cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The U.S. Imperial Jugger-not: Saturation Points and Cultural Globalization

Globalization is not merely inevitable western cultural conquest. The assumption that the juggernaut of western hegemonic domination will continue until the world is consumed is a common one, but not an accurate one. That accuracy is compromised by a number of related misconceptions about the nature of globalization. Some of these have to do with an attachment to dichotomy in a world too complex for dualism. Some of them are related to assumptions about the nature of trade, of trends, of inevitability, and of statistical prediction that turn out not to be accurate—and by extension misconceptions about the unidirectionality of cultural exchange. Most are related to misconceptions about the nature of culture—particularly in oversimplifying, and making strange assumptions about, nonwestern cultures. Cultures change over time, with generations and historical forces—today's cultural changes make up tomorrow's cohesive culture. Cultures die not when they change to reflect the new attitudes and lifestyles of the peoples who live in them, but when they stagnate and become static, preserved only in museums, artifacts and books, and not in the everyday lives of the people themselves. Finally, phenomena do reach a saturation point, from biological populations to the motion of catamarans to absorption of cultural values, and these can be observed using methods of nonlinear dynamics. This project considers common misconceptions about globalization and culture, and uses concepts from nonlinear dynamics to expose the nature of the movement and saturation points of cultural globalization.
Contemporary Attitudes and Practice Patterns of North American Urologists in Investigating Stone-Forming Patients-A Survey of Endourological Society Members.

Abstract Introduction: Recent evidence would suggest a low rate of metabolic assessment in stone formers, even in those deemed as high risk. We wished to assess the attitudes and practice patterns of metabolic work up in North American members of the Endourological Society as part of the management of stone-forming patients. Methods: A 12-question online multiple-choice questionnaire (using Survey Monkey®) was distributed to all members of the Endourological Society through e-mail. Descriptive analyses were performed. Results: A total of 124 North American members of the Endourological Society responded (90% endourologists, 65% fellowship trained). Ninety-seven percent perform metabolic assessments without referring to a consultant. Eighty-three percent use a commercial analysis company and 17% request serum or urine parameters individually. Ninety-seven percent believe that 24–48-hour urine collection is a better way of assessing patients for metabolic abnormalities than a “basic analysis.” Many responde...
Pathway-Specific Remodeling of Thalamostriatal Synapses in Parkinsonian Mice

Movement suppression in Parkinson's disease (PD) is thought to arise from increased efficacy of the indirect pathway basal ganglia circuit, relative to the direct pathway. However, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms remain elusive. To examine whether changes in the strength of synaptic inputs to these circuits contribute to this imbalance, we obtained paired whole-cell recordings from striatal direct- and indirect-pathway medium spiny neurons (dMSNs and iMSNs) and optically stimulated inputs from sensorimotor cortex or intralaminar thalamus in brain slices from control and dopamine-depleted mice. We found that dopamine depletion selectively decreased synaptic strength at thalamic inputs to dMSNs, suggesting that thalamus drives asymmetric activation of basal ganglia circuitry underlying parkinsonian motor impairments. Consistent with this hypothesis, in vivo chemogenetic and optogenetic inhibition of thalamostriatal terminals reversed motor deficits in dopamine-depleted mice. These results implicate thalamostriatal projections in the pathophysiology of PD and support interventions targeting thalamus as a potential therapeutic strategy.
Effect of Ribonucleic Acid Extracts upon Viability of Skin Homografts in the Rat.

SummaryAdministration of an RNA extract prepared from the microsomal fraction of splenic cells increased the viability of skin homografts. RNA derived from a normal, adult rat which later served as the skin donor was administered to a pyridoxine-deficient rat of another strain. Skin homografting was performed after the RNA-treated recipient had received intensive therapy with pyridoxine.
Effects of the Seat Armrest and Assistive Devices on Trunk Kinematics during Dependent Transfers on an Aircraft

A concern related to air travel by people with disabilities is the risk of low-back injuries to persons transferring the traveler to or from the aircraft seat. Two possible approaches to lessening this risk of injury is the removal of spatial obstructions or the use of assistive devices. This study investigated the effects of a fixed seat armrest and of using a transfer board and slide or a transfer sling on the trunk kinematics of the rear transferor as 25 pairs of participants transferred a dummy between a wheelchair and an aircraft seat. The armrest, board-and-slide, and sling conditions each influenced multiple trunk kinematic variables relative to the control condition. For the armrest and board-and-slide conditions, some effects were consistent with increased low-back injury risk and others with decreased risk. All effects of the transfer sling were consistent with a decreased risk of low-back injury, supporting its use during dependent transfers on board an aircraft.
Effect of cooling rates on the microstructure of proeutectoid ferrite in Fe-0.76%C steel in high magnetic field

The microstructure features of proeutectoid ferrite during transformation from austenite to ferrite and the hardness of specimens heat treated at different cooling rates without and with applying a magnetic field (12 T) in the Fe-0.76%C steel were investigated.The results showed that the angle between the major axis of proeutectoid ferrite and the magnetic field direction increases with the cooling rate increasing.The reason is that the diffusion is limited with the cooling rate increasing.At the same cooling rate,the area percentage of proeutectoid ferrite in the specimen heat treated with magnetic field is more than that in the specimen without magnetic field,and the hardness of the specimen heat treated with magnetic field is lower.The main reason is that Fe-0.76%C steel shows more characteristics of proeutectoid steel under magnetic field.
Using IPython for data science and scientific computing applications: conference tutorial

