cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A micromodularity mechanism

A simple mechanism for structuring specifications is described. By modelling structures as atoms, it remains entirely first-order and thus amenable to automatic analysis. And by interpreting fields of structures as relations, it allows the same relational operators used in the formula language to be used for dereferencing. An extension feature allows structures to be developed incrementally, but requires no textual inclusion nor any notion of subtyping. The paper demonstrates the flexibility of the mechanism by application in a variety of common idioms.
Anomalies, influencing factors, and guidelines for DMA testing of fiber reinforced composites

This study systematically assessed the measurement of dynamic properties of a range of fiber reinforced composite materials using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) instrument. The discrepancy in the moduli from DMA to ASTM tests was investigated. The study showed that proper specimen preparation, maintaining appropriate aspect ratio (span to thickness ratio) to reduce the transverse shear deformation, and sufficient loading are critical to measure correct properties from DMA test. The guidelines on aspect ratio and loading for plastics to high-modulus carbon fiber composites are presented as a design chart and equations, respectively. The study also found that the glass transition temperature (Tg) was independent of specimen aspect ratio and Tg is lower for multidirectional composites when compared with its unidirectional composites. The particle interleaved T800H/3900-2 composite showed two glass transition temperatures (140 and 198°C), the lower value is due to the effect of interleaving by thermoplastic particles, and the higher value is the Tg of its base matrix. This lowering of Tg would have significant effect on the application temperature of the material. This phenomenon was not observed here to fore in the literature. POLYM. COMPOS., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers
RODENT CONTROL DECREASES PREDATION ON ARTIFICIAL NESTS IN O'AHU ‘ELEPAIO HABITAT

Abstract The O'ahu ‘Elepaio (Chasiempis sandwichensis ibidis) is an endangered monarch flycatcher endemic to the Hawaiian Island of O'ahu. One of the main causes of the decline of this forest bird is low nest success. This study investigated whether introduced rodents might be important nest predators in ‘Elepaio habitat by conducting artificial nest experiments before and during a rodent control program. In each experiment, 20 artificial nests with two quail eggs each were placed on the ground and in trees, then checked at 5, 10, and 15 day intervals. The size, appearance, location, and odor of artificial nests were considered in order to make the experiment more realistic. Rodent control decreased predation on artificial tree and ground nests by 45% and 55%, respectively. Predation on ground nests was higher than predation on tree nests before rodent control, but afterwards predation was low on both ground and tree nests and did not differ between them. Survival of artificial tree nests after rodent con...
Terrorism and Health

Terrorist attacks target innocent civilians, spreading fear and anxiety throughout the population. Postattack, many people exhibit resilience, yet deleterious physical and mental health outcomes are also common. Directly exposed individuals may experience significant physical, mental, and/or social injury. Indirect exposure (i.e., media-based) diffuses events well beyond their immediate geographic proximity and predisposes individuals to negative outcomes similar to those experienced by directly exposure individuals. Longitudinal studies suggest that these health effects may persist over time. Physiological reactions and coping strategies may help explain outcome variability. Clarifying predictors of adaptive and maladaptive responses may advance theory and facilitate improved postattack services.
Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol attenuates allogeneic host-versus-graft response and delays skin graft rejection through activation of cannabinoid receptor 1 and induction of myeloid-derived suppressor cells

Immune cells have been shown to express cannabinoid receptors and to produce endogenous ligands. Moreover, activation of cannabinoid receptors on immune cells has been shown to trigger potent immunosuppression. Despite such studies, the role of cannabinoids in transplantation, specifically to prevent allograft rejection, has not, to our knowledge, been investigated previously. In the current study, we tested the effect of THC on the suppression of HvGD as well as rejection of skin allografts. To this end, we studied HvGD by injecting H-2(k) splenocytes into H-2(b) mice and analyzing the immune response in the draining ingLNs. THC treatment significantly reduced T cell proliferation and activation in draining LNs of the recipient mice and decreased early stage rejection-indicator cytokines, including IL-2 and IFN-γ. THC treatment also increased the allogeneic skin graft survival. THC treatment in HvGD mice led to induction of MDSCs. Using MDSC depletion studies as well as adoptive transfer experiments, we found that THC-induced MDSCs were necessary for attenuation of HvGD. Additionally, using pharmacological inhibitors of CB1 and CB2 receptors and CB1 and CB2 knockout mice, we found that THC was working preferentially through CB1. Together, our research shows, for the first time to our knowledge, that targeting cannabinoid receptors may provide a novel treatment modality to attenuate HvGD and prevent allograft rejection.
Enron and Andersen - What Went Wrong and Why Similar Audit Failures Could Happen Again

