cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is Refolding of Lysozyme Template-Driven

Protein refolding is known to be dependent on factors such as protein concentration, temperature, pH, denaturant concentration, and several other factors. Protein folding and aggregation are competing reactions and the factors responsible for the partition between these two reactions are still not well understood. We have shown that lysozyme even at very high concentrations (10 mg/mL) is capable of refolding to near 100% activity when its disulfide bonds are intact. However, in the presence of a reducing agent such as DTT, lysozyme will aggregate significantly at very low concentrations (50 ug/mL). Furthermore, when refolding, denatured/reduced lysozyme is unable to refold in the absence of a redox mixture of reduced and oxidized glutathione. Previous studies conducted by Trivedi et. al have also demonstrated that the renaturation yield of lysozyme increases when co-refolding in the presence of other denatured states of basic proteins. We hypothesize that the renaturation yield of lysozyme will also increase when refolding in the presence of the native form of lysozyme. Furthermore, we believe that protein refolding is to a certain degree template-driven.
Nonisothermal crystallization behavior of polypropylene–clay nanocomposites

Abstract The influence of two concentrations of clay nanoparticles on the nonisothermal crystallization behavior of the intercalated polypropylene–clay nanocomposites is investigated here. It is observed that the crystallization peak temperature ( T p ) of PP–clay nanocomposites is marginally higher than neat PP at various cooling rates. Furthermore, the half-time for crystallization ( t 0.5 ) decreased with increase in clay content, implying the nucleating role of clay nanoparticles. The nonisothermal crystallization data is analyzed using Avrami, Ozawa and Mo and coworkers methods. The validity of kinetic models on the nonisothermal crystallization process of PP–clay nanocomposites is discussed. The approach developed by Mo and coworkers successfully describes the nonisothermal crystallization behavior of PP and PP–clay nanocomposites. The activation energy for nonisothermal crystallization of pure PP and PP–clay nanocomposites based on Kissinger method is evaluated.
Nerve injury complicating ultrasound/electrostimulation-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block.

Background and Objectives: Neurologic complications after peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) are relatively uncommon. It has been postulated that real-time, needle-nerve visualization during ultrasound-guided PNBs might further reduce the risk of neurologic or vascular complications. Case Report: In this report, we describe the occurrence of a severe brachial plexus injury after combined ultrasound and nerve stimulator-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block. Conclusions: Ultrasound guidance should not preclude development of additional monitoring and protocols to decrease the risk of complications with PNBs.
Sidewall passivation for InGaN/GaN nanopillar light emitting diodes

We studied the effect of sidewall passivation on InGaN/GaN multiquantum well-based nanopillar light emitting diode (LED) performance. In this research, the effects of varying etch rate, KOH treatment, and sulfur passivation were studied for reducing nanopillar sidewall damage and improving device efficiency. Nanopillars prepared under optimal etching conditions showed higher photoluminescence intensity compared with starting planar epilayers. Furthermore, nanopillar LEDs with and without sulfur passivation were compared through electrical and optical characterization. Suppressed leakage current under reverse bias and four times higher electroluminescence (EL) intensity were observed for passivated nanopillar LEDs compared with unpassivated nanopillar LEDs. The suppressed leakage current and EL intensity enhancement reflect the reduction of non-radiative recombination at the nanopillar sidewalls. In addition, the effect of sulfur passivation was found to be very stable, and further insight into its mechanism was gained through transmission electron microscopy.
A new route for the conversion of carvone into eudesmane sesquiterpenes

Abstract The β-hydroxy-α-phenylsulfenyl ketone 2, derived from S-(+)-carvone, was treated with 2 equivalents of the Wittig-Horner phosphine oxide derivative 6 followed by excess methyl iodide to give a ca. 2 : 3 mixture of the E and Z α-phenylsulfenyl ketones 3a and 3b. The mixture of sulfides was oxidized to the corresponding sulfoxides 3c,d with m-chloroperbenzoic acid. When this mixture refluxed in benzene, elimination of phenylsulfinic acid occurred and the intermediate E diene derivative 4a underwent an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction to give the trans-octalone 5a, the cis-octalone 5c, and another product believed to be the trans-octalone 5b in a 60 : 28 : 12 ratio. The Z diene derivative 4b was recovered under these reaction conditions. Wolff-Kishner reduction of the octalone mixture gave (-)-α-selinene (10) as the major product along with the cis-octalin II and other unidentified minor products. When the Z diene derivative 4b was heated in toluene at 150°C for 48 h, a mixture of octalones having the same composition as that produced above was obtained. Likewise, when the 2 : 3 mixture of sulfoxides 3c and 3d was heated in toluene at 150°C, the same mixture of octalones was produced. Apparently, at the higher temperature, the Z diene derivative 4b isomerized to the E isomer 4a which ultimately underwent the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction.
Metal-metal bonding on surfaces: electronic and chemical properties of Ag on Ru(001)

