cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The business of ethics

literature into four major groups: first, those books which have a general thesis or issue with which they are concerned, such as Management of Values or The Social Challenge of Business (1975); second, a variety of anthologies which provide either a thematic orienta tion, dealing with a set of issues that confront the business world, like Just Business: New Introductory Essays in Business Ethics, edited by Tom Regan (1984), or a collection of papers presented at one conference or another, like Proceedings of the First National Con ference on Business Ethics, edited by Michael Hoffman (1977, there are also later collections); third, text books for class use at the undergraduate level, the standard of which is Richard DeGeorge, Business Ethics (1982, 2nd edition 1986); fourth, and in greater supply, there are various collections of case studies, one of the first was Cases in Business Ethics, edited by T. M. Garrett et al (1963). A current example is Policies and Persons. These four groups can be divided also according to specific subject-matters or general attitudes towards this growing discipline. For example, one could distinguish (within the first group) between those books concerned with public policy or financial policy issues and all the others. One could also combine the third and fourth groups and label them "classroom textbooks". And finally, one could separate all those books which are critical of the business world in general, providing specific issues and cases to demonstrate the inherent evils of the business world as we know it in the U.SA (modern capitalism), and all those books which attempt in one way or another to defend this same business world and provide some minor aspects for internal and voluntary reform. From the days in which teachers and scholars were unable to find enough resources for their own understanding and classroom presentations, we have reached a level of saturation in which the choice may be overwhelming. In addition, there is some added confusion because the treatment of ethics as it
Count rate dependent non-linearity and pixel size variations in 1.7 micron cut-off detectors

Over the past decade scientists have collected convincing evidence that the content of our universe is dominated by a mysterious dark energy. Understanding the nature of dark energy is a very difficult task, and requires a variety of independent experimental approaches. Most of these approaches rely on photometric calibrations over a wide range of intensities using standardized stars and internal reference sources, and hence on a complete understanding of the linearity of the detectors. The SNAP near infrared (NIR) instrument team has performed a comprehensive study of precision photometry on 1.7 micron cut-off HgCdTe detectors. Among those studies are the count rate dependent detector non-linearity that was recently discovered with the NICMOS array on the Hubble Space Telescope, and possible pixel size variations seen in quantum efficiency (QE) data. The nonlinearity on NICMOS exhibits an unexpected behavior, where pixels with high (low) count rates detect slightly more (less) flux than expected for a linear system. To test this count rate dependent non-linearity a dedicated setup was built that produces a known amount of light on a detector, and measures its response as a function of light intensity and wavelength. If the pixel response variations seen in QE data are due to pixel area variations, standard flat-fielding will degrade photometry precision for point sources in an undersampled telescope. Studies have been performed to estimate the magnitude of pixel area variations.
Electronic shearography for inspecting steel bridges: a feasibility study

Although a large number of nondestructive techniques based on laser interferometry have been developed over the last few decades, most of them are incapable of handling large structures. Shearography has shown potential as a full field nondestructive technique, capable of being used on large structures like bridges. The method however has been beset with the problem of poor fringe quality, and as any other interferometric technique, suffers from the problem of speckle de-correlation due to rigid body motions. This paper investigates the effect of rigid body motion on fringe visibility with an emphasis on applications in nondestructive testing of bridges. To this effect, a finite element and fracture mechanics analysis is carried out on a real bridge to identify the constraints on shearography in full scale structural testing.
Genetic control of B- and T-lymphocyte abnormalities of NZB mice in crosses with B10.D2 mice.

Parental NZB and B10.D2, F1 and F1 × B10.D2 mice were studied to determine the genetic control of (1) altered B-cell IgD expression, (2) plasma cell frequency, (3) IgM secretion per plasma cell, (4) primary in vitro cytotoxic T-cell responses to H-2-compatible cells, (5) production of thymocyte-binding antibodies, and (6) production of red-cell-specific antibodies. The results demonstrate that, in this cross, IgD abnormalities and production of red-cell-specific antibodies were recessive traits. There was a common genetic influence on plasma cell frequency, IgM secretion per plasma cell and production of thymocyte-binding antibodies which was distinct from the genes governing the ability to generate a cytotoxic T lymphocyte response to H-2-compatible cells.
The Quartodecimans and the Synoptic Chronology

