cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Capacitive sensing of droplets for microfluidic devices based on thermocapillary actuation

The design and performance of a miniaturized coplanar capacitive sensor is presented whose electrode arrays can also function as resistive microheaters for thermocapillary actuation of liquid films and droplets. Optimal compromise between large capacitive signal and high spatial resolution is obtained for electrode widths comparable to the liquid film thickness measured, in agreement with supporting numerical simulations which include mutual capacitance effects. An interdigitated, variable width design, allowing for wider central electrodes, increases the capacitive signal for liquid structures with non-uniform height profiles. The capacitive resolution and time response of the current design is approximately 0.03 pF and 10 ms, respectively, which makes possible a number of sensing functions for nanoliter droplets. These include detection of droplet position, size, composition or percentage water uptake for hygroscopic liquids. Its rapid response time allows measurements of the rate of mass loss in evaporating droplets.
Applying layering principles to legacy systems: Link 16 as a case study

Layering communications systems (for better horizontal integration and to foster interoperability) is central to the Global Grid architecture. Accordingly, it is important to show how legacy systems can be layered in order to direct future development efforts toward achieving greater compatibility with the Global Grid. This paper assesses whether the Link 16 legacy system can be layered within a Global Grid model that has been developed with military requirements in mind. This model is slightly different from the standard OSI 7-layer one and has the following 7 layers: mission, application, service, transport, network, link and physical. Two approaches to layering are considered. First, in a general way,the feasibility is assessed of layering the entire communications process at every level of the protocol stack. Each layer is examined to see if the different functions can be naturally separated into distinct sublayers. This approach emphasizes the desirability of being able to upgrade system performance by replacing one layer at a time without altering other layers. The second approach is to consider the layering potential of systems in terms of their compatibility with the emerging Global Grid. The main thrust of these concepts is that all systems that are part of the Global Grid should be compatible with its transport and network layers (i.e., TCP/IP and/or some variants). Link 16 is a prime example of a "stovepipe" system, designed to maximize performance in a particular tactical environment with high levels of jamming. Since it was designed before layering principles were in wide use, it presents certain difficulties to the layering process.
Management of Cerebral Brain Metastasis

Brain metastasis is associated with a poor overall prognosis, but combination therapies have emerged that may prevent recurrence or serve as palliative therapies. There is a wide range of treatment options for those with 1–3 intracranial metastases and stable disease, including combinations of surgery, whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT), and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Those with few, small metastases may be served well by SRS and adjuvant WBRT, whereas those with larger metastases that are amenable to resection may be treated with surgical excision and adjuvant WBRT. Whole brain radiation alone is reserved for individuals with greater than three brain metastases or unstable disease. A number of studies have been conducted to clarify the optimal treatment regimen for patients with varying intracranial disease. This review aims to synthesize the most current findings pertaining to the neurosurgical treatment of brain metastases.
Transition Analysis for the Mars Science Laboratory Entry Vehicle

Viscous Laminar-turbulent transition plays an important role in the design of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) entry vehicle. The lift-to-drag ratio required for the precision landing trajectory will be achieved via an angle of attack equal to 16 degrees. At this relatively high angle of attack, the boundary layer flow near the leeward meridian is expected to transition early in the trajectory, resulting in substantially increased heating loads. This paper presents stability calculations and transition correlations for a series of wind tunnel models of the MSL vehicle. Experimentally measured transition onset locations are used to correlate with the N-factor calculations for various wind tunnel conditions. Due to relatively low post-shock Mach numbers near the edge of the boundary layer, the dominant instability waves are found to be of the first mode type. The N-factor values correlating with measured transition onset at selected test points from the Mach 6 conventional facility experiments fall between 3.5 and 4.5 and apparently vary linearly with the wind tunnel unit Reynolds number, indicating strong receptivity effect. The small transition N value is consistent with previous correlations for second-mode dominant transition in the same wind tunnel facility. Stability calculations for stationary and traveling crossflow instability waves in selected configurations indicate that an N value of 4 and 6, respectively, correlates reasonably well with transition onset discerned from one experimentally measured thermographic image.
Constructing Post-Colonial India: National Character and the Doon School

Constructing Post-Colonial India: National Character and the Doon School. Sanjay Srivastava. London, UK, and New York, NY. Routledge, 1998. xii. 259 pp. (Paper USS27.99)
DNA-independent ATPase activity of the Trichoplusia ni granulovirus DNA helicase.

