cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Altering prosthetic foot stiffness influences foot and muscle function during below-knee amputee walking: A modeling and simulation analysis

Most prosthetic feet are designed to improve amputee gait by storing and releasing elastic energy during stance. However, how prosthetic foot stiffness influences muscle and foot function is unclear. Identifying these relationships would provide quantitative rationale for prosthetic foot prescription that may lead to improved amputee gait. The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of altered prosthetic foot stiffness on muscle and foot function using forward dynamics simulations of amputee walking. Three 2D muscle-actuated forward dynamics simulations of unilateral below-knee amputee walking with a range of foot stiffness levels were generated, and muscle and prosthetic foot contributions to body support and propulsion and residual leg swing were quantified. As stiffness decreased, the prosthetic keel provided increased support and braking (negative propulsion) during the first half of stance while the heel contribution to support decreased. During the second half of stance, the keel provided decreased propulsion and increased support. In addition, the keel absorbed less power from the leg, contributing more to swing initiation. Thus, several muscle compensations were necessary. During the first half of stance, the residual leg hamstrings provided decreased support and increased propulsion. During the second half of stance, the intact leg vasti provided increased support and the residual leg rectus femoris transferred increased energy from the leg to the trunk for propulsion. These results highlight the influence prosthetic foot stiffness has on muscle and foot function throughout the gait cycle and may aid in prescribing feet of appropriate stiffness.
Linking water sources with foliar nutrient status in upland plant communities in the Everglades National Park, USA.

Plant communities within an ecosystem can vary in water source usage and nutrient availabilities, thus permitting community coexistence and diversity. We investigated the differences in water source utilization in two ecologically important upland plant communities: tropical hardwood hammocks and pine rocklands in the predominantly flooded Everglades ecosystem. We then linked these differences with their foliar nutrient levels and photosynthetic performance as measured by υ 13 C abundance. Based on a comparison of υ 18 O of plant stem waters with those of potential water sources (nutrient-poor groundwater and nutrient-rich water in organic litter referred to as soilwater), we observed that during the wet season hammock plants relied on soilwater while in the dry season they relied on groundwater. A similar seasonal shift was observed in pineland plants, however, groundwater constituted the major part of water uptake throughout the year except for late wet season. Consistent with the nutrient concentration of different water sources used in the two communities, hammocks had a greater annual mean foliar nitrogen and phosphorus concentration at the community level over pinelands as well as a higher leaf area index. High foliar N concentration in hammock plants was associated with eventual stomatal limitation of photosynthesis. Hammock species being intolerant of flooded soils are restricted to water uptake in the shallow unsaturated soil layer in the wet season, yet access the lowered groundwater table in the dry season. This dependence on a relatively narrow annual range of water table levels should be considered in South Florida water management and Everglades restoration. Copyright  2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Quantitative Model for Ranking and Selecting Communities Most Involved in Commercial Fisheries

This article proposes a quantitative model for ranking commercial fisheries involvement by communities and describes our experience applying this model to North Pacific and West Coast fisheries. Analysis of recent fishing community profiling projects shows that there have been four basic approaches to selecting a manageable number of communities, including focusing on major ports, aggregated regions, representative examples, and the top of a ranked list. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is presented as a nonparametric, multidimensional modeling method appropriate for evaluating and ranking fishing communities based on an array of quantitative indicators of fisheries involvement. The results of applying this model to communities involved in West Coast and North Pacific fisheries are summarized. Nineteen indicators of fisheries dependence and 92 indicators of fisheries engagement were modeled yielding ranked lists of 1,564 and 1,760 U.S. communities, respectively. Comparison of the DEA method's topranked communities in Alaska to those selected by an indicators-based threshold-trigger model for Alaska showed 71 percent overlap of selected communities. The strengths and weaknesses of the DEA modeling approach are discussed. DEA modeling is not a substitute for ethnographic analysis of communities based on fieldwork, but it does present an enticing way to consider which communities might be selected for fieldwork or profiling, or as fishing communities, based on quantitative indicators.
Impacts of Coal Mining on Groundwater Environment in Northwestern Coal Mine Area

By conducting field investigation and tests, such as groundwater pumping test and rock mechanics test, and building numerical models to simulate damage of coal mining to aquifers, it was proved that coal mining in some coal mine area caused impacts to groundwater environment, including impact on water cycle, the structure of aquifers, and groundwater flow field, as a result of which some water supply sources in coal mine area become unavailable. In addition, a couple of solutions are presented to mitigate the impacts.
Strain dependent channel activation in cultured neurons

To determine the cellular response to mechanical strain, we have developed an in vitro device that allows us to monitor changes in individual cells under a microscope prior to and following a mechanical stretch. Previous data showed the rise in cytosolic calcium caused by a single mechanical stretch falls into three groups based on the applied strain and onset rate of strain. In the current study, we have treated NTera-2N neuronal cells with MK-801 (an NMDA channel blocker) to determine the contribution of NMDA channels to the intracellular calcium transient seen following mechanical stretch with a 205 ms onset time. Data shows that the calcium response is attenuated only at high strains, showing that the NMDA receptor is a primary mechanism of Ca/sup 2+/ influx at this stimulation level.
Medical Economics and the Assessment of Value in Cardiovascular Medicine: Part I

