cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Controls of eustasy and diagenesis on the 238U/235U of carbonates and evolution of the seawater (234U/238U) during the last 1.4 Myr

Using a leaching protocol designed for the study of U isotopes in recent carbonates, we measured the U isotope composition, both ^(238)U/^(235)U and ^(234)U/^(238)U, of modern and ancient corals (n = 6), a limestone and a dolostone, as well as 43 shallow-water carbonate sediments from the ODP Leg 166 Site 1009 drill core, on the slope of the Bahamas platform. Although bulk corals record the seawater δ^(238)U value within ±0.02‰, differences of up to 0.30‰ in the δ^(238)U of individual leachates suggest a control of the coral structure and a more positive ^(238)U/^(235)U ratio in the centers of calcification. The drill core δ^(238)U data shows that the ^(238)U/^(235)U ratio of shallow-water carbonates is controlled mainly by (1) variations in sea-level through the mixing of different amounts of platform-derived sediments (with δ^(238)U ∼0.50–0.60‰ heavier than seawater) and pelagic sediments (with seawater-like δ^(238)U values), (2) authigenic U enrichment via pore-watercirculation and U reduction both on the platform and down to ∼5 m below the surface (mbsf) after deposition of the sediment, and, to a lesser extent, by (3) early diagenetic processes (i.e., carbonate dissolution and/or recrystallization) during sediment burial. The global effect of these processes leaves the δ^(238)U values of shallow-water carbonates offset relative to that of seawater by Δ_(Carbonates-SW) = +0.24 ± 0.06‰ (95% CI, including all samples). This shift can be used in seawater paleoredox reconstructions based on carbonates deposited on shallow-water platform, shelf and slope environments (i.e., most of the carbonate sedimentary record prior to the Mesozoic) to account for the average effect of carbonate diagenesis. Assuming that the ^(238)U/^(235)U ratio of carbonate platform sediments directly records the seawater ^(238)U/^(235)U ratio would underestimate the extent of ocean-seafloor anoxia by at least a factor 10. The rapid fluctuations in δ^(238)U values due to sea-level changes (i) is a factor that should be considered before interpreting δ^(238)U variations as reflecting changes in oceanic paleoredox conditions and (ii) reinforces the need for statistically meaningful data sets. The δ(^(234)U) data suggest that the (^(234)U/^(238)U) ratio of the seawater has remained within ∼20‰ of the modern seawater value during the last 1–1.4 Myr. Furthermore, we find that small-scale (1–15‰) variations in seawater δ(^(234)U) mirror sea-level changes during the penultimate glacial-interglacial period (∼140 to ∼200 ka), thus confirming the record of lower δ(^(234)U)_(SW) during periods of low sea-level stand and expanding it to at least the last two glacial-interglacial events (i.e., ∼0.23 Ma). Such fluctuations in δ(^(234)U)_(initial) values should be taken into account when screening carbonate sediments U-Th ages on the basis of the initial (^(234)U/^(238)U) ratios of the samples.
The effects of insulin on the inflammatory activity of BV2 microglia.

Microglia are the macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS), which function to monitor and maintain homeostasis. Microglial activation occurs after CNS injury, infection or disease. Prolonged microglial activation is detrimental to the CNS as they produce nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines, resulting in neuronal cell dysfunction and death. Microglial activation is implicated in the neurological deficits following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and Alzheimer’s disease. Intranasal insulin administration is a promising treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and TBI. However, the exact effect of insulin on microglia is currently unclear. The goal of this study was therefore to examine the effect of insulin administration on activated microglia. The microglial cell line BV2 were exposed to a pro-inflammatory stimulus, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), followed by insulin administration. Outcome measures were conducted at 24 hours after treatment. In vitro assays quantified NO and ROS production. Western blot, immunocytochemistry and phagocytosis assay further examined the effect of insulin on microglial activity. Insulin treatment significantly reduced NO, ROS and TNFα production and increased phagocytic activity. Insulin treatment also significantly reduced iNOS expression, but had no significant effect on any other M1 or M2 macrophage polarization marker examined. These data suggest that insulin has very specific effects to reduce pro-inflammatory or chemoattractant properties of microglia, and this may be one mechanism by which insulin has beneficial effects in CNS injury or neurodegenerative conditions.
Exposure to Polyphenolic Compounds Modulates Type 1 Diabetes: The Case of Genistein

Abstract Type 1 diabetes (T1D), a devastating and expensive organ-specific autoimmune disease with a higher incidence in males, is increasing in incidence globally with an annual rate of 2.8%; and an immunity-diet-microbiota consortium has been studied in the past decade for its effect on modulating the maturity of the immune system. Polyphenolic compounds are naturally occurring organic compounds widely found in plants, and some of these compounds (e.g., isoflavones) are known to exert protective effects on T1D, both from epidemiological evidence and animal studies, while the mechanisms are not fully understood yet. In this chapter, we review the mechanisms for polyphenolic compound intake and T1D risk with the focus on soy isoflavone genistein (GEN), and gut microbiota and epigenetics, two of the widely researched areas in recent years.
David Oliver: Money, efficiency, and the NHS plan

