cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intensity modulated radiotherapy for sinonasal malignancies with a focus on optic pathway preservation

To assess if intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) can possibly lead to improved local control and lower incidence of vision impairment/blindness in comparison to non-IMRT techniques when treating sinonasal malignancies; what is the most optimal dose constraints for the optic pathway; and the impact of different IMRT strategies on optic pathway sparing in this setting. A literature search in the PubMed databases was conducted in July, 2012. Clinical studies on IMRT and 2D/3D (2 dimensional/3 dimensional) RT for sinonasal malignancies suggest improved local control and lower incidence of severe vision impairment with IMRT in comparison to non-IMRT techniques. As observed in the non-IMRT studies, blindness due to disease progression may occur despite a lack of severe toxicity possibly due to the difficulty of controlling locally very advanced disease with a dose ≤ 70 Gy. Concurrent chemotherapy’s influence on the the risk of severe optic toxicity after radiotherapy is unclear. A maximum dose of ≤ 54 Gy with conventional fractionation to the optic pathway may decrease the risk of blindness. Increased magnitude of intensity modulation through increasing the number of segments, beams, and using a combination of coplanar and non-coplanar arrangements may help increase dose conformality and optic pathway sparing when IMRT is used. IMRT optimized with appropriate strategies may be the treatment of choice for the most optimal local control and optic pathway sparing when treating sinonasal malignancy.
Arrhenius Characterization of ILD and Copper CMP Processes

To date, chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) models have relied heavily on parameters such as pressure, velocity, slurry, and pad properties to describe material removal rates. One key parameter, temperature, which can impact both the mechanical and chemical facets of the CMP process, is often neglected. Using a modified definition of the generalized Preston's equation with the inclusion of an Arrhenius relationship, thermally controlled polishing experiments are shown to quantify the contribution of temperature to the relative magnitude of the thermally dependent and thermally independent aspects of copper and interlayer dielectric (ILD) CMP. The newly defined Preston's equation includes a modified definition of the activation energy parameter contained in the Arrhenius portion, the combined activation energy, which describes all events (chemical or mechanical) that are impacted by temperature during CMP. Studies indicate that for every consumable set combination (i.e., slurry and polishing pad) a characteristic combined Arrhenius activation energy can be calculated for each substrate material being polished.
Command word generation for space data networks

Command word is generated simply by using an American Standard Code for information interchange via a keyboard in some space data networks. There is no Hamming distance control between command words. Also, command verification procedure is not employed and the command words can be as long as 4096 bytes. In such situations, the command word rejection and false acceptance probabilities can be significant. A goal of the paper is to analyze the exact probabilities of the correct command word acceptance, the false command word acceptance, and rejection of a command word for both error correction and no-error correction cases as a function of the channel bit error probability. Another goal of the paper is to propose a reasonable and inexpensive scheme for generating the command words. >
A model-based vehicle segmentation method for tracking

Our goal is to detect and track moving vehicles on a road observed from cameras placed on poles or buildings. Inter-vehicle occlusion is significant under these conditions and traditional blob tracking methods is unable to separate the vehicles in the merged blobs. We use vehicle shape models, in addition to camera calibration and ground plane knowledge, to detect, track and classify moving vehicles in presence of occlusion. We use a 2-stage approach. In the first stage, hypothesis for vehicle types, positions and orientations are formed by a coarse search, which is then refined by a data driven Markov chain Monte Carlo (DDMCMC) process. We show results and evaluations on some real urban traffic video sequence using three types of vehicle models
New bounds on the maximal error exponent for multiple-access channels

The problem of bounding the reliability function of a multiple-access channel (MAC) is studied. An upper bound on the minimum Bhattacharyya distance between codeword pairs is derived. For a certain large class of two-user discrete memoryless (DM) MAC, a lower bound on the maximal probability of decoding error is derived as a consequence of the upper bound on Bhattacharyya distance. Further, an upper bound on the average probability of decoding error is studied. It is shown that the corresponding upper and lower bounds have a similar structure. Using a conjecture about the structure of the multi-user code, a tighter lower bound for the maximal probability of decoding error is derived and is shown to be tight at zero rates.
NF-κB p50 Plays Distinct Roles in the Establishment and Control of Murine Gammaherpesvirus 68 Latency

NF-kappaB signaling is critical to the survival and transformation of cells infected by the human gammaherpesviruses Epstein-Barr virus and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. Here we have examined how elimination of the NF-kappaB transcription factor p50 from mice affects the life cycle of murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV68). Notably, mice lacking p50 in every cell type were unable to establish a sufficiently robust immune response to control MHV68 infection, leading to high levels of latently infected B cells detected in the spleen and persistent virus replication in the lungs. The latter correlated with very low levels of virus-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the infected p50(-/-) mice at day 48 postinfection. Because the confounding impact of the loss of p50 on the host response to MHV68 infection prevented a direct analysis of the role of this NF-kappaB family member on MHV68 latency in B cells, we generated and infected mixed p50(+/+)/p50(-/-) bone marrow chimeric mice. We show that the chimeric mice were able to control acute virus replication and exhibited normal levels of virus-specific IgG at 3 months postinfection, indicating the induction of a normal host immune response to MHV68 infection. However, in p50(+/+)/p50(-/-) chimeric mice the p50(-/-) B cells exhibited a significant defect compared to p50(+/+) B cells in supporting MHV68 latency. In addition to identifying a role for p50 in the establishment of latency, we determined that the absence of p50 in a subset of the hematopoietic compartment led to persistent virus replication in the lungs of the chimeric mice, providing evidence that p50 is required for controlling virus reactivation. Taken together, these data demonstrate that p50 is required for immune control by the host and has distinct tissue-dependent roles in the regulation of murine gammaherpesvirus latency during chronic infection.
Validation in Inquiry-Guided Research: The Role of Exemplars in Narrative Studies

