cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Managing Learning Experiences In An AACSB Environment: Beyond The Classroom

The study explores the development and management of a rich learning environment that extends the traditional classroom to include significant co-curricular programs. Learning enrichment is guided by the individual mission of the business school, accreditation agency (AACSB), and in our case, the Jesuit mission. That central framework provides a student centric focus to achieve our mission as well as our specific Assurance of Learning objectives. Key concepts discussed include identifying management models/approaches, how to measure the richness of the learning experience, maintaining Assurance of Learning standards, as well as a variety of implementation issues.
4-Methyl-2H-1,3-oxazine-2,6(3H)-dione

In the title compound, C5H5NO3, the planar (maximum deviation = 0.075 A for the ring O atom) mol­ecules form N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds in a zigzag chain (C—O⋯N bond angle ≃ 140°) between glide-related mol­ecules.
Exercise training-induced triglyceride lowering negatively correlates with DHEA levels in men with type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of an exercise training program on lipid profile in correlation with DHEA level and body weight and body composition in type 2 diabetic men. DESIGN: Longitudinal, controlled clinical intervention study with exercise training consisting of an 8 week supervised program of aerobic exercise (75% VO2 peak, 45 min), twice a week and intermittent exercise, once a week, on a bicyle ergometer. SUBJECTS: Sixteen men (age 45.4±7.2 y (mean±s.d.), HbA1c 8.15±1.7%, body mass index (BMI) 29.6±4.6 kg/m2) were randomly divided into two groups: trained group (n=8) and control group (n=8). MEASUREMENTS: Lipid, apo- and lipoprotein and DHEA concentrations. Cross-sectional areas of subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue and mid-thigh muscle by magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: Training decreased visceral (153.25±38.55 vs 84.20±21.30 cm2, P<0.001), subcutaneous (241.55±49.55 vs 198.00±39.99 cm2, P<0.001) adipose tissue area and triglyceride levels (2.59±1.90 vs 1.79±1.08 nmol/l, P<0.05) and increased mid-thigh muscle cross-sectional area (148.30±36.10 vs 184.35±35.85 cm2, P<0.001), and DHEA levels (11.00±3.10 vs 14.25±4.10 nmol/l, P<0.05) with no modification in body weight. Changes in triglycerides were negatively correlated with changes in DHEA (r=−0.81, P=0.03). This correlation was independent of changes in abdominal fat distribution. CONCLUSION: Training decreases abdominal fat depots, improves muscular mass and affects favourably triglyceride and DHEA levels. Changes in triglycerides and DHEA were inversely related.
PORIA CARNEGIEA AND DECAY OF SAGUARO CACTUS IN ARIZONA

Poria carnegiea Baxter is an important cause of decay in the saguaro cactus [Carnegiea gigantea (Engelm.) Britt et Rose] in southern Arizona. It apparently enters the standing plants through the ro...
Development of a Resource Scheduling Model Using Optimization

The CPM has proven to be helpful only when the project deadline is not fixed and the resources are not constrained by either availability or time. Resource-constrained scheduling arises as a result of problems with the availability of resources. It is necessary to apply the availability of resources into a scheduling process for this reason. The objective of this paper is to present an optimal algorithm for a resource allocation model, which would be implemented into a framework for the development of an integration model. This framework for the development of an integration model for the resource-constrained scheduling is discussed. An optimal resource allocation model is presented within the framework of an integration model. Unlike present heuristic-based resource allocation models, the model does not depend on any set of heuristic rules, but adopts the concept of future float to set the order of priority when activities compete for resources. The model determines the shortest duration by allocating available resources to a set of activities simultaneously. Genetic algorithms (GAs) are adopted to search near-optimal solutions. A case example is solved to illustrate the performance and effectiveness of the resource allocation model. The results indicate that the model is capable of producing near-optimal scheduling alternatives, compared to a single solution that is produced by either the total float model or the least impact model.
Peanuts or Pretzels? Changing Attitudes about Eating on Hemodialysis.

I am not that fond of peanuts, and I hate pretzels, but when stuck on an airplane flight, I smile when the flight attendant offers them. This is not because I am hungry, and I certainly do not need the calories. My pleasure is less in the food itself and more in the small ritual of hospitality that
Three-dimensional model of the Cascadia subduction zone using earthquake hypocenters, western Washington

Abstract The identification of seismically active fault planes is important for assessment of earthquake potential as well as development of neotectonic models and analysis of stress systems for a region. An automated set of computer programs, SEISPLN, has been developed for the identification of three-dimensional (3-D) alignments of seismic hypocenters. The SEISPLN technique is based on rotating a 3-D elongate grid system through the hypocenter distribution. The number of events in each cell is tabulated, and those cells which contain statistically significant numbers of events are considered to be potential fault surfaces. A multiple linear regression is applied to the set of hypocenters in each delineated cell to model the 3-D geometry of each of the inferred fault surfaces. We applied the technique to earthquakes located by the Washington Regional Seismic Network to separate the seismic events associated with the subducted Juan de Fuca (JDF) plate from events in the overlying crust. A total of 259 JDF-associated events were delineated, and the resulting 3-D models of the JDF slab beneath Washington reveal a complex combination of arching and flattening. Also, a steep orientation for the slab is observed beneath the southern portion of the Washington Cascades, while a much shallower orientation is inferred beneath the northern Cascades.
Towards bipedal behavior on a quadrupedal platform using optimal control

