cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of fluorine on chemical and electrical properties of room temperature oxide films prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

The effect of fluorine on SiO2 films was investigated by comparing chemical and electrical properties of fluorinated silicon oxide (SiOF) films with those of SiO2 films. The SiOF films were prepared at room temperature by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition incorporating CF4 as the fluorine source into the deposition process of the SiO2 films using Si2H6 and N2O. The relative dielectric constant of the as-deposited SiO2 films was reduced from 5.95 to 4.43 by the incorporation of fluorine and with postmetallization anneal. The breakdown measurements on the SiOF films showed no early failures at a field strength of ⩽3 MV/cm, resulting in an average breakdown field strength of 7.11 MV/cm.
Supportive care of facial nerve palsy with temporary external eyelid weights.

Abstract Background Patients with facial nerve palsy can have many ocular complications. Lagophthalmos, or poor eyelid closure, and loss of blink secondary to lack of nerve supply to the orbicularis oculi, can lead to exposure keratopathy, corneal breakdown, ulcers, and even perforation. Management of patients should be directed toward the severity of ocular findings and ranges from supportive care to surgical reanimation and soft tissue repositioning. Patients with facial nerve palsy who present at earlier stages can benefit from conservative treatment. Use of temporary external eyelid weights can help restore a functional blink mechanism and prevent corneal decompensation. Case report A 29-year-old patient with lagophthalmos secondary to left facial nerve palsy after surgical excision of an acoustic neuroma was treated with a temporary external eyelid weight. Conclusion Temporary external eyelid weights are part of the armamentarium in the supportive care of patients with lagophthalmos and exposure keratopathy secondary to facial nerve palsy. They are most useful in patients who have temporary paralysis or as a bridge until further surgery can be performed.
Relationship between Chain Length and the Concentration Dependence of Polymer and Oligomer Self-Diffusion in Solution

A complex relationship between chain length and the concentration dependence of polymer self-diffusion, Dp(c)/Dp(0), is revealed from analysis of polystyrene (PS) and oligostyrene self-diffusion in solution. Pulsed-field-gradient NMR measurements of PS self-diffusion in styrene and toluene were compared with literature results for PS self-diffusion in benzene, tetrahydrafuran, toluene, and carbon tetrachloride. An empirical relationship was used to correlate Dp(c)/Dp(0) to the concentration dependence of solvent self-diffusion, Ds(c)/Ds(0): Dp(c)/Dp(0) = [Ds(c)/Ds(0)]β where β quantifies the relationship between chain length and the concentration dependence of Dp. (This power law, with a chain-length-independent β, may be justified from Vrentas−Duda free volume theory.) Accounting for differences in the free volume contribution of the solvent species, β values obtained in the five solvents can be normalized to a single solvent, styrene, revealing universality in the relationship between chain length and ...
SPICE models for power MOSFETs: an update

Five existing power MOSFET models intended for use with SPICE simulations are reviewed and compared. Methods used for simulating the gate-drain capacitance are evaluated. The internal JFET employed in two of the models is found to be usually unnecessary. A simple two-value capacitance model is recommended. The performance of this model is demonstrated with data obtained from 200 kHz forward converter. >
Multi-scale assessments highlight silvicultural opportunities to increase species diversity and spatial variability in forests

Foresters influence short- and long-term development of plant neighbourhoods, stands and landscapes by their managementpractices.Inthepast,mostofthesepracticeshaveaimedtohomogenizethecompositionandstructure of stands forefficient wood production.This publication provides an overview of and guidance onhowto recognize and efficiently utilize opportunities to modify silvicultural practices, with the goal of increasing species diversityandspatialvariabilitywithinstandsandlandscapesatminimumcost.Wesuggestaprocedureforselectingcandidatetreatmentsthatmightbeusedinthisway.Wefurthersuggestthatmulti-scaleevaluations(e.g.differentobjectives,suchaseconomicvsecologicalgoals;differenttimeframesfromshort-termtorotationlengths; and longer, different spatial scales from plant neighbourhoods to landscapes) can highlight opportunities to increasespeciesdiversityandspatialvariabilityduringimplementationsof‘standard’forestmanagementpractices. For example, opportunities may derive from situations where management practices did not achieve their intended goals or where natural disturbances can be viewed as stimuli that initiate opportunities to increase heterogeneity. With modifications, silvicultural responses to such conditions can provide efficient, low-cost (or even cost saving) means to increase species diversity and spatial variability. Using replanting, treatment of ‘minority’ species,variablespacingguidelines,andotherexamples,weshowhowvaryingthespatialandtimescalesofevaluationsforsuchmodifiedtreatmentscaninfluenceconclusionsaboutcostsandecologicalimpacts.Consequently, the choice of evaluation scales can be a deciding factor in whether treatment modifications are considered as economically justifiable ways to achieve a suite of diverse objectives.
Keeping children out of hospitals: parents' and physicians' perspectives on how pediatric hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions can be avoided.