When the government committed to giving the NHS a 70th birthday present of an extra £20.5bn (€23bn; $26.3bn) a year by 2023-24, it asked in return for a plan showing what the money would be spent on over the next decade.1 The publication of the NHS’s long term plan earlier this month fulfilled that commitment,2 and the government officially expects the NHS to deliver on that plan. We should be cautious of government and media claims about this “historic funding boost.”3 In reality—as the NHS plan acknowledges—the funding increase (to an average 3.4% a year)4 is merely a return to something near the 3.7% real terms annual increase that was the norm in the years leading up to the 2012 spending review—after which it fell to around 2.2%, leaving services struggling. Of course, the headline amount is higher …
Investigating the Role of Band Offset on the Property and Operation of the Potential Well Barrier Diodes

We gratefully acknowledge the School of Natural and Computing Sciences (SNCS), College of Physical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK for providing fund to support this work
Shallow Water Reverberation Modeling

Shallow water reverberation in the high sub-kHz to low-kHz range is modeled using ray theoretic algorithms. The algorithms assume multiple-forward/single-backscatter along with reciprocity in the propagation paths. The environments modeled are assumed to be range dependent in bathymetry, bottom loss, and bottom scattering strengths, and range independent water column, wind velocity, and surface scattering strengths. The model is capable of simulating bistatic, and monostatic geometries. The output of the model is reverberation as function of time for specified beams (either idealized look directions, or realizations of the beam pattern of an array). Comparisons of predicted reverberation versus time with measured data for shallow water sites off the south coast of the United States are presented.
Between Kitchen Sink and City Sewer: A Socio-Ecological Approach to Food Waste in Environmental Design

Burke and Napawan discuss how the places of food waste are only marginally, if at all, considered a design project. By participating in the diminishment of the physical spaces of food waste, designers and planners passively support cultural attitudes that counteract sustainability and fail to adequately evaluate human impact on the environment. Burke and Napawan construct an argument for a more sustainable and integrated approach to food waste in environmental design by synthesising three disparate areas of theory (urban metabolism, socio-ecological resilience, feminism) and document an example of applying the approach in practice. By doing this, they argue that environmental designers need to develop a socio-ecological approach to create solutions to food waste.
A Protocol-Driven Reduction in Surgical Site Infections After Colon Surgery.

Abstract Background Surgical site infection (SSI) is an established quality indicator and predictor for adverse patient outcomes. Multiple strategies have been established to reduce SSI; however, optimum protocol remains unclear. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of established protocol on SSI after colon surgery. Methods We established a colon SSI bundle in 2017, which includes a chlorhexidine prescrub followed by chloraPrep, betadine wound wash, antibiotic infused irrigation, use of closure tray, and incision coverage with silver impregnated dressing. Retrospective analysis of a 2-y (2016-2017) prospectively collected before and after analysis of all patients undergoing elective colon surgery was performed. Patients were divided into two groups: preprotocol (PP: year 2016) and postprotocol (PoP: year 2017). Patients in the two groups were matched using propensity score matching for age, gender, comorbidities, Anesthesiology Severity Score, indication of procedure, and procedure type. Outcome measures were SSI, hospital length of stay, and readmission rate. Results A total of 328 patients were analyzed, and after propensity matching, 94 patients (PP:47 and PoP:47) were included. The mean age was 63.7 ± 16.4 y, 43.6% male, and 44.6% of procedures were performed laparoscopically. There was no difference in demographics, comorbidities, and procedure details between two groups. PoP patients had significantly lower superficial (odds ratio: 0.91 [0.74-0.98]; P = 0.045) and deep SSI (odds ratio:0.97 [0.65-0.99]; P = 0.048) than PP patients. PoP patient had shorter length of stay (P = 0.049) and trend toward lower readmission rate (P = 0.098) compared with PP patients and an 85% reduction in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services standardized infection rate. Conclusions Protocol-driven patient care improves patient outcomes. SSI bundle reduced SSI in patient undergoing colon surgery. Establishing national SSI bundles will help standardize care and help optimize patient outcomes.
Volumetric laser endomicroscopy features of dysplasia at the gastric cardia in Barrett's oesophagus: results from an observational cohort study.

