cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cleavage and hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of C–O bonds relevant to lignin conversion using Pd/Zn synergistic catalysis

The development of chemical methods for the direct catalytic conversion of biomass to high value organic molecules is an area of increasing interest. The plant matter component known as lignin is a polymer consisting of aromatic rings that could provide a means of obtaining aromatic materials currently derived solely from petroleum. This report describes a bimetallic Pd/C and Zn catalytic system that can perform selective hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of monomeric lignin surrogates as well as successfully cleave the β-O-4 linkages found in dimeric lignin model complexes and synthetic lignin polymers with near quantitative conversions and yields between 80–90%. The reaction with lignin polymer was highly selective affording methoxy substituted propylphenol as the major product. These reactions were performed in a Parr reactor operating at relatively mild temperature (150 °C) and pressure (20 bar H2) using methanol as a solvent. Reaction products were characterized using high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to a linear quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization source using negative ion mode. Hydroxide ions were doped into the analyte solutions to encourage negative ion formation. This method ionizes all the mixture components to yield a single ion/analyte with no fragmentation. The catalyst is fully recyclable without the need for additional zinc. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (EXAFS) is consistent with Pd nanoparticles (4–5 nm) and no evidence of Pd–Zn alloy formation. A mechanistic hypothesis on the synergy between Pd and Zn is presented.
Maximizing network security given a limited budget

In order to safeguard an organization's networked assets, a network administrator must decide how to harden the network. To aid the decision-making process, network administrators may use attack graphs, which, through analysis, yield network hardening suggestions. A critical drawback of currently available analyses is the lack of consideration for the network administrator's defense budget. We overcome this shortcoming by modeling the problem of choosing security measures given a finite budget as a combinatorial optimization problem. We call this problem the Security Measures Choosing Problem (SMCP). Dynamic programming is used to provide optimal solutions.
Novel pulmonary rehabilitation approach in a 46-year-old female with significant decline in lung and functional status following H1N1.

AbstractIntroduction: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is an established therapeutic intervention for improving limb muscle dysfunction, reducing morbidity and mortality in a variety of chronic lung conditions. Providers are instrumental in improving success by optimizing disease management, minimizing barriers and tailoring a program to meet the patient’s goals and functional needs. Case report: We present a case of a young woman with mild asthma who developed severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease following H1N1. She remained limited in instrumental activities of daily living following traditional PR but participated in therapeutic horseback riding with notable improvement in functional capacity and emotional well-being. Conclusions: There is a growing body of knowledge on the benefits of PR but little is known about the physiologic and psychological benefits of other forms of exercise such as horseback riding. This case highlights the importance of individualizing care and identifies a novel area of...
Stochastic and Deterministic Models for Haptic Pseudo-Textures

The haptic environment, due to the limited bandwidth of haptic sense, must be enhanced to aid comprehension. The enhancement procedures focused on here include techniques for pseudo-texturing in virtual environments. Generated texture models are automatically tunable according to the characteristics or properties of data to which it is applied. The proposed methods include stochastic, correlated, and harmonic models as well as several popular halftoning algorithms such as Amplitude Modulation (AM), Bayer's, and Error Diffusion. Presented analysis determines the parameter change required to yield the minimal perceivable change in texture for each texture level and proposed texturing method. We also consider edge and boundary enhancement. Finally, user evaluations are presented comparing the presented methods in a haptic visualization application.
Exuberant and inhibited toddlers: Stability of temperament and risk for problem behavior

Temperament, effortful control, and problem behaviors at 4.5 years were assessed in 72 children classified as exuberant, inhibited, and low reactive as 2-year-olds. Exuberant toddlers were more positive, socially responsive to novel persons, less shy, and rated as having more problem behaviors, including externalizing and internalizing behaviors, than other children as preschoolers. Two forms of effortful control, the ability to delay a response and the ability to produce a subdominant response, were associated with fewer externalizing behaviors, whereas expressing more negative affect (relative to positive/neutral affect) when disappointed was related to more internalizing behaviors. Interaction effects implicated high levels of unregulated emotion during disappointment as a risk factor for problem behaviors in exuberant children.
Genetic polymorphisms of the CYP3A5 and MDR‐1 genes and effect of clarithromycin (CLAR) on midazolam (MDZ) pharmacokinetics