DNA helicases of baculoviruses are essential for virus replication and have been implicated as molecular determinants of host range. Although these proteins contain seven motifs (I, Ia, II–VI) characteristic of DNA helicases, the two most important characteristics of helicases – duplex-DNA unwinding and ATPase activity – have not been demonstrated. In the present study, a recombinant putative DNA helicase (rP137) of Trichoplusia ni granulovirus (TnGV) was purified from insect cells infected with a recombinant Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus that overproduced rP137. The rP137 protein exhibited an intrinsic DNA-independent ATPase activity that required Mg2+ as a co-factor, an activity that was reduced in the presence of TnGV and phage λ DNAs. These results provide further evidence that baculovirus helicase genes encode proteins with biochemical properties similar to those of classical DNA helicases.
HOST USE BY SYMPATRIC COWBIRDS IN SOUTHEASTERN ARIZONA

Abstract Sympatric avian brood parasites may compete for the same nests to parasitize. Host-resource partitioning, or “alloxenia,” is exhibited by several Old World cuckoos where they are sympatric in Africa, Japan, and Australia. I examined host use by sympatric Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) and Bronzed Cowbirds (M. aeneus) from 1997 to 1999 in pine-oak and montane riparian forests in southeastern Arizona. Bronzed and Brown-headed cowbirds partitioned hosts by host body size. Brown-headed Cowbirds did not parasitize larger hosts (i.e., Western Tanager, Piranga ludoviciana; and Hepatic Tanager, P. flava), while Bronzed Cowbirds did not parasitize smaller hosts (i.e., Painted Redstarts, Myioborus pictus; and Bell's Vireos, Vireo bellii). Although there was some host overlap (only 2/7 parasitized host species were parasitized by both cowbird species), only 3/48 nests (all Plumbeous Vireo, V. plumbeus) contained eggs of both parasite species. Parasitism by sympatric cowbirds in southeastern Arizona ...
Predictive Brain Implants: Advance Directives with a Mechanical Twist

The third section of Gilbert's article features moral questions raised by the prospect of using predictive brain implants to control autonomy by inhibiting undesirable behaviors. In what follows, I...
Anesthesia for Genitourinary Surgery in the Elderly Patient

Genitourinary surgery is a subspecialty of surgery which includes a wide spectrum of diseases involving the male and female urinary tract, the male reproductive system, and the female pelvic floor. Urological procedures account for 10–20 % of most anesthetic practices, and many of these procedures are performed on elderly patients. This chapter reviews the anatomy and innervation of the genitourinary systems and anesthetic management of common urological procedures, highlighting special considerations for surgery in the elderly.
Waiving Privacy Rights: Responsibility, Paternalism, and Liberty

In this article I argue that privacy rights can be waived, alienated, or forfeited. Like property or liberty rights, the primary issue is one of individual responsibility. After providing a rationale for why privacy is morally valuable, I argue that individuals may waive or forfeit privacy in a range of cases based on consent. Nevertheless, consent to access information does not entail consent to all downstream uses of this information. Moreover, in taking responsibility for waiving or forfeiting access, individual control of private information should be aided, not undermined, by technology.
ISOTOPE SHIFT IN THE (2$sup 1$S$sub 0$--2$sup 1$P$sub 1$) LINE OF ATOMIC HELIUM.

A measurement of the isotope shift in the ($2^{1}S_{0}\ensuremath{-}2^{1}P_{1}$) line of atomic helium has been made and is in excellent agreement with theory. Both ${\mathrm{He}}^{4}$ and ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ $2^{1}S_{0}$ metastable beams were irradiated in a magnetic field with 20 582-\AA{} ($2^{1}S_{0}\ensuremath{-}2^{1}P_{1}$) radiation from ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ and ${\mathrm{He}}^{4}$ resonance lamps, respectively. In each case, a magnetic sublevel of the $2^{1}P_{1}$ state was Zeeman shifted so as to scan the resonance-lamp profile. The 584-\AA{} ($2^{1}P_{1}\ensuremath{-}1^{1}S_{0}$)-decay photons served to monitor the excitation. A shift $\ensuremath{\nu}({\mathrm{He}}^{3})\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\nu}({\mathrm{He}}^{4})=0.1408\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0019$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ was obtained.
Nonzero Infinitesimal Blocks of Category $\boldsymbol{\mathcal{O}}_{\textbf{\emph{S}}}$

Category $\mathcal{O}$ is a nice category of modules for a finite dimensional semisimple Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$ It was first introduced by Bernstein–Gelfand–Gelfand in 1976. In the early 1980’s, Rocha–Caridi introduced parabolic category $\mathcal{O}_S$ , where S is a subset of simple roots. Category $\mathcal{O}_S$ is a generalization of ordinary category O. These are highest weight categories that decompose into certain subcategories, called infinitesimal blocks. An infinitesimal block contains at most finitely many simple modules, and some contain only the zero module. The representation type of the infinitesimal blocks of category $\mathcal{O}_S$ has been studied by Futorny–Nakano–Pollack, Brustle–Konig–Mazorchuk, and Boe–Nakano. The representation type of the singular blocks of category $\mathcal{O}_S$ is still generally unknown, though Boe–Nakano classified certain of these. Understanding when a singular block is zero is an important step to understanding the singular blocks in general. In this work, we will answer this question. It is given in terms of nilpotent orbits of $\mathfrak{g}$ .
Using Atom Optics to Fabricate Nanostructures