Objective Volumetric laser endomicroscopy (VLE) is an advanced imaging modality used in Barrett’s oesophagus (BE) to help identify dysplasia in the oesophagus. VLE criteria exist for oesophageal dysplasia but not for dysplasia in the gastric cardia. The aim of this study was to determine if there are in vivo VLE features that can predict gastric cardia dysplasia in BE. Design This was a single-centre observational cohort study from August 2016 to August 2018. Patients were included if they had BE, were undergoing a VLE exam as standard of care, and had a suspicious target laser marked at the gastric cardia. The following VLE features were correlated to histology to determine if an association existed between histology subtype and VLE feature: wide crypts, irregular surface, one large isolated gland, multiple glands, and complex glands. Results A total of 110 in vivo gastric cardia targets in 77 patients with BE were analysed. The following abnormalities were identified: 61 wide crypts, 34 isolated glands, 16 irregular surfaces, 15 multiple glands, and 11 complex glands. Complex glands were the only VLE feature that correlated to any histology subtype. They were present in 71% of targets with high-grade dysplasia (HGD), T1a cancer or T1b cancer and had a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 71%, 99%, and 85%, respectively. Of the 10 patients with complex glands on VLE and HGD/cancer on histology, 4 had a normal-appearing mucosa (40%) on endoscopy. Conclusion Identification of complex glands on VLE may aid in detection of HGD or early cancer in the gastric cardia in BE. This is particularly important, as dysplasia at the gastric cardia can be difficult to see endoscopically.
Female (co)authorship in Cancionero Poetry

Resumen: La autoria femenina era una cuestion polemica en la Iberia del siglo XV y principios del XVI. Gran parte de la produccion poetica de este periodo estaba asociada con la interaccion social, lo que permitia una compleja negociacion de la autoria y los papeles de genero. Si bien el discurso femenino era fundamental para la escritura poetica y las practicas culturales relacionadas con el mismo, estaban en funcionamiento practicas editoriales que suprimian las contribuciones de las mujeres a la escritura. El estudio apunta a una imbricacion textual del discurso femenino y masculino en varias etapas de la composicion poetica y propone una reconsideracion de las aproximaciones a la autoria femenina (y masculina). Palabras clave: Cancionero, mujeres escritoras, poesia medieval, poesia renacentista. Abstract: Female authorship was a contentious subject in fifteenth- and early sixteen-century Iberia. During the period, a substantial amount of poetic production was associated with social interaction, which enabled a complex negotiation of authorship and gender roles. While female discourse was central to poetic writing and to the cultural practices connected to it, editorial practices worked to erase women’s contributions to poetic writing. The study shows a textual imbrication of female and male discourse at several stages of poetic composition and proposes a reconsideration of existing approaches to female (and male) authorship. Keywords: Cancionero, Women writers, medieval poetry, renaissance poetry.
Bridging the Gap Between Consumers' Medication Questions and Trusted Answers

This paper addresses the task of answering consumer health questions about medications. To better understand the challenge and needs in terms of methods and resources, we first introduce a gold standard corpus for Medication Question Answering created using real consumer questions. The gold standard (https://github.com/abachaa/Medication_QA_MedInfo2019) consists of six hundred and seventy-four question-answer pairs with annotations of the question focus and type and the answer source. We first present the manual annotation and answering process. In the second part of this paper, we test the performance of recurrent and convolutional neural networks in question type identification and focus recognition. Finally, we discuss the research insights from both the dataset creation process and our experiments. This study provides new resources and experiments on answering consumers' medication questions and discusses the limitations and directions for future research efforts.
Robust tracking control of an aircraft with critical actuator jam failures

Abstract In this paper, we present a new single fixed controller approach based on the multivariable H2 control/regulator theory with internal model principle to solve a challenging control problem...
A Repositioning Method for Shared Autonomous Vehicles Operation

Abstract Shared fully-automated, or autonomous, mobility (SAVs) is anticipated to be the likely choice for future urban travel. SAVs boast many operational benefits but will add congestion in the form of unoccupied miles. The fleet’s success further depends on service measures like the wait times for pickup trips. Agent-based simulation tools have closely looked at SAV operations but typically lack the integration between the supply and demand sides when simulating a population at scale. This paper focuses on the impact of SAV relocation on traveler wait times using a novel algorithm for repositioning. POLARIS, an agent-based tool, is used for a case study of Bloomington, Illinois to quantify the benefits of allowing SAV repositioning. On average, the wait times were lower with repositioning for all adequate fleet sizes. SAVs were available more uniformly across the region’s zones, and proportional to trip-making at different times of day. In addition, with repositioning enable a higher share of demands were served. Finally, the increase in empty fleet miles from SAV repositioning may be justified with more trips being served, and an overall improvement in SAV wait times.
Cloud and on-premises data center usage, expenditures, and approaches to return on investment: A survey of academic research computing organizations