This chapter from Enron: Corporate Fiascos and Their Implications (Nancy B. Rapoport & Bala G. Dharan, eds., Foundation Press 2004) posits that unconscious bias, compounded by organizational flaws and a culture at Andersen that emphasized marketing non-audit services to audit clients in an effort to boost profits; significant conflicts of interest and self-interest; and greed all help explain the audit failure at Enron. Although the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 attempted to strengthen auditor independence, under the guise of increasing auditor independence, a public company's management can still recommend that the audit committee hire another accounting firm to provide tax or other non-prohibited consulting services if the auditor does not approve, or at least acquiesce in, certain accounting treatments or disclosures preferred by management. In addition, unconscious bias suggests the need to require mandatory rotation of audit firms after fixed terms for preset fees to eliminate the threat that the client can fire or otherwise punish the auditor for failing to approve questionable accounting practices.
Impact of point-of-care ultrasonography on ED time to disposition for patients with nontraumatic shock

Abstract Study objective Nontraumatic shock in the emergency department (ED) has multiple causes and carries in-hospital mortality approaching 20%, underscoring the need for prompt diagnosis and treatment. Diagnostic ultrasonography at the point of care is one method that may improve the ability of ED physicians to quickly diagnose and treat. This study assesses the effect of the use and timing of point-of-care (POC) ultrasonography on time to disposition request. Methods This retrospective study across 4 Connecticut EDs compared propensity score matched shock patients who did and did not receive POC ultrasonography. Two propensity score matches were performed: the first using covariates of time to disposition from previous literature and the second using 25 novel covariates identified from electronic health records using machine learning to reduce variable selection biases. Results A total of 3834 unique patients presented with shock during an 18-month period, and 703 (18.3%) patients received POC ultrasonography. Mean time to disposition for all patients was 255.4 minutes (interquartile range, 163.8). After propensity score matching, patients had a mean reduction of 26.7 minutes (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.8-58.3) in time to disposition when POC ultrasonography was performed within 1 hour of ED arrival and a lesser reduction of 16.7 minutes (95% CI, − 2.8 to 35.5) when POC ultrasonography was performed within 2 hours. There was no evidence of reduction in time to disposition when ultrasonography was performed after 2 hours (16.7 minutes; 95% CI, − 14.3 to 29.9). Propensity score models using machine learning–selected variables yielded similar results. Conclusion Performance of POC ultrasonography likely improves time to disposition when performed early on ED patients with shock.
An erythema gyratum repens variant of bullous lupus erythematosus

Bullous lupus erythematosus is an autoantibody-mediated subepidermal blistering disease that occurs in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).1 Erythema gyratum repens (EGR) is a clinical diagnosis characterized by a wood grain pattern of centrifugally migrating erythematous plaques with fine leading scale. Although most cases of EGR are associated with underlying malignancy, several nonparaneoplastic-associated cases of EGR have been reported.2 Here, we report on a patient with bullous lupus erythematosus presenting in an EGR pattern.
Correlation of Early Recurrence With In Vitro Adenosine Triphosphate Based Chemotherapy Response Assay in Pancreas Cancer With Postoperative Gemcitabine Chemotherapy.

Introduction Gemcitabine-based regimens represent the standard systemic first line treatment in patients after pancreatic resection. However, the clinical impact of gemcitabine varies significantly in individuals because of chemoresistance. An in vitro adenosine triphosphate based chemotherapy response assay (ATP-CRA) was designed to evaluate the sensitivity of cancer cells to various chemotherapeutic agents. This study investigated the correlation between in vitro gemcitabine sensitivity of tumor cells and early recurrence after curative resection. Method From January 2007 to December 2010, the ATP-CRA for gemcitabine was tested in 64 patients surgically treated for pancreas cancer at Gangnam Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. We analyzed the relationship between chemosensitivity and early systemic recurrence in patients with pancreas cancer to predict disease-free survival (DFS) after curative resection in pancreas cancer. Result The mean cell death rate (CDR) was 20.0 (±14.5) and divided into two groups according to the mean values of the CDR. Lymphovascular invasion was more frequently shown in gemcitabine resistance group without statistical significance. In univariate and multivariate analysis, advanced tumor stage and gemcitabine sensitive group (CDR ≥ 20) were identified as independent prognostic factors for DFS. Conclusions Gemcitabine sensitivity measured by ATP-CRA was well correlated with in vivo drug responsibility to predict early recurrence following gemcitabine-based adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with pancreas cancer.
Randomized trial of thymectomy in myasthenia gravis

BackgroundThymectomy has been a mainstay in the treatment of myasthenia gravis, but there is no conclusive evidence of its benefit. We conducted a multicenter, randomized trial comparing thymectomy plus prednisone with prednisone alone. MethodsWe compared extended transsternal thymectomy plus alternate-day prednisone with alternate-day prednisone alone. Patients 18 to 65 years of age who had generalized nonthymomatous myasthenia gravis with a disease duration of less than 5 years were included if they had Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America clinical class II to IV disease (on a scale from I to V, with higher classes indicating more severe disease) and elevated circulating concentrations of acetylcholine-receptor antibody. The primary outcomes were the time-weighted average Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis score (on a scale from 0 to 39, with higher scores indicating more severe disease) over a 3-year period, as assessed by means of blinded rating, and the time-weighted average required dose of prednison...
Convergent iterative algorithms for joint reconstruction of activity and attenuation from time-of-flight PET data