In Part I of this series, we reviewed some key concepts and tools of medical economics.1 In this concluding article, we use case studies of contemporary cardiovascular technologies to demonstrate the application of these principles. Three different types of therapies are considered: expensive one-time therapies (eg, coronary revascularization), the costs of which occur predominantly in the present and the benefits of which may stretch years into the future; prevention therapies, which must be applied to large populations for many years to prevent future complications; and maintenance therapies, which are applied to a chronic illness (such as heart failure) to improve longevity and functional status and to decrease complications. ### Coronary Revascularization Vigorous medical innovation over the past 30 years has transformed cardiovascular medicine from a largely noninvasive diagnostic discipline to one that employs a substantial armamentarium of procedures and devices, many of them invasive and expensive. Coronary revascularization is one of the most commonly performed procedures in the United States today, with 686 000 percutaneous coronary revascularizations (PCIs) and 366 000 coronary artery bypass graft surgeries (CABGs) performed in 1997.2 Because CABG typically costs >$30 000 per procedure, and PCI ≈$12 000 per procedure (including hospital and physician costs), the total direct cost for coronary revascularization in the United States alone exceeds $20 billion per year. With such huge expenditures on coronary revascularization, skeptics might well ask whether society is receiving a good value for all the money spent. There is no simple answer to this question because coronary revascularization is applied to many different subpopulations of patients, and the balance of cost and benefit depends on patient selection and the alternative treatments available for that population. The very same procedure can provide superb value in one group of patients yet be a wasteful extravagance in a different clinical setting. Thus, …
From Emerson to Edwards: Henry Whitney Bellows and an “Ideal” Metaphysics of Sovereignty

The date was 19 July 1859; the occasion, the commencement address at the Harvard Divinity School. Twenty-one years earlier, as Henry Whitney Bellows well knew, Ralph Waldo Emerson had there delivered the famous Divinity School Address, which offended the Unitarian faculty by berating historical Christianity, by advancing that the moral and religious sentiments were synonymous, and by claiming that intuitive apprehension of these sentiments could elevate persons to Christ-like stature. The ensuing “miracles controversy”—including, on the one hand, Andrews Norton's charges about “The Latest Form of Infidelity” and, on the other, George Ripley's, Theodore Parker's, and (early on, at least) Orestes Brownson's efforts to establish a “religion of the heart” by championing Kant over Locke—has been chronicled elsewhere. More to the present point is the way that, at a time when heated controversy over Emerson and his intuitionalist disciples might have seemed dated, Bellows attacked the self-reliant tendencies of Emerson's 1838 address: “The Emersonian and transcendental school at home, acknowledge[s] only one true movement in humanity—the egoistic—the self-asserting and self-justifying movement—which is Protestantism broken loose from general history.” Such criticism was hardly unprecedented in the school of divinity from which Bellows himself had graduated just a year before Emerson would deliver the Divinity School Address; nor would the faculty at Harvard have deemed Bellows innovative in chastising “the transcendental philosophy” for “making the … human and the divine, the natural and the supernatural, one and the same.
The counter-revolution of 1776: slave resistance and the origins of the United States of America

Gerald Horne is a prolific and distinguished scholar of African-American history, author of some 20 scholarly books just since 2000. Readers of this journal may be most familiar with his The Deepes...
Experimental Investigation of the Grinding Wheel Dynamics in Atherectomy

Abstract This research studies the grinding wheel dynamics in orbital atherectomy – a catheter-based minimally invasive procedure to pulverize plaque in atherosclerotic arteries using a diamond grinding wheel. Experiments were conducted to investigate the grinding wheel motion and grinding forces in orbital atherectomy. A high-speed camera and subsequent image processing were utilized to visualize and quantitatively analyze the grinding wheel motion through a transparent arterial tissue-mimicking phantom made of polyvinyl chloride, while the grinding forces were measured by a piezoelectric dynamometer. Observed under typical orbital atherectomy grinding rotational speeds of 60,000, 90,000, and 120,000 rpm in a 4.8 mm diameter vessel, the grinding wheel motion was a combination of a low-frequency orbiting at 18, 38, 40 Hz and a high-frequency rotation of 1000, 1500, and 1660.4-1866.1 Hz, respectively. Grinding forces consisted of the high and low frequencies that matched well with the wheel motion.
STOICHIOMETRY AND STABILITY OF CALDESMON IN NATIVE THIN FILAMENTS FROM SHEEP AORTA SMOOTH MUSCLE

