cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Subwavelength Plasmonic Two‐Conductor Waveguides

This article reviews advances in the development of subwavelength plasmonic two-conductor waveguides. First, the properties of two-dimensional (2D) plasmonic two-conductor waveguides, which are commonly referred to as metal–dielectric–metal (MDM) waveguides, are discussed. This is followed by a review of the properties of three-dimensional (3D) plasmonic two-conductor waveguides, such as plasmonic slot waveguides and plasmonic coaxial waveguides. Following the discussion of plasmonic two-conductor waveguiding geometries, the properties of components based on these waveguides are reviewed. More specifically, we focus on bends and splitters that are essential components of optical integrated circuits. The properties of such bends and splitters in 2D and 3D plasmonic two-conductor waveguides are discussed. Finally, the fabrication and optical characterization methods for 2D and 3D plasmonic two-conductor waveguides are presented. Keywords: plasmonics; surface plasmons; waveguides
Annals of Palliative Medicine has become indexed in Emerging Sources Citation Index Web of Science and Scopus

On 8/3/16, we learned that Annals of Palliative Medicine ( APM ) was accepted for coverage in Thomson Reuters’ index in the Web of Science, the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI).
Do Local Protestant Values Affect Corporate Cash Holdings

This study examines how local Protestant belief, as one type of social norms, affects corporate cash policies. We find that firms located in areas with more Protestants hold less cash reserves. The influence of local Protestant belief on cash holdings is more profound for firms with weak corporate governance and firms with one geographic segment. In addition, we find that the difference in cash deployment is reflected in the difference in firms’ investment and payout policies. Overall, our study shows that local Protestant belief is an important factor in determining corporate cash policies and helps to mitigate the potential free cash flow problem.
Pursuing Ideology with Statecraft

Utilizing a web-based simulation Statecraft, we explore the relative influence of ideology (realism and idealism) on student behavior and learning. By placing students into ideologically cohesive g...
Adaptation and the Language of Learning Science in a Bilingual Classroom

This chapter examines focal science classroom activities and interactions led by a novice bilingual teacher, Mr. Juan, grappling with integrating more culturally and linguistically responsive approaches in the teaching of science. The chapter applies a theory and method for understanding learning in classroom interaction previously conceptualized as a process of Adaptation reflective of the hybrid and improvisational nature of the language of classroom learning. An analysis of adaptations in science classroom activities is pedagogically productive as it provides a lens for understanding both planned and unplanned classroom interactions as collaborative processes. The analysis draws from data collected through the Integrating Science and Diversity Education (ISDE) longitudinal study that took place in Northern California. The broader ISDE study tested the impact of a restructured science teacher education model on multiple-subject credential K-5 teacher candidates, including bilingual credential and non-bilingual credential teacher candidates. The analysis for this chapter, however, focuses on observational field notes and transcripts of audio-recorded lessons from novice teachers involved in the ISDE study. By addressing adaptations in science classroom activity, the chapter argues that adaptations are potentially found in every classroom context, including those led by novice science teachers. This analysis supports the examination of adaptations in the classroom as productive spaces for science learning while also attending to the particular circumstances novice bilingual teachers face in promoting meaningful and dialogic interaction in the classroom.
Deep Venous Thrombosis in Patients with Stroke and Intracranial Hemorrhage (P01.229)

OBJECTIVE: Understand factors influencing the risk of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolus (DVT/PE) in a large group of patients hospitalized for stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. BACKGROUND: Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary emboli are serious complications in patients admitted with stroke and intracranial hemorrhage. A deeper understanding of the factors that place these patients at risk may help guide therapy. DESIGN/METHODS: Data on a total of 2613 patients admitted to a large general hospital with stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA) or intracranial hemorrahge from 1/2008 to 3/2012 were analyzed retrospectively. The data set included 28 variables including length of stay, initial NIH stroke scale, whether the patient had heart failure, was ambulatory by day 2 after admission, had altered mental status, among others. Univariate analyses of effects of each variable on the risk of DVT/PE are carried out followed by linear discriminant analysis. Subsequently a crosstabulation table with the variables significant in the multivariable analysis is computed. RESULTS: In univariable analysis, the risk of DVT/PE was highest in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage and intracranial hemorrhage and smallest in patients with TIA. Patients with longer length of stay and higher NIH stroke scale as well as patients with altered level of consciousness and heart failure had an increased risk. In the multivariable analysis only whether the patient had altered level of consciousness, heart failure and whether there was an intracranial hemorrhage were statistically significant. Patients with both heart failure and altered level of consciousness had a 7 fold increase in risk for DVT/PE. Whether the patient received prophylaxis with heparin or enoxaparin had no statistically significant effect in any group of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Heart failure and altered level of consciousness are important risk factors for DVT/PE. Disclosure: Dr. Stecker has received royalty payments from UpToDate. Dr. Michel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Antaky has nothing to disclose. Dr. Koyfman has nothing to disclose.
Mesenchymal Differentiation, Epigenetic Dynamics, and Interactions With VDR