There is hardly a point in the whole Quartodeciman question that has not, at one time or another, been vigorously contested. Since the days when the Tubingen school interpreted the struggle to support their separation of the Fourth Gospel from the Johannine Tradition, there has grown up a veritable library of controversial literature on the subject. Perhaps the most judicious statement of the problem in English appeared in Stanton's The Gospels as Historical Documents (Part I, pp. 173–197), which was dependent upon Schurer's De Controversiis Paschalibus (1869). Since that time, however, the question has been re-opened by Schmidt's learned Excursus appended to his text of the Epistola Apostolorum. Dating this work in the 60's of the second century, he claimed that in Chapter 15 there was a reference to the Paschal controversy that confirmed his view. Furthermore, he contended that this section of the Epistola had once for all settled a number of uncertain problems. Chief among these was the significance attached by the Asiatic Church to the 14th of Nisan. Schmidt concluded from the words, “But do ye commemorate my death,” that on this day the Easterners celebrated the Passion. Henceforth it would be impossible to claim that the Quartodeciman rite implied a Christian “Passover” which commemorated the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist (pp. 600–601). Indeed, he went so far as to urge that the whole Asiatic practice was centered in the Passion to the exclusion of the Resurrection. Contrasting the Quartodeciman with the Catholic custom he wrote, “Dort Passah, hier Ostern!” (p. 579).
How I Treat Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D plays an important role in the homeostasis of a variety of organ systems, but its role in prevention of cancer and recurrence—along with necessary blood levels—has yet to be defined.
Presidential Conditional Agenda Setting in the Former Communist Countries

Nine out of 27 presidents in the former communist world have the power to amend vetoed legislation. These presidential powers in the former Soviet Bloc have not been given adequate attention in the comparative politics literature. The authors analyze veto procedures in the excommunist region (27 countries) and argue that amendatory veto power enhances presidential powers in legislative decision making. The findings are particularly important in light of the fact that one of the goals of constitutional design in the former communist world was to curtail rather than boost presidential authority.
Acute corneal hydrops: a case report including confocal and histopathological considerations

This is a case report of corneal hydrops associated with keratoconus with a review of current literature pertaining to diagnosis, histopathology, and treatment options. A 30-year-old African American male presented to the University Eye Institute with acute unilateral pain, redness, and visual impairment. His symptoms, clinical presentation and past diagnosis of keratoconus confirmed his condition to be acute corneal hydrops (CH). The condition was closely followed utilizing topical treatment including hyper-osmotic (Muro 128) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (Acular and Voltaren). After 4 months, the patient's condition resolved but subsequent corneal scarring resulted. Corneal ectasia in patients with keratoconus may progress into acute rupture of the posterior limiting lamina (PLL) and the endothelium, resulting in CH, which may manifest as an area of edematous and opacified cornea lasting up to 4 months in duration. Acute complications such as CH seldom occur. Histopathology and confocal microscopy can be used to help visualize and understand CH on a cellular level. After regeneration of the corneal structures, central scarring may limit visual acuity and necessitate a corneal transplant.
The P0 feedback control system blurs the line between IOC and FPGA

The P0 Feedback system is a new design at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) primarily intended to stabilize a single bunch in order to operate at a higher accumulated charge. The algorithm for this project required a high-speed DSP solution for a single channel that would make adjustments on a turn-by-turn basis. A field programmable gate array (FPGA) solution was selected that not only met the requirements of the project but far exceeded them. By using a single FPGA, we were able to adjust up to 324 bunches on two separate channels with a total computational time of ~6times109 multiply- accumulate operations per second. The IOC is a Coldfire CPU tightly coupled to the FPGA, providing dedicated control and monitoring of the system through EPICS [1] process variables. One of the benefits of this configuration is having a four-channel scope in the FPGA that can be monitored on a continuous basis.
Folk Realism: Testing the Microfoundations of Realism in Ordinary Citizens

Kertzer, Joshua D. and Kathleen M. McGraw. (2012) Folk Realism: Testing the Microfoundations of Realism in Ordinary Citizens. International Studies Quarterly, doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2478.2011.00715.x © 2012 International Studies Association International Relations scholars have long debated whether the American public is allergic to realism, which raises the question of how they would “contract” it in the first place. We argue that realism isn’t just an IR paradigm, but a belief system, whose relationship with other ideological systems in public opinion has rarely been fully examined. Operationalizing this disposition in ordinary citizens as “folk realism,” we investigate its relationship with a variety of personality traits, foreign policy orientations, and political knowledge. We then present the results of a laboratory experiment probing psychological microfoundations for realist theory, manipulating the amount of information subjects have about a foreign policy conflict to determine whether uncertainty leads individuals to adopt more realist views, and whether realists and idealists respond to uncertainty and fear differently. We find that many of realism’s causal mechanisms are conditional on whether subjects already hold realist views, and suggest that emotions like fear may play a larger role in realist theory than many realists have assumed.
Factors Associated with Social and Behavioral Problems Among Children Recently Diagnosed with Brain Tumor

Compared the psychological adjustment of 81 children with brain tumors to that of 31 control children with various malignancies not involving the central nervous system. Both groups exhibited significantly increased frequencies of elevations on one or more age- and gender-corrected Social Competence and Behavior Problems scales of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) relative to normative expectations. Comparison of the Brain Tumor and Cancer Control groups revealed no significant differences on any CBCL scale. Among children diagnosed with brain tumors, stepwise multiple regression analyses revealed that low child IQ, residence in a single-parent family, moderate to severe disfigurement, low SES, tumor location, and severe functional impairment were associated with decreased Social Competence scores. Elevated Behavior Problems scores were associated with younger maternal age at the child's birth, tumor location, and residence in a single-parent family. Results reinforce the need to consider complex relationships between demographic characteristics of the child's family, type of brain damage, and the cosmetic and functional status of the child in determining acute psychological adjustment of brain-damaged children.
Human osteoid seams.

