cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Communications of the pelvic extraperitoneal spaces and their relation to the abdominal extraperitoneal spaces: helical CT cadaver study with pelvic extraperitoneal injections.

PURPOSE: To evaluate flow patterns and anatomic appearances in the pelvic extraperitoneal spaces and to determine their relation to the abdominal extraperitoneal spaces. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Helical computed tomographic (CT) guidance was used for injection of up to 1,000 mL of iodinated contrast material into one pelvic extraperitoneal space in each of five cadavers. Staged-volume injections into two prevesical spaces, one paravesical space, and one perivesical space were followed by helical CT. RESULTS: The injected pelvic extraperitoneal spaces freely communicated with each other and with the perirenal and anterior and posterior pararenal spaces of the abdomen. This abdominal communication was via the large infrarenal space posteriorly and the circumferential extraperitoneal spaces about the peritoneal cavity bounded deeply and superficially by the parietal peritoneum and transversalis fascia, respectively. The contrast material reached the diaphragm superiorly and the femoral vascular sheath space an...
Mobilizing a graduate school

This presentation aims to disseminate some of the experience gained by the author in planning, implementing and evaluating laptop programs at RAIUL, and to flag up some of the issues and opportunities which may be encountered by those choosing similar solutions in other universities.
Sampling heuristics for optimal motion planning in high dimensions

We present a sampling-based motion planner that improves the performance of the probabilistically optimal RRT* planning algorithm. Experiments demonstrate that our planner finds a fast initial path and decreases the cost of this path iteratively. We identify and address the limitations of RRT* in high-dimensional configuration spaces. We introduce a sampling bias to facilitate and accelerate cost decrease in these spaces and a simple node-rejection criteria to increase efficiency. Finally, we incorporate an existing bi-directional approach to search which decreases the time to find an initial path. We analyze our planner on a simple 2D navigation problem in detail to show its properties and test it on a difficult 7D manipulation problem to show its effectiveness. Our results consistently demonstrate improved performance over RRT*.
The human papillomavirus vaccination is not associated with risk of multiple sclerosis or other demyelinating diseases

Commentary on : Scheller NM, Svanstrom H, Pasternak B, et al. Quadrivalent HPV vaccination and risk of multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system. JAMA 2015;313:54–61[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4]. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has been available worldwide since 2006 and over 170 million doses have been distributed. Although the HPV vaccination has demonstrated benefits in preventing precancerous lesions of the cervix, some parents forego vaccination due to safety concerns.1 While not commonly reported, concerns about neurological side effects have been aired in the media. Rigorous postmarketing analyses to assess for unintended sequelae of new medications are warranted and public concerns have prompted several high-quality studies assessing the HPV vaccine safety. Scheller and colleagues evaluated the incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) and demyelinating diseases that could potentially … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJAMA%26rft.volume%253D313%26rft.spage%253D54%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1001%252Fjama.2014.16946%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F25562266%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1001/jama.2014.16946&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=25562266&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F20%2F3%2F116.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000347478000015&link_type=ISI
A Comparative Study of Threshold-Based Feature Selection Techniques

Given high-dimensional software measurement data, researchers and practitioners often use feature (metric) selection techniques to improve the performance of software quality classification models. This paper presents our newly proposed threshold-based feature selection techniques, comparing the performance of these techniques by building classification models using five commonly used classifiers. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of different feature selection techniques, the models are evaluated using eight different performance metrics separately since a given performance metric usually captures only one aspect of the classification performance. All experiments are conducted on three Eclipse data sets with different levels of class imbalance. The experiments demonstrate that the choice of a performance metric may significantly influence the results. In this study, we have found four distinct patterns when utilizing eight performance metrics to order 11 threshold-based feature selection techniques. Moreover, performances of the software quality models either improve or remain unchanged despite the removal of over 96% of the software metrics (attributes).
Experiments in mixed reality

As part of the Institute for Creative Technologies and the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California, the Mixed Reality lab develops technologies and techniques for presenting realistic immersive training experiences. Such experiences typically place users within a complex ecology of social actors, physical objects, and collections of intents, motivations, relationships, and other psychological constructs. Currently, it remains infeasible to completely synthesize the interactivity and sensory signatures of such ecologies. For this reason, the lab advocates mixed reality methods for training and conducts experiments exploring such methods. Currently, the lab focuses on understanding and exploiting the elasticity of human perception with respect to representational differences between real and virtual environments. This paper presents an overview of three projects: techniques for redirected walking, displays for the representation of virtual humans, and audio processing to increase stress.
In Search of Rare Forest Primates in Nigeria

