cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robert Bork & Commercial Speech

This symposium essay examines the evolution of Judge Robert Bork’s views on whether commercial speech is constitutionally protected. In a famous 1971 article, Bork argued that only “explicitly political” speech warranted constitutional protection. This position excluded commercial speech from protected speech, along with many other categories of indisputably valuable speech. Judge Bork moderated this position over time, acknowledging that some non-political speech should be protected, even if only due to the difficulty in distinguishing it from core political speech. He also came to embrace robust protection for advertising and other forms of commercial speech, though he did not explain why. This essay explores potential explanations for the change in Judge Bork’s views, including the possibility that the line between commercial and political speech is often unclear, particularly if one does not adopt a state-centered conception of political speech.
Discrete pulse modulation strategies for high-frequency inverter systems

High-performance, high-frequency inverter systems for UPS (uninterruptible power system) applications cannot be easily realized using conventional hard-switched PWM inverter topologies. Adoption of typical soft-switched inverters such as the resonant DC link inverter, require the use of discrete pulse modulation strategies. New controller structures are necessary to cope with stringent voltage regulation and distortion constraints in the presence of unbalanced and nonlinear loads. A controller that utilizes a load current feedforward strategy with a cost function current regulator to achieve excellent transient performance characteristics is presented. Voltage regulation is ensured using a synchronous frame regulator. Detailed simulation and experimental results verifying the concepts are presented. Although this work focuses on soft-switching inverters, the control concepts can be applied to conventional hard-switching inverters as well. >
A Services Theory Approach to Online Service Applications

From online multi-player games to Web search, the Web is now populated by a multitude of online applications. The main question we try to answer in this paper is which of those applications can be characterized as traditional services and therefore benefit from the concepts, techniques, and methods developed in traditional services theory. Our answer is to define online service applications as applications where (1) the user does not control most means of production; (2) the user is a significant part of the input to the production process. We then discuss how some traditional service techniques can be applied to online service applications by considering aspects of the design and evaluation of the human-computer interface (HCI) of online services.
Lifetime improvement through runtime wear-based task mapping

As transistors continue to become smaller, they become exponentially susceptible to permanent wearout faults. Without mitigation, these types of faults will render systems useless within unacceptably short time periods. Our work presents the design for a runtime task mapping subsystem which mitigates these faults using a wear-based heuristic. We compare our wear-based heuristic to power- and temperature-based heuristics used within the same system framework. Using a wide range of synthetic and real-world benchmarks, we show that our wear-based heuristic is able to improve total system lifetime by an average of 7.1% over temperature-based heuristics. Additionally, we show that our wear-based heuristic can be used to drastically improve the time to the first component failure (TTFF) of a system. TTFF is a metric that is of interest to designers who wish to avoid the design and verification difficulties of systems which are expected to recover after a component failure. Our wear-based heuristic improves TTFF by an average of 14.6% over temperature-based heuristics across all of our benchmarks. Our observations lead us to conclude that runtime, wear-based task mapping must be incorporated into systems for which lifetime is a primary design goal.
Development and evaluation of an automation algorithm for a time-domain reflectometry bridge scour monitoring system

Bridge scour is a major threat to the safety of bridges. There is a high risk of scour-induced damage due to the catastrophic nature of bridge foundation failure. The development of an innovative b...
Expression of spoT in Borrelia burgdorferi during Serum Starvation

Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is transmitted by the tick Ixodes scapularis. A 2.9-kb fragment containing a putative spoT gene was isolated from B. burgdorferi genomic DNA by PCR amplification and cloned into a pBAD24 vector. The cloned gene complemented Escherichia coli mutant strain CF1693, which contains deletions of both the relA and spoT genes. The spoT gene in E. coli encodes a bifunctional enzyme capable of synthesizing and degrading (p)ppGpp, which mediates the stringent response during carbon source starvation. B. burgdorferi has been reported to have a stress response to serum starvation. Thin-layer chromatography was used to detect (p)ppGpp extracted from H(3)(32)PO(4)-labeled B. burgdorferi cells starved for serum in RPMI. B. burgdorferi spoT gene expression was characterized during fatty acid starvation. Northern analysis of spoT revealed detectable message at 2.5 min of starvation in RPMI. Expression of spoT during serum starvation increased approximately 6-fold during the 30 min that starvation conditions were maintained. Further, expression of spoT decreased when serum was added to serum-starved cells. Reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) was used to detect spoT mRNA from approximately 10(6) cells starved for serum in RPMI for 2.5 to 30 min or incubated in tick saliva for 15 min. Northern blot analysis suggests that spoT transcript was approximately 900 nucleotides in length. RT-PCR amplification of the transcript using several sets of primers confirmed this finding. Additionally, a truncated clone containing only the first 950 bp of the 2,001-bp spoT open reading frame was able to complement E. coli CF1693. The data suggest that B. burgdorferi exhibits a stringent response to serum starvation and during incubation in tick saliva.
Fluid Flow and Mixing Process in a Bottom Stirring Electrical Arc Furnace with Multi-plug