Abstract Skeletal cell differentiation is an orchestrated, multifaceted process involving transcription factors and epigenetic changes from mesenchymal progenitor cells. Osteoblastogenesis is driven by the expression and genomic binding of RUNX2. Throughout differentiation, secondary regulators such as ligand-activated vitamin D receptor (VDR) are recruited to the same genomic enhancers as RUNX2 to modulate the actions of RUNX2 for lineage-specific gene expression. The activities of these transcription factor-bound enhancers, or variable chromatin modifiers, are aided by dynamic epigenetic changes. Ligand-activated VDR has an exquisite influence on the epigenetic landscape surrounding those genes being regulated. In turn, this genomic landscape can adjust and react to varying levels of receptor to prioritize those genes most important to vitamin D stimulation. This bimodal control allows expression and regulation of VDR and its genetic program throughout osteogenesis. In this chapter, we will explore and review the relationship at the genomic level between vitamin D, mesenchymal differentiation, and epigenetics. Knowledge of the mechanisms of skeletal cell differentiation may increase the potential for new therapeutic control, diagnostic tools, and an understanding of skeletal disease progression.
Species delimitation of the North American orchard-spider Leucauge venusta (Walckenaer, 1841) (Araneae, Tetragnathidae).

Abstract The orchard spider, Leucauge venusta (Walckenaer, 1841) is one of the most common and abundant orb-weavers in North America. This species has a broad geographic distribution extending across tropical and temperate regions of the Americas from Canada to Brazil. Guided by a preliminary observation of the barcode gap between sequences from specimens of L. venusta collected in Florida and other North American localities, we collected across a transect through the southeastern USA to investigate the observed genetic divide. The dataset, complemented with additional samples from Mexico, and Brazil was analyzed for species delimitation using STACEY and bGMYC based on sequences from one nuclear (ITS2) and one mitochondrial marker (COI). The analyses clearly separate USA samples into two deeply divergent and geographically structured groups (north–south) which we interpret as two different species. We generated ecological niche models for these two groups rejecting a niche equivalence hypothesis for these lineages. Taxonomic changes are proposed based on these findings, Leucauge venusta is restricted to denote the northern clade, and its known distribution restricted to the USA. Leucauge argyrobapta (White, 1841) is removed from synonymy to denote the populations in Florida, Mexico and Brazil. Although the delimitation analyses suggest each of these geographic clusters within the L. argyrobapta samples represent different species, more specimens from Central and South America are needed to properly test the cohesion of L. argyrobapta populations.
Isolation and characterization of a new strain of Cellulomonas flavigena

A cellulolytic bacterium was isolated from leaf litter. Its nutritional characteristics and most of its morphological features closely resemble those of ATCC # 482, which is considered to be the type species ofCellulomonas flavigena (Stackebrandt and Keddie in Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology). However, when stationary phase cells from cultures using a minimal medium containing an excess carbon and energy source are compared, a very prominent morphological difference is manifest. Phase contrast microscopy and transmission electron microscopy indicate the presence of large swollen polar structures in the type species. The absence of such structures from the new isolate and the production of large amounts of an extracellular polysaccharide indicate that it is a new strain ofCellulomonas flavigena.
Designing self-assembling biomaterials with controlled mechanical and biological performance

Abstract Self-assembly has been widely used in biomaterials to fabricate a range of materials, from nanostructures to hydrogels, from small molecules. A variety of biological motifs, including the β-sheet and α-helix protein secondary structures and nucleic acid base pairing, have been utilized to assemble these materials and imbue them with the desired properties. A single molecule can be tailored to control a variety of properties of the assembled structure, including the shape of the nanostructure, the mechanical properties, and the biological adhesion and binding sequences. As self-assembled biomaterials continue to develop, they are increasingly tailored to mimic a variety of aspects of a cell native environment to help elicit the desired biological responses.
Hallucinations as Adverse Event from Lacosamide: Three Case Series (P5.261)