Abstract The interaction between Ag and Ru(001) has been studied using TDS, XPS and XAES. Submonolayer coverages of Ag desorbed in the temperature range from 900 to 1050 K. The desorption of the Ag monolayer followed zero-order kinetics with an activation energy of 65 kcal/mol. By comparing the desorption temperatures of Cu, Ag and Au from W(110) and Ru(001), a direct relation was found between the bulk cohesive energy of a noble metal and its adsorption energy on a transition metal. A monolayer of Ag on Ru(001) shows Ag 3d levels and Auger MVV transitions that are shifted ∼ 0.1 eV toward lower binding energy with respect to those of the bulk atoms in pure Ag. In CO/Ag/Ru(001) surfaces, the interaction between Ag and Ru enhances the strength of the AgCO bond and weakens the RuCO bond. The CO-desorption temperature from one monolayer of Ag supported on Ru(001) is ∼ 90 K higher than that found on Ag(111). This corresponds to an increase of ∼ 5 kcal/mol in the strength of the AgCO bond. The results of CO-TDS and O(1s)-XPS show that the presence of Ag induces a reduction in the charge transfer from Ru into the CO (2π ∗ ) orbitals, which weakens the RuCO bond by ∼ 6 kcal/mol and shifts the O(1s) peak position 0.4 eV toward higher binding energy. Oxygen molecules adsorbed on Ag atoms bonded to Ru(001) exhibit non-equivalent oxygen atoms (probably a “superoxo-like” species), a desorption temperature of 230–240 K and a very low probability for dissociation (0.05–0.15 at T
Lack of correlation between the coat protein composition of tobacco mosaic virus isolates and their ability to infect resistant tomato plants

SUMMARY The differing responses of a wide range of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) isolates to various genes controlling resistance in tomato were not correlated with the amino acid composition of their coat proteins. Nor were they necessarily linked with ability to cause necrotic local lesions in White Burley tobacco, which is usually associated with the presence of methionine in the coat protein.
The use of infra-red light-modulated temperature in DSC created by pulse-width modulation

Abstract Infra-red light, generated by diodes, is applied to produce a sinusoidal temperature modulation in the standard heat-flux DSC of TA instruments. The temperature of the sample and reference are controlled by both, the original temperature controller of the instrument, and by the radiant energy generated by two high-power infra-red light-emitting diodes (LEDs). This allows for isothermal or quasi-isothermal experimentation in the standard mode of operation of the calorimeter. The additional infra-red irradiation is provided only for temperature modulation. The radiant energy transferred to the specimens is controlled by pulse-width modulation (PWM) which provides a high linearity in the temperature modulation program. This feature enables to obtain any arbitrary temperature profile with the limits of frequency set by the calorimeter response and speed of the computer. Simple electronics and a computer algorithm for the PWM control are described. The method was tested in the melting range of indium and by measurement of the heat capacity of sapphire (Al2O3) and polystyrene. The problem of frequency correction arising from a wide frequency range is analyzed and discussed.
Water Based Silicone Elastomer Controlled Release Tablet Film Coating 1: Free Film Evaluation

AbstractA latex which is a polymerized and cross-linked product of hydroxyendblocked polydimethylsiloxane and an alkoxysilane has been evaluated as a controlled release tablet film coating system. With adequate reinforcement of colloidal silica, the silicone elastomer latex formed solid elastomeric free films upon drying. Polyethylene glycols of different molecular weights were incorporated in the coating system to enhance the permeability of the silicone elastomer to hydrophilic and ionic species. Free films derived from the three-component silicone elastomer dispersions were evaluated by various physical and chemical methods with respect to their suitability as an aqueous controlled release film coating system.
The affine transform and feature fusion for robust speaker identification in the presence of speech coding distortion

For security in wireless, voice over IP and cellular telephony applications, there is an emerging need for speaker identification systems (SID) to be robust to speech coding distortion. This paper examines the robustness issue for the 8 kilobits/second ITU-T G.729 codec. The SID system is trained on clean speech and tested on the decoded speech of the G.729 codec. To mitigate the performance loss due to mismatched training and testing conditions, five features are considered and two approaches are used. Four of the five features are based on linear prediction analysis and the other is the mel frequency cepstrum. The first method is feature compensation based on the affine transform and is used to map the features from the test scenario to the train scenario. The second method is feature fusion based on the arithmetic combination of probabilities generated by the vector quantizer classifier. The affine transform and fusion of four features gives the best identification success rate (ISR) of 83.2%. The best performing single feature achieves an ISR of 70.5% without the affine transform and 77.4% with the affine transform.
High-throughput analysis of 3D Schwann cell arrays for use in neural tissue engineering