Fluid flow and mixing process in a bottom stirring electrical arc furnace (EAF) with the single- and multi-plug are experimentally and numerically studied. A homogeneous fluid with a spatially variable density is used to model the gas-liquid flow, k-e turbulence model is employed to calculate the effective viscosity. The five layouts are selected to examine the mixing times. The mixing time is defined as the function of the diameter, number, location of plugs and the tracer injection point. The results show that the variation of mixing time is not obvious with the increasing of plug diameter, but the stirring efficiency is getting better when plug number is increased and distributed in deep and off-central region in vessel. This is because the angular velocities occur and the more stirring energy is obtained in such layouts.
A CMOS design style for logic circuit hardening

We present a novel CMOS design style that effectively reduces the impact of radiation-induced single event transients (SET) on logic circuits. This design style can be used in both static and dynamic CMOS circuits, and does not require any passive elements such as resistors or capacitors. A static circuit designed in the proposed style has two output ports while a dynamic circuit has one. This design style achieves SET mitigation by incorporating two techniques simultaneously: (1) transistors that are closest to the output terminals are placed in isolated wells and their body terminals tied to the corresponding source terminals - the resulting low electric fields across the drain-body and source-body junctions significantly weaken the charge collection efficiency; (2) SETs caused by charge collection near other transistors outside the isolated wells are attenuated via voltage division. Simulations show that in an inverter chain, one inverter stage is sufficient to attenuate the SET generated in the previous stage. This indicates that the soft error rate of a clock distribution network made of hardened inverters is only limited by the last stage, where the local clock signals are applied to sequential logic circuits or the dual outputs are converted to a single output. A hardened D-latch implemented in proposed design style is shown to have a critical charge value of at least 100 fC, as compared to the value of 7.5 fC for a conventional D-latch. Design examples of complex combinational static and dynamic circuits are also described and simulation results are presented.
κ-Opioid Agonists Directly Inhibit Midbrain Dopaminergic Neurons

Dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) play a critical role in motivation and reinforcement of goal-directed behaviors. Furthermore, excitation of these neurons has been implicated in the addictive process initiated by drugs such as morphine that act at the micro-opioid receptor (MOR). In contrast, kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) activation in the VTA produces behavioral actions opposite to those elicited by MOR activation. The mechanism underlying this functional opposition, however, is poorly understood. VTA neurons have been categorized previously as principal, secondary, or tertiary on the basis of electrophysiological and pharmacological characteristics. In the present study using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, we demonstrate that a selective KOR agonist (U69593, 1 microm) directly inhibits a subset of principal and tertiary but not secondary neurons in the VTA. This KOR-mediated inhibition occurs via the activation of a G-protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channel and is blocked by the selective KOR antagonist nor-Binaltorphimine (100 nm). Significantly, regardless of cell class, KOR-mediated inhibition was found only in tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive and thus dopaminergic neurons. In addition, we found a subset of principal neurons that exhibited both disinhibition by a selective MOR agonist ([d-Ala2, N-Me-Phe4, Gly-ol5]-enkephalin) (3 microm) and direct inhibition by KOR agonists. These results provide a cellular mechanism for the opposing behavioral effects of KOR and MOR agonists and shed light on how KORs might regulate the motivational effects of both natural rewards and addictive drugs.
Initial Test of a Subsurface Constructed Wetland with Green Sorption Media for Nutrient Removal in On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems

Conventional on-site wastewater treatment systems are no longer able to fully meet the needs of coping with the impacts of the variegated pollutants with which they are confronted. Without proper nitrification and denitrification, this implies a large fraction of nutrient loads such as nitrogen and phosphorus will flow into groundwater aquifers adversely affecting the water quality and public health. Constructed wetland, a cost-effective small-scale wastewater treatment system with low energy, maintenance requirements and operational costs may well fill the current gaps. In Phase I of this study, a subsurface constructed wetland system designed as an integral part of a performance-based passive on-site wastewater treatment system was proved effective after receiving septic wastewater flow. Using a suite of selected plant species, it is configured to handle 189 liters per day (50 GPD) of influent for a wastewater treatment and reuse study using green sorption media (recycled and natural materials) at a test center located at the University of Central Florida (UCF). During the three-month test run, the system achieved a removal efficiency of 75.4% in total nitrogen (TN) and 94.9% in total phosphorus (TP). Overall, the removal efficiency of TN and TP in an integrated septic tank and constructed wetland (ST/CW) system became as high as 81.3% and 95.8%, respectively.
Amplitude dependent accommodative dynamics in humans