When the author visited Nigeria in 1981 to look at forests on the lower Niger, there had been no reports for 15 years of the red-bellied guenon Cercopithecus erythrogaster, and only a single specimen of the olive colobus Procolobus verus was known from the country. He found surviving populations of both monkeys, but each is threatened by widespread, intensive hunting, and by habitat destruction. If effective measures are not taken to protect the guenon and its rainforest habitat, this species could become extinct, since it occurs only in southwestern Nigeria.
(Z)-2-(4-Methoxybenzylidene)-1-azabicyclo(2.2.2)- octan-3-one

The title compound, C15H17NO2, was prepared by the base-catalyzed reaction of 4-methoxy­benzaldehyde with 1-aza­bicyclo­[2.2.2]octan-3-one. The configuration about the olefinic bond connecting the methoxy­phenyl and 1-aza­bicylo[2.2.2]octan-3-one moieties is Z.
Toward Unification of Source Attribution Processes and Techniques

Automatic Source Attribution refers to the ability for an autonomous process to determine the source of a previously unexamined piece of writing. Statistical methods for source attribution have been the subject of scholarly research for well over a century. The field, however, is still missing a definitive currency of established or agreed-upon classes of features, methods, techniques and nomenclature. This paper represents continuation of research into the basic attribution problem, as well as work towards an eventual source attribution standard. We augment previous work which utilized in-common, non-trivial word frequencies with neural networks on a more standardized data set. We also use two other techniques: Phrase-based feature sets evaluated with naive Bayesians and bi-gram feature sets evaluated with the nearest neighbor algorithm. We compare the three and explore methods of combining the techniques in order to achieve better results.
Autocrine downregulation of fibroblast growth factor receptors in F9 teratocarcinoma cells.

The regulation of cell surface fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors during the differentiation of F9 teratocarcinoma cells was investigated. The capacity of F9 cells to bind '251-basic FGF (FGF-2) increased upon induction of differentiation with dibutyryl CAMP and retinoic acid. No change in binding capacity was observed in the first 24 h after addition of differentiating agents, but a sixfold increase in binding capacity was observed after 48 h and a fivefold increase after 72 h. Scatchard analysis of the binding data indicated that the increased binding of '251-FGF-2 was due to an increase in the number of receptors with no change in their affinity. When '"I-FGF-2 was cross-linked to cell surface receptors, an increase in FGF-2-receptor complexes with molecular weights of 140,00& 160,000 was also observed in the differentiated F9 cells. Undifferentiated F9 cells are known to secrete FGF-4 and cease expression of this molecule upon differentiation. To determine whether the low level of receptors in undifferentiated cells might be related to their production of FCF ligands, the ability of suramin, a drug that can disrupt FGF-receptor interactions, to modulate receptor number on F9 cells was investigated. Surarnin treatment increased the '251-FGF-2 binding capacity of undifferentiated F9 cells threefold but had littleeffect on the binding capacity of differentiated cells. In addition, antibodies to FGF-4 increased the '251-FGF-2 binding capacity of undifferentiated F9 cells by 58%. These results suggest that undifferentiated F9 cells might be responding in an autocrine manner to their own FGF ligands resulting in downregulation of cell surface FGF receptors. The increased number of receptors observed in differentiated cells may partly result from the decreased production of FGF ligands by these cells. o 1994 Witey-Ltss, Inc.
Capital Market Regimes and Bank Competition in Europe

We hypothesize that national differences in capital market regimes influence competitive outcomes within European banking. Using bank-level data from 13 European countries, 1998 to 2004, we find that equity market development and shareholder protection are related to bank capitalization and that publicly listed independent banks utilize higher equity capitalization than their respective unlisted counterparts. These capital market regime factors also exert a positive influence on bank asset growth and significantly influence banks' allocations of assets between customer lending and wholesale activities. This suggests the existence of complementarities between bank-based and market-based financial systems that previous research has overlooked.
Standardized Multinational Advertising: The Influencing Factors

Advertising for multinational products uses standardization most often in strategy, less often in executions, and least often in language. This study's international sample of advertising agency executives considers creative impact the most important and pressure (from time, client, etc.) the least important reason to use some form of standardized advertising. Despite this, it is views on client pressure which explain most of the variance in views on future use of standardization. That is, those respondents who believe that client pressure is increasing also believe that overall use of standardization will increase. A separate sample of agency executives reinforced some of these findings, particularly the role of the successful, big idea and client pressure in making the decision to standardize. Copy research also plays a role in standardization recommendations, but it is not used as extensively as might be necessary.
Mediatory Role of Endothelium-Derived Nitric Oxide in Renal Vasodilatory and Excretory Effects of Bradykinin

