapy. Therefore, interest is growing in mAbs as therapeutic alternatives for patients with low-grade NHL and those with transformed histology. Conclusion: The treatment paradigm for NHL is expected to change over the next few years to include radiolabeled mAbs, administered alone or in combination with cytotoxic agents.
Civil-Military Relations

The instability of the Haitian political and governmental system is often blamed on the army, which has been seen as a destabilizing force throughout the history of the nation. This general opinion has been held by both the Haitian populace and foreign analysts. It was partly with a view to restraining a pro-Kako (members of revolutionary bands who later engaged the US Marines in guerilla warfare) faction of the army from playing a ‘director role’ in Haitian politics that the United States intervened militarily in Haiti from 1915 to 1934, dismantled the old guard and replaced it with a professional army. The professionalization of the army, however, has not solved the problem of political instability. It has simply cast it in a different mode.
Parent Adherence in Two Behavioral Treatment Strategies for the Predominantly Inattentive Presentation of ADHD

We examined the effects of parent adherence on child outcomes in two treatment strategies for the Predominantly Inattentive Presentation of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD-I): behavioral parent training adapted for ADHD-I (Parent-Focused Therapy [PFT]) and a multicomponent intervention that combined PFT, a child life skills group, and a classroom intervention (Child Life and Attention Skills Program [CLAS]). In a 2-site randomized controlled trial, 199 children (7-11 years of age) were randomized to PFT (n = 74), CLAS (n = 74), or treatment as usual (n = 51). Parent adherence was rated separately by parents and clinicians. Child outcomes included ADHD-I symptoms and parent- and teacher- rated impairment social, organizational, and home impairment. Results from multiple regression analyses utilizing a composite of parent and clinician ratings showed that parent adherence predicted improvement in all 3 parent-rated child impairment outcomes and no teacher-rated outcomes in the PFT treatment group. Adherence ratings did not predict any parent- or teacher-rated outcomes in the CLAS treatment group and did not predict ADHD symptom change in either treatment condition. These findings suggest that when parents are solely responsible for teaching and reinforcing new child skills and behaviors (as in PFT), their adherence to the assigned intervention may be especially important for improvement at home. It may be less critical in multicomponent interventions, like CLAS, where the responsibility for teaching new child skills is shared among parents, teachers, and child group clinicians. Parent adherence does not appear to impact child improvement in the school setting.
Telephone, Telemedicine, and Direct Faculty Supervision of Neurology Residents during Neurological Emergencies (P05.001)

OBJECTIVE: To compare telephone, robotic telepresence (RTP), and direct faculty supervision of neurology residents during management of neurological emergencies. BACKGROUND: Telemedicine is used for specialist consultation, patient evaluation, and remote monitoring. We propose that telemedicine can play a valuable role in medical education by facilitating faculty supervision of trainees. Specifically, we asked faculty and trainees to compare their experiences with telephone, RTP, and direct interaction over patients with neurological emergencies. DESIGN/METHODS: Mayo Clinic trainees and faculty who provided service for acute neurologic consultations over 29 months were surveyed. Consenting participants answered ten questions using 5-point Likert scale or ranking, addressing their experience with interaction quality, supervision, and mentorship achieved with the three communication modalities under study. RESULTS: Surveys were received from 20/36 (56%) trainees and 8/10 (80%) faculty. Over 90% of trainees and faculty strongly agreed in-person communication was satisfactory for patient data review, history re-acquisition, problem synthesis, and refinement of trainee9s impression, with RTP a close second. Moreover 38% of faculty and 70% of trainees, respectively, reported the telephone method to be unsatisfactory for re-acquisition of history, synthesis of patient data, and direct observation of trainees9 clinical skills. Of faculty, 88 % agreed that RTP was a satisfactory modality for influencing patient9s care and patient counseling. Over 90% of trainees reported that RTP provided them with sufficient staff support, was efficient, and allowed for trainee autonomy and learning. In regards to receiving and providing feedback, 89% trainees and 88% faculty felt RTP was satisfactory. Overall, 85% of trainees and faculty most preferred direct in-person supervision, with RTP a close second, and telephone least favored. CONCLUSIONS: Although direct in-person faculty supervision of trainees9 management of neurological emergencies is always preferred, it is not always practical. This survey highlights that RTP supervision is preferred over telephone as an adjunctive supervision tool in residency. Disclosure: Dr. Morparia has nothing to disclose. Dr. Demaerschalk has received personal compensation for activities with Genentech, Inc. and Otsuka.
Adaptive Loop Shaping for Wideband Disturbances Attenuation in Precision Information Storage Systems