Dynamics of accommodation (far-to-near focus) and disaccommodation (near-to-far focus) are described as a function of response amplitude. Accommodative responses to step stimuli of various amplitudes presented in real space were measured in eight 20-30 year old subjects. Responses were fitted with exponential functions to determine amplitude, time constant and peak velocity. Despite the intersubject variability, the results show that time constants of accommodation and peak velocity of disaccommodation increase with amplitude in all subjects. The dynamics of accommodation and disaccommodation are dependent on amplitude, but have different properties in each case.
Comparing the Importance of Seedbed and Canopy Type in the Restoration of Upland Thuja occidentalis Forests of Northeastern Minnesota

In cold-temperate ecosystems of the upper Great Lakes Region, evergreen conifer-dominated forests were once common. As a result of past management practices, early-successional deciduous forests now dominate the landscape. Embedded in this matrix are stands of shade-tolerant conifers, including Thuja occidentalis . For the past several decades, large-scale T. occidentalis regeneration in remnant T. occidentalis and adjacent Betula papyrifera forests has not occurred. Using a combination of restoration experiments and field surveys at three study sites on the Lake Superior Highlands, Minnesota, U.S.A., we examined safe sites for T. occidentalis regeneration under both Thuja and Betula canopy types. This study focused on the colonization and establishment phases of regeneration, differentiating among safe-site components for T. occidentalis . Seedbed type determined colonization success, with higher rates on conifer logs than on B. papyrifera logs, mounds, or pits. Mortality rates for seedlings on natural decayed wood seedbeds were higher under Thuja canopy than under Betula canopy, but the reverse was true for seedlings on manipulated seedbeds, suggesting that seedbed type was more important than the dominant canopy type. Growth rates for seedlings on moved log segments were greater under the Betula than the Thuja canopy type, but seedlings on natural decayed wood seedbeds did not exhibit this difference. Results indicated that T. occidentalis regeneration was more limited in Betula forest by seedbed availability, while in Thuja forest canopy conditions were more limiting.
Free surface flow in the mixing zone of an annular centrifugal contactor

The annular centrifugal contactor has been developed as the central piece of equipment for advanced liquid–liquid extraction processes for use in recycling spent nuclear fuel. While a sufficient base of experience exists to support successful operation of current contactor technology, a more complete understanding of the fluid flow within the contactor would enable further advancements in design and operation of future units. In particular, an important characteristic of the flow that is not well understood and which significantly complicates computational modeling of the contactor is the complex free surface flow in the annular mixing zone. This study presents the results of time-dependent, multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling using the volume-of-fluid (VOF) interface tracking method to characterize the mixing zone in a model centrifugal contactor. Laser doppler velocimetry (LDV) measurements of the actual flow velocities within the contactor were also performed. The experimental results were compared with simulations using various turbulence modeling schemes. The CFD model predictions using a coarse grid large eddy simulation (LES) method are in good agreement with the experimental measurements and observations. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2008
Energy along Interstate I-95: Pyrolysis kinetics of Floridian cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto)

Abstract The efficient utilization of biomass as a renewable fuel relies on the identification of readily available fuel sources and an adequate description of their decomposition reactions. Cabbage palm ( Sabal palmetto ) is one potential local energy source for the Southeastern United States. The kinetics of pyrolysis of three particle size fractions (125–250, 250–300, 300–500 μm) of cabbage palm leaf, stalk and trunk were examined using nonisothermal thermogravimetric analysis with heating rates of 25, 50 and 100 °C min −1 under constant nitrogen flow. Using the Arrhenius equation to calculate the activation energy and pre-exponential factor, three distinct fractions, corresponding primarily to hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin, were found to decompose over three temperature ranges, each with distinct activation energies. The largest mass loss occurred in the mid-temperature fraction (40–45%); the low temperature region had approximately 30% mass loss and the high temperature region had 15–25% mass loss. Pyrolysis at higher heating rates decreased the activation energy of each palm material, whereas particle size was not correlated with activation energy. For leaf, stalk and trunk, activation energies ranged from 64 to 115, 67 to 152 and 19 to 25 kJ mol −1 for the low, medium, and high temperature range fractions, corresponding to hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin, respectively.
Electronic Discovery and the Challenge Posed by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

While the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was intended to protect and increase publicly held corporations' accountability, lurking in the background are judicial inequities resulting from mandatory Sarbanes-Oxley technology investment. Sarbanes-Oxley compels public companies to invest millions in new technology while exempting private corporations from these costs. Consequently, in the discovery phase of a private versus public company dispute, the private litigant's discovery costs are likely to be more burdensome than the public corporation's costs. This provides the private litigant with a stronger and more compelling judicial argument to transfer costs to the discovering party under the Zubulake framework. Both attorneys and judges must be mindful of this potential e-discovery loophole.
Gulliver Untied: Entry Deterrence in a Unipolar World