Joint reconstruction of activity and attenuation maps from emission data only, while being a long-standing problem in emission tomography, has been gaining recent interests because of its application to MR-based attenuation correction in PET/MR scanners where CT images are not available. Furthermore, recent studies showed that TOF (time-of-flight) information can substantially reduce, or completely remove in theory, crosstalk artifacts, which had been one of the hurdles preventing joint reconstruction techniques from being used clinically. Nonetheless, estimating both activity and attenuation from TOF emission data is a computationally challenging nonconvex optimization problem with high-dimensional data size. Therefore, as a tool for investigating and optimizing the joint estimation techniques for clinical use, we need numerical algorithms that are derived in a principled way and guaranteed to converge to a solution. Here, in a PL (penalized-likelihood) framework, we present a block alternating MM (minorization maximization) algorithm, which is provably globally convergent although the PL objective function is nonconcave. By using linear parameterization of attenuation maps, the algorithm applies to a variety of scenarios, depending on the type of and the degree of prior information, in a unified way. In addition, we provide a proof of the uniqueness of solutions to joint estimation problems for a continuous-space TOF PET system whose TOF kernels do not need to be Gaussian.
Blood Product Administration

Neonates are a patient population with special considerations in relation to blood transfusion. Preterm neonates are among the most frequently transfused patient groups. Because of advances in neonatal intensive care, including advances in blood component administration, smaller and more premature infants are surviving. This chapter discusses blood components and their suggested indications for transfusion in neonates and reviews vascular access, blood product filters, and warmers. This chapter also presents the use of antifibrinolytics and perioperative transfusion monitoring in neonates.
Fear of Autonomous Robots and Artificial Intelligence: Evidence from National Representative Data with Probability Sampling

People vary in the extent to which they report fear toward robots, especially when they perceive that the robot is autonomous or has artificial intelligence. This research examines a specific form of sociological fear, which we name as fear of autonomous robots and artificial intelligence (FARAI). This fear may serve to affect how people will respond to and interact with robots. Applying data from a nationally representative dataset with probability sampling (N = 1541), research questions examine (1) the extent and frequency of FARAI, (2) demographic and media exposure predictors, and (3) correlates with other types of fear (i.e., loneliness, drones, and unemployment). A latent class analysis reveals that approximately 26% of participants reported experiencing a heightened level of FARAI. Demographic analyses show that FARAI is connected to participant sex, age, education, and household income; albeit these effects were small. Media exposure to science fiction predicts FARAI above and beyond the demographic variables. Correlational results indicate that FARAI is associated with other types of fear, including loneliness, becoming unemployed, and drone use. In sum, these findings render a much needed glimpse and update regarding how much individuals fear robots and artificial intelligence.
Assessment of Children's Health Status

The assessment of children's health status presents unique difficulties. These include parent-child differences in reports of functioning, knowledge of what constitutes age-appropriate functioning, obtainment of accurate information for child, and demonstration of the predictivity of health status m
Misperceptions of Weight Status in Military Men and Women.

ABSTRACTObjective: Military members may be in a unique position to misperceive their weight status because of the expectations of military service-specific body composition standards and sex-specific ideals of body image. Two-thirds of military service members are overweight or obese, costing the Department of Defense over $1 billion/year. This study assessed accuracy of perceived weight status. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study of active duty service members (n = 295). Participants were predominantly white (57%), Army (91%), male (71%), with a mean age of 30.1 ± 8.6 years. Thirty-six percent were normal body mass index (BMI) (22.7 ± 1.6 kg/m2) and 64% were overweight/obese BMI (29.3 ± 3.3 kg/m2). Subject BMI (m/kg2) was dichotomized as normal (18.5–24.9 kg/m2) or overweight (≥25 kg/m2); BMI status was contrasted to perceived weight. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Boards at Madigan and Brook Army Medical Centers. Inferential statistics between groups compared ...
Robotic extraperitoneal radical prostatectomy: An alternative approach - Commentary