Background. Avoidable hospitalization conditions (AHCs) are hospitalizations that potentially can be avoided with timely, appropriate outpatient care. The specific reasons for avoidability, and parents and physicians' perspectives on the proportion of actually avoidable pediatric AHCs, have not been examined ade- quately. Objectives. To identify how pediatric hospitaliza- tions might be avoided, and to determine the proportion of avoidable AHCs according to parents and physicians of hospitalized children. Methods. Cross-sectional survey of parents, primary care physicians (PCPs), and inpatient attending physi- cians (IAPs) of a consecutive series of children who were admitted with AHCs to an urban hospital in a 14-month period. Results. The 554 hospitalized children had a median age of 4 years; most were poor (median annual family income: $12 000), nonwhite (91%), and had public (73%) or no (16%) health insurance. The most frequent AHC diagnoses were asthma (43%), dehydration/gastroenteri- tis (16%), pneumonia (11%), seizure disorder (8%), and skin infections (8%). Only 25% of parents said that their child's admission was avoidable, compared with 29% of PCPs and 32% of IAPs. The proportion of AHC hospital- izations assessed as avoidable varied according to the source or combination of sources, from 13% for agree- ment among all 3 sources to 46% as identified by any 1 of the 3 sources. PCPs (71%) and IAPs (48%) significantly more often than parents (35%) cited parent/patient-re- lated reasons for how hospitalizations could have been avoided, including adhering to and refilling medications, better outpatient follow-up, and avoiding known disease triggers. Parents (48%) significantly more often than PCPs (18%) and IAPs (37%) cited physician-related rea- sons for how hospitalizations could have been avoided, including better education by physicians about the child's condition, and better quality of care. Multivariate analyses revealed that an age >11 years, an asthma diag- nosis, working poor family income, and having no health insurance were associated with approximately double to triple the odds of an avoidable hospitalization. Conclusions. The proportion of AHCs assessed as avoidable varies from 13% to 46%, depending on the source. Adolescents, children with asthma, children from working-poor families, and uninsured children are at greatest risk for avoidable hospitalizations. Many pedi- atric hospitalizations might be avoided if parents and children were better educated about the child's condi- tion, medications, the need for follow-up care, and the importance of avoiding known disease triggers. Direct assessment by parents and physicians of hospitalized children can be an informative way to examine the pro- portion of avoidable pediatric hospitalizations and how they can be prevented. Pediatrics 2003;112:1021-1030; avoidable hospitalizations, children, pediatrics, preven- tion, health services research, asthma, minorities, primary care.
Mass Exoneration Data and the Causes of Wrongful Convictions

What we currently know about the persons who have been wrongfully convicted is based largely on exonerations resulting from post-conviction testing of DNA. Study of those cases has produced a dataset of information about the factors that contribute to wrongful convictions and the procedures relied upon both to convict and then, later, to exonerate, those defendants. While critically important, this dataset has important limitations, chief among them is that it is largely limited to the kinds of cases in which DNA evidence is available for post-conviction testing. Drawing on fresh empirical data, my paper attempts to improve the dataset on the wrongfully convicted by assessing another group of exonerees, those exonerated in two major scandals, the Rampart scandal in Los Angeles, and the Tulia scandal in Texas. In both of these cases, large numbers of persons were wrongfully convicted and later formally exonerated. The profile of these defendants varies dramatically from that of the typical DNA exoneree. Broadening the data set to include these exonerees should cause us to rethink the major causes of wrongful convictions and the most pressing remedial solutions to the problem.
Interpreting negative results with taxonomic and conservation implications: Another look at the distinctness of coastal California Gnatcatchers

ABSTRACT A recent study by Zink et al. (2013) raises questions about how to interpret negative results in studies when the distinctness of a species of conservation concern is in question. Zink et al. found no evidence for genetic or ecological distinctness of the coastal California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica). We discuss why the genetic markers they chose were not well suited to the question of distinctness and how they overinterpreted negative results in their genetic and ecological analyses. We reanalyze their genetic data and find evidence that several genetic loci show significant differentiation in the coastal California Gnatcatchers. We provide recommendations for best practices in determining distinctness in phenotype, genetics, and ecology for California Gnatcatchers and other populations of conservation concern.
Eliminating Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections: Part I. Avoid Catheter Use

: This article is the first in a two-part series focusing on catheter-associated urinary tract infections. There is a convergence of factors necessitating zero tolerance toward catheter-associated urinary tract infections, including the risks associated with patient safety and to a lesser extent the changes in reimbursement. Part I of this series focuses on the most significant modifiable risk factor, avoiding use of urethral catheters. A quality improvement case study is highlighted along with a practice bundle for evidence-based practice. Part II focuses on the second most significant risk factor, reducing urethral catheter-days.
Radiation effects in corundum structure derivatives