The drive for further miniaturization of electronic and magnetic devices continues to place increasing demands on our abilities to fabricate very small structures and to understand and exploit the physical laws applicable in such devices. Optical lithographic techniques continue to be refined and limitations imposed by diffraction are driving the wavelength of the photons utilized toward the x-ray region. Still shorter wavelength particles, high energy electrons, are used for the highest resolution mask making. A logical extension of this progression would involve using atoms, because of their short de Broglie wavelength, as the pattern generating particle, either to expose a resist, or to deposit structures directly. We are exploring how the techniques of atom optics, a field paralleling electron optics but utilizing neutral atoms instead of electrons, can be used to fabricate structures on the nanometer scale. This article is a brief summary of our research on this topic. A more detailed treatment can be found elsewhere [1].
Unipotent Brauer Character Values of {\bi GL}{\bm (}{\bi n}{\bf ,}\ {\bb F}_{\bi q}{\bm )} and the Forgotten Basis of the Hall Algebra

We give a formula for the values of irreducible unipotent i>p-modular Brauer characters of {\it GL}(n, {\bb F}_q) at unipotent elements, where i>p is a prime not dividing i>q, in terms of (unknowne) weight multiplicities of quantum i>GLn and certain generic polynomials i>Sλ,μ(i>q). These polynomials arise as entries of the transition matrix between the renormalized Hall-Littlewood symmetric functions and the forgotten symmetric functions. We also provide an alternative combinatorial algorithm working in the Hall algebra for computing i>Sλ,μ(i>q).
Can You Really Make Profit from Online Rating Manipulations?: An Empirical Study

Social media, including online user-generated ratings/reviews, are transforming the way people make their decisions. In today's e-commerce, many online vendors disguise as real users to provide overly inflated ratings on their own products (self-boosting) or negative ratings on their competitors' products (bad-mouthing). The underlying assumption is that such manipulations are profitable. However, it has never been explicitly and empirically tested. This study takes the initiative to quantify the effect of rating manipulation. We find that products with different popularity, age, and existing ratings are affected by rating manipulation differently. In some cases, being opposite to vendors' expectation, self-boosting manipulation can hurt the sales of their own products, Bad-mouthing can even help the target competitors to grow on the market. The risk of shooting themselves in the foot would discourage online vendors from manipulating online ratings. Furthermore, online platforms can also rely on our findings to pay special attention to detecting ratings of some particular products, which have strong economic incentives to manipulate online ratings.
The HMGB1 C-Terminal Tail Regulates DNA Bending

High mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) is an architectural protein that facilitates the formation of protein-DNA assemblies involved in transcription, recombination, DNA repair, and chromatin remodeling. Important to its function is the ability of HMGB1 to bend DNA non-sequence specifically. HMGB1 contains two HMG boxes that bind and bend DNA (the A box and the B box) and a C-terminal acidic tail. We investigated how these domains contribute to DNA bending by HMGB1 using single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), which enabled us to resolve heterogeneous populations of bent and unbent DNA. We found that full-length (FL) HMGB1 bent DNA more than the individual A and B boxes. Removing the C-terminal tail resulted in a protein that bent DNA to a greater extent than the FL protein. These data suggest that the A and B boxes simultaneously bind DNA in the absence of the C-terminal tail, but the tail modulates DNA binding and bending by one of the HMG boxes in the FL protein. Indeed, a construct composed of the B box and the C-terminal tail only bent DNA at higher protein concentrations. Moreover, in the context of the FL protein, mutating the A box such that it could not bend DNA resulted in a protein that bent DNA similar to a single HMG box and only at higher protein concentrations. We propose a model in which the HMGB1 C-terminal tail serves as an intramolecular damper that modulates the interaction of the B box with DNA.
A Simplified Phase Model for Simulation of Oscillator-Based Computing Systems

Building oscillator-based computing systems with emerging nano-device technologies has become a promising solution for unconventional computing tasks like computer vision and pattern recognition. However, simulation and analysis of these computing systems is both time and compute intensive due to the nonlinearity of new devices and the complex behavior of coupled oscillators. In order to speed up the simulation of coupled oscillator systems, we propose a simplified phase model to perform phase and frequency synchronization prediction based on a synthesis of earlier models. Our model can predict the frequency-locking behavior with several orders of magnitude speedup compared to direct evaluation, enabling the effective and efficient simulation of the large numbers of oscillators required for practical computing systems. We demonstrate the oscillator-based computing paradigm with three applications, pattern matching, convolution, and image segmentation. The simulation with these models are respectively sped up by factors of 780, 300, and 1120 in our tests.
A New, Young, Low-Mass Spectroscopic Binary Without a Home

We have discovered that 2MASS 08355977-3042306 is an accreting K7, double-lined, spectroscopic binary younger than ~20 Myr. The age of a dispersed young star can best be determined if it is a member of a known young moving group. However, the three dimensional space velocities ( UVW ) we calculate using radial velocity measurements, proper motions, and plausible photometric distances make membership in any known young moving group unlikely.
Roles of Changing Physical Function and Caregiver Burden on Quality of Life in Stroke: A Longitudinal Dyadic Analysis.