The landscape of research in science and engineering is heavily reliant on computation and data processing. There is continued and expanded usage by disciplines that have historically used advanced computing resources, new usage by disciplines that have not traditionally used HPC, and new modalities of the usage in Data Science, Machine Learning, and other areas of AI. Along with these new patterns have come new advanced computing resource methods and approaches, including the availability of commercial cloud resources. The Coalition for Academic Scientific Computation (CASC) has long been an advocate representing the needs of academic researchers using computational resources, sharing best practices and offering advice to create a national cyberinfrastructure to meet US science, engineering, and other academic computing needs. CASC has completed the first of what we intend to be an annual survey of academic cloud and data center usage and practices in analyzing return on investment in cyberinfrastructure. Critically important findings from this first survey include the following: many of the respondents are engaged in some form of analysis of return in research computing investments, but only a minority currently report the results of such analyses to their upper-level administration. Most respondents are experimenting with use of commercial cloud resources but no respondent indicated that they have found use of commercial cloud services to create financial benefits compared to their current methods. There is clear correlation between levels of investment in research cyberinfrastructure and the scale of both cpu core-hours delivered and the financial level of supported research grants. Also interesting is that almost every respondent indicated that they participate in some sort of national cooperative or nationally provided research computing infrastructure project and most were involved in academic computing-related organizations, indicating a high degree of engagement by institutions of higher education in building and maintaining national research computing ecosystems. Institutions continue to evaluate cloud-based HPC service models, despite having generally concluded that so far cloud HPC is too expensive to use compared to their current methods.
Optimal Study of a High Specific Torque Vernier-type Axial-flux PM Machine with Two Different Stators and a Single Winding

This paper presents the optimal study of a verniertype axial-flux permanent-magnet (AFPM) machine, which has a high-polarity spoke-type PM rotor, a wound stator with a low number of coils, and a profiled stator. Both stators have profiled teeth to enhance the magnetic interaction between the rotor PM array and stator windings for torque production. Compared to the topology with two wound stators, the studied one has a smaller total axial length and is expected more suitable for applications where the space is limited in axial direction. Both topologies are optimized through 3-dimensional (3D) finite element analysis (FEA) by the combined design of experiments (DOE) based sensitivity analysis and surrogate-assisted multiobjective differential evolution (DE) algorithm. Key factors affecting the two objectives, i.e., total active material cost and total electromagnetic loss, are identified. The optimization results are presented and compared, providing practical guidelines for the optimal design and operation of such machines. The manufacturing aspects and their impacts on the electromagnetic performance are also discussed.
Abstract PO-173: Racial/ethnic differences and underlying behavioral mechanisms in the association between metabolic syndrome and cancer

Introduction: Recent epidemiological studies have suggested a trend of increasing prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and certain types of cancer among adults under the age of 50. How is MetS associated with cancer in adults under the age of 50? How does the association vary by racial/ethnic groups? What are the potential lifestyle behavioral mechanisms? This study attempts to gain insights into these questions. Methods: We used data from the 2011–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to define a case-control sample to examine the racial/ethnic disparities in the association of MetS and cancer of any type. We used chi-square test and binary logistic regression to examine the MetS and cancer association. All analyses were conducted in Stata 14. Results: From a total sample of 17,969 cases, we identified 15,463 no-cancer cases, and 1,584 cancer cases. We found that MetS was significantly associated with cancer risk in the total sample (odds ratio = 1.50, p = .005). This association was only found in the Asian subsample with marginal significance (odds ratio = 3.68, p = .06). Smoking was a significant mediator to the MetS-cancer association in the total sample; sleep duration was a marginally significant mediator in the African American subsample. Conclusion: To summarize, we found that the association between MetS and cancer vary by race/ethnicity for adults under the age of 50. The etiological and epidemiological mechanisms of such racial/ethnic disparities warrant future research. Our findings of racial/ethnic disparities between MetS and cancer contribute to the growing body of the literature and provide implications for future research and public health interventions. The next steps of our research are to: (1) conduct analysis in larger samples such as the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database; (2) explore the etiological and epidemiological mechanisms of MetS-cancer association with sufficient power within each racial/ethnic group; and 3) design and implement integrative behavioral interventions among high-risk groups to reduce cardiometabolic and cancer risks. Citation Format: Lin Zhu, Grace X. Ma. Racial/ethnic differences and underlying behavioral mechanisms in the association between metabolic syndrome and cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: Thirteenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2020 Oct 2-4. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(12 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-173.
“Like a cow that gave birth to a seagull”: Amos Oz, Yoel Hoffmann and the birth of The Same Sea

This article examines Oz’s novel The Same Sea (1999) and argues that it marks the novelist’s attempt to join a new phase in Israeli literature. Comparing The Same Sea to two novels by Yoel Hoffmann...
Development of dual-inducible duet-expression vectors for tunable gene expression control and CRISPR interference-based gene repression in Pseudomonas putida KT2440.