Objective CLAR significantly reduces the intravenous and oral clearance of MDZ. In this study, we investigate the possible role of the CYP3A5 and MDR-1 gene variants in this drug-drug interaction. Methods A retrospective analysis was done in 24 healthy volunteers who had received simultaneous administration of IV and oral MDZ before and after 7 days CLAR. CYP3A5*3 and MDR-1 G2677T alleles were determined by PCR. Results Five subjects had a CYP3A5*1 allele including one subject with a CYP3A5*1/*1 genotype. The baseline systemic clearance (31.1 ± 9.1 vs 30.4 ± 9.3 L/hr, p = 0.9) and oral clearance (165.4 ± 91.1 vs 113.8 ± 80.5 L/hr, p =0.2) of MDZ did not differ between CYP3A5 *1 and *3/*3 carriers, respectively. After CLAR treatment, there were no statistical significant differences in systemic clearance (17.2 ± 10.7 vs 10.9 ± 5.4 L/hr, p = 0.07) and percent change in oral clearance (74% vs 83%, p = 0.1) of MDZ between CYP3A5 *1 and *3/*3 carriers, respectively; however, oral clearance (49.6 ± 63.1 vs 15.0 ± 8.3 L/hr, p = 0.02) of MDZ and percent change in systemic clearance (45% vs 63%, p = 0.04) in CYP3A5*1 carriers were significantly higher than *3/*3 homozygotes. No difference in pharmacokinetics or extent of drug interaction was found between the MDR-1 genotypes. Conclusion These data suggest that people who possess a CYP3A5*1 allele are less susceptible to CYP3A inhibition by CLAR. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P70–P70; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.264
Redox Roles of Reactive Oxygen Species in Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), a major cause of mortality in the world, has been extensively studied over the past decade. However, the exact mechanism underlying its pathogenesis has not been fully elucidated. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a pivotal role in the progression of CVD. Particularly, ROS are commonly engaged in developing typical characteristics of atherosclerosis, one of the dominant CVDs. This review will discuss the involvement of ROS in atherosclerosis, specifically their effect on inflammation, disturbed blood flow and arterial wall remodeling. Pharmacological interventions target ROS in order to alleviate oxidative stress and CVD symptoms, yet results are varied due to the paradoxical role of ROS in CVD. Lack of effectiveness in clinical trials suggests that understanding the exact role of ROS in the pathophysiology of CVD and developing novel treatments, such as antioxidant gene therapy and nanotechnology-related antioxidant delivery, could provide a therapeutic advance in treating CVDs. While genetic therapies focusing on specific antioxidant expression seem promising in CVD treatments, multiple technological challenges exist precluding its immediate clinical applications.
Diffuse Anterior Retinoblastoma with Globe Salvage and Visual Preservation in 3 Consecutive Cases.

Purpose Diffuse anterior retinoblastoma is an exquisitely rare variant of retinoblastoma in which the tumor resides in the anterior segment of the eye, without apparent retinal involvement. Previously published cases have been managed with enucleation. We describe globe salvage and visual preservation in 3 consecutive cases using chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Design Retrospective case series. Participants Three children with diffuse anterior retinoblastoma. Methods Plaque radiotherapy plus intravenous chemotherapy. Main Outcome Measures Globe and vision preservation. Results The mean patient age at presentation elsewhere was 5.7 years (median, 7; range, 3–7 years). There were 2 white female patients and 1 African American male patient. The initial observation by parents/caregiver was reduced vision (n = 1), red eye (n = 1), or cloudy eye (n = 1), and the initial finding by physician was iris tumor (n = 2) or hyphema (n = 1). Referring diagnosis was iris melanoma (n = 1), infectious endotheliitis (n = 1), and possible tumor (nonspecified) (n = 1). At our evaluation, visual acuity was 20/50 to 20/60 (n = 2) and fix no follow (n = 1). In all cases, the opposite eye was normal. Mean intraocular pressure was 20 mm Hg (median, 16; range, 15–30 mmHg). Our examination revealed solid iris tumor (n = 3), ciliary body involvement (n = 2), and anterior chamber seeding (n = 3). In no case was there choroidal or retinal tumor, vitreous seed or subretinal seed, or extrascleral extension. Clear corneal fine-needle aspiration biopsy confirmed the diagnosis as retinoblastoma in each case. Treatment included plaque radiotherapy (n = 3) plus additional systemic chemotherapy (n = 2). At mean follow-up of 35 months (median, 34; range, 20–51 months), there has been no recurrence, extrascleral extension, enucleation, metastasis, or death. In all 3 cases, cataract surgery was necessary at a mean interval of 16 months after complete and stable regression of retinoblastoma. Conclusions The rare diffuse anterior form of retinoblastoma can be managed with globe-salvaging alternatives and with visual preservation in selected cases.
The Relationship of Socioeconomic and Behavioral Risk Factors With Trends of Overweight in Korea

Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n= 55 761). Results: Overweight increased significantly among men but not among women between 1998 and 2012. Changes in socioeconomic and behavioral factors over the time period were not associated with overall trends for both men and women. However, we found significant differences in the prevalence of overweight relative to key risk factors. For men, overweight increased at a significantly greater rate among the non-exercising (predicted probability [PP] from 0.23 to 0.32] and high-calorie (PP from 0.18 to 0.37) groups compared to their active and lower-calorie counterparts, respectively. For women, overweight increased only among the non-exercising (PP from 0.27 to 0.28) and low-income (PP from 0.31 to 0.36) groups during this period. Conclusions: These findings suggest that programs aimed at reducing overweight should target Korean men and women in specific socioeconomic and behavioral risk groups differentially.
Intercellular Communication in the Immune System