Background and Purpose—The purpose of this study was to examine changes in stroke survivor and caregiver quality of life (QOL) and to determine whether changes in survivor physical functioning and ...
Fan Mail to Fidel: The Cuban Revolution and Mexican Solidarity

This article analyzes the newly-declassified letters that Mexicans and people residing in Mexico sent to the Cuban government in the first decade after the Cuban Revolution. The letters reveal that the Cuban Revolution found supporters among a variety of Mexicans because the events in Cuba reflected their own nation’s history of revolution and U.S. intervention. In addition to praising the Cuban Revolution, the Mexicans who put pen to paper confessed their hopes and fears for their own country. While these letters were ostensibly about Cuba, they in fact reveal more about political culture in 1960s Mexico. Este articulo analiza las cartas que mexicanos y foraneos residentes en Mexico enviaron al gobierno cubano en la primera decada despues de la Revolucion Cubana. Las cartas revelan que varios mexicanos apoyaron a la revolucion porque los eventos en Cuba reflejaban la historia de revolucion e intervencionismo estadounidense en Mexico. Asimismo, estos mexicanos describian las ilusiones y miedos sobre su propio pais. A pesar de tratar sobre Cuba, estas cartas revelan aun mas sobre la cultura politica de Mexico en los anos sesenta.
Potential effects of incorporating fertility control into typical culling regimes in wild pig populations.

Effective management of widespread invasive species such as wild pigs (Sus scrofa) is limited by resources available to devote to the effort. Better insight of the effectiveness of different management strategies on population dynamics is important for guiding decisions of resource allocation over space and time. Using a dynamic population model, we quantified effects of culling intensities and time between culling events on population dynamics of wild pigs in the USA using empirical culling patterns and data-based demographic parameters. In simulated populations closed to immigration, substantial population declines (50–100%) occurred within 4 years when 20–60% of the population was culled annually, but when immigration from surrounding areas occurred, there was a maximum of 50% reduction, even with the maximum culling intensity of 60%. Incorporating hypothetical levels of fertility control with realistic culling intensities was most effective in reducing populations when they were closed to immigration and when intrinsic population growth rate was too high (> = 1.78) to be controlled by culling alone. However, substantial benefits from fertility control used in conjunction with culling may only occur over a narrow range of net population growth rates (i.e., where net is the result of intrinsic growth rates and culling) that varies depending on intrinsic population growth rate. The management implications are that the decision to use fertility control in conjunction with culling should rely on concurrent consideration of achievable culling intensity, underlying demographic parameters, and costs of culling and fertility control. The addition of fertility control reduced abundance substantially more than culling alone, however the effects of fertility control were weaker than in populations without immigration. Because these populations were not being reduced substantially by culling alone, fertility control could be an especially helpful enhancement to culling for reducing abundance to target levels in areas where immigration can’t be prevented.
An Effective Emissivity Model for Rapid Thermal Processing Using the Net-Radiation Method

A reflective shield has been placed in the lower chamber of some rapid thermal processing (RTP) systems so that the temperature of the silicon wafer can be accurately measured in situ with light-pipe radiometers. Better knowledge of the effective emissivity of the wafer reduces the uncertainty in the temperature measurement. This paper describes an enclosure model based on the net-radiation method for predicting the effective emissivity of the wafer. The model treats the surfaces in the enclosure as diffuse emitters, with a reflectivity that may include a diffuse component and a specular component. Using this model, a parametric study is performed to investigate the influence of the geometric arrangement, surface temperature and properties, and wavelength on the effective emissivity. The algorithm developed in this work may serve as a tool to improve radiometric temperature measurement in RTP systems.
Neural Crest Cells and Cancer: Insights into Tumor Progression

Neural crest cells (NCC) and tumor cells undergo remarkably similar cellular and molecular changes during the progression from an epithelial cell to a migratory mesenchymal-like cell in the course of embryonic development and metastatic disease, respectively. Many of the same genes and genetic pathways are expressed and required for delamination, migration, survival, and proliferation to occur in both neural crest and cancer. Additionally, tumors that originate from NCC and their derivatives exhibit re-activation and/or misregulation of genes that were expressed during normal development and differentiation. These parallels make neural crest development an excellent model for understanding the pathways tumor cells may employ during cancer progression and may provide clues to improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, and therapies.
Historical Trends in Quality Assurance for Mental Health Services