This paper explores the applicability of a Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) controller design to the problem of bipedal stance on the Minitaur [1] quadrupedal robot. Restricted to the sagittal plane, this behavior exposes a three degree of freedom (DOF) double inverted pendulum with extensible length that can be projected onto the familiar underactuated revolute-revolute “Acrobot” model by assuming a locked prismatic DOF, and a pinned toe. While previous work has documented the successful use of local LQR control to stabilize a physical Acrobot, simulations reveal that a design very similar to those discussed in the past literature cannot achieve an empirically viable controller for our physical plant. Experiments with a series of increasingly close physical facsimiles leading to the actual Minitaur platform itself corroborate and underscore the physical Minitaur platform corroborate and underscore the implications of the simulation study. We conclude that local LQR-based linearized controller designs are too fragile to stabilize the physical Minitaur platform around its vertically erect equilibrium and end with a brief assessment of a variety of more sophisticated nonlinear control approaches whose pursuit is now in progress.
Status Quo and Development Trend of Shipborne Phased Array Radar

According to the requirement of sea fight, this paper comprehensively analyzes the advantages of shipborne phased array radar, reviews its development history, and summarizes the equipment and development in foreign countries. Finally this paper discusses its development trend.
Building An Initial Information Base: Assistive Technology Funding Resources for School-Aged Students with Disabilities:

Due in large part to the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), individualized education program (IEP) teams increasingly are identifying assistive technology (A...
Tunable bioelectrodes with wrinkled-ridged graphene oxide surfaces for electrochemical nitrate sensors

The paper reports on controlled formation of microscale wrinkles and ridges on the surface of a bioelectrode via mechanical stretching to tune and optimize the electrochemical sensing performances of graphene oxide (GO) based nitrate ion sensors. The bioelectrode consists of GO nanosheets drop-coated on a gold (Au) layer with a pre-stretched elastomer substrate. Enzyme nitrate reductase is used for covalent immobilization on the wrinkled-ridged GO surface. Upon relaxation from the pre-stretch, wrinkles or ridges are formed in the GO layer. As the pre-stretch increases, the sinusoidal wrinkles transform to localized ridges on the surface of bioelectrodes. Such morphological transitions, realized by simple mechanical stretching and relaxing, allow optimizing of the electrochemical current and sensing characteristics of the nitrate sensor. The sensing performances of the bioelectrodes at different pre-stretches are investigated. In addition to an increased electroactive surface area, the predominant localized ridges with small sinusoidal wrinkles formed on the GO surface provide a favorable spatial feature, enabling efficient radial diffusion of nitrate ions from surrounding analyte solutions onto the surface of the textured bioelectrode. At the pre-stretch of 8%, the nitrate sensor using the wrinkled-ridged bioelectrode exhibits a considerably high sensitivity of 0.224 μA L mol−1 cm−2 in response to nitrate ions, which is five times higher than that provided by the planar counterpart. Also, the textured bioelectrode shows high selectivity even in the presence of other inferring ions. The present nitrate sensor has potential applications in nitrate detection in sustainable agriculture, environmental monitoring, food analysis, and pharmaceutical industries.
Authority and Challenge: “Where Shall a Sov’reign Remedy Be Found?”

This chapter reads Wheatley’s work in Miltonic context, focusing on early poems of evangelical authority and on the challenge that family grief and loss pose to that authority. It explores the prefatory pieces and first major grouping of verses in Wheatley’s 1773 POEMS, showing how the poet’s repeated invocation of Miltonic sources identifies her inaugural volume as an eighteenth-century American successor to Milton’s seventeenth-century poetical works. This chapter traces how Wheatley uses Milton to construct an African, American, Protestant, and female poetic voice of ministerial authority, and then explores how the public and especially family elegies that close this first group of poems challenge that authority, homing in on the important verse “On the Death of a young Gentleman” and the need for a “sov’reign … verse” able to remedy grief.
Women and States: Women’s suffrage and the standards of civilization

In the , we saw that prohibiting women from state office and political activity became a standard of behavior among states in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Whereas the ability of women to be part of formal state affairs had previously varied considerably across Europe, uniform expectations developed and barring women became standard policy. We also saw how such prohibitions became linked with European civilization and turned into a standard expressly for societies that had moved away from the so-called savage stage. Keeping women out of the formal political sphere had become a norm for civilized states. In this context, one of the first book-length historical analyses of the then contemporary woman’s rights movement stated that “woman’s suffrage is the most radical demand made by organized women, and is hence advocated in all countries by the ‘radical’ woman’s rights advocates.” Claiming suffrage to be radical was no exaggeration at a time when only four countries had granted women the right to vote. This was about to change. In the coming century, almost every state introduced women’s suffrage, making the measure global in scope and hardly extreme. In fact, to most, radicalism today is found in the extremely rare denial of women’s suffrage, such as in the case of Saudi Arabia.
The Application of Social Network Analysis: Case of Smart Roofing