In 1785, C. Dickinson proposed that fever is due to the action of products of tissue injury. Although the phenomenon he studied may have been caused by products of bacterial infection, subsequent investigations demonstrated that fever is caused by both exogenous and endogenous substances. In the 1930s, supernatants derived from cultures of cells incubated with antigen were shown to affect the activity of other cells in culture. During the following 40 years, a large number of similar intercellular messengers were described. The term cytokine was introduced in 1974 to refer to this group of molecules. In 1979, participants in an international workshop assigned interleukin (IL) names to two of the best characterized of these molecules. The DNA sequence of IL-1 was published in 1984. Most cytokines have multiple functions (growth stimulation and inhibition, activation of gene transcription, directed migration of inflammatory cells), are produced by multiple cell sources, and have multiple targets. Originally named according to their biological function, more recently, these factors are assigned IL names approved by a subcommittee of the World Health Organization.
Giving Light to Narrative: The Use of Images in Early Modern Learned Journals

This paper examines the visual and verbal cross-pollination between the Philosophical Transactions and the Journal des Scavans with a specific focus on the role of the visual as an open form of communication, which overcame the linguistic barriers implied by journals published in vernacular languages, rather than Latin. Studying the illustrated articles published in the two journals in 1666 highlights the ways in which the authors viewed the images as providing clarity to their prose and how the images provided access to useful information that was otherwise invisible.
Long Term Care Insurance Purchase: An Alternative Approach

Due to uncertain future income and premium increases as well as the negative ramifications of letting a policy lapse, educators and advisors should consider the advantages of the self insurance option for long term care. Self insurance offers the flexibility of using funds for long term care or basic living expenses if other funds are depleted, and allows assets to be passed onto heirs if no or little long term care is required. However, self insuring would provide only approximately one third of the insurance coverage provided by a competitive long term care insurance policy.
Nonlinear optics in vacuum: Feynman diagrams or Maxwell's equations?

Recent work has focused on possible experimental observation of the quantum electrodynamic effect of photon-photon scattering, which results from the interaction of light with virtual electron-positron pairs. One recently proposed manifestation of this effect is second-harmonic generation (5HG) in a magnetic field.1
Can Your Marketing Planning Procedures be Improved

Just how do companies go about developing their annual marketing plans? A study of six consumer package goods companies compares and contrasts planning practices, and establishes “benchmarks” and “...
Gender and Physician-Assisted Suicide: An Analysis of the Kevorkian Cases, 1990–1997

This study examines the seventy-five suicide cases Dr. Jack Kevorkian acknowledged assisting during the period between 1990-1997. Although these cases represent a range of regional and occupational backgrounds, a significant majority are women. Most of these individuals had a disabling, chronic, nonterminal-stage illness. In five female cases, the medical examiner found no evidence of disease whatsoever. About half of the women were between the ages of forty-one and sixty, and another third were older adults. Men's conditions were somewhat less likely than women's to be chronic and nonterminal-stage. The main reasons for the hastened death mentioned by both the person and their significant others were having disabilities, being in pain, and fear of being a burden. The predominance of women among Kevorkian's assisted suicides contrasts with national trends in suicide mortality, where men are a clear majority. It is possible that individuals whose death was hastened by Kevorkian are not representative of physician-assisted suicide cases around the country, because of Kevorkian's unique approach. Alternatively, the preponderance of women among Kevorkian's assisted suicides may represent a real phenomenon. One possibility is that, in the United States, assisted suicide is particularly acceptable for women. Individual, interpersonal, social, economic, and cultural factors encouraging assisted suicide in women are examined.
Anomalous Behavior in the Resistivity of N-I-N Polysilicon Resistors After Hydrogenation

Undoped 20 μm thick polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) films were epitaxially grown on 0.5 μm thick polysilicon seed layers prepared by cycles of CVD depositions and oxidations. The resistivity of the epitaxial films was found to vary by a factor of 4, depending on the number of deposition/oxidation cycles used to prepare the initial seed layer. Exposing the films to a hydrogen plasma for as little as 5 seconds decreased the resistivity of n-i-n resistors by four orders of magnitude and changed their activation energy from 0.4 eV to 0.001 eV. Whereas, the resistivity of p-i-p resistors only decreased by a factor of two after a 2 hour hydrogenation with no change in the activation energy. The initial high resistivity value of the n-i-n resistors was restored by either removing 0.5 jim of polysilicon from the surface of the resistors or by a 15 minute anneal in argon at 550 °C
325 POOR LONG-TERM NEUROMOTOR AND COGNITIVE DELAY IN INFANTS < 1251 GRAMS IS ASSOCIATED WITH DELIVERY ROOM CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION

Background Delivery room cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DR-CPR) is used in VLBW infants, but its impact on long-term outcome has not been studied or accounted for in follow up studies. Objective To identify if DR-CPR in infants Methods Live-born infants Results A total of 253 inborn infants survived; 28 (11%) received DR-CPR, 14 of them (50%) were evaluated at 18 months of age (19.4 ± 1.9) CA. Of the 225 infants that did not receive DR-CPR, 82 (36.4%) had an evaluation at 18 months of age (19.3 ± 2.1) CA. The mean gestational age and birth weight were not significant between the DR-CPR and no-CPR groups (26.9 ± 2.7 weeks vs. 26.7 ± 1.9 weeks [p = .79]; 808 ± 156 vs. 886 ± 189 g [p = .15]). Infants who were lost to follow-up did not differ from these two groups in demographic variables or clinical indicators of illness severity. The Bayley Mental Developmental Index (MDI) scores were different in the groups (DR-CPR: 69.1 ± 14.0 vs 80.6. ± 18.8 in no-CPR; p = .038). Psychomotor development (PDI) was also different (74.2 ± 20.8 vs 84.3 ± 15.9 respectively; p = .049). The proportion of infants with MDI ≤ 70 in DR-CPR was 53.8% vs. 21.3% (p = .021); for PDI ≤ 70 it was 38.5% vs 13.5% (p = .043). Conclusion These findings indicate that the need for DR-CPR markedly increases the risk for poor neuromotor and cognitive delay at 18 months CA in surviving infants
Technical and Economic Analysis of Energy Efficiency of Chinese Color Television Receivers(II)

The paer analyses thorough energy efficiency of Chinese Color TV recerivers in technical and economic aspects
Comparison of the replication of distinct strains of human coronavirus OC43 in organotypic human colon cells (Caco-2) and mouse intestine.

Three strains of human Coronavirus (HCV) OC43 were compared for their ability to cause enteric infections and to induce interferon alpha (IFNα) using the Caco-2 human colon carcinoma cell line which exhibits spontaneous epithelial differentiation in vitro. MRC-5 cell culture grown stocks were prepared from: 1. CV Paris, a strain of 0C43 recovered from an outbreak of necrotizing enterocolitis in newborns. 2. CV Mb, a neurotropic strain of OC43 which exhibits strict neuronal specificity in murine neuronal cell cultures. 3. CV Rd, a strain of OC43 which grows to a high titer in human rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells. Immunofluorescent staining for nucleocapsid antigen and plaque assay in MRC-5 cells was used to detect viral replication. BG-9 (human foreskin) cells challenged with vesicular stomatitis virus were used to detect IFNα production by human peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC) stimulated bv virus infected Caco-2 cells.
Extenuating circumstances. Student selection of case presentations for a required rural family medicine clerkship.

Purpose The Fourth Year Rural Family Medicine Clerkship has been a required four-week clinical rotation at the Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota (SSOM) for more than 30 years. Among the clerkship requirements has been a graded, formal case presentation. The purpose of this study was to examine the case presentations selected by the medical students for this required component of the clerkship and to determine if this correlated with their overall clinical experiences. Methods Clinical diagnoses of patients selected by all students for their formal case presentations were recorded and compared with the overall clinical experiences as documented using the Student Patient Experience Log database. The frequency of multiple diagnosis cases was also determined. Results Although the large majority of clinical experiences occur in ambulatory settings during this clerkship, findings suggest students have a preference for presenting on patients who were hospitalized. This does not, however, indicate that students wish to necessarily present more complicated cases. In fact, the percentage of patients selected who had multiple diagnoses was much lower compared with their overall clinical experiences. Conclusions The variety of clinical cases selected for presentation is different than the variety of overall clinical experiences. This suggests that some selection criteria are being used by students.
Collaboration problems in conducting a group project in a software engineering course

One of the largest problems in conducting a group project is establishing a collaborative environment among the members of the teams that are working on the project. A search was conducted to identify specific tools for the different phases of the software development process that might enable students to work better together collaboratively in hopes of enhancing their performance. In this paper the importance of having a group project in the software engineering course, problems related to working together collaboratively and proposed solutions to overcome those problems are discussed.
Increases in Local Unemployment and the Delivery of Trade Adjustment Assistance Services

This study investigates how service delivery of employment-related federal programs administered at American Job Centers (AJCs) changes as local unemployment increases. The authors analyze the impact of such changes on labor market outcomes of program participants using data for the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) participants. The authors find that the demand for TAA services increases substantially when local unemployment increases. A 5% to 10% increase in unemployment raises training enrollment through the TAA program by nearly 13 percentage points and increases participation duration by more than 9 weeks. Our results do not support the concern that a sudden rise in the demand for AJC services might deteriorate the quality of service delivery and outcomes. In fact, although increases in local unemployment are generally harmful to displaced workers, occupational training during this time is effective at reducing the size of wage loss by at least 46%, resulting in a 3.4% average increase for wage repla...
Model Driven Simulators from the Clinical Instructor’s Perspective

