cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Syntheses and Reactions of Heterodinuclear Alkoxycarbyne Complexes

The alkoxycarbyne ligand is an isomer of the more common acyl and alkyl carbonyl moieties. We describe here the synthesis of two heterodinuclear methoxycarbyne complexes, and their decomposition to mononuclear methyl complexes. Reaction of CpFe(CO)2 −Na+ with MeCpMn(CO)2(THF) or of MeCpFe(CO) 2 − with CpCr(CO)(NO)THF gives the heterodinuclear monoanions [Cp(CO)Fe(μ-CO)2Mn(CO)MeCp]− Na+ and [MeCp(CO)Fe(μ-CO)2Cr(NO)Cp]−Na+, respectively, in good yield. The X-ray crystal structure of the Ph3PCH 3 + salt of the FeCr anion confirms both the structure and the location of the NO ligand. Alkylation of the FeMn anion with CH3OSO2CF3 and of the FeCr anion with (CH3)3O+BF 4 − gives the methoxycarbynes 1 and 2, respectively. Carbyne 1 is obtained in 62% yield as a mixture of cis and trans isomers that interconvert rapidly at room temperature, while 2 is obtained as chromatographically separable cis (2c) and trans (2t) isomers, each in 10% yield.
Diabetic nephropathy: SGLT2 inhibitors might halt progression of diabetic nephropathy

Blood pressure lowering slows the progression of diabetic nephropathy whereas the effects of glycaemic control are smaller and slower. New findings from the EMA-REG OUTCOME investigators indicate that SGLT2 inhibition slows the progression of kidney disease by lowering glucose and blood pressure, thereby lowering the risk of adverse renal outcomes in this patient group.
Culture, Ethnicity, and Linguistic Diversity: Implications for Early Childhood Special Education

Culturally and linguistically sensitive and individually tailored services are essential to the effective delivery of human services. Recognition and respect for the influences of cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity across families are important underpinnings for intervention services. In the field of early childhood special education (ECSE), these components are particularly crucial given the emphasis on early identification and treatment for the very youngest in our population and the provision of services and support for children within their families’ homes and communities. While these values may be widely embraced and even adopted, putting them into practice in ECSE settings demands planned, well-informed, and reflective approaches. Recent demographic shifts reflecting greater population diversity present both challenges and opportunities for service providers to adapt their practices in order to meet and effectively support the breadth of needs of children and their families. It is the purpose of this chapter to describe considerations related to the diversity of children and families being served and to identify strategies and recommendations for effectively meeting the range of child and family needs.
Tumor necrosis factor alpha, citrullination, and peptidylarginine deiminase 4 in lung and joint inflammation

The relationship between lung and joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis is poorly understood. Lung inflammation with resultant protein citrullination may trigger anti-citrullinated protein antibodies, inflammation, and arthritis. Alternatively, lung and joint inflammation may be two manifestations of a single underlying pathology. The lung has increased citrullination and TNF-α levels are high in rheumatoid arthritis; however, it is unknown if TNF-α can induce lung protein citrullination. The citrullinating enzyme peptidylarginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) exacerbates TNF-α-induced arthritis, but a role for PAD4 in lung citrullination and TNF-α-induced lung inflammation has not been explored. Our aim was to use TNF-α-overexpressing mice to clarify the intersection of TNF-α, citrullination, PAD4, arthritis, and lung inflammation. Lung protein citrullination in wild-type mice, mice that overexpress TNF-α systemically (TNF+), TNF+PAD4+/+, and TNF+PAD4-/- mice was quantified by both gel electrophoresis using a citrulline probe and western blot. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained lung sections from TNF+PAD4+/+ and TNF+PAD4-/- mice were scored for lung inflammation. H&E-stained ankle joint sections from mice that overexpress TNF-α only in the lungs were assessed for arthritis. TNF+ mice have increased lung protein citrullination. TNF+PAD4-/- mice do not have significantly reduced lung protein citrullination, but do have decreased lung inflammation compared to TNF+PAD4+/+ mice. Mice that overexpress TNF-α only in the lungs do not develop arthritis. PAD4 exacerbates lung inflammation downstream of TNF-α without having a major role in generalized protein citrullination in inflamed lungs. Also, TNF-α-induced lung inflammation is not sufficient to drive murine arthritis.
Temporal trends in inpatient pediatric sleep apnea surgery: 1993-2010.