Ca2(+)-regulated native thin filaments were extracted from sheep aorta smooth muscle. The caldesmon content determined by quantitative gel electrophoresis was 0.06 caldesmon molecule/actin monomer (1 caldesmon molecule per 16.3 actin monomers). Dissociation of caldesmon and tropomyosin from the thin filament and the depolymerization of actin was measured by sedimenting diluted thin filaments. Actin critical concentration was 0.05 microM at 10.1 and 0.13 at 10.05 compared with 0.5 microM for pure F-actin. Tropomyosin was tightly bound, with half-maximal dissociation at less than 0.3 microM thin filaments (actin monomer) under all conditions. Caldesmon dissociation was independent of tropomyosin and not co-operative. The concentration of thin filaments where 50% of the caldesmon was dissociated (CD50) ranged from 0.2 microM (actin monomer) at 10.03 to 8 microM at 10.16 in a 5 mM-MgCl2, pH 7.1, buffer. Mg2+, 25 mM at constant I, increased CD50 4-fold. CD50 was 4-fold greater at 10(-4) M-Ca2+ than at 10(-9) M-Ca2+. Aorta heavy meromyosin (HMM).ADP.Pi complex (2.5 microM excess over thin filaments) strongly antagonized caldesmon dissociation, but skeletal-muscle HMM.ADP.Pi did not. The behaviour of caldesmon in native thin filaments was indistinguishable from caldesmon in reconstituted synthetic thin filaments. The variability of Ca2(+)-sensitivity with conditions observed in thin filament preparations was shown to be related to dissociation of regulatory caldesmon from the thin filament.
CRIME VICTIM COMPENSATION IN A POST-9/11 WORLD

In this article, Professor Goldscheid explores the barriers to economic independence faced by victims of domestic and sexual violence by comparing the government programs for those victims with the federal September 11 Victim Compensation Fund created for victims of the 9/11 terror attacks, another group of victims systematically impacted by violence. Professor Goldscheid chronicles and compares the history, rationales and underlying theories that animate the programs. She argues that the programs contain different, but opposite, flaws. Neither is driven by a coherent theoretical foundation or a methodical analysis of victims' economic realities in the aftermath of the violence. She concludes that the tremendous differences in program approach are not warranted by the differences in program purpose or victims' experience.Professor Goldscheid argues that future compensation programs for victims of domestic and sexual violence should maximize cost spreading and should redress the systemic unavailability of traditional systems of recovery. She proposes an approach that is grounded in empirical data describing the reality of victims' experiences and that eliminates vestiges of bias against victims of domestic and sexual violence. The approach would generally retain the modest award structure of the state programs, but would integrate the September 11 Fund's overall approach to victims, marked by meaningful efforts to address their resulting unmet practical needs, by extensive public education and outreach and by efforts to encourage participation and maximize program utilization. She cautions against the dangers of developing a two-tier track of crime victim compensation programs - one for victims of terrorism and one for victims of other acts of violence - and identifies risks that such a dual system would present.
Radiographic examination of the small bowel. An application of odds ratio analysis to help attain an appropriate mix of small bowel follow through and enteroclysis in a working-clinical environment.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES Simplifying data collection and analysis should promote utilization management in review of examinations of the small bowel in the general practice. METHODS A case control format with the generation of an odds ratio to answer sets of binary questions derived from annual examination data is shown. The positive examination results applied were compared with the literature as a cross-checking mechanism. The examination identified as most likely to be positive was recommended prospectively in a protocol for the following year. Two of 5 years are illustrated to emphasize the development of the methodology. RESULTS Application of this model in testing its validity, since 1990 at Madigan Army Medical Center, allows for the generation of a new protocol each year to prospectively improve clinical definition. CONCLUSIONS A 5-year analysis of small bowel examination protocols, subdivisions, and odds ratios, will be forthcoming. The 2 years illustrated show how strongly our practice was influenced in using enteroclysis or in using the small bowel follow through as the examination of choice in the various clinical categories of small bowel disease: (1) practice was influenced by protocol and (2) outcome was steered toward positive examinations.
STUDY ON PHOTOCATALYTIC OXIDATION DEGRADATION OF PHENOL IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION

A new TiO 2-Ag compound catalyst that is made by sol-gel method has been introduced. When treating water sample containing phenol by the catalyst, the conditions of the photocatalytic oxidation degradation, influential factors and degradation rate have been studied. Experimental results show that the catalyst has a fairly good activity of catalytic oxidation to phenol in aqueous solution under sunlight. Under the conditions of having air flow through, pH=4.0, concentration of phenol is 5-mg/L and treating time is 3 hours, the removal rate of phenol can reach about 98%. For the catalyst, its performance is stable, easy to settle down and separate and it is reusable by high temperature activation. So it is able to reduce costs of water treatment effectively.
Struvite Precipitation as a Means of Recovering Nutrients and Mitigating Ammonia Toxicity in a Two-Stage Anaerobic Digester Treating Protein-Rich Feedstocks