Modern hard disk drive (HDD) systems are subjected to various external disturbances. One particular category, defined as wide-band disturbances, can generate vibrations with their energy highly concentrated at several frequency bands. Such vibrations are commonly time-varying and strongly environment/product-dependent, and the wide spectral peaks can occur at frequencies above the servo bandwidth. This paper considers the attenuation of such challenging vibrations in the track-following problem of HDDs. Due to the fundamental limitation imposed by the Bode’s integral theorem, the attenuation of such wide-band disturbances may cause unacceptable amplifications at other frequencies. To achieve a good performance and an optimal tradeoff, an add-on adaptive vibration-compensation scheme is proposed in this paper. Through parameter adaptation algorithms that online identify both the center frequencies and the widths of the spectral peaks, the proposed control scheme automatically allocates the control efforts with respect to the real-time disturbance characteristics. The effect is that the position error signal in HDDs can be minimized with effective vibration cancelation. Evaluation of the proposed algorithm is performed by experiments on a voice-coil-driven flexible positioner system.
Wonder Woman and the Polycultural Contexts of Everyday Creativity

This chapter expands on the study of what has been called Everyday Creativity (Richards 2007; Glaveanu 2014) to contribute to a creative poetics of the new everyday in which we increasingly live. In the current mix and mash of multiple polycultural interchange, identity plays, ubiquitous media, sweeping migration patterns, and conflictual enactments, it is now crucial to explore how multiple everyday rituals, meanings, social signals and values are created and how we create practices that reciprocally impact both individual and collective psyches and institutional structures. The chapter begins with an exposition of the daily creativity of young children emphasizing their play, wonder, and continual exploration, alone and with others. It emphasizes a “pre-production” stage of experimentation in which the usually thought of background plays with feeling, sensation, movement, and sound are foregrounded as practices of renewal, of both individual and collaborative creativity. The chapter continues by looking at the complex roles of media, books, schooling, games, and contact with people from a multiplicity of cultural backgrounds in creative possibility in the new daily landscapes, and it ends by giving examples of initiatives that employ new practices of everyday creativity, both individual and collective, in a variety of sociocultural settings.
Palaeoclimate: Aerosols shift lake ecosystem

Anthropogenic aerosols over the Chinese Loess Plateau have diminished monsoon precipitation and concomitant soil erosion that plagues the region. Now, a reconstruction documents the differences between historical warming events and the present, highlighting the paradoxical implications of decreasing atmospheric aerosols.
Ethical Considerations in Clinical Trials

The ethical basis for clinical trials grew out of the responses to historical lessons in transgressions against vulnerable populations. Resnik proposed four principles for biomedical research: truth telling or veracity, dialogue or free exchange, caution or prudence, and social responsibility or civic duty. Emanuel et al. subsequently defined seven ethical requirements for clinical research relating to social or scientific value, scientific validity, fair subject selection, favorable risk-benefit ratio, independent review, informed consent, and respect for potential and enrolled subjects. A key concern with procedural clinical trials relates to those with “sham surgery” arms, and several ethical considerations must to be taken into account when designing research with evaluating for placebo effect.
FGL2 promotes tumor progression via inducing TIGIT expression on T cells in tumor microenvironment of glioma

