cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biosynthesis of the thiamin pyrimidine: the reconstitution of a remarkable rearrangement reaction

The conversion of 5-aminoimidazole ribonucleotide (AIR) into 4-amino-2-methyl-5-hydroxymethylpyrimidine (HMP) is a fascinating reaction on the thiamin biosynthetic pathway in bacteria and is probably the most complex unresolved rearrangement in primary metabolism. We have successfully reconstituted this reaction in a cell-free system. The E. coli thiC gene product and an additional unidentified E. coli protein are required for the reaction. In addition, SAM and nicotinamide cofactors are required for full activity. Labeling studies to determine the origin of most of the atoms in the pyrimidine are described. Based on these studies, a new mechanism for HMP formation is proposed.
Bronchial artery embolization for severe hemoptysis in cystic fibrosis.

We studied the long-term outcome after BAE for life-threatening hemoptysis in patients with CF. Data from pulmonary function tests were available for 18 of the 25 patients followed. A case-control comparison revealed that these 18 patients died sooner than hemoptysis-free patients with CF matched for age, sex, and pulmonary function (p 1 year) free of major hemoptysis. Extended follow-up (mean, 35 months) revealed a higher incidence of recurrent severe bleeding than previously reported for 13 of these patients followed a mean of 11 months. Repeat BAE for severe recurrence was performed successfully in eight of nine patients, without complication.
Hepatitis C Virus NS3 Protease Requires Its NS4A Cofactor Peptide for Optimal Binding of a Boronic Acid Inhibitor as Shown by NMR

Abstract NMR spectroscopy was used to characterize the hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 protease in a complex with the 24 residue peptide cofactor from NS4A and a boronic acid inhibitor, Ac-Asp-Glu-Val-Val-Pro-boroAlg-OH. Secondary-structure information, NOE constraints between protease and cofactor, and hydrogen-deuterium exchange rates revealed that the cofactor was an integral strand in the N-terminal β-sheet of the complex as observed in X-ray crystal structures. Based upon chemical-shift perturbations, inhibitor-protein NOEs, and the protonation state of the catalytic histidine, the boronic acid inhibitor was bound in the substrate binding site as a transition state mimic. In the absence of cofactor, the inhibitor had a lower affinity for the protease. Although the inhibitor binds in the same location, differences were observed at the catalytic site of the protease.
Integrating airline operational practices into passenger airline hub definition

Abstract Airlines operate over hub and spoke networks to take advantage of economies of scope, scale, and density as well as higher hub fares. The system of airline hubs, namely hub classification and spatial allocation, has been necessarily affected by the era of airline mergers in the first 13 years of the 2000s. However, existing two-to-three-tier hub classifications and the set of metrics that define these tiers may not be sufficient to capture the changes in airline hub practices due to mergers. In this study, we seek to broaden the existing method of establishing a hub hierarchy by including operational metrics along with the classic accessibility and passenger metrics, and to utilize this re-defined hierarchy to examine airline hubbing practices before and after an era of mergers. Using k-means clustering on data from 2004 (pre-merger) and 2012 (post-merger) comprising the entire U.S. airline network, we find that hubs fall into more than three tiers and that flight frequency at a hub is a key variable in defining hub hierarchy. We find that the exclusion of frequency from hub hierarchy definition has geographic consequences, as we overstate the importance of small coastal hubs when frequency is not included as a metric. In addition, we find that hub hierarchies are well-defined post-merger, in contrast with pre-merger, such that the tier level implies a consistent, commensurate level of all metrics. This finding has implications for hub definitions across research and practice, including broadening the federal hub definition and including tiered hierarchies in the field of hub location modeling.
Accelerating pulses via multistage four-wave-mixing

Accelerating wavepackets in the time domain are demonstrated using four-wave-mixing (FWM). By incorporating two FWM interactions, acceleration of the wavepacket beyond the limit set by the temporal aperture of the pump pulse is achieved.
Economic growth with endogenous corruption: an empirical study

The effect of corruption on the rate of economic growth for a panel of countries during 1984–2007 is investigated using recent improvements in dynamic panel data techniques to control for the endogeneity of corruption and investment. Corruption has a significant effect on the growth rate of real per capita income. This effect is non-linear.
Saving the Ranch: Fresh Eyes on Taxes, Development, and Conservation Easements

Conservation easements provide a surprising diversity of alternative strategies for maintaining the ranch. DOI:10.2458/azu_rangelands_v29i3_wright
Sensorimotor performance and limb preference.