These results demonstrate the use of a high resolution scanner for rapid screening of cellular responses (number and morphology) to 3D biomaterials for neural tissue engineering applications. Limited axonal re-growth through the injury site has been linked to poor Schwann cell (SC) migration and re-population [1]. An optimal biomaterial that promotes neurite outgrowth and SC migration may improve functionality [2]. In this work, a fluorescence flatbed scanner was used to rapidly assess cells in 3D, using SC as a model cell. Assay sensitivity to size, cell number, and material was examined using primary SCs cultured for 1–3days. The cultured arrays were fixed, immunostained, and scanned. Increased spot intensities on the scanned arrays were identified as ‘hits’, which were confirmed with traditional fluorescence microscopy. There were no differences in scanning for constructs 2–4mm. Significant differences were detected in cell number for 250–1000cells/µl. More subtle differences in cell spreading were detected below 1000cells/µl, confirmed by traditional fluorescence microscopy. Morphological differences were detected using the scanner between the two model biomaterials (collagen-Matrigel™ and collagen-only materials) These results demonstrate the feasibility of using a scanner to rapidly assess complex protein arrays to screen large libraries of biomaterials in 3D for use in tissue engineering.
Pornography Consumption, Education, and Support for Same-Sex Marriage Among Adult U.S. Males

Many consider same-sex marriage the civil rights issue of our time. Although support is on the rise, there are some Americans who oppose same-sex marriage. Heterosexual males are a demographic group particularly likely to oppose same-sex marriage. Mass media and education are often thought of as important agents of socialization in American culture. Pornography in particular is a platform often discussed in terms of its impact on males’ sexual attitudes. This study used nationally representative three-wave longitudinal data gathered from adult U.S. males to examine the over-time interplay between pornography consumption, education, and support for same-sex marriage. Support for same-sex marriage did not prospectively predict pornography consumption, but pornography consumption did prospectively predict support for same-sex marriage. Education was also positively associated with support for same-sex marriage. Scientific and social implications of these findings are discussed.
Approaches to Learning and Hispanic Children’s Math Scores: The Moderating Role of English Proficiency

Accumulating evidence suggests that children’s approaches to learning (ATL) at kindergarten entry predict their academic achievement years later. However, the gains associated with ATL may be dimin...
Micromagnetics of spin valve memory cells

This paper presents a systematic micromagnetic analysis on spin valve GMR memory elements. It is found that for submicron size spin valve elements, edge demagnetization field, arising from the pinned layer, results in significant magnetization curling at the end edges of the free layer. This edge demagnetization phenomenon yields significant degradation of device performance. It is proposed that by making the pinned film element slightly longer than the free layer so that the ends of the free and pinned layers are separated, the edge demagnetization in the free layer can be essentially eliminated.
ESCA study of oxidized wood surfaces

Results of a preliminary study of the surface of wood exposed to outdoor weathering as well as to UV irradiation showed that ESCA provides valuable information and insight into the manifestation of weathering and photooxidation. From the ESCA spectra, the increase in signal intensities of carbon-oxygen bonds and oxygen-carbon-oxygen bonds (or unsaturated carbon oxygen bond) and oxygen-to-carbon ratio, and the decrease in carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds of weathered and UV-irradiated wood surfaces suggested that wood surface was oxidized. Nevertheless, it was a superficial effect. Only a slow oxidation was observed at 100 ..mu..m under the exposed wood surfaces. From the oxygen-to-carbon ratio data, it revealed that weathered wood surface was rich in cellulose, poor in lignin. The leached-away degradation products from weathered wood surface accounted for the discrepancy between the ESCA line shapes of UV-irradiated and weathered wood surfaces.
Better reliability assessment and prediction through data clustering

This paper presents a new approach to software reliability modeling by grouping data into clusters of homogeneous failure intensities. This series of data clusters associated with different time segments can be directly used as a piecewise linear model for reliability assessment and problem identification, which can produce meaningful results early in the testing process. The dual model fits traditional software reliability growth models (SRGMs) to these grouped data to provide long-term reliability assessments and predictions. These models were evaluated in the testing of two large software systems from IBM. Compared with existing SRGMs fitted to raw data, our models are generally more stable over time and produce more consistent and accurate reliability assessments and predictions.
Adaptive Sampling using Non-linear EKF with Mobile Robotic Wireless Sensor Nodes

The use of robotics in distributed monitoring applications requires mobile wireless sensors that are deployed efficiently. Efficiency can be defined in multiple ways, such as in terms of the amount of energy expenditure, communication bandwidth or information content. A very important aspect of mobile sensor deployment includes sampling algorithms at location most likely to yield useful information about a field variable of interest. In this paper, we use inexpensive mobile robot nodes built in our lab (ARRI-Bots) as wireless sensor deployment agents, and we use them to demonstrate information efficient algorithms (e.g., "adaptive sampling"). Each mobile robot node is characterized by sensor measurement noise in addition to localization uncertainty. We use the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to derive quantitative information measures for sampling locations most likely to yield optimal information about the sampled field distribution. We present simulation and experimental results using this approach.
Historical Institutionalism in International Relations