Objective: Increase awareness of reversible visual hallucinations as a side effect of lacosamide. Background: Lacosamide is an antiepileptic agent that has been approved by the FDA for use in patients with partial-onset seizures. It is thought to function by selectively enhancing slow inactivation of voltage-gated sodium channels. The most common side effect of lacosamide is dizziness. Here we present three cases where patients experienced visual hallucinations on lacosamide. Design/Methods: Case 1: 58-year-old lady presented to the hospital for encephalopathy. She was found having non-convulsive status epilepticus. She was started on lacosamide, after which she developed visual hallucination - seeing squirrels, guinea pigs, and trains. Lacosamide was replaced with clobazam and oxcarbazepine with improvement in her visual hallucinations. Case 2: 64-year-old lady with history of chronic kidney disease and epilepsy presented to the hospital with encephalopathy. On her last hospital admission, two days ago, she was started on lacosamide for non-convulsive status epilepticus. During this admission, lacosamide was replaced with valproic acid and within two days she returned back to baseline. Case 3: 64-year-old lady with history of epilepsy presented to the hospital in non-convulsive status epilepticus. Patient received valproic acid and phenytoin in addition to lacosamide before achieving adequate control. After starting lacosamide, she developed hallucinations involving her husband. Lacosamide was replaced with oxcarbazepine and within one week, her mentation improved. Results: N/A Conclusions: Here we showcased three cases where patients were started on lacosamide for management of non-convulsive status epilepticus and subsequently developed encephalopathy with hallucinations. Once the offending agent was discontinued, patient had improvement in their clinical status. It is also worth noting that in all three situations patients were introduced to IV formulation of lacosamide. Disclosure: Dr. Patel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Noto has nothing to disclose. Dr. Little has nothing to disclose. Dr. Carran has nothing to disclose.
The Physiological Ecology of Carbon Science in Forest Stands

In order to better understand the ways in which future forests will change and be changed by shifting climates, it is necessary to understand the underlying drivers of forest development and the ways these drivers are affected by changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, temperature, precipitation, and nutrient levels. Successional forces lead to somewhat predictable changes in forest stands throughout the world. These changes can lead to corresponding shifts in the dynamics of carbon uptake, storage, and release. Many studies have attempted to elucidate the effects of changing climate conditions on forest ecosystem dynamics; however, the complexity of forest systems, long time horizons, and high costs associated with large-scale research have limited the ability of scientists to make reliable predictions about future changes in forest carbon flux at the global scale. Free Air Carbon Exchange (FACE) experiments are suggesting that forest net primary productivity, and thus carbon uptake, usually increases when atmospheric carbon dioxide levels increase, likely due to factors such as increased nitrogen use efficiency and competitive advantages of shade tolerant species. Experiments dealing with drought and temperature change are providing evidence that water availability, may be the most important factor driving forest carbon dynamics. Forest ecosystem experiments, such as FACE programs, have not been operating long enough to predict long term responses of forest ecosystems to increases in carbon dioxide.
Perchlorate Removal by Modified Activated Carbon

Perchlorate's (C104] prevalent use as the propellant in rocket fuel has led to the C1O4contamination of considerable amounts of water thr6ughout the United states.' Perchlorate contamination is especially a problem in the arid Southwestern U.S. where alternate perchlorate-free water sources are not always readily available. Perchlorate, while thermodynamically unstable, is kinetically non-reactive at low concentrations,' as typically found in ground and surface water conditions where contamination has occurred. In addition, perchlorate is extremely soluble in water and is a poor complexing agent,' which makes it a very mobile, persistent contaminant in the environment.
How Safe Are American Railroads

How safe are American Railroads? That question can only be answered by making comparisons with other types of risks. This chapter compares employee risks in railroads with those in other industries, passenger risks across modes of transportation, railroads versus other hazards of modern life, and United States to railroads to those in Canada and Great Britain.
Domain Generality and Specificity of Statistical Learning and its Relation with Reading Ability

Reading is to map orthographic units onto an existing phonologic-semantic system of its corresponding spoken language. Neuroimaging studies have shown that the print-speech co-activation in perisylvian networks for print-speech conversion is a universal neural signature of skilled readers. In addition to large commonality, small language differences are suggested: phonological knowledge from spoken language is useful for orthographic learning in transparent writing systems whereas visuospatial processing is more demanded for opaque writing systems, like Chinese. An emerging research suggests that reading acquisition may also reflect a general statistical learning (SL) capacity to implicitly assimilate the systematic structures of a linguistic environment. It is unclear whether visual and auditory SL play similar roles in learning to read different writing systems and whether the experience of learning of any given orthographic system changes the way one detects and computes statistical patterns. To understand the bidirectional relations between SL and reading experience, future research could examine the relative contribution of visual and auditory SL to individual differences in learning different writing systems, e.g., English vs. Chinese and track the changes of SL after learning different writing systems. Such studies will also shed light on the debate in universal account of learning difficulty in dyslexia.
Parasitic Capacitors' Impact on Switching Performance in a 10 kV SiC MOSFET Based Converter

In a converter based on 10 kV SiC MOSFETs, major sources of parasitic capacitance are the anti-parallel junction barrier schottky (JBS) diode, heat sink, and load inductor. A half bridge phase leg test setup is built to investigate these parasitic capacitors' impact on the switching performance at 6.25 kV. Generally these parasitic capacitors slows down both turn-on and turn-off transient and can cause significant increase in switching energy loss. The impact of the parasitic capacitor in the load inductor is analyzed, which has either very short wire or long wire in series. Switching performance of the phase leg with two different thermal designs are compared to investigate the impact of the parasitic capacitor due to the heat sink. The large parasitic capacitor due to the large drain plate of discrete 10 kV SiC MOSFET for heat dissipation can result in 44.5% increase in switching energy loss at low load current.
Surface Modification of Fibers via Graft-Site Amplifying Polymers:

The surface properties of fibers play critical roles in many applications such as wicking, soil resistance, adhesion, and bio-compatibility. This paper will discuss a new approach to surface modifi...
Can mentorship improve laboratory quality? A case study from influenza diagnostic laboratories in Southeast Europe

Strengthening the quality of laboratory diagnostics is a key part of building global health capacity. In 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Southeast European Center for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases (SECID), WHO European Regional Office (WHO EURO) and American Public Health Laboratories (APHL) collaborated to address laboratory quality training needs in Southeast Europe. Together, they developed a quality assurance (QA) mentorship program for six national laboratories (Laboratories A-E) in five countries utilizing APHL international consultants. The primary goal of the mentorship program was to help laboratories become recognized by WHO as National Influenza Centers (NICs). The program aimed to do this by strengthening influenza laboratory capacity by implementing quality management systems (QMS) action steps. After 1 year, we evaluated participants’ progress by the proportion of QMS action steps they had successfully implemented, as well as the value of mentorship as perceived by laboratory mentees, mentors, and primary program stakeholders from SECID and WHO EURO. To understand perceived value we used the qualitative method of semi-structured interviews, applying grounded theory to the thematic analysis. Mentees showed clear progress, having completed 32 to 68% [median: 62%] of planned QMS action steps in their laboratories. In regards to the perceived value of the program, we found strong evidence that laboratory mentorship enhances laboratory quality improvement by promoting accountability to QMS implementation, raising awareness of the importance of QMS, and fostering collaborative problem solving. In conclusion, we found that significant accomplishments can be achieved when QA programs provide dedicated technical mentorship for QMS implementation. Since the start of the mentoring, Laboratory “B” has achieved NIC recognition by WHO, while two other labs made substantial progress and are scheduled for recognition in 2018. In the future, we recommend that mentorship is more inclusive of laboratory directors, and that programs evaluate the amount of staff time needed for mentorship activities, including lab-based assessments and mentoring.
A note on breaking of symmetry for a class of variational problems

Abstract In this note we present a symmetry breaking result for a class of 2 π − periodic problems of the form − u ′ ′ ( t ) = g ( u ( t ) ) + f ( t ) u ( 0 ) − u ( 2 π ) = u ′ ( 0 ) − u ′ ( 2 π ) = 0 where g : R → R is a given C 1 function and f : [ 0 , 2 π ] → R is continuous. Our approach is inspired on Willem’s paper (Willem, 1989) and uses actions of finite groups which are not usually considered in the literature.
Organizational vs. Crowd Selection: Implications for the Variety of Ideas

This article examines the interaction between the variation and selection stages of organizational innovation. Most organizations rely on internal selection mechanisms, whereby creators submit thei...
Sepsis in the Context of Nonventilator Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia.

Background Sepsis is a leading cause of mortality among hospitalized patients and is the most expensive condition affecting the US health care system. Pneumonia is associated with about half of sepsis cases, yet limited research has described the incidence of sepsis in the context of nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP). Persons with NV-HAP who are at risk for sepsis must be identified so that interventions to reduce the burden of NV-HAP and improve outcomes among patients with sepsis can be designed. Objective To determine the proportion of persons with NV-HAP in whom sepsis develops and to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of persons with NV-HAP in whom sepsis develops. Methods In this retrospective, population-based study, data were extracted from the National Inpatient Sample from the 2012 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project dataset. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes were used to identify adult patients at least 18 years of age who had a stay of at least 48 hours, had no documented diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia, and had secondary diagnoses of both NV-HAP and sepsis, neither of which was present on admission. Results In the 2012 calendar year, 119 075 adults had NV-HAP develop; sepsis developed in 36.3% of these cases. Male and black patients were overrepresented in the sample, and patients had a mean of 7 comorbid conditions (SD, 3.3). Conclusions Sepsis in the context of NV-HAP is a key concern. Additional research is needed to identify factors associated with the development of sepsis among patients with NV-HAP.
Experimental evidence of gas densification and enhanced storage in nanoporous shales