The purpose of the present study was to examine simple and choice fractionated reaction time components with respect to limb preference. Subjects (10 males, 10 females) participated in two experime...
Conceptual frameworks for evaluating continuing education in allied health

Houle's and Cervero's conceptual frameworks for the evaluation of continuing professional education are discussed and compared with Cervero's framework selected for summarizing literature from three databases about effectiveness of allied health professionals' continuing education. Articles on medicine and nursing were purposely eliminated, which resulted in very few studies available for analysis (22 in the past 20 years) that considered continuing education in allied health. Also, the category of allied health appeared to be a catchall for topics that did not neatly fall into areas such as medicine, nursing, dentistry, or pharmacy. Finally, most literature reviewed indicated that attendance was regarded as a part of evaluation along with end-of-program questionnaires assessing satisfaction. A smaller number measured changes in knowledge, skills, or attitudes, and less than one-third evaluated changes in performance. Only three articles referred to changes in patient outcomes. Most assessed only one outcome measure in addition to number of program participants. Only two studies used three or more evaluation methods. The evaluation methods employed in all 22 studies are critiqued and categorized with recommendations that future measures be made more rigorous, perhaps by strengthening validity through performance observation and record audits.
Are we ready to avert suicide in intracerebral hemorrhage

See related article, pages 1730–1734. Stroke ranks third among all causes of death behind diseases of the heart and cancer.1 Stroke accounts for about 1 in 16 deaths in the United States. Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) comprises between 8% to 14% of all strokes but carries a mortality rate of up to 50% within the first 6 months after onset.1 Functional outcome of ICH survivors is poor with only 20% of them regaining independence at 6 months. Despite such dismal statistics there has been little progress in the field of finding effective treatments that may positively impact the outcome of patients with ICH. Several potential targets for treatment have been identified, tested or are currently undergoing testing in patients with ICH. For instance, one of the major determinants of outcome is hematoma volume.2 The possibility of early surgical evacuation of ICH to reduce mortality has been proposed. However, the Surgical Trial in Intracerebral Hemorrhage (STICH) …
Real-time determination of molecular orientation in Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers on integrated-optical structures.

Waveguide linear-dichroism measurements were used in determining the molecular orientation of N-(sulfopropyl)-4-(p-dioctylaminostyryl) pyridinium in Langmuir–Blodgett monolayers upon 150-μm-thick glass (Ti:Zn) substrates in real time. Acquisition of complete spatial-decay curves in t − 1 s with Plaser = 100 μW was made possible by combining propagation in integrated-optical structures with direct imaging of monolayer or glass fluorescence onto the active area of a charge-coupled device camera. Multichannel detection permitted measurement of optical waveguide loss coefficients and ultimately of molecular orientations in approximately 10−3 of the amount of time required by previous methodology. The effects of sample preparation and materials processing on the accuracy and precision of dichroic ratios are discussed. Observed dichroic ratios for a hemicyanine dye revealed no measurable change in the orientation of the electronic transition-dipole moment when Langmuir–Blodgett films were deposited at different surface pressures. These results are in good agreement with the results from singly resonant second-harmonic generation experiments.
Should the Democrats Move to the Left on Economic Policy

Could John Kerry have gained votes in the recent Presidential election by more clearly distinguishing himself from George Bush on economic policy? At first thought, the logic of political preferences would suggest not: the Republicans are to the right of most Americans on economic policy, and so in a one-dimensional space with party positions measured with no error, the optimal strategy for the Democrats would be to stand infinitesimally to the left of the Republicans. The median voter theorem suggests that each party should keep its policy positions just barely distinguishable from the opposition. In a multidimensional setting, however, or when voters vary in their perceptions of the parties' positions, a party can benefit from putting some daylight between itself and the other party on an issue where it has a public-opinion advantage (such as economic policy for the Democrats). We set up a plausible theoretical model in which the Democrats could achieve a net gain in votes by moving to the left on economic policy, given the parties' positions on a range of issue dimensions. We then evaluate this model based on survey data on voters' perceptions of their own positions and those of the candidates in 2004. Under our model, it turns out to be optimal for the Democrats to move slightly to the right but staying clearly to the left of the Republicans' current position on economic issues.
Education to Return Nonpracticing Physicians to Clinical Activity: A Case Study in Physician Reentry.

AbstractIntroduction:Physician shortages in the United States are estimated to reach as high as 85 000 by 2020. One strategy for addressing the shortage is to encourage physicians who left clinical practice to return to work, but few programs exist to prepare physicians to reenter practice. The Divi
Conductive elastomeric foams prepared by in situ vapor phase polymerization of pyrrole and copolymerization of pyrrole and N-methylpyrrole

Electrically conductive elastomer foams were prepared by in situ vapor phase copolymerization of pyrrole and N-methylpyrrole within preformed polyurethane foams. The conductive polymer is formed within the dense polymer phase of the foam, and the conductivity of the composite foam ranged from 10−1 to 10−7 S/cm. The conductvity depended on the density of the foam, the amount of conducting polymer incorporated, and the copolymer composition. Replacing with N-methylpyrrole in the copolymer lowered the conductivity.
Data on interventions during periods of political instability

Interventions into civil conflicts have been the focus of considerable research in recent years, but one of the limitations to many studies has been the emphasis on interventions once a conflict be...
Relapse surveillance in AFP-positive hepatoblastoma: re-evaluating the role of imaging.