In this article Elliot Mishler reformulates validation as a process through which a community of researchers evaluates the "trustworthiness" of a particular study as the basis for their own work. Rather than relying for their assessments on an investigator's adherence to formal rules or standardized procedures, skilled researchers, Mishler argues, depend on their tacit understanding of actual, situated practices in a field of inquiry. Validity claims are tested through the ongoing discourse among researchers and, in this sense, scientific knowledge is socially constructed. Within this perspective, Mishler proposes an approach to the problem of validation in inquiry-guided studies that relies on Kuhn's concept of exemplars — concrete models of research practice. He then examines three studies of narrative, suggesting them as candidate exemplars for this area of research since they provide reasonable grounds for evaluating their trustworthiness.
A Microbial Association with Autism

Autism is a heterogeneous group of complex developmental disabilities that result from a number of possible etiologies. There are a well-known number of comorbidities associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including, commonly, gastrointestinal (GI) pathology, which can include variable combinations of constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, gastroesophageal reflux, and vomiting. An American Academy of Pediatrics consensus panel has recommended that prospective studies be carried out to determine the prevalence of GI disorders in ASD and their pathophysiologic basis. In a recent article, Williams et al. [B. L. Williams, M. Hornig, T. Parekh, and W. I. Lipkin, mBio 3(1):e00261-11, 2012] have provided one such study of autism with GI comorbidities by presenting evidence of Sutterella species in ileal mucosal biopsy specimens from patients diagnosed with ASD but not in control children with GI symptoms, suggesting a specific role for Sutterella in ASD. Sutterella sequences represented ~1 to 7% of the total bacterial sequences, and this is a very large effect size on the ileal mucosal composition of the autism phenotype, rivaling or perhaps exceeding the effect size of the ileal Crohn's disease phenotype. This study opens a new field of investigation to study the etiology or consequences of GI comorbidities in ASD.
Turning niches into handles: Kanak youth, associations and the construction of an indigenous counter-public sphere

Indigenous peoples articulate and defend their cultures and identities in the ‘niches’ of settler colonial structures. In this way, the structures of the settler state shape – even as they constrai...
A DETAILED PROTOCOL FOR THE PREPARATION AND ORIENTATION OF SINGLE FOSSIL DINOFLAGELLATE CYSTS FOR TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY

The relationship between wall layers in dinoflagellate cysts was investigated with transmission electron microscopy. A simple method is described in which small cysts (<100 μm) were identified, isolated, and encapsulated in colored agarose. The individual cysts, now visible to the naked eye, were easy to track throughout the multi-step protocol. The routine TEM protocol for biological material was modified and simplified for dinoflagellate cysts, and is described in detail. This method ensures that all samples can be retained, an important consideration when working with rare or unique specimens. Specimens of Hystrichosphaeropsis Deflandre 1935 were orientated for sectioning relative to the natural plane of settlement of the cyst. Serial sections demonstrated that the relationship between the endophragm and periphragm is complex and irregular. Interpretation of micrographs and some common misinterpretations of artifacts are illustrated and discussed. The protocol is presented in detail and illustrated so that an inexperienced person, with the assistance of an electron microscopy unit, could successfully carry out the procedure. The technique has been used with minor adaptations to prepare a range of biological materials and palynomorph specimens for transmission electron microscopy.
Calibrating the COCOMO II post-architecture model

The COCOMO II model was created to meet the need for a cost model that accounted for future software development practices. This paper describes some of the experiences learned in calibrating COCOMO II Post-Architecture model from eighty-three observations. The results of the multiple regression analysis, their implications, and a future calibration strategy are discussed.
Diagnosis and management of thyrotoxicosis