That the anarchic system generates incentives for states to balance each other's power is conventional wisdom in international relations. As such, the contemporary unipolar system is an anomaly. The existing literature explains its persistence in various ways, including the benevolence of U.S. hegemony; the constraints international institutions impose on U.S. power; the collective-action problem facing prospective great powers; and the sheer size of U.S. military forces in being. We advance an explanation for unipolar stability that extends the framework Kenneth N. Waltz uses in his seminal analysis to a dynamic setting. Using a simple two-period model, we show that the incumbent unipole can exploit its first-mover advantage to raise the costs associated with entry. If it preemptively sinks some of the costs of using military force, it can make a prospective entrant into the great-power contest better off if it accepts the status quo than if it challenges it. The analysis implies that an incumbent unipole may be able to preempt indefinitely the balancing process that has long been understood as central to state survival under anarchy.
Toward a new paradigm for growth modeling in fisheries stock assessments: Embracing plasticity and its consequences

Abstract Modeling of body growth forms an essential part of many fisheries stock assessments. Growth influences population dynamics through its effects on lifetime patterns of biomass production, natural and fishing mortality, and reproductive output. By relating size to age, growth models also enable the use of size-based data in age-based stock assessments. Growth patterns are commonly assumed to be constant (time-invariant) or at best subject to inconsequential process noise. However, fish growth is inherently plastic, often responding strongly to environmental conditions such as temperature and food availability. In wild fish stocks, this results in median temporal variation of around 15% in length-at-age and 40% in weight-at-age, with extremes of 20% (length) and 60% (weight). Plasticity mediates environmental forcing and density-dependence in growth, both of which can have important implications for stock assessment and management. Failing to account for such effects can lead to substantial deviations (often more than 30%) in reconstructed stock dynamics, projections and reference points. The nature and magnitude of such deviations depends not only on the statistical adequacy of the growth model but on how growth information is used in the stock assessment process and on the management options being evaluated. In addition to having direct assessment and management consequences, plasticity provides a unified conceptual framework for interpreting various disparate and at times, confusing patterns of fish growth. Therefore, I conclude that the “constant growth” paradigm of fisheries stock assessments should be replaced with a paradigm that embraces growth plasticity and its consequences.
The Road Not Taken: Constitutional Non-Decision Making in 1948-1950 and its Impact on Civil Liberties in the Israeli Political Culture

The differing agendas of the Orthodox and secular founders of the state of Israel made agreement on the content of a constitution impossible. In order to maintain his secular party's dominance in the government of the new state, David Ben-Gurion made the "decision not to decide," and put the constitution-making process on hold in favor of adoption of a series of basic laws. The impact on civil liberties in Israel has been substantial. The essay is based on interviews with members of the founding generation.
Distribution Densities of Tetranychus cinnabarinus on Greenhouse-Grown Codiaeum variegatum

Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval) populations exhibited similar distribution patterns on Codiaeum variegatum (L.) in both cool and warm weather in a greenhouse. The mite can be most easily detected by sampling the lower leaf surface of mature foliage on the upper third of the plant. These data provide a basis for mite sampling throughout the year in commercial greenhouses.
Vasopressin activates a chloride conductance in cultured cortical collecting duct cells.

In rabbit cortical collecting duct (CCD) cells, arginine vasopressin (AVP) causes a transient increase followed by a sustained depression of transepithelial potential difference (PDte). Mechanisms underlying the decrease in PDte are not well understood. In this study, we used primary cultures of rabbit CCD cells to study effects of AVP. Basolateral addition of AVP caused a dose-dependent increase in transepithelial conductance (Gte) and a corresponding decrease in PDte. A significant effect was observed at 1 pM AVP, and half-maximal response occurred at 30 pM AVP; 1 nM AVP increased Gte and decreased PDte. Replacement of apical Na+ with N-methyl-D-glucamine did not prevent the effect of AVP on Gte, suggesting that it is not mediated by an increase in apical Na+ conductance. Similarly, apical Ba2+ (1 mM) or 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS, 0.1 mM) failed to prevent the effect of AVP. On the other hand, 5-nitro-2(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid (0.1 mM) caused partial inhibition, whe...
Manipulating the Yeast Genome: Deletion, Mutation, and Tagging by PCR

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an ideal model eukaryotic system for the systematic analysis of gene function due to the ease and precision with which its genome can be manipulated. The ability of budding yeast to undergo efficient homologous recombination with short stretches of sequence homology has led to an explosion of PCR-based methods to delete and mutate yeast genes and to create fusions to epitope tags and fluorescent proteins. Here, we describe commonly used methods to generate gene deletions, to integrate mutated versions of a gene into the yeast genome, and to construct N- and C-terminal gene fusions. Using a high-efficiency yeast transformation protocol, DNA fragments with as little as 40 bp of homology can accurately target integration into a particular region of the yeast genome.
Characterization of the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A locus in lagomorphs: evidence for duplication of the UGT1A6 gene.