Abstract The radiation response of α-Al2O3 (R3c), FeTiO3 ( R 3 ), MgTiO3 ( R 3 ), and LiTaO3 (R3c) was investigated using 200 keV Ar2+ and 1 MeV Kr+ and a combination of Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy. All of these materials have the corundum or a corundum-derivative crystal structure. This family of oxides is of interest due to the simple but significant differences in the structure of the cation sublattices in the different space groups. These materials are also of interest because of their range of melting temperatures, the range of melting temperatures of their oxide components, differences in bonding characteristics, and the complete solid solution between FeTiO3 and MgTiO3. Our results show that α-Al2O3 and MgTiO3 are consistently more radiation tolerant than FeTiO3 and that LiTaO3 amorphizes substantially easier than the other three oxides. The greater stability of MgTiO3 than FeTiO3 appears to be analogous to the response of Mg-Fe silicates to ion irradiation and high pressure. A characteristic consistent with the radiation tolerance trend of the four oxides studied is a decreasing melting temperature of the component oxides. Thus, the lower stability of Fe–O octahedra in FeTiO3 and Li–O octahedra in LiTaO3 may adversely affect the radiation tolerance of these oxides.
Psychological Adjustment in Young Korean American Adolescents and Parental Warmth

PROBLEM: The relation between parental warmth and psychological adjustment is not known for young Korean American adolescents. METHODS: One hundred and three Korean American adolescents’ perceived parental warmth and psychological adjustment were assessed using, respectively, the Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaire and the Child Personality Assessment Questionnaire. FINDINGS: Low perceived maternal and paternal warmth were positively related to adolescents’ overall poor psychological adjustment and almost all of its attributes. When maternal and paternal warmth were entered simultaneously into the regression equation, only low maternal warmth was related to adolescents’ poor psychological adjustment. CONCLUSION: Perceived parental warmth is important in predicting young adolescents’ psychological adjustment as suggested in the parental acceptance–rejection theory.
CuMAPz: a tool to analyze memory access patterns in CUDA

CUDA programming model provides a simple interface to program on GPUs, but tuning GPGPU applications for high performance is still quite challenging. Programmers need to consider several architectural details, and small changes in source code, especially on memory access pattern, affect performance significantly. This paper presents CuMAPz, a tool to compare the memory performance of a CUDA program. CuMAPz can help programmers explore different ways of using shared and global memories, and optimize their program for memory behavior. CuMAPz models several memory effects, e.g., data reuse, global memory access coalescing, shared memory bank conflict, channel skew, and branch divergence. By using CuMAPz to explore memory access design space, we could improve the performance of our benchmarks by 62% over the naive cases, and 32% over previous approach[8].
BEYOND EXPLICIT RULE LEARNING: Automatizing Second Language Morphosyntax

This study is a fine-grained analysis of extensive empirical data on the automatization of explicitly learned rules of morphosyntax in a second language. Sixty-one subjects were taught four morphosyntactic rules and 32 vocabulary items in an artificial language. After they had reached criterion on a set of metalinguistic tests of grammar and vocabulary, they engaged in systematic, computer-controlled comprehension and production practice for 8 weeks. Comprehension practice consisted of choosing between pictures displayed on the computer screen to match a sentence; production practice consisted of typing the correct sentence corresponding to a picture. All subjects were taught the same rules and then practiced them, and all subjects had the same amount of comprehension and production practice, but which rules were practiced in comprehension and which in production varied between groups. Results show that the learning of morphosyntactic rules is highly skill-specific and that these skills develop very gradually over time, following the same power function learning curve as the acquisition of other cognitive skills. These results are consistent with current skill acquisition theory.
The effects of branched-chain amino acids on sow and litter performance.

Sows (n = 306; PIC, Line C-19; average parity 2.1) were used to evaluate the interrelationship between valine, isoleucine, and leucine on sow and litter performance. Our objective was to determine whether the increase in litter weaning weight associated with added dietary valine is specific for valine or a result of the total branched-chain amino acid (i.e., isoleucine and[or] leucine) concentration of the diet. Eight dietary treatments (36 to 41 sows/treatment) were arranged as a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial with two levels of valine (.80 and 1.20%), isoleucine (.68 and 1.08%), and leucine (1.57 and 1.97%). This provided total branched-chain amino acid levels of 3.05, 3.45, 3.85, and 4.25%. The lowest level of each branched-chain amino acid was similar to that in a .90% lysine corn-soybean meal diet containing .15% L-lysine HCl. Amino acids other than valine, isoleucine, and leucine met or exceeded their suggested estimates relative to lysine using ratios derived from the National and Agricultural Research Councils. Average number of pigs on d 2 of lactation was 11.2, and average lactation length was 20.9 d. Number of pigs weaned (x = 10.6), sow ADFI (x = 5.85 kg), and sow weight loss (x = 4.25 kg) were not affected by dietary treatment (P > .10). Sow backfat loss (P .05) increased as dietary valine increased. Litter weight at weaning and litter weight gain were not affected by dietary isoleucine (P > .80) or leucine (P > .60). Sixteen or 17 sows per treatment (129 total) were milked manually on d 14 to 16 of lactation. Increasing dietary valine tended to increase milk urea N (P < .07) but did not affect milk DM, CP, fat, lactose, or ash. Increasing dietary isoleucine or leucine had no effects on milk composition. These results confirm the importance of dietary valine for increased litter weaning weight, independent of either additional dietary leucine or isoleucine.
Perceptual transparency and relativization: A case study in Fula