Abstract There is a growing body of evidence that gas situated within the pores of nanoporous materials may not have the same equation of state (pressure, volume, and temperature, PVT) properties as macroscopic free gas. However, there is limited experimental measurement of in-situ fluid properties for gases taken up by nanoporous shales. In this work, we use a gas injection porosimetry approach to measure the gas storage capacity of four different North American shales (Bakken, Marcellus, Haynesville, and Mancos) and in-situ gas density for a few different hydrocarbon and noble gases. We find the porosity measured with helium to be reasonable between 5% and 16.4%. However, when using other gases such as methane, argon, and ethylene, the equivalent porosity estimations are extremely high, with the highest measured value being 309% for ethylene gas in a Marcellus shale sample. Such extreme results raise questions on the validity of the underlying assumptions of the porosimetry equations, in particular, the description of gas density within shale nanopores with macroscopic density. The experimentally measured density of in-situ gas is found to be up to 28 times higher than the theoretically estimated one at the equilibrium PVT conditions. This in-situ densification of gas is independently verified using X-ray CT imaging on one of the samples – the Marcellus. The underlying mechanism for gas densification could be explained by adsorption, in which case the proportion of adsorbed gas is estimated to be between 12% and 96% for the various gas-sample pairs. Surface area measurements show that a monolayer of adsorbed gas can only account for 27% to 42% of the adsorbed gas. This calls into question the commonly assumed Langmuir monolayer model of adsorption, and indicates that gas densification within shale nanopores can be attributed to a multilayer adsorption mechanism and/or other unidentified mechanisms that require further study.
Chapter 223 – Reproduction, Male

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the reproductive system in male insects. The basic component of the male reproductive system is the testis, suspended in the body cavity by tracheae and fat body. The more primitive apterygote insects have a single testis, and in some lepidopterans the two maturing testes are secondarily fused into one structure during the later stages of larval development, although the ducts leading from them remain separate. However, most male insects have a pair of testes, inside of which are sperm tubes or follicles that are enclosed within a membranous sac. The follicles connect to the vas deferens by the vas efferens, and the two tubular vasa deferentia connect to a median ejaculatory duct that leads to the outside. A portion of the vas deferens is often enlarged to form the seminal vesicle, which stores the sperm before they are discharged into the female. The seminal vesicles have glandular linings that secrete nutrients for nourishment and maintenance of the sperm. The ejaculatory duct is derived from an invagination of the epidermal cells during development and, as a result, has a cuticular lining. The terminal portion of the ejaculatory duct may be sclerotized to form the intromittent organ, the aedeagus. The remainder of the male reproductive system is derived from embryonic mesoderm, except for the germ cells, or spermatogonia, which descend from the primordial pole cells very early during embryogenesis.
Identifying regional characteristics of transportation research with Transport Research International Documentation (TRID) data

Abstract Since the planning and operations of transportation systems depend on factors ranging from economic to political, which tend to vary significantly over geographic regions (geoRegions), the following research question arises: do transportation topics in various geographic regions differ significantly? A review of existing transportation bibliographic studies shows that the information on the geographic location of study areas is seldom available and thus rarely analyzed. This study thus presents a geoRegion-topic model that extends a widely used topic model, latent Dirichlet allocation, to explore the region-specific characteristics of transportation research based on large-scale bibliographic data collected from Transport Research International Documentation. Top geographic regions that are frequently used as study areas in transportation research are identified at both the country/region and U.S. state levels. The results confirm that transportation research exhibits clear region-specific characteristics, namely each geographic region is associated with a unique transportation topic distribution. After exploring the relation between topic similarity and geographic proximity, we find in general countries/regions that are geographically proximate have quite similar transportation topic distributions, while this correlation cannot be observed at the U.S. state level. Other relevant findings are also reported, along with potential bias in the analysis.
Postpartum Weight-Loss Tracker to Guide Low-Income Postpartum Women on their Weight-Loss Journey

Studies have shown that postpartum weight retention is a key contributor to obesity among women. Studies have also shown that resources dedicated to postpartum weight loss are scarce. Weight tracking has been found to help with weight management during pregnancy. However, a postpartum weight-loss tracker (PPWLT) was yet to exist. This article describes the creation and initial impressions of a PPWLT that were collected via focus groups (FG) discussions with WIC participants. Methods: Two FG discussions (English and Spanish) were conducted at a WIC clinic in Southern California. All discussions were audio-recorded for transcription. Transcripts were analyzed using the scissor –and-sort technique. The sample consisted of ten Latina women, with a mean age of 28.7 ± 5.06 years and a mean current Body Mass Index (BMI) of 32.8 ± 7.8. Results: Participants in both FGs expressed a strong interest in the PPWLT and reported a willingness to use the tracker if provided by WIC. The Spanish-speaking group had several specific suggestions to make the instructions easier to understand. Conclusion: We believe that this new innovative tool has the potential to impact a mother’s well-being and give her an opportunity to optimize her health before a subsequent pregnancy.
Open Access in Special Education: A Review of Journal and Publisher Policies:

Open-access (OA) options, including preprints and postprints, provide free access to research, accelerate the dissemination of academic work, are associated with increased impact of scholarly work,...
Teaching Biotech Manufacturing Facility Design and Regulatory Compliance: Better Equipping Students for a Maturing Industry