Accumulation of ammonia, measured as total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), a product of protein decomposition in slaughterhouse wastes, inhibits the anaerobic digestion process, reducing digester productivity and leading to failure. Struvite precipitation (SP) is an effective means to remove TAN and enhance the buffering of substrates. Different Mg and P sources were evaluated as reactants in SP in acidogenic digester effluents to reduce its TAN levels. In order to measure impact of TAN removal, a standard biochemical methane potential (BMP) test was conducted to measure methane yield from treatments that had the highest TAN reductions. SP results showed 6 of 9 reagent combinations resulted in greater than 70% TAN removal. The BMP results indicated that SP treatment by adding Mg(OH)2 and H3PO4 resulted in 57.6% nitrogen recovery and 41.7% increase in methane yield relative to the substrate without SP. SP is an effective technology to improve nutrient recovery and methane production from the anaerobic digestion of protein-rich feedstocks.
Effects of Ceftriaxone on Glial Glutamate Transporters in Wistar Rats Administered Sequential Ethanol and Methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine (METH) is one of the psychostimulants that is co-abused with ethanol. Repeated high doses of METH have been shown to cause increases in extracellular glutamate concentration. We have recently reported that ethanol exposure can also increase the extracellular glutamate concentration and downregulate glutamate transporter subtype 1 (GLT-1). GLT-1 is a glial transporter that regulates the majority of extracellular glutamate. A Wistar rat model of METH and ethanol co-abuse was used to examine the expression of GLT-1 as well as other glutamate transporters (xCT and GLAST). We also examined the body temperature in rats administered METH, ethanol or both drugs. We further investigated the effects of ceftriaxone (CEF), a β-lactam antibiotic known to upregulate GLT-1, in this METH/ethanol co-abuse rat model. After seven days of either ethanol (6 g/kg) or water oral gavage, Wistar rats received either saline or METH (10 mg/kg i.p. every 2 hrs x 4), followed by either saline or CEF (200 mg/kg) posttreatment. METH administered alone decreased GLT-1 expression in the NAc and PFC and increased body temperature, but did not reduce either xCT or GLAST expression in ethanol and water-pretreated rats. Interestingly, ethanol and METH were found to have an additive effect on the downregulation of GLT-1 expression in the NAc but not in the PFC. Moreover, ethanol alone caused GLT-1 downregulation in the NAc and elevated body temperature compared to control. Finally, CEF posttreatment significantly reversed METH-induced hyperthermia, restored GLT-1 expression, and increased xCT expression. These findings suggest the potential therapeutic role of CEF against METH- or ethanol/METH-induced hyperglutamatergic state and hyperthermia.
Echinocandin Resistance in Candida Species: a Review of Recent Developments

The echinocandins are important agents for the treatment of invasive fungal infections, especially those caused by Candida species. However, as with other antimicrobial agents, microbiologic resistance to this class of antifungal agents has emerged and can result in clinical failure. Several studies have recently reported an increase in echinocandin resistance in Candida glabrata isolates at various medical centers in different geographic regions of the USA. Recent studies have also reported that many of these isolates may also be fluconazole resistant, leaving few treatment options available for clinicians to use in patients with invasive candidiasis caused by this species. Our understanding of the clinical relevance of specific point mutations within the FKS genes that cause echinocandin resistance and risk factors for the development of microbiologic resistance and clinical failure have also increased. The purpose of this review is to discuss echinocandin resistance in Candida species and recent reports that have increased our understanding of this growing clinical problem.
Crosstalk Between Inflammation and Thrombosis: The Surprising Role of Extracellular Histones

Abstract MRG-1 Activated protein C (APC) is effective in treating septic patients who have already experienced multiorgan failure. The mechanisms responsible for the efficacy remain unclear. Macrophages were activated with endotoxin and gamma interferon, the supernatant harvested and subjected to incubation with activated protein C. The toxicity of the supernatant toward endothelium was blocked by APC incubation. APC incubation generated 3 new peptides which sequence determination demonstrated were derived from histones including H3 and H4. Histones incubated with endothelium were cytotoxic. APC cleaved and eliminated this cytotoxicity. Histones were identified in the circulation of mice challenged with endotoxin, baboons challenged with E. coli and some septic human patients. In mice, blocking the histone toxicity with a monoclonal antibody effectively reduced endotoxin-mediated death. Histone injection resulted in death with pathologies resembling those of sepsis including fibrin deposition and neutrophil infiltration. APC could also prevent death in a histone-mediated model. The histones elicit an inflammatory response, suggesting some recognition by the immune system. Using 293 cells expressing individual toll receptor reporter constructs, we found that the histones activated toll 2 and toll 4. Mice with either of these tolls deleted were resistant to histone-mediated death. This data, coupled with earlier studies demonstrating that histones can kill bacteria, suggest that histones play a role in innate immunity but are also toxic. The results suggest that the inflammatory response in trauma may be triggered by the cellular destruction that releases histones and further suggest that histone antagonists might be an effective mechanism to block progressive organ failure. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Applicability of patient utilities as measures of overall quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis clinical trials