The clinical instructor is facing several challenges when designing and teaching a full-scale simulator based course. As an educator, he or she has to define learning objectives, select or program scenarios that simulate a case that helps meet these objectives, and sometimes define a simulated patient that is more suited to meet a particular objective than the ones already provided by colleagues or by the simulator manufacturer. Knowing the strengths and limitations of these relatively new teaching tools is part of the challenge. Adding strength as well as challenge is the fact that in many educational simulations of human physiology and pharmacology, mathematical models have taken over the role of “simulation engine” from pre-selected (“scripted”) vital signs. One advantage of such models is that they can take into account gradual variations of multiple management variables. Another advantage is that they can be made to reflect interactions between physiological subsystems, such as the ventilation and the circulation. A potential shortcoming of using mathematical models in educational simulations is complexity.
Survivable Space-Based C 2 Communications Network Performance

This paper presents performance analysis for a hypothetical large space-based network for ballistic missile defense consisting of battle management and weapon platforms. The results show the relative performance of the communications network for each of the following types of networking techniques: 1. Fixed Routing 2. Adaptive Routing 3. Adaptive Routing with Link Reconfiguration. Performance is given in terms of number of isolated nodes and delay as a function of number of nodes destroyed. The results show a very high degree of survivability when the network uses a combination of simple adaptive routing and link reconfiguration algorithms.
The Creation and Application of a Simulator in Educational Robotics Classes

Educational robotics classes consist of the use of robots in classes that involve interdisciplinary or social themes, creating innovative learning environments involving the use of such technology. In the usually known approach, educational robotics uses robotics kits. We developed a robotic simulator, called S-Educ, which can be used as an alternative or in association with robotics kits in classes involving the use of robotics. Simulators are not replacements of robotics kits, but an alternative for cases where the kits can not be used or they are not appropriate. Tests were carried out to analyze the use of the simulator, obtaining good results on the application of this simulator in educational robotics classes.
Hedgehog Signaling Overcomes an EZH2-Dependent Epigenetic Barrier to Promote Cholangiocyte Expansion.

Background & aims Developmental morphogens play an important role in coordinating the ductular reaction and portal fibrosis occurring in the setting of cholangiopathies. However, little is known about how membrane signaling events in ductular reactive cells (DRCs) are transduced into nuclear transcriptional changes to drive cholangiocyte maturation and matrix deposition. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate potential mechanistic links between cell signaling events and epigenetic regulators in DRCs. Methods Using directed differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), isolated DRCs, and in vivo models, we examine the mechanisms whereby sonic hedgehog (Shh) overcomes an epigenetic barrier in biliary precursors and promotes both cholangiocyte maturation and deposition of fibronectin (FN). Results We demonstrate, for the first time, that Gli1 influences the differentiation state and fibrogenic capacity of iPSC-derived hepatic progenitors and isolated DRCs. We outline a novel pathway wherein Shh-mediated Gli1 binding in key cholangiocyte gene promoters overcomes an epigenetic barrier conferred by the polycomb protein, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and initiates the transcriptional program of cholangiocyte maturation. We also define previously unknown functional Gli1 binding sites in the promoters of cytokeratin (CK)7, CK19, and FN. Our in vivo results show that EZH2 KO mice fed the choline-deficient, ethanolamine supplemented (CDE) diet have an exaggerated cholangiocyte expansion associated with more robust ductular reaction and increased peri-portal fibrosis. Conclusion We conclude that Shh/Gli1 signaling plays an integral role in cholangiocyte maturation in vitro by overcoming an EZH2-dependent epigenetic barrier and this mechanism also promotes biliary expansion in vivo.
School-Based Services for Children with Special Needs

School-based services for children with special needs can sometimes be differentiated from general education by curriculum – that is, what is taught. Although students with disabilities need access to and support in learning, the individualized education plan, goals, and objectives for some special needs students will not be found in state standards or the school district's curriculum guides. To assure that children with special needs receive an appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, we must know what services and safeguards that are mandated for children with special needs. Above all, we must be a part of the collaborative effort of the education system and community to provide in appropriate school-based services for children with special needs. This is the focus of this article.
Colossal super saturation of oxygen at the iron-aluminum interfaces fabricated using solid state welding

Abstract Solid state joining is achieved in three steps, (i) interface asperity deformation, (ii) oxide dispersion, followed by (iii) atomic contact and bonding. Atomically clean metallic surfaces without an oxide layer bond spontaneously. Despite its importance the oxide dispersion mechanism is not well studied. In this work the first ever atom probe study of iron-aluminum solid state welds show that the oxygen concentration at the interface is 20 at.%. This is significantly lower than any equilibrium oxide concentration. We therefore propose that the high-strain rate deformation at the interfaces renders the oxide unstable resulting in the observed concentration of oxygen.
US residential building air exchange rates: new perspectives to improve decision making at vapor intrusion sites