Purpose: Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy with or without a robot has been increasingly performed worldwide, primarily using a transperitoneal approach. We report our experience with daVinci® robot assisted extraperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. Materials and Methods: A total of 325 patients underwent robot assisted extraperitoneal laparoscopic radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer at our center during a 2-year period. Perioperative data, and oncological and functional results were prospectively recorded. Results: Perioperative demographics included mean age, PSA and Gleason score, which were 60 years (range 42 to 76), 6.6 ng/ml (range 0.6 to 26) and 6 (range 5 to 9), respectively. Preoperative clinical stage was 81%, 16% and 3% for T1c, T2a and T2b, respectively. Average total operative time was 130 minutes (range 80 to 480). Intraoperative data included a mean blood loss of 196 cc with no open conversions. Bilateral, unilateral and nonnerve sparing prostatectomy was performed in 70%, 24% and 6% of patients, respectively. Of the patients 96% were discharged home within 8 to 23 hours of surgery. Pathological stage was pT2a, pT2b, pT3a and pT3b in 18%, 63%, 14% and 5% of all radical prostatectomy specimens, respectively, with an overall positive surgical margin rate of 13%. Two of 92 patients had positive nodal disease after lymph node dissection. Continence and erectile function were measured. Conclusions: The extraperitoneal approach offers the advantages of improved dexterity and visualization of the robot, while avoiding the abdominal cavity and potential associated morbidity. As surgeons gain more experience with this new technology, the extraperitoneal approach simulating the standard open retropubic technique is likely to gain popularity.
Codon Optimization in the Production of Recombinant Biotherapeutics: Potential Risks and Considerations

Biotherapeutics are increasingly becoming the mainstay in the treatment of a variety of human conditions, particularly in oncology and hematology. The production of therapeutic antibodies, cytokines, and fusion proteins have markedly accelerated these fields over the past decade and are probably the major contributor to improved patient outcomes. Today, most protein therapeutics are expressed as recombinant proteins in mammalian cell lines. An expression technology commonly used to increase protein levels involves codon optimization. This approach is possible because degeneracy of the genetic code enables most amino acids to be encoded by more than one synonymous codon and because codon usage can have a pronounced influence on levels of protein expression. Indeed, codon optimization has been reported to increase protein expression by > 1000-fold. The primary tactic of codon optimization is to increase the rate of translation elongation by overcoming limitations associated with species-specific differences in codon usage and transfer RNA (tRNA) abundance. However, in mammalian cells, assumptions underlying codon optimization appear to be poorly supported or unfounded. Moreover, because not all synonymous codon mutations are neutral, codon optimization can lead to alterations in protein conformation and function. This review discusses codon optimization for therapeutic protein production in mammalian cells.
Reframing the Value of Treatments for Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma.

DISCLOSURES: Ailawadhi reports research support from Pharmacyclics and consulting relationships with Takeda, Amgen, and Celgene. Jakubowiak reports consulting and advisory board relationships with ...
The Effects of Teacher Behaviors on Students' Inclination to Inquire and Lifelong Learning.

This study estimated the effects of teacher organization, clarity, classroom challenge and faculty expectations, support, and prompt feedback on students’ inclination to inquire and lifelong learning during the first year of college. Controlling for a battery of potential confounding influences, teacher organization was positively associated with gains in students’ Need for Cognition, while instructor clarity, classroom challenge/high expectations, and prompt feedback resulted in gains in both Need for Cognition and Positive Attitudes Toward Literacy. Lastly, it appears that the influence of teacher support on students’ Need for Cognition is conditional by level of tested academic preparation.
Doxorubicin-induced alterations in cultured myocardial cells stimulate cytolytic T lymphocyte responses.

Abstract Doxorubicin treatment of cultured murine myocytes induces alterations capable of stimulating CD8+ cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses in vitro. Lymphocytes from normal BALB/cBy female mice were cultured for times varying from 2 to 10 days on syngeneic neonatal myocytes treated with doxorubicin, and surviving lymphocytes was assayed for cytotoxicity to drug-treated and untreated myocyte targets. Maximal cytolytic responses occurred on day 8. Activity to treated targets was twice that observed with untreated myocytes. Concentrations of the drug as low as 10(-8) mol/l (molar) for as little as 30 minutes initiated the necessary antigenic changes, although treatment with 10(2)-fold higher concentration for 4 to 6 hours appeared optimal. Cytotoxicity of the lymphocyte population could be eliminated by pretreatment of the sensitized effector cells with either anti-Thy 1.2 or anti-Lyt 2 monoclonal antibody and complement, while treatment with complement alone or anti-L3T4 monoclonal antibody and complement were ineffective. Myocardial cells were not the only tissue-derived targets susceptible to lysis by the drug-induced CTL. Lymphocytes stimulated on doxorubicin-treated myocytes demonstrated even better cytotoxicity to drug-treated neonatal kidney cells, but showed only minimal activity to neonatal liver or skin fibroblasts. Concentrations of doxorubicin per 10(6) cells was greatest for kidney cells followed by heart and liver cells. Skin fibroblasts incorporated the least amount of the drug. Therefore, there was a partial correlation between sensitivity of drug-treated targets to immune cytolysis and drug uptake.
Traveling Waves in Time Almost Periodic Structures Governed by Bistable Nonlinearities: II. Existence