Objectives/Hypothesis We sought to characterize changes in the patterns of inpatient surgical sleep care over time and ascertain if these changes were consistent with previously reported trends in adult surgical sleep care. Study Design Repeated cross-sectional study. Methods Discharge data from the U.S. Nationwide Inpatient Sample for 125,691 nasal, palatal, or hypopharyngeal procedures in children for sleep-disordered breathing or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) from 1993 to 2010 were analyzed using cross-tabulations and multivariate regression modeling. Results Inpatient surgical sleep procedures increased from 45,671 performed in 1993 to 2000 (study period 1) to 80,020 in 2001 to 2010 (study period 2). Overall, patients were commonly male (61.3%), privately insured (46.8%), 2 to 6 years old (39.4%), and white (36.4%). Obesity was reported in 4.6% and 6.7% of children during study periods 1 and 2, respectively (P < .0001). Tonsillectomy (with and without adenoidectomy) was the most commonly performed procedure in both study periods. With the exception of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and tracheostomy, all sleep procedures increased over time; however, multilevel surgery did not significantly increase (P = .28). Children who underwent sleep surgery during study period 2 were more likely to receive a supraglottoplasty (P = .0125) and to undergo procedures at high-volume hospitals (P = .0311), and less likely to undergo a tracheostomy (P < .0001). Conclusions These data reflect changing trends in the surgical management of pediatric OSA, with significant increases in nasal and hypopharyngeal procedures, particularly lingual tonsillectomy and supraglottoplasty. Unlike the trend in adults, multilevel surgery in children with sleep disordered breathing or OSA has not yet been integrated into routine clinical practice. Level of Evidence 2C Laryngoscope, 2016
Efficient Online Collaborative Caching in Cellular Networks with Multiple Base Stations

These days we are witnessing a tremendous increase in the popularity of wireless devices, e.g. smartphones and tablets. These devices are typically connected to the Internet through cellular connections, such as LTE/4G. Because of the popularity of the wireless devices, a large portion of the traffic on the Internet goes through the cellular base stations. Caching the contents at the base stations brings the contents closer to the users, reduces the traffic on the Internet, and reduces the cost of providing the contents. In this paper, we study the problem of collaborative caching in cellular networks among a set of base stations. Motivated by the emergence of cloudlets, we consider unlimited cache space in our model, and our objective is to minimize the aggregated caching and download cost. We show that in the case of knowing the popularity of the contents, this optimization has a submodular property, and a greedy algorithm can achieve an approximation ratio of 2 for this optimization. We also provide an online algorithm that does not require any knowledge about the future requests and the content popularity. In order to evaluate our online algorithm, we compare its performance against the optimal solution through simulations.
Menstrual Cycle Hormone Changes in Women Traversing Menopause: Study of Women's Health Across the Nation.

Context Menstrual cycle hormone patterns in women approaching menopause are inadequately studied. Objective To describe day-to-day menstrual cycle hormones in women as they approach menopause from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation Daily Hormone Study (DHS). Design DHS enrollees collected daily urine for one entire menstrual cycle or up to 50 days, whichever came first, annually, up to the final menstrual period (FMP) or for up to 10 years. Setting Seven sites across the United States. Participants A total of 511 premenopausal or early perimenopausal women at enrollment, within 10 years before menopause. Intervention Time-to-FMP measurement. Main outcome measures Evidence of luteal activity (ELA), determined using objective algorithms. Menstrual cycle/segment length; whole cycle, and segment integrated urinary luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, estrone conjugates, and pregnanediol glucuronide (Pdg) for each year, organized around the FMP. Results Mean menstrual cycle length was remarkably preserved at 26 to 27 days in ELA cycles; non-ELA cycles had greater variability. The percentage of cycles that were ELA remained high until 5 years before the FMP (87.9%); only 22.8% of cycles within 1 year of the FMP were ELA. Whole cycle hormones remained relatively stable up to 3 years before the FMP, when gonadotropins began to increase. Pdg excretion declined slowly with progress to the FMP, but Pdg patterns of ELA cycles remained distinguishable from non-ELA. Conclusions Menstrual cycle hormone patterns in perimenopausal women resemble those of midreproductive-aged women until 5 years before menopause, and presumably ovulatory cycles retain a potentially fertile pattern up to the end of reproductive life.
Development of a passive sensor for measuring vertical cumulative water and solute mass fluxes in lake sediments and streambeds

Abstract This paper introduces the sediment bed passive flux meter (SBPFM) as a new tool for in situ measurements of vertical volumetric water and contaminant mass fluxes across hyporheic and hypolentic zones (i.e., stream or lake bed sediments that function as the contiguous zone between the overlying surface water body and the underlying aquifer). The device is a direct-push probe which contains a permeable internal sorbent located between two screened intervals. In the presence of a vertical hydraulic gradient the screens allow water flow through the SBPFM's internal sorbent matrix that is impregnated with resident tracers. These tracers are displaced from the sorbent at rates proportional to the water flux through the sorbent. At the same time, dissolved contaminants present in the intercepted sediment water are retained on the SBPFM sorbent at rates proportional to the ambient contaminant mass flux in the hyporheic zone. Potential flow theory is applied to convert observations of water and contaminant fluxes through the SBPFM into estimates of undisturbed ambient vertical water and contaminant fluxes in the sediment. To validate the theory and demonstrate the SBPFM as a potential site characterization tool, multiple bench-scale sediment bed experiments are performed. Results demonstrate that water and contaminant mass fluxes are accurately measured in the laboratory and that future field tests are warranted.
Evaluation of two different poverty simulations with professional phase pharmacy students