Intrarenal infusions of 5 ng/kg/min bradykinin (BK) in 5 mg/kg intravenous bolus meclofenamate-treated anesthetized dogs significantly increased renal blood flow, diuresis, natriuresis, and kaliuresis. All these effects were abolished by the simultaneous intrarenal infusion of a competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthesis, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (LNMMA). Furthermore, the intrarenal infusion of this inhibitor alone also produced a significant decrease in basal renal blood flow. The administration of L-arginine, a precursor of nitric oxide, prevented the inhibitory effect of LNMMA on the renal vasodilatory and excretory response to BK. Glomerular filtration rate and mean arterial pressure did not change throughout the experiment. It is concluded that the renal vasodilatory and excretory responses to intrarenal BK in meclofenamate-treated dogs are largely dependent on endothelium-derived nitric oxide.
Fabrication, Structure and Properties of Aluminum-Aluminide Layered Composites

The fabrication of aluminum-aluminide layered composites by reactive bonding of elemental Al and Ni foils was investigated. It was observed that after hot-pressing, thin Ni foils were converted to NiAl. The as-processed Al-NiAl layered structure could be heat-treated to produce an equilibrium Al-Al3Ni layered composite. Tensile tests revealed that composites could be produced that failed in a “tough” manner and were stronger and stiffer than aluminum.
Trajectories of individual depressive symptoms in adolescents: gender and family relationships as predictors.

Depressive syndrome and disorders increase substantially during adolescence. Little is known, however, about how individual symptoms of depression change over the course of this developmental period. The present study examined within-person changes in symptom severity of each individual symptom of depression, utilizing longitudinal data collected across six years of adolescence. Adolescent gender and family relationship variables were tested as predictors of the symptom trajectories (i.e., intercept and slope). Adolescents and their mothers (N = 240) were first evaluated when youth were in grade 6 (M = 11.86 years old; SD = 0.56; 54% female) and then annually through grade 12. Individual symptoms of depression were assessed by a clinical interviewer using the Children’s Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R). Mothers and youth also completed measures about their relationship on the Children’s Report of Parent Behavior Inventory and the Family Environment Scale. Results showed that all depressive symptoms increased linearly over time except psychomotor disturbances and problems with concentration and decision making, which were best represented by a quadratic growth model. Sex differences were found such that significantly more rapid increases in worthlessness/guilt were found for girls than boys, and concentration/decision making problems decreased significantly for boys, but not girls. Poor family relationship quality (mother-reported) predicted a significantly faster rate of increase in adolescents’ symptoms of anhedonia, appetite/weight changes, and fatigue. High maternal psychological control (youth-reported) also predicted a faster rate of increase in anhedonia. Study limitations, future research directions, and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.
Ab Initio Enhanced calphad Modeling of Actinide-Rich Nuclear Fuels

The process of fuel recycling is central to the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI), where plutonium and the minor actinides (MA) Am, Np, and Cm are extracted from spent fuel and fabricated into new fuel for a fast reactor. Metallic alloys of U-Pu-Zr-MA are leading candidates for fast reactor fuels and are the current basis for fast spectrum metal fuels in a fully recycled closed fuel cycle. Safe and optimal use of these fuels will require knowledge of their multicomponent phase stability and thermodynamics (Gibbs free energies). In additional to their use as nuclear fuels, U-Pu-Zr-MA contain elements and alloy phases that pose fundamental questions about electronic structure and energetics at the forefront of modern many-body electron theory. This project will validate state-of-the-art electronic structure approaches for these alloys and use the resulting energetics to model U-Pu-Zr-MA phase stability. In order to keep the work scope practical, researchers will focus on only U-Pu-Zr-{Np,Am}, leaving Cm for later study. The overall objectives of this project are to: Provide a thermodynamic model for U-Pu-Zr-MA for improving and controlling reactor fuels; and, Develop and validate an ab initio approach for predicting actinide alloy energetics for thermodynamic modeling.
Epidemiological analysis and risk assessment on public health emergencies of infection diseases in Shenzhen City,2009-2013

Objective Epidemiological analysis was conducted on public health emergencies of infection diseases in 2009-2013 in Shenzhen in order to provide an important reference for risk assessment of public health emergencies,and to reduce the occurrence of risks and hazards of emergent public health events. Methods The distribution of public health emergencies of infection diseases reported in 2009-2013 in Shenzhen was analyzed.And a matrix method of risk analysis(AS/NZS4360:1999)was used in risk assessment. Results A total of 131 cases of infectious disease emergencies were reported in 2009-2013 in Shenzhen,among which 96.2% were unrated.They mainly occurred in the middle and primary schools as well as kindergartens,and the main route of transmission was respiratory tract,accounting for 54.2%.In 2014,the risk assessment results of infectious disease emergencies were 2types of extremely high risk events,9types of high risk events and 1type of middle risk event. Conclusions The occurrence of public health emergencies of infection diseases is overall lower in Shenzhen City in 2009-2013.The matrix method of risk analysis can effectively identify risk events of various rates.It is easy to operate and suitable for application in grass-roots units.
The College of American Pathologists Laboratory Accreditation Programme.

