cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Artificial Intelligence Integration in Cloud-based Real-time Data Quality Assurance for Multi-Institutional Clinical Trials

1280 Objectives: To introduce why, what and how to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) approaches into cloud-based data quality assurance (QA) for multi-institutional imaging clinical trials to advance the workflow and turnaround time for QA feedback. To integrate AI technology into the next generation workflow for the NCI NCTN Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core (IROC) that we serve. Methods: Over 10 years of multi-institutional medical imaging clinical trial data at IROC Ohio (previous CALGB/Alliance/SWOG Imaging Corelab) are being used to develop and train AI approaches. Dedicated medical imaging and protocol driven QC requirements were structured into algorithms. Imaging modality adapted QC programs were developed using in-house software tools. Subsequently, a new concept of virtualized, cloud and machine deep learning based AI driven QA methodology was introduced to leverage the extensive computational capabilities of today’s virtualized environments to enable automatization for real time DICOM header and image based QA assessment and reporting. Results: QA data and process workflow from 12 imaging clinical trials with different nuclear medicine and PET / CT imaging modalities and different imaging protocols were utilized and summarized. A protocol adaptive QA matrix methodology was demonstrated and combined with the previously established QA heatmapping data compliance approach (green (within range), yellow (beyond range but acceptable) and red (out of range, not acceptable). Using predefined master templates consisting of different QA modules enabled a flexible adjustment and management of protocol requirements. The need of an imaging QA designer became apparent who would implement the adaptive QA matrix for a specific trial, validate the performance of the AI based protocol QA implementation and on-going review potential learning based add-on implementations during live clinical trials. The AI driven, adaptive QA workflow could substantial improve QA accuracy and turnaround time to real time by reducing user effort and enabling direct feedback to performing sites and trial management, however also requires new expertise in designing and overseeing the AI driven workflow. Conclusions: Introducing AI based QA processes based on deep learning of prior clinical trials appears to be a feasible approach to advance QA performance in multi-institutional clinical trials. However, new processes and skills are required to implement an AI driven QA approach for a specific trial. Our current observation is that AI and big data driven approaches will be able to even further improve QA performance and turnaround times, but may require equivalent or even more staffing effort in setup and maintenance making it more practical for larger trials.
An exploration of child welfare caseworkers' experience of secondary trauma and strategies for coping.

Abstract Background The use of coping strategies can protect against the detrimental effects of many work-related stressors. Given the stressful nature of casework with traumatized children and families, there is a need to better understand how to prevent the experience of secondary trauma. Objective The goal of this study is to examine child welfare caseworkers’ experience of secondary traumatic stress (STS) and the extent to which coping strategies act as a buffer. Participants and Setting This study utilizes both cross-sectional (N = 1968 at baseline) and longitudinal (N = 653 at 3-year follow-up) data from child welfare caseworkers in three states. Methods Participants were recruited as part of a larger workforce study and invited to complete an online survey. Results Results indicated relatively high levels of secondary trauma, with 29.6 % of caseworkers scoring in the “severe” range. Caseworkers’ experience of STS was positively associated with burnout and negatively associated with organizational support and coping. Those who utilized coping strategies reported fewer symptoms of secondary traumatic stress both concurrently and three years later. Of the 15 coping strategies explored, the more proficient copers were most likely to have a clear self-care plan, participate in activities or hobbies, and have a work-to-home transition plan. Conclusions Study results point to the importance of developing a self-care plan and having organizational supports that help protect child welfare caseworkers from the negative effects of secondary trauma exposure, both concurrently and over time.
Diversionary Behavior for Weak States: A Case Study of Taiwan:

This paper explores the mechanisms and circumstances under which leaders in weak states adopt diversionary behavior to deal with domestic problems. We examine the case of Taiwan to see if its Presi...
A simplified preoperative risk assessment tool as a predictor of complications in the surgical management of forearm fractures.

Abstract Purpose Frailty is a well-known predictor of adverse postoperative outcomes and is often considered in the preoperative planning stage of surgery. In recent years, the modified frailty index (mFI), a novel metric used to quantify frailty, has become increasingly used in the orthopedic literature as a risk assessment tool. In this study, we analyze the utility of the mFI in predicting unplanned repeat operations and morbidity in the surgical treatment forearm fractures. Methods We used the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program 2006–2014 dataset to identify patients undergoing open fixation of forearm fractures. The mFI was calculated based on 5 possible comorbid conditions. Demographic and predictor variables were analyzed for associations with each outcome. In order to assess frailty in both the general and elderly population, two analyses were completed: one for the entire population and one for a population of age 65 or older. The primary outcome of interest was unplanned repeat operation. Secondary outcomes included discharge destination and major post-operative complications. Chi square and logistic regression analyses were used to identify associations. Results A total of 4641 patients were included in our final analysis. There was a higher prevalence of females and patients between the ages of 61 and 80 compared to other age groups. An mFI score ≥2 was a positively associated with unplanned repeat operation in the general population. An mFI score ≥2 was also positively associated with a discharge destination other than home and major post-operative complications. In the elderly population, mFI ≥2 was similarly associated with a discharge destination other than the patient’s home. Conclusions Patients undergoing open treatment of forearm fractures were at an increased likelihood of having an unplanned repeat operation and having major complications as frailty score increased, demonstrating that the mFI may be clinically applicable risk assessment tool for these patients.
Topography and motion of the acid-sensing ion channel intracellular domains