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor with a median survival of only 14.6 months. Our previous work shows that FGL2 promotes glioma tumor growth and the expression levels of FGL2 positively correlated with glioma grade in patients. T cell Ig and ITIM domain (TIGIT) is an inhibitory receptor expressed by activated T cells, Tregs, and NK cells. Here we found that there is a statistically significant positive correlation between FGL2 and TIGIT mRNA expression level in both low grade glioma database (TCGA, provisional) and glioblastoma multiforme database (TCGA, provisional). Future, FGL2 and TIGIT are coordinately expressed by human tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes of glioma as detected by flow cytometry. In addition, TIGIT expression on T cells which suppresses their function, can be induced by initial T cell activation or FGL2 in vitro. Induced TIGIT expression upon initial T cell activation is suppressed in FGL2KO T cells which has higher tumor-killing ability than WT T cells. Therefore, our results show that FGL2 induces TIGIT expression in brain-infiltrated lymphocytes which suppresses anti-tumor immune response in glioma. By this mechanism, FGL2 promotes tumor progression of glioma.
Endoscopic Management of Incidental Cystotomy During Operative Laparoscopy

Operative laparoscopy is rapidly becoming an important technique used by all surgical specialties. More sophisticated and difficult procedures are continually being performed endoscopically. Complications from these procedures are inevitable and are more frequently being managed with the laparoscope. We describe a case of inadvertent cystotomy during a laparoscopic gynecological operation, which was subsequently repaired endoscopically. The technique and patient followup are presented.
Tissue Engineered Bone Differentiated From Human Adipose Derived Stem Cells Inhibit Posterolateral Fusion in an Athymic Rat Model.

Study design Biological augmentation spinal arthrodesis trial in athymic rats. Objective To assess the efficacy of tissue-engineered bone to promote L4-L5 intertransverse process fusion in an athymic rat model. Summary of background data Each year in the United States, over 400,000 spinal fusion surgeries are performed requiring bone graft. The current gold standard for posterolateral lumbar fusion is autogenous iliac crest bone graft (ICBG), but the harvesting of ICBG is associated with increased operative time and significant complications. This being the case, an alternative cost-effective bone graft source is needed. Methods Bovine bone cores were sterilized and decellularized for scaffold production. Human adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSC) were obtained and verified by tridifferentiation testing and seeded onto dried scaffolds. The seeded cores were cultured for 5 weeks in culture medium designed to mimic endochondral ossification and produce hypertrophic chondrocytes. Single-level intertransverse process fusions were performed at the L4-L5 level of 31 athymic rats. Fifteen rats were implanted with the hypertrophic chondrocyte seeded scaffold and 16 had scaffold alone. Half of the study rats were sacrificed at 3 weeks and the other half at 6 weeks. Spinal fusion was assessed using 2D and 3D micro computed tomography (μCT) analysis and tissue histology. Results At 3 weeks, none of the tissue engineered rats had partial or complete fusion, whereas 62.5% of the decellularized rats fused and another 12.5% had partial fusions (P = 0.013). At 6 weeks, none of the tissue engineered rats fused and 50% had partial fusions, whereas 87.5% of the decellularized rats fused (P = 0.002). Conclusion Tissue engineered bone composed of hypertrophic chondrocytes inhibits posterolateral fusion in an athymic rat model and therefore does not represent a promising cost-effective bone graft substitute. Level of evidence N/A.
Cost analysis of a project to digitize classic articles in neurosurgery

In summer 2000, the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library at Yale University began a demonstration project to digitize classic articles in neurosurgery from the late 1800s and early 1900s. The objective of the first phase of the project was to measure the time and costs involved in digitization, and those results are reported here. In the second phase, metadata will be added to the digitized articles, and the project will be publicized. Thirteen articles were scanned using optical character recognition (OCR) software, and the resulting text files were carefully proofread. Time for photocopying, scanning, and proofreading were recorded. This project achieved an average cost per item (total pages plus images) of $4.12, a figure at the high end of average costs found in other studies. This project experienced high costs for two reasons. First, the articles contained many images, which required extra processing. Second, the older fonts and the poor condition of many of these articles complicated the OCR process. The average article cost $84.46 to digitize. Although costs were high, the selection of historically important articles maximized the benefit gained from the investment in digitization.
Silicon-containing granules of rat liver, kidney and spleen mitochondria. Electron probe X-ray microanalysis.