Concerns about the quality of health services are as old as the healing professions. The modern concept of quality assurance, however, evolved in the twentieth century, chiefly in the United States,1 and has had lasting effects on the mental-healthcare delivery system. For example, the demands for accountability that quality assurance entails have stimulated a greater concern with the reliability and validity of mental health diagnoses and of measures of outcome. Similarly, the concept of peer review has stimulated reconsideration of the therapist- client (doctor-patient) relationship and the limits of confidentiality. Further, the difficulties inherent in instituting effective peer review have been cited as a partial justification for the current trends toward decreasing the insurance coverage of mental health services. And finally, quality assurance legislation has played a significant role in the developing conflict between mental health provider groups.
Unique Molecular Regulation of Higher-Order Prefrontal Cortical Circuits: Insights into the Neurobiology of Schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is associated with core deficits in cognitive abilities and impaired functioning of the newly evolved prefrontal association cortex (PFC). In particular, neuropathological studies of schizophrenia have found selective atrophy of the pyramidal cell microcircuits in deep layer III of the dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) and compensatory weakening of related GABAergic interneurons. Studies in monkeys have shown that recurrent excitation in these layer III microcircuits generates the precisely patterned, persistent firing needed for working memory and abstract thought. Importantly, excitatory synapses on layer III spines are uniquely regulated at the molecular level in ways that may render them particularly vulnerable to genetic and/or environmental insults. Glutamate actions are remarkably dependent on cholinergic stimulation, and there are inherent mechanisms to rapidly weaken connectivity, e.g. during stress. In particular, feedforward cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-calcium signaling rapidly w...
A Bayesian Gene-Based Genome-Wide Association Study Analysis of Osteosarcoma Trio Data Using a Hierarchically Structured Prior:

Osteosarcoma is considered to be the most common primary malignant bone cancer among children and young adults. Previous studies suggest growth spurts and height to be risk factors for osteosarcoma...
Markov chain approximation techniques for a class of nonlinear control problems

This work develops Markov chain approximation techniques for a class of nonlinear control problems in which the dynamics are given by ordinary differential equations involving a finite-state Markov chain. Our motivation comes from production planning and controls of various manufacturing systems with unreliable machines. An algorithm for the optimal control problem is developed. Our main effort is to prove the desired convergence properties of the method for approximating the optimal control and the value function via Markov chain approximation techniques. It is shown that the sequence of approximating Markov chain converges to that of the system under consideration and that the sequence of approximating value functions converges to the true value function.
Abnormal Articular Anatomy

The first reports of labral tears were associated with posterior hip dislocations and described by Paterson in 1957 and Dameron in 1959 [1, 2]. In 1977, Altemberg reported two cases of non-traumatic labral tears, which were treated with open resection of the torn fragments [3]. In the late 1970s, a link was postulated between labral tears of the hip and the development of osteoarthrosis [4]. In 1986, Suzuki et al. reported successful arthroscopic diagnosis of labral tears [5]. More recently, there has been continued emphasis placed on the importance of the acetabular capsular–labral complex in the biomechanical properties of the hip [6]. In the setting of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), or trauma, lesions of the acetabular labrum can be sources of pain and loss of function [6]. In order to accurately identify and diagnose pathology involving the labrochondral complex of the hip, knowledge of the variable appearance and pathology of these structures is necessary.
Laser ablation studies relevant to thin film deposition

We examine the issues regarding characterization and mechanisms for the production of photoablated material in support of pulsed laser deposition of thin films of advanced materials. We argue that control as well as real understanding of the deposition mechanisms require careful characterization of the species incident on the substrate. Furthermore, the physics and chemistry of the laser-surface interaction is of considerable importance for the ablation of wide band-gap materials.
PRACTICAL ISSUES IN THE APPLICATION OF STRUCTURAL IDENTIFICATION

ABSTRACT The stiffness parameters of a structural system can be adjusted to match the analytical model's response in order to reproduce the measured test data. There are a number of practical issues that must be considered for the successful application of parameter estimation to full-scale structures. These include the design and implementation of the experiment; errors in the mathematical model used for parameter estimation; and errors in the parameter estimation procedure itself. Modeling error, the uncertainty in the parameters of a finite element model, can have a significant impact on the quality of the resulting parameter estimates. The impact of modeling error on the resulting parameter estimates is investigated with two scenarios: deterioration and damage. Deterioration error is modeled as uncertainty in a single parameter distributed across the structure. Damage error is modeled as localized undetected change in a single parameter and a single element. Three types of parameters are used in an existing parameter estimation procedure: (1) unknown parameters which are to be estimated, (2) known parameters assumed to be accurate, and (3) uncertain parameters that are assumed known and not to be estimated. The third group introduces the modeling error into the parameter estimation. Modeling error is investigated with respect to load and measurement locations, the type of error function used (stiffness-based or flexibility-based), and the selection of unknown parameters to be estimated. In the example presented, the stiffness-based error function performed much better than the flexibility-based error function. However, topology of the structure, load and measurement locations, and location of the uncertain parameters with respect to the unknown parameters can have a significant impact on the quality of the parameter estimates.
Cost-Utility Analysis of Biologic and Biosynthetic Mesh in Ventral Hernia Repair: When Are They Worth It?