In this paper we shall discuss Relative Clause Formation (RCF) in Fula to verify certain hypotheses advanced by Keenan and others.
Pelvic sonography can predict ovum release in gonadotrophin-treated patients as determined by pregnancy rate

Ultrasonographic monitoring of ovum release was performed in two consecutive cycles in each of 220 patients treated with gonadotrophin. Definite release occurred in 69% of cycles, indeterminate in 24% and non-release in 7%. Support for the accuracy of sonography in diagnosing the luteinized unruptured follicle (LUF) was demonstrated by a much higher pregnancy rate in those patients showing ovum release. There was a definite tendency for non-release to recur in the next cycle. Thus, the data support the routine use of sonography 2-3 days after human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) injection to monitor ovum release in gonadotrophin-treated patients (HMG).
Social Network Analysis: Graphs and Matrices

This chapter presents the terminology and concepts of graph theory , and describes basic matrix operations that are used in social network analysis. Both graph theory and matrix operations have served as the foundations of many concepts in the analysis of social networks (Hage and Harary 1983; Harary, Norman, and Cartwright 1965). In this chapter, the notation presented in Chapter 3 is used, and more concepts and ideas from graph theory are described and illustrated with examples. The topics covered in this chapter are important for the methods discussed in the remaining chapters of the book, but they are especially important in Chapter 5 (Centrality, Prestige, and Related Actor and Group Measures), Chapter 6 (Structural Balance, Clusterability, and Transitivity), Chapter 7 (Cohesive Subgroups), and Chapter 8 (Affiliations, Co-memberships, and Overlapping Subgroups). We start this chapter with a discussion of some reasons why graph theory and graph theoretic concepts are important for social network analysis. We then define a graph for representing a nondirectional relation. We begin with simple concepts, and progressively build on these to achieve more complicated, and more interesting, graph theoretic concepts. We then define and discuss directed graphs, for representing directional relations. Again, we begin with simple directed graph concepts and build to more complicated ideas. Following this, we discuss signed and valued graphs. We then define and discuss hypergraphs, which are used to represent affiliation networks.
The significance of papillary features in polyps of the large intestine.

Six hundred sixty-two polypoid lesions of the large intestine were classified as adenomas, papillomas, mixed lesions (adenomatous and papillary features), or hyperplastic polyps. Carcinoma was found in 48% of papillomas, 18% of mixed lesions, and 1% of adenomas. Among the hyperplastic polyps, three (5%) contained a mixture of hyperplastic and carcinomatous glands. Eighty per cent of the carcinomas were superficial and 20% were invasive. Metastases occurred in one third of the invasive carcinomas and in none of the superficial carcinomas. The findings suggest that the presence of a papillary growth pattern in colonic polyps heralds an increased malignant potential. The role of inconsistent terminology and definitions in the controversy regarding the malignant potential of colonic polyps is discussed.
Diethylnitrosamine-induced changes in mouse liver morphology and function.

SummaryLong-term administration of DEN to adult Swiss mice for periods of up to 24 weeks resulted in intense bile duct proliferation, formation of hepatic nodules, some of which appeared to be hyperplastic, and foci of lymphocytic infiltration. No hep-atocellular carcinomas or well-defined hepa-tomas were found in these DEN-treated mice. The only tumors observed were one hemangioma, and in 2 sections, tissue suggestive of cholangiocarcinoma. The significant increases in hexobarbital sleeping times and the striking resistance to the hepa-totoxic effects of CC14 in DEN-treated mice indicated that long-term exposure to DEN resulted in a progressive inhibition of liver DMES activity. Phenobarbital administration concurrent with DEN prevented the decreases in hexobarbital sleeping times but did not alter the morphologic changes in the liver produced by DEN, at least at the light microscopic level.
Ultrasensitive optofluidic surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection with flow-through multihole capillaries.

3-Dimensional surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection integrated with optofluidics offers many advantages over conventional SERS conducted under planar and static conditions. In this paper, we developed a novel optofluidic SERS platform based on nanoparticle-functionalized flow-through multihole capillaries for rapid, reliable, and ultrasensitive analyte detection. The unique configuration not only provides 3-dimensional geometry for significantly increased SERS-active area and inherent fluidic channels for rapid and efficient sample delivery, but also confines and transmits light along the capillary for large SERS signal accumulation. Using a capillary consisting of thousands of micrometer-sized holes adsorbed with gold nanoparticles, we investigated the proposed optofluidic SERS system using the transverse and longitudinal detection methods, where the SERS excitation and collection were perpendicular to and along the capillary, respectively. A detection limit better than 100 fM for rhodamine ...
Effect of Surgical Approach on Pulmonary Function in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Patients: A Systemic Review and Meta-analysis