While chemical and biochemical engineering programs have frequently offered courses in fermentation and biopurification, few have offered instruction in design of equipment for biotech production facilities and in regulatory issues that govern nearly all operations within a pharmaceutical manufacturing environment. Traditional chemical engineering process equipment design courses do not sufficiently address this material. The new course described here better prepares students for positions in process development, process engineering, and manufacturing in a maturing biotech industry.
Some New Concepts in the Plate Tectonics Paradigm Fifty Years after Its Inception

AbstractWe have gained significant insights into the dynamic evolution of the earth, causes of geohazards, processes of continental growth, feedback mechanisms between tectonics, topography and cli...
Assessment of a Medication Deprescribing Tool on Polypharmacy and Cost Avoidance

Purpose The number of patients who take 5 or more medications-polypharmacy-is increasing. Patients with polypharmacy are at risk for adverse drug events, drug-drug interactions, geriatric-related syndromes, falls, and hospitalizations. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed to assess the impact of the VIONE deprescribing tool on polypharmacy and cost avoidance when used by primary care physicians and pharmacists in patient aligned care team primary care clinics at Veteran Affairs Southern Nevada Healthcare System in North Las Vegas. The efficacy of the tool was determined by calculating the total amount of medications deprescribed as well as the estimated annualized costs avoided for the health care system. Results In a 3-month period, 1060 medications were deprescribed. The total estimated cost avoidance for the facility was $84,030.46. Conclusion The VIONE tool may be useful in improving patient safety through deprescribing and discontinuing potentially inappropriate medications. Use of this deprescribing tool also may reduce the cost of care associated with overprescribing.
Osteoporosis is associated with increased minor complications following single level ALIF and PSIF: an analysis of 7,004 patients.

Background Osteoporosis is a prevalent disease that predisposes patients to fracture and additional post-operative complications, potentially contributing to decreased quality of life. The objective of the current study is to (I) characterize the demographic trends of individuals with osteoporosis undergoing single level posterior spine instrumentation and fusion (PSIF) and anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF); (II) determine the association between osteoporosis and postoperative complications; (III) identify whether the use of bone strengthening medications is associated with improved outcomes. Methods A retrospective review of the Mariner Claims Database was conducted on patients undergoing single level ALIF (CPT 22558) and PSIF (CPT 22840) between 2011 and 2017. Diagnosis of osteoporosis (CPT 77080, CPT 77801, CPT 77082) included a bone density scan within two years of surgery. Patients with osteoporosis were 1:1 matched to controls. Patients taking bone enhancing medications prior to surgery were compared to those that did not take medications. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate post-operative complication risk factors. Results 3,502 patients with diagnosed osteoporosis underwent ALIF and PSIF, of which 788 (22.5%) were treated with supplemental medication. Diagnosis of osteoporosis was associated with an increased risk of pulmonary embolism [1.1% vs. 0.4%, odds ratio (OR) 2.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.36-4.53, P=0.003] and minor complications (16.7% vs. 12.9%, OR 1.15, 95% CI: 1.01-1.30, P=0.039). Revision rates two-years post-operatively were not significantly different between patients with osteoporosis and matched controls (P>0.05). There were no differences in outcomes between osteoporotic patients who received medications and those who did not receive medication (P>0.05). Conclusions Osteoporosis is common in a nationally-representative Medicare database cohort. Pre-operative diagnosis of osteoporosis is associated with increased minor complications following ALIF and PSIF. Pre-operative osteoporosis treatment is not associated with a significant difference in post-operative outcomes. The current study can guide pre-operative counseling in this cohort.
Ten Seldom Discussed Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Facts that You Need to Know

Much is written about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. However, amid the clutter of enforcement agency rhetoric and resolution documents not subjected to any meaningful judicial scrutiny as well as the mountains of FCPA Inc. marketing material touting the next compliance risk, there are certain FCPA facts that are seldom discussed. Yet such facts, covering the entire span of the FCPA — from the statute’s enactment, to its statutory provisions, to FCPA enforcement, to FCPA reform, to the FCPA industry itself — occasionally bear repeating. This article does that by highlighting ten seldom discussed FCPA facts that you need to know.
Supporting First-responders in Infrastructure-less Environments☆

Abstract During a large-scale disaster first responders face a number of different challenges. Their ability to communicate with one another is among the most critical challenges they face. If the disaster has wiped out the infrastructure that enables communications, it creates a serious issue for first responders. In such situations, infrastructure-less technology could enable first responders to establish a communications network independent of any existing operational or non-operational infrastructure. Wi- Fi Direct can enable such communication, but it is fraught with a few issues that need to be addressed to make it usable for first responders. We have developed an extension to Wi-Fi Direct that would address these issues. The extended Wi-Fi Direct protocol allows for a persistent communications network that involves zero user interaction. With our extensions, the protocol does not require any infrastructure or any human involvement to establish a communications network. Disclaimer The views expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the United States Government.
Qualitative Analysis of the Cohesion in Metals