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are trimeric cation-selective channels activated by decreases in extracellular pH. The intracellular N and C terminal tails of ASIC1 influence channel gating, trafficking, and signaling in ischemic cell death. Despite several x-ray and cryo-EM structures of the extracellular and transmembrane segments of ASIC1, these important intracellular tails remain unresolved. Here we describe the coarse topography of the cASIC1 intracellular domains determined by FRET, measured using either fluorescent lifetime imaging or patch clamp fluorometry. We find the C terminal tail projects into the cytosol by approximately 35 angstroms and that the N and proximal segment of the C tail from the same subunits are closer than adjacent subunits. Using pH-insensitive fluorescent proteins, we fail to detect any relative movement between the N and C tails upon extracellular acidification but do observe axial motions of the membrane proximal segments towards the plasma membrane. Taken together, our study furnishes a coarse topographic map of the ASIC intracellular domains while providing directionality and context to intracellular conformational changes induced by extracellular acidification.
60558 Non-Suicidal Self Injury in Military Veterans with PTSD: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

ABSTRACT IMPACT: This study will help determine whether ecological momentary assessment is feasible in assessing changes in negative affect and the occurrence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in military Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder; if so it will allow for further examination of correlates of NSSI which will inform treatment efforts. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Given the advantages of ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and the lack of research on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in military populations, the goal of the current pilot study is to determine the feasibility of using EMA to assess daily changes in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, negative affect and NSSI in veterans with PTSD. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Twenty military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who have engaged in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in the previous 12 months will be recruited. Participants will complete assessments 4 times per day for 28 days at randomly scheduled times. Assessments will measure PTSD symptoms, negative emotions, and NSSI urges and behaviors. At the conclusion of the 28-day study period, participants will complete measures that ask about their experiences in the study, (e.g., the acceptability of the daily surveys and the accessibility of the web-based surveys). Feasibility will be determined with regard to the success of recruiting eligible participants and compliance with daily survey completion. Variability in PTSD symptoms, negative affect, and NSSI urges and behaviors also will be determined. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: It is anticipated that this study will successfully recruit 20 veterans with PTSD with a history of engaging in NSSI within the previous 12 months. It is also anticipated that daily survey completion rates will be approximately 90% based on previous research using EMA with veterans with PTSD and that participants will indicate satisfaction with the procedures of the study. It is anticipated that participants will demonstrate variability in PTSD symptoms, indicated by changes in the number of symptoms endorsed and the intensity of those symptoms experienced. Finally, it is anticipated that participants will demonstrate variability in negative emotions (fear, hostility, guilt, and sadness). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: Findings from this study will support the use of EMA in a subsequent large-scale investigation examining time-varying symptoms of PTSD and negative affect as antecedents to NSSI. Information from this large-scale study will in turn be used to inform treatments that may to decrease NSSI in veterans by targeting specific symptoms and negative emotions.
Visual Indicators for Monitoring Students in a VR class

Remote classes using VR technology are gaining recognition when in-person meetings are difficult or risky. We designed an immersive VR interface with several visual cues to support teacher awareness of students and their actions, attention, and temperament in a social VR environment. This interface keeps relevant information about students within the teacher’s visual field of attention and has options to reduce the amount of information presented. Pilot study participants preferred to see all student indicators in one place and suggested we minimize the amount of information displayed to focus on the most urgent students.
Multiparametric MRI assessment of response to convection-enhanced intratumoral delivery of MDNA55, an interleukin-4 receptor targeted immunotherapy, for recurrent glioblastoma.