Thyrotoxicosis occurs in approximately 2% of women and 0.2% of men.w1 Thyrotoxicosis due to Graves' disease most commonly develops between the second and fourth decades of life, whereas the prevalence of toxic nodular goitre increases with age. Autoimmune forms of thyrotoxicosis are more prevalent among smokers.w2 w3 Toxic nodular goitre is most common in regions where dietary iodine is insufficient. I searched Medline for English language papers with the topics “thyrotoxicosis”, “Graves' disease”, and “goitre”, searched the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews by using the keyword “thyroid”, and used a personal archive of references. Symptoms of overt thyrotoxicosis include heat intolerance, palpitations, anxiety, fatigue, weight loss, muscle weakness, and, in women, irregular menses. Clinical findings may include tremor, tachycardia, lid lag, and warm moist skin.1 Symptoms and signs of subclinical hyperthyroidism, if present, are usually vague and nonspecific. To treat thyrotoxicosis appropriately, determining the cause is essential. The most common causes of thyrotoxicosis are discussed below; other causes are listed in the table. View this table: Causes of thyrotoxicosis ### Graves' disease Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder in which thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI) binds to and stimulates the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor on the thyroid cell membrane, resulting in excessive synthesis and secretion of thyroid hormone.2 Patients with Graves' disease usually have diffuse, nontender, symmetrical enlargement of the thyroid gland. Ophthalmopathy, consisting of protrusion of the eyes with periorbital soft tissue swelling and inflammation, and inflammatory changes in the extraocular muscles resulting in diplopia and muscle imbalance, is clinically evident in 30% of patients with Graves' disease.1 ### Toxic nodular goitre Toxic adenomas are benign monoclonal thyroid tumours that secrete excess thyroid hormone autonomously. Thyrotoxicosis may develop in patients with a single autonomous thyroid nodule or in those with multiple autonomous nodules (toxic multinodular goitre, also known as Plummer's disease). Nodular autonomy typically …
Chemical suppression of adaptive immunity.

Publisher Summary The chapter constitutes a monumental review of current knowledge of chemical suppression of adaptive immunity. The chapter's interpretation is based on the hypothesis that there are two functionally distinct lymphoid systems: (1) thymus dependent involved in delayed-type hypersensitivity and (2) dependent on the bursa of fabricius or its analogue in mammals involved in antibody production. Immunosuppressive methods have already produced successes in homografting despite their limitations. The limitations of current immunosuppression are legion, the central dilemma being the balance of rejection threat on one hand and infectious threat on the other. Their rational use and development is assisted by in this chapter. It is certain that the pharmacology of immunosuppression will develop in a most impressive manner; the steps will strengthen progressively in the ensuing years, and immunosuppressive therapy may be forthcoming that will strengthen the armamentarium of medicine.
Many-beam velocimeter for fast surfaces

For the past 5 years, we have conceived, built and successfully used a new 10 beam laser velocimeter for monitoring velocity vs time histories of fast moving surfaces, and will have a 20 beam capability soon. We conceived a method to multiplex 5 to 10 beams through a single Fabry-Perot interferometer, without losing any light that our equivalently-performing single beam system could use, and with negligible cross-talk. This saves the cost of 16 interferometers, simplifies operation and takes less space than without multiplexing. We devised special efficient light collecting probes, streak cameras that change sweep speed during the course of the record, and a new double cavity interferometer which is better, cheaper and more flexible than our previous versions. With the 10 recorders, we conceived and employ a method of using both a fast and a slow streak camera on each of 5 beams without reducing the light that is available to either camera separately. Five new galvanometrically-driven triggerable CCD streak cameras will be installed soon.
Multiscale theory for linear dynamic processes: Part 2. Multiscale model predictive control (MS-MPC)

Abstract A multiscale framework, defined in a time-scale domain, offers significant advantages in designing and deploying model predictive control (MPC). The resulting multiscale MPC (MS-MPC) allows variable prediction and control horizons, which are adjusted in real-time in conjuction with the actual external disturbances that affect process behavior and the characteristics of model uncertainty generated in the course of feedback control, and can overcome the theoretical and practical hurdles of fixed-horizon classical MPC. In addition, MS-MPC can incorporate, naturally, richer descriptions of external disturbances and model uncertainties over several distinct temporal scales (ranges of frequencies) and can accommodate, naturally and optimally, measurements at multiple sampling intervals and control actions at multiple rates. MS-MPC is based on the multiscale framework of analysis established in Part 1 of this series. It employs a wavelet-based transformation of states, inputs and outputs from the time-domain to a time-scale domain, and multiscale process models on homogeneous binary trees, which define the time-scale domain. Finally, MS-MPC is better suited to handle input and output constraints over varying lengths of time. A series of numerical examples will illustrate the MS-MPC approach and its advantages in designing and deploying feedback process control systems.
Reaction of (Bisimido)niobium(V) Complexes with Organic Azides: [3 + 2] Cycloaddition and Reversible Cleavage of β-Diketiminato Ligands Involving Nitrene Transfer

We describe the unusual reactivity of a highly labile diethyl ether adduct of an asymmetric niobium(V) bis(imide) 2.OEt2 containing the monoazabutadiene (MAD) ligand. This species undergoes clean nitrene transfer on treatment with tert-butyl- or di-isopropylphenyl azide resulting in the unprecedented reformation of nacnac ligands bound to the metal center. Corresponding reactions with trimethylsilyl- or tert-butyl azide allowed the isolation of two rare intermediates prior to N2 loss; mechanistic studies support the involvement of two different niobium species.
Confused Flour Beetle1 Growth and Development Stimulated by Eating Eggs or Adults of the Indian Meal Moth2,3