Study Design. Systemic review and meta-analysis. Objective. To analyze the effect of spinal fusion and instrumentation for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) on absolute pulmonary function test (PFTs). Summary of Background Data. Pulmonary function is correlated with severity of deformity in AIS patients and studies that have analyzed the effect of spinal fusion and instrumentation on PFTs for AIS have reported inconsistent results. There is a need to analyze the effect of spinal fusion on PFTs with stratification by surgical approach. Methods. Our analysis included 22 studies. Cohen's d effect sizes were calculated for absolute PFT outcome measures with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Meta-analyses were performed at each postoperative time frame for six homogeneous surgical approaches: (i) combined anterior release and posterior fusion with instrumentation; (ii) combined video assisted anterior release and posterior fusion with instrumentation without thoracoplasty; (iii) posterior fusion with instrumentation without thoracoplasty; (iv) anterior fusion with instrumentation and without thoracoplasty; (v) video assisted anterior fusion with instrumentation without thoracoplasty; and (vi) any scoliosis surgery with additional thoracoplasty. Results. Anterior spinal fusion with instrumentation, any scoliosis surgery with concomitant thoracoplasty, or video-assisted anterior fusion with instrumentation for AIS had similar absolute PFTs at their 2 year postoperative follow up compared with their preoperative PFTs (effect sizes ranging from −0.2–0.2 with all CI crossing “0”). Posterior spinal fusion with instrumentation (with or without an anterior release) demonstrated small to moderate increases in PFTs 2 years postoperatively (effect sizes ranging from 0.35–0.65 with all CI not crossing “0”). Conclusion. Anterior fusion with instrumentation, regardless of the approach, and any scoliosis surgery with concomitant thoracoplasty do not lead to significant change in pulmonary functions 2 year after surgery. Posterior spinal fusion with instrumentation (with or without an anterior release) resulted in small to moderate increases in PFTs. Conclusion. Level of Evidence: N/A
Innominate Artery Pressure Syndrome Diagnosed through CT VRT and VR Transparency Reconnstruction Technique

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of the innominate artery pressure syndrome with multi-slice spiral CT VRT and the reconstruction technique. Methods 7 cases of children with tracheal compression confirmed through operation from Dec. 2010 to Dec. 2012 were collected in Zhengzhou Children's Hospital in this study. All cases had undergone large blood vessels' thin slice CT contrast enhancement. The data were transmitted to the work station for multi planar reconstruction( MPR),volume rendering technique( VRT) and VR transparency reconstruction for the analysis of the imaging characteristics. Results In the 7 cases,5 were normal in origin of innominate artery,and became abnormal when the innominate artery,with the ascending branch deviated to left,compressing the trachea,2 cases' innominate artery deviated to the right,compressing the trachea,3 cases were accompanied with congenital heart disease,1 was patent ductus arteriosus,2 cases with ventricular septal defect. Conclusion Volume rendering technique( VRT) and VR transparency reconstructiion could display three-dimensionally the structure and abnormality of the deformative blood vessel,the part,scope and the degree of the congenital trachea bronchiostenosis. It could display good trachea,contrast and sharpness,making anatomical structure easy to identify. It is the best choice for the diagnosis of the innominate artery compression syndrome.
Interpretation of digoxin blood levels by programmable calculator

The usefulness of a computer algorithm, for a hand-held calculator, in the calculation of steady-state blood levels of digoxin was studied. The calculator was programmed using the Wagner-Northam steady-state equation. The program was tested on data obtained from the charts of 14 patients recieving digoxin. Blood levels of digoxin were determined by radioimmunoassay. In nine patients, the calculated values correlated well with measured values. In five patients, calculated values did not correlate with measured values; half-life was underestimated in two patients, a charting error was made with one patient and digoxin disappearance was suggested to be unusual in two patients. This study suggests that a measure of scientific precision in planning and monitoring of drug therapy regimens is possible using a programmable calculator.
Endocrine targets in experimental shock.

Modified resuscitation regimens and cytokine blockade/receptor antagonism after trauma have not been successful in decreasing the mortality rates from sepsis in trauma patients; therefore, an alternative approach using endocrine targets as modulators or inhibitors may be useful. Information regarding the influence of gender and hormones on immune and cardiovascular responses after nonthermal trauma-hemorrhagic shock is, on the one hand, considerable but, on the other hand, disappointingly incomplete. Trauma-hemorrhagic shock produces gender dimorphic immune and cardiovascular responses; men exhibit cardiovascular depression and are immunosuppressed, whereas proestrus women do not show cardiovascular or immunologic depression under those conditions. Furthermore, experimental studies have demonstrated the use of hormones, hormone antagonists, sex steroids, and receptor antagonists as salutary adjuncts, without any adverse effects on gastrointestinal, hepatic, and renal functions, for restoring the depressed immune and cardiovascular responses after traumahemorrhage. Thus, flutamide, dehydroepiandrosterone, metoclopramide, and 17/3-estradiol, which are readily availably clinically and do not produce any adverse hemodynamic effects, appear to be safe and novel agents/hormones for the treatment of immune and cardiovascular depression after severe blood loss in male and female trauma victims.
Alcohol-Related Liver Disease: Roles of Insulin Resistance, Lipotoxic Ceramide Accumulation, and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Alcohol dependence and abuse are major public health problems throughout the world. Acute alcohol exposure causes hepatic steatosis and steatohepatitis, which are reversible. However, chronic alcohol abuse causes steatohepatitis to progress through stages of fibrosis, followed by cirrhosis, and finally liver failure. In addition, chronic alcohol abuse contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma development. Major consequences of chronic excessive alcohol abuse include impaired regenerative and remodeling responses to liver injury [1–4], giving way to fibrosis [5]. In addition, chronic ethanol exposure causes continuous liver injury due to inhibition of DNA synthesis [6–11], energy metabolism, insulin responsiveness, and antioxidant defenses [12, 13]. Undoubtedly, progression of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) from inflammatory-fibrotic states to cirrhosis ensues when recurrent injury and cell loss fail to be counterbalanced by adequate repair mechanisms. Aggregate data from multiple sources, including human and experimental animal model studies, suggest that insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, lipid dyshomeostasis, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are important pathogenic factors because they mediate oxidative stress, DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, and formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which together promote hepatocellular injury and death.
Analyzing mobile applications and power consumption on smartphone over LTE network