Children with hepatoblastoma routinely undergo repetitive surveillance imaging, with CT scans for several years after therapy, increasing the risk of radiation-induced cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of surveillance CT scans compared to serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels for the detection of hepatoblastoma relapse. This was a retrospective study of all children diagnosed with AFP-positive hepatoblastoma from 2001 to 2011 at a single institution. Twenty-six children with hepatoblastoma were identified, with a mean age at diagnosis of 2 years 4 months (range 3 months to 11 years). Mean AFP level at diagnosis was 132,732 ng/ml (range 172.8–572,613 ng/ml). Five of the 26 children had hepatoblastoma relapse. A total of 105 imaging exams were performed following completion of therapy; 88 (84%) CT, 8 (8%) MRI, 5 (5%) US and 4 (4%) FDG PET/CT exams. A total of 288 alpha-fetoprotein levels were drawn, with a mean of 11 per child. The AFP level was elevated in all recurrences and no relapses were detected by imaging before AFP elevation. Two false-positive AFP levels and 15 false-positive imaging exams were detected. AFP elevation was found to be significantly more specific than PET/CT and CT imaging at detecting relapse. We recommend using serial serum AFP levels as the preferred method of surveillance in children with AFP-positive hepatoblastoma, reserving imaging for the early postoperative period, for children at high risk of relapse, and for determination of the anatomical site of clinically suspected recurrence. Given the small size of this preliminary study, validation in a larger patient population is warranted.
The configuration of slow‐mode shocks

A simple method for computing blunt-body flows containing slow shocks is presented. The method is based on the solution of a free-boundary problem for the shock configuration that matches a postshock potential flow to a uniform preshock flow. The method is applied to shocks arising from flow about spherical and paraboloidal obstacles. The results of a parametric study of shock formation as a function of sonic and Alfven Mach numbers showed that when either Mach number decreased, the standoff distance increased. The results should give estimates of the location and the configuration of slow shocks, provided that two as yet unverified assumptions are correct: (1) that the standoff distance and the slow-shock configuration along the stagnation streamline are not affected significantly by portions of the shock still forming far upstream of the shock nose, and (2) that fast-mode waves propagating at small angles to the magnetic field do not significantly affect the formation of the slow shock.
The daily phenylalanine requirement of healthy Indian adults

Background The daily requirement for phenylalanine is not known with certainty. Earlier 24-h tracer studies have suggested that the requirement is between 30 and 40 mg . kg(-1) . d(-1). Objective The objective was to assess the phenylalanine requirement in healthy well-nourished Indians with the use of 8 test phenylalanine intakes (19, 23, 27, 31, 35, 38, 43, and 47 mg . kg(-1) . d(-1)) and the 24-h indicator amino acid oxidation (24-h IAAO) and 24-h indicator amino acid balance (24-h IAAB) methods. Design Thirty-two healthy, well-nourished Indian men were studied during each of 2 randomly assigned 6-d diet periods in which phenylalanine intakes of 19, 23, 27, 31, 35, 38, 43, and 47 mg . kg(-1) . d(-1) were supplied; the diet was devoid of tyrosine. A 24-h [13C]leucine tracer infusion was used to measure 24-h IAAO and 24-h IAAB on day 7. The breakpoint in the relation between these values and the phenylalanine intake was determined. Results Two-phase linear regression of daily leucine oxidation and balance against phenylalanine intake estimated a breakpoint in the response curve at phenylalanine intakes of 37 and 38 mg . kg(-1) . d(-1) (95% CI for both: 31, >47 mg . kg(-1) . d(-1)), respectively. Conclusion On the basis of the 24-h IAAO and 24-h IAAB methods, a mean phenylalanine requirement of 38 mg . kg(-1) . d(-1) is proposed for healthy well-nourished Indian adults in the absence of tyrosine intake. This finding is similar to that in Western adults.
Critical Psychology and Career Development Unpacking the Adjust–Challenge Dilemma

Adjusting to the world of work or challenging it is a dilemma that career counselors and helpers encounter daily. Counselors and clients may opt for one of the following choices: (a) adjust to, and challenge the system, at the same time, (b) adjust to the system but do not challenge it, (c) challenge the system but do not adjust to it, and (d) neither adjust to the system nor challenge it. These four scenarios are analyzed from the perspective of critical psychology and psychopolitical validity. A model depicting the various consequences of each choice for power relations, social justice, and the well-being of people, organizations, communities, and the environment is introduced. The model can guide practitioners in discerning the consequences of their actions and those of their clients.
Differential expression of novel biomarkers (TLR-2, TLR-4, COX-2, and Nrf-2) of inflammation and oxidative stress in semen of leukocytospermia patients.