The development of P. putida as an industrial host requires a sophisticated molecular toolbox for strain improvement, including vectors for gene expression and repression. To augment existing expression plasmids for metabolic engineering, we developed a series of dual-inducible duet-expression vectors for P. putida KT2440. A number of inducible promoters (Plac , Ptac , PtetR/tetA and Pbad ) were used in different combinations to differentially regulate the expression of individual genes. Protein expression was evaluated by measuring the fluorescence of reporter proteins (GFP and RFP). Our experiments demonstrated the use of compatible plasmids, a useful approach to coexpress multiple genes in P. putida KT2440. These duet vectors were modified to generate a fully inducible CRISPR interference system using two catalytically inactive Cas9 variants from S. pasteurianus (dCas9) and S. pyogenes (spdCas9). The utility of developed CRISPRi system(s) was demonstrated by repressing the expression of nine conditionally essential genes, resulting in growth impairment and prolonged lag phase for P. putida KT2440 growth on glucose. Furthermore, the system was shown to be tightly regulated, tunable and to provide a simple way to identify essential genes with an observable phenotype.
Evaluation of the frequency following response as a predictive biomarker of response to cognitive training in schizophrenia.

Abstract Neurophysiological biomarkers of auditory processing show promise predicting outcomes following auditory-based targeted cognitive training (TCT) in schizophrenia, but the viability of the frequency following response (FFR) as a biomarker has yet to be examined, despite its ecological and face validity for auditory-based interventions. FFR is an event-related potential (ERP) that reflects early auditory processing. We predicted that schizophrenia patients would show acute- and longer-term FFR malleability in the context of TCT. Patients were randomized to either TCT (n = 30) or treatment as usual (TAU; n = 22), and electroencephalography was recorded during rapid presentation of an auditory speech stimulus before treatment, after one hour of training, and after 30 h of training. Whereas patients in the TCT group did not show changes in FFR after training, amplitude reductions were observed in the TAU. FFR was positively associated with performance on a measure of single word-in-noise perception in the TCT group, and with a measure of sentence-in-noise perception in both groups. Psychometric reliability analyses of FFR scores indicated high internal consistency but low one-hour and 12-week test-rest reliability. These findings support the dissociation between measures of speech discriminability along the hierarchy of cortical and subcortical early auditory information processing in schizophrenia.
Special Session: Reliability Analysis for AI/ML Hardware

Artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are becoming pervasive in today’s applications, such as autonomous vehicles, healthcare, aerospace, cybersecurity, and many critical applications. Ensuring the reliability and robustness of the underlying AI/ML hardware becomes our paramount importance. In this paper, we explore and evaluate the reliability of different AI/ML hardware. The first section outlines the reliability issues in a commercial systolic array-based ML accelerator in the presence of faults engendering from device-level non-idealities in the DRAM. Next, we quantified the impact of circuit-level faults in the MSB and LSB logic cones of the Multiply and Accumulate (MAC) block of the AI accelerator on the AI/ML accuracy. Finally, we present two key reliability issues- circuit aging and endurance in emerging neuromorphic hardware platforms and present our system-level approach to mitigate them.
Scheduling HPC Workflows with Intel Optane Persistent Memory

HPC workloads and their Increasing data processing demands have led to using in situ execution, which couples simulation and analytics to reduce cross node memory accesses and their negative impact on overall performance. In situ executions can benefit from new classes of persistent memory technologies, such as Intel® Optane™ DC Persistent Memory (PMEM), which provide a denser, lower cost, and lower performance memory option for server class machines. However, PMEM creates a new set of trade-offs that must be considered to further improve performance for these HPC workloads and to realize the expected benefits. Prior work has only focused on describing how to tune for a single workload component, which may not yield optimal results for the entire workload.In this paper, we use a suite of workflows with different characteristics to understand the impact of using PMEM for in situ workflow executions with respect to different decisions on how PMEM is shared. Based on our experimental observations, we make recommendations for the considerations that must be incorporated for future workflow schedulers to maximize the benefits of the PMEM resource.
Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) for open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion: a retrospective propensity-matched cohort study.

BACKGROUND The enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol is a multidisciplinary, multimodal approach which has been shown to facilitate recovery of physiological function, and reduce postoperative pain, complication rates, and length of stay without adversely affecting readmission rates. Design and implementation of ERAS protocols in the recent spine surgery literature has primarily focused on patients undergoing minimally invasive lumbar surgery. However, conventional open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) remains a common procedure and to date there are no studies assessing an ERAS protocol in this patient population. PURPOSE This study presents a single surgeon experience implementing an ERAS protocol in patients undergoing 1- or 2-level open TLIF. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Retrospective consecutive patient cohort with controls propensity-matched for age, body mass index, sex, and smoking status. PATIENT SAMPLE Consecutive patients that underwent 1- or 2-level open TLIF for degenerative disease from 12/2018 - 02/2021 and controls from 12/2011-12/2017 by a single surgeon. ERAS was implemented in December 2018. OUTCOME MEASURES Primary: length of stay; Secondary: first day to ambulate, first day to bowel movement, first day to void, daily average and maximum pain scores, opioid use, discharge disposition, 30-day readmission rate, and re-operations. METHODS Demographic, perioperative, clinical, radiographic data were collected. Multivariate mixed-linear regression models were developed for length of stay, physiological function, pain scales, and opiate use. RESULTS There were 114 patients included with 57 in each cohort. After propensity matching, patient characteristics were similar between groups. Operative time decreased significantly after institution of ERAS (170±44 vs. 141±37 minutes, p <.0001) as did length of stay (4.6±1.7 vs. 3.6±1.6 days, p<.0001). First day of ambulation, bowel movement, and bladder voiding improved by 0.8 (p<.0001), 0.7 (p=.008), and 0.8 (p<.0001) days, respectively, in the ERAS cohort. Total daily intravenous morphine milligram equivalent (MME) (8±9 vs. 36±38, p<0.0001) and total 72-hour MME consumption (53±33 vs. 68±48, p<.0001) was significantly lower in the ERAS cohort; however, 72-hour MME consumption was not found to be significantly different in a sensitivity analysis controlling for preoperative MME. Average daily pain scores were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with other studies demonstrating benefit of an ERAS protocol for minimally invasive spine procedures, ERAS was associated with decreased operative time, reduced length of stay, decrease in IV opioid consumption, and improved physiological outcomes for open 1- and 2-level TLIF. ERAS can be a potentially effective strategy for improving patient outcome and efficiency of healthcare resources for common conventional spinal surgeries such as open TLIF.
Promotion of Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling by Tetraspanins and Glycosphingolipids