The explosive number of applications now available on smart phone type of devices and the availability of high-speed mobile broadband connectivity through 4G networks such as LTE has only increased the challenges in improving battery life of these devices. In this paper, we illustrate the 4G power consumption issues through traffic traces and power measurements on LTE device over commercial LTE network. We analyzed the traces of various applications to understand the traffic characteristics. We also measured the power consumption of the various components of the device. This paper provides the cdf's of the packet size and packet inter-arrival times of background traffic of common applications (e.g., Skype, Google Talk, Twitter etc), and power consumption values and duration of low-power states which are crucial for the innovations and implementation of efficient power optimization mechanisms in LTE networks.
Activated Protein C Light Chain Mutations Distinguish Exosite Residue Requirements for Anticoagulant Versus Cytoprotective Activities.

Activated protein C (APC) can exert two major distinct activities: 1) anticoagulant activity, via inactivation of factors Va and VIIIa, and 2) cytoprotective activity including anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory activities mediated by two receptors, Endothelial Protein C Receptor (EPCR) and Protease Activated Receptor-1 (PAR-1). Interest in APC’s receptor-mediated effects is sparked by APC’s reduction of mortality in severe sepsis patients and by the beneficial neuroprotective activities of APC on brain endothelium, on neurons and in rodent ischemic stroke models. Our previous targeted mutagenesis of exosite residues in the protease domain in APC’s heavy chain proved that anticoagulant activity can be almost ablated while leaving anti-apoptotic activity intact, thus showing that some heavy chain exosite residues are required for one activity but not the other. To further characterize APC exosites required for various functional activities, we extended site-directed mutagenesis studies to the C-terminal region of the light chain (residues 142–155) which was indirectly implicated as an anticoagulant exosite but which has not been targeted using mutagenesis. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis was used to probe the requirement for Arg143, Lys146, Arg147, Glu149, Lys150, Lys151 and Arg152 for zymogen activation and for expression of APC’s anticoagulant and cytoprotective activity. Kinetic data for activation of each mutated zymogen by thrombin and by thrombin-thrombomodulin were indistinguishable from wild type protein C results. APC mutants with single Ala substitutions at residues 146, 147, 150 and 151 had significantly reduced anticoagulant activity in APTT assays while substitution at 143 and 152 showed little change relative to wild type APC. Surprisingly, the Ala149-APC exhibited over 3-fold increased anticoagulant activity. No mutation altered the half-life of APC amidolytic activity in plasma, suggesting that APC’s reaction with key serine protease inhibitors was unaltered by these mutations. As determined using staurosporine-induced endothelial cell apoptosis assays, replacement of the various Arg and Lys residues by Ala had little significant effect on APC cytoprotective activity; however, the Glu149 to Ala substitution markedly reduced APC cytoprotective activity. Thus, whereas this latter mutation increased by 3-fold anticoagulant activity, it diminished APC direct effects on cells. In summary, these studies of the C-terminus of the APC light chain emphasize the distinction between exosite residue requirements for APC’s anticoagulant versus cytoprotective mechanisms; furthermore, these results may contribute to the design of safer therapeutic APC variants with reduced risk of bleeding due to reduction in anticoagulant activity but with the normal beneficial direct effects of APC on cells.
Open innovation and its discontents