Background Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor and carries a dismal prognosis. Attempts to develop biologically targeted therapies are challenging as the blood-brain barrier can limit drugs from reaching their target when administered through conventional (intravenous or oral) routes. Furthermore, systemic toxicity of drugs often limits their therapeutic potential. To circumvent these problems, convection-enhanced delivery (CED) provides direct, targeted, intralesional therapy with a secondary objective to alter the tumor microenvironment from an immunologically "cold" (nonresponsive) to an "inflamed" (immunoresponsive) tumor. Case Description We report a patient with right occipital recurrent GBM harboring poor prognostic genotypes who was treated with MRI-guided CED of a fusion protein MDNA55 (a targeted toxin directed toward the interleukin-4 receptor). The patient underwent serial anatomical, diffusion, and perfusion MRI scans before initiation of targeted therapy and at 1, 3-month posttherapy. Increased mean diffusivity along with decreased fractional anisotropy and maximum relative cerebral blood volume was noted at follow-up periods relative to baseline. Conclusion Our findings suggest that diffusion and perfusion MRI techniques may be useful in evaluating early response to CED of MDNA55 in recurrent GBM patients.
Studies of the Bacillus-Calmette-Guérin strain of the Tubercle bacillus

Abstract The pathogenicity of B.C.G. depends very largely upon environment. When grown on a bile-glycerine-potato medium it is relatively innocuous even when given in large doses. When its environment is changed to a Sauton-normal-rabbit-serum medium and the organism continuously cultured on this medium for a short period it becomes very virulent.
Money and output in Latin America: Some tests of a rational expectations approach

Abstract This paper deals with the relationship between money and output in sixteen Latin American countries. Making use of the framework of analysis elaborated by Robert Barro for the United States, three closely interrelated hypotheses are tested: (1) that the growth of the money supply is predictable in that it differs from a random walk with trend; (2) that only the part of money growth which is not predicted will affect real output in the short run; and (3) that, as Lucas has argued, the slope of the Phillips curve is smaller in size for countries where money and prices are less predictable.
Macaulay, Macneil e a descoberta da solidariedade e do poder no direito contratual

THIS PAPER IS AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WORK OF STEWART MACAULAY AND IAN MACNEIL AND A EVALUATION OF THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE THEORY OF CONTRACTS. ITS CENTRAL OBJECTIVE IS TO SHOW THAT THE RELATIONAL APPROACH TO CONTRACTS AIMS TO CHANGE THE FOUNDATIONS OF CONTRACT THEORY. IT IS NOT THE THEORY OF A PARTICULAR TYPE OF CONTRACT – THE RELATIONAL ONE - AS SOME AUTHORS IN BRAZIL INTERPRET IT, BUT AN EFFORT TO REFORM THE THEORETICAL BASIS OF THE STUDY OF CONTRACTS.
Die künftige generation: Helene Stöcker's future (from Malthus to Nietzsche)

An avid reader of Nietzsche, the German radical feminist Helene Stocker referred m 1893 to the Verfruhung of the modern woman, her prematurity. She used references to Mill, Bebel, Darwin, Galton, and Nietzsche among others to develop a concept of women's untimely modernity. This paper considers how a number of concepts of time, transformation, biological futurity, and putative agency over nature became, for Stocker, the basis for a feminist claim to autonomy, agency, and reproductive rights. The paper goes on to ask how some of these concepts and their context could also have provided the implicit resources to resist their conversion by Stocker.
Generation of Large-Scale Winds in Horizontally Anisotropic Convection.

We simulate three-dimensional, horizontally periodic Rayleigh-Benard convection, confined between free-slip horizontal plates and rotating about a distant horizontal axis. When both the temperature difference between the plates and the rotation rate are sufficiently large, a strong horizontal wind is generated that is perpendicular to both the rotation vector and the gravity vector. The wind is turbulent, large-scale, and vertically sheared. Horizontal anisotropy, engendered here by rotation, appears necessary for such wind generation. Most of the kinetic energy of the flow resides in the wind, and the vertical turbulent heat flux is much lower on average than when there is no wind.
Narrative Elaboration and Participation: Two Dimensions of Maternal Elicitation Style

This study investigated the narrative scaffolding styles of Spanish-speaking and English-speaking mothers as they engaged their preschool-aged children in family reminiscing and book sharing interactions. Specifically, the study examined the dimensions of narrative elaboration and participation in mothers’ scaffolding styles across the 2 narrative tasks. Cluster analyses identified 2 styles of maternal scaffolding for each context, differing in the degree to which mothers elaborated, the manner in which they did so, and the extent to which they encouraged child participation. Findings highlight the importance of both narrative elaboration and narrative participation as defining dimensions of maternal scaffolding styles. Results are discussed in relation to variations in socialization practices and the role these practices might play in children’s development.
Contour Enhancement, Short Term Memory, and Constancies in Reverberating Neural Networks

This article is the first of a series to globally analyse competitive dynamical systems. The article suggests that competition solves a sensitivity problem that confronts all cellular systems: the noise-saturation dilemma. Low energy input patterns can be registered poorly by cells due to their internal noise. High energy input patterns can be registered poorly by cells because their sensitivity approaches zero when all their sites are turned on. How do cells balance between the two equally deadly, but complementary, extremes of noise and saturation? How do cells achieve a Golden Mean?
Risk Taking in Late Adolescence: Relations Between Sociomoral Reasoning, Risk Stance, and Behavior