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) belong to the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) superfamily of secreted molecules. BMPs play essential roles in multiple developmental and homeostatic processes in metazoans. Malfunction of the BMP pathway can cause a variety of diseases in humans, including cancer, skeletal disorders and cardiovascular diseases. Identification of factors that ensure proper spatiotemporal control of BMP signaling is critical for understanding how this pathway is regulated. We have used a unique and sensitive genetic screen to identify the plasma membrane-localized tetraspanin TSP-21 as a key new factor in the C. elegans BMP-like “Sma/Mab” signaling pathway that controls body size and postembryonic M lineage development. We showed that TSP-21 acts in the signal-receiving cells and genetically functions at the ligand-receptor level. We further showed that TSP-21 can associate with itself and with two additional tetraspanins, TSP-12 and TSP-14, which also promote Sma/Mab signaling. TSP-12 and TSP-14 can also associate with SMA-6, the type I receptor of the Sma/Mab pathway. Finally, we found that glycosphingolipids, major components of the tetraspanin-enriched microdomains, are required for Sma/Mab signaling. Our findings suggest that the tetraspanin-enriched membrane microdomains are important for proper BMP signaling. As tetraspanins have emerged as diagnostic and prognostic markers for tumor progression, and TSP-21, TSP-12 and TSP-14 are all conserved in humans, we speculate that abnormal BMP signaling due to altered expression or function of certain tetraspanins may be a contributing factor to cancer development.
Ti(IV) binds to human serum transferrin more tightly than does Fe(III).

The binding of titanium(IV) to human serum transferrin in 50 mM Tris with 20 mM bicarbonate and 10 mM citrate at pH 7.4 was studied by UV/vis kinetics and by isothermal titration calorimetry. Ti(IV) citrate, [Ti(C6H4O7)3]8-, employed in this study was previously characterized and delivers the metal to transferrin rapidly, allowing the quantification of the intrinsic binding constants for Ti(IV) to the C- and N-sites of transferrin. The results after correcting for blood plasma conditions (pH 7.4, [HCO3-] = 27 mM) reveal that Ti(IV) binds with greater affinity (log K = 26.8 and 25.7) than Fe(III) (log K = 22.5 and 21.4) to transferrin, a finding not previously observed for other examined metal ions. The strength of metal binding to transferrin correlates with the Lewis acidity of the metal. Ti(IV) is more Lewis acidic than Fe(III) and is nearly the same size. The study also reveals that Ti(IV) binds more tightly to one site than the other, and this difference is due to both entropic and enthalpic contribut...
Development of a high power &#8212; High efficiency &#8212; Wideband traveling-wave tetrode

The traveling wave tetrode is a unique device which can provide multi decade bandwidths in the VHF-UHF frequency range. The device consists basically of two isolated transmission lines which are coupled by the transverse electron beam. The beam is rf modulated by the signal on the input line and collected on the output line. The two lines are designed to have equal phase velocity at a given frequency in the operating band so that the rf currents will continue to add up in the direction of propagation. Two basic types of device have been developed. The first device which utilizes uniform input and output transmission lines produces the maximum gain - bandwidth product. Using this approach a bandwidth from 6 to 600 mc has been demonstrated at the 100 watt output level and 15 db gain (17% eff.). In the second type of device the impedance of the output line is tapered after a Short buildup section to maintain a constant rf voltage swing. This approach produces a device with optimum efficiency. An efficiency in excess of 40% has been demonstrated. Power output capability is in the 500-700 watt range with a bandwidth from 6 to 300 mc. The gain is 13 db. Both devices use the same vacuum envelope ( 4" \times 5" \times 7" ) and weigh 7 1/2 lbs. Because of the high efficiency, extreme bandwidth, and small size and weight, this approach offers tremendous advantage over beam type devices for applications in VHF-UHF frequency range.
MULTIEDGE REFINEMENT OF EXTENDED X-RAY-ABSORPTION FINE STRUCTURE OF MANGANESE ZINC FERRITE NANOPARTICLES