OBJECTIVE The aim was to determine whether the time trade-off (TTO) and standard gamble utilities can detect treatment-related improvement in overall quality of life in patients with active RA. METHODS We measured TTO and standard gamble utilities in 192 patients before and after escalation of anti-rheumatic treatment in a prospective longitudinal study. We also examined associations between changes in utilities and patient-reported improvement during the study, and with EULAR responses. RESULTS Mean TTO at baseline was 0.68 (median 0.82) and mean standard gamble 0.80 (median 0.93). Both utilities improved significantly with treatment. Standardized response means, a measure of responsiveness, were 0.37 for the TTO and 0.20 for the standard gamble, and comparable to those of two mental health measures and the CRP, but lower than other RA activity measures. Changes in utilities were not significantly associated with patient-reported improvement. The standard gamble, but not the TTO, had a graded association with EULAR responses. CONCLUSION Utilities by the TTO and standard gamble were able to detect improvement in overall quality of life with anti-rheumatic treatment in patients with active RA, suggesting applicability in clinical trials. The standard gamble was associated with reference measures of improvement, although not as strongly as measures of RA activity, as expected with its generic orientation.
Integrin-Linked Kinase (ILK) Deletion Disrupts Oligodendrocyte Development by Altering Cell Cycle

During development, oligodendrocytes are initially specified, after which oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) migrate and proliferate before differentiating into myelinating cells. Lineage-specific programming of oligodendrocytes results from sensing environmental cues through membrane-bound receptors and related intracellular signaling molecules. Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is an important protein that is expressed at the inner margins of the plasma membrane and can mediate some of these signals. The current studies demonstrate that ILK deletion reduces the proliferation and differentiation of OPCs in the developing CNS. There was a significant decrease in the number of OPCs and mature oligodendrocytes throughout postnatal development in Olig1Cre+/− × ILKfl/fl mice. These changes were accompanied by reduced numbers of myelinated axons. Key proteins involved in cell cycle regulation were dysregulated. Cyclin D1/D3 and cyclin-dependent kinase 2/4 (cdc2/cdc4) were downregulated and the cell cycle inhibitor protein p27 Kip1 was upregulated. Therefore, ILK deletion impaired the developmental profile, proliferation, and differentiation of OPCs by altering the expression of regulatory cytoplasmic and nuclear factors. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is a scaffolding protein involved in integrating signals from the extracellular environment and communicating those signals to downstream effectors within cells. It has been proposed to regulate aspects of oligodendrocyte process extension and thereby myelination. However, the current studies demonstrate that it has an earlier impact on cells in this lineage. Knocking down ILK in Olig1-Cre-expressing cells reduces the pool of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). This smaller pool of OPCs results from altered cell cycle and reduced cell proliferation. These cells myelinate fewer axons than in wild-type mice and, in corpus callosum, the myelin is thinner than in controls. Interestingly, the smaller pool of spinal cord oligodendrocytes generates myelin that is of normal thickness.
Long-Range Forecasting For International Markets: The Use of Causal Models

Many researchers appear to operate under the impression that causal models lead to more accurate forecasts than those provided by naive models (or “projections”). This study was based on the premise that causal models lead to better forecasts than do naive models in certain situations. The key element of these situations is that there are “large changes.” One situation where large changes might be expected is that of long-range forecasting — and, in particular, long-range forecasting for international markets. Recent improvements in the quality and availability of international data have substantially reduced the cost of developing causal models in this situation. A study of camera markets in seventeen countries indicated that the margin of superiority of causal models over naive models is of great practical importance.
Preclinical Alterations in Myocardial Microstructure in People with Metabolic Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE Metabolic syndrome (MetS) can lead to myocardial fibrosis, diastolic dysfunction, and eventual heart failure. This study evaluated alterations in myocardial microstructure in people with MetS by using a novel algorithm to characterize ultrasonic signal intensity variation. METHODS Among 254 participants without existing cardiovascular disease (mean age 42 ± 11 years, 75% women), there were 162 with MetS, 47 with obesity without MetS, and 45 nonobese controls. Standard echocardiography was performed, and a novel validated computational algorithm was used to investigate myocardial microstructure based on sonographic signal intensity and distribution. The signal intensity coefficient (SIC [left ventricular microstructure]) was examined. RESULTS The SIC was significantly higher in people with MetS compared with people with (P < 0.001) and without obesity (P = 0.04), even after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and the ratio of triglyceride (TG) to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (P < 0.05 for all). Clinical correlates of SIC included TG concentrations (r = 0.21, P = 0.0007) and the TG/HDL ratio (r = 0.2, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS This study's findings suggest that preclinical MetS and dyslipidemia in particular are associated with altered myocardial signal intensity variation. Future studies are needed to determine whether the SIC may help detect subclinical diseases in people with metabolic disease, with the ultimate goal of targeting preventive efforts.
Innovation externalities and the customer/supplier link

Abstract This paper proposes a novel channel through which innovation externalities can affect firm performance. I find cross-sectional evidence that the positive innovation outputs of customer firms increase their supplier profitability as measured by firm ROE. This result is robust to the inclusion of industry fixed effect, a control for both supplier and customer characteristics, such as ROE, advertisement expenditure, capital expenditure, firm age, industry concentration, institutional ownership, dividend yield, and a control for industry spillover or geographical spillover. To identify the causal effect of customer innovation outputs on supplier performance, I study an exogenous shock—State Street Bank and Trust Company v. Signature Financial Group, Inc.—and find that an increase in granted customer patents causes an improvement in future supplier performance. This effect is mainly driven by the demand channel and the knowledge diffusion channel from customers to suppliers.
Prevalence and trends in transmitted and acquired antiretroviral drug resistance, Washington, DC, 1999–2014