Abstract The current series of two papers is concerned with traveling wave solutions of time almost periodic nonlinear evolution equations. In the first of the series, we introduced the definition of almost periodic traveling wave solutions and established the stability and uniqueness of such solutions for time almost periodic bistable equations in one space dimension. In the second of the series, we prove the existence of such solutions for time almost periodic bistable equations with continuous space variables. We also consider the existence of traveling wave solutions and occurrence of propagation failure and spatial chaos in bistable equations with discrete space variables.
The Use of Premature Chromosome Condensation and Chromosome Painting to Understand Chromosome Exchange Formation

Based on studies where interphase cells are treated with DNA damaging agents and then analyzed in mitosis for chromosome aberrations, two general models for aberration production have been proposed (Evans 1962). One hypothesis holds that once a chromosome break is produced, it can either repair faithfully or undergo misrepair, resulting in a chromosome exchange (breakage and reunion). An alternative hypothesis was proposed by Revell 1959, whereby all chromosome aberrations are the result of exchanges.
“Making Space”: How Novice Teachers Create Opportunities for Equitable Sense-Making in Elementary Science:

Scholarly calls to reform science education for all students emphasize scientific sense-making. Despite the importance of sense-making, few strategies exist to help novice teachers learn to notice ...
Neural Network Modeling of Gist and Verbatim in Business Decision Making

A neural network based on fuzzy trace theory and previously used to model decisions Uy a retailer on how much of a product to purchase (the “newsvendor problem is extended to a case with a particularly salient gist. This is the case where the newsvendor is a manager who receives a bonus if profit is at least at a target value. The gist is that in order to maximize the probability of a Uonus the newsvendor should Uuy exactly the minimum amount that makes the target profit possible, that is, target divided Uy (price per item minus cost per item). The network includes amygdala and orUitofrontal cortex for emotional evaluation, anterior cingulate for Uehavioral planning, and striatum, thalamus, and motor cortex for Uehavioral execution.
Emerging investigator series: quantification of multiwall carbon nanotubes in plant tissues with spectroscopic analysis

If agricultural plants are exposed to carbon nanotubes (CNTs), they can potentially take up the CNTs from growth media and translocate them to their different tissues. In addition, agricultural application of CNTs recently attracted increasing attention, as they could promote germination, enhance crop yield, and exhibit other benefits. For evaluating the environmental effects of CNTs and optimizing their agricultural application, it is essential to quantify CNTs in plant tissues. In this study, pristine (p-) and carboxyl-functionalized (c-) multiwall CNTs (MWCNTs) were extracted from plant tissues by a sequential digestion with nitric acid (HNO3) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4). The extracted MWCNTs were stabilized with nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 and analyzed with ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopic analysis to measure the concentration of the MWCNTs in plant (lettuce) tissues. The MWCNT concentration was linearly correlated with the absorbance at 800 nm. The detection limit for p- and c-MWCNTs was achieved at 0.10–0.12, 0.070–0.081, 0.019–0.18 μg mg−1 for leaf, stem, and root tissues, respectively. The developed method was applied for lettuce (Lactuca sativa, cv. black seeded Simpson) hydroponically grown with 5, 10, 20 mg L−1 of p-MWCNTs and c-MWCNTs in the culture solution. We detected 0.21 ± 0.05–4.57 ± 0.39 μg mg−1 p-MWCNTs and 0.20 ± 0.17–0.75 ± 0.25 μg mg−1 c-MWCNTs in the lettuce roots, positively correlated with the dose of CNTs in solution. We have developed a method for rapid quantification of CNTs in plant tissues using a widely-accessible technique, which can enable reliable analysis of CNTs in plant tissues and provide critical information for evaluating the environmental implications and managing agricultural application of CNTs.
Control of Ball and Beam with LQR Control Scheme using Flatness Based Approach

In this paper, a control design problem for a nonlinear ball and beam system is discussed. A state feedback linear quadratic regulator (LQR) based control scheme is discussed using the flatness property of the system. A state estimation is carried out with Kalman filter while utilizing differentially flat nonlinear system written in the Brunovsky canonical form. The performance of the proposed control strategy is validated through practical tracking results.
Seeking rhythmic attunement: Teaching to dance; dancing to teach

AbstractResisting a deep-seated technical perspective of education, I attend to the notion of attunement as a key concept with which to imagine curriculum as a complicated conversation. As fully ap...
Chapter 6 – Strained-layer heteroepitaxy to fabricate self-assembled semiconductor islands

Publisher Summary Self-assembled islands formed during strained-layer epitaxy constitute a unique approach to the fabrication of semiconductor nanostructures. The chapter reviews basic concepts of strained-layer epitaxy and the techniques commonly used to fabricate and characterize the semiconductor nanostructures. The formation of clusters and the attachment of atoms to existing structures and clusters are important in the formation of self-assembled islands. When diffusing adatoms find each other, they can nucleate and form an island. Island growth continues either when other diffusing adatoms attach themselves or by direct impingement of gas phase atoms onto existing islands. Adatoms that directly impinge on an island can either incorporate into the island or lead to the next-layer growth, depending on the surface potential. Although the diffusion of adatoms attached to the islands can be significantly reduced because of the local surface potential, it is still possible for adatoms to detach from the islands. As the islands continue to grow further, and possibly migrate, they can find other islands and coalesce into one large island. The evolution of island formation can, therefore, be visualized as a progression through three different growth regimes. Initially, there is a high concentration of adatoms or monomers diffusing on the surface, resulting in a high probability of island nucleation.
The difficult airway and thyroid surgery