ABSTRACT Osteoid seams in human lamellar bone have been studied using fresh, undecalcified, hydrated, unembedded bone sections, fuchsin stains and tetracycline bone labeling. Seams normally are found at all ages, are about 10 μ thick, are observed rarely as an accompaniment to circumferential lamellar formation but are observed routinely in association with haversian, endosteal and trabecular lamellar bone formation. Their numbers per unit volume of bone may be measured; an approximate normal adult value is 0.2/mm3. There are characteristic variations in number with age. Metachromasia seems to be an unreliable way of demonstrating lamellar osteoid. A certain physiologic “challenge” may convert an active seam to a resting state, and unusually large numbers of seams may accumulate in the resting state.
Role of angiotensin II in renal vasoconstriction with acute hypoxemia and hypercapnic acidosis in conscious dogs.

To evaluate the role ofrenin-angiotensin in the renal vasoconstriction with combined acute hypoxemia and hypercapnic acidosis preceded by acute hypoxemia, we studied eight conscious mongrel uninephrectomized dogs with chronic renal catheters and controlled sodium intake (80 mEq/24 h ± 4 days). The animals were studied during combined acute hypoxemia and hypercapnic acidosis (PaO2 34 ± 1 mm Hg, PaCO2 57 ± 1 mm Hg, pH 7.20 ± 0.01) preceded by 80 min of acute hypoxemia (PaO234 ± 1 mm Hg) during: (a) intrarenal infusion of vehicle (n = 8); or (b) intrarenal administration of the angiotensin II antagonist [Sar1, Ala8]-AII, 70 ng kg−1 min−1 (n = 8). The combination of acute hypoxemia and hypercapnic acidosis resulted in diminished effective renal plasma flow and increased renal vascular resistance during intrarenal vehicle infusion. Intrarenal [Sar1, Ala8]-AII did not abolish the renal vasoconstriction in the initial 20 min of this combined blood gas derangement but resulted in a more prompt return of the renal...
Addressing the systems-based practice requirement with health policy content and educational technology

Duke University Hospital Office of Graduate Medical Education and Duke University's Fuqua School of Business collaborated to offer a Health Policy lecture series to residents and fellows across the institution, addressing the “Systems-based Practice” competency.During the first year, content was offered in two formats: live lecture and web/podcast. Participants could elect the modality which was most convenient for them. In Year Two, the format was changed so that all content was web/podcast and a quarterly live panel discussion was led by module presenters or content experts. Lecture evaluations, qualitative focus group feedback, and post-test data were analyzed.A total of 77 residents and fellows from 8 (of 12) Duke Graduate Medical Education departments participated. In the first year, post-test results were the same for those who attended the live lectures and those who participated via web/podcast. A greater number of individuals participated in Year Two. Participants from both years expressed the ne...
Immune Regulation through Mitochondrion-Dependent Dendritic Cell Death Induced by T Regulatory Cells

Dendritic cells (DCs) harbor an active mitochondrion-dependent cell death pathway regulated by Bcl-2 family members and undergo rapid turnover in vivo. However, the functions for mitochondrion-dependent cell death of DCs in immune regulation remain to be elucidated. In this article, we show that DC-specific knockout of proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members, Bax and Bak, induced spontaneous T cell activation and autoimmunity in mice. In addition to a defect in spontaneous cell death, Bax(-/-)Bak(-/-) DCs were resistant to killing by CD4(+)Foxp3(+) T regulatory cells (Tregs) compared with wild-type DCs. Tregs inhibited the activation of T effector cells by wild-type, but not Bax(-/-)Bak(-/-), DCs. Bax(-/-)Bak(-/-) DCs showed increased propensity for inducing autoantibodies. Moreover, the autoimmune potential of Bax(-/-)Bak(-/-) DCs was resistant to suppression by Tregs. Our data suggested that Bax and Bak mediate intrinsic spontaneous cell death in DCs, as well as regulate DC killing triggered by Tregs. Bax- and Bak-dependent cell death mechanisms help to maintain DC homeostasis and contribute to the regulation of T cell activation and the suppression of autoimmunity.
A Role for the Pregnane X Receptor in High-Density Lipoprotein Metabolism