This article reviews recent contributions to International Relations (IR) that engage the substantive concerns of historical institutionalism and explicitly and implicitly employ that tradition's analytical features to address fundamental questions in the study of international affairs. It explores the promise of this tradition for new research agendas in the study of international political development, including the origin of state preferences, the nature of governance gaps, and the nature of change and continuity in the international system. The article concludes that the analytical and substantive profiles of historical institutionalism can further disciplinary maturation in IR, and it proposes that the field be more open to the tripartite division of institutional theories found in other subfields of Political Science.
Analysis of non-photonic electrons in Cu + Cu collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200$ GeV

Heavy-flavor semileptonic decays are expected to dominate the spectrum of non-photonic electrons produced from collisions at the energies of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The non-photonic electron yield is suppressed by approximately a factor of 5 in central Au + Au events at \(\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200\) GeV relative to p+p events with the same collision energy. Most theoretical models predict less non-photonic-electron suppression than is observed experimentally. We present a preliminary measurement of the yield of non-photonic electrons in Cu + Cu events at \(\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200\) GeV, as well as the nuclear modification factor.
How crystals that sense and respond to their environments could evolve

An enduring mystery in biology is how a physical entity simple enough to have arisen spontaneously could have evolved into the complex life seen on Earth today. Cairns-Smith has proposed that life might have originated in clays which stored genomes consisting of an arrangement of crystal monomers that was replicated during growth. While a clay genome is simple enough to have conceivably arisen spontaneously, it is not obvious how it might have produced more complex forms as a result of evolution. Here, we examine this possibility in the tile assembly model, a generalized model of crystal growth that has been used to study the self-assembly of DNA tiles. We describe hypothetical crystals for which evolution of complex crystal sequences is driven by the scarceness of resources required for growth. We show how, under certain circumstances, crystal growth that performs computation can predict which resources are abundant. In such cases, crystals executing programs that make these predictions most accurately will grow fastest. Since crystals can perform universal computation, the complexity of computation that can be used to optimize growth is unbounded. To the extent that lessons derived from the tile assembly model might be applicable to mineral crystals, our results suggest that resource scarcity could conceivably have provided the evolutionary pressures necessary to produce complex clay genomes that sense and respond to changes in their environment.
How effective are compression codes for reducing test data volume

Run-length codes and their variants have recently been shown to be very effective for compressing system-on-a-chip (SOC) test data. In this paper, we analyze the Golomb code, the conventional run-length code and the FDR code for a binary memoryless data source, and compare the compression obtained in each case to fundamental entropy bounds. We show analytically that the FDR code outperforms both the conventional run-length code and the Golomb code for test resource partitioning (TRP) based on data compression. We also present a modified compression/decompression architecture for obtaining even higher compression. We demonstrate the effectiveness of these compression codes using the larger ISCAS-89 benchmark circuits and two representative circuits from industry. Finally, we show that the FDR code is almost as effective as Unix utilities gzip and compress, even though it uses a much simpler decompression algorithm.
Development of Synoptic-Scale Disturbances over the Summertime Tropical Northwest Pacific

Abstract This study addresses the origin of the synoptic-scale disturbances that occur in the tropical western North Pacific ocean (WP) region in Northern Hemisphere summer. These have been called “easterly waves” and“tropical depression–type” (TD) disturbances. This analysis uses the National Center for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis dataset. By performing a regression analysis on several terms in the vorticity equation at 850 hPa, it is shown that the TD disturbances propagate approximately as barotropic Rossby waves at 850 hPa. Given this, ray-tracing calculations and the wave activity diagnostic introduced by Plumb are used to show that wave accumulation is a promising candidate for the initial development mechanism of the TD disturbances. The expected local “growth rate” from this mechanism is simply the convergence of the group velocity, which reaches values corresponding to a growth timescale of 3 days. This convergence is dominated by, but somewhat lar...
A Unified Geometric Approach for Inverse Kinematics of a Spatial Chain with Spherical Joints