The Laboratory Accreditation Programme (LAP) offered by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) was begun in 1961. It is a voluntary peer review programme with the goal of laboratory improvement to excellence. It presently accredits more than 4300 laboratories throughout the world, although the majority are in the United States and Canada. Accreditation is contingent upon continuing successful performance in the CAP proficiency testing programmes, as well as passing biennial on-site laboratory inspections. These on-site inspections are done by practising laboratorians who use checklists appropriate for the various laboratory disciplines. Several governmental regulatory agencies (e.g. the Health Care Financing Agency) as well as private agencies (e.g. the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) accept the LAP in place of their own programmes for laboratory accreditation.
Polarity trend analysis of public sentiment on YouTube

For the past several years YouTube has been by far the largest user-driven online video provider. While many of these videos contain a significant number of user comments, little work has been done to date in extracting trends from these comments because of their low information consistency and quality. In this paper we perform sentiment analysis of the YouTube comments related to popular topics using machine learning techniques. We demonstrate that an analysis of the sentiments to identify their trends, seasonality and forecasts can provide a clear picture of the influence of real-world events on user sentiments.
Sensor for small satellite relative PNT in deep-space

A prototype sensor designed to use of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) as signals of opportunity for relative positioning, navigation and timing (PNT)in deep-space applications is described. GRBs are intense and aperiodic electromagnetic emissions which can last from a few fractions of a second to hours in length. What makes them suitable for navigation is that they are ubiquitous and can be sensed easily. The design of and results from laboratory testing of a prototype GRB sensor known as the Gamma Ray Burst Incidence Detector (GRID) is presented. Concept of operation for relative PNT using GRBs in CubeSat missions is also described.
Hereditary Matter: Inheritance and Development — The Gene

“The gene, like the Roman God Janus, has two faces, one turned toward the maintenance of its own integrity, one looking toward the synthetic metabolism of the cell” ( Schulz, 1941).
Challenges in flow background removal in search for the chiral magnetic effect

We investigate the effect of resonance decays on the three-particle correlator charge separation observable in a search for the chiral magnetic effect, using a simple simulation with realistic inputs. We find that resonance decays can largely account for the measured signal. We suppress the elliptic flow (${v}_{2}$) background by using zero event-by-event ${v}_{2}$ (or via the mixed-event technique). We find that the background is suppressed, but not eliminated as naively anticipated. We identify the reason to be the nonidenticalness of the resonance and final-state particle's ${v}_{2}$ and the induced correlation between the transverse momentum dependent resonance ${v}_{2}$ and decay angle. We make predictions for the charge separation signal due to resonance decays in 200 GeV Au+Au collisions.
New Technology and The Small Firm

This paper examines how and why the role of small business has become more important over time. A special focus is placed on the role of small business in the New Economy.
Pace of Progress in Stroke Thrombolysis: Are Hospitals Running To Stand Still?

Stroke is a time-sensitive medical emergency and a leading cause of disability in the United States. Therapies to halt and even reverse ischemic injury to the brain, such as intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), are available, but the systems to deliver them rapidly have not been optimized to ensure timely treatment of as many eligible patients as possible. Although ≈40 000 to 50 000 acute ischemic stroke patients per year receive tPA,1,2 benefits from the drug are not simply related to receiving it or not but rather are closely linked to time from onset to treatment.3,4 Delays to treatment lead to more disability because every additional 5 minutes is tantamount to the permanent loss of nearly 10 million brain cells.5 National guidelines and quality measures have, therefore, emphasized speed of stroke thrombolysis, focusing on the time between patient arrival to the hospital and tPA administration, also known as door-to-needle (DTN) time.6,7 Alarmingly, recommendations that hospitals evaluate acute ischemic stroke patients and administer tPA within 60 minutes of a patient’s arrival to the emergency department have existed since the original National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke tPA trial.8 Despite this, as the first decade of the new millennium closed, US hospitals were not meeting this goal in a majority of patients. See Articles by Xian et al and Kamal et al In response to lagging performance nationwide, the first phase of the American Stroke Association Target: Stroke campaign began in January 2010 and provided Get With The Guidelines-Stroke participating hospitals best practice strategies and supporting resources to …
Numerical simulation of the initial destabilization of an air-blasted liquid layer