Abstract This paper critically synthesizes empirics and issues in discrete inter-disciplinary literatures to identify ‘open innovation’ as part of an emergent regime of accumulation, overlaying and co-existing with flexible production, and encompassing novel firm-level strategies, new forms of corporate networks, and a disturbing capital-labor relation that informalizes innovative work while cultivating entrepreneurial but self-exploiting subjects. I explain the novelty of open innovation, its genealogy, and the implications for people and conditions of work as much as for firms in a new topology of power relations. I cast the ensemble of strategies and tactics encompassed in open innovation as contingent, continually unfolding, and sometimes chaotic if not destructive for both firms and labor, in contrast to the celebratory tone in the business as well as geography and regional studies literatures regarding its benefits for competitiveness, innovativeness, value capture, and development. Open innovation – the externalization of innovation – entails long-run approaches to innovation and investment that are fraught with problems, prompting the development of short-term tactics to engage the challenges. One short-run strategy, crowdsourcing, bypasses the conventional web of inter-firm relations to connect digitally with individuals of the global crowd, enabling firms to reap the benefits of the crowd’s innovative talents, often without remuneration under circumstances that institutionalize informal work. These neoliberal subjects are best understood in terms of multiple subjectivities. I close by connecting the crowdsourcing of innovative with non-innovative work, both of which are parts of the emergent regime associated with new hiring and work practices that usher in new modes of exploitation.
Magnetic anchor guidance for endoscopic submucosal dissection and other endoscopic procedures

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a well-established, minimally invasive treatment for superficial neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract. The universal adoption of ESD has been limited by its slow learning curve, long procedure times, and high risk of complications. One technical challenge is the lack of a second hand that can provide traction, as in conventional surgery. Reliable tissue retraction that exposes the submucosal plane of dissection would allow for safer and more efficient dissection. Magnetic anchor guided endoscopic submucosal dissection (MAG-ESD) has potential benefits compared to other current traction methods. MAG-ESD offers dynamic tissue retraction independent of the endoscope mimicking a surgeon's "second hand". Two types of magnets can be used: electromagnets and permanent magnets. In this article we review the MAG-ESD technology, published work and studies of magnets in ESD. We also review the use of magnetic anchor guidance systems in natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery and the idea of magnetic non-contact retraction using surface ferromagentization. We discuss the current limitations, the future potential of MAG-ESD and the developments needed for adoption of this technology.
Scattering of Polarized Electrons by Polarized Nucleons

The differential cross section for the scattering of arbitrarily polarized charged spin one-half particles by arbitrarily polarized charged spin one-half particles with an anomalous magnetic moment was calculated, including recoil effects. (auth)
New model of proliferative vitreoretinopathy in rabbit for drug delivery and pharmacodynamic studies

Blinding retinal diseases become more epidemic as the population ages. These diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and macular edema, are of chronic nature and require protracted drug presence at the disease site. A sustained intravitreal porous silicon delivery system with dexamethasone (pSiO2-COO-DEX) was evaluated in a new rabbit model of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) in a real treatment design. In contrast to the pretreatment design model, pSiO2-COO-DEX was intravitreally injected into the eyes with active inflammation. Subretinal injection of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Matrigel induced a late-onset vitreoretinal inflammation that gradually developed into PVR. This method mimics the human disease better than PVR induced by either intravitreal cell injection or trauma. The pSiO2-COO-DEX intervened eyes had minimal PVR, while balanced saline solution or free dexamethasone intervened eyes had significantly more PVR formation. In addition, adding VEGF to the Matrigel for subretinal injection induced greater inflammation and retinal neovascularization in comparison to only Matrigel injected under the medullary ray. Clinical and pathological examinations, including fundus fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography, confirmed these changes. In the current study, neither subretinal injection of Matrigel or subretinal injection of VEGF and Matrigel induced choroidal neovascularization. However, the current PVR model demonstrates a chronic course with moderate severity, which may be useful for drug screening studies.
I Know What You Don't Know: Proactive Learning through Targeted Human Interaction

Humans communicate extensively through "meta-information" encoded in emitted non-verbal signals. This meta-information not only allows us to analyze an individual's external emotional state but also certain internal states. For example, humans are able to learn from others thanks to their ability to determine their most knowledgeable peers in a given domain through their interactions with these individuals. As autonomous agents expand into more socially oriented tasks, they must capture and reason through these emitted cues to better understand their human counterparts. In this work, we conduct two experiments. First, we train a model to predict the knowledgeability of speakers using non-verbal features. Next we simulate the process of selecting the most knowledgeable person in a given domain using a proactive learning approach. The results indicate our agent is capable of observing human behavior and using this information to select a specific human for aid on a given question.
The Impact of Antihypertensive Drugs on Adherence

There are significant differences in the properties of individual antihypertensive medications in terms of side effects, costs, and dosing complexity among other factors. Accordingly, there are differences in how individual antihypertensive medications impact medication adherence. In this chapter, we review the literature establishing an association between antihypertensive drug class and medication adherence, with adherence typically highest for angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers and lowest for diuretics and beta-blockers. We also review the mechanisms through which properties of the principal classes of antihypertensive drugs can influence medication adherence. There is also evidence of substantial differences in how antihypertensive medications affect individual patients, with some medications resulting in greater blood pressure reduction and others in lower tolerability. We discuss how this heterogeneity of treatment effect may lead to differential impacts of antihypertensive drugs on medication adherence among individual patients. We conclude by suggesting approaches to preventing adverse effects of antihypertensive drugs on medication adherence in clinical practice. From a clinician’s perspective, we emphasize personalized, patient-centered approaches, including N-of-1 trials, for optimizing the selection and maintenance of medications with the best opportunity for long-term adherence.
Some Refinements in Analysis of Thick-walled Tubes in Axial Bending