This study explored relations among late adolescents' sociomoral reasoning about risk taking, risk stance, and behavior. One-hundred and thirty-two participants (18–20-year-olds) were surveyed about their own risk stance (Avoidant, Opportunistic, Curious, Risk Seeking) and behavior in three realms (Alcohol Use, Drug Use, Reckless Driving), and sociomoral reasoning about hypothetical risk taking in a baseline scenario with no social domain information and a final scenario that highlighted the moral (i.e., harmful consequences for others), conventional (i.e., sociolegal consequences), personal (i.e., personal prerogative), and prudential (i.e., harmful consequences for self) domains bearing on risk taking. The complex relations among sociomoral reasoning about risk taking, risk stance, and behavior are discussed in terms of social domain theory and dual-process theories of risk taking.
Influence of a Liquid Diet and Meal Pattern on Body Weight and Body Fat in Rats

Rats weighing 110 to 150 g or 250 g initially were utilized in five experiments to determine the effect of the form of the diet (dry versus liquid) and the pattern of feeding (meal-feeding, force-feeding, nibbling, or ad libitum) on body weight gain and on body fat. A high-carbohydrate, 20% casein or 20% lactalbumin diet was fed for 4 to 8 weeks. Consumption of a diet mixed with an equal weight of water increased weight gain in one of three experiments. Body fat content of the rats was not influenced by addition of water to the diet. Neither force-feeding nor meal-feeding influenced body fat gain provided the respective control rats were pair-fed during the initial adaptation period. Likewise, when rats were pair force-fed to ad libitum fed rats without an initial adaptation meal frequency did not influence body fat gain. When meal-fed rats were switched to ad libitum intake their food intake increased to equal that of rats which had been continuously fed ad libitum; however, the rats which had been switched gained more body fat than did rats continuously fed ad libitum. These results suggest that meal frequency may have a minimal influence on body fat accumulation, but that a shift to a higher level of food intake may cause an increased food efficiency and greater rate of fat deposition than in rats continuously fed the higher level of intake.
Biochemical studies of isolated mitochondria from normal and diseased tissues

Isolated mitochondria have served as useful tools for identifying the site(s) of impairment associated with respiratory chain-linked oxidative phosphorylation at the molecular level. Over the last three decades, a number of diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunction have been identified. The literature is large and diverse. This paper presents a brief survey of the current state of knowledge concerning biochemical studies of mitochondrial diseases associated with skeletal muscle, such as mitochondrial myopathies and, with brain injury such as that induced by ischemia/reperfusion. Various mitochondrial preparations and assay conditions are evaluated. The importance of fresh tissue for the isolation of tightly coupled mitochondria and the selection of suitable assay conditions for characterization have been demonstrated. Appropriate methodologies for isolation and characterization of tightly coupled mitochondria from both skeletal muscle and brain are presented.
The use of shock-structure methods for evaluating high-pressure material properties

Abstract On the occasion of the Distinguished Scientist Award presentation made at the 1994 Hypervelocity Impact Symposium, the capabilities for using time-resolved wave structure measurements to explore a wide range of dynamic material response were discussed. The presentation provided a brief summary of the status of high velocity launchers and modern diagnostics for studying a wide range of dynamic material properties, a summary of research on the high-pressure strength properties of shock materials, results of shock-induced dynamic phase changes including polymorphic, melting and vaporization and thoughts about the future of shock compression science. The following discussion covers the overall presentation given at the Symposium.
The ternary subsystem Sn-Sn4As3-SnTe

Thermal analysis, metallographic, and X-ray procedures were used to investigate the Sn-Sn4As3-SnTe subsystem of the ternary system tin-arsenic-tellurium. The subsystem is of the simple eutectic type with no ternary compound formation. A binary eutectic valley runs across the diagram from the Sn4As3-SnTe binary eutectic at 576.5°C to a ternary eutectic which is indistinguishable from the Sn4As3-Sn binary eutectic at 231.3°C with 0.5 wt % Sn4As3 and 99.5% Sn. More than 90% of the compositional area is dominated by the primary freezing of an SnTe-rich phase, and an Sn4As3-rich phase is the first to crystallise from the melt over most of the remaining area. Terminal solid solutions are very restricted.
Magnetic properties of vermiculite intercalation compounds.