Numerical simulations of a planar air/water air-blast atomization are performed using an in-house multiphase Navier–Stokes solver which uses a semi-Lagrangian geometric volume of fluid method to track the position of the interface. This solver conserves mass exactly and mitigates momentum and kinetic energy conservation errors. Excellent agreement with recent experiments is obtained when comparing physical quantities, such as the liquid cone length, maximum wave frequency and spatial growth rate of the primary instability. The inclination of the gas inflow, which mimics the slope of the separator plate, is shown to enhance the primary atomization. A three-dimensional large-eddy simulation, run using physically correct air/water parameters, is used to provide the statistics of the flow. The gas layer is laminar close to the entrance and becomes turbulent at positions further downstream. The liquid wave crests expand in thin sheets, which break into secondary droplets, as observed in experiments.
The Scope of the Proprietary Powers Exception to Federal Preemption Under the Airline Deregulation Act, 75 J. Air L. & Com. 549 (2010)

The courts have never defined what is meant by "proprietary powers" under the Airline Deregulation Act (ADA), preferring to evaluate the situations on a case-by-case basis. The rules of statutory construction require "that if the language of a statute is clear, that language must be given effect-at least in the absence of a patent absurdity." The plain meaning of the language in the ADA preemption provision mandates a restrictive interpretation of the phrase, "related to rates, routes, and services." Despite the more permissive rulings in the Second and Tenth Circuits, as well as that of the Colorado Supreme Court, the trend among federal courts, including the Supreme Court, favors a third rail approach to preemption. In other words, if a regulation touches upon the "rates, routes, and services" of an air carrier, it will be preempted. This article argues that the recent decisions of federal courts, including the Supreme Court, have closed the gap in federal preemption law created by Western Air Lines, and adopted a strict definition of "rates, routes, and services" such as Congress intended. While the term proprietary power remains undefined, the strict approach to preemption leaves only residual authorities with airport proprietors. This article will: (1) discuss the ADA and the court decisions interpreting the proprietary powers exception to federal pre- emption and the judicial expansion of those powers; and (2) argue that the ADA's federal preemption over "rates, routes, and services" related to aviation and the airline industry should be strictly interpreted pursuant to recent case law.
Topical Review: Perfectionism and Pediatric Chronic Pain: Theoretical Underpinnings, Assessment, and Treatment.

Objective To use the biopsychosocial model and current literature to clarify conceptual underpinnings between chronic pain and perfectionism in youth, provide recommendations for assessment and treatment of co-existing perfectionism and chronic pain conditions, and suggest a research agenda. Methods Current literature is used to identify biopsychosocial factors common between pediatric chronic pain and perfectionism, preliminary research findings are presented, and suggestions are made for research that will help inform inclusion and adaptations of assessment tools and interventions to address perfectionism. Results Biopsychosocial factors that may contribute to the observed relationship between chronic pain and perfectionism seen in many youth are identified. For example, cognitive factors known to be associated with perfectionism (e.g., rumination) may also contribute to pain-related catastrophizing and disability. Biopsychosocial factors may serve as mediating variables between perfectionism and pain-related outcomes among youth with chronic pain and their parents. Conclusions Research assuming a biopsychosocial perspective is needed to clarify observed links between chronic pain and perfectionism in youth. Findings related to the characterization of perfectionism in pediatric chronic pain will inform how assessment and treatment tools can better identify and address perfectionism.
Impact of Electronic Cigarettes on the Cardiovascular System

Tobacco smoking is a major public health threat for both smokers and nonsmokers. There is accumulating evidence demonstrating that smoking causes several human diseases, including those affecting the cardiovascular system. Indeed, tobacco smoking is responsible for up to 30% of heart disease–
Neural correlates of affective and non-affective cognition in obsessive compulsive disorder: A meta-analysis of functional imaging studies

Abstract Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive ritualistic behaviors and has been associated with diverse functional brain abnormalities. We sought to synthesize current evidence from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies and examine their alignment to pathogenetic models of OCD. Following systematic review, we identified 54 task-fMRI studies published in the last decade comparing adults with OCD ( n =1186) to healthy adults ( n =1159) using tasks of affective and non-affective cognition. We used voxel-based quantitative meta-analytic methods to combine primary data on anatomical coordinates of case-control differences, separately for affective and non-affective tasks. We found that functional abnormalities in OCD cluster within cortico-striatal thalamic circuits. Within these circuits, the abnormalities identified showed significant dependence on the affective or non-affective nature of the tasks employed as circuit probes. In studies using affective tasks, patients overactivated regions involved in salience, arousal and habitual responding (anterior cingulate cortex, insula, caudate head and putamen) and underactivated regions implicated in cognitive and behavioral control (medial prefrontal cortex, posterior caudate). In studies using non-affective cognitive tasks, patients overactivated regions involved in self-referential processing (precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex) and underactivated subcortical regions that support goal-directed cognition and motor control (pallidum, ventral anterior thalamus, posterior caudate). The overall pattern suggests that OCD-related brain dysfunction involves increased affective and self-referential processing, enhanced habitual responding and blunted cognitive control.
Conversion, intermarriage and the legal status of Jews in French Protectorate Morocco

ABSTRACTIn contrast to metropolitan France where Third-Republic notions of laicite governed marriage and informed the civil code, French officials in Protectorate-era Morocco (1912–1956) found them...
Catalytic C-H Trifluoromethoxylation of Arenes and Heteroarenes.