Conventionally, joint angles are used as parameters for a spatial chain with spherical joints, where they serve very well for the study of forward kinematics (FK). However, the inverse kinematics (IK) problem is very difficult to solve directly using these angular parameters, on which complex nonlinear loop closure constraints are imposed by required end effector configurations. In a recent paper, our newly developed anchored triangle parameters were presented and shown to be well suited for the study of IK problems in many broad classes of linkages. The focus of that paper was the parameterization of non-singular solutions; among many specific types of IK problems, only one, that of a spatial chain with spherical joints imposing 5 dimensional constraints, was developed in detail. Here we present a unified approach to the solutions of that and two other types of IK problems. The critical concepts in our approach - the geometric formulation in anchored triangle parameters, and the application of loop deformation spaces - are general for all IK problems, and especially useful for redundant systems. For the three IK problems addressed in this paper, we demonstrate convexity properties of the set of IK solutions. We also give detailed descriptions of the parameterization of singular deformations. Similar ideas apply readily to linkages involving multiple loops.
The interaction of thermally excited gravity waves with mean flows

Abstract It is shown that the thermal excitation of internal gravity waves in a semi-infinite atmosphere will lead to mean accelerations of the fluid within the region of excitation. While accelerations both in the direction of and opposite to the wave's phase speed are produced, the mean density weighted acceleration is opposite to the phase speed's direction. The mechanism involved is studied for a wide variety of cases, and explicitly applied to the examination of the mean flows resulting from thermal tides on Venus and the Earth. The procedure fox studying the nonlinear evolution of flows is developed for cases with and without damping, and the results are applied to a discussion of the evolution of the observed 4-day circulation on Venus.
An approximate band model for radiative transfer in semitransparent solids

Abstract A simplified model for the spectral refractive index and absorption coefficient of semitransparent solids is developed from solid state lattice vibrational theory. This model accurately predicts the total band absorptance and total internal emittance for long pathlengths and selected solids. Total band absorptance is shown to be proportional to the square root of the pathlength when the pathlength is large. Comparison to exact results for α-quartz and lithium fluoride demonstrates that the total radiative transfer properties are accurately predicted by the model when the pathlength exceeds one millimeter.
Public Policies and Economic Growth in the American States

It is often argued that democratic governments interfere with economic growth by attempting to satisfy electoral coalitions through the public policy process. Yet it is quite plausible that different public policies affect economic growth in very different ways, some encouraging growth and others promoting stagnation. This paper analyzes the relationship between state expenditure policies and subsequent economic growth during the period 1964-1984, concluding (1) that the overall size of the state public sector is not implicated in economic decline, and (2) that some policies, primarily welfare and health expenditures, are associated with decline, while others, particularly local expenditures, seem to promote growth.
Numerical Instability Resulting from Infrequent Calculation of Radiative Heating

Owing to its relative expense, radiative heating is often not calculated for every time step in numerical simulations of the atmosphere. This is justified when the radiation field evolves slowly in comparison to the atmospheric flow. However, when the effects of variable water vapor and clouds are taken into account, the radiation field can change rapidly, and the finite time between calls to the radiation scheme can introduce a destabilizing time lag. In the worst case, this lag gives rise to an exponential numerical instability with a growth rate proportional to the time interval between radiative calculations. In less drastic circumstances, in which the radiation would damp oscillations of the real system, numerical instability occurs when the time interval between calls to the radiation scheme exceeds a critical value that depends on the Doppler-shifted natural oscillation frequency and the radiative damping rate. It is shown that this type of instability occurs in a single-column model as well as in an idealized general circulation model. The critical frequency at which the radiative heating rate should be computed is found to depend on several factors, including the large-scale circulation and the model resolution. Several potential remedies are discussed.
Using information on unconstrained student demand to improve university course schedules

Abstract We examine how using information on unconstrained demand can improve operational decisions. Specifically, we examine the widespread problem of developing course schedules in not-for-profit university settings. We investigate the potential benefit of incorporating, into the scheduling process, information on the unconstrained demand of students for courses. Prior to this study, the status quo in our college, like that in a large proportion of university settings, was building the course schedule to avoid time conflicts between required courses and to minimize time conflicts between designated groups of courses, such as electives in a particular area. Compared to the status quo approach, we find that, based on three semester's worth of actual data, an approach that explicitly considers students’ course preferences improves a student-based metric of schedule quality on the order of over 4% (which is the equivalent, in our setting, of improving service for over 20% of students).
Computer-Controlled Analog-to-Digital Conversion

In experiment 5, digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversions were discussed, and several ADC’s were constructed. Although the individual characteristics of the different ADC’s varied, all of them utilized the same basic design features shown in the block diagram of Fig. 7–1. Of the three functions shown, the voltage-comparison and reference-voltage-generation functions are relatively easy to implement, while the controller is considerably more difficult. A comparison of Figs. 7–1 and 5–9 shows that the first two functions can be performed by a single chip each (the 710 comparator and the Datei DAC-9), while the remaining components are all necessary for the control function. It is clear that Fig. 5–9 could be simplified considerably if one single unit could be found, which would handle all the necessary control and logic operations. It is in precisely such control and decision-making functions that laboratory computers are particularly useful.
Recent Advances in Columbium Alloys