This article reviews airway management principles and techniques related to thyroid surgery. This patient population requires a unique preoperative evaluation. Multiple techniques for airway management exist and are utilized on a case-by-case basis. Highlighted in this article are also the special circumstances in thyroid surgery patients in which a difficult airway can present. Adequate preparation for difficult situations is crucial in the management of thyroid surgery patients.
Preparing More Confident Preservice Elementary Science Teachers: One Elementary Science Methods Teacher's Self-Study

(2003). Preparing More Confident Preservice Elementary Science Teachers: One Elementary Science Methods Teacher's Self-Study. Journal of Science Teacher Education: Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 97-126.
Surgical Flow Disruptions, a Pilot Survey with Significant Clinical Outcome Implications.

Surgical flow disruptions (SFD) are deviations from the progression of a procedure which can be potentially compromising to the safety of the patient. Investigators have previously demonstrated that SFDs can increase the likelihood of error. To date, there has been no investigation into flow disruptions through the eyes of clinicians in the operating room. This study, therefore, attempted to better understand SFDs and their impact from the perspective of operating room team members. After Institutional Review Board approval, a survey was sent to operating room team members including surgeons, anesthesia providers, nurses, and surgical technologists. The survey was developed to assess the perceived frequency and consequences of SFDs, and the ability to report and perceive the efficacy of reporting to management. Among 111 survey participants, 65% reported that surgical flow disruptions happen either “several times a day” or “every procedure.” Forty percent ranked poor communication as the most frequent cause of SFDs. Ten percent reported equipment failure was the most frequent cause of SFDs. Respondents who identified as attending surgeons felt impacts on patient safety and staff burnout was the most likely consequence of SFDs. Scrub technicians and nurses felt that economic consequences were the most likely result. Forty-four percent did not feel reporting led to effective change. Thirty-five percent did not believe they could report issues without adverse consequences. Flow disruptions represent patterns or accumulations of disruptions which may highlight weak points in surgical systems and potential causes of staff burnout and medical error. The data in the present investigation demonstrate that OR team members recognize surgical flow disruptions are an important issue and believe poor communication and equipment problems are a significant factor. Our data additionally suggest the groups surveyed do not feel safe or productive in reporting flow disruptions.
3D Interferometric Lattice Light-Sheet Imaging

Understanding cellular structure and function requires live-cell imaging with high spatio-temporal resolution and high detection sensitivity. Direct visualization of molecular processes using single-molecule/super-resolution techniques has thus been transformative. However, extracting the highest-resolution 4D information possible from weak and dynamic fluorescence signals in live cells remains challenging. For example, some of the highest spatial resolution methods, e.g. interferometric (4Pi) approaches1-6 can be slow, require high peak excitation intensities that accelerate photobleaching or suffer from increased out-of-focus background. Selective-plane illumination (SPIM)7-12 reduces background, but most implementations typically feature modest spatial, especially axial, resolution. Here we develop 3D interferometric lattice light-sheet (3D-iLLS) imaging, a technique that overcomes many of these limitations. 3D-iLLS provides, by virtue of SPIM, low light levels and photobleaching, while providing increased background suppression and significantly improved volumetric imaging/sectioning capabilities through 4Pi interferometry. We demonstrate 3D-iLLS with axial resolution and single-particle localization precision down to
Outcomes after locking plate fixation of distal clavicle fractures with and without coracoclavicular ligament augmentation

The need for coracoclavicular (CC) ligament augmentation when performing locking plate fixation of unstable distal clavicle fractures is controversial. The purpose of this study was to compare the results after locking plate fixation for treatment of Neer type-II and type-V distal clavicle fractures with and without suture suspensory augmentation of the CC ligaments. This was a retrospective case series of all Neer type-II and type-V distal clavicle fractures treated with locking plates at a single Level I trauma center. Patients were separated into locking plate-only and locking plate with CC ligament augmentation groups. Postoperative complications and fracture healing rates were recorded. Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) scores were recorded as functional outcomes during follow-up phone interviews. Standard descriptive statistics were performed. Sixteen patients were treated with locking plate fixation-only, and seven patients were treated with additional CC ligament augmentation. There was a similar distribution of Neer fracture types with each group. All fractures in both groups went onto union without loss of reduction or implant failure. There were no cases of infection or wound complications in either group. QuickDASH scores were comparable between locking plate-only fixation (mean 4.1 ± 3.9) and additional suspensory suture fixation (mean 4.5 ± 3.6). This comparative study of Neer type-II and type-V distal clavicle fractures demonstrated comparable outcomes after locking plate fixation with and without CC ligament augmentation. CC ligament augmentation may not be necessary when treating unstable distal clavicle fractures if locking plate fixation is used.
Optimizing Error-Bounded Lossy Compression for Scientific Data by Dynamic Spline Interpolation