The use of social network analysis (SNA) becomes popular in social science research in the recent years. It is a practical application because it helps organizations to have better conceptualized and new understandings of the interactions. It could help organizations interpret and understand complexity, systems, pattern of changes, and structure of interactions. Moreover, SNA applications have been applied in many complicated fields to identify knowledge leaders in organizations, measure collaboration of teams, illustrate the hidden patterns of structure, and exploring the paths of interactions. In addition, many software programs were developed for personal or limited distribution by mathematicians, sociologists, graph theorists, and information technology specialists enabling SNA to facilitate the analysis of data and the creation of sociograms easier than before. Applying SNA in organizations could benefit many internal activities. It could help organizations to identify the group of experts for technology roadmapping (TRM) or R&D related activities, to know who the most appropriate expert for future collaboration may be, and to see the pattern of the interactions for future R&D planning. This chapter proposes an analysis of smart roofing using SNA to identify the group of experts, the interactions among experts, and the patterns of these interactions to help researchers to gain a better understanding of the current situation of smart roofing research and development programs and also to help them to prepare related future plans in order to promote the progress of smart roofing research and development programs.
Target Fragmentation in Android Apps

Android apps declare a target version of the Android run-time platform. When run on devices with more recent Android versions, apps are executed in a compatibility mode that attempts to mimic the behavior of the older target version. This design has serious security consequences. Apps that target outdated Android versions disable important security changes to the Android platform. We call the problem of apps targeting outdated Android versions the target fragmentation problem. We analyze a dataset of 1,232,696 free Android apps collected between May, 2012 and December, 2015 and show that the target fragmentation problem is a serious concern across the entire app ecosystem and has not changed considerably in several years. In total, 93% of current apps target out-of-date platform versions and have a mean outdatedness of 686 days, 79% of apps are already out-of-date on the day they are uploaded to the app store. Finally, we examine seven security related changes to the Android platform that are disabled in apps that target outdated platform versions and show that target fragmentation hamstrings attempts to improve the security of Android apps.
Computational Complexity of Adaptive LES with Variable Fidelity Model Refinement

Adaptive methods with both mesh and polynomial order refinements have been used extensively in computational fluid dynamics to achieve optimal accuracy with the minimal computational cost.
Cyclic Nucleotide Metabolism in Whole Cells

While we have learned a great deal about the enzymes of cyclic AMP metabolism, the control of intracellular cyclic AMP levels is only dimly perceived. This is partly because of the way in which cyclic AMP was discovered: this discovery was in fact the logical outcome of a beautiful series of experiments by Sutherland, Rall and their co-workers, designed to show that a hormone (epinephrine) could work in cell-free systems. That hormones could do so was not a popular notion at the time, so they attempted to relate, at least in qualitative fashion, events occurring in homogenates or subcellular fractions to those known to occur in the intact tissue’. How well they succeeded is evidenced by this NATO course.
Does Culture Affect Dividend Demand and Payout Policy? Local Culture and Dividends

I examine the role of local culture on investor demand for dividends and payout policy. I empirically investigate whether local culture, proxied by local religious affiliation, has an impact on the propensity to pay dividends, as well as on dividend yield and dividend initiations for a large sample of U.S. firms. Firms located in counties with higher proportions of Protestants are more likely to be dividend payers and have higher dividend yields whereas firms located in counties with higher proportions of Catholics are less likely to be dividend payers and have lower dividend yields. Firms from Protestant areas are also more likely to initiate dividends. My findings suggest a culturally induced clientele effect and they are consistent with earlier findings of different levels of risk aversion among different cultural groups.
To reverse or not to reverse? A systematic review of autograft polarity on functional outcomes following peripheral nerve repair surgery.

Background The literature describing the best clinical practice for proximal-distal autograft orientation, otherwise known as nerve graft polarity, is inconsistent. With existing disparities in the peripheral nerve literature, the clinical question remains whether reversing nerve autograft polarity bears an advantage for nerve regeneration. Methods A comprehensive review of the literature using Embase and PubMed databases (1940-June 2015) was performed to retrieve all original articles on the effects of nerve autograft polarity on nerve regeneration and functional recovery following primary repair of peripheral nerve defects. Results The initial database search yielded 318 titles. Duplicate exclusion, title review and full text review yielded six articles which directly compared nerve autograft polarity. Histological, morphometric, electrophysiological, and behavioral outcomes were reviewed. All retained articles were animal studies, of which none demonstrated significant differences in outcomes between the normal and reversed polarity groups. A reversed graft may ensure that regenerating nerve fibers are not lost at branching points, however this may not translate into improved function. Conclusion There is insufficient data to suggest that nerve autograft polarity has an impact on nerve regeneration and functional outcomes.
The effects of pH and pCO2 on photosynthesis and respiration in the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii.