Vapor intrusion (VI) is well-known to be difficult to characterize because indoor air (IA) concentrations exhibit considerable temporal and spatial variability in homes throughout impacted communities. To overcome this and other limitations, most VI science has focused on subsurface processes; however there is a need to understand the role of aboveground processes, especially building operation, in the context of VI exposure risks. This tutorial review focuses on building air exchange rates (AERs) and provides a review of literature related building AERs to inform decision making at VI sites. Commonly referenced AER values used by VI regulators and practitioners do not account for the variability in AER values that have been published in indoor air quality studies. The information presented herein highlights that seasonal differences, short-term weather conditions, home age and air conditioning status, which are well known to influence AERs, are also likely to influence IA concentrations at VI sites. Results of a 3D VI model in combination with relevant AER values reveal that IA concentrations can vary more than one order of magnitude due to air conditioning status and one order of magnitude due to house age. Collectively, the data presented strongly support the need to consider AERs when making decisions at VI sites.
Combination of a Flipped Classroom Format and a Virtual Patient Case to Enhance Active Learning in a Required Therapeutics Course

Objective. To design and evaluate the integration of a virtual patient activity in a required therapeutics course already using a flipped-classroom teaching format. Design. A narrative-branched, dynamic virtual-patient case was designed to replace the static written cases that students worked through during the class, which was dedicated to teaching the complications of liver disease. Students completed pre- and posttests before and after completing the virtual patient case. Examination scores were compared to those in the previous year. Assessment. Students' posttest scores were higher compared to pretest scores (33% vs 50%). Overall median examination scores were higher compared to the historical control group (70% vs 80%), as well as scores on questions assessing higher-level learning (67% vs 83%). A majority of students (68%) felt the virtual patient helped them apply knowledge gained in the pre-class video lecture. Students preferred this strategy to usual in-class activities (33%) or indicated it was of equal value (37%). Conclusion. The combination of a pre-class video lecture with an in-class virtual patient case is an effective active-learning strategy.
Wireless Telemetry and Low-Power Sensor Applications

Wireless integrated sensors are becoming popular in recent years because of their broad spectrum of applications including biomedical, environmental, security, industrial, and so on. Integrating the wireless technology with sensors require sound knowledge of communication system, including various parameters, such as communication standards suitable for sensor applications, modulation schemes and low-power transmitter architectures to reduce the overall power consumption of each sensor node in a sensor network. A review of the recent work in this area suggests that the conventional transmitter architectures used for cellular communication are not suitable for low-power sensor networks. Considering the communication standards and power consumptions of each sensor node, different modulation schemes and low-power transmitter architectures have been discussed in this chapter.
Lumbar Spine Imaging: X-Ray and CT

Anatomy: 33 normal vertebra with 24 presacral segments: 7 cervical, 12 thoracic rib-bearing and 5 lumbar non-rib-bearing. Approximately 5 % of population with variant transitional anatomy with lumbarization of S1 or sacralization of L5 due to partial fusion of transverse process with sacrum, which may predispose to Bertolotti’s syndrome, which can be a source of back pain caused by the transitional lumbosacral anatomy (Fig. 29.1).
Synthetic Sensors: Towards General-Purpose Sensing

The promise of smart environments and the Internet of Things (IoT) relies on robust sensing of diverse environmental facets. Traditional approaches rely on direct and distributed sensing, most often by measuring one particular aspect of an environment with a special purpose sensor. This approach can be costly to deploy, hard to maintain, and aesthetically and socially obtrusive. In this work, we explore the notion of general purpose sensing, wherein a single enhanced sensor can indirectly monitor a large context, without direct instrumentation of objects. Further, through what we call Synthetic Sensors, we can virtualize raw sensor data into actionable feeds, whilst simultaneously mitigating immediate privacy issues. A series of structured, formative studies informed the development of our new sensor hardware and accompanying information architecture. We deployed our system across many months and environments, the results of which show the versatility, accuracy and potential utility of our approach.
Maternal Alcohol Use and the Neonate

Maternal alcohol use and abuse can have devastating consequences to fetal development and outcomes. Although there is widespread societal pressure, particularly within developed countries, against the ingestion of any alcohol during pregnancy, many women may drink heavily before they recognize they are pregnant or may continue to do so despite their awareness. Much of the focus among healthcare professionals and biomedical investigators has been on the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), more commonly now referred to as the fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), which in its most advanced form is manifested by craniofacial abnormalities and severe neurocognitive deficits. However, FAS and FASD are disorders in term infants, and it is now being recognized that maternal alcohol ingestion appears to impact the risk for both premature delivery as well as medical complications associated with neonatal prematurity. In particular, experimental and clinical evidence is beginning to elucidate the mechanisms by which maternal alcohol ingestion can increase the already significant oxidative stress within the neonatal lung and impair host immune functions. As a consequence, the premature neonate with significant exposure to alcohol in utero appears to be at an even greater risk of developing serious infectious complications. Further, experimental models suggest that maternal alcohol ingestion can impair prenatal lung development and, if these findings translate to the human condition, could thereby render the premature infant at increased risk for adverse complications including bronchopulmonary dysplasia and late-onset sepsis. This chapter provides a brief overview of the epidemiology of maternal alcohol use during pregnancy and highlights some of the experimental and clinical evidence that show that such use can have devastating effects on neonatal outcomes.
Cooperative surveillance in the presence of time sensitive data