The structure of nanoparticle manganese zinc ferrites synthesized by a reverse micellar method is determined by analysis of the extended x-ray-absorption fine structure in combination with other techniques. Both empirical and theoretical standards are employed; manganese, zinc, and iron edges are refined simultaneously. It is determined that samples synthesized under similar conditions sometimes exhibit a markedly different distribution of cations between the available sites in the spinel structure; this in turn causes significant differences in the magnetic properties of the samples. In addition, it is found that the mean-square displacements for manganese-oxygen bonds are consistently higher than for zinc-oxygen bonds, perhaps due to the presence of manganese ions of more than one valence.
Production of Soft Dileptons in the Quark - Gluon Plasma

The production rate for soft dileptons in a hot quark-gluon plasma is computed to leading order in the QCD coupling constant through a systematic resummation of perturbation theory. The partial rate from the annihilation and decay of soft quarks and antiquarks exhibits unexpected structure---sharp peaks due to Van Hove singularities. These peaks are overwhelmed by the partial rate from processes involving hard quarks and gluons. The total rate for soft dileptons is larger than the naive one-loop prediction by orders of magnitude.
The effect of ketamine upon norepinephrine and dopamine levels in rabbit brain parts.

Ketamine (40 mg/kg, i.v.) significantly increased dopamine levels in the thalamus and hypothalamus brain areas, but not in the midbrain or caudate nucleus. The increase in dopamine occurred during the time when ketamine produced its maximal anesthetic action (10–30 min). Ketamine had no effect upon norepinephrine levels in whole brain or the select brain parts with the exception of caudate nucleus at any of the times studied. These results demonstrate an effect of ketamine upon dopamine levels in those brain regions previously suggested as the site of ketamine's anesthetic action.
A tale of three blind men on the proper subject matter of clinical science and practice: Commentary on Plaud's behaviorism vs. Ilardi and Feldman's cognitive neuroscience

Plaud (J Clin Psychol 57, 1089-1102, 1109-1111, 1119-1120) and Ilardi and Feldman (J Clin Psychol 57, 1067-1088, 1103-1107, 1113-1117, 1121-1124) argue for two very different approaches to clinical science and practice (i.e., behavior analysis and cognitive neuroscience, respectively). We comment on the assets and liabilities of both perspectives as presented and attempt to achieve some semblance of balance between the three protagonists embroiled in this current debate. The vision of clinical science we articulate is more ecumenical and evolutionary, rather than paradigmatic and revolutionary. As we see it, the problem clinical psychology faces is much larger than the authors let on; namely, how best to make clinical science meaningful and relevant to practitioners, consumers, the general public, and the behavioral health-care community. Clinical psychology's immediate internal problem is not pluralism with regard to subject matter, worldview, methodology, or school of thought, but pluralism in clinical psychologists' adherence to a scientific epistemology as the only legitimate form of clinical psychology. On this latter point, we still have a very long way to go.
General and specific locus of control in cocaine abusers

Although the struggle for control has been widely recognized as a central feature of addiction, information about its role in the development and maintenance of addictive behavior is limited. This study compared general and specific locus of control in three groups of cocaine abusers: (a) hospitalized subjects with no prior treatment experience, (b) hospitalized subjects with prior treatment experience, and (c) recovering cocaine abusers. Results of initial analyses of variance revealed significant group differences on both general and specific scales. Scores of recovering cocaine abusers were more internal than those of hospitalized subjects. Differences on the general scale were not significant when age was controlled. No significant differences were noted between the two groups of hospitalized subjects, but scores of hospitalized cocaine abusers made an internal shift over the course of treatment. These findings support generalizability of models previously applied to alcoholics and suggest that internality is positively correlated with recovery.
THE SIZE EFFECT IS PRIMARILY A PRICE EFFECT

Previous research shows that stock returns are related to firm market value and earnings yield. This study decomposes the measurements of market value and earnings yield into separate components (share price and shares outstanding for market value, earnings per share and share price for earnings yield) and examines the relationship between stock return and these components. Share price represents approximately three-fourths of the relationship between stock returns and either market value or earnings yield. Potential causes for this phenomenon are advanced.
On the paradox of heat conduction in porous media subject to lack of local thermal equilibrium

Abstract An apparent paradox that appears in problems of heat conduction in porous media subject to lack of local thermal equilibrium (LaLotheq) that was introduced by Vadasz [Transport in Porous Media 59 (2005) 341–355] is reformulated and resolved. This apparent paradox relates to a combination of Dirichlet and insulation boundary conditions and leads the solution towards local thermal equilibrium (Lotheq).
Verbal Equity, Cognitive Specialization, and Performance