The response of marine phytoplankton to the ongoing increase in atmospheric pCO2 reflects the consequences of both increased CO2 concentration and decreased pH in surface seawater. In the model diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii, we explored the effects of varying pCO2 and pH, independently and in concert, on photosynthesis and respiration by incubating samples in water enriched in H218O. In long-term experiments (~6-h) at saturating light intensity, we observed no effects of pH or pCO2 on growth rate, photosynthesis or respiration. This absence of a measurable response reflects the very small change in energy used by the carbon concentrating mechanism (CCM) compared to the energy used in carbon fixation. In short-term experiments (~3 min), we also observed no effects of pCO2 or pH, even under limiting light intensity. We surmise that in T. weissflogii, it is the photosynthetic production of NADPH and ATP, rather than the CO2-saturation of Rubisco that controls the rate of photosynthesis at low irradiance. In short-term experiments, we observed a slightly higher respiration rate at low pH at the onset of the dark period, possibly reflecting the energy used for exporting H+ and maintaining pH homeostasis. Based on what is known of the biochemistry of marine phytoplankton, our results are likely generalizable to other diatoms and a number of other eukaryotic species. The direct effects of ocean acidification on growth, photosynthesis and respiration in these organisms should be small over the range of atmospheric pCO2 predicted for the twenty-first century.
A framework for anomaly reasoning: interpretation through concept formation for knowledge transfer and lifelong learning

I am developing a framework for anomaly reasoning for agents that plan and learn in complex, sometimes unfamiliar domains. Anomaly reasoning encompasses recognizing, interpreting, and reacting to unfamiliar objects or familiar objects appearing in unexpected contexts. As a first approach, I propose an interpretation method in which agents form concepts from perceptions to create new representations for use in planning and decision making. An anomaly reasoning framework will make agents more versatile, facilitate learning transfer by pruning irrelevant features, relate new to known phenomena with appropriate similarity metrics, and guide an agent to aspects of the environment most significant to its goals.
Quantification of Urine Elimination Behaviors in Cats with a Video Recording System.

Background Urinary disorders in cats often require subjective caregiver quantification of clinical signs to establish a diagnosis and monitor therapeutic outcomes. Objective To investigate use of a video recording system (VRS) to better assess and quantify urination behaviors in cats. Animals Eleven healthy cats and 8 cats with disorders potentially associated with abnormal urination patterns. Methods Prospective study design. Litter box urination behaviors were quantified with a VRS for 14 days and compared to daily caregiver observations. Video recordings were analyzed by a behavior analysis software program. Results The mean number of urinations per day detected by VRS (2.5 ± 0.7) was significantly higher compared with caregiver observations (0.6 ± 0.6; P < .0001). Five cats were never observed in the litter box by their caregivers. The mean number of urinations per day detected by VRS was significantly higher for abnormal cats (2.9 ± 0.7) compared with healthy cats (2.1 ± 0.7; P = .02); there were no apparent differences in frequency between these groups reported by caregivers (0.7 ± 1.0 and 0.5 ± 1.0, respectively). There were no differences in mean urination time between healthy and abnormal cats as determined by VRS or caregivers. Mean cover-up time determined by VRS was significantly longer in healthy cats (22.7 ± 12.9 seconds/urination) compared with abnormal cats (8.7 ± 12.9 seconds/urination; P = .03); differences in cover-up time were not detected by caregivers. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Caregivers commonly underestimate urination frequency in cats when compared to video-based observations. Video recording appears to facilitate objective assessment of urination behaviors and could be of value in future clinical studies of urinary disorders in cats.
The association of dietary inflammatory potential with depression and mental well-being among U.S. adults

Current treatment for depression is not considered effective among all cases and, thus far, nutritional protocols are minimal within depression treatment guidelines. Recently, there has been increasing interest in a possible protective and modifiable role of diet in common mental disorders, including depression, due to pro- and anti-inflammatory properties of nutrients. This study aims to investigate whether the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), designed to estimate the inflammatory potential of diet, is associated with depression and other measures of mental health. In a representative sample of U.S. adults (≥20years of age, N=11,592), the distribution of DII score is assessed. Multivariate logistic regression models determine the association between DII quintile and depression. Associations of DII quintile with frequent distress and frequent anxiety are also evaluated. In fully adjusted models, higher DII score is associated with over a two-fold higher odds of depression (OR (95% CI)=2.26 (1.60, 3.20) for highest vs. lowest quintile, Type III p-value≤0.0001). DII score is also associated with higher odds of frequent distress (OR (95% CI)=1.81 (1.20, 2.71) for highest vs. lowest quintile, Type III p-value=0.0167). This association was not significant for frequent anxiety (Type III p-value=0.12). Results of this study indicate that dietary inflammatory potential is associated with depression. These results are consistent with existing hypotheses that inflammatory pathways play a role in the etiology of depression. Further research examining the underlying biological and cellular mechanisms of depression is warranted.
Isotopic Variations in Limestones from Kurnool Sediments in Cuddapah Basin, India