The intermolecular C-H trifluoromethoxylation of arenes remains a long-standing and unsolved problem in organic synthesis. Herein, we report the first catalytic protocol employing a novel trifluoromethoxylating reagent and redox-active catalysts for the direct (hetero)aryl C-H trifluoromethoxylation. Our approach is operationally simple, proceeds at room temperature, uses easy-to-handle reagents, requires only 0.03 mol % of redox-active catalysts, does not need specialized reaction apparatus, and tolerates a wide variety of functional groups and complex structures such as sugars and natural product derivatives. Importantly, both ground-state and photoexcited redox-active catalysts are effective. Detailed computational and experimental studies suggest a unique reaction pathway where photoexcitation of the trifluoromethoxylating reagent releases the OCF3 radical that is trapped by (hetero)arenes. The resulting cyclohexadienyl radicals are oxidized by redox-active catalysts and deprotonated to form the desired products of trifluoromethoxylation.
Dikes and Dunes: On Dutch History and Dutchness

This essay considers one of the more striking qualities of the historiography of the Netherlands: its attitude vis-a-vis outsiders. On the one hand, there is a comparative bent in the scholarship and an interest in seeing the Dutch in the world; in this sense, it is an admirably outward-looking historiography. On the other hand, there is a tendency to underscore the exceptional Dutchness of Dutch history, which encourages analyses to turn inward. Comparativism thus vies with a provincialism, which can devolve into parochialism. Recent Dutch historiography, moreover, has shown a marked ambivalence toward the work of outsiders, namely non-Dutch historians. This reflects a basic tension in the literature between a scholarly posture of cosmopolitanism and a deep-rooted tendency toward exceptionalism; it suggests the paradox of Dutch distinctiveness. This essay raises questions about the permeability of Dutch historiography. Do the dikes and dunes of Dutch historical practice hold in or hold out the currents of scholarship? And, further, do they function to keep outsiders at bay? This article is part of the forum 'Outside In? Reflections on BMGN – Low Countries Historical Review: Introduction' In dit essay komt een van de opvallende eigenschappen van de historiografie van Nederland aan de orde: de houding van Nederlandse historici op het gebied van Nederlandse geschiedenis ten opzichte van buitenstaanders. Aan de ene kant is er binnen de historiografie van Nederland sprake van een toename van vergelijkendestudies en belangstelling voor de positie van Nederlanders in de wereld; wat dit betreft is de blik van de historiografie van Nederland op bewonderenswaardigewijze naar buiten gericht. Aan de andere kant kun je stellen dat deze historici ertoeneigen Nederlandse geschiedenis als uitzonderlijk te beschouwen, waarmee ze hun blik juist weer naar binnen richten. Op deze wijze moet een comparatieve houding wedijveren met provincialisme, wat tot bekrompenheid kan leiden. Bovendien wordt de meest recente Nederlandse historiografie gekenmerkt door een opmerkelijke ambivalente houding ten opzichte van het werk van buitenstaanders, dat wil zeggen, van niet-Nederlandse historici. Deze houding weerspiegelt een fundamentele spanning in de literatuur tussen eenwe tenschappelijke, kosmopolitische houding en een diepgewortelde neiging tot exeptionalisme; dit kan betekenen dat er sprake is van een paradox van een typisch Nederlandse houding. Dit essay stelt de toegankelijkheid van de Nederlandse historiografie ter discussie. Zorgen de dijken en duinen van de Nederlandse geschiedschrijving ervoor dat de nieuwe ontwikkelingen op het gebied van de wetenschap worden omarmd, of sluiten ze die juist buiten? Of is hun functie buitenstaanders op een afstand te houden? Dit artikel maakt deel uit van het forum 'Outside In? Reflections on BMGN – Low Countries Historical Review: Introduction'
How social media, training, and demographics influence online reviews across three leading review websites for spine surgeons.