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is widely recognized as the good plasma cholesterol for coronary heart disease and is believed to be responsible for cholesterol transport from peripheral tissues back to the liver, the central clearing house for cholesterol in the body. Interestingly, the liver is also a major site for HDL production, although the process of particle assembly is believed to occur intravascularly.1–4 ApoA-I is secreted by the liver in lipid-poor form and then interacts with ATP-binding cassette protein A1 (ABCA1) in liver and peripheral tissues to acquire phospholipids and cholesterol, forming a discoidal HDL intermediate sometimes referred to as pre–β-HDL. These particles are excellent substrates for the liver-derived plasma enzyme lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase. Using the sn-2 fatty acids of the particle-associated phosphatidylcholine, lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase catalyzes the esterification of cholesterol, which is partially derived from peripheral tissues. This reaction produces the cholesteryl esters (CE) that form the neutral lipid core of the mature spherical HDL particles. In addition to whole HDL particle uptake by the liver, the CE of mature HDL can also be removed by the liver through a process of selective CE uptake via scavenger receptor-class B type I (SR-BI). Both uptake mechanisms result in a directional flux of cholesterol from the plasma compartment to …
Creativity & Innovation in Information Systems Organizations

Concepts and cost-effectiveness of creativity techniques for facilitating creativity removing the barriers to creativity the creative problem solving (CPS) methodology problem definition/opportunity delineation compiling relevant information generating ideas evaluating and prioritizing ideas developing and implementation plan improving the environment for creativity.
Defects in Virion Production Caused by Mutations Affecting the C-Terminal Portion of the Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus Capsid Protein

The capsid (CA) domain of the Moloney murine leukemia virus (Mo-MuLV) Gag protein has a unique carboxy terminus with a highly charged arginine-rich sequence. Mutant viruses harboring arginine-to-alanine mutations affecting this region of CA displayed significant defects in virion release, and the few viral particles produced were noninfectious. The interaction between the mutant Gag precursors was affected, as judged by the yeast two-hybrid assay. The results suggest that the unique carboxy terminus of CA in the Mo-MuLV plays an important role in Gag-Gag association during virion production.
Towards a New Understanding of Jewish Language in the Twenty-First Century

This article outlines some debates and issues in the field of Jewish linguistics and offers a research agenda for comparative analysis of Jewish languages. This agenda builds on previous research, especially on Yiddish and Judezmo (Judeo-Spanish), but also incorporates data on the language of contemporary Jews (especially Jewish English), as well as theories and methods from variationist sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology. Based on a new understanding of Jewish language as a distinctively Jewish repertoire rather than a separate system, this research agenda aims to provide a more nuanced and unified understanding of the phenomenon of Jewish language.
Predictors of recurrence following resection of intracranial chordomas

Management of intracranial chordomas remains challenging, despite improvements in microsurgical techniques and radiotherapy. Here, we analyzed the prognostic factors associated with improved rates of tumor control in patients with intracranial chordomas, who received either gross (GTR) or subtotal resections (STR). A retrospective review was performed to identify all patients who were undergoing resection of their intracranial chordomas at the Ronald Reagan University of California Los Angeles Medical Center from 1990 to 2011. In total, 57 patients undergoing 81 resections were included. There were 24 females and 33 males with a mean age of 44.6 years, and the mean tumor diameter was 3.36 cm. The extent of resection was not associated with recurrence. For all 81 operations, the 1 and 5 year progression free survival (PFS) was 87.5 and 40.4%, and 88.0 and 33.6% for STR and GTR, respectively (p=0.90). Adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with improved rates of PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.20; p=0.009). Additionally, age >45 years (HR 5.88; p=0.01) and the presence of visual deficits (HR 7.59; p=0.03) were associated with worse rates of tumor control. Tumor size, sex, tumor histology, and recurrent tumors were not predictors of recurrence. Younger age, lack of visual symptoms on presentation and adjuvant radiotherapy were associated with improved rates of tumor control following surgery. However, GTR and STR produced comparable rates of tumor control. The surgical management of intracranial chordomas should take a conservative approach, with the aim of maximal but safe cytoreductive resection with adjuvant radiation therapy, and a major focus on quality of life.
Mexico's Drug War Is Hindering The Growth Of The Retail Sector Of Texas Border Cities

Between the first quarter of 2007 and the first quarter of 2012, the retail sales of Texas' border cities grew at an unprecedented low quarterly rate of 0.21%. Mexico's drug war contributed significantly to this low growth by hindering the growth of sales to Mexicans who cross the border to shop. This hindrance is likely to continue as long as Mexico's war on drugs continues to generate high levels of violent crime in the northern part of the country.
The future of murine sepsis and trauma research models