The UGT1 locus is felt to be highly conserved between species, as is evident from the characterization of the locus in rodents and humans. In rabbits, cDNAs encoding proteins homologous to human UGT1A4, UGT1A6, and UGT1A7 have previously been identified. Here we demonstrate by Southern blot analysis, using exon 1 divergent 5′ segments from rabbit UGT1A4 and UGT1A6 cDNAs, the existence of a cluster of highly related genes that are homologous to each of these exon 1 sequences. In comparing rabbit and human, it is evident that theUGT1A4 and UGT1A6 gene clusters in rabbit have undergone gene duplication. This is particularly evident with rabbit UGT1A6. The human UGT1A6 cDNA anneals to only a single gene fragment, as displayed by Southern blot analysis, indicating that the UGT1A6 exon 1 sequence is highly conserved. However, up to six rabbit UGT1A6 genes could be predicted from Southern blot analysis. To examine the potential linkage of the rabbit UGT1A6 genes, multipleUGT1A6 exons were identified from genomic DNA by extended polymerase chain reaction techniques and cloning of theUGT1A6 exon 1 sequences. Five uniqueUGT1A6 exon 1 gene sequences were characterized that could be predicted to encode proteins that are 98% similar in amino acid structure. Using a conserved region of the rabbitUGT1A6 cDNA as a probe to screen cDNA libraries, we identified a second UGT1A6 cDNA, termedUGT1A6α. In addition, a cDNA that encodes a protein similar to human UGT1A3 was also cloned. Characterization of UGT1A6α demonstrated the protein to be 98.9% identical to UGT1A6. The expression of rabbit UGT1A3, UGT1A4, and UGT1A6 displayed catalytic activities similar to their human orthologs. However, UGT1A6α was catalytically divergent from UGT1A6, indicating that UGT1A6 and UGT1A6α do not arise from allelic polymorphism. These results demonstrate that lagomorphs have evolved at least five additionalUGT1A6 genes, an event that is not duplicated in rodents or humans.
MO-D-BRB-03: Quality Assurance of SBRT

Increased use of SBRT and hypofractionation in radiation oncology practice has posted a number of challenges to medical physicist, ranging from planning, image-guided patient setup and on-treatment monitoring, to quality assurance (QA) and dose delivery. This symposium is designed to provide current knowledge necessary for the safe and efficient implementation of SBRT in various linac platforms, including the emerging digital linacs equipped with high dose rate FFF beams. Issues related to 4D CT, PET and MRI simulations, 3D/4D CBCT guided patient setup, real-time image guidance during SBRT dose delivery using gated/un-gated VMAT/IMRT, and technical advancements in QA of SBRT (in particular, strategies dealing with high dose rate FFF beams) will be addressed. The symposium will help the attendees to gain a comprehensive understanding of the SBRT workflow and facilitate their clinical implementation of the state-of-art imaging and planning techniques. Learning Objectives: 1.Present background knowledge of SBRT, describe essential requirements for safe implementation of SBRT, and discuss issues specific to SBRT treatment planning and QA. 2.Update on the use of multi-dimensional and multi-modality imaging for reliable guidance of SBRT. 3.Discuss treatment planning and QA issues specific to SBRT. 4.Provide a comprehensive overview of emerging digital linacs and summarize the key geometric and dosimetric features of the new generation of linacs for substantially improved SBRT. NIH/NCI; Varian Medical Systems; F. Yin, Duke University has a research agreement with Varian Medical Systems. In addition to research grant, I had a technology license agreement with Varian Medical Systems
Thin Film of High-Tc Superconductor

High Tc and high Jc superconducting thin films can be made by various deposition methods, such as a sputtering, a co-evaporation and a laser ablation. TEM observation shows that these films have many micro twins. Their size became larger in annealing process. These twin boundaries located parallel to the c axis. These defects might pin the magnetic flux. Pinning potential was estimated from temperature dependence of resistivity near transition temperature. The pinning potential was about 0.02-0.4eV. It depends on the magnetic field and has an anisotropy.
Development and Validation of a Predictive Model for Short‐ and Medium‐Term Hospital Readmission Following Heart Valve Surgery