Abstract Background and purpose Pharmacy students will interact with patients who struggle to receive the health care they need. Since attitudes can influence behavior, exposure to these struggles may positively improve patient care. This study evaluates a group of student responses to two different interventions approximately 9 months apart. The primary objectives of this study were to: (1) identify if SPENT, an online game, could alone improve students’ attitudes towards those living in poverty, (2) determine if changes imparted by SPENT were retained for nine months, and (3) identify if CAPS, a live simulation, has an additional benefit. Educational activity and setting Student participants completed both the SPENT online game and the CAPS simulation. Students were asked to complete the Undergraduate Perceptions of Poverty Tracking Survey (UPPTS) before and after each simulation Findings Ninety-nine first year and second year professional phase pharmacy students completed both interventions and all surveys. The average pre-survey and post survey “scores” for the SPENT game were 133.52 and 135.54, a statistically significant improvement (p=0.046). When comparing the SPENT post “score” and the pre-survey score of CAPS (136.45) there was no significant difference (p=0.423). The average pre-survey and post survey “scores” for CAPS were 136.45 and 139.18, a statistically significant improvement (p=0.001). An analysis of the overall change showed a statistically significant improvement of 5.6667 (p Discussion Both the online SPENT game and CAPS live simulation interventions had positive effects on the students’ empathy towards people living in poverty.
A different type of charter school: in prestige charters, a rise in cachet equals a decline in access

AbstractThis paper seeks to elucidate a specific type of charter school. While much has been written about school choice and the expanding charter school segment, a growing and important number of charter schools do not fit in to the common understanding of these schools. Distinct from many of their counterparts, prestige charter schools have the following two features: elements which foster a reputation similar to that of elite private schools and a student population demographically distinct from local public district schools – whereby the prestige charters serve a disproportionate number of advantaged families. The prestige elements include: founding by advantaged community members; parental involvement; wait lists; popularity with advantaged professionals; high test scores; and niche themes. The authors will show through two in-depth case studies that prestige charter schools work hand-in-hand with gentrification in urban neighborhoods, and result in racial and class segregation and inequality. This p...
Relationships Between Creativity and its Antecedents Before and After Training: The Role of Risk-Taking and Past Creative Experience

This research examined the effects of past creative experience and attitude toward risk-taking on creativity before and after training. College students enrolled in a creativity course participated in the study. Creativity was assessed by independent experts and self-assessed by the participants. Based on the results, an inverted U-shape relationship was proposed between (a) past creative experience and risk-taking, and (b) risk-taking and self-assessed creativity. Risk-taking was related to self-assessed creativity before and after the training, but not expert-assessed creativity. Past creative experience was not related to creativity, self and expert-assessed, before and after the training.
When cyberbullies meet gamers: what do young adults think?

AbstractBackgroundCyberbullying is connected with online gaming in complex ways. Although cyberbullying can occur while people play games, it is also the case that gaming may have the potential to ...
A distributed linear equation solver for least square solutions

This paper proposes a distributed update for achieving the least square solution of linear equations by multiagent networks, in which each agent only knows part of these linear equations and is able to communicate with its nearby neighbors. It has been analytically proved that for undirected and connected network, the proposed update enables all agents to achieve an exact least square solution exponentially fast by iteratively updating its own state based on those from its neighbors. Moreover, the exponential convergence does not rely on any time-varying small step size.
Craft, Performance, and Grammars

Recent interest in new digital and computational ways of making has been paralleled by rising interest in traditional making and craft practices. Most efforts to merge digital and craft practices focus on the things produced, with attention to process only to the extent that it informs results. However, the socio-cultural, aesthetic, and creative dimensions of a craft practice are expressed in its performative, temporal aspects as much as in its products. A new computational theory of making offered by making grammars points to new possibilities for the study of temporal performance. In this paper, I use traditional kolam pattern making in India as a case study to probe the potentials of making grammars to represent craft performance, in contrast with the use of shape grammars to represent craft designs. Different generative strategies are revealed in the comparison.
Renal dysplasia in infants: appearance on 99mTc DMSA scintigraphy