Publisher Summary Four points emerge from the qualitative analysis given in this chapter: (1) excited configurations of the atom having low excitation energy increase the cohesion of the solid and (2) the various zones of the solid derived from s , p , d levels of the atom are rarely separate and usually overlap and hang together at boundary points of the Brillouin zones, and (3) the Fermi energy is relatively smaller and less important in transition metals, and even in the alkaline earth metals, than in the alkali metals, because of the overlapping of the s band with the denser p and d bands, (4) the corrections arising from the holes about the electrons in the more complex metals do not cancel the effects arising from both the holes and the ion core field in the free atom as well in the more complex metals as they do in the alkali metals. Variation in the differences of such energy terms is responsible for at least some of the fluctuations in cohesive energy.
Conformally exact results for SL(2, R) ⊗ SO(1, 1) d-2 / SO(1, 1) coset models

Using the conformal invariance of the $SL(2,R)\otimes SO(1,1)^{d-2}/SO(1,1)$ coset models we calculate the conformally exact metric and dilaton, to all orders in the $1/k$ expansion. We consider both vector and axial gauging. We find that these cosets represent two different space--time geometries: ($2d$ black hole)$\otimes \IR^{d-2}$ for the vector gauging and ($3d$ black string)$\otimes \IR^{d-3}$ for the axial one. In particular for $d=3$ and for the axial gauging one obtains the exact metric and dilaton of the charged black string model introduced by Horne and Horowitz. If the value of $k$ is finite we find two curvature singularities which degenerate to one in the semi--classical $k\to \infty$ limit. We also calculate the reflection and transmission coefficients for the scattering of a tachyon wave and using the Bogoliubov transformation we find the Hawking temperature.
Parenchymal texture analysis in digital mammography: A fully automated pipeline for breast cancer risk assessment

Purpose: Mammographic percent density (PD%) is known to be a strong risk factor for breast cancer. Recent studies also suggest that parenchymal texture features, which are more granular descriptors of the parenchymal pattern, can provide additional information about breast cancer risk. To date, most studies have measured mammographic texture within selected regions of interest (ROIs) in the breast, which cannot adequately capture the complexity of the parenchymal pattern throughout the whole breast. To better characterize patterns of the parenchymal tissue, the authors have developed a fully automated software pipeline based on a novel lattice-based strategy to extract a range of parenchymal texture features from the entire breast region. Methods: Digital mammograms from 106 cases with 318 age-matched controls were retrospectively analyzed. The lattice-based approach is based on a regular grid virtually overlaid on each mammographic image. Texture features are computed from the intersection (i.e., lattice) points of the grid lines within the breast, using a local window centered at each lattice point. Using this strategy, a range of statistical (gray-level histogram, co-occurrence, and run-length) and structural (edge-enhancing, local binary pattern, and fractal dimension) features are extracted. To cover the entire breast, the size of the local window for feature extraction is set equal to the lattice grid spacing and optimized experimentally by evaluating different windows sizes. The association between their lattice-based texture features and breast cancer was evaluated using logistic regression with leave-one-out cross validation and further compared to that of breast PD% and commonly used single-ROI texture features extracted from the retroareolar or the central breast region. Classification performance was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC). DeLong’s test was used to compare the different ROCs in terms of AUC performance. Results: The average univariate performance of the lattice-based features is higher when extracted from smaller than larger window sizes. While not every individual texture feature is superior to breast PD% (AUC: 0.59, STD: 0.03), their combination in multivariate analysis has significantly better performance (AUC: 0.85, STD: 0.02, p 0.05). Conclusions: The proposed lattice-based strategy for mammographic texture analysis enables to characterize the parenchymal pattern over the entire breast. As such, these features provide richer information compared to currently used descriptors and may ultimately improve breast cancer risk assessment. Larger studies are warranted to validate these findings and also compare to standard demographic and reproductive risk factors.
On the reaction of borohydride with D- and L-amino acid oxidases.