Background Although models exist for predicting hospital readmission after coronary artery bypass surgery, no such models exist for predicting readmission after heart valve surgery (HVS). Methods and Results Using a geographically and structurally diverse sample of US hospitals (Premier Inpatient Database, January 2007–June 2011), we examined patient, hospital, and clinical factors predictive of short‐ and medium‐term hospital readmission post‐HVS. We set aside 20% of hospitals for model validation. A generalized estimating equation model accounted for clustering within hospitals. At 219 hospitals, we identified 38 532 patients (67 years, 56% male, 62% aortic valve surgery) who underwent HVS. A total of 3125 (7.8%) and 4943 (12.8%) patients were readmitted to the index hospital within 1 and 3 months, respectively. Our 3‐month model predicted readmission rates between 3% and 61% with fair discrimination (C‐statistic, 0.67) and good calibration (predicted vs observed differences in validation cohort averaged 1.9% across all deciles of predicted readmission risk). Results were similar for our 1‐month model and our simplified 3‐month model (suitable for clinical use), which used the 5 strongest predictors of readmission: transfused units of packed Red blood cells, presence of End‐stage renal disease, type of Valve surgery, Emergency hospital admission, and hospital Length of stay (REVEaL). Conclusions We described and validated key factors that predict short‐ and medium‐term hospital readmission post‐HVS. These models should enable clinicians to identify individuals with HVS who are at increased risk for hospital readmission and are most likely to benefit from improved postdischarge care and follow‐up.
LEDs application in solar cells in a unique way

Light Emitting Diode (LED) is being used by many Car manufacturers in their car's headlights. The LEDs can also be seen in street lights. The LEDs are used in these two areas because it has high directivity and high light quality. It is common to see that solar cells are placed over these street lights. But there is another way of placing the solar cells, that is, the solar cells can be placed on the road just right below the LED. By placing like this, one can recycle the light, that is, LED to Solar cell to LED. To put it another way, we know only about sunlight to solar cell and from solar cell to bulb. But this paper talks about how to recycle the light that emits from the LED in a street light. Along with LED light recycling, the same solar cell can be used to capture sunlight. Not only this, the same solar cell can be used to capture the light from the car's headlight. In total we have three benefits by placing the solar cells on the street light. This is a remarkable approach that opens new thinking.
Should Real-Time Ultrasound Guidance Be Routinely Used for Central Venous Catheter Placement?

A cardiac anesthesia fellow on his first day had just intubated a 67-year-old male undergoing an on-pump 2-vessel coronary artery bypass grafting. The patient had a history of peripheral vascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and recent non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. The fellow had just finished positioning and prepping the patient for a right internal jugular central venous catheter placement when his attending walked back into the room and noticed the ultrasound equipment next to the patient’s head.
Approaches to Morbidly Obese Women with Gynecologic Cancer

Modifiable lifestyle factors, such as obesity, contribute significantly to cancer and preventable death worldwide. This review appraises recent evidence on the relationship of obesity with endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, and other gynecologic malignancies as well as new evidence for the best surgical and medical practices in morbidly obese female cancer patients, including utilization of minimally invasive surgery, cytoreductive surgery, appropriate chemotherapy dosing, and optimizing radiation therapy in this population. For gynecologic cancer survivors, physical activity and weight loss are associated with improved health and quality of life. Interventional trials show promise in increasing physical activity and weight loss. Women’s cancer care providers should integrate counseling about obesity in the management of survivors of gynecologic cancers.
Biochemistry, Therapeutics, and Biomarker Implications of Neprilysin in Cardiorenal Disease.

BACKGROUND: Neprilysin (NEP) is a membrane-bound neutral endopeptidase that degrades a variety of bioactive peptides. The substrates include natriuretic peptides (NPs), which are important regulating mediators for cardiovascular and renal biology. Inhibition of NEP activity and exogenous NP administration thus have emerged as potential therapeutic strategies for treating cardiorenal diseases. More recently, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) or N-terminal-proBNP (NT-proBNP), 3′-5′ cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), and soluble NEP as biomarkers have also been investigated in heart failure (HF) trials and their predictive value are beginning to be recognized. CONTENT: The biological functions of NEP and NPs are discussed. Enhancing NPs through NEP inhibition combined with renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) antagonism has proved to be successful in HF treatment, although future surveillance studies will be required. Direct NP enhancement through peptide delivery may have fewer potentially hazardous effects compared to NEP inhibition. Strategies of combined inhibition on NEP with other cardiorenal pathophysiological pathways are promising. Finally, monitoring BNP/NT-proBNP/cGMP concentrations during NEP inhibition treatment may provide supplemental benefits to conventional biomarkers, and the identification of soluble NEP as a novel biomarker for HF needs further investigation. SUMMARY: In this review, the biology of NEP is summarized, with a focus on NP regulation. The degradation of NPs by NEP provides the rationale for NEP inhibition as a strategy for cardiorenal disease treatment. We also describe the current therapeutic strategies of NEP inhibition and NP therapeutics in cardiorenal diseases. Moreover, the discovery of its circulating form, soluble NEP, as a biomarker is also discussed.
Grass Mortality and Turnover Following Core Rangeland Restoration Practices