Background Biologic and biosynthetic meshes typically cost more than synthetic meshes for use in ventral hernia repair (VHR), with unknown comparative effectiveness. Study design Cost-utility analysis was performed from a limited societal perspective assessing direct medical costs and outcomes for open, elective, retromuscular VHR. Short-term and 5-year major complications and costs were modeled using best available evidence from published studies, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data, and Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative data. Costs were analyzed in 2017 US dollars, and utilities were assessed using quality adjusted life years (QALYs). Sensitivity analyses were performed to determine threshold probabilities of long-term complications favoring particular mesh types. Results Synthetic mesh was the preferred strategy, with a cost of $15,620 and QALYs of 18.85, assuming a baseline 5.6% rate of long-term complications for all meshes. One-way sensitivity analysis demonstrated that biosynthetic and biologic mesh became the better choice as long-term complication rates for synthetic mesh increased to 15.5% and 26.2%, respectively. Two-way sensitivity analysis demonstrated that biologic and biosynthetic meshes became favorable as the cost of biologic mesh decreased and long-term synthetic mesh complication rates increased. Biologic and biosynthetic meshes also became more cost-effective when their relative long-term complication rates decreased and long-term synthetic mesh complication rates increased. Conclusions Using modeling techniques, synthetic mesh is the best option for retromuscular VHR given currently available evidence. We established long-term complication thresholds, possibly justifying the higher up-front costs for biologic or biosynthetic meshes. This emphasizes the critical need to obtain long-term complication surveillance data to help individualize mesh choice in VHR.
Using a Cannabis Real Estate Investment Trust to Capitalize a Marijuana Business

Executive Summary The cannabis industry is growing rapidly, with a majority of states having passed legislation allowing the use of marijuana in some capacity. Significant challenges exist for those seeking to invest in this industry. An alternative source of financing could be a real estate investment trust (REIT). The investment risk can be spread among many investors, who can offer longer-term and lower interest rate loans than traditional financing. The major downsides to REIT investing are risks related to the fact that marijuana is still illegal under federal law. As REITs must distribute at least 90% of taxable income as shareholder dividends, this leaves minimal capital for expansion and growth.
Enhanced elastic wavefield separation using local orthogonalization filtering with applications in elastic modelling and inversion

Abstract P-wave and S-wave separation methods have been widely applied to recorded and modelled multi-component wavefields in the time- and space-domains. Traditional methodologies, which employ divergence and curl operators, have given reasonable results; however, substantial residual energy or crosstalk remains. Application of the divergence and curl operators will alter the physical properties of the respective separated wavefields in terms of amplitude and phase information. Numerous studies have suggested more robust methods to separate P- and S-waves, such as decoupled wave equations to preserve the physical properties of the decomposed wavefields. These formulations produce intrinsic artifacts from S-wave reflections and conversions at where the non-smoothed velocity exists. In this paper, we introduce a filtering methodology using signal and noise orthogonalization to reduce unwanted artifacts occurring during the P-wave and S-wave separation. By combining robust wavefield separation and orthogonalization filtering, the residual reflection events, mainly from the S-wave conversions and reflections, are attenuated. We demonstrate using synthetic and real data examples a decoupled elastic wave propagation modelling scheme followed by local orthogonalization filtering and show its application in elastic full waveform inversion (FWI), which attempts to handle interference noise between mode-converted waves. Consequently, from the numerical examples presented, it is shown that using cleaner and separated P- and S-wavefields obtained from the filtered elastic wave propagation modelling and inversion, the solution converges faster and reduces the risk of falling into local minima during elastic multi-parametric inversion.
Forces Shaping Schooling and School Leadership

This article examines the evolution of education which informs school leadership. Using the punctuated equilibrium model of organizational change, we describe how education has evolved under the we...
Benefits of early integration of palliative care across the continuum in the care of children with solid tumors.

e20552 Background: Children with solid tumors (ST) have the highest rate of relapse and mortality among pediatric oncology. Many children suffer from acute and chronic therapy-related toxicity that...
Fine and ultrafine particles concentrations in vape shops