Abstract It has been confirmed that borohydride treatment of d-amino acid oxidase in the presence of d-alanine-1-14C leads to the strong attachment to the apoprotein of 1 mole of 14C per eq of FAD originally present. However this reaction, and a similar one with l-amino acid oxidase, does not result in any loss of catalytic activity. With both enzymes, borohydride reaction in the absence of substrate results in the production of a new flavin derivative, not previously reported. This modified flavin, characterized by an absorption maximum at 408 to 410 mµ, can be liberated by heat denaturation. It has intense blue fluorescence with an emission maximum at 475 mµ. On conversion to the flavin mononucleotide form there is an approximately 10-fold increase in fluorescence intensity.
Cdk1 Activates Pre-Mitotic Nuclear Envelope Dynein Recruitment and Apical Nuclear Migration in Neural Stem cells

Dynein recruitment to the nuclear envelope is required for pre-mitotic nucleus-centrosome interactions in nonneuronal cells and for apical nuclear migration in neural stem cells. In each case, dynein is recruited to the nuclear envelope (NE) specifically during G2 via two nuclear pore-mediated mechanisms involving RanBP2-BicD2 and Nup133-CENP-F. The mechanisms responsible for cell-cycle control of this behavior are unknown. We now find that Cdk1 serves as a direct master controller for NE dynein recruitment in neural stem cells and HeLa cells. Cdk1 phosphorylates conserved sites within RanBP2 and activates BicD2 binding and early dynein recruitment. Late recruitment is triggered by a Cdk1-induced export of CENP-F from the nucleus. Forced NE targeting of BicD2 overrides Cdk1 inhibition, fully rescuing dynein recruitment and nuclear migration in neural stem cells. These results reveal how NE dynein recruitment is cell-cycle regulated and identify the trigger mechanism for apical nuclear migration in the brain.
Process maturity and inspector proficiency: feedback mechanisms for software inspections

Recent research suggests that people related issues account for as much as 50% of explained sources of variation in software code inspections and that process related issues account for less than 30%. This paper examines the impact of two feedback mechanisms (process maturity and inspector proficiency) on square inspections. Results of a survey of thirty-one experienced software developers and follow-up interviews are presented. Key findings include that significant process variations appear to exist within relatively mature organizations and that teams own inspection processes. The paper also addresses the significance and potential of feedback mechanism research. The findings extend to other formal technical reviews and provide insights into managing different-place, different time inspections.
LARGE-SCALE ANNUAL-CYCLE THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE IN AQUIFERS

ABSTRACT Important avenues for conserving substantial amounts of fossil fuel may be opened through annual-cycle storage of hot water in aquifers: capturing and using heat now wasted in thermal-electric power generation and in industrial processes, and reducing the dependence of solar-thermal systems upon backup heat sources at night or during inclement weather. First-order heat-transfer modeling indicates heat-recovery efficiencies of 80 percent or more may be achieved. Recovery efficiency improves with successive cycles. Thermal energy storage in aquifers would solve the mismatch problem which limits the amount of cogenerated heat that can be used. Heat produced as electricity is generated could be stored during the summer, when electric production tends to peak in the United States, to be used during the winter for space heating. Hot tap water, air conditioning, and industrial process heat demands could also be readily satisfied, with high-temperature water carried through pipelines to urban areas many miles away from the cogeneration plant. Potential benefits of aquifer storage in a large district heating/cogeneration system proposed for the Minneapolis-St. Paul urban area in Minnesota (USA) are being studied at TEMPO. Reduction of air and water pollution is an important benefit which accompanies conservation of fuels.
Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometry in Extragalactic Astronomy

This paper reviews the impact that imaging Fabry-Perot interferometry has made on studies of the velocity fields in external galaxies over the past 20 years. A bibliography of all published papers is given, and some of the main scientific results are summarized. The future role of Fabry-Perot interferometry in extragalactic studies is briefly assessed.
Overexpression of transforming growth factor-beta in transgenic mice carrying the human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I tax gene.

Abstract Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) has been associated with an adult form of T-cell leukemia as well as tropical spastic paraparesis, a neurodegenerative disease. Adult T-cell leukemia patients express high levels of the type 1 isoform of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta 1), which is mediated by the effects of the HTLV-I Tax transactivator protein on the TGF-beta 1 promoter. To understand further the regulation of TGF-beta 1 expression by Tax, we examined its expression in transgenic mice carrying the HTLV-I tax gene. We show that tumors from these mice and other tissues, such as submaxillary glands and skeletal muscle, which express high levels of tax mRNA selectively express high levels of TGF-beta 1 mRNA and protein. Moreover, TGF-beta 1 significantly stimulated the incorporation of tritiated thymidine into one of three cell lines derived from neurofibromas of tax-transgenic mice, which suggests that the excessive production of TGF-beta 1 may play a role in tumorigenesis and that these mice may serve as a useful model for studying the biological effects of TGF-beta in vivo.
Palynostratigraphy and palynofacies of the Permian-Triassic transitional sequence in the Żary Pericline (SW Poland)

One spore-pollen assemblage representing the Lundbladipora obsoleta-Protohaploxypinus pantii Zone was recognized within the lowermost Buntsandstein deposits in the Żary Pericline. For the first time possible fresh water algae were found in Early Triassic sediments of Poland. Moreover, four palynofacies were distinguished, which together with sedimentological features of the studied deposits, indicate deposition in a playa environment. The palaeoclimatic model used in this study shows warm (tropical) dry climate during the Early Triassic in SW Poland.