In rangelands, management interventions have sought to minimize disturbances that decrease survival of perennial grasses to avoid compositional shifts toward less desirable species. However, the effects of rangeland management techniques on perennial grass survival and turnover are not known for individual species because the discipline has largely focused on structural metrics, measuring cover or biomass rather than tracking individual plants. In this study, we quantified perennial grass survival and recruitment in response to core rangeland restoration practices across multiple soil types to determine the potential for different interventions to cause shifts to undesirable grass community assemblages. We mapped individual grass tufts and recorded basal area annually. We used these maps to track survival and recruitment of grasses in response to mechanical brush removal, chemical woody plant control, and low-intensity prescribed burning. Additionally, we performed ordinations of the grass community to explore compositional shifts resulting from management interventions. We found perennial grass mortality to be higher for mechanically treated plots on all soil types than it was in chemically treated plots, burned plots, or untreated controls. Levels of mortality from fire were similar to baseline mortality in control plots for all soil types. However, relative species turnover was variable among soils and treatments. Brush removal only resulted in compositional shifts on sandy soils, where annual grasses and species capable of rapid expansion following disturbance became dominant. Differential responses are related to differences in species turnover, which is a function of individual grass species mortality and recruitment mediated by interactions between management approach and abiotic conditions. Given this response variability, understanding effects of management actions on perennial grass turnover and the potential for those actions to result in a community shift toward less desirable species is necessary for managers to achieve restoration goals on encroached rangelands.
Graphene Nanopores for Electronic Recognition of DNA Methylation

We investigate theoretically the ability of graphene nanopore membranes to detect methylated sites along a DNA molecule by electronic sheet current along the two-dimensional (2D) materials. Special emphasis is placed on the detection sensitivity changes due to pore size, shape, position, and the presence of defects around the nanopore in a membrane with constricted geometry. Enhanced sensitivity for detecting methylated CpG sites, labeled by methyl-CpG binding domain (MBD) proteins along a DNA molecule, is obtained for electronic transport through graphene midgap states caused by the constriction. A large square deviation from the graphene conductance with respect to the open nanopore is observed during the translocation of MBD proteins. This approach exhibits superior resolution in the detection of multiple methylated sites along the DNA compared to conventional ionic current blockade techniques.
Applying behavioral economics research to improving children’s food choices at school

The objective of USDA’s behavioral economics-child nutrition research initiative is to improve the food choices American children make at school as participants in USDA’s National School Lunch and ...
A Comparison of Seed Predation, Seed Dispersal, and Seedling Herbivory in Oak and Hickory: Species with Contrasting Regenerating Abilities in a Bluegrass Savanna—Woodland Habitat

Abstract Quercus (oak) regeneration failure threatens many forest and savanna communities worldwide, where preservation of vegetation structure and composition depends on acorns germinating and surviving into adulthood. However, predation on the acorns and browsing of seedlings limits oak regeneration. To better understand the effects of these 2 mechanisms on oak recruitment in the endangered Bluegrass savanna—woodland of Kentucky, we compared seed predation and herbivory on Quercus muehlenbergii (Chinquapin Oak) with Carya laciniosa (Shellbark Hickory), a successfully regenerating tree species. Compared to hickory nuts, acorns were predated more, cached less, and dispersed shorter distances. Neither the distribution of the seedlings under the parent canopy nor browse damage differed between the 2 species. Our results suggest that seed-predation prevents regeneration of oaks in this endangered community.
Vitamin D levels in subjects with or without chronic kidney disease among Veterans with diabetes in North East United States.

Vitamin D levels in subjects with or without chronic kidney disease among Veterans with diabetes in North East United States
Data Entrepreneurship: A Necessary Mindset for Institutional Research Effectiveness

Strong relationships with senior administrators, effective cross-campus collaboration, and efficient use of technology are central to impactful IR in small colleges.
Islam and Democracy: Perspectives from Reformist and Traditional Islam

Justice, freedom, and democracy, all key aspirations to which Muslims in general aspire, are subscribed to by many Islamic movements, parties, and reformist religious scholars who see no contradiction between Islam and democracy. However, conservative Islamists insist that Islam and democracy are incompatible, and that the pursuit of a democratic society would not only conflict with Islamic teachings, but also passively succumb to the dictates of Western modernity. Leading Muslim thinkers have long debated the compatibility versus incompatibility of Islam and democracy. Analyses of these two divergent viewpoints might start by considering the following questions: Do the advocates and opponents of the compatibility of Islam and democracy abide by different interpretations of Islam? Do they share the same understanding of “democracy”? Given that these divergent perspectives are defendable when situated within their respective ideological parameters, it is important to clarify these parameters in conceptual terms. In this chapter, Mohsen Kadivar identifies the key differences between traditional interpretations and reformist readings of Islam. Whereas traditional interpretations are dominant mainly in clerical establishments and seminaries, reformist readings are generally promoted by religious intellectuals including clergy and lay thinkers who have received academic training. After explaining the identifying characteristics of these two opposing interpretations, this chapter then highlights three underlying themes that are essential to the relationship between Islam and democracy: (a) popular sovereignty and oversight; (b) political equality; and (c) public decision-making. The chapter explicates how traditionalist and reformist readings of Islamic teachings have resulted in sharply diverging articulations of these themes. In short, while the reformist theological articulation delineates the compatibility of Islam and democracy, the two remain fundamentally incompatible from a traditionalist perspective.
Targeting the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK Signaling Pathway in Gliomas