After 16 days of larval growth, females and males of the confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum Jacquelin duVal, held in the laboratory at 29°C and 60% RH in flour supplemented with eggs of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hubner), weighed 3.55±0.S9 (SE) and 3.33±0.42 mg, respectively; females and males in flour supplemented with dead moths weighed 3.05±0.33 and 2.72±0.17 mg, respectively; and females and males in unsupplemented flour weighed 2.28±0.27 and 1.96±0.22 mg, respectively. Maximum weights of the larvae on the 3 diets did not differ significantly. Males and females did not differ in the length of developmental period, but the developmental period on the 3 diets differed: by the 20th day 50% of the larvae had pupated in flour supplemented with eggs; but it took 22 days for larvae in flour supplemented with moths, and 25 for larvae in unsupplemented flour. Supplemented diets did not affect duration of the prepupal stage (1.1±0.4 days) or pupation (7.2±0.4 days). The 1st day that at least 50% of the adults had emerged was day 28.0±0.6 for larvae in flour with eggs, day 29.0±1.6 for larvae in flour with moths, and day 32.0±1.0 for larvae in unsupplemented flour.
Finite Element Modeling of Longitudinal Metastructures for Passive Vibration Suppression

The research presented here explores a finite element model of metastructure with distributed vibration absorbers experiencing unidirectional axial vibrations. This work builds off of previous work using a lumped mass model. The proposed model is compared to a baseline model where both models have equal mass. First, it is verified that the finite element formulation produces similar trends as the lumped mass model, specifically, that using vibration absorbers of linearly varying natural frequencies leads to a larger bandgap of reduced vibrations. Second, the two comparison models generated using the finite element formulation have different effective stiffnesses and the effects of this is examined. The results show that a small number of vibration absorbers, less than three, leads to a significant change in stiffness which in turn results in a larger dynamic response of the structure.
FUNCTIONING OF GROINS AT WESTHAMPTON BEACH, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK

An extended field of 15 long rubble stone groins was constructed in two increments of work at Westhampton Beach, New York, in 1965-66 (11 groins) and in 1969-70 (4 groins), as part of a hurricane storm-protection project. A third increment of work completing the protection to a downdrift point of closure was not undertaken due to political decisions. In addition, the dune and beach fill which was to have been placed in the first 10 groin compartments to complete the protection was not accomplished due to local economic problems. No construction work has been undertaken since 1970. During the 26 years following completion of the original 11 groins, substantial portions of the groin field have been filled naturally by trapping of sediment that moves alongshore with a net rate directed to the west. However, the shore area downdrift of the last westerly groin in the unconstructed increment of work has experienced inordinate recession because of insufficient bypassing of sediment to this area. This paper describes the functioning of the groin field, examining both the extreme downdrift recession and the equally dramatic accretion and beach build up in the groin field, drawing lessons on groin functional design from this historic project.
Advances in Radiation Therapy for Primary and Metastatic Adult Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) consist of a heterogeneous group of rare malignancies arising from mesenchymal origin. While surgical resection is the primary treatment for STS, the use of radiotherapy (RT) as an adjunctive modality has been shown to improve oncologic outcomes. Technologic improvements, such as image guidance and intensity-modulated radiotherapy that significantly improve both the precision and delivery of RT, have led to the reduction of long-term RT toxicities without compromising outcomes. This review addresses these technologic advancements as well as discussing the most current updates regarding the use of brachytherapy, charged particles, and novel agents with RT.
Why You Can’t Teach United States History without American Indians. Edited by Susan Sleeper-Smith, Juliana Barr, Jean M. O’Brien, Nancy Shoemaker, and Scott Manning Stevens.

Why You Can’t Teach United States History without American Indians . Edited by Susan Sleeper-Smith, Juliana Barr, Jean M. O’Brien, Nancy Shoemaker, and Scott Manning Stevens. (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2015. xiii + 335 pp. Illustrations, maps, table, notes, bibliographical notes, index. $29.95, paper; $28.99, e-book.) This timely collection of essays by some of the leading scholars of American Indian history stems from a 2013 symposium held at the Newberry Library in Chicago under the auspices of the D’Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies. Following in the McNickle Center’s long-standing effort to enhance the teaching of American (Indian) history and point out the (still) major flaws in American history textbooks, this offering provides teachers and students brief and direct essays on a variety of topics. Indian history here is not merely a “contributions” …
Dose-response to lead ingestion in rats fed low dietary calcium.