Summary Chronic genitourinary inflammation results in Leukocytospermia (LCS), an elevated number of white blood cells (WBCs) in semen, which, in association with oxidative stress, may suppress sperm function, and manifest as male factor infertility. The current clinical diagnosis of LCS employs manual enumeration of WBCs and requires complex staining and laboratory skills or measurement of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines levels. Many patients with idiopathic infertility are asymptomatic. In search of better inflammatory markers for LCS, we evaluated expression of toll-like receptors 2 and 4 (TLR-2/4), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf-2) in semen samples of age-matched infertile patients with and without LCS. We employed the usage of specific Western blot evaluation, cytokine array; immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM) followed by computer-based analysis, and other molecular approaches. As compared with non-LCS patients (n = 38), semen samples from LCS patients (n = 47) displayed significantly lower total sperm count (p < 0.01), motility (p < 0.0001), normal head count (p < 0.0001), and a significantly higher white blood cell count (p < 0.0001). Differential cytokine profiling of seminal plasma by antibody array revealed up-regulation of several pro-inflammatory chemokines in LCS samples. Western blot analysis of LCS seminal plasma (n = 15) also showed a significant increase in expression of TLR-2 (p < 0.001) and 4 (p < 0.01), COX-2 (p < 0.001), and Nrf-2 (p < 0.001) as compared with semen samples from non-LCS patients (n = 15). Computer-based objective IFM analysis of spermatozoa from LCS patients showed increased expression of TLR-4 (p < 0.001), Cox-2 (p < 0.01), and (Nrf-2) (p < 0.01). Significant differences in the subcellular localization of these proteins were evident in the sperm head and tail segments of LCS samples. Altogether, these observations suggest that TLR-2/4, COX-2, and Nrf-2 can serve as novel biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Therefore, developing a rapid assay for these biomarkers may facilitate early diagnosis and management of LCS especially in idiopathic and asymptomatic male infertility patients.
Attention and the control of posture and gait: a review of an emerging area of research

Research on the relationship between attention and the control of posture and gait is a new and expanding area with studies on young adults revealing the role of cognitive factors in the control of balance during standing and walking. The use of dual task paradigms to examine the effect of age related changes in attentional requirements of balance control and age-related reductions in stability when performing a secondary task has shown that these are important contributors to instability in both healthy and balance-impaired older adults. The attentional demands of balance control vary depending on the complexity of the task and the type of secondary task being performed. New clinical assessment methods incorporating dual-task paradigms are helpful in revealing the effect of disease (e.g. Parkinson's disease) on the ability to allocate attention to postural tasks and appear to be sensitive measures in both predicting fall risk and in documenting recovery of stability.
Fundamentals of melt rheology, heat generation, and heat transfer as applied to polymer processing

The flow of polymer melts is normally laminar, but pseudoplastic in character. That is, flow rate increases in proportion to a power higher then 1, usually between 1.5 and 4, of the applied pressure difference. Viscosities are extremely high—more then a mollion times that of water—so considerable heat is generated in the flowing melt by viscous dissipation of flow energy. This mode of heat generation is put to good practial use in the screw extruder, a device that converts plastic pellets into hot melt for shaping into pipe, sheets, coatings and molded products. Equations are given for computing flow rates and viscous dissipation rates. Heating (except by viscous working) and cooling of polymers are slow processes because all these materials are poor heat conducts nad their extreme viscosities make convection impracticable. The princliples of heat transfer are reviewed, and the solutions are given for some transient-conduction problems frequenlty encountered in processing. Equations are given for judging the operation of extruders.
Preparing ESL and Bilingual Teachers for Changing Roles: Immersion for Teachers of LEP Children

With increased emphasis on integration of language and content-area instruction, the roles of bilingual and ESL teachers are becoming increasingly interrelated—a situation that calls for development of common training experiences in the preparation of ESL and bilingual personnel. This article describes a teacher training course designed to meet both the differing language proficiency needs of bilingual and ESL teachers, as well as the common needs of teachers learning to implement content-based strategies for teaching language. Specifically, (a) ESL specialists receive an immersion experience in Spanish, (b) bilingual specialists are provided opportunities to enhance their proficiency in academic Spanish, and (c) both ESL and bilingual specialists receive intensive simulated classroom experiences in small-group, content-based instruction following a cooperative learning approach. A rationale for following an integrated approach in the preparation of language educators for limited English proficient (LEP) children is presented, and data collected from participants in the course are discussed in relation to the potential effectiveness of this type of teacher training format as a vehicle for attaining important teacher preparation goals.
Two-channel speech analysis