In this paper, patterns of communication are examined in order to unpack the extent to which verbal equity is a critical factor in determining group success. A microanalysis of 20 teams working to complete a complex, information dependent, collaborative task was conducted. Interaction analysis methods were used as means to determine patterns of interaction and the sophistication of cognitive activity that teams engaged in. Findings suggest that verbal equity may not be as important as previous research indicates. A more critical variable may be cognitive specialization. The authors explain their findings by drawing on theories of cognition, thereby contributing to a better understanding of collective intelligence.
Selection for Mating Aggressiveness in Female Screw-Worms

Two strains of Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) were selected for mating aggressiveness of the females (based on the strike response to the male pheromone). In substrain A (from 2 ♀), aggressiveness increased from a mean of 3,6 strikes in the parent generation to 30.2 in the F2generation. There was no selection in the F2 and F3 generations, but the females retained their aggressive ness. The mean number of strikes in the F4 generation was 17.4. In substrain B (from 3 ♀), the mean number of strikes increased from 30 in the P1 generation to 16,8 in the F1 generation and to 19,5 in the F2 generation.
Spatial analysis of 3' phosphoinositide signaling in living fibroblasts: II. Parameter estimates for individual cells from experiments.

Fibroblast migration is directed by gradients of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) during wound healing. As in other chemotactic systems, it has been shown recently that localized stimulation of intracellular phosphoinositide (PI) 3-kinase activity and production of 3′ PI lipids in the plasma membrane are important events in the signaling of spatially biased motility processes. In turn, 3′ PI localization depends on the effective diffusion coefficient, D, and turnover rate constant, k, of these lipids. Here we present a systematic and direct comparison of mathematical model calculations and experimental measurements to estimate the values of the effective 3′ PI diffusion coefficient, D, turnover rate constant, k, and other parameters in individual fibroblasts stimulated uniformly with PDGF. In the context of our uniform stimulation model, the values of D and k in each cell were typically estimated within 10–20% or less, and the mean values across all of the cells analyzed were D = 0.37 ± 0.25 μm2/s and k = 1.18 ± 0.54 min−1. In addition, we report that 3′ PI turnover is not affected by PDGF receptor signaling in our cells, allowing us to focus our attention on the regulation of 3′ PI production as this system is studied further.
Band-gap bowing in Ga1−xInxN alloys

Abstract The band-gap bowing in Ga1−xInxN is studied by means of linear muffin-tin orbital band structure calculations within the local density functional approach. A “virtual crystal”-like approximation is compared with the Connolly-Williams cluster expansion approach with and without volume and bond-length relaxations. A progressively stronger bowing is found as the physical model's complexity is increased. The final bowing parameter obtained is 2.6 eV, which is significantly larger than the value reported in the literature.
Kondo screening in d-wave superconductors in a Zeeman field and implications for STM spectra of Zn-doped cuprates

We consider the screening of an impurity moment in a d-wave superconductor under the influence of a Zeeman magnetic field. Using the numerical renormalization group technique, we investigate the resulting pseudogap Kondo problem, in particular the field-induced crossover behavior in the vicinity of the zero-field boundary quantum phase transition. The impurity spectral function and the resulting changes in the local host density of states are calculated, giving specific predictions for high-field scanning tunneling microscopy measurements on impurity-doped cuprates.
Boundary behaviour of some Cauchy transforms

Let Ω be a relatively open subset of the unit sphere ∂&#x1d539; n = {z ∈ ℂ n : ‖z‖ = 1}, with smooth boundary Γ relative to ∂&#x1d539; n , and let χΩ be the characteristic function of Ω. Let E(Γ) denote the set of points z ∈ Γ such that the manifold Γ is not generic at z. We show that if f ∈ C 1(∂&#x1d539; n ) the Cauchy transform of fχΩ extends continuously to each point of ∂&#x1d539; n ∖E(Γ).
Understanding solid-state microwave synthesis using the diamond-like semiconductor, AgInSe2, as a case study

Abstract An investigation of the solid-state microwave synthetic method was performed using AgInSe 2 as a model system. Sample volume, irradiation time and grinding time of reactants were investigated in order to determine the effect that these variables have on the phase purity of the reaction product. In addition, the reaction mechanism was probed by carrying out irradiation experiments using the constituent elements and binary mixtures. AgInSe 2 samples synthesized via solid-state microwave irradiation were compared to a sample that was synthesized via high-temperature solid-state synthesis in a furnace. Powder X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in the UV/vis/near IR region were used to characterize all reaction products.
Processable aromatic polyimides

Two similar polyimide systems were synthesized and characterized. The only structural difference was a sulfide linkage in the anhydride-derived portion of the first system vs. a sulfone linkage in the second. Their physical, mechanical, melt-flow and thermal properties, and their resistance to some of the more common solvents were determined. The flow properties of these polyimides indicate a potential for melt processability.