Abstract Metabolic and morphologic manifestations of lead intoxication were compared in rats receiving different concentrations of lead in drinking water (3 μg per milliliter to 200 μg per milliliter) when accompanied by a normal calcium diet (0.7 per cent) and a low calcium diet (0.1 per cent). The effect of lead upon rats receiving a low calcium diet was tested by fitting a regression line to the data for a number of variables. A theoretic dose was estimated that would produce a response equivalent to that observed in animals receiving 200 μg per milliliter of lead in drinking water and a normal calcium diet. The variables with the most significant linear regression (urinary d-ALA, renal wet weight, renal lead, and femur lead) had estimated equivalent doses ranging from 6.2 to 25.8 μg lead per milliliter. The study demonstrates that low dietary calcium significantly enhances the effect of low levels of lead.
Fénelon’s Gods, al-Ṭahṭāwī’s Jinn

Reading Rifāʿa al-Ṭahṭāwī’s 1850s Arabic translation (published 1867) of Francois Fenelon’s Les Aventures de Telemaque with and against the realist impulses of nineteenth-century British and French literary comparatism, this essay posits al-Ṭahṭāwī’s translation as a transformational moment in the reception of the “European” literary tradition in the Arab-Islamic world. Arguing that the ancient Greek gods who populate Fenelon’s 1699 sequel to Homer’s Odyssey are analogous to Muslim jinn—spirits of smokeless fire understood to be real—al-Ṭahṭāwī rewrites as Islamized “truth” what Muslims long had dismissed as pagan “fiction,” thereby adroitly negotiating a crisis of comparison and mediating an epistemic sea change in modern Arabic fiction. Indeed, the “untrue” gods of the Greeks (and of French literature) turn not just real but historically referential: invoking the real-historical world of 1850s Egypt, al-Ṭahṭāwī’s translation exhorts an unjust Ottoman-Egyptian sovereign to heed lessons that Fenelon’s original once had addressed to French royalty. Catherine Gallagher has defined the fictionality specific to the modern European novel as neither pure deceit nor pure truth. How might al-Ṭahṭāwī’s rehabilitation of the mythological as the supernatural/historical “real”—and of the idolatrous as secular/sacred “truth”—invite us to rethink novelistic fictionality in trans-Mediterranean terms, across European and Arab-Islamic contexts?
Perceptual space warping: Preliminary exploration

Distance has been shown to be incorrectly estimated in virtual environments relative to the same estimation tasks in a real environment. This work describes a preliminary exploration of Perceptual Space Warping, which influences perceived distance in virtual environments by using a vertex shader to warp geometry. Empirical tests demonstrate significant effects, but of smaller magnitude than expected.
IFN-γspielt eine entscheidende Rolle bei aktiv-spezifischer Tumortherapie, jedoch nicht bei Tumorregression nach adoptiven T-Zell Transfer

Introduction: The adoptive transfer of tumor-specific T cells from tumor vaccine draining lymph nodes (TVDLN) can result in complete regression of solid tumor. The tumorspecific release of IFN-γ, a type 1 cytokine, has been associated with therapeutic efficacy of adoptively transferred lymphocytes. The goal of the study was to evaluate the role of IFN-γ in adoptive immunotherapy and active-specific immunotherapy in a B16BL6-D5 (D5) murine melanoma model. Methods: Wild-type (wt) and IFN-γ k/o (GKO) mice were vaccinated s.c. with 1 x 10 7 irradiated D5-G6 cells, a stable GM-CSF transfected subclone of D5 to induce active-specific immunity. The mice were rechallenged 14 days after vaccination with 2 x 10 4 D5 and the tumor growth determined by measurement of two perpendicular diameters using a caliper. To generate tumor-specific T cells from TVDLN, wt and GKO mice were vaccinated s.c. with 1 x 10 6 D5-G6. TVDLN cells were activated in vitro with anti-CD3, expanded with IL-2 and adoptively transferred into wt, GKO and IFN-γ receptor k/o (GRKO) mice with established pulmonary metastases of D5 tumor. The number of pulmonary metastases was determined 10 days after adoptive transfer. The tumorspecific cytokine release of the effector T cells was determined in vitro by ELISA; tumorspecific cytotoxicity was determined in a 6-h 51Cr release assay. Results: Induction of active- specific immunity by D5-G6 a GM-CSF secreting tumor vaccine induces significant tumor protection in wt ( p < 0.01), but not in GKO mice. In contrast, adoptively transferred D5-G6 TVDLN cells from wt and GKO mice induced significant tumor regression in wt, GKO and GRKO mice (p < 0.01), cured 100% of GKO mice and induced long-term antitumor immunity. One hundred percent of the cured GKO mice that survived longer than 100 days rejected D5 after a s.c. rechallenge with native tumor. Seventy-five percent of the wt and 40% of the GKO mice developed vitiligo after rechallenge. CD8+ wt and GKO D5- G6 TVDLN cells are tumor-specifically cytotoxic for D5. Conclusion; The results show an interesting dichotomy in the requirement for IFN-γ: Antitumor immunity induced by active- specific immunotherapy (vaccination) required IFN-γ while adoptive immunotherapy did not.
Review Articles: The Black-Market of Scientific Currency

Citations are the scientific currency that quantifies the success of an individual or journal. Impact factor, H-factor, and other derivatives of citation number determine an author’s prestige in addition to a possible monetary value when journal articles are examined for job promotion, recognition awards, and grants. Similarly, journals that are more highly cited are viewed as more competitive and to have a broader readership. The correlation states, the more highly cited a paper or journal, the greater the importance and advancement of the research field. However, these assumptions are flawed because review papers are more commonly cited than original manuscripts in all … [↵][1]2Corresponding author, e-mail: Lee.Cohnstaedt{at}ars.usda.gov [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Pension Trust Investment in Nigeria – Celebrating the Sea Change Wrought by the Pension Reform Act