We present a two-channel technique for improving speech analysis in certain applications. One channel is the signal from an electroglottograph (EGG), which monitors the vibratory motion of the vocal folds. The other channel is the speech signal obtained from a conventional microphone. We show how the EGG can be used as a tool for validating speech processing algorithms and estimating possible lower bounds for both computation and performance of these algorithms, particularly closed-phase speech analysis. Our system is used to classify speech segments as voiced, unvoiced, mixed voiced, and silent and to estimate the fundamental frequency of voicing. This four-way classification is not implemented as a complete algorithm; it still requires some user judgments and decisions. The technical results, however, illustrate an EGG-based algorithm for voiced/unvoiced-silent classification. In addition, we illustrate how automatic on-line inverse filtering can be achieved. The results demonstrate the superiority of the closed-phase covariance analysis method over several other commonly used methods. Source-tract coupling is shown to be a significant factor in linear prediction analysis, a factor commonly ignored to date. Various applications of our two-channel approach are described along with the major disadvantage, namely, that in some situations the EGG channel cannot be acquired.
POLYACETYLENE: HELICES, HEAVY SOLITONS AND HYPERCONDUCTIVITY

A list of experimental observations (structural, spectroscopical, on transport, isomerization, chemical reactions, etc.) on pristine and doped polyacetylene, (CH)x, which are not compatible with the accepted planar structures and the current theoretical models of charge transport in (CH)x, is compiled. It is proposed that (CH)x is helical and that certain defects (short cis segments) in trans-(CH)x behave like heavy solitons. These assumptions are shown to resolve all the above paradoxes.
Where have all the Crangonyx gone? The disappearance of the amphipod Crangonyx pseudogracilis, and subsequent appearance of Gammarus nr. fasciatus, in the Ohio River

Abstract Sampling conducted by personnel of two separate laboratories of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency showed a single amphipod species, Crangonyx pseudogracilis, present in the Ohio River before the early 1970s. Subsequent sampling by personnel of both laboratories, along with invertebrate collections made by the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources and the first author of this paper showed that this species disappeared from the river in approximately 1973. Another amphipod species, Gammarus nr. fasciatus, invaded the Ohio River in 1973. Gammarus nr. fasciatus spread rapidly throughout the Ohio River, and is now one of its most common macroinvertebrate species. Although the evidence is circumstantial, it seems likely that the elimination of C. pseudogracilis from the Ohio River was caused by the damming of the river, especially the use of high-lift dams, completed from 1936 through the present. Experimental evidence indicates that the existing amphipod, G. nr. fasciatus, has a procliv...
Nonmedical opioid use and heroin use in a nationally representative sample of us high school seniors.

Abstract Background Nonmedical use of opioids has become increasingly problematic in recent years with increases in overdoses, treatment admissions, and deaths. Use also appears to be contributing to heroin initiation, which has increased in recent years. Further research is needed to examine which adolescents are at highest risk for nonmedical use of opioids and heroin and to explore potential links between nonmedical opioid use and heroin use. Methods Data were analyzed from a nationally representative sample of American high school seniors in the Monitoring the Future study (2009–2013, Weighted N = 67,822). We examined associations between frequency and recency of nonmedical use of opioids and heroin. Sociodemographic correlates of use of each drug were also examined. Results 12.4% of students reported lifetime nonmedical opioid use and 1.2% reported lifetime heroin use. As frequency of lifetime nonmedical opioid use increased, so too did the odds for reporting heroin use, with over three-quarters (77.3%) of heroin users reporting lifetime nonmedical opioid use. Recent (30-day) nonmedical opioid use was a robust risk factor for heroin use and almost a quarter (23.2%) of students who reported using opioids ≥40 times reported lifetime heroin use. Black and Hispanic students were less likely to report nonmedical opioid or heroin use than white students, but they were more likely to report heroin use in absence of nonmedical opioid use. Discussion Recent and frequent nonmedical opioid use are risk factors for heroin use among adolescents. Prevention needs to be targeted to those at highest risk.
Absence of lipotropic activity of methionine when pure amino acids were substituted for dietary protein.

SummaryUnder the experimental conditions chosen, methionine at a level of 50 mg per day (0.8%percnt; of the diet) did not prevent the development of fatty livers in rats fed a diet in which a mixture of essential amino acids replaced protein.
Effectiveness of use of home health nurses to decrease burden & depression of elderly caregivers.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of home health nursing intervention on burden and depression of elderly caregivers who were caring for an ill relative in their home. Two groups of caregivers were compared for differences in caregiver burden and depression. The caregivers in the control group did not use the services of home health nurses, whereas the caregivers in the experimental group did use these services. Data were analyzed using the Burden Interview and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. multiple analysis of variance confirmed that caregivers who used the services of home health nurses were significantly less burdened and less depressed than caregivers who did not use these services.
Gait Training in Patients Discharged to a Skilled Nursing Facility Following Total Joint Arthroplasty

Background:Expenditures for postacute care in total joint arthroplasty (TJA) have risen dramatically over recent decades. Therefore, efforts are underway to better identify cost savings in postacut...
Effects of exercise and weight loss on leucine turnover in different types of obesity

These studies were performed to determine whether protein turnover during exercise and after weight loss is influenced by obesity and body fat distribution. Leucine carbon flux was measured before,...
Diagnostics for magnetic fusion power plants