The magnetic properties of vermiculite (V) intercalated with 3d-transition-metal ions (${\mathrm{Mn}}^{2+}$, ${\mathrm{Co}}^{2+}$, ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{2+}$, and ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{2+}$) as interlayer cations have been studied by measuring the dc magnetic susceptibilities of these compounds. The Land\'e g factors of the magnetic ions in V with and without water molecules coexisting in the gallery have been analyzed by using crystal-field theory. A substantial decrease in the crystal-field strength has been observed when water is removed from the gallery. ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{2+\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$V and ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{2+\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$V are found to be paramagnetic for temperatures down to 2 K regardless of the hydration conditions. Dehydrated ${\mathrm{Co}}^{2+\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$V and ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{2+\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$V show signatures of an antiferromagnetic phase transition at a few degrees Kelvin (\ensuremath{\sim}5 and \ensuremath{\sim}3 K, respectively), whereas they do not exhibit any magnetic ordering while water is present in the gallery.
Combinatorial initiated CVD for polymeric thin films

A new combinatorial initiated (i)CVD system is fabricated and used to efficiently determine the deposition kinetics for two new polymeric thin films, poly(diethylaminoethylacrylate) (PDEAEA) and poly(dimethylaminomethylstyrene) (PDMAMS). The results of combinatorial depositions are compared to blanket iCVD under identical conditions using the appropriate vinyl monomer with tert-amylperoxide as the initiator. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) reveals similar chemical structure in blanket and combinatorial films. FTIR also shows that functional groups are retained in iCVD of PDMAMS, whereas essentially all fine chemical structure of the material is destroyed in plasma-enhanced (PE)CVD. The maximum observed growth rates of PDEAEA and PDMAMS were 43 and 11 nm min -1 , respectively. The activation energy of growth with respect to filament temperature (E a,filament ) was 88.4±1.6 kJ mol -1 for PDEAEA and 42.0±1.7 kJ mol -1 for PDMAMS. Activation energies for growth with respect to substrate temperature (E a,substrate ) are -59.5±2.7 kJ mol -1 for PDEADA and - 82.7±2.6 kJ mol -1 for PDMAMS, with the negative values consistent with adsorption-limited kinetics. The molecular weight of PDEAEA films ranges from 1 to 182 kDa as a function of substrate temperature. It is found that in all cases the combinatorial system agreed (within experimental uncertainty) with results of blanket iCVD, thus validating the use of the combinatorial system for future iCVD studies.
Growth, metastasis, and invasiveness of Drosophila tumors caused by mutations in specific tumor suppressor genes

More than 50 genes have been identified in Drosophila by loss-of-function mutations that lead to overgrowth of specific tissues. Loss-of-function mutations in the lethal giant larvae, discs large, or brain tumor genes cause neoplastic overgrowth of larval brains and imaginal discs. In the present study, the growth and metastatic potential of tumors resulting from mutations in these genes were quantified. Overgrown brains and imaginal discs were transplanted into adults and β-galactosidase accumulation was used as a marker to identify donor cells. Mutations in these three genes generated tumors with similar metastatic patterns. For brain tumors, the metastatic index (a measure we defined as the fraction of hosts that acquired secondary tumors normalized for the amount of primary tumor growth) of each of the three mutants was similar. Analysis of cell proliferation in mutant brains suggests that the tumors arise from a population of several hundred cells which represent only 1–2% of the cells in third instar larval brains. For imaginal disc tumors from lethal giant larvae and brain tumor mutants, it is shown for the first time that they can be metastatic and invasive. Primary imaginal disc tumors from lethal giant larvae and brain tumor mutants formed secondary tumors in 43 and 53% of the hosts, respectively, although the secondary tumors were, in general, smaller than the secondary tumors derived from primary brain tumors.
Direct Visualization of DNA Dynamics During the Telomerase Catalytic Cycle Reveals the Function of a Conserved Telomerase Domain

Telomerase is an enzyme that maintains the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes and is important to our understanding of both aging and cancer. The telomerase catalytic core contains both a conserved protein subunit known as telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), and a conserved RNA known as telomerase RNA (TER). Telomerase recognizes its DNA substrate by base-complementarity with a region of TER, and extends the DNA using TERT's reverse transcriptase activity. Structural, functional, and kinetic studies of telomerase have been limited by its poor expression in vivo and in heterologous systems, as well as its structural heterogeneity. For this reason, this is an ideal system to study at the single molecule level, as single molecule assays do not require large amounts of material and can parse out different sub-populations of molecules. Our lab has developed a single-molecule Forster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) assay in order to monitor structural changes in the telomerase enzyme during its activity. We have used this assay in combination with several telomerase mutants to conduct structural and mechanistic studies of telomerase function. Our results demonstrate that a conserved telomerase N-terminal domain (TEN domain) stabilizes duplex formation between telomerase RNA and its DNA substrate. This TEN domain functions by altering the equilibrium between the duplex (active) state and a previously unknown alternative (inactive) binding conformation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that mutants that stabilize the alternative conformation have severe defects in telomerase activity. The discovery of this inactive alternative state suggests that stabilizing this conformation could be a useful of target of telomerase inhibitors for future cancer treatment.
Designing the Optimal Pricing Policy for Aggregators in the Smart Grid