This work surveys the modalities for pension trust investment in Nigeria, which has only recently been favoured with a distinct legal framework. It gives a brief historical account of pension administration in Nigeria, identifies the policy and philosophical underpinnings of the new pension regime, expounds the relevant provisions of the Pension Reform Act 2014 together with the Regulation on Investment of Pension Fund Assets, and concludes with a critique of the Act and recommendations. Pertinent comparison is made between the provisions of the new legislation and extant Trustee Investments Act (which hitherto governed pension trust investments) with a view to underscoring the sea change wrought by the new Act. Despite drafting flaws and other inadequacies, by creating a separate regime for pension trust investment; introducing defined contribution scheme and pension trusts into the public service; enlarging the scope of pension trust investments and initiating guaranteed minimum pension and Pension Protection Fund, the recent enactment represents a milestone in the annals of Nigerian pension legislation. * Ph.D, LL.M., B.L., LL.B; Associate Professor of Law, University of Abuja, Nigeria.
73: Comparison of ELISA and Chemiluminescent Immunoassay Methodologies for Detection of Autoantibodies Associated With Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is associated with increased risk of thrombosis and pregnancy loss and can be diagnosed after compatible clinical events and testing for lupus anticoagulants and antiphospholipid autoantibodies: anti-cardiolipin (aCL) and anti-β2-glycoprotein I (β2GP-I) IgG/IgM antibodies. We recently compared the clinical diagnostic performance of two instruments for performing aCL and β2GP-I antibody testing: the Inova Diagnostics DSX automated ELISA and the Inova Diagnostics BIO-FLASH automated chemiluminescent analyzer. The BIO-FLASH bead-based testing system enhances sensitivity by increasing antigen exposure; furthermore, …
Venoscopy in Varicose Vein Surgery: Initial Experience:

Objective:To determine the number and function of valves and the location of perforators and tributaries in patients with varicose veins as a result of saphenofemoral or saphenopopliteal reflux.Des...
CHAPTER 230 – Regulation of Synaptic Fusion by Heterotrimeric G Proteins

Exocytotic release of a neurotransmitter is necessary for interneuronal communication. In neurons, exocytosis, or the fusion of a synaptic vesicle with a specialized area in the plasma membrane, is a tightly regulated process that must be activated with strict temporal control. Ca 2+ entry to the terminal is the trigger for exocytosis and neurotransmitter release, but the release of neurotransmitter evoked by Ca 2+ is modified by receptors located at the presynaptic terminal. These receptors include G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). G proteins may alter the efficacy of synaptic transmission either through phosphorylation or dephosphorylation of presynaptic components. GβƔ has been suggested to activate the calcineurin phosphatase pathway to inhibit release independent of Ca 2+ entry in neuroendocrine cells. In addition, the activation of both PKA and PKC have been implicated in the enhancement of synaptic transmission in the central nervous system. Indeed, tonic activation of PKA may be necessary for vesicle fusion to occur and PKA phosphorylates CSP to alter its binding to syntaxin. Metabotropic glutamate eceptors in the mammalian CNS may activate either of these latter pathways. Although relatively difficult to study, the presynaptic terminal may contain as rich an array of receptor-mediated mechanisms that modify information flow as has been identified at the postsynaptic side of the synapse.
Activity of Erector Spinae During Trunk Forward Bending and Backward Return: The Effects of Age

Electromyography (EMG)-based measures of the trunk muscles behavior have been used for objective assessment of biomechanical impairments in patients with low back pain (LBP); yet the literature on normal age-related differences in such measures is scant. A cross-sectional study was designed to assess age-related differences in activity of trunk extensors during forward bending and backward return. Sixty asymptomatic individuals were recruited to form five gender-balanced age groups between 20 and 70 years old. Participants completed two sets of trunk forward bending and backward return task using self-selected and fast motion paces. For bending and return phases of each task, the normalized lumbar flexion angles corresponding to different event times of erector spinae activity along with the peak normalized and non-normalized EMG activities of erector spinae were calculated. The mean normalized and non-normalized EMG activities of erector spinae during the entire task also were calculated. There was no age-related difference in normalized lumbar flexion angles corresponding to different event times of erector spinae activity. However, the peak normalized EMG activity during forward bending and backward return as well as the mean normalized EMG activity during the entire task were found to be larger in older vs. younger individuals. Given the suggested unreliability of normalized EMG in elders and considering that we did not find any age-related differences in non-normalized EMG activity of erector spinae, our results do not strongly support the existence of normal age-related differences in EMG profile of erector spinae during forward bending and backward return. Therefore, when interpreting EMG-based measures of trunk muscles behavior for identification of biomechanical impairment in patients with LBP, potential abnormalities in EMG activity of trunk muscles may not be attributed to patient’s age.
Principles of Side Branch Incorporation and “Bail Out” Maneuvers