Fielding diagnostics (scientific instruments) on experimental fusion research devices has always been a key element in developing fusion as an energy source. The role of these diagnostics has first focused on the physical understanding of the mechanisms and dynamics involved in complex plasma media. They also play a key role in the validation of physics models, which are needed for developing a predictive capability for future fusion devices including a power plant. However, in a power plant, the role of diagnostics will shift virtually, exclusively to a control role. In addition, the constraints imposed by the power plant environment will put severe limits on the capability of these systems, and will require new approaches and sufficient research and development.
Ethical Darkness Made Visible: Michael Moore’s Roger and Me

Film can be used effectively to teach business ethics, but, for a variety of reasons, teachers need to choose wisely which films to use. In this paper, I argue that Michael Moore’s film Roger and Me is especially well-suited for use in a business ethics classroom, in part because it avoids some of the problems associated with other films. Moreover, the film does several things that standard business ethics textbooks do not do. Through this visual medium, Moore is able: (1) to make the audience complicit at least to some degree in the dynamics it portrays; (2) to raise questions about the status of those whose voice is heard (including the voice of Michael Moore) and of those who do not get to speak or are actively silenced; and (3) to perform its magic through a powerful “showing” instead of a plodding “telling”. This multi-faceted capability of art fuses the ethical with the aesthetic (where “aesthetic” is understood to refer both to the specific powers of art and to the sensed dimension of ethical issues).
FEOL/BEOL wear-out estimator using stress-to-frequency conversion of voltage/temperature-sensitive ring oscillators for 28nm automotive MCUs

We propose wear-out estimator of remaining lifetime, which consists of two types of custom ring oscillators (ROs) and cumulative stress counters only. This on-chip estimator operates independently without disruption of MCU main operations and is aimed for advanced automotive MCUs, which demand sufficient reliability and real-time response along with high performance in cutting-edge applications such as ADAS. One of the custom ROs is temperature sensitive RO, which achieves the count-up speed proportional to exp(-Ea/kT), thus enabling estimation of the accumulated electro-migration (EM) stress that the die has experienced thus far. The other RO is voltage and temperature sensitive RO, which achieves the count-up speed proportional to Vn*exp(-Ea/kT) for use in TDDB stress estimation. The test chip of the custom ROs was fabricated by using 28nm HKMG process. The measured result successfully emulates more than one order of magnitude difference between 125C and 85C EM stress and 10× combinational accentuation of TDDB stress under simultaneous high voltage and temperature.
Theoretical Perspectives on Cognitive Aging

Aging is a broad concept that includes physical changes in our bodies, psychological changes in our minds and mental capacities, social psychological changes in what we think and believe, and social changes in how we are viewed and what is expected of us. We write this chapter to examine the changes in our mental capacity, or cognitive changes, associated with aging. Cognitive psychologists, neuropsychologists, and clinical geropsychologists each bring unique perspectives to our understanding of cognitive aging. The primary function of this chapter is to examine cognitive aging through the varied perspectives offered by cognitive psychologists (i.e., the first author) and clinical geropsychologists (i.e., the second author). We (the authors) attempt to blend our unique perspectives in order to engage in a comprehensive discussion of cognitive aging.
Congenital pulmonary lymphangiectasia and early mortality after stage 1 reconstruction procedures.

Objectives Pulmonary lymphangiectasia associated with hypoplastic left heart syndrome with an intact or restrictive atrial septum may result from increased left atrial pressure, and is associated with worse outcomes following staged reconstruction due to lung dysfunction and significant hypoxaemia. Our objective was to characterise the incidence of pulmonary lymphangiectasia in cases of early mortality following stage 1 reconstructions. Methods An institutional cardiac surgical database was retrospectively searched for patients who died within 30 days following a stage 1 reconstruction between 1 January, 1984 and 31 December, 2013. During that period, 1669 stage 1 procedures were performed. Autopsy lung specimens were reviewed by a paediatric pathologist. Patients who died of suspected technical issues were excluded. Results A total of 54 patients were included, and of these seven cases (8.5%) of pulmonary lymphangiectasia were identified. The mean estimated gestational age was 38.2±2.4 weeks, and the mean birth weight was 3.0±0.6 kg. The median interval between surgery and death was 1 day (with a range from 0 to 18 days). The atrial septum was intact in one patient (14.3%), restrictive in three patients (42.9%), and unrestrictive in three patients (42.9%). Conclusions Pulmonary lymphangiectasia may develop in hypoplastic left heart syndrome with or without a restrictive atrial septum. As standard prenatal diagnostic evaluations and treatment methods for pulmonary lymphangiectasia are limited, this may be an important contributor to early and late mortality following stage 1 reconstruction for hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
The Generation of Dehydroalanine Residues in Protonated Polypeptides: Ion/Ion Reactions for Introducing Selective Cleavages