Infantile renal dysplasias, including multicystic dysplastic kidneys (MCDK), are reported rarely to accumulate radiopharmaceuticals on renal scintigraphy.99mTc DMSA is a highly sensitive tracer for detecting functioning renal cortical tissue and may be more suited to studying renal dysplasia than99mTc DTPA. We reviewed the ultrasound studies and99mTc DMSA scintigrams of 42 infants (age range 1–12 months) with known or suspected MCDK. Overall, uptake on99mTc DMSA scintigraphy was evident in 6/41 (15%) dysplastic kidneys. Of the 18 patients who underwent nephrectomy, histopathological examination revealed that uptake correlated closely with the presence of mature renal cortical tissue in the affected kidney. Our study shows that a small, but significant number of MCDK will show low-grade uptake on DMSA scintigraphy. This finding may be relevant given the reliance placed on renal scintigraphy in planning treatment for infants with suspected MCDK, particularly with the increasing trend for the non-operative management of this condition.
Defining the Problem: From Subclinical Disease to Clinically Insignificant Prostate Cancer

The widespread use of prostate-specific antigen testing and the increasing rate of prostate needle biopsies with recent refinement of sampling approaches have led to a dramatic increase in the diagnoses of small-volume, early-stage prostate cancer and premalignant lesions (prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia). The Wayne State autopsy study has shown the prevalence of subclinical prostate cancer and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia to be much higher than previously reported, with a steady increase with advancing age. The findings of this and other studies raise challenges regarding the potential relationship of subclinical cancer to minute cancer foci detected in biopsies. The clinical management of patients diagnosed with such cancers is becoming more controversial because the progression potential of clinically detected small cancer foci is difficult to predict.
A phase II clinical trial of the Aurora and angiogenic kinase inhibitor ENMD-2076 for previously treated, advanced, or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains an aggressive breast cancer subtype with limited treatment options. ENMD-2076 is a small-molecule inhibitor of Aurora and angiogenic kinases with proapoptotic and antiproliferative activity in preclinical models of TNBC. This dual-institution, single-arm, two-stage, phase II clinical trial enrolled patients with locally advanced or metastatic TNBC previously treated with one to three prior lines of chemotherapy in the advanced setting. Patients were treated with ENMD-2076 250 mg orally once daily with continuous dosing in 4-week cycles until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred. The primary endpoint was 6-month clinical benefit rate (CBR), and secondary endpoints included progression-free survival, pharmacokinetic profile, safety, and biologic correlates in archival and fresh serial tumor biopsies in a subset of patients. Forty-one patients were enrolled. The 6-month CBR was 16.7% (95% CI, 6–32.8%) and included two partial responses. The 4-month CBR was 27.8% (95% CI, 14–45.2%), and the average duration of benefit was 6.5 cycles. Common adverse events included hypertension, fatigue, diarrhea, and nausea. Treatment with ENMD-2076 resulted in a decrease in cellular proliferation and microvessel density and an increase in p53 and p73 expression, consistent with preclinical observations. Single-agent ENMD-2076 treatment resulted in partial response or clinical benefit lasting more than 6 months in 16.7% of patients with pretreated, advanced, or metastatic TNBC. These results support the development of predictive biomarkers using archival and fresh tumor tissue, as well as consideration of mechanism-based combination strategies. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01639248 . Registered on July 12, 2012.
Importance of monogamous male birds in determining reproductive success

Several recent studies have questioned whether the presence and activities of monogamous male birds are of value to their young during the nesting attempt. We addressed this issue in house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) by removing males early in the nestling stage. In one of four periods survivorship among experimental nestlings was 63% lower than among control nestlings. In the other periods survivorship was about equal in experimental and control nests indicating that in this species the male's activities may only benefit his nestlings during unfavorable periods. We summarize the results of 15 other male removal studies, concluding that when males appear to be helping, their absence usually results in decreased survival of young whereas when the males render little apparent care their absence does not decrease survival of the young. A possible exception to this generalization, illustrated by our study and others, is that during the nestling stage of many altricial species, the female appears able to raise the young about as well without the male as with him, except in “poor” periods. A male caring for his nestlings during good periods may benefit by maintaining his mate's health for the next nesting attempt or by insuring her willingness to mate with him again. Alternatively, it may cost males so little to help during good periods, and benefit them so much during poor periods, that there has been little selective pressure for them to assess conditions and vary their level of care accordingly. A series of more specific predictions about which males are likely to be of greatest, and least, value to their nestlings is presented. Male care after young leave the nest has not been well studied, but is probably substantial in many species, and warrants attention in future studies.
Incremental Task Modification via Corrective Demonstrations