Complex endovascular aortic repair requires mastering advanced skills for branch vessel catheterization and stenting, in addition to the skills needed for standard infra-renal and thoracic aortic endografting. Physicians may have to deal with unanticipated problems created by tortuous anatomy or intra-procedural complications. This chapter outlines the basic principles of branch vessel incorporation and how to deal with complications during endovascular repair using fenestrated, branched, and parallel stent-grafts.
Dependence of transition width on current and critical current in transition-edge sensors

In superconducting transition-edge sensor X-ray detectors, we observe that as the thermal conductance (G) to the heat bath increases, the resistive transition broadens. Consequently, the sensitivity of films to deposited energy worsens. Using a two-fluid model for the superconducting-to-normal transition in a thin film, we show that this broadening can be attributed to the larger current (I0) necessary for biasing the film at a given point in the transition for higher-G devices, resulting in a higher Ic0/I0 ratio (Ic0 is the film's critical current at zero temperature). To recover a sharper transition, we fabricated rectangular films with varying numbers of internal normal-metal structures while keeping G constant, allowing the independent variation of both I0 and Ic0. We show that it is possible to manipulate the transition width and G independently, thus enabling fast thermal sensors with an excellent energy resolution.
The Pragmeme of Accommodation in Yorùbá Death Events

Drawing on Mey’s (Pragmatics. Blackwell, Oxford, 2001; Pragmatic acts. In: Brown K (ed) Encyclopedia of language and linguistics, Elsevier, London, p 5–11, 2006) concept of pragmatic acts and Capone’s (J Pragmat 37:1355–1371, 2010) views on rituals of death, this chapter claims that death rituals in Yoruba are pragmatic acts that may be situated within the frame of the pragmeme of accommodation. The chapter explores the activities around the events of death among the Yoruba people of West Africa and categorizes the pragmatic acts produced in such rituals into linguistic and non-linguistic acts. While linguistic acts include greetings, words of encouragement, sermons, prayers, and promises, non-linguistic acts include pyschological acts, body acts and physical acts. Providing samples of speech from all of these situations, the chapter then analyzes these examples from the perspective of the pragmeme of accommodation. The chapter argues that activities in the Yoruba community occur in a sociopragmatic as well as a socio-semiotic perspective with the aim of giving solace to the bereaved. It also shows that these acts are executed and interpreted within constituted orientations peculiar to the Yoruba cultural society.
Countering the Neoliberal Ontology of Nature: The STEPWISE Option

I believe that schools can serve as engines of social change, and can even be repurposed to serve progressive goals as shown by the STEPWISE project. However, much of the lessons and insights that STEPWISE offers may remain inaccessible unless read diffractively by critique and propelled through dialogue. It is in this spirit that this chapter critically examines the STEPWISE framework in light of its potential to offer the theoretical space and resources needed for evidence based, scientifically grounded understanding and collective democratic environmental and social justice activism. A critical part of coming to know the world relates to labeling the world, and officially sanctioned ontologies as reflected in official discourse of school science play an important role in shaping students’ views of the world. In this chapter, therefore, I compare and contrast the neoliberal ontology of the natural world as embedded in the mainstream, official science curricula in the United States with the ontology undergirding the STEPWISE framework to showcase the strengths and limitations of STEPWISE oriented science instruction for environmental action. I also discuss ways in which the STEPWISE framework can be further strengthened to better serve the goal of preparing students that can act as sharing, cooperative and public good maximizing homo reciprocans to create a more ecologically and socially just world.
An evidence-based recommendation to increase the dosing frequency of buprenorphine during pregnancy

Background Dose-adjusted plasma concentrations of buprenorphine are significantly decreased during pregnancy compared with the nonpregnant state. This observation suggests that pregnant women may need a higher dose of buprenorphine than nonpregnant individuals to maintain similar drug exposure (plasma concentrations over time after a dose). The current dosing recommendations for buprenorphine during pregnancy address the total daily dose of buprenorphine to be administered, but the frequency of dosing is not clearly addressed. Based on buprenorphine's long terminal half-life, once-daily or twice-daily dosing has generally been suggested. Objective The objective of the study was to assess the impact of dosing frequency on buprenorphine plasma concentration time course during pregnancy. Study Design We utilized 3 data sources to determine an optimal frequency for dosing of buprenorphine during pregnancy: data from a pharmacokinetic study of 14 pregnant and postpartum women on maintenance buprenorphine in a supervised clinical setting; data from pregnant women attending a buprenorphine clinic; and data from a physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling of buprenorphine pharmacokinetics in nonpregnant subjects. Results Among the 14 women participating in the pharmacokinetic study during and after pregnancy, plasma concentrations of buprenorphine were Conclusion A more frequent dosing interval (ie, three-times-daily or four-times-daily dosing) may be required in pregnant women to sustain plasma concentrations above the threshold of 1 ng/mL to prevent withdrawal symptoms and to improve adherence.
Toward nanoscale multiferroic devices: Magnetic field-directed self-assembly and chaining in Janus nanofibers