We examine a gas-phase approach for converting a subset of amino acid residues in polypeptide cations to dehydroalanine (Dha). Subsequent activation of the modified polypeptide ions gives rise to specific cleavage N-terminal to the Dha residue. This process allows for the incorporation of selective cleavages in the structural characterization of polypeptide ions. An ion/ion reaction within the mass spectrometer between a multiply protonated polypeptide and the sulfate radical anion introduces a radical site into the multiply protonated polypeptide reactant. Subsequent collisional activation of the polypeptide radical cation gives rise to radical side chain loss from one of several particular amino acid side chains (e.g., leucine, asparagine, lysine, glutamine, and glutamic acid) to yield a Dha residue. The Dha residues facilitate preferential backbone cleavages to produce signature c- and z-ions, demonstrated with cations derived from melittin, mechano growth factor (MGF), and ubiquitin. The efficiencies for radical side chain loss and for subsequent generation of specific c- and z-ions have been examined as functions of precursor ion charge state and activation conditions using cations of ubiquitin as a model for a small protein. It is noted that these efficiencies are not strongly dependent on ion trap collisional activation conditions but are sensitive to precursor ion charge state. Moderate to low charge states show the greatest overall yields for the specific Dha cleavages, whereas small molecule losses (e.g., water/ammonia) dominate at the lowest charge states and proton catalyzed amide bond cleavages that give rise to b- and y-ions tend to dominate at high charge states. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.
Finite-Element Modeling of Hybrid Concrete-Masonry Frames Subjected to In-Plane Loads

AbstractCaribbean-style hybrid concrete-masonry structures consist of a RC frame infilled with partially grouted and reinforced masonry walls that are connected to the RC frame with cast-in-place d...
Nonlinear adaptive control of robotic manipulators

We consider n-DOF manipulator arm with untruncated nonlinearity (Coriolis forces, nonreduced coupling) subject to bounded uncertainty in inertia, payload and gravity. The latter is compensated adaptively by varying the feedback controller, whose objective is to track a generally nonlinear reference model. The classical linear MRAC technique is augmented to serve the case concerned, under the condition that the system can be represented in the damped and forced (controlled) Hamiltonian format. The tracking controllers are designed using Liapunov formalism with a specified Liapunov function. A case study of a simple DOF manipulator illustrates the results.
Measuring and predicting sooting tendencies of oxygenates, alkanes, alkenes, cycloalkanes, and aromatics on a unified scale

Abstract Databases of sooting indices, based on measuring some aspect of sooting behavior in a standardized combustion environment, are useful in providing information on the comparative sooting tendencies of different fuels or pure compounds. However, newer biofuels have varied chemical structures including both aromatic and oxygenated functional groups, which expands the chemical space of relevant compounds. In this work, we propose a unified sooting tendency database for pure compounds, including both regular and oxygenated hydrocarbons, which is based on combining two disparate databases of yield-based sooting tendency measurements in the literature. Unification of the different databases was made possible by leveraging the greater dynamic range of the color ratio pyrometry soot diagnostic. This unified database contains a substantial number of pure compounds ( ≥ 400 total) from multiple categories of hydrocarbons important in modern fuels and establishes the sooting tendencies of aromatic and oxygenated hydrocarbons on the same numeric scale for the first time. Using this unified sooting tendency database, we have developed a predictive model for sooting behavior applicable to a broad range of hydrocarbons and oxygenated hydrocarbons. The model decomposes each compound into single-carbon fragments and assigns a sooting tendency contribution to each fragment based on regression against the unified database. The model’s predictive accuracy (as demonstrated by leave-one-out cross-validation) is comparable to a previously developed, more detailed predictive model. The fitted model provides insight into the effects of chemical structure on soot formation, and cases where its predictions fail reveal the presence of more complicated kinetic sooting mechanisms. This work will therefore enable the rational design of low-sooting fuel blends from a wide range of feedstocks and chemical functionalities.
A Money-Flows Approach to Investment in Came Management

(1968). A Money-Flows Approach to Investment in Came Management. East African Agricultural and Forestry Journal: Vol. 33, Proceedings of the Symposium on Wildlife Management and Land Use, Nairobi, 5–8 July 1967, pp. 77-83.
Criticality Distinguishes the Ensemble of Biological Regulatory Networks.

The hypothesis that many living systems should exhibit near-critical behavior is well motivated theoretically, and an increasing number of cases have been demonstrated empirically. However, a systematic analysis across biological networks, which would enable identification of the network properties that drive criticality, has not yet been realized. Here, we provide a first comprehensive survey of criticality across a diverse sample of biological networks, leveraging a publicly available database of 67 Boolean models of regulatory circuits. We find all 67 networks to be near critical. By comparing to ensembles of random networks with similar topological and logical properties, we show that criticality in biological networks is not predictable solely from macroscale properties such as mean degree $⟨K⟩$ and mean bias in the logic functions $⟨p⟩$, as previously emphasized in theories of random Boolean networks. Instead, the ensemble of real biological circuits is jointly constrained by the local causal structure and logic of each node. In this way, biological regulatory networks are more distinguished from random networks by their criticality than by other macroscale network properties such as degree distribution, edge density, or fraction of activating conditions.
Defining Conceptual Boundaries