We consider a cooperative vehicle routing problem for surveillance and reconnaissance missions using an aerial and a ground vehicle, where the collected data needs to be processed in real-time or near real-time. The proposed framework assumes that the ground vehicle has the ability to communicate long range and the aerial vehicle has limited communication range. The vehicles' paths are constrained such that the aerial vehicle remains in contact with the ground vehicle when the aerial vehicle is surveilling a target. Under this constraint, as the aerial vehicle collects data from the targets, this data can then be transmitted in real-time to the base station via the ground vehicle relay. We present a mixed-integer linear programming formulation and develop a branch-and-cut algorithm to solve the resulting cooperative routing problem involving the two vehicles. The novelty of the algorithm is the ability to maintain communication between the ground vehicle and UAV, while allowing the ground vehicle to move as the UAV is deployed. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is corroborated through extensive computational experiments on several randomly generated instances.
The Organizational Climate of Accounting Firms

Research in human resource considerations in accounting firms is necessary to identify the factors that may create the ideal atmosphere for members of accounting firms to function effectively and efficiently. The purpose of this manuscript is cover this type of research as it describes the potential problems facing the accounting profession.
Use of the Echocardiogram for Identifying Infarct Expansion

In its capacity for repeated non-invasive examination, echocardiography some years ago raised the attractive possibility of serial evaluation of left ventricular size and shape in acute myocardial infarction. The initial impetus for using two-dimensional echocardiography in this way was provided by the pathologists. Post mortem studies of patients dying within 30 days after acute myocardial infarction had shown that up to 2/3 of such patients had some thinning and dilatation of the infarcted area within one week of infarction (1) and that in approximately 1/3 of patients’ hearts with transmural infarcts there was marked expansion of the infarcted zone, resulting in obvious cardiac dilatation. This process occurred with little or no histologic evidence of infarct extension or further necrosis after the initial acute event.
Time filters increase accuracy of the fully implicit method

This report considers the effect of adding a simple time filter to the fully implicit or backward Euler method. The approach is modular and requires the addition of only one line of additional code. Error estimation and variable time step are straightforward and the individual effect of each step is conceptually clear. The backward Euler method with a curvature reducing time filter induces an equivalent 2-step, second order, A-stable, linear multistep method.
c15-162: Phase IB trial of radium 223 and niraparib in patients with castrate resistant prostate cancer (NiraRad).

TPS385Background: PARP1 is a key regulator of the transition to lethal castrate resistant prostate cancer (CRPC); niraparib is a potent and selective PARP-1 and PARP-2 inhibitor that has shown sing...
THE STATUS OF THREE ECOSYSTEM-LEVEL HYPOTHESES REGARDING SALT MARSH ESTUARIES: TIDAL SUBSIDY, OUTWELLING, AND DETRITUS-BASED FOOD CHAINS

Abstract During the first 10 years of salt marsh research at Sapelo Island (1952–1962), three general hypotheses emerged as follows: (1) tides provide an energy subsidy that enhances productivity, (2) organic matter is exported from productive estuaries to offshore waters (outwelling), and (3) detritus rather than grazing food chains predominate in the salt marsh ecosystem. These hypotheses, which we judge to be “emergent properties” of the salt marsh estuary as a whole, have now been challenged and tested in many places up and down the coast. The tidal subsidy hypothesis has been verified sufficiently to stand as a general principle. Outwelling seems to be strictly a local question depending on relative productivity of inshore and offshore waters and the magnitude of water flow in and out of the estuary; some estuaries export while some import, and the material exported (or imported) may involve nutrients, organic matter, or organisms. Although dominance of detritus-based food chains has been verified for most shallow water estuaries (in contrast to dominance of the grazing food chain in open water marine habitats), recent work has indicated that detritus complexes are like autotroph-heterotroph microcosms with algae, protozoa, fungi and bacteria providing major energy sources for detritus consumers which in turn are the chief food for fish and higher trophic levels in general.
Vertebral Disc Disease

Intervertebral disc disease is a common condition affecting many patients. Intervertebral disc disease is a broad term that describes a spectrum from the asymptomatic disc bulge to advanced degenerative disc disease. Intervertebral disc disease occurs most commonly in the cervical and lumbar spine, but can also occur in the thoracic spine. An understanding of the basic science, anatomy, and pathophysiology of the intervertebral disc helps one grasp why disc herniation occurs and how it produces clinical symptoms.
TPP, RCEP and the Future of Copyright Norm-setting in the Asian Pacific