Today’s scientific simulations are producing vast volumes of data that cannot be stored and transferred efficiently because of limited storage capacity, parallel I/O bandwidth, and network bandwidth. The situation is getting worse over time because of the ever-increasing gap between relatively slow data transfer speed and fast-growing computation power in modern supercomputers. Error-bounded lossy compression is becoming one of the most critical techniques for resolving the big scientific data issue, in that it can significantly reduce the scientific data volume while guaranteeing that the reconstructed data is valid for users because of its compression-error-bounding feature. In this paper, we present a novel error-bounded lossy compressor based on a state-of-the-art prediction-based compression framework. Our solution exhibits substantially better compression quality than all of the existing error-bounded lossy compressors, with comparable compression speed. Specifically, our contribution is threefold. (1) We provide an in-depth analysis of why the best-existing prediction-based lossy compressor can only minimally improve the compression quality. (2) We propose a dynamic spline interpolation approach with a series of optimization strategies that can significantly improve the data prediction accuracy, substantially improving the compression quality in turn. (3) We perform a thorough evaluation using six real-world scientific simulation datasets across different science domains to evaluate our solution vs. all other related works. Experiments show that the compression ratio of our solution is higher than that of the second-best lossy compressor by 20% 460% with the same error bound in most of the cases. ∼
Chapter 5 Beyond Orthographic Depth in Reading: Equitable Division of Labor

Publisher Summary This chapter addresses the questions concerning the Orthographic Depth Hypothesis (ODH) that have arisen with regard to Serbo-Croatian, English, and Hebrew and presents the ways to place the issue of orthographic depth in a somewhat broader theoretical framework suggested by the Seidenberg and McClelland model. This framework suggests that a common, multi-component architecture underlies processing in different orthographies. According to this view, the critical issue concerns are termed as the “division of labor” among processing mechanisms in this multi-component processing system. Orthographic depth is one of the major factors that have an impact on the division of labor. However, orthographies differ in other respects that are also relevant. It appears that the tradeoffs among these factors are such that readers converge on very similar divisions of labor despite substantive differences among orthographies. There may be important differences among orthographies in the division of labor, owing to variation in properties such as transparency of orthographic-phonological correspondences, the number of orthographic vs. phonological word forms, and other factors. The processing style of a given reader will then depend on interactions among these factors.
microRNA-98 negatively regulates nicotine-induced nerve growth factor expression in primary mouse lung fibroblasts (870.4)

We previously demonstrated that chronic nicotine exposure 1) increases branching morphogenesis resulting in altered airway geometry associated with increased airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) in adulthood, and 2) increases Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) expression levels. To explore post-transcriptional mechanisms of nicotine-induced NGF expression, we hypothesized that microRNA (miR-98) negatively regulates nicotine-induced NGF expression to promote increased airway remodeling and AHR. Using bioinformatics prediction algorithms, we identified the miR-98/let-7 family as potential post-transcriptional regulators of NGF. Of all of the miRNAs examined, only let-7c, let-7g, and miR-98 were significantly decreased in mouse lung fibroblasts treated with nicotine for 72h compared to control conditions. Nicotine increased NGF, fibronectin, and ET-1 (a known target of miR-98) levels and reduced HUWE-1 (host gene of miR-98) levels, whereas these effects were reversed by miR-98 overexpression. Overexpression of miR-98 de...
Building Greater Sustainability in Supply Chains

Challenges companies face and tools they use to identify and reduce their environmental footprints across their supply chains
The transmigration programme in Indonesian national development strategy: current status and future requirements.

Abstract The transmigration programme in Indonesia is now acknowledged to be the largest voluntary land settlement scheme in the world. The programme began as an attempt to correct the population imbalance between Java and the Outer Islands. Since the inception of the programme under the Dutch in 1904 through mid-1986 over 4 million people have moved. Major emphasis in the programme has turned to regional development in the Outer Islands. Despite considerable success the programme has been plagued by numerous problems. These include inadequate income levels, improper site selection, poor matching of settlement models to the specific sites, environmental deterioration, migrant adjustment, land conflicts and financing. Several of these problems have been caused as a result of the attempt to reach unrealistic settlement targets. Given current budget constraints efforts now focus on the improvement of existing settlements and the encouragement of spontaneous or swakarsa migration. A secondary phase of the transmigration programme involves the development of other settlement models. One attempt involves the experiment with small enterprises some of which involve the private sector. The future success of both new and existing settlements hinges on the development of off-farm employment. In this sense, small industries and opportunities in the service sector of the settlement themselves and nearby small towns are critical. The exploration of a new basis for employment must be carried out in concert with the National Urban Development Strategy (NUDS) which identifies the functional potential of small and intermediate-sized towns in the Outer Islands.
Plasma osteopontin velocity differentiates lung cancers from controls in a CT screening population.