The status of columbium alloys is reviewed with respect to major applications, production, cost and selected properties. Alloys with low to moderate strength and good ductility and that are readily fabricable and weldable are commercially available. These alloys were the first of the columbium base alloys to receive serious consideration for use in components on actual flight systems. Emphasis in the development of new columbium alloys over the past several years has been directed toward the achievement of greater creep strength in the 2000°F to 2400°F temperature range and more recently, improved oxidation resistance in combination with varying levels of strength and ductility.
Responsible Regulation: A Sensible Cost-Benefit, Risk vs. Risk Approach to Federal Health and Safety Regulation

Federal health and safety regulations have saved or improved the lives of thousands of Americans, but protecting our citizens from risk entails significant costs. In a world of limited resources, we must spend our regulatory dollars responsibly in order to do the most we can with the money we have. Given the infeasibility of creating a risk-free society, this paper argues that a sensible cost-benefit, risk versus risk approach be taken in the design of U.S. regulatory oversight policy. The goal should always be to further the best interests of the nation, rather than to satisfy the narrow agenda of powerful industry or political forces. This entails designing safety regulations efficiently to maximize society's welfare, choosing the point where their marginal benefits equal their marginal costs - rather than simply asking whether total benefits exceed total costs in the aggregate. Federal regulatory oversight policy should also ask that proposed regulations compare the risks they reduce to the new risks they unintentionally create (substitution risks). Additionally, our citizens should be educated regarding systematic risk misperceptions, and regulatory agencies should make their risk assessments objectively. Moreover, most-likely scenarios must be addressed by responsible regulatory solutions, rather than the current practice of focusing on worst-case estimates. Finally, agencies should publish and justify their regulatory triggers and perform ex-post evaluations of their programs in an attempt to continuously improve the quality of regulatory design.Efforts by the executive branch, from Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan and Clinton, have attempted to inject similar common sense into the regulatory oversight process. Unfortunately, the Congressional mandates given to government agencies are often silent on the subject of cost-benefit analysis, and recent Supreme Court cases have held that regulatory agencies are not obligated to even consider the costs of their proposals. I will explore several legislative reform bills that are aimed at overriding Congressional mandates, but to date, none have been successful.Finally, this paper will address certain common criticisms to which a marginal cost benefit, risk-risk approach to responsible regulatory reform would be subject. Most notably, the measurement of costs and benefits is not an exact science, and using "willingness to pay" as a marker of individual and social utility has its limitations. Regulatory reform also faces challenges on moral grounds, as scholars openly decry the explicit tradeoff between human lives and financial resources. While these criticisms contain merit, this paper concludes that to ignore a sensible cost-benefit analysis of federal safety regulations is to divert resources from their most beneficial uses and to settle for second best. In a world of scarcity, we must make regulatory tradeoffs as efficiently as possible in order to do the greatest good for the greatest number, and to save the most lives we can. It would be unethical to do anything less.
Early mobilization of the icu patient: A nurse driven protocol

P in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) are at high risk for many immobility related complications such as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP), and pressure ulcers. Early mobilization in this population is the most effective way to decrease complications. In the ICU, we have developed a Progressive Mobility Protocol to ensure that our patients receive mobility interventions early in their admission. We have encouraged staff to take ownership of the project by engaging them in the mobilization decision making process. We have worked with our physicians to limit bed rest orders to patients with legitimate contraindications to progressive mobilization. The Progressive Mobility Protocol is initiated based on patient’s status and level of deconditioning. Mobility progresses from elevating the head of the bed to 45 degrees to walking independently, in 7 steps Progressive mobilization occurs 23 times per day unless patient meets exclusion criteria. One VAP can cost a hospital $25,072, or more if you factor in complications related to the infection. 22 patients acquired VAP during their stay in our unit in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 alone. This means 6.08 diagnosed cases of VAP per 1000 ventilator days; the national benchmark is 3.30. To measure the effectiveness of the protocol we evaluated ventilator days and VAP rates before and after initiation of project and reported data gathered. In FY 2011, post implementation, we had 5 diagnosed cases of VAP and 4 in FY 2012. Currently, in FY 2013, we only have 1 diagnosed case of VAP. Aimee L. Skrtich, Int J Phys Med Rehabil 2013, 1:6 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2329-9096.S1.004
Limiting State Involvement in Foreign Policy: The Governors and the National Guard in Perpich v. Defense

The National Guard is a largely successful intergovernmental institution in the United States. In September 1989, however, the governor of Minnesota asked the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down federal legislation that gives the Department of Defense authority to assign state National Guard units to active-duty overseas training without the consent of the governor. In Perpich (1990), the Supreme Court upheld the Montgomery Amendment allowing the president to order members of a state's Guard to active dutyfor training outside the United States even during peacetime without either the consent of the governor or the declaration of a national emergency. The Court did not address the fact that the president has ample authority under other statutesfor calling up the National Guard. The decision dealt only with the authorityfor calling Guard unitsfor two weeks of active-duty training. The practical effect of this interpretation of the militia clauses of the U.S. Constitution is to reduce the states' authority for training to, at best, a ministerialfunction, even when Guard units are called up by the secretary ofdefense only for the purpose of training.
Significance of antigenic differences among strains of influenza A virus in reinfection of ferrets.