Abstract p21-RAS is a small guanine-nucleotide (GTP) binding protein that is mutated in 33% of human cancers. RAS signaling regulates an array of cellular functions such as cell growth, survival, and differentiation through the activation of downstream signaling pathways, the best studied being the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathway. Activated GTP-bound RAS binds to and activates RAF, a serine–threonine kinase that phosphorylates and activates the dual specificity protein kinases MEK, triggering the MEK/ERK phosphorylation cascade. Alterations within the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathway have recently been characterized in gliomas due to advancements in whole genome and transcriptome analysis with some surprising results. Activating mutations in RAS were considered rare or even absent in gliomas until a recent study identified a substantial number of KRAS and NRAS mutations in diffuse gliomas (Ceccarelli et al., 2016). Frequent mutations and alterations within the RAS signaling pathway, including NF1 mutations and deletions, BRAF-V600E mutations, and BRAF fusions, have been identified in sporadic gliomas. Targeting RAS signaling in melanomas has demonstrated dramatic results and shows promise in clinical studies in gliomas. Continued investigation of RAS signaling in gliomas will be critical for the development of future therapies, which will help in treating this disease that otherwise has a very dismal prognosis.
Gait Segmentation of Data Collected by Instrumented Shoes Using a Recurrent Neural Network Classifier.

The authors present a Recurrent Neural Network classifier model that segments the walking data recorded with instrumented footwear. The signals from 3 piezoresistive sensors, a 3-axis accelerometer, and Euler angles are used to generate temporal gait characteristics of a user. The model was tested using a data set collected from 28 adults containing 4198 steps. The mean errors for heel strikes and toe-offs were -5.9 ± 37.1 and 11.4 ± 47.4 milliseconds. These small errors show that the algorithm can be reliably used to segment the gait recordings and to use this segmentation to estimate temporal parameters of the subjects.
The Cancer Genome Atlas Expression Subtypes Stratify Response to Checkpoint Inhibition in Advanced Urothelial Cancer and Identify a Subset of Patients with High Survival Probability

Analysis of the IMvigor 210 trials involving patients with platinum-refractory or cisplatin-ineligible urothelial carcinoma who were treated with the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab identified a resistance signature as an immune biomarker. Transcriptome profiling of 368 tumor samples from this trial revealed that the "genomically unstable" Lund subtype classification was associated with the best response. We developed and applied a novel single-patient subtype classifier based on The Cancer Genome Atlas 2017 expression-based molecular subtypes. We identified 11 patients with a neuronal subtype, with a 100% response rate in eight confirmed cases (2 complete response, 6 partial response), and 72% overall, including 3/11 patients with an unconfirmed response. The survival probability was extraordinarily high for the neuronal subtype, which represents a high-risk cohort with advanced disease, and may be secondary to low levels of TGFβ expression and high mutation/neoantigen burden. PATIENT SUMMARY: We describe a methodology for genomic classification of an individual patient's bladder cancer tumor and have identified a subtype that is associated with a high response rate to immunotherapy. This is an important step forward in identifying the right treatment for the right patient, which is the goal of personalized precision medicine.
Rationalization of Port Infrastructure Management During Ice Navigation

The object of research is the management of the sea port infrastructure during the ice navigation period. One of the most problematic issues is the rationalization and effectiveness of ice posting. Based on statistical data, a significant decrease in cargo turnover in the ports of the Sea of Azov (Mariupol and Berdiansk (Ukraine)) is observed throughout the ice period. A study is conducted of the need to use analysis and forecasting of seasonal processes in the management of the production activities of seaports, using statistical data, to determine the dynamics of the turnover of seaports during the ice period. On the basis of statistical data analysis, the concept of ice formation seasonality in the Sea of Azov is formulated. In the process of research is given the definition of the concept of seasonality factor as a category, expressed in the form of oscillatory processes. And also an approach to the formation of an information base is developed that takes into account various forms of the port's production activities in ice conditions that meet the requirements of continuous planning and regulation of the port. A verbal algorithm for predicting the state of ice cover for the formation of convoys for the purpose of statistical forecasting, including all stages of processing time series, is proposed and developed. As a result, a significant decrease in the port turnover during the ice period is proved and ways to increase the capacity of waterways during the ice period are proposed. According to the authors, with the help of the seasonality factor and ice formation prediction based on the verbal algorithm, it is possible to reduce the costs of using an icebreaker during ice navigation. It is assumed that the decrease of icebreaker’s voyages can be reduced from 10–15 to 4–5, which in turn will significantly reduce the port costs for the maintenance of the icebreaker and increase the performance of the ports during ice navigation.