Drug resistance limits options for antiretroviral therapy (ART) and results in poorer health outcomes among HIV-infected persons. We sought to characterize resistance patterns and to identify predictors of resistance in Washington, DC. We analyzed resistance in the DC Cohort, a longitudinal study of HIV-infected persons in care in Washington, DC. We measured cumulative drug resistance (CDR) among participants with any genotype between 1999 and 2014 (n = 3411), transmitted drug resistance (TDR) in ART-naive persons (n = 1503), and acquired drug resistance (ADR) in persons with genotypes before and after ART initiation (n = 309). Using logistic regression, we assessed associations between patient characteristics and transmitted resistance to any antiretroviral. Prevalence of TDR was 20.5%, of ADR 40.5%, and of CDR 45.1% in the respective analysis groups. From 2004 to 2013, TDR prevalence decreased for nucleoside and nucleotide analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors (15.0 to 5.5%; p = 0.0003) and increased for integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) (0.0–1.4%; p = 0.04). In multivariable analysis, TDR was not associated with age, race/ethnicity, HIV risk group, or years from HIV diagnosis. In this urban cohort of HIV-infected persons, almost half of participants tested had evidence of CDR; and resistance to INSTIs was increasing. If this trend continues, inclusion of the integrase-encoding region in baseline genotype testing should be strongly considered.
Nitrosamines and Nitramines in Amine-Based Carbon Dioxide Capture Systems: Fundamentals, Engineering Implications, and Knowledge Gaps.

Amine-based absorption is the primary contender for postcombustion CO2 capture from fossil fuel-fired power plants. However, significant concerns have arisen regarding the formation and emission of toxic nitrosamine and nitramine byproducts from amine-based systems. This paper reviews the current knowledge regarding these byproducts in CO2 capture systems. In the absorber, flue gas NOx drives nitrosamine and nitramine formation after its dissolution into the amine solvent. The reaction mechanisms are reviewed based on CO2 capture literature as well as biological and atmospheric chemistry studies. In the desorber, nitrosamines are formed under high temperatures by amines reacting with nitrite (a hydrolysis product of NOx), but they can also thermally decompose following pseudo-first order kinetics. The effects of amine structure, primarily amine order, on nitrosamine formation and the corresponding mechanisms are discussed. Washwater units, although intended to control emissions from the absorber, can cont...
Proteomic analysis of the glutathione-deficient LEGSKO mouse lens reveals activation of EMT signaling, loss of lens specific markers, and changes in stress response proteins.

Purpose To determine global protein expression changes in the lens of the GSH-deficient LEGSKO mouse model of age-related cataract for comparison with recently published gene expression data obtained by RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis.
Crystal structure of a palladium(II) complex containing the wide bite-angle bis-(selenium) ligand, cis-[( t BuNH)(Se)P(μ-N t Bu)2P(Se)(NH t Bu)].

A palladium(II) complex {systematic name: dichlorido[1,3-di-tert-butyl-2,4-bis(tert-butylamino)-1,3,2λ5,4λ5-diazadiphosphetidine-2,4-diselone-κ2Se,Se′]pal­ladium(II)}, cis-[PdCl2{I}], (II), containing a bis­(selenium) ligand based on cyclo­diphosph(V)azane, cis-[(tBuNH)(Se)P(μ-NtBu)2P(Se)(NHtBu)], (I), has been synthesized and structurally characterized. The crystal structure of complex II reveals that the ligand chelates through selenium donors with the natural bite-angle of 110.54 (1)° and a Pd—Se bond distance of 2.444 (1) A. The coordination around PdII shows a slightly distorted square-planar geometry, as indicated by the angle between the [PdCl2] and [PdSe2] planes of 5.92 (3)°. In the crystal, the mol­ecules are inter­linked through weak N—H⋯Cl and C—H⋯Cl hydrogen-bonding inter­actions.
Designing an electronic commerce curriculum

This paper traces the development and content of the Electronic Commerce curriculum at the Daniels College of Business (DCB) at the University of Denver. The Daniels College has taught an Integrated MBA curriculum since 1993. Electronic Commerce topics are covered at appropriate points in the curriculum. A graduate elective course in Electronic Commerce for MBAs has been taught twice a year since the summer of 1995. A Center for the Study of Electronic Commerce was established in March of 1995. In January 1998, the DCB faculty approved a specialization in Electronic Commerce for MBAs as a variant of an MIS specialization which had been offered since 1984. While the MIS specialization contains 5 IT courses, the Electronic Commerce specialization contains 3 IT courses and two Marketing courses. In June 1998, an MS in Information Technology was approved with two tracks: one in Business Information Technology and another in Electronic Commerce.
A Pathway Towards Sustainable Manufacturing for Mid-size Manufacturers