The real-time pricing policy can incentivize the electricity users to dynamically change or shift their electricity consumption, thereby improving reliability of the grid. In the smart grid infrastructure, aggregators between the electricity suppliers and users control the users' electricity consumption by dynamically setting electricity price. This work aims at maximizing the overall profit of an aggregator in a billing period by designing a real-time pricing policy. The aggregator pre-announces a pricing policy for an entire billing period, then in each time interval of the billing period, the electricity users (i.e., both residential and EV users) try to maximize their own utility functions based on the pricing model in the current time interval and the awareness of the other users' behaviors. We first formulate a nested two-stage game between the aggregator and the users for each time interval in a billing period, in which the sub game perfect equilibrium can be found. Then, based on backward induction, a dynamic programming algorithm is presented to derive the optimal real-time pricing policy for maximizing the aggregator's overall profit. Different from other works, a battery energy storage system (BESS) is integrated with the aggregator to buffer the mismatch between supply and demand and to improve reliability of the grid. More importantly, this work derives the optimal pricing policy for an aggregator from a global point of view, taking into account the BESS energy state variation in a billing period. Simulation results show that the optimal pricing policy can achieve up to 24.3% improvement on the aggregator's overall profit.
Three new mussel tissue standard reference materials (SRMs) for the determination of organic contaminants.

Three new mussel tissue standard reference materials (SRMs) have been developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the determination of the concentrations of organic contaminants. The most recently prepared material, SRM 1974b, is a fresh frozen tissue homogenate prepared from mussels (Mytilus edulis) collected in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. The other two materials, SRMs 2977 and 2978, are freeze-dried tissue homogenates prepared from mussels collected in Guanabara Bay, Brazil and Raritan Bay, New Jersey, respectively. All three new mussel tissue SRMs complement the current suite of marine natural-matrix SRMs available from NIST that are characterized for a wide range of contaminants (organic and inorganic). SRM 1974b has been developed to replace its predecessor SRM 1974a, Organics in Mussel Tissue, for which the supply is depleted. Similarly, SRMs 2977 and 2978 were developed to replace a previously available (supply depleted) freeze-dried version of SRM 1974a, SRM 2974, Organics in Freeze-Dried Mussel Tissue. SRM 1974b is the third in a series of fresh frozen mussel tissue homogenate SRMs prepared from mussels collected in Boston Harbor starting in 1988. SRM 1974b has certified concentration values for 22 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 31 polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCBs), and 7 chlorinated pesticides. Reference values are provided for additional constituents: 16 PAHs, 8 PCBs plus total PCBs, 6 pesticides, total extractable organics, methylmercury, and 11 trace elements. PAH concentrations range from about 2 ng g−1 dry mass (cyclopenta[cd]pyrene) to 180 ng g−1 dry mass (pyrene). PCB concentrations range from about 2 ng g−1 dry mass (PCB 157) to 120 ng g−1 dry mass (PCB 153). The reference value for total PCBs in SRM 1974b is (2020 ± 420) ng g−1 dry mass. Pesticide concentrations range from about 4 ng g−1 dry mass (4,4′-DDT) to 40 ng g−1 dry mass (4,4′-DDE). SRM 2977 has certified values for 14 PAHs, 25 PCB congeners, 7 pesticides, 6 trace elements, and methylmercury. Reference values for 16 additional PAHs and 9 inorganic constituents are provided, and information values are given for 23 additional trace elements. SRM 2978 has certified and reference concentrations for 41 and 22 organic compounds, respectively, and contains contaminant levels similar to those of SRM 1974b. Organic contaminant levels in SRM 2977 (mussels from Guanabara Bay, Brazil) are typically a factor of 2 to 4 lower than those in SRM 1974b and SRM 2978. The organic contaminant concentrations in each new mussel tissue SRM are presented and compared in this paper. In addition, a chronological review of contaminant concentrations associated with mussels collected in Boston Harbor is discussed as well as a stability assessment of SRM 1974a.
Benefits, Costs, and Distributional Consequences of a Publicly Assisted Marketing Cooperative

During the last two decades, public policy makers have recognized a need to enhance the earning capacity of low income rural residents. For the rural population now supplementing minimal incomes with income from agricultural production, current policy instruments are slow in effect. Designed primarily for long-run development of nonagricultural employment through industrialization and the enhancement of human capital through schooling, such policies largely ignore small farms as a transitional source of income and employment. An exception to this general tendency, Title III of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 planned to strengthen the income earning capacity of small farm households. Although larger farms have been served by organizing cooperatively, small, low income farms have appeared limited in their ability to organize cooperatively by inadequate investment capital. Title III sought to ease this perceived capital constraint with a program of grants and loans. The primary objectives were (a) to provide the opportunity for increased farm income through productive employment and (b) to direct this income enhancement opportunity toward otherwise low income households (U.S. Congress). Existing evaluations tend to stress more the need for changes in administrative procedures than careful consideration of project benefits and costs. Where income changes have been estimated, analytic methods are unclear and leave the significance and validity of such results in doubt. The role of Title III in en-
Does lung transplantation confer a survival benefit