Abstract Background Context The future of health care is consumer driven with a focus on outcome metrics and patient feedback. Physician review websites have grown in popularity and are guiding patients to certain health-care providers, for better or worse. No prior study has specifically evaluated Internet reviews of spine surgeons, determined if social media (SM) correlates with patient reviews, or evaluated Google as a physician review website. Purpose This study aimed to evaluate patient satisfaction scores for spine surgeons in Florida using leading physician ratings websites. Study Design A retrospective study was carried out. Sample Population The sample comprised spine surgeons with a review on Healthgrades.com (HG), Vitals.com (V), or Google.com (G) online rating websites as of August 17, 2017. Outcome Measures Number of ratings, number of comments, overall rating, patient-reported wait times, physician website presence, and physician SM presence were the outcome measures. Methods Using the directory of registered North American Spine Society physicians, we identified all spine surgeons practicing in Florida (137 orthopedic trained; 78 neurosurgery trained). Surgeon demographics and ratings data were collected from three physician rating websites (HG, V, G) from July 19, 2017 to August 17, 2017. Using only the first 10 search results from Google.com we then identified if the surgeon had accounts on Facebook (FB), Twitter (TW), or Instagram (IG). Results Nearly every surgeon in this cohort had either an institutional or personal website (98.1%), and 38.6% had at least one SM outlet of our three reviewed. Both personal and institutional website presence significantly correlated with higher G scores. Spine surgeons with a searchable account on FB, TW, or IG made up 35.4%, 10.2%, and 0.5% of the cohort, respectively. Surgeons with an SM presence had a significantly higher number of ratings and comments on HG, V, and G, but not overall scores. In multivariable analysis, only V showed a significant inverse correlation between overall score and age, private institution, and orthopedic surgery training. Wait times >30 minutes were significantly associated with worse overall scores across all three review sites. Overall ratings between HG, V, and G all had significantly positive correlations on Pearson correlation analysis. Conclusion Social media presence correlates with patient communication in the form of number of ratings and comments, yet does not impact overall scores, suggesting social media may influence patient feedback. Longer wait times are indicative of lower scores across all three platforms. Overall ratings from all three websites correlate significantly with each other, indicating agreement between physician ratings across different platforms. Understanding the factors that optimize a patient's overall experience with a physician is an important and emerging outcome measure for the future of patient-centered health care.
Heat Conduction in a Semi-Infinite Bar

Impulsive heat conduction in a laterally-insulated semi-infinite bar is considered. This problem is solved by a similarity solution method that methodology being introduced in a pastoral interlude. That yields a temperature distribution involving the complementary error function the asymptotic behavior of which is deduced by means of Watson’s Lemma introduced in pastoral interludes. Then this problem is solved by using an approximation solution method and the results compared with the exact similarity solution. Finally a periodic boundary condition is imposed and the solution to that problem is used to examine heat conduction underground in the Earth’s crust from which it is deduced that when it summer on the surface it is winter 4.44 meters underground. The problems consider heat conduction in a laterally insulated infinite bar and in an axially insulated planar layer with a one-time introduction of heat at the respective center lines of each configurations, both of which are solved by similarity solution methods; and a real solution method for semi-infinite bar heat conduction in contact with a periodic bath which is solved by a complex solution method in this chapter.
Dilemmas of Secrecy

This chapter discusses the reasons for why the U.S. government may seek ‘plausible deniability’ for PMOs, which in a major way impacts on the way operations are approached. The reasons that are discussed include: operational necessity, escalation control, elite control over foreign policy, secrecy as a legal fiction, and the role of bureaucratic politics. The chapter argues that major reasons why secrecy is favored in PMOs is that it is mostly directed at the American population rather than the enemy to allow elites to pursue controversial foreign policies and that secrecy also shields the U.S. government and key decision-makers from legal repercussions since international law tends to be violated in the context of pro-insurgency PMOs.
Teamwork on Rounds on an Inpatient Ward Team: An Ethnographic Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pediatric hospitalists are expected to be adept at effective teamwork; yet, studies in which researchers describe teamwork practices in general pediatric inpatient settings are lacking. Our aim in this study was to examine the roles that general pediatric team members assume in real-life settings and how team members conduct teamwork practices on family-centered rounds. METHODS: In the ethnographic tradition, we observed a general pediatric team on a hospitalist service, focusing on family-centered rounds, and conducted in-depth interviews with interns, senior residents, and faculty. We collected data in the form of field notes from observations and transcribed interviews and used constant comparison methods to create codes and generate themes. We used Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) as an analytic lens and organizing framework. RESULTS: Communication occurred in both structured and unstructured ways. Situation monitoring happened during routines, such as running the list, and led to creating a plan of patient care through shared decision-making. Some leadership characteristics were not exclusive to 1 team member. Finally, mutual support occurred through task completion and empowering learners; for example, attending physicians empowered senior residents, who also helped interns. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings aligned with some, but not all, teamwork principles from TeamSTEPPS; misalignment may be due to contextual factors, such as the need to provide medical education and the development of grassroots routines (eg, running the list). Context is a key consideration when developing interventions to enhance teamwork on inpatient medical wards.
A universal equivalent circuit model for the impedance response of composites

An equivalent circuit model has been developed to describe the impedance response of composites with insulating or conductive particles or fibers. Required inputs are the matrix conductivity, the “intrinsic conductivity” of the particles, and their volume fraction. The model has general applicability to systems involving moderately conductive matrices, insulating or conductive particles/fibers, and, in the case of conducting particles, the presence of a high impedance “coating” element on the particle surfaces. Ramifications for the use of impedance spectroscopy in the characterization of composite properties and the monitoring of their performance under load are discussed.
Sphingolipid analysis by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS).