SummaryFour to 10 weeks following an initial infection with influenza A virus, ferrets were found to be immune to clinical reinfection with that same strain of virus but were susceptible to reinfection with a strain of virus which was antigenically related to but different from the strain used for the original infection.
Sudan Stain of Fecal Fat; New Insight Into an Old Test

The 72-h fecal fat determination is used as the gold standard to document the presence of steatorrhea. Although the Sudan stain for fecal fat is advocated as a sensitive screening test, a quantitative correlation between the 72-h fecal fat quantitation and the fecal Sudan stain is lacking. This study was designed to examine the staining properties of different classes of purified lipids in an experimentally defined artificial matrix, and to elucidate the reasons for the lack of quantitative correlation between these two tests. Our results indicate that the "neutral fat" stain without acidification or heating identifies triglyceride; and at an appropriate pH, the "neutral stain" also identifies fatty acid. The "split fat" stain with acidification and heating identifies both triglyceride and fatty acid. After acidification, fatty acid soaps are converted to the nonionized fatty acid. Thus, fatty acid soaps can be identified indirectly as fat droplets that are stained by the split fat stain. Although cholesterol is stained with Sudan stain after heating, upon cooling, cholesterol forms crystals of anhydrous cholesterol, making its staining pattern distinct. Neither the neutral fat nor the split fat stain can detect phospholipid or cholesteryl ester. The 72-h fecal fat determination is a measure of the total fatty acid content after a specimen is saponified. The resulting fatty acids are derived from a variety of endogenous and exogenous sources, including free fatty acids, soaps of fatty acids, triglycerides, cholesterol esters, and phospholipids. Therefore, the 72-h fecal fat quantitation does not differentiate between the primary sources of the measured fatty acid. It is concluded that the 72-h fecal fat determination is not specific for documenting triglyceride (fat) malabsorption. Until new methods are developed that specifically measure fecal triglyceride and fatty acid, the Sudan stain of fecal fat appears to be a more specific method for detecting the presence of triglyceride and fatty acid in a matrix.
Vibroarthography of the Knee Joint: A Comprehensive Gui-Based Analysis of Soft Tissue Damage

Introduction The low-cost, no-harm conditions associated with vibroarthography, the study of listening to the vibrations and sound patterns of interaction at the human joints, has made this method a promising tool for diagnosing joint pathologies. This current study focuses on the knee joint and aims to synchronize computational models with vibroarthographic signals via a comprehensive graphical user interface (GUI) to find correlations between kinematics, vibration signals, and joint pathologies. This GUI is the first of its kind to synchronize computational models with vibroarthographic signals and gives researchers a new advantage of analyzing kinematics, vibration signals, and pathologies simultaneously in an easy-to-use software environment. Methods The GUI (Figure 1) has the option to view live or previously captured fluoroscopic videos, the corresponding computational model, and/or the pre- or post-processed vibration signals. Having more than one signal axes available allows for comparison of different filtering techniques to the same signal, or comparison of signals coming from different sensor placements (ex: medial vs. lateral femoral condyle). Using computational models derived using fluoroscopic data synchronized with the vibration signals, the areas of contact between articulating surfaces can be mapped for the in vivo signal (figure 2). This new method gives the opportunity to find correlations between the different sensor signals and contact maps with the diagnosis and cartilage degeneration map, provided by a surgeon, during arthroscopy or TKA implantation (figure 3). Results Using previously captured data and newly acquired data for subjects from research studies, several different knee pathologies have been analyzed. The signals were listened to audibly after being processed to add a qualitative side. Sounds coming from knees with pathologies revealed noticeable differences compared to the healthy subjects, and the quantitative analysis further supported our hypothesis (>96% accuracy classification patella arthritic subjects vs. healthy). Discussion Ideally, transitioning towards real-time kinematic tracking with signal acquisition allows for diagnostic screening tools of the knee joint that will provide feedback of cartilage damage maps as well as potential meniscal or ligament injuries. The method used in this study is multi-faceted in that it allows the subject to perform various daily weight or non-weight bearing activities at his/her own speed which makes it easier to use than if the subject had to be in a very controlled environment.
Social Cognition, Child Neglect, and Child Injury Risk: The Contribution of Maternal Social Information Processing to Maladaptive Injury Prevention Beliefs Within a High-Risk Sample