PURPOSE OF REVIEW There are reasonably compelling data documenting the beneficial impact of lung transplantation on functional status, hemodynamics, and quality of life. Demonstration of a survival benefit has been more problematic, largely due to significant constraints on long-term survival. This article reviews the current literature addressing the question of whether transplantation is truly a life-extending procedure. RECENT FINDINGS Because randomized trials are nonexistent, the question has been approached by comparing observed posttransplant survival to wait list survival, or by simulating survival with and without transplantation by statistical modeling. Studies uniformly suggest that transplantation extends survival for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, studies are conflicting and suggest that survival benefit is largely restricted to a subset of patients with extremely severe airflow obstruction who undergo bilateral lung transplantation. Cystic fibrosis (CF) adults with a predicted 5-year survival of less than 50%, and without Burkholderia cepacia or arthropathy appear most likely to realize a survival benefit. Whether transplantation extends survival for pediatric CF patients remains controversial. SUMMARY Questions about the survival benefit of lung transplantation linger. In the absence of definitive answers, it may be most appropriate to view transplant as a procedure that enhances the quality but not necessarily the duration of life.
Problems associated with underrecognition of delirium in critical care: A case study

Delirium, a syndrome that results in high morbidity and mortality rates in the elderly, continues to be underrecognized by physicians and nurses. Factors influencing the underrecognition of delirium are specific to individual institutions and their health care providers. The factors leading to the underrecognition of delirium must be identified so that changes can be made to increase early recognition. A case study conducted in a critical care unit in a midwestern hospital from interviews of nurses, chart audit, and patient observation, identified two major problems associated with the lack of recognition of delirium in that institution: (1) lack of knowledge on the part of nurses about the criteria and methods of detecting delirium, and (2) ineffective communication between all staff members in relaying symptoms of onset of the disorder. As a result of this study, staff education, assessment protocols, and improved communication and documentation techniques are indicated as targeted methods for improving recognition and treatment of delirium in this setting. Similar case studies can be performed to evaluate institutional practice, and thereby identify barriers to early recognition of delirium.
Resolution of persistent exudative retinal detachment in a case of Sturge-Weber syndrome with anti-VEGF administration.

Purpose: Report the resolution of a persistent exudative retinal detachment in a patient with Sturge-Weber syndrome following intravitreal pegaptanib injection. Design: Case report. Methods: A 13-year-old male with Sturge-Weber syndrome presented with a choroidal hemangioma associated with an exudative retinal detachment that failed to resolve 6 months after external beam radiation therapy. Results: A single intravitreal pegaptanib injection resulted in 50% resolution of the detachment within 1 week and complete resolution within a month. Despite anatomic success, vision remained poor. Conclusions: VEGF likely plays a role in the pathogenesis of Sturge-Weber choroidal hemangioma-associated exudative retinal detachment and offers potential treatment.
The state of qualitative inquiry: a contested science

Certainly for artists of all stripes, the unknown, the idea or the form or the tale that has not yet arrived, is what must be found. It is the job of artists to open doors and invite prophesies, the unknown, the unfamiliar; it's where their work comes from, although its arrival signals the beginning of the long disciplined process of making it their own. Scientists too, as J. Robert Oppenheimer once remarked, ‘live always at the “edge of mystery"—the boundary of the unknown.’ But they transform the unknown into the known, haul it in like fishermen; artists get you out in that dark sea. (Solnit, 2005, p. 5)
40 Gb/s thermally tunable CMOS ring modulator

We report a high-contrast 40Gb/s ring modulator with integrated thermal tuning fabricated in a 130nm CMOS process. Under 2V modulation, its optical eyes showed extinction ratios of 7dB at 40Gb/s and 2.3dB at 44Gb/s.
Conscious percept formation using fuzzy entropy measures of neuronal multiplex signals