The Kurnool Sediments (Upper Proterozoic), have been isotopically examined for the identification of carbonate isotopic signatures that might indicate subaerial diagenesis. The sequence contains limestones at two stratigraphic levels. The Narji Limestones are in the first cycle and the Koilkuntla limestones in the second cycle of deposition. The δO 18 values for Narji limestones show a progressive increase from the basal to top horizons. The gradation in the δO 18 value might be due to interaction of various horizons with fresh water in the later geological periods and possible consequent exchange. The δC 13 values of the Narji Limestones lie within the range of marine limestones. The δO 18 values for Koilkuntla limestones, are lower compared to the values of Narji limestones. This might possibly be due to greater interaction with fresh water and exchange during diagenesis.
Addressing the Wicked Problem of American Gun Violence: Consumer Interest Groups as Macro-social Marketers

Building on work on social and macro-social marketing, we provide an empirical account of ways in which American gun violence prevention groups (GVPGs) act as macro-social marketers as they address the wicked problem of gun violence, which they define as deaths and injuries with firearms. We find that, as a collective, GVPGs attempt to change the culture related to guns by targeting up-, mid-, and downstream agents. We contribute to theory by (1) expanding the concept of macro-social marketing beyond government entities to include consumer interest groups and collectives; (2) introducing internal marketing as a macro-social marketing tool critical for macro-social marketers dependent largely on volunteers; (3) elucidating ways that macro-social marketers can accomplish upstream changes indirectly, by encouraging consumers and citizens to influence policy makers; and (4) revealing marketing tactics that can be leveraged across up-, mid-, downstream, and internal efforts.
Development and psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale: A new measure for assessing positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy

This article reports on the development of a new self-report questionnaire measure of schizotypy – the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale (MSS). Schizotypy offers a useful and unifying construct for understanding schizophrenia-spectrum psychopathology. Questionnaire measures have been widely used to assess schizotypy and have greatly informed our understanding of the construct. However, available measures suffer from a number of limitations, including lack of a clear conceptual framework, outdated wording, unclear factor structure, and psychometric shortcomings. The MSS is based on current conceptual models and taps positive, negative, and disorganized dimensions of schizotypy. The derivation sample included 6265 participants sampled from four universities and Amazon Mechanical Turk. A separate sample of 1000 participants from these sources was used to examine the psychometric properties of the final subscales. Scale development employed classical test theory, item response theory, and differential item function methods. The positive schizotypy and negative schizotypy subscales contain 26 items each, and the disorganized schizotypy subscale contains 25 items. The psychometric properties were almost identical in the derivation and validation samples. All three subscales demonstrated good to excellent reliability, high item-scale correlations, and good item and test curve characteristics. The MSS appears to provide a promising measure for assessing schizotypy.
Cancer evolution during immunotherapy

Immune checkpoint blockade has revolutionized cancer treatment. In this issue of Cell, insights from a longitudinal multi-omics analysis of the largest yet-reported cohort of melanoma patients reveal how tumor and immunity co-evolve during anti-PD-1 therapy.
Tracking Pathogens in the Environment: Applications to Fresh Produce Production

Abstract Fecal source tracking (FST) is an area of research investigating the sources of elevated levels of fecal indicator bacteria such as generic Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp.—currently used as a indicators of the microbial quality of water and food. The primary goal of FST has often been to identify the source of contamination and if possible, eliminate the source. However, intrinsic to the goal of FST is to allow for estimation of human health risk due to exposure (ingestion) to contaminated water or food products. Over the past decade, new methods in FST, and more specifically microbial source tracking (MST), have been developed, and these methods have been historically applied for tracking waterborne pathogens within watersheds as opposed to foodborne pathogens within the food chain. Even so, several knowledge gaps remain related to (1) feasibility and biological likelihood in the field setting; (2) how new methods compare to other, published methods; and (3) if the method will actually aid in risk reduction through development of intervention strategies. The primary purpose of this chapter is to consider how current MST methods have been applied for source tracking in the food chain, specifically within fresh produce production.
Primary solitary retro-clival amyloidoma.