Recent comparisons of the murine and human transcriptome in health and disease have called into question the appropriateness of the use of murine models for human sepsis and trauma research. More specifically, researchers have debated the suitability of mouse models of severe inflammation that is intended for eventual translation to human patients. This mini-review outlines this recent research, as well as specifically defines the arguments for and against murine models of sepsis and trauma research based on these transcriptional studies. In addition, we review newer advancements in murine models of infection and injury and define what we envision as an evolving but viable future for murine studies of sepsis and trauma.
Need for cognition moderates paranormal beliefs and magical ideation in inconsistent-handers

ABSTRACTA growing literature suggests that degree of handedness predicts gullibility and magical ideation. Inconsistent-handers (people who use their non-dominant hand for at least one common manual activity) report more magical ideation and are more gullible. The current study tested whether this effect is moderated by need for cognition. One hundred eighteen university students completed questionnaires assessing handedness, self-reported paranormal beliefs, and self-reported need for cognition. Handedness (Inconsistent vs. Consistent Right) and Need for Cognition (High vs. Low) were treated as categorical predictors. Both paranormal beliefs and magical ideation served as dependent variable’s in separate analyses. Neither set of tests yielded main effects for handedness or need for cognition. However, there were a significant handedness by need for cognition interactions. Post-hoc comparisons revealed that low, but not high, need for cognition inconsistent-handers reported relatively elevated levels of p...
Synthesis and Characterization of Organic Materials for Near Infrared Applications

This presentation will highlight the development of novel heavy-metal complexes as phosphorescent emitters for efficient near infra-red OLEDs.
RETHINKING MULTICULTURALISM: Sikh integration after the Oak Creek tragedy

In the aftermath of August 2012 carnage at the Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, a plethora of critical urgencies and imperatives have emerged that demand a need for transformational rhetoric ...
Filtered dynamic inversion for altitude control of fixed-wing unmanned air vehicles

Abstract Instrumented unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) represent a new way of conducting atmospheric science, particularly within the atmospheric boundary layer where the air is turbulent. However, using autonomous UAVs for airborne measurement requires active control methods capable of following altitude commands despite unknown and turbulent disturbances to the air. Filtered dynamic inversion (FDI) is a control method with desirable command-following and disturbance-rejection properties for this application. FDI requires limited model information and is thus robust to parametric uncertainty, which arises in modeling UAV dynamics. In this paper, FDI is implemented in an altitude-flight-control system for an autonomous fixed-wing UAV. The control system is validated in simulation with a nonlinear dynamic model of a small fixed-wing UAV. The control system is also implemented and validated in flight experiments with turbulent wind conditions. Experimental results show that FDI yields improved altitude and pitch command following as compared to a classical (e.g., proportional-integral) flight-control system. In particular, experimental data demonstrate that the average power of the altitude and pitch command-following errors with FDI is smaller than those with proportional-integral control.
Beauty and care versus fun and flair: applying a gendered theory of offending to college students NMPDU

ABSTRACTThe prevalence of non-medical prescription drug use (NMPDU) is now greater than the prevalence of illicit drugs other than marijuana. Persons aged 18–25 report the highest prevalence of misuse, with males and females misusing at comparable rates. This narrower gender-gap in NMPDU runs counter to data on the misuse of illicit drugs and alcohol, which indicate men using at higher rates. Research to date has provided little context surrounding this narrower gender-gap in NMPDU and has not adequately addressed what role gender plays in NMPDU. Using interviews with seventy-six college students this research utilizes a gendered paradigm of offending to uncover how gender conditions the context of offending in NMPDU. Women’s NMPDU is linked to “beauty and care” and men’s to “fun and flair.”
Magnetic Nickel iron Electroformed Trap (MagNET): a master/replica fabrication strategy for ultra-high throughput (>100 mL h(-1)) immunomagnetic sorting.

Microfluidic devices can sort immunomagnetically labeled cells with sensitivity and specificity much greater than that of conventional methods, primarily because the size of microfluidic channels and micro-scale magnets can be matched to that of individual cells. However, these small feature sizes come at the expense of limited throughput (ϕ 10 mL whole blood. Here, we report a new approach to micromagnetic sorting that can achieve highly specific cell separation in unprocessed complex samples at a throughput (ϕ > 100 mL h−1) 100× greater than that of conventional microfluidics. To achieve this goal, we have devised a new approach to micromagnetic sorting, the magnetic nickel iron electroformed trap (MagNET), which enables high flow rates by having millions of micromagnetic traps operate in parallel. Our design rotates the conventional microfluidic approach by 90° to form magnetic traps at the edges of pores instead of in channels, enabling millions of the magnetic traps to be incorporated into a centimeter sized device. Unlike previous work, where magnetic structures were defined using conventional microfabrication, we take inspiration from soft lithography and create a master from which many replica electroformed magnetic micropore devices can be economically manufactured. These free-standing 12 μm thick permalloy (Ni80Fe20) films contain micropores of arbitrary shape and position, allowing the device to be tailored for maximal capture efficiency and throughput. We demonstrate MagNET's capabilities by fabricating devices with both circular and rectangular pores and use these devices to rapidly (ϕ = 180 mL h−1) and specifically sort rare tumor cells from white blood cells.
Shared Decision Making and Effective Risk Communication in the High-Risk Patient With Operable Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Shared decision making is a dynamic clinical process by which the provider assists the patient in choosing between more than one treatment option for a given condition. Here, we explore what the shared decision making and risk communication process could look like in the setting of a high-risk patient with clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer who is potentially eligible for either segmentectomy or stereotactic body radiation therapy. We highlight clinical tools that can be used during the shared decision making and risk communication process in a stepwise manner to identify patient preferences and values to assist in making a tailored treatment decision.
Sodium Accumulation at Potential-Induced Degradation Shunted Areas in Polycrystalline Silicon Modules