INTRODUCTION: As CT screening is integrated into non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) care, additional parameters are needed to help distinguish cancers from benign nodules. Osteopontin (OPN), a secreted phosphoprotein, has elevated plasma levels in NSCLC. We hypothesize that changes in plasma OPN over time (i.e., OPN velocity [OPNV]) can differentiate NSCLC patients from those without cancer in a CT screening population. METHODS:A nested case-control study was conducted within a NSCLC CT screening trial. Incident cancers with serial plasma were matched to controls. OPN was measured by ELISA. Demographic, OPN, and OPNV were compared between cancers and controls using Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests. RESULTS: Ten incident cancers were identified. The pack years distributions were similar, but cancers were older (median of the paired difference: 5.35 years; p = 0.002) and their surveillance intervals were shorter (median of the paired difference: �2 months; p = 0. 03) than matched controls. Baseline OPN was similar (median of the paired difference: �5.15 ng/ml, p = 0.50), but OPNV in the cancers was significantly greater than that of matched controls, (median of the paired difference: 1.06 ng/ml/month, p = 0.01). Accuracy rate for prediction of disease status based on OPNV (adjusted for age and surveillance) was 83%. CONCLUSIONS: These are early evidence for utility of monitoring plasma OPN during CT screening to assist in identification of NSCLCs.
X-ray study of annealing in plastically deformed Ag−Sn alloys

The stacking fault probability, root-mean-square strain, and effective domain size are determined for pure silver and three Ag−Sn alloys using X-ray diffraction data. Both isochronal and isothermal annealing experiments were conducted to determine the nature of the recovery of plastic deformation in the filed powder specimens. An abrupt recovery of the above quantities was observed during isochronal annealing at temperatures that increased with solute concentration. Three recovery stages were observed in Ag-9 at. pct Sn annealed at 165°C for varying times. The principal stage is probably associated with recrystallization since both the stacking fault probability and rms strain recover together. An activation energy of 25 kcal per mol is determined for this stage.
Power-demand routing in massive geo-distributed systems

There is an increasing trend toward massive, geographically distributed systems. The largest Internet companies operate hundreds of thousands of servers in multiple geographic locations, and are growing at a fast clip. A single system's servers and data centers can consume many megawatts of electricity, as much as tens of thousands of US homes. Two important concerns have arisen: rising electric bills; and growing carbon footprints. Our work develops a new traffic engineering technique that can be used to address both these areas of concern. We introduce Power-Demand Routing (PDR), a technique that redistributes traffic between replicas with the express purpose of spatially redistributing the system's power consumption, in order to reduce operating costs. Cost can be described in monetary terms or in terms of pollution. Within existing Internet services, each client request requires a meaningful amount of marginal energy at the server. Thus, by rerouting requests from a server at one geographic location to another, we can spatially shift the systems marginal power consumption at Internet speeds. We show how PDR can be used to reduce electric bills. We describe how to couple request routing policy to real-time price signals from wholesale electricity markets. In response to price-differentials, PDR skews client load across a system's clusters and pushes server power-demand into the least expensive regions. Our analysis quantifies the potential reduction in energy costs. We use simulations driven by empirical data and models: we collected a real-world request traffic workload in collaboration with Akamai; constructed data center energy models; and compiled a database of historical electricity market prices. We conclude that existing systems can use PDR, to cut their annual electric bills by millions of dollars. We also show how PDR can be used to reduce carbon footprints. Not all joules are created equal and in power pools like the grid the environmental impact per joule varies geographically and in time. We show how to construct carbon cost functions that can be used with PDR to dynamically push a system's power-demand toward clean energy. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Role of the Small Business Development Center assistance network in establishing and sustaining high value-added industries in Latin America

America's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network is the primary small business assistance network in the United States and its territories. Hosted by leading universities, colleges, and state economic development agencies, and funded partially through a partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, more than 1,000 SBDCs provide no-cost counseling and low-cost training “to help new entrepreneurs realize their dream of business ownership, and to assist existing businesses to remain competitive in the complex marketplace of an ever-changing global economy”. The International Trade Center, hosted at the University of Texas at San Antonio, has initiated several programs in Mexico to replicate the SBDC network concept. Efforts have focused on establishing an association of SBDCs across Mexico, developing accreditation standards to ensure quality small business assistance services, and building the network capacity. The goal is to encourage the development of high value-added industries and assist the development of sustainable technology-based economies. This paper discusses the process by which these initiatives are being established, the progress to date, and the “lessons learned” in establishing these networks in different cultural and national environments.