In realistic environments, fully specifying a task model such that a robot can perform a task in all situations is impractical. In this work, we present Incremental Task Modification via Corrective Demonstrations (ITMCD), a novel algorithm that allows a robot to update a learned model by making use of corrective demonstrations from an end-user in its environment. We propose three different types of model updates that make structural changes to a finite state automaton (FSA) representation of the task by first converting the FSA into a state transition auto-regressive hidden Markov model (STARHMM). The STARHMM's probabilistic properties are then used to perform approximate Bayesian model selection to choose the best model update, if any. We evaluate ITMCD Model Selection in a simulated block sorting domain and the full algorithm on a real-world pouring task. The simulation results show our approach can choose new task models that sufficiently incorporate new demonstrations while remaining as simple as possible. The results from the pouring task show that ITMCD performs well when the modeled segments of the corrective demonstrations closely comply with the original task model.
Actuation performance of fluidic origami cellular structure: a holistic investigation

Motivated by the sophisticated geometries in origami folding and the fluidic actuation principle in nastic plant movements, the concept of fluidic origami cellular structure was proposed for versatile morphing and actuation. The idea is to assemble tubular Miura-ori modules into a cellular architecture, and apply fluidic pressure to induce folding and hence actuation. Despite the promising potentials, the actuation capabilities of fluidic origami, such as free stroke and block force, are not elucidated. In particular, the effects of the thick facet material stiffness and pressure-sealing end caps are not understood. These gaps in our knowledge prevent the practical implementations of fluidic origami. Therefore, this study aims to address these issues by incorporating realistic considerations into the design, fabrication, and analysis of fluidic origami. We construct CAD models of the fluidic origami modules based on realistic design parameters to ensure that they can be fabricated via commercially accessible 3D printers while remaining pressure proof. We then use both simplified analytical methods, such as the equivalent truss frame model, and the more comprehensive finite element methods to examine the actuation performance. Comparing the results from these different methods can reveal the influences of end caps and thick facet material stiffness. Based on these insights, a customized generic algorithm is used to identify the optimal fluidic origami designs for fluidic actuation. It is found that an optimal folding angle exists to maximize the actuation capability, while the sector angle of Miura-ori can be tailored to effectively program the actuation performance.
Examining the Impact of Team Identification and Gender on Rival Perceptions and Consumption Intentions of Intercollegiate Athletics Fans

The current study investigated rival perceptions using the Sport Rivalry Fan Perception Scale (SRFPS) (Havard, Gray, Gould, Sharp, & Schaffer, 2013) on a group of male and female intercollegiate athletics fans at various levels of favorite team identification. To this point, the SRFPS has primarily been used to examine highly identified male fans (Havard, Reams, & Gray, 2013; Havard, Wann, & Ryan, 2013). The current study extended previous research on rivalry by finding that rival perceptions were impacted by level of team identification. Specifically, highly identified fans experienced more sense of satisfaction when their favorite team defeated the rival team in direct competition. Additionally, highly identified fans were more likely to attend a rivalry game, watch a rivalry game on television or the Internet, and read about the favorite team when playing a rival team than lowly identified fans. Further, female fans were more likely to watch a rivalry game on television than male fans, and the interaction of team identification and gender indicated that playing a rival team impacts female intentions to attend the game more so than male intentions. Significance of findings, along with implications for practitioners and avenues for future study are presented.
Interventions to Decrease Overuse of Cardiac Monitoring (Telemetry) When Transitioning from the Intensive Care Unit to the Regular Nursing Floor.

Background Cardiac monitoring (telemetry) is a common over-utilized hospital resource in the United States. Previous studies have shown that telemetry does not improve outcomes for low-risk patients. Inappropriate utilization occurs because of lack of awareness of guideline-based indications or non-adherence to known indications. Objective A quality improvement study was conducted to reduce telemetry overutilization during the transition of care from the intensive care unit (ICU) by 15% through increasing awareness of indications for telemetry. Methods The study cohort included patients originally admitted to the ICU for sepsis who had improved and were stable for transfer to a non-ICU setting. Subjects were identified and included during pre-intervention (six weeks) and intervention (six weeks) periods. Resident physicians and nurse practitioners were targeted using multiple modalities of education: didactic lectures during week one, poster demonstrations during week three, and video presentations during week five. Results A total of 246 study subjects during the pre-intervention and 94 study subjects in the intervention period were studied; 187 of the 246 subjects in the pre-intervention arm (76%) and 58 of the 94 subjects in the intervention arm (61.7%) were transferred with telemetry. Telemetry utilization dropped by 23.1% at the end of the intervention period. Conclusion Educating the caregivers about the indications for telemetry led to a decrease in over-utilization of telemetry on the transition of care from the ICU to the regular nursing floor. Repetitive and multi-modality educational interventions were effective tools and associated with increased adherence to established guidelines for telemetry usage.
A systematic Way for Determining CO 2 Obligation in Power Systems

Electrical power consumption has entailed an adversely environmental footprint as fossil fuels are still the major resources for power generation worldwide which is why policy makers nowadays are seeking a way to alleviate this crucial issue. Therefore, in this paper an innovative carbon emission tracing method is presented that facilitates allotting carbon obligation in power systems.
Digital Health Trends