Abstract With growing public concern over the economic, environmental, and social consequences of climate change, it is crucial for manufacturers to focus on long-term sustainable development rather than short-term gains. While many large corporations have committed to sustainable manufacturing as a core component of their business, mid-sized manufacturers often lack the resources, motivation, and expertise to make this transition. Through progressive company culture, environmental and energy management systems, net-zero carbon, zero waste manufacturing, and life cycle thinking, this paper describes the necessary steps and benefits for mid-size manufacturers on the path to sustainable manufacturing.
Determining Time Variation of Cable Tension Forces in Suspended Bridges Using Time-Frequency Analysis

A feasibility study was conducted to develop a novel method to determine the temporal changes of tensile forces in bridge suspender cables using time-frequency analysis of ambient vibration measurements. An analytical model of the suspender cables was developed to evaluate the power spectral density (PSD) function of a cable with consideration of cable flexural stiffness. Discrete-time, short-time Fourier transform (STFT) was utilized to analyze the recorded acceleration histories in both time and frequency domains. A mathematical convolution of the analytical PSD function and time-frequency data was completed to evaluate changes in cable tension force over time. The method was implemented using acceleration measurements collected from an in-service steel arch bridge with a suspended deck to calculate the temporal variation in cable forces from the vibration measurements. The observations served as proof of concept that the proposed method may be used for cable fatigue life calculations and bridge weigh-in-motion studies.
Individuals, Reflexion, and Interaction

An individual is designated by a particular Boolean formula; its logically equivalent formulae, however, may not represent the same person’s individual structure because the semantic interpretation may well be different. Each formula has two aspects: on the one hand, it is a Boolean function; on the other hand, it is the representation of an individual with his ‘inner world’ or of a situation of interaction between two individuals.
Placebos and a New Exception to Informed Consent

We accept Dr. Gligorov (2018) argument in full: The cognitive penetration of pain by expectations is real analgesia. However, this conclusion has a problematic implication for informed consent. The...
Ergonomics in Veterinary Surgery-Risk Assessment With Intraoperative Motion Tracking:

Musculoskeletal pain and discomfort are common occupational hazards in surgery, but limited studies have quantified these discomforts in veterinary medicine, where surgeries are performed on large ...
Mesoscale Computational Modeling of Protein-Membrane Interactions Based on Continuum Mean-Field Theory

Quantitative computational modeling of protein-membrane interactions is of great importance as it aids in the interpretation of experimental results and enables design and exploration of new experimental systems. This review describes one such computational approach conceived specifically to treat electrostatically driven interactions between a lipid membrane and a protein (or protein domains) adsorbing onto the membrane. The methodology is based on self-consistent minimization of the governing free energy functional which is expressed in the mean-field approximation and has contributions from electrostatic interactions as well as from mixing entropy of lipids in the membrane and ions in the solution. The method enables calculation of the free energy of the binding process and quantification of the steady-state lipid distribution around the adsorbing protein. The extension of the method to include membrane deformation degrees of freedom further allows calculation of the equilibrium bilayer shape upon the protein binding.
173-P: RECYCLING ALLOGRAFT KIDNEYS: MONITORING FOR HLA ANTIBODIES

Aim Rarely are allografts reused following the death or critical unsuitability of the allograft in the original recipient. The “recycled” allograft carries not only the risk for sensitization against the donor HLA antigens, but also the possibility for HLA antibody production against the HLA antigens of the original recipient via passenger leukocytes. We describe here the case of a female recipient of an allograft kidney that had been previously transplanted and HLA antibodies against the donor and first recipient were detected. Methods HLA antibodies were assayed by LabScreen kits. Results The patient, an 48 year-old African American woman (HLA:A23,74; B7,14(Bw6,-); DR14,18; DQ4,6; DR52,-) was transplanted in 1996. The kidney donor was a 45 year-old male (HLA:A3,32; B7,44(Bw4,6); DR4,6; DQ3,-; DR53,-) originally transplanted in 1992 to a 58 year-old female (1st recipient HLA:A2,32; B44,57(Bw4,-); DR4,7; DQ3,-; DR53,-). Her post-transplant course was largely uneventful over 16 years with only three biopsy-proven rejection episodes (in 1996, 2004 and 2005) but without HLA antibody testing. Recent follow-up (>16 years post-transplant) showed evidence of both cellular and humoral rejection in conjunction with a possible history of non-adherence. At this time, HLA antibody monitoring was performed by Single Antigen testing, revealing reactivity to the donor B44 and DQ3 antigens. Interestingly, other HLA antibody specificities were also identified and showed reactivity to the first recipient (A2, B57, DR7). Other potential routes of HLA antigen sensitization were identified (including 3 blood transfusions in 2012 3 months before antibody testing), but no pregnancy information was available and could not be ruled out. Conclusions While we were unable to directly associate the non-donor specific HLA antibodies with the first recipient, antibody testing in this case suggests that passenger leukocytes might contribute to allo-sensitization when a donor allograft is used in multiple recipients.
Basic Income and the Resilience of Social Democracy