Isolated rat liver mitochondria containing granule aggregates (25–75 nm in diameter) and small (5–10 nm) electron opaque granules were examined by electron probe X-ray microanalysis. The granule aggregates gave an intense Si signal, while the small granules gave both Si and P signals. Isolated mitochondria of rat liver, spleen and kidney, subjected to detergent solubilization and differential centrifugation, produced two granule fractions: (1) a 10,000g fraction consisting predominantly of granule aggregates (25–75 nm) composed of smaller granules (5–10 nm in diameter), and (2) a 10,000–30,000 g fraction of non-aggregated small granules (5–10 nm). Thin sections of isolated granule aggregates gave Si X-ray signals similar to those obtained from in situ granules. In addition S, Cl, Mg, Cr and Fe X-ray signals were observed. Cr occurred only in the large kidney granules, while Fe occurred in both fractions of the spleen and kidney granules. The presence of Si in the granules was confirmed by chemical analysis of the isolated granules and in vivo radiolabeling of the granules with 31Si and 68Ge. Contamination within the electron microscope was eliminated by a liquid nitrogen anticontamination device.
Correlation polarimetry for broadband magnetic fluctuation measurements

Correlation techniques have been successfully utilized for plasma diagnostics like electron cyclotron emission to reduce measurement noise. We present the first application of such a technique to Faraday-effect polarimetry measurements on the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST). The MST far infrared (FIR) interferometer-polarimeter diagnostic utilizes 11 vertical chords with a chord separation of 7-8 cm and a heterodyne detection system for fluctuation measurements up to several hundred kHz. The planar-diode mixers viewing each chord represent independent noise sources; modifying the optical setup so that two different mixers view the same chord allows cross correlation between the two independent signals to reduce the noise floor in fluctuation measurements. In this manner, the noise floor in both interferometry and polarimetry measurements in reversed-field pinch discharges has been reduced by a factor of 20-30. The correlation polarimeter provides a sensitive measurement of broadband magnetic fluctuations.
Comparing student outcomes in traditional vs intensive, online graduate programs in health professional education

Health professions’ education programs are undergoing enormous changes, including increasing use of online and intensive, or time reduced, courses. Although evidence is mounting for online and intensive course formats as separate designs, literature investigating online and intensive formats in health professional education is lacking. The purpose of the study was to compare student outcomes (final grades and course evaluation ratings) for equivalent courses in semester long (15-week) versus intensive (7-week) online formats in graduate health sciences courses. This retrospective, observational study compared satisfaction and performance scores of students enrolled in three graduate health sciences programs in a large, urban US university. Descriptive statistics, chi square analysis, and independent t-tests were used to describe student samples and determine differences in student satisfaction and performance. The results demonstrated no significant differences for four applicable items on the final student course evaluations (p values range from 0.127 to 1.00) between semester long and intensive course formats. Similarly, student performance scores for final assignment and final grades showed no significant differences (p = 0.35 and 0.690 respectively) between semester long and intensive course formats. Findings from this study suggest that 7-week and 15-week online courses can be equally effective with regard to student satisfaction and performance outcomes. While further study is recommended, academic programs should consider intensive online course formats as an alternative to semester long online course formats.
Development of a finger adapter method for testing and evaluating vibration-reducing gloves and materials