Digitalization has reached every aspect of life today. The convergence of breakthrough technologies and biomedical science is about to change how we as a society provide and consume healthcare services. Current healthcare models are not sustainable but the transition to digital healthcare offers many opportunities. What is emerging is a healthcare ecosystem, moving beyond traditional hierarchies, in which all healthcare shareholders participate and benefit. Leaders will be inspired to reevaluate business models, business processes, and workforce structures to meet their strategic objectives, including enhancing the patient experience, optimizing outcomes for each individual patient, empowering healthcare workers, increasing operational efficiency and applying data-driven clinical innovations.
A Bayesian Vector Autoregressive Model with Nonignorable Missingness in Dependent Variables and Covariates: Development, Evaluation, and Application to Family Processes.

Intensive longitudinal designs involving repeated assessments of constructs often face the problems of nonignorable attrition and selected omission of responses on particular occasions. However, ti...
Rapid Assessment of Surface Markers on Cancer Cells Using Immuno-Magnetic Separation and Multi-frequency Impedance Cytometry for Targeted Therapy.

The rapid qualitative assessment of surface markers on cancer cells can allow for point-of-care prediction of patient response to various cancer drugs. Preclinical studies targeting cells with an antibody to “activated” matriptase conjugated to a potent toxin show promise as a selective treatment for a variety of solid tumors. In this paper, we implemented a novel technique for electrical detection of proteins on surfaces of cancer cells using multi-frequency microfluidic impedance cytometry. The biosensor, consists of two gold microelectrodes on a glass substrate embedded in a PDMS microfluidic channel, is used in conjugation with immuno-magnetic separation of cancer cells, and is capable of differentiating between bare magnetic beads, cancer cells and bead-cell aggregates based on their various impedance and frequency responses. We demonstrated proof-of-concept based on detection of “activated” matriptase proteins on the surface of cultured Mantle cells.
Observation of attosecond electron dynamics in the photoelectron momentum distribution of atoms using few-cycle laser pulses

The method of time-resolved measurement with ultrashort laser pulses is vital to the development of attosecond science. Pump-probe measurements using a train of attosecond pulses in combination with a near-infrared (NIR) multicycle driving laser have been successful in capturing the intercycle electron dynamics which repeats every optical cycle and leads to above-threshold ionization (ATI) spectra in the frequency domain. In this work, we study the effect of a carrier-envelope phase (CEP) in a few-cycle ($l6$ fs) NIR laser pulse on the photoelectron momentum distribution (PMD) of a hydrogen atom and show that interference patterns in a PMD change dramatically with CEPs in the few-cycle regime. When the few-cycle driving laser pulse has a sine shape, the double-slit interference with characteristic modulation of ATI peaks dominates the PMD. On the other hand, when the driving pulse has a cosine shape, the holographical interference featured by a spider-like pattern is isolated. Our results suggest that the CEP-stable few-cycle laser pulses can be used to identify different types of intracycle interference structures in a PMD which reveal the underlying subcycle electron dynamics on an attosecond timescale.
Development of an Interactive Anatomical Model for Robotic TAPP Inguinal Hernia Repair Surgical Training

Robotic Trans Abdominal Pre-Peritoneal (RTAPP) inguinal hernia repair is a leading technique for repair due to lower incidences of postoperative pain, faster recovery and fewer complications. R-TAPP is often performed using a tele-operated surgical robots and it is a technique that novice surgeons have difficulty learning quickly. A cost-effective physical model with embedded electric circuits and software is created to simulate R-TAPP surgery process on living human tissue and anatomy, allowing for repeated practice and automatic assessment on various portions of the surgery using a daVinci Robot. This model was designed to serve as an assessor of performance and a teacher for the R-TAPP procedure. The feedback given was aural, visual and/or tactile. A case study was conducted to qualitatively evaluate the model. We present the results and suggestions for future work.
Underestimation of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Incidence, Even in Cancer Registries.

Despite cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) being the second most common skin cancer,1 our knowledge of the epidemiologic characteristics of cSCC is suboptimal. Dermatologists see patients with cSCC regularly in clinic, but we do not have high-quality information on the basic cancer statistics that are the bread and butter of oncology research and clinical care. For example, the publicly accessible Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Cancer Statistics Review2 contains 30 tables and 7 figures on incidence and mortality for lung cancer in the United States, with age and sex breakdowns, going back to 1975. However, cSCC is nowhere to be found. In many countries, such as the US, cSCC is not included in cancer registries, which has long been recognized as a barrier to understanding this malignant neoplasm.
Sexual Minority Status and Aging