OBJECTIVE: Inadequate supervision has been linked to children's injuries. Parental injury prevention beliefs may play a role in supervision, yet little theory has examined the origins of such beliefs. This study examined whether mothers who perpetrated child neglect, who as a group provide inadequate supervision, have more maladaptive beliefs. Then, it tested a social information processing (SIP) model for explaining these beliefs. METHODS: SIP and injury prevention beliefs were assessed in disadvantaged mothers of preschoolers (N = 145), half with child neglect histories. RESULTS: The neglect group exhibited significantly more maladaptive injury prevention beliefs than comparisons. As predicted, SIP was linked to beliefs that may increase injury risk, even after accounting for relevant sociodemographic variables. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the link of beliefs to injury risk and suggest that specific cognitive problems may underlie these beliefs. Future work should further validate this model, which may inform enhancements to prevention efforts.© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected]/* */ Language: en
Continuous-Parameter Martingales

The second part of this book starts with a continuous-parameter extension of the discrete-parameter theory of Chapter 1. Our use of the term “extension” is quite misleading. Indeed, we will quickly find that in order to carry out these “extensions,” one needs a good understanding of the regularity of the sample functions of multiparameter stochastic processes; this will require a great effort. However, we will be rewarded for our hard work, since it will lead to a successful continuous-parameter theory that, in many ways, probes much more deeply than its discrete-parameter counterpart. Moreover, this theory lies at the foundations of nearly all of the random fields that arise throughout the rest of this book and a great deal more. Viewed as such, this chapter is simply indispensable for those who wish to read on.
Standard Glenoid Replacement

Total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) remains a popular and reliable treatment alternative for severe arthritis of the shoulder. Proper glenoid component placement is critical to the long-term success of TSA. Improvements in preoperative surgical planning, intraoperative instrumentation, surgical technique, and implant designs have all helped to improve the ability to properly and securely implant a glenoid component in the optimal position. Modern imaging has helped to gain a better appreciation of variations in patient anatomy including glenoid shape, height, width, inclination, version, subluxation, subchondral bone density, and anticipation of how to reconstruct more normal joint relationships. Collectively, the ability to anticipate variations in glenoid anatomy, define a surgical plan, and accurately implement this plan when performing TSA will likely improve long-term success.
Myocarditis and Sudden Cardiac Death in the Young

A 15-year-old male presented clinically with myocarditis. At follow-up, a 12-lead ECG (Figure 1A) and chest x-ray were performed (Figure 1B). Echocardiography was reported to show at least mildly impaired left ventricular function, and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) demonstrated a severely dilated impaired left ventricle (end-diastolic volume index, 160 mL/m2; ejection fraction, 42%), normal proximal coronary arteries, and a pattern of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) which indicated extensive myocardial scarring as a result of myocarditis (Figure 2). The patient remained asymptomatic. Unfortunately, he died suddenly 2 years later. The post mortem distribution of scarring was concordant with the in vivo CMR LGE findings. Figure 1. A, 12 lead ECG demonstrates sinus arrhythmia with a single junctional beat and normal axis. Peaked T waves of uncertain significance are noted. B, Chest x-ray showed a cardiothoracic ratio of 0.47. Figure 2. The 12-panel figure shows echocardiographic images in the left column (from top to bottom) in parasternal long-axis, basal short-axis, mid short-axis, and apical short-axis orientations. Cine CMR images in corresponding planes are shown in the middle column with late gadolinium imaging in the right column. Of note, the cine CMR images clearly show thinning …
The stress polarity pathway: AMPK 'GIV'-es protection against metabolic insults

Loss of cell polarity impairs organ development and function; it can also serve as one of the first triggers for oncogenesis. In 2006-2007 two groups simultaneously reported the existence of a special pathway for maintaining epithelial polarity in the face of environmental stressors. In this pathway, AMPK, a key sensor of metabolic stress stabilizes tight junctions, preserves cell polarity, and thereby, maintains epithelial barrier functions. Accumulating evidence since has shown that pharmacologic activation of AMPK by Metformin protects the epithelial barrier against multiple environmental and pathological stressful states and suppresses tumorigenesis. How AMPK protects the epithelium remained unknown until recently Aznar et al. identified GIV/Girdin as a novel effector of AMPK at the cell-cell junctions; phosphorylation of GIV at a single site by AMPK appears to be both necessary and sufficient for strengthening tight junctions and preserving cell polarity and epithelial barrier function in the face of energetic stress. Here we review the fundamentals of this specialized signaling pathway that buttresses cell-cell junctions against stress-induced collapse and discuss its pathophysiologic relevance in the context of a variety of diseases, including cancers, diabetes, aging, and the growing list of beneficial effects of the AMPK-activator, Metformin.