Abstract Vape shops are widespread due to the popularity of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) as an alternative to tobacco cigarettes. In this study, sixty-seven Southern California vape shops were randomly surveyed for building characteristics, ventilation, and business patterns. Based on the survey results, six representative shops were recruited for real-time measurements of indoor and outdoor fine and ultrafine particles concentrations on a busy and less busy day. Occupancy, vaping frequency, and opening and closing of doors were recorded, and shop air exchange rate was determined. Indoor CO2, relative humidity, and temperature were also recorded. In addition, simultaneous measurements were taken at increasing distances away from a vaping area to assess the mixing and spatial profiles of particle levels inside the shops. During active vaping, real-time indoor particle number concentration and gravimetric-corrected PM2.5 mass concentration across the six vape shops varied from 1.3 × 104 to 4.8 × 105 particles/cm3 and from 15.5 to 37,500 μg/m3, respectively. The spatial profiles of particle number and mass were more uniformly mixed than expected in an indoor environment. Total vaping frequency was the main predictor of particle concentrations inside the vape shops when indoor-outdoor particle mass transfer is minimal (doors closed).
Capillary Hemorrhage Induced by Contrast-Enhanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Rat Intestine

Contrast-enhanced diagnostic ultrasound (CEDUS) can lead to microvascular injury and petechial hemorrhage by the cavitational mechanism of ultrasonic bioeffects. Capillary hemorrhage has been noted in the heart and kidney, which are common targets of CEDUS examination. CEDUS has also become useful for monitoring intestinal inflammation. In the 1990s, the risk of intestinal microvascular hemorrhage was investigated both for incidental exposure by lithotripter shockwaves and for contrast agent microbubbles acting as cavitation nuclei with laboratory pulsed ultrasound systems. This study was initiated to update the risk assessment for intestine exposed to diagnostic imaging simulating CEDUS. The abdomens of anesthetized rats were scanned by a 1.6 MHz phased array probe during infusion of microbubble suspensions simulating Definity ultrasound contrast agent. Dual image frames were triggered intermittently, and the output power was varied to assess the exposure response. Petechiae counts in small intestine mucosa and muscle layers increased with increasing trigger interval from 2 s to 10 s, indicative of a slow refill after microbubble destruction. The counts increased with increasing output above a threshold of 1.4 MPa peak rarefactional pressure amplitude. Petechiae were also seen in Peyer's patches, and occult blood was detected in many affected segments of intestine. These results are consistent with early laboratory pulsed-ultrasound results.
Correlation of serum and synovial leptin concentrations with body condition scores in healthy and osteoarthritic dogs

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between serum and synovial fluid (SF) leptin concentrations and body condition score (BCS) in healthy and osteoarthritic dogs. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled, prospective, clinical study. ANIMALS: Nineteen healthy dogs and 29 dogs with osteoarthritis (OA) secondary to cranial cruciate ligament injury. METHODS: Synovial fluid was obtained from the femorotibial joint under sedation (healthy dogs) or during surgery (OA dogs). Serum and SF leptin and interleukin (IL)‐1β concentrations were measured via enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Dogs were classified as optimal weight (BCS 4–5/9) or overweight (BCS >5/9). Radiographs were scored for OA severity by a radiologist. Owners completed the Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs (LOAD) questionnaire. RESULTS: Mean (± SD) SF leptin (4.09 ± 4 ng/mL) was lower than serum leptin (6.88 ± 5.52 ng/mL, P < .0001). Synovial fluid leptin was higher in overweight (5.28 ± 4.21) than in optimal body weight dogs (1.54 ± 1.72 ng/mL, P < .0001). Serum (P < .001) and SF leptin (P = .004) concentrations were associated with BCS. Concentration of SF leptin did not differ between healthy (2.4 ± 2.04 ng/mL) and OA (4.9 ± 4.3 ng/mL, P = .25) dogs. Synovial fluid leptin and LOAD scores were weakly associated (P = .03). No association was detected between SF leptin and radiographic score or IL‐1β (P = .73). CONCLUSION: Serum and SF leptin correlated with BCS in this population. Synovial fluid leptin was weakly associated with LOAD scores but not with radiographic severity of OA or IL‐1β. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Serum and SF leptin concentrations do not predict radiographic severity of canine OA but contribute to joint pain and dysfunction.
Vitamin K, Vascular Calcification, and Chronic Kidney Disease: Current Evidence and Unanswered Questions

More than 15% of the US population is currently >65 y old. As populations age there is a concomitant increase in age-related chronic diseases. One such disease is chronic kidney disease (CKD), which becomes more prevalent with age, especially over age 70 y. Individuals with CKD are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, in part because arterial calcification increases as kidney function declines. Vitamin K is a shortfall nutrient among older adults that has been implicated in arterial calcification. Evidence suggests CKD patients have low vitamin K status, but data are equivocal because the biomarkers of vitamin K status can be influenced by CKD. Animal studies provide more compelling data on the underlying role of vitamin K in arterial calcification associated with CKD. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the strengths and limitations of the available evidence regarding the role of vitamin K in CKD.
The Effectiveness of ISO 9001-Based Healthcare Accreditation Surveyors and Standards on Hospital Performance Outcomes: A Balanced Scorecard Perspective