There are estimated to be between 1.4 and 3.8 million LGBT Americans over the age of 65. This population is expected to increase between 3.6 and 7.2 million due to the Baby Boom generation. The older adult population is the most rapidly growing age group in the United States and experiences normal age-related changes in cognition as well as in internal and external physical health. Although differences exist within and among groups, more minority elders live in more poverty and with lower incomes than their white counterparts. Emerging scholarship reveals that social isolation and discrimination experienced by many LGBT elders hinder them from aging well. Increasing diversity of the LGBT elder population has important implications for bolstering individual autonomy in the care environments.
Highlights from the SWAS Mission

The Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) is a mission primarily dedicated to the study of star formation, molecular cloud composition, and the structure of clouds. To carry out these investigations, SWAS was designed to observe H21 6O, H21 8O, O2, CI, and 13CO in transitions that are either difficult or impossible to detect from within the Earth’s atmosphere. SWAS is a complete radio telescope in space, capable of observing the transitions listed in Table 1 with a spectral resolution, \( {\nu \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {\nu {\Delta \nu }}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {\Delta \nu }}, of 3 \times 10^5 \left( { \Leftrightarrow 1 km s^{ - 1} } \right) \) [1]. At the time of launch, the primary mission goals were to answer three important questions: 1. Where is all of the oxygen in the dense interstellar medium (and, in particular, are H2O and O2 major reservoirs of oxygen)? 2. Are H2O and O2 significant gas coolants? 3. What is the large-scale distribution of CI and warm 13CO in molecular clouds?
The standard H/sub /spl infin// problem in systems with a single input delay

The standard H/sub /spl infin// problem is solved for LTI systems with a single, pure input lag. The solution is based on state-space analysis, mixing a finite-dimensional and an abstract evolution model. Utilizing the relatively simple structure of these distributed systems, the associated operator Riccati equations are reduced to a combination of two algebraic Riccati equations and one differential Riccati equation over the delay interval. The results easily extend to finite time and time-varying problems where the algebraic Riccati equations are substituted by differential Riccati equations over the process time duration.
Opportunistic overlays: efficient content delivery in mobile ad hoc networks

Current content-based publish/subscribe systems assume network environments with stable nodes and network topologies. For mobile environments, one resulting problem is a mismatch between static broker topologies and dynamic underlying network topologies. This mismatch will result in inefficiencies in event delivery, especially in mobile ad hoc networks where nodes frequently change their locations. This paper presents a novel middleware approach termed opportunistic overlays, and its dynamically reconfigurable support framework to address such inefficiencies introduced by node mobility in publish/subscribe systems. The opportunistic overlay approach dynamically adapts event dissemination structures (i.e., broker overlays) to changes in physical network topology, in nodes' physical locations, and in network node behaviors, with the goal of optimizing end-to-end delays in event delivery. Runtime adaptations include the dynamic construction of broker overlay networks and changes of mobile clients' assignments to brokers. Experimental results demonstrate that the opportunistic overlay approach is practically applicable and that the performance advantages attained from the use of opportunistic overlays can be substantial.
Verifying Transaction Ordering Properties in Unbounded Bus Networks through Combined Deductive/Algorithmic Methods

Previously [MHG98,MHJG00], we reported our efforts to verify the producer/consumer transaction ordering property for the PCI 2.1 protocol extended with local master IDs. Although our efforts were met with some success, we were unable to show that all execution traces of all acyclic PCI networks satisfy this transaction ordering property. In this paper, we present a verification technique based on network symmetry classes along with a manuMly derived abstraction that allows us to show, at the bus/bridge level, that all execution traces of all acyclic PCI networks satisfy the transaction ordering property. This now completed case study (modulo the validity of the axioms used to characterized the abstraction) suggests several avenues for further work in combining model-checking (algorithmic methods) and theorem-proving (deductive methods) in judicious ways to solve infinite-state verification problems at the bus/interconnect level. It is a concrete illustration of partitioning concerns where designers can specify bus protocols in an operational semantics (rule-based) style, invent abstractions, and carry out finite-state model-checking while verification experts can establish formal properties of the abstraction.
Theoretical investigation of the C60 infrared spectrum.

A semiempirical model of the infrared (IR) spectrum of the ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ molecule is proposed. The weak IR-active modes seen experimentally in a ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ crystalline sample are argued to be combination modes caused by anharmonicity. The origin of these two-mode excitations can be either mechanical (anharmonic interatomic forces) or electrical (nonlinear dipole-moment expansion in normal mode coordinates). It is shown that the electrical anharmonicity model exhibits basic features of the experimental spectrum while nonlinear dynamics would lead to a qualitatively different overall picture. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Expression of the 'Bacillus anthracis' Protective Antigen Gene by Baculovirus and Vaccinia Virus Recombinants