Background Amyloidosis encompasses a group of disorders sharing the common feature of intercellular deposition of amyloid protein by several different pathogenetic mechanisms. Primary solitary amyloidosis, or amyloidoma, is a rare subset of amyloidosis in which amyloid deposition is focal and not secondary to a systemic process or plasma cell dyscrasia. Case description This 84-year-old female presented with history of multiple syncopal episodes, dysphagia, and ataxia. Motor strength was 3+/5 in the right upper extremity. Rheumatoid factor, cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP), and anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) were normal. Serum and urine immune-electrophoresis detected no abnormal bands. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a non-enhancing soft-tissue mass extending from the retro-clivus to C2 posteriorly, eccentric to the right with severe mass effect on the upper cervical medullary junction. Endoscopic trans-nasal debulking of the retro-clival mass was performed with occiput to C5 posterior instrumentation for spinal stabilization. Conclusions Primary solitary amyloidosis, unlike other forms of amyloidosis, has an excellent prognosis with local resection. Diagnosis requires special stains and a degree of suspicion for the disease. This is the first report to document an endoscopic trans-nasal approach for removal of a primary solitary amyloidosis of the retro-clivus. Management of vertebral amyloidoma involves aggressive local resection of the tumor when feasible and spine stabilization as the degree of tumor involvement mandates. Complete evaluation for the diagnosis of systemic amyloidosis is essential for the management and prognostication. Surgeons encountering such lesions must maintain high suspicion for this rare disease and advise pathologists accordingly to establish the correct diagnosis.
Snowflake vitreoretinal degeneration: follow-up of the original family

Abstract Purpose The ocular findings, systemic features, and genetic loci distinguishing known genetic causes of vitreoretinal degenerations were studied in the original Snowflake family. Design Prospective, comparative study and molecular genetic investigation. Participants Members of the original snowflake vitreoretinal degeneration family. Methods Clinical data were collected on 26 family members by history and examination. Thirteen of the 26 total family members underwent prospective examination. Linkage to known vitreoretinal degeneration loci ( COL2A1 , COL11A1 , and the Wagner disease locus) was evaluated with short tandem repeat markers. Main outcome measures Ocular and systemic features of known vitreoretinal degenerations. Results Six of the 13 prospectively examined subjects had snowflake vitreoretinal degeneration. Corneal guttae (4/5; 80%), early onset cataract (5/6; 83%), fibrillar vitreous degeneration (6/6; 100%), and peripheral retinal abnormalities (5/6; 83%), including minute crystallinelike deposits called snowflakes (4/6; 67%), were common. Retinal detachment was seen in 1 of 6 of these prospectively examined subjects (17%). A total of 14 affected subjects were identified within the family, and in 3 (21%), retinal detachment developed. Orofacial features, early-onset hearing loss, and arthritis typical of Stickler syndrome were absent. Linkage to known vitreoretinal degeneration loci was excluded. Conclusions The absence of vitreous gel in the retrolental space and presence of fibrillar vitreous degeneration were consistent with the vitreous structure reported for collagen 11A1 ( COL11A1 ) but not collagen 2A1 ( COL2A1 ) mutations. The absence of systemic features was characteristic of the vitreoretinopathies linked to chromosome 5q13 (Wagner disease and erosive vitreoretinopathy) and mutations in exon 2 of the COL2A1 gene. Snowflakes in the peripheral retina and the absence of nyctalopia, posterior chorioretinal atrophy, and tractional retinal detachment were inconsistent with the chromosome 5q13 vitreoretinopathies. The association of Fuchs' corneal endothelial dystrophy found in this family has not been reported previously in other vitreoretinal degenerations. These findings and the exclusion of known genetic loci suggest snowflake is a distinct vitreoretinal degeneration.
Butisol® Sodium (McNeil)

Butabarbital is a general depressant of the central nervous system. In ordinary doses the drug acts as a sedative and hypnotic. The onset of action is approximately 30 minutes and the duration of action is 5 to 6 hours.
Geochemistry of the Upper Jurassic Tuwaiq Mountain and Hanifa Formation Petroleum Source Rocks of Eastern Saudi Arabia

Thick, regionally extensive, laminated organic-rich lime mudstone units are present within the late Jurassic Hanifa and Tuwaiq Mountain Formations. These potential source rocks were deposited during the late Callovian to early Kimmeridgian within a relatively short-lived intra-shelf basin, the Arabian basin. This basin formed on the northeastern continental shelf of the Afro-Arabian plate, in what is now eastern Saudi Arabia, as a result of relative sea level rise in combination with differential subsidence and/or local structuring within the shelf. The Arabian basin was at least partially separated from the open neo-Tethys ocean by flanking paleo-highs composed of grainstone shoal/barrier island facies. The source rocks, defined as units having TOC > 1%, have an average TOC content of about 3%, with contents as high as 13%. Total pyrolytic yield (S1 + S2 from Rock-Eval) is as high as 88 mg HC/g rock, with an average yield of 25 mg HC/g rock, indicating excellent source rock potential. Hydrogen indices of thermally immature rocks are between 600 and 800 mg HC/g TOC, which indicates an oil-prone kerogen. The organic material is dominated by lamalginite, with subordinate amounts of vitrinite and inertinite, most of which is fluorescent. Kerogen from immature rocks isolated for elemental analysis plot as type II on a van Krevelen diagram. These results show that organic-rich units within the Hanifa and Tuwaiq Mountain Formations contain type II kerogen having excellent, oil-prone source rock potential.
Polymeric joint bearing surfaces for total joint replacements