The past decade has seen two mega-regional intellectual property norm-setting exercises focusing on countries in the Asian Pacific region: the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Taken together, these two mega-regional norm-setting exercises will have unlimited potential to shape future copyright norms in the Asian Pacific region. For countries involved in either the TPP or RCEP negotiations, legal obligations concerning new protection and enforcement standards will have to be incorporated into domestic law once the applicable agreement enters into force. These standards can be quite burdensome, as they often exceed what is currently required by the WTO TRIPS Agreement. Countries that happen to be members of both the TPP and the RCEP will also have to be ready to resolve conflicts between these two agreements, should they arise. Even those countries that remain outside of the TPP or RCEP negotiations may end up accepting norms enshrined in either agreement, or both, despite their lack of legal obligation to do so. In view of this potentially considerable change in the intellectual property norm-setting landscape in the Asian Pacific region, this chapter closely examines the roles of the TPP and the RCEP in shaping future regional copyright norms. It begins by discussing the historical origins of these two partnerships. It then highlights the similarities and differences between the copyright provisions in the TPP Agreement and a leaked draft of the RCEP intellectual property chapter. This chapter continues to explore the ramifications for the United States’ withdrawal from the TPP shortly after the inauguration of the Trump Administration in January 2017. It concludes by outlining the future of copyright norm setting in the Asian Pacific region.
Expenditures and Quality: Hospital- and Health System-Affiliated Versus Independent Physicians in Virginia.

OBJECTIVES The American Medical Association has reported that 2016 was the first year in which fewer than half (47.1%) of all practicing physicians owned their own practice. Across the United States, there has been consolidation of physicians and hospital and health systems, resulting in questions about the effect of this on healthcare expenditures. The aim of this study was to compare the expenditures per patient between hospital- and health system-affiliated physicians and independent physicians. METHODS The author used Virginia's new statewide all-payer claims database to analyze expenditures and quality for 3 years for hospital- and health system-affiliated physicians versus independent physicians. The database had all claims statewide for Virginians with individual or group commercial insurance coverage: 1.95 million patients in 2013, 2 million in 2014, and 2.1 million in 2015. The average annual expenditure for each physician was adjusted for average patient condition burden (risk) and differences in geographic input costs using regression analysis. Measures of primary care quality were obtained from the claims data using evidence-based measures from national health quality organizations. RESULTS Hospital- and health system-affiliated physicians had annual expenditures per patient ranging from 10.3% to 14.6% higher than independent physicians. Most of the measures of primary care quality were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS Virginia patients, employers, and managed care companies incurred higher per-patient expenditures with hospital and health system physicians than with independent physicians.
Roles of Special Educators in St. Lucia: Implications of Policy and Practice on Inclusion

Abstract Using an adaptation of Brownell and Smith's (1993) conceptual model, this study sought to examine the perception of primary and secondary special educators in St. Lucia of their roles as compared to roles of special education teachers universally. A survey, consisting of 89 Likert-scale statements and five closed ended questions, was administered to the entire population (i.e. 82) of special educators in primary and secondary schools in St. Lucia. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics including percentages, means, and t-tests. The independent sample t-test was used to determine the difference in the frequency of role engagement between the two groups of special educators. The results revealed that like special educators globally, special education teachers in St. Lucia engaged in all roles under study (i.e., Academic instruction, Non-academic instruction, Instructional Support, Responsive Behavior Management, Special Education Assessment, Classroom Assessme...
Phonon spectrum of underdoped HgBa 2 CuO 4 + δ investigated by neutron scattering

The cuprates exhibit a prominent charge-density-wave (CDW) instability with a wave vector along [100], i.e., the Cu-O bond direction. Whereas CDW order is most prominent at moderate doping and low temperature, there exists increasing evidence for dynamic charge correlations throughout a large portion of the temperature-doping phase diagram. In particular, the signatures of incipient charge order have been observed as phonon softening and/or broadening near the CDW wave vector approximately halfway through the Brillouin zone. Most of this work is focused on moderately doped cuprates, for which the CDW order is robust, or on optimally doped samples, for which the superconducting transition temperature $({T}_{c})$ attains its maximum. Here we present a time-of-flight neutron scattering study of phonons in simple-tetragonal ${\text{HgBa}}_{2}{\text{CuO}}_{4+\ensuremath{\delta}}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}({T}_{c}=55\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K})$ at a low doping level where prior work showed the CDW order to be weak. We employ and showcase a new software-based technique that mines a large number of measured Brillouin zones for useful data in order to improve accuracy and counting statistics. Density-functional theory has not provided an accurate description of phonons in ${\text{HgBa}}_{2}{\text{CuO}}_{4+\ensuremath{\delta}}$, yet we find the right set of parameters to qualitatively reproduce the data. The notable exception is a dispersion minimum in the longitudinal Cu-O bond-stretching branch along [100]. This discrepancy suggests that, while CDW order is weak, there exist significant dynamic charge correlations in the optic phonon range at low doping, near the edge of the superconducting dome.