We investigated potential-induced degradation (PID) in silicon mini-modules that were subjected to accelerated stressing to induce PID conditions. Shunted areas on the cells were identified with photoluminescence and dark lock-in thermography (DLIT) imaging. The identical shunted areas were then analyzed via time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) imaging, 3-D tomography, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The TOF-SIMS imaging indicates a high concentration of sodium in the shunted areas, and 3-D tomography reveals that the sodium extends more than 2 μm from the surface below shunted regions. Transmission electron microscopy investigation reveals that a stacking fault is present at an area identified as shunted by DLIT imaging. After the removal of surface sodium, tomography reveals persistent sodium present around the junction depth of 300 nm and a drastic difference in sodium content at the junction when comparing shunted and nonshunted regions.
The Triple Bottom Line and Sustainable Economic Development Theory and Practice

The triple bottom line refers to economic, environmental, and social value of an investment and is related to the concept of sustainable development. The triple bottom line is increasingly salient ...
Ethics and Statistics: Honesty and Transparency Are Not Enough

There has been a replication crisis in applied statistics (most notably in psychology, but also in social science and medical research), in which studies published in top scientific journals “fail ...
Similarities among Test Sites Based on the Performance of Advanced Breeding Lines in the Great Plains Hard Winter Wheat Region

USDA-ARS coordinated regional wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) breeding trials examine agronomic performance and adaptation over a wider geographic range than single breeding programs can achieve. The trials provide an evaluation of experimental breeding lines in alternate test sites that are environmentally similar or dissimilar to the program of origin. Data from USDA-ARS Hard Winter Wheat Regional Nurseries grown in 1987 to 2014 were used to identify similarities among Great Plains test sites. Mean correlations of entry grain yields across locations and years were used in principal factor analyses to cluster them into production zones. The procedures used were identical to those of a previously published analysis using test data from 1959 to 1989. Five factors explained 67% of the variance in the correlation matrix among Southern Regional Performance Nursery (SRPN) locations. The analysis divided the SRPN into four major Great Plains production zones, designated Southeast, Northwest, Southwest and Northeast. The remaining minor production zone consisted of only two central South Dakota locations, both outside the typical target area and selection site of SRPN entries. In the Northern Regional Performance Nursery (NRPN), five production zones were established, with location separation predominantly resulting from east–west differences in performance. The SRPN and NRPN wheat production zones closely follow previously described ecological zones of adaptation of native Great Plains plant species. Wheat breeding programs and growers may continue to use the production zones established via the USDA-ARS coordinated winter wheat regional nurseries to target and select germplasm for crossing and for production.
Non-negative dictionary learning with pairwise partial similarity constraint

Discriminative dictionary learning has been widely used in many applications such as face retrieval / recognition and image classification, where the labels of the training data are utilized to improve the discriminative power of the learned dictionary. This paper deals with a new problem of learning a dictionary for associating pairs of images in applications such as face image retrieval. Compared with a typical supervised learning task, in this case the labeling information is very limited (e.g. only some training pairs are known to be associated). Further, associated pairs may be considered similar only after excluding certain regions (e.g. sunglasses in a face image). We formulate a dictionary learning problem under these considerations and design an algorithm to solve the problem. We also provide a proof for the convergence of the algorithm. Experiments and results suggest that the proposed method is advantageous over common baselines.
ZaliQL: causal inference from observational data at scale

Causal inference from observational data is a subject of active research and development in statistics and computer science. Many statistical software packages have been developed for this purpose. However, these toolkits do not scale to large datasets. We propose and demonstrate ZaliQL: a SQL-based framework for drawing causal inference from observational data. ZaliQL supports the state-of-the-art methods for causal inference and runs at scale within PostgreSQL database system. In addition, we built a visual interface to wrap around ZaliQL. In our demonstration, we will use this GUI to show a live investigation of the causal effect of different weather conditions on flight delays.
Introduction to Special Issue: National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements (DETA)