This paper investigates analytically certain refinements in the nonlinear analysis of tubes undergoing axial bending, with emphasis on thick-walled effects: axial moment of inertia, circumferential bending and membrane action, and higher-order terms in angular position.
Medical Information Bus

What began as a joint effort between LDS Hospital and Phoenix Baptist Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, has led to an approach to the systematic gathering of computerized patient physiological data and the management of therapeutic devices in the intensive care and surgery settings [1-3]. The Medical Information Bus (MIB) is a network that enables up to 250 microprocessor- based patient devices (either infusion pumps or monitoring devices) to communicate with a central computer through the use of programmable device communications controllers, or DCCs. Data from medical devices are converted into a standardized format through the use of the DCCs. The DCCs from the different devices transmit the data across a network bus to a master communications controller (MCC). In the HELP system the data are transferred to a CRDS (Charles River Data Systems; see Chapter 2) minicomputer which in turn transmits it to the Tandem computer for permanent storage. Data may flow in the reverse direction as well and instructions may be sent to the devices by health-care personnel from any of the nursing division’s computer terminals.
Lewin’s Sphere of Influence from Berlin

Our experience in discussing Kurt Lewin with colleagues and students has been interesting. While we have not kept formal records of these informal conversations, we have come to a generalization. Those of us who began our professional training prior to the 1970’s are likely to have a, stock of Lewin’s work in the United States; those who trained since the 1970’s are likely to stare blankly at the mention of his name or identify it with few vaguely remembered concepts. But there has been a “recent international revival of interest in Lewin (e.g. the Kurt Lewin Werkausgable in Heidelberg, Germany; the Lewin Conference at Temple University). We believe that the remarkable viability of the Lewinian system is the element that has kept it as an influence on some of us; we believe it is a recognition of this viability that has generated a renewal in social sciences given to self-examination.
18F-Norfallypride: A new PET radiotracer for imaging dopamine D3 receptors

620 Objectives Dopamine D3 receptors are involved in cognition, memory, reward and other brain functions. We have developed 18F-Norfallypride ((S)-N-[(2-pyrolidinyl)methyl]-2,3-dimethoxy-5-(3’-flouropropyl)benzamide) and evaluated its use as a potential PET imaging agent. Methods Norfallypride was synthesized using (S)-1-BOC-2-(aminomethyl)pyrrolidine with modified procedures (Mukherjee et al., 1995). Tosylate ((S)-N-[(1-BOC-2-pyrolidinyl)methyl]-2,3-dimethoxy-5-(3’-tosyloxypropyl)benzamide) was radiolabeled with 18F-Kryptofix-K2CO3 in CH3CN at 96°C for 30 min and deprotected with TFA at 80°C to yield 18F-Norfallypride. In vitro binding on 10 μm brain slices were carried out. MicroPET imaging in rats (after 0.8-1 mCi iv) was carried out followed by autoradiographic analysis on 40 μm brain slices. Results 18F-Norfallypride was made in modest yields in specific activities of >2Ci/μmol (60%CH3CN-0.1%Et3N in water, flow rate 2.5 ml/min-C18 semiprep; ret. time 21 min). Compared to fallypride, affinity of norfallypride for dopamine D2 receptors was reduced to 0.63 μM. In vitro studies indicated selective binding to the striata (ST) (ratio of 4 ST/Cerebellum (Cb)) which was displaced by 10μm sulpiride. Low brain uptake of 18F-Norfallypride was seen in the rat. Ex vivo scan of the brain revealed binding to several regions and ex vivo micropet autoradiographic analyses gave ratios with respect to Cb: ST=9.8; Nucleus accumbens(NA)=5.8; Hippocampus(HP)=5.9; Hypothalamus(HT)=9.3; Cerebellar Nuclei(CN)=6.7. Conclusions 18F-Norfallypride binds uniquely to brain regions known to contain D3 receptors. Observed binding to the HP has hitherto not been reported. Research Support NIH R01 EB006110
Multilevel Analysis in Obesity Research

In obesity research it is common to have repeated measures on subjects. Traditional statistical analyses of repeated measures data are analysis of variance (ANOVA) for random effects, and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Each assume that every subject was measured (i) the same number of times, and (ii) at the same time points. Another typical complication of many research designs is the presence of time-varying covariates. The usual ANOVA approach to repeated measures does not allow such covariates, and the MANOVA approach usually treats them as dependent variables. Hierarchical linear models deal with all of the above issues in a natural manner, making them an important tool for obesity research. This paper discusses some simple hierarchical models, and shows their application using two real data sets.
The economic costs of jail-based methadone maintenance treatment.

Background: The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world and spends $40–$80 billion to house inmates per year. It is well-known that a significant correlation is present between substance...
“Los Dos Son Mi Idioma”: Translanguaging, Identity, and Social Relationships among Bilingual Youth

This article analyzes language practices that 5th grade students in a two-way bilingual education (TWBE) program used to position themselves relative to peers and to transcendent scripts (Gutierrez...