Optical microscopy is used to observe magnetic field driven chaining of Janus nanofibers electrospun from CoFe2O4 and BaTiO3 sol-gel precursors. Chaining as a function of applied field strength follows the expected power law for diffusion limited chaining at low concentrations. At higher concentrations chain length increases rapidly at low fields but more slowly at higher fields, with a transition at 100 Oe. This change in dynamics means field-dependent scaling exponents, suggesting mass-dependent chaining for low fields and diffusion limited chaining for higher fields. The angular dispersion of the chains relative to the external field direction also shows a transition near 100 Oe, decreasing monotonically at higher fields. These results suggest that assembly models developed for nanoparticles need to be modified to properly describe assembly in nanorods and nanofibers.
Stressor-layer-induced elastic strain sharing in SrTiO 3 complex oxide sheets

A precisely selected elastic strain can be introduced in submicron-thick single-crystal SrTiO3 sheets using a silicon nitride stressor layer. A conformal stressor layer deposited using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition produces an elastic strain in the sheet consistent with the magnitude of the nitride residual stress. Synchrotron x-ray nanodiffraction reveals that the strain introduced in the SrTiO3 sheets is on the order of 10−4, matching the predictions of an elastic model. This approach to elastic strain sharing in complex oxides allows the strain to be selected within a wide and continuous range of values, an effect not achievable in heteroepitaxy on rigid substrates.
Utility of Genetic Testing in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Objective To study the utility of genetic evaluation and testing in patients with suspected fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Study design We performed a retrospective chart review of all patients (n = 36) referred for evaluation for suspected FASD to the genetics clinic at Boston Children's Hospital between January 2006 and January 2013. Records of all patients were reviewed to obtain the medical history, family history, examination findings, and investigations, including genetic testing. Results Of the 36 patients, definite prenatal exposure was documented in 69%. Eight patients did not fulfill clinical criteria for FASD. Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) detected 19 copy number variants (CNVs) in 14 patients. Among patients who fulfilled criteria for FASD and underwent CMA, pathogenic CNVs were detected in 3 patients (2q37del, 22q11.22dup, and 4q31.21del syndromes), giving a yield of 14.3%. All 3 patients had overlapping features between FASD and the genetic syndrome. Conclusion Genetic testing, especially CMA, should be considered in patients referred for evaluation of FASD, as a significant proportion have a clinically significant CNV even when they fulfill diagnostic criteria for FASD spectrum.
Spatial-, Temporal-, and Contrast-Resolutions Obtainable With Retina Implants

In blind patients with degenerated photoreceptors a large percent of inner retinal neurons remain histologically intact and stay functionally alive (1). Without visual input, the retinal ganglion cells continue to transmit spontaneously generated action potentials through the optic tract to the visual centers. They can also be artificially activated by trains of short electrical impulses and such stimuli were shown to elicit localized perceptions of light, called phosphenes ((2)–(5)). This finding opened the possibility to restitute basic vision with retina implants by delivering electrical stimuli to the retina. Two main types of retina implants are currently developed using either sub- or epiretinal electrode arrays (see the other reviews in this Volume). Subretinal devices are implanted between the pigment epithelial layer and the outer layers of the retina so that they can activate the outer plexiform layer and bipolar cells (6). Epiretinal implants are placed from the vitreous side onto the ganglion cell and nerve fiber layer of the retina (7). Epiretinal implants can evoke action potentials in retinal ganglion cells and/or their axons (8). Finally, both types of implants send visual information in the form of spike patterns through the axons of retinal ganglion cells along the optic nerve to central visual structures. One crucial question remains regarding the type of neural responses evoked in the visual cortex by stimulation with retina implants. Are the spatial, temporal, and intensity resolutions obtainable with current technologies sufficient, in order to provide useful vision for discriminating objects in a static environment and to perceive motion in dynamic scenes of everyday life? Data for estimates of perceptual resolutions achievable with retina implants are rare.
Training and Credentialing in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery

The previous decade has seen explosive growth in technological advances in the endovascular arena. A partial list of these technologies would include carotid angioplasty and stenting, refinements in thoracic and abdominal endografts, and lower extremity angioplasty stenting, atherectomy, and mechanical thrombectomy. The field of vascular surgery has completely embraced these minimally invasive techniques and adapted its training paradigms accordingly. With the increasing complexity and breadth of endovascular interventions, vascular surgery has become a distinct surgery specialty. Reflecting this change, candidates for the Vascular Surgery Board examination of the American Board of Surgery (VSB-ABS) can sit for the examination after completion of an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited vascular residency without previous certification in general surgery.
The Relation between Lagrangian and Eulerian Spectra: A Connection between Large-Scale Waves and Small-Scale Turbulence

Abstract We obtain an exact relation between Lagrangian and Eulerian spectra for the case in which the canonically conjugate Lagrangian variables are distributed in accordance with the canonical distribution from statistical mechanics. By considering a simplified example with one spatial dimension we obtain an exact closed form expression for the Eulerian frequency wavenumber spectrum. We find that even though the Lagrangian frequency wavenumber spectrum is proportional to a delta function which confines the system to the dispersion surface, the Eulerian frequency wavenumber spectrum is not so confined and exhibits turbulence properties at small wavenumbers.