Introduction to Special Issue: National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements (DETA)
Relevant Aspects of the Java Programming Language

As mentioned in the previous two chapters, the Java programming language has some important aspects that make the language suitable for discrete-event simulation. This chapter presents an overview of the relevant object-oriented aspects of Java, and the important concepts of threads. The graphics capabilities of Java using the AWT and the Swing packages, and some advanced characteristics of Java, applets, servlets, and beans are discussed in separate chapters.
DeTerminator: a Decision Support System and Tool-Kit using the ProFuSE method

In the following report, we describe a decision support system and tool-kit that combines advantages of Bayesian Inference, rule-based systems, object-oriented decomposition and adds the capability of dealing with multivalent data. The purpose of this is to obtain a system capable of dealing with three notions that are important for making decisions and adapting to the situation under uncertainty. We call these the dimensions of property, probability and risk. Furthermore, we describe the algorithms and their properties that are fundamental to this decision support system. In a last step, we empirically test our model tool on the domain concerned with trading in financial markets and comment on some of the considerations that are essential in the creation of our test model.
Antivirals for High Hazard Viruses

In large areas of the world there exist extremely high hazard viruses for which there are no vaccines for prophylaxis and no effective drugs for therapy (Canonico et al., 1984). Examples of such viruses are Ebola, Argentine, Bolivian, Crimean-Congo, and Korean hemorrhagic fevers, Rift Valley fever, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, Japanese B encephalitis and Lassa fever. With the notable exception of the yellow fever vaccine, immunoprophylactic approaches have not been developed for most of these “exotic” viral diseases. Even when effective vaccines are available, vaccination does not provide absolute protection. To compensate for this inadequacy, we recognized the need to develop antiviral drugs which are effective against a broad-range of viruses and which can be used either prophylactically or therapeutically, as required. However, the development of chemotherapy for viral diseases has been slow. The search for substances specifically targeted to viral replication processes has been difficult and shares some parallels with the development of antibiotics.
On-line Optimization of Power Efficiency in 3D Multicore Processors

Abstract This paper considers the problem of maximizing power efficiency in multi-core processors by dynamic voltage frequency scaling. We formulate the problem in an on-line setting and apply to it a gradient-based stochastic approximation algorithm. We use a cycle-level, full-system simulation platform capable of realistic modeling of state-of-the-art microarchitectures executing industry-standard benchmarks (Splash 2). The optimization algorithm computes the gradients by the Infinitesimal Perturbation Analysis (IPA) sample-based sensitivity analysis technique. Despite the fact that the system’s characteristics vary widely with time and hence the optimum point varies as well, the simulation experiments exhibit a tracking of the optimal values. To our knowledge this is the first application of IPA to co-optimizing throughput performance and power in computer processors.
An Ex Vivo Vessel Injury Model to Study Remodeling.

Objective:Invasive coronary interventions can fail due to intimal hyperplasia and restenosis. Endothelial cell (EC) seeding to the vessel lumen, accelerating re-endothelialization, or local release...
Bundled Payment “Creep”: Institutional Redesign for Primary Arthroplasty Positively Affects Revision Arthroplasty

Abstract Background Revision total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is associated with increased readmissions, complications, and expense compared to primary TJA. Bundled payment methods have been used to improve value of care in primary TJA, but little is known of their impact in revision TJA patients. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of a care redesign for a bundled payment model for primary TJA on quality metrics for revision patients, despite absence of a targeted intervention for revisions. Methods We compared quality metrics for all revision TJA patients including readmission rate, use of post–acute care facility after discharge, length of stay, and cost, between the year leading up to the redesign and the 2 years following its implementation. Changes in the primary TJA group over the same time period were also assessed for comparison. Results Despite a volume increase of 37% over the study period, readmissions declined from 8.9% to 5.8%. Use of post–acute care facilities decreased from 42% to 24%. Length of stay went from 4.84 to 3.92 days. Cost of the hospital episode declined by 5%. Conclusion Our health system experienced a halo effect from our bundled payment-influenced care redesign, with revision TJA patients experiencing notable improvements in several quality metrics, though not as pronounced as in the primary TJA population. These changes benefitted the patients, the health system, and the payers. We attribute these positive changes to an altered institutional mindset, resulting from an invested and aligned care team, with active physician oversight over the care episode.
Intermittent abstinence potentiates oxycodone self-administration under extended access conditions and alters brain reward sensitivity