Sphingolipid (SPL) metabolism (Fig. 1) serves a key role in the complex mechanisms regulating cellular stress responses to environment. Several SPL metabolites, especially ceramide (Cer), sphingosine (Sph) and sphingosine1-phosphate (S1P) act as key bioactive molecules governing cell growth and programmed cell death (Fig. 2). Perturbations in sphingolipids of one type may enhance or interfere with the action of another. To monitor changes in SPL composition therefore, reliable analytical methods are necessary.
Using operating room turnover time by anesthesia trainee level to assess improving systems-based practice milestones.

Operating room (OR) metrics are frequently cited when optimizing cost efficacy and quality of care (Weiss et al, Characteristics of operating room procedures in U.S. hospitals, 2011: Statistical brief #170, 2013; Macario A, Anesthesiology 105:237-240, 2006; Childers et al, JAMA Surg 153:e176233, 2018). Little has been reported to evaluate how anesthesia trainees change anesthesia-related efficiencies in the OR. Statistical correlation may demonstrate awareness and implementation of efficient systems-based practice. Utilizing computerized OR information systems, specific data regarding anesthesia controlled turnover times were collected (546 data points) over the course of 4 months. The type of surgery performed, patient’s American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status and OR turnover times were compared for clinical anesthesia (CA) trainee levels CA1, CA2, CA3 and CRNAs. Standard descriptive statistics were computed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to compare the average turnover time. Average OR turnover time was 31 min ranging from 8 to 60 min. There was a significant difference between the OR turnover time of CA-1 (32 min) compared to CA-3 (29 min) (p = 0.017) and CA-1 compared to CRNA (30 min) (p = 0.016). OR turnover time was significantly shorter in CA-3 and CRNA. The analysis showed no differences between OR turnover time of ASA categories. These findings posit that trainees improve efficiency over time, but that education may for a time come at the expense of productivity. This trend may demonstrate a more profound understanding and mastery of a learner progressing in the graduate medical education system. This interplay plays a key role in clinical and academic shared success.
Percutaneous Repair of Mitral Valve Leaflet Perforation

An obese 61-year-old woman on hemodialysis with severe symptomatic mitral regurgitation (MR) due to A2 scallop perforation ([Figure 1][1]), at high risk for surgical valve replacement (Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk for mortality 13%), underwent transcatheter mitral repair. After 1 MitraClip (
An FPGA-based Hardware Accelerator for Iris Segmentation

Biometric authentication is becoming an increasingly prevalent way to identify a person based on unique physical traits such as their fingerprints, face, and iris. The iris stands out particularly among these traits due to its relative invariability with time and high uniqueness. However, iris recognition without special, dedicated tools like near-infrared (NIR) cameras and stationary high-performance computers is a challenge. Solutions have been proposed to target mobile platforms like smart phones and tablets by making use of the Red-Green-Blue (RGB) camera commonly found on those platforms. These solutions tend to be slower than the former due to the reduced performance available in mobile processors. In this paper, we detail a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)-based System on Chip (SoC) approach to help address the mobility and performance challenges that exist in current iris segmentation solutions. Our SoC architecture allows us to run the iris recognition system in software, while accelerating slower parts of the system by using parallel, dedicated hardware modules. Our approach showed a speedup in segmentation of 22$\times$ when compared to an x86-64 platform and 468$\times$ when compared to an ARMv7 platform.
Automatic Power Exchange for Distributed Energy Resource Networks: Flexibility Scheduling and Pricing

This paper proposes an Automatic Power Exchange (APEX) that enables monetization of underutilized distribution system energy resources. APEX features an open-gate forward market design to incorporate uncertainty from variable resources, and an explicit flexibility market that schedules flexible resources based on information submitted by users through a simple yet expressive order format. We study the non-convex non-preemptive scheduling problem in APEX, proposing polynomial time algorithms with finite and asymptotic performance guarantees. We then analyze the properties of marginal pricing, generalized to fit the APEX context with forward markets and distribution network constraints. We establish that it is revenue adequate but may lead to inadmissible prices for flexible orders. We then suggest a simple pricing mechanism that provably produces admissible prices for users and adequate revenue for APEX if implemented together with the proposed scheduling algorithms.
Authoritarianism Reimagined: The Riddle of Trump’s Base

ABSTRACTSocial scientists are often reluctant to think that cruel words express actual personal cruelty—so when they hear people speak harshly about minorities or women, they tend to blame stress a...