Abstract: Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is the polymeric component of hard-on-soft joint replacement implants. This chapter includes an overview of the rationale behind its development, in vitro and in vivo characterization methods and reasons for failure.
A Philosophy of Chinese Architecture: Past, Present, Future

A Philosophy of Chinese Architecture: Past, Present, Future examines the impact of Chinese philosophy on China’s historic structures, as well as on modern Chinese urban aesthetics and architectural forms. For architecture in China moving forward, author David Wang posits a theory, the New Virtualism, which links current trends in computational design with long-standing Chinese philosophical themes. The book also assesses twentieth-century Chinese architecture through the lenses of positivism, consciousness (phenomenology), and linguistics (structuralism and poststructuralism). Illustrated with over 70 black-and-white images, this book establishes philosophical baselines for assessing architectural developments in China, past, present and future.
A miRNA Expression Signature in Breast Tumor Tissue Is Associated with Risk of Distant Metastasis

Dysregulation of miRNA expression may influence breast cancer progression, and experimental evidence suggests that miRNA silencing might suppress breast cancer metastasis. However, the relationship between miRNA and metastasis must be confirmed before this approach can be applied in the clinic. To this end, we conducted a two-stage study in a cohort of 3,760 patients with breast cancer to first identify and then validate the association between miRNA expression and risk of distant metastasis. The first stage (discovery) entailed miRNA sequencing of 126 case-control pairs; qPCR was used to validate the findings in a separate set of 80 case-control pairs. The 13 miRNAs most differentially expressed between cases and controls were combined into an miRNA score that was significantly associated with risk of distant metastasis in a logistic regression model that also included clinical variables (tumor size and number of positive lymph nodes) (ORper unit increase in score = 1.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.66). The results of this study suggest that in women with invasive breast cancer, a miRNA score that incorporates both clinical variables and miRNA expression levels in breast tumor tissue is moderately predictive of risk of subsequent distant metastasis. SIGNIFICANCE: A novel predictive scoring system for patients with breast cancer includes clinical variables and the expression levels of 13 miRNAs and may help to identify those at increased risk of distant metastasis.
Attraction of 3-methyl-1-butanol and ammonia identified from Enterobacter agglomerans to Anastrepha suspensa

Tests demonstrated that volatile chemicals emitted from Enterobacter agglomerans, a bacterium that has been isolated from adults as well as fruit infested with larvae of the Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa (Loew) and other pest fruit flies, are attractive to female A. suspensa in laboratory bioassays. 3-Methyl-1-butanol and ammonia were identified as the two primary volatile chemicals released from active cultures of E. agglomerans. No 3-methyl-1-butanol and little ammonia (16.0 μg/hr) are released from sterile tryptic soy agar plates. E. agglomerans-inoculated tryptic soy agar plates, however, released an average of 1.5 ± 0.53 μg/hr 3-methyl-1-butanol and 332.9 ± 239.16 μg/hr ammonia after 24 hr of growth. 3-Methyl-1-butanol lures were formulated in a membrane-based system to provide a constant release rate of synthetic chemical. Release rates ranged from 0.046 ± 0.007 to 12.16 ± 2.76 μg/hr. In laboratory tests, equal numbers of females were captured in response to ammonium carbonate lures that released ammonia at the rate of 100 μg/hr and to 3-methyl-1-butanol lures that released 12.16 ± 2.756 μg/hr of synthetic material. The combination of the two lures was more attractive than ammonia alone. Availability of lures formulated for a range of 3-methyl-1-butanol release rates will facilitate field tests of this putative microbial attractant and may lead to a better understanding of the role of bacteria in the ecology of pest fruit flies.
Estimating demand response in an extreme block pricing environment: Evidence from Korea's electricity pricing system, 2005–2014

Abstract Standard consumer theory predicts that under block pricing, quantities consumed should bunch below block thresholds where marginal prices rise. However, researchers have previously found little or no evidence of bunching. In this study, I examine whether consumers respond to the marginal prices by using a different form of block pricing, one that includes both marginal price and fixed charge increases at the threshold, called increasing fixed-charge block pricing. Under this pricing schedule, the price increase at the threshold is more salient compared to the standard block pricing due to the increase in fixed charge. As a result, consumers are predicted to bunch below the thresholds and generate a zero density hole above the thresholds. I empirically test this by using the case in South Korea and find evidence that consumers tended to respond to price increase at the thresholds in 2005 and 2006. The considerable consumer bunching is observed around the thresholds. However, this evidence suddenly disappears after 2007 and never returned. While the reasons for this disappearance are not fully understood, the absence of consumer bunching suggests that consumers tend to respond to alternative pricing schedules rather than marginal price even with salient marginal price increases at the threshold.
Meta-analytic approaches for examining complexity and heterogeneity in studies of adolescent development.