The gene encoding Bacillus anthracis protective antigen (PA) was modified by site-directed mutagenesis, subcloned into baculovirus and vaccinia virus plasmid transfer vectors (pAcYM1 and pSC-11, respectively), and inserted via homologous recombinations into baculovirus Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus or vaccinia virus (strains WR and Connaught). Expression of PA was detected in both systems by immunofluorescence assays with antisera from rabbits immunized with B. anthracis PA. Western blot (immunoblot) analysis showed that the expressed product of both systems was slightly larger (86 kilodaltons) than B. anthracis-produced PA (83.5 kilodaltons). Analysis of trypsin digests of virus-expressed and authentic PA suggested that the size difference was due to the presence of a signal sequence remaining with the virus-expressed protein. Immunization of mice with either recombinant baculovirus-infected Spodoptera frugiperda cells or with vaccinia virus recombinants elicited a high-titer, anti-PA antibody response.
Mobilizing Law for Justice in Asia: A Comparative Approach

This article offers a comparative framework for studying why and how law is mobilized to advance justice claims by marginalized groups in Asia. In it, we build upon a series of collaborative exchanges between practitioners and scholars on the role of social justice lawyers in eleven Asian countries: Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Based on lessons from this collaboration, we suggest that one way to understand variation in the type and scope of legal mobilization for the politically weak is in relation to two important domestic factors: political openness and autonomy of law. We use these factors to explore the institutions that shape legal mobilization across the region, focusing attention on how they influence sites and strategies for advancing justice in specific countries. We then consider how political openness and autonomy of law interact with global factors to influence the availability and type of funding for social justice work. Our main goal is to show how comparative analysis illuminates context-specific reasons for differences in social justice practice, while providing a framework to guide deeper investigation of the role of law in Asian development. A central finding from our research is that Asian lawyers who mobilize law for social justice, though marginal in numbers and status, often help to open new paths for change.
Corporate Governance, the Timeliness of Financial Reporting and the Russian Banking System: An Empirical Study

Transparency is one of those terms that have many facets. It is used in different ways. It can refer to the openness of governmental functions. It can refer to a country's economy. Or it can refer to various aspects of corporate governance and financial reporting. The OECD (1998) lists transparency as one element of good corporate governance. Kulzick (2004) and others (Blanchet, 2002; Prickett, 2002) view transparency from a user perspective. According to their view, transparency includes the following eight concepts: accuracy, consistency, appropriateness, completeness, clarity, timeliness, convenience, and governance and enforcement. This paper focuses on just one aspect of transparency - timeliness. The International Accounting Standards Board considers timeliness to be an essential aspect of financial reporting. In APB Statement No. 4, the Accounting Principles Board (1970) in the USA listed timeliness as one of the qualitative objectives of financial reporting disclosure. APB Statement No. 4 was later superseded but the Financial Accounting Standards Board continued to recognize the importance of timeliness in its Concepts Statement No. 2 (1980). The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also recognizes the importance of timeliness and requires that listed companies file their annual 10-K reports by a certain deadline. The issue of timeliness has several facets. There is an inverse relationship between the quality of financial information and the timeliness with which it is reported (Kenley & Staubus, 1974). Accounting information becomes less relevant with the passage of time (Atiase, Bamber & Tse, 1989; Hendriksen & van Breeda, 1992; Lawrence & Glover, 1998).
The Effect of Fluorouracil on the Transepithelial Electrical Resistance of Caco-2 Cells Growing as Confluent Monolayers on Polycarbonate Filters

In a previous study we showed that enteric coated mucoadhesive particles administered orally delivered 5-fluorouracil slowly to the colon. This present study extends these investigations into an in-vitro cell line. Human colonic adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2) were cultured as confluent monolayers on polycarbonate filters in Transwell systems for investigating in-vitro cytotoxic effects of different concentrations of 5-fluorouracil over the range 0.077-7.7 μM. Cell damage was determined by measuring changes in the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). The results suggested that 5-fluorouracil at all concentrations tested significantly affected the Caco-2 cells. Application of residuals to the experimental TEER data indicated that the relationship between square-root of time and TEER was linear (P > 0.05), indicating that the drug may affect the Caco-2 cells by a diffusional mechanism. There was no suggestion of a minimal or threshold concentration of drug required to affect the cells over the range tested.
Analytical solutions of the planar cyclic voltammetry process for two soluble species with equal diffusivities and fast electron transfer using the method of eigenfunction expansions

Cyclic voltammetry is a powerful tool that is used for characterizing electrochemical processes. Models of cyclic voltammetry take into account the mass transport of species and the kinetics at the electrode surface. Analytical solutions of these models are not well-known due to the complexity of the boundary conditions. In this study we present closed form analytical solutions of the planar voltammetry model for two soluble species with fast electron transfer and equal diffusivities using the eigenfunction expansion method. Our solution methodology does not incorporate Laplace transforms and yields good agreement with the numerical solution. This solution method can be extended to cases that are more general and may be useful for benchmarking purposes.