A useful term cannot apply to everything. Some logical or conceptual boundary must appear somewhere. As we saw, the word “not” helps us to locate these boundaries; to know what is being denied is to have perceived half of what is being asserted.
METABOLIC CHANGES | The Emerging Role of Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Oxidative Stress in Epilepsy

The role of mitochondrial dysfunction has recently emerged as a potential contributing factor in epilepsy. Acute seizures result in free-radical production, oxidative damage to cellular targets, impaired mitochondrial redox status, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis. A limited number of recent studies have also demonstrated mitochondrial dysfunction in chronic epilepsies. Importantly, mitochondrial dysfunction is a potential cause of epileptic seizures associated with disorders resulting from mutations of mitochondrial DNA. In this article, we review the emerging role of mitochondrial dysfunction in epilepsy.
Dynamic Void Growth in a Two-Phase Material under Uniaxial Tension

An investigation is made of the void growth in a two-phase material subjected to high strain-rate deformation which is obtained by Split Hopkinson bar apparatus under uniaxial tension mode.The target two-phase material is polycrystalline Al-Si alloy.The stress-strain curves of Al-Si at various strain rate \(\mathop \varepsilon \limits^{\cdot}=500 \sim 1500/{\rm{sec}}\) indicate that this two-phase material exhibits high strain-rate sensitivity. It was found by SEM study that void density f increases with \(\mathop \varepsilon \limits^{\cdot}\). Then, the void growth model of Taya et al. is used to predict the void density fat the fracture surface and in the parallel region, resulting in a reasonably good agreement with the experimental results.
Compatible stand and stock tables for thinned and unthinned loblolly pine stands.

Data from 2 permanent plot studies in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee were used to develop compatible equations for projecting the number of trees, basal area (b.a.) and total cubic ft volume per acre from initial stand conditions. Diameter distributions were calculated using 3-parameter Weibull distributions so that, when integrated to give the b.a. or cubic ft volume per acre, the result was the same as predicted or observed. A FORTRAN program using the procedure is available from the authors. (Refs. 8).
Negative behavior space in the design of interactive agents

When defining the behavioral repertoire of an interactive artificial intelligence, it is helpful for designers to have a systematic way to specify which behaviors the AI will be able to perform and which behaviors it will not. The idea of a behavior space is often used in designing and implementing the behaviors that the AI will be able to perform. This paper proposes the idea of a "negative behavior space" – a set of behaviors that will explicitly not be implemented – as a useful concept for the development of AIs for games and other interactive media. Examples of negative behavior spaces are given from the development processes of two interactive installations: AlphaWolf, which was exhibited in the Emerging Technologies program at SIGGRAPH 2001, and the Virtual Raft Project, which will be shown in the Interactivity program at CHI 2005 and in the Emerging Technologies program at SIGGRAPH 2005. By explicitly excluding certain sets of behaviors from the development of an AI, designers may create interactive experiences that are clearer and more enjoyable for the player, and may also make their own work easier.
Systems Engineering in the Production Process

The term ‘Systems Engineering’, is understood to be a methodology which enables known and new scientific methods and techniques to be represented in a schematic form so that they can be employed in gaining knowledge of complex facts, and in developing and realizing new systems. Systems engineering enables complex problems to be broken down into individual partial problems in a logical manner and to investigate same without losing the interrelationship to the overall problem [13].
The Strategic Use of CSR to Mitigate the Damaging Effects of Negative Firm Events

When a corporation is connected to a reputation damaging event, valuation is likely to decrease. While research suggests there are avenues of preemptive precautions firms can pursue to mitigate the...
Building Capacity and Training for Digital Health: Challenges and Opportunities in Latin America

Tackling global health challenges demands the appropriate use of available technologies. Although digital health could significantly improve health care access, use, quality, and outcomes, realizing this possibility requires personnel trained in digital health. There is growing evidence of the benefits of digital health for improving the performance of health systems and outcomes in developed countries. However, significant gaps remain in resource-constrained settings. Technological and socio-cultural disparities between different regions or between provinces within the same country are prevalent. Rural areas, where the promise and need are highest, are particularly deprived. In Latin America, there is an unmet need for training and building the capacity of professionals in digital health. This viewpoint paper aims to present a selection of experiences in building digital health capacity in Latin America to illustrate a series of challenges and opportunities for strengthening digital health training programs in resource-constrained environments. These describe how a successful digital health ecosystem for Latin America requires culturally relevant and collaborative research and training programs in digital health. These programs should be responsive to the needs of all relevant regional stakeholders, including government agencies, non–governmental organizations, industry, academic or research entities, professional societies, and communities. This paper highlights the role that collaborative partnerships can play in sharing resources, experiences, and lessons learned between countries to optimize training and research opportunities in Latin America.