Abstract Introduction In the field of adolescent development, meta-analysis offers valuable tools for synthesizing and assessing cumulative research evidence on the effectiveness of programs, practices, and policies intended to promote healthy adolescent development. When examining the impact of a program implemented across multiple primary studies, variation is often observed in the methodological attributes of those primary studies, such as their implementation methods, program components, participant characteristics, outcome measurement, and the systems in which programs are deployed. Differences in methodological attributes of primary studies represented in a meta-analysis, referred to as complexity, can yield variation in true effects across primary studies, which is described as heterogeneity. Methods We discuss heterogeneity as a parameter of interest in meta-analysis, introducing and demonstrating both graphical and statistical methods for evaluating the magnitude and impact of heterogeneity. We discuss approaches for presenting characteristics of heterogeneity in meta-analytic findings, and methods for identifying and statistically controlling for aspects of methodological complexity that may contribute to variation in effects across primary studies. Results Topics and methods related to assessing and explaining heterogeneity were contextualized in the field of adolescent development using a sample of primary studies from a large meta-analysis examining the effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions for youth. We highlighted approaches currently underutilized in the field and provided R code for key methods to broaden their use. Conclusions By discussing various heterogeneity statistics, visualizations, and explanatory methods, this article provides the applied developmental researcher a foundational understanding of complexity and heterogeneity in meta-analysis.
Rationale and proposed framework for shared decision making in cardio-oncology

Physicians have a duty to present diagnostic and therapeutic choices with rational guidance that respects patient values and realizes patient goals. In cardio-oncology, we commonly encounter patients who understandably feel overwhelmed or feel that they have no favorable options, particularly in the context of advanced malignancy. Accordingly, a longitudinal multidisciplinary commitment to shared decision making (SDM) ensures that physicians and patients actively participate in this process to promote the best possible outcomes from the patient perspective. We propose a practical framework for approaching these difficult decisions in cardio-oncology drawing upon our experience in clinical practice.
Hydrogen production from continuous flow, microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis cells treating fermentation wastewater

A microbial reverse-electrodialysis electrolysis cell (MREC) was used to produce hydrogen gas from fermentation wastewater without the need for additional electrical energy. Increasing the number of cell pairs in the reverse electrodialysis stack from 5 to 10 doubled the maximum current produced from 60 A/m(3) to 120 A/m(3) using acetate. However, more rapid COD removal required a decrease in the anolyte hydraulic retention time (HRT) from 24 to 12 h to stabilize anode potentials. Hydrogen production using a fermentation wastewater (10 cell pairs, HRT=8 h) reached 0.9±0.1 L H2/Lreactor/d (1.1±0.1 L H2/g-COD), with 58±5% COD removal and a coulombic efficiency of 74±5%. These results demonstrated that consistent rates of hydrogen gas production could be achieved using an MREC if effluent anolyte COD concentrations are sufficient to produce stable anode potentials.
Aquinas on Human Self-Knowledge

Self-knowledge is commonly thought to have become a topic of serious philosophical inquiry during the early modern period. Already in the thirteenth century, however, the medieval thinker Thomas Aquinas developed a sophisticated theory of self-knowledge, which Therese Scarpelli Cory presents as a project of reconciling the conflicting phenomena of self-opacity and privileged self-access. Situating Aquinas's theory within the mid-thirteenth-century debate and his own maturing thought on human nature, Cory investigates the kinds of self-knowledge that Aquinas describes and the questions they raise. She shows that to a degree remarkable in a medieval thinker, self-knowledge turns out to be central to Aquinas's account of cognition and personhood, and that his theory provides tools for considering intentionality, reflexivity and selfhood. Her engaging account of this neglected aspect of medieval philosophy will interest readers studying Aquinas and the history of medieval philosophy more generally.
Aquatics Benchmarks:Personnel, Programming, and Facilities

Among professionals a need exists to compile benchmark data in all areas for the field of aquatics. To address this need, the questionnaire “Benchmarking Study for Campus Aquatic Programs” was created and distributed to NIRSA members. The questionnaire focuses on gathering data related to aquatic staff, facilities, and programs. Results indicate that the job responsibilities and certifications for hourly staff positions are similar across institutions. Pay rates for each hourly position are not unanimous for each position, but rather have a range that was common. Programming questions address available pool time and how it is divided among various activities. This article presents the collected data to establish benchmark statistics for the aquatics community with the intent that it be used as guidelines or benchmarks by aquatic professionals and decision makers in the development of recreational aquatics programs.
Intramuscular Injections in Infants and Small Children: A Preferred Site Selection

The safety of intramuscular injection into the gluteal region of infants and children has recently been challenged (Combes, M. A., et al.: J.A.M.A., 173:1336, 1960; and News-Letter, American Academy of Pediatrics, Vol. II, No. 10, Dec. 1960). In adult medicine the relatively large surface area and bulk of the gluteal muscles make this the preferred site for intramuscular injection. The co-operation of the patient permits accurate identification of landmarks with injection well beyond the course of the sciatic nerve.