The objective of this study was to develop a convenient and reliable adapter method for testing and evaluating vibration-reducing (VR) gloves and VR materials at the fingers. The general requirements and technical specifications for the design of the new adapter were based on our previous studies of hand-held adapters for vibration measurement and a conceptual model of the fingers-adapter-glove-handle system developed in this study. Two thicknesses (2 mm and 3 mm) of the adapter beam were fabricated using a 3-D printer. Each adapter is a thin beam equipped with a miniature tri-axial accelerometer (1.1 g) mounted at its center, with a total weight ≤ 2.2 g. To measure glove vibration transmissibility, the adapter is held with two gloved fingers; a finger is positioned on each side of the accelerometer. Each end of the adapter beam is slotted between the glove material and the finger. A series of experiments was conducted to evaluate this two-fingers-held adapter method by measuring the transmissibility of typical VR gloves and a sample VR material. The experimental results indicate that the major resonant frequency of the lightweight adapter on the VR material (≥800 Hz) is much higher than the resonant frequencies of the gloved fingers grasping a cylindrical handle (≤300 Hz). The experimental results were repeatable across the test treatments. The basic characteristics of the measured glove vibration transmissibility are consistent with the theoretical predictions based on the biodynamics of the gloved fingers-hand-arm system. The results suggest that VR glove fingers can effectively reduce only high-frequency vibration, and VR effectiveness can be increased by reducing the finger contact force. This study also demonstrated that the finger adapter method can be combined with the palm adapter method prescribed in the standardized glove test, which can double the test efficiency without substantially increasing the expense of the test.
Modeling and optimization of transverse modes in vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers

We present a system-oriented model to simulate the dynamics of transverse modes in vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers. An analytical expression for the gain as a function of carrier density and temperature is derived from a simulation of the full-structure reflectivity, while the field propagation in the cavity is computed with a generalized Huygens–Fresnel integral. The laser rate equations are employed to calculate the field and gain dynamics until a steady state is reached. The optimal cavity mode size for highest output power and brightness is extracted for two of the most commonly employed pump beam shapes. The effect of pump power and output coupler on the steady-state solution and mode size optimum are discussed.
Fibril-directed Therapies in Systemic Light Chain AL Amyloidosis

Immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis (AL amyloidosis) is a plasma cell disorder leading to the production and extracellular deposition of abnormal immunoglobulin light chains called amyloid. The pathogenesis of the disorder is driven by an abnormal plasma cell clone producing excessive monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains, which undergo deposition in various organs of the body such as the heart, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract. The outcome of the disease remains poor, with significant morbidity and mortality associated with the organ dysfunction. The mainstay of therapy remains targeting the plasma cell clone to decrease or eliminate the production of the abnormal light chains. These therapies include agents such as proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulators, and use of autologous stem cell transplantation. Although current therapies offer potential for disease control and improvement in survival, they cannot reverse light chain deposits in the organs. Newer therapies targeting the light chain fibrils in the form of antibodies binding to the amyloid protein in the organ have recently been developed and have shown early efficacy in clinical trials. In this review, we outline the preclinical work, mechanisms of action, and the clinical efficacy of fibril-directed therapies for light chain amyloidosis.
Sparse Equalization in Aeronautical Telemetry Using Two Transmit Antennas

This correspondence explores the application of sparse equalizers in generalized time-reversed space-time block codes (GTR-STBCs) for a two-transmit/one-receive antenna aeronautical telemetry link. It is shown that the jointly optimum design of the sparse equalizer coefficients and the power sharing parameter $\rho$ in GTR-STBCs is computationally challenging because the active tap ratio of the sparse equalizers is a non-convex function of $\rho$ . A search algorithm based on a grid search followed by an interpolation is shown to yield impressive results. Our numerical results demonstrate that depending on signal-to-noise ratio and channel conditions, the number of non-zero taps of sparse equalizers for GTR-STBCs can be reduced by 53% to $86\%$ at the cost of 0.25 dB relaxation in the mean-squared error.
Problems with minimal-risk research oversight: a threat to academic freedom?