Prescription opioid addiction is a significant health problem characterized by compulsive drug seeking, withdrawal and chronic relapse. This study investigated the neurobiological consequences of escalation of prescription opioid use using an oxycodone intravenous self-administration (IVSA) model in rats. Male Wistar rats were trained oxycodone self-administration (0.15 mg/kg/infusion, i.v.) in 1h or 11-12h access sessions. Rats given 12 h Long Access (LgA) to oxycodone for 5 sessions/week escalated their responding more than rats given 1h oxycodone Short Access (ShA). Interestingly, a significant increase in oxycodone intake was observed after 60 h weekend discontinuations from drug access. A separate group of rats was trained in the intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) reward procedure and then intravenous oxycodone self-administration in LgA sessions. Pre-IVSA brain reward thresholds increased with sequential daily LgA IVSA sessions, consistent with a growing negative affective state consequent to successive daily abstinence cycles. A 1 h IVSA interval was sufficient to normalize these elevated reward thresholds. Interestingly, the brain reward thresholds normalized to baseline across 60 h weekend abstinences. This latter finding is consistent with a normalization of brain reward status suggesting the associated increased IVSA of drug was not driven entirely by a persisting negative affective state. Escalated oxycodone taking when abstinence periods vary may be driven by a complex mix of negative and positive reinforcing effects of the drug.
Stroke Risk Before and After Central Retinal Artery Occlusion in a US Cohort.

Abstract Objective To determine the risk of ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), and amaurosis fugax around the time of central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO). Patients and Methods Patients at Mayo Clinic sites with a diagnosis code of CRAO from January 1, 2001, through September 9, 2016, were reviewed. New CRAOs were confirmed, and ischemic stroke, TIA, and amaurosis fugax events were tallied within 15 days before and after CRAO. Results Three hundred patients with CRAO were included in the study cohort. The median age at the time of CRAO was 72 years (range, 19-100 years), and 158 (53%) were male patients. Overall, 16 patients (5.3%) had symptomatic ischemic stroke around the time of CRAO, with 7 strokes (2.3%) occurring 15 days before CRAO, 4 (1.3%) occurring simultaneously with CRAO, and 5 (1.7%) occurring after CRAO. Transient ischemic attack and amaurosis fugax were seen in 5 (1.7%) and 26 (8.7%) patients, respectively. It was found that 7% (9/128) of patients with embolic CRAO had a stroke around the time of CRAO as compared with 1.3% (2/149) of patients with an unknown cause of CRAO. Conclusion Symptomatic stroke, TIA, or amaurosis fugax is common around the time of CRAO. Therefore, CRAOs require urgent embolic work-ups.
The IEEE Empower a Billion Lives Competition: Regional Round Results [Entrepreneur Viewpoint]

Reports on the IEEE Empower a Billion program, a global competition to crowdsource the development of scalable solutions to energy access, which can rapidly improve the lifestyle and livelihood of the 1.1 billion people who live off grid and the 3 billion people who live with severe energy poverty.
Brainstem development requires galactosylceramidase and is critical for the pathogenesis of Krabbe Disease

Krabbe disease (KD) is caused by a deficiency of galactosylceramidase (GALC), which induces demyelination and neurodegeneration due to accumulation of cytotoxic psychosine. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) improves clinical outcomes in KD patients only if delivered pre-symptomatically. We hypothesized that the restricted temporal efficacy of HSCT reflects a requirement for GALC in early brain development. Using a novel Galc floxed allele, we induced ubiquitous GALC ablation (Galc-iKO) at various postnatal timepoints and identified a critical period of vulnerability to GALC ablation between P4-6. Early Galc-iKO induction caused a worse KD phenotype, higher psychosine levels, and a significantly shorter life-span. Intriguingly, GALC expression peaks during this critical developmental period. Further analysis revealed a novel cell autonomous role for GALC in the development and maturation of immature T-box-brain-1 positive brainstem neurons. These data identify a perinatal developmental period, in which neuronal GALC expression influences brainstem development that is critical for KD pathogenesis.
Lost Plays and Other Lost Things: Ways of Being Lost

In this chapter I discuss the roles of rhetoric and of narrative structure as they guide and influence our efforts to discuss things that don’t exist. I discuss the risk that our narratives about missing things might harden—in the absence of actual data—into positivist or essentialist metanarratives. I note that other things besides playtexts are lost, but that lost playtexts make for a more interesting field of exploration than, for example, lost information about early performances, despite performances being the reason for the texts having been written in the first place. The lives of those stage players who created the performances are also largely lost to us, as are most of the circumstances surrounding those performances. I conclude with an example of my own research, an effort to discover something about an alleged stage player named George Hasell, and offer my results as an exemplum of how the data we find—despite our having found it and thus feeling proprietary about it—may in the end not add up to much. Things may still be lost even after we’ve found them.
A Survey of Neural Networks and Formal Languages.

This report is a survey of the relationships between various state-of-the-art neural network architectures and formal languages as, for example, structured by the Chomsky Language Hierarchy. Of particular interest are the abilities of a neural architecture to represent, recognize and generate words from a specific language by learning from samples of the language.