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a new ISO 9001-based healthcare standard by examining the impact of the surveyor (auditor) on adoption outcomes through the lens of the...
Conceptual Development and Change Precede Adults’ Judgments About Powerful Appearance

Adults’ mental representations of the physical appearance of people that are “strong” and people that are “in charge” are remarkably similar. Some have explained this feature of adults’ thinking by positing innate mental representations. However, specific details about the nature and structure of these representations, and an appropriate empirical foundation for these claims has been lacking. In this review, my objective is to provide a high-level summary of recent research exploring infants’ and young children’s intuitions about the physical manifestations of power. I argue that the social responses and judgments of these young participants are more informative about the existence and nature of putatively innate mental content. Narrative review of developmental studies. Preverbal infants exhibit a remarkably early sensitivity to the relative power of two agents. By early childhood, children exhibit increasingly adult-like intuitions about powerful appearance. However, there are significant revisions in the appearance-to-power correspondences that people detect between childhood and adulthood. These complex developmental patterns are inconsistent with the idea that adults’ intuitions about the physical manifestations of power are straightforward outputs of an innate psychology. Rather, despite an early-emerging sensitivity to appearance-based cues to power, significant conceptual development and change precede adults’ judgments about powerful appearance.
Symmetry breaking in the Stark Control of Electrons at Interfaces (SCELI)

Ultrafast control of electron dynamics is essential for future innovations in nanoelectronics, catalysis, and molecular imaging. Recently, we developed a general scheme (Stark Control of Electrons at Interfaces or SCELI) to control electron dynamics at interfaces [A. J. Garzon-Ramirez and I. Franco, Phys. Rev. B 98, 121305 (2018)] that is based on using few-cycle lasers to open quantum tunneling channels for interfacial electron transfer. SCELI uses the Stark effect induced by non-resonant light to create transient resonances between a donor level in material B and an acceptor level in material A, resulting in B → A electron transfer. Here, we show how SCELI can be employed to generate net charge transport in ABA heterojunctions without applying a bias voltage, a phenomenon known as laser-induced symmetry breaking. The magnitude and sign of such transport can be controlled by simply varying the time asymmetry of the laser pulse through manipulation of laser phases. In particular, we contrast symmetry breaking effects introduced by manipulation of the carrier envelope phase with those introduced by relative phase control in ω + 2ω laser pulses. The ω + 2ω pulse is seen to be far superior as such pulses exhibit a larger difference in field intensity for positive and negative amplitudes. The results exemplify the power of Stark-based strategies for controlling electrons using lasers.
Continuous in-situ extraction of acetic acid produced by Acetobacterium woodii during fermentation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide using Amberlite FPA53 ion exchange resins

Abstract Ion-exchange resins have emerged as a promising technology for separation of targeted products from biochemical production. In this study, in-situ acetic acid extraction using Amberlite FPA53 resins was examined. The study includes initial testing of the resins for separation of different concentrations of acetic acid in water along with continuous in-situ extraction of acetic acid from gas-liquid fermentation with Acetobacterium woodi on a mixture of 70% H2–30% CO2. An average acetic acid adsorption of 67.6 mg/g resin was achieved using Amberlite FPA53, significantly lower than the concentration obtained with pure acetic acid solutions (159.6 mg/g resin). This result indicates that pH and competing components in the fermentation broth influence the efficiency of the resin. Implementing in-situ extraction of acetic acid increased its production by 1.6-fold resulting in 10.21 g/L acetic acid for extractive fermentation compared to 6.4 g/L for the control, without continuous extraction of acetic acid.
Trade or Business Within the United States as an Interpretive Problem Under the Internal Revenue Code: Five Propositions

Whether a particular set of activities constitute the conduct of a trade or business within the United States is an ongoing interpretive question affecting many foreign taxpayers. It controls what form of U.S. taxation, if any, applies to them. In the domestic context a trade or business entails profit-oriented non-investment activity that is regular, continuous and considerable. It is tempting, in the transition to the international context, to conclude that the conduct of a trade or business within the U.S. requires that the taxpayer's U.S. activities must be regular continuous, and considerable, and the standard is often articulated in this quantitative manner. This Article, however, concludes that, as an interpretive matter, this approach is mistaken. Instead the Article disentangles the original inquiry into two distinct inquiries: - Is the foreign taxpayer engaged in a trade or business? - Is the conduct of the trade or business within the United States? The answer to the former question is quantitative. Once the existence of a trade or business is established, however, no minimum quantum of U.S. activity is necessary to bring a foreign trade or business into the United States. Instead, the necessary condition for an affirmative answer to the second question is qualitative, focusing on the types of U.S. connections not their regularity, continuity, or considerableness. In answering these questions, the Article advances a series of five distinct propositions that creates an interpretive reconciliation of the various authorities addressing this question.