j| lthough criticism of a powerful bureaucratic / j| body is expected, your local institutional review JL board (IRB) might dese ve a touch of sympathy, having been subjected to withering critique in recent years for a long list of sins. The observed faults of IRBs have been well summarized1 and include inconsistency, delay, grammatical pedantry, excessive conservatism regarding legal risk, ignorance of fields reviewed, and threats to ac demic freedom.2 Minimal-risk rese rch is a particular area of controversy because the bureaucratic bu den of human subjects research oversight seems severely disproportional to the potential risks of harm to research participants, as well as to the effort required to condu t the research itself. Many of these complaints are legitimate, and IRB review of a researcher's proposed study can engender anger, frustration, and stress. Unfortunately, such responses can impede an accurate assessment of both the cause of the roblem and its potential solution. A particularly unfortunate recent development is the label ing of some legitimate complaints as issues of academic freedom when they are not. I will not settle here the fundamental issue of whether a convincing argument exists that IRB review poses a threat to academic freedom. Instead, I evaluate th argu ments in a report issued recently by a committee of the American Ass ciation of University Professors. The repo t, "Research Human Subjects: Academic Freedom and the Institutional Review Boar ,"3 was issued by Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure, which is the largest an oldest of the AAUP sta ding committees. In the report, Committee A argues that the federal regulations governing research with humans?known as the Common Rule?grant unchecked p er to IRBs in a way that poses a threat to academic freedom. It is vital to p rase complaints regarding IRBs accurately, both to avoid diluting the
The strategic role of Non-audit Services in Audit Markets

There has been an extensive debate about whether the joint provision of audit and non-audit services (NAS) impairs auditor independence and objectivity. Literature suggest that joint delivery of the audit and NAS may generate knowledge spillover effects that could lead to economic rents, integrity and increased audit quality. We model that markets are better off when audit firms provide NASs together where firms are indifferent between the benefits of economic rents and the independence costs. The findings have implications for audit profession, regulators and policy makers such as PCAOB deliberation over whether additional NAS should be banned or relaxed for auditors.
What’s wealth got to do with it? Global balance sheets and US geo-economic power

Does the ever-increasing stock of cross-border asset holdings pose a threat to macro-economic stability and to US geo-economic power? Recent analyses suggest that exchange rate changes might drive ...
Minimizing Transmission and Processing Delay in a NFV-based Network

Software middleboxes, also called Virtual Network Functions (VNFs), are replacing expensive traditional hardwares in implementing network services. Multiple middleboxes processing flows in a specific order form a service chain. Current works mostly focus on the service chain deployment problem and pay little attention to the flow scheduling of a deployed service chain, resulting in a poor control of the flow completion times. However, a high performance network always has a strict requirement of the flow completion time. In this paper, we build a transmission and processing delay model to formulate the communication latency behavior of flows being processed by middleboxes. We aim to minimize the flow completion time in two aspects: the longest completion time (makespan) and the average completion time. We propose an optimal solution for each aspect when there are only two middleboxes in the service chain. With a service chain with an arbitrary length, we first prove the NP-hardness of our problem in both aspects and then design two corresponding heuristic algorithms, which are extended from our proposed optimal solutions for a service chain with a length of two. Extensive simulations are conducted to evaluate the performance of our algorithms in various scenarios.
Creative Internet of Things (IoT) for Undergraduates

This article presents results of our pilot study for a new Internet of Things (IoT) course for CS undergraduates. Most of the current IoT courses proposed focused on designing and developing new classroom activities and projects. However, we strongly believe that open-ended student project can enhance students’ creative thinking. After providing fundamental theories and related hands-on activities, we allowed students to choose their own final project topic. Since our course covers hardware platforms, programming, networking protocols, and data storage of IoT systems and applications in the classroom, students can be ready for exploring new real-world problems at the end. By choosing their own project topic, students have a chance to apply their classroom leanings to solve new problems creatively and learn new skills by themselves. Course evaluation based on student feedback shows high level of enthusiasm and engagement for the course especially for hands-on activities and final open-ended project.