One goal of automation is to mimic the smoothness and efficiency of human performance. Fuzzy logic based soft computing and engineering works towards this goal. The obvious difference between machines and humans is that of life. If one could understand the method by which human perception and motor response takes place one might conceive of a means to automate these capabilities. The anatomy and physiology of the living nervous system are notable in this respect. In the mammalian brain, the pyramidal neuron of the cerebral cortex plays a key role in perception. Pyramidal cell axons exhibit clusters of action potentials that form a multiplex code allowing multiple parallel patterns of information to travel in the same time frame along that axon. Selective decoding at different target locations within the central nervous system then takes place. We propose that the anatomy of the cerebral cortex and pyramidal neuron is uniquely suited to distribute a multiplex signal, and that this property then provides the basis for a common code for perceptual and motor representations. Thinking of the anatomy in terms of geometry, we are able to predict the increase in length of the apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons from cortical layers 2 to 6 on the basis of a property of the doubled fuzzy hypercube (unit square). A decrease in fuzzy entropy of incoming signals takes place as engrams and new signals arrive bband are passed down through these layers to pyramidal cell layer 5. Perceptions and motor action plans are separated out by demultiplexing so that conscious percepts are executed by the thalamoreticular system and corresponding motor plans by the corticospinal tract. This is possible because of differential demultiplexing mediated by inhibitory gabaergic neurons of the same multiplex signal at the relevant target areas. The important feature of this process is its plasticity, due to synaptopoeisis which is a continuous remodeling process of synaptic location.
Principles of reconstruction in revision hip arthroplasty: Technique and results of bone grafts for treatment of femoral and acetabular deficits

Revision total hip arthroplasty is usually complicated by bone loss associated with osteolysis secondary to polyethylene debris or defects caused by migration of loose components. This bone loss manifests itself in a variety of femoral and acetabular defects which need to be classified and managed appropriately, due to the variance in results associated with revision arthroplasty. Cementless revision of these defects has demonstrated positive results. A calcar bearing prosthesis was utilized successfully in several grades of deficient femurs with impressive results. In the first study, 264 patients with minimally deficient femurs were treated with a calcar bearing prosthesis. An average follow-up of greater than 5 years (range, 3–10 years) exhibited a 4% revision rate. In a second study, in which cortical strut allografts were used to correct larger femoral defects, a similar follow-up yielded a 2.4% revision rate. The revisions in these series were usually a result of undersizing or attempting to support the prosthesis with graft material. Acetabular deficiencies are also successfully managed with graft material. In the natural acetabulum, most of the support comes from the cortical struts. The acetabulum is fairly easy to revise if the cortical structure is present. Acetabular reconstruction with structural bone loss is possible, but much more technique-dependent.
A new species of Speleonycta (Insecta: Zygentoma) from the bay area of San Francisco, California

Abstract Members of genus Speleonycta (Insecta: Zygentoma: Nicoletiidae) have only been described from caves in south-central U.S.A. The first epigean species of Speleonycta is described herein. Specimens were collected from Mount Diablo in the bay area of San Francisco, California.
Defects produced in ZnO by 2.5-MeV electron irradiation at 4.2 K: Study by optical detection of electron paramagnetic resonance

The effect of 2.5 MeV electron irradiation in situ at 4.2 K on the properties of single crystalline ZnO is studied by photoluminescence (PL) and optically detected electron paramagnetic resonance (ODEPR). A new PL band is produced by the irradiation, and several annealing stages are observed upon annealing to room temperature, the first starting at $\ensuremath{\sim}110\mathrm{K}.$ Three new ODEPR signals are observed in the PL whose emergence and disappearance correlate with the PL changes. The annealing stages are taken as evidence of host interstitial atom migration beginning at the 110 K anneal. No hyperfine structure is observed for the ODEPR signals, so the defects involved cannot be identified at this stage.
The Viewpoint Consistency Constraint

The viewpoint consistency constraint requires that the locations of all object features in an image must be consistent with projection from a single viewpoint. The application of this constraint is central to the problem of achieving robust recognition, since it allows the spatial information in an image to be compared with prior knowledge of an object's shape to the full degree of available image resolution. In addition, the constraint greatly reduces the size of the search space during model-based matching by allowing a few initial matches to provide tight constraints for the locations of other model features. Unfortunately, while simple to state, this constraint has seldom been effectively applied in model-based computer vision systems. This paper reviews the history of attempts to make use of the viewpoint consistency constraint and then describes a number of new techniques for applying it to the process of model-based recognition. A method is presented for probabilistically evaluating new potential matches to extend and refine an initial viewpoint estimate. This evaluation allows the model-based verification process to proceed without the expense of backtracking or search. It will be shown that the effective application of the viewpoint consistency constraint, in conjunction with bottom-up image description based upon principles of perceptual organization, can lead to robust three-dimensional object recognition from single gray-scale images.
Electronic structure contributions to reactivity in xanthine oxidase family enzymes

We review the xanthine oxidase (XO) family of pyranopterin molybdenum enzymes with a specific emphasis on electronic structure contributions to reactivity. In addition to xanthine and aldehyde oxidoreductases, which catalyze the two-electron oxidation of aromatic heterocycles and aldehyde substrates, this mini-review highlights recent work on the closely related carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH) that catalyzes the oxidation of CO using a unique Mo–Cu heterobimetallic active site. A primary focus of this mini-review relates to how spectroscopy and computational methods have been used to develop an understanding of critical relationships between geometric structure, electronic structure, and catalytic function.