This essay, for a symposium on basic income and the future of paid work, argues that an unconditional basic income (UBI) cannot and should not be the foundation of a new social contract. Part I asks whether a UBI is a moral necessity today. It answers in the negative, because the classic morality of social insurance and social assistance—under which citizens have rights to a robust social minimum, and reciprocal obligations to contribute to the social product in some fashion when possible—is still quite compelling. Part II asks whether a UBI may nevertheless be a practical necessary soon, whether due to automation or the obsolescence of classic welfare state policies. Regarding technology, I argue that there is simply no evidence that a historically unprecedented automation wave is underway, or on the horizon. Regarding the welfare state, I argue that growing inequality and precarity today are not an inevitable result of the decline in manufacturing, but rather an effect of policy choices, especially choices to disempower labor. The conclusion then argues that the better way to deal with today’s problems of work and economic inequality is by building a more social democratic welfare state: one organized around generous benefits that ensure individuals’ basic needs are met and that help de-commodify labor, strong worker rights including powerful and robust unions, and policies that facilitate labor market participation.
Self-Heating Effects on Hot Carrier Degradation and Its Impact on Logic Circuit Reliability

This paper discusses the impact of self-heating (SH) on ring-oscillator (RO) reliability and its correlation to hot carrier (HC) degradation. We show that HC degradation modulation due to SH is only significant for logic PFETs at highly accelerated dc conditions. We show that these SH effects on HC are greatly reduced at moderate acceleration. By stressing the ROs at extreme conditions, we show that the SH impact on HC does not affect RO degradation.
A novel imaging scheme for optical cameras used in a quality assurance detector for discrete spot scanning proton beam systems

Abstract Quality assurance detectors comprising cameras and a scintillator volume are of interest for use in spot scanning proton therapy due to its dynamic delivery. In this work, we aimed to image scanned proton beams with greater flexibility than is provided by previous systems by using an innovative camera triggering solution. The main objective was to synchronize image acquisitions with proton beam deliveries. A 3D detector composed of 3 scientific complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor cameras and a volumetric liquid scintillator (20 × 20 × 20 cm) were used. We identified relevant signals from the synchrotron beam delivery system to trigger the cameras. These signals were processed using an open hardware microcontroller and monitored using an oscilloscope. We evaluated the camera triggering scheme by comparing the mean signal intensity and standard deviations for triggered versus non-triggered image acquisitions at 5 energies (161.6, 140.9, 124.0, 100.9, and 85.6 MeV) with 50 spots per energy. The performance of the triggering scheme was further investigated by testing the image intensity variability for 5 energies delivered at 9 different location (2 spots/location). We also measured the background signals for different exposure times (1–1000 ms) using both triggered and non-triggered schemes. The mean signal intensity difference between triggered and non-triggered schemes was 10% ± 0.4% for low SNR ( ∼ 20 dB). The image intensity variability was within 2%. The background signal intensity varied by only 0.6% from the shortest exposure time (1 ms) to the longest (1 s). We demonstrated a flexible triggering scheme using an open hardware microcontroller with a camera and scintillator detector system for a spot scanning proton beam, which will enable efficient machine quality assurance and treatment plan verification measurements in the future.
Improving preoperative identification of infants at risk for severe retinopathy of prematurity.

Objective To increase preoperative identification of at-risk infants for severe Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) to >95% by August 2016, with a secondary aim of reducing the number of infants with 100% intraoperative peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) during the same time. Study design Prospective quality improvement project centered on preterm surgical infants admitted to Primary Children's Hospital (n = 41). Preoperative ROP risk identification rates were analyzed using an annotated run chart, intraoperative SpO2 and laser intervention were compared using un-paired t test. Results Preoperative identification of ROP risk increased from 60 to 100% and no infant was exposed to 100% SpO2 intraoperatively during the study period. The incidence of laser intervention in this population decreased by 45% from 22 to 12% (p = 0.21). Conclusion Simplifying our preoperative handoff increased our rates of correct identification and communication ROP risk in preterm infants while decreasing exposure to 100% SpO2.
Diachronic frame analysis: The Purpose frame in French

Abstract Frame Semantics offers a valuable perspective on mechanisms of semantic change, particularly metonymy. However, corpus-based frame analysis has rarely been applied to diachronic data. The potential of this approach is illustrated with a diachronic description of the Purpose frame in French, based on 1,429 tokens of 17 frame-evoking words. Metonymic mappings in the frame allow Means and Medium to replace Agent. A multinomial logistic regression model shows that usage of these mappings has increased since 1600 and is conditioned by genre and the frequency and grammatical category of the frame-evoking word. The approach may inform how metonymy leads to lexicalized semantic change.
Echoes of Valhalla: The Afterlife of the Eddas and Sagas

This book is clearly intended for a general readership and Jon Karl Helgason does well to keep his text approachable. He succinctly summarizes essential plot points and the cultural relevance of ea...