With the introduction of IPython (http://ipython.org/), which uses an interactive notebook framework, Python has joined the ranks of Matlab, R, and Wolfram as an excellent language choice for scientific data analysis. This tutorial will cover material taught in a scientific computing course using IPython, where the only prerequisites were an introductory computing course and Calculus I.
A colorimetric method for assessing the adsorption strength of oligonucleotides on noble metal nanoparticles

Oligonucleotide-functionalizing noble metal nanoparticles (NMNPs) have resulted in many interesting applications in engineering, as well as in medicine. Typically, NMNPs are functionalized via thiol-metal interaction using thiol-labeled oligonucleotides. Previous studies have revealed that strong interactions exist between oligonucleotide bases and noble metal surface and these interactions are sequence-dependent. This has provided an alternative way to functionalize NMNPs with unlabeled oligonucleotides. In order to fully utilize the spontaneous interactions between oligonucleotides and NMNPs, quantitative assessment of the interaction strength between different oligonucleotides and NMNPs will be necessary. Existing methods that have been used to determine the interaction strength usually rely on direct quantification of the amount of oligonucleotides adsorbed on NMNPs, and tend to be labor- and time-consuming. Herein we develop a salt titration based colorimetric method as a simple and high-throughput alternative to the existing methods. First, this new method was demonstrated by applying to determine the dissociation constant between gold nanoparticles and DNA oligonucleotides. Then the new method was used to study the sequence and length dependence of NMNP-oligonucleotide interactions.
Pharmacologic manipulation of the labyrinth with novel and traditional agents delivered to the inner ear.

Abstract We describe the methodology and rationale behind the delivery of therapeutic medicines to the inner ear. The inner ear has long been impervious to pharmacologic manipulation. This is most likely the result of a protective mechanism called the blood-labyrinth barrier, whose function closely resembles that of the blood-brain barrier. This protective barrier impedes the clinician's ability to treat inner ear diseases with systemically administered medications. Since 1935, otolaryngologists have attempted to manipulate the inner ear with trans-tympanically injected medicines. Success has varied widely, but medicinal ablation of vestibular function can be achieved in this manner. Unfortunately, the auditory system is also at great risk from any medicine that is delivered to the inner ear via the middle ear. Over the past 10 years, significant improvements in drug delivery have allowed for more "titratable" treatment, which has reduced (but not eliminated) the risk of permanent hearing loss. In this article, we discuss both novel and time-tested methods of delivering medicines to the inner ear. We also review the classes of medications that alter inner ear function and the attendant risks of such treatments.
Cost-comparativeness of proton versus photon therapy

Proton beam radiotherapy (PBT) offers great promise in the treatment of a wide variety of cancers owing to the sharp drop-off in radiation dose at a defined point, known as the Bragg peak, beyond which there is no appreciable dose. However, it is also well-understood that PBT is associated with large economic costs, including both capital investment and operating costs. From a medical as well as societal perspective, therefore, it is important to be aware of the economic implications of new technologies such as PBT, and to evaluate the cost effectiveness based on different clinical and treatment scenarios. This review examines PBT from a health economics perspective, evaluating both the design and results of costeffectiveness (CE) studies that have been performed previously. We further examine several salient variables that can affect CE of PBT, including patient, tumor, treatment, and logistical factors. We discuss the implication of technological advances on PBT delivery, and its impact on overall healthcare delivery costs. Additionally, we evaluate the status of economic analyses for PBT and discuss the role of ongoing and future CE studies in better defining the economic role of PBT as part of modern cancer therapy.
Thinking: Concept Formation and Identification

Pondering the meaning of a black hole, solving the daily scrambled word or anagram puzzle in your local newspaper, and deducing what your bridge partner has in mind with that last strange bid. These are everyday examples of the three main activities experimental psychologists study under the general heading of directed thinking: concept formation (the black hole example), problem solving (the scrambled word example), and reasoning (the bridge example). In directed thinking, symbols, whether words or images, are manipulated covertly to achieve a particular objective. These manipulations clearly involve higher order processes, that is, processes that are more complex than the lower order processes governing perception, memory, and so on.
Pseudotumor Cerebri Associated with All-Trans Retinoic Acid Treatment During Induction Therapy for Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract Abstract 4264 Pseudotumor cerebri (PC) is a rare disorder characterized by elevated intracranial pressure with normal cerebrospinal fluid composition, normal cranial imaging findings, and symptoms and signs of increased intracranial pressure. A number of medications have been linked to PC including vitamin A and its derivative all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA). Herein, we describe the case of a 38-year-old woman who was diagnosed with PC during standard induction treatment for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Her neurologic complaints of severe headache and diplopia improved slightly after ATRA was discontinued and she was treated with acetazolamide, but symptoms did not abate until fluconazole was held five days later. Through a literature review, we identified 41 case reports of APL patients with ATRA-associated PC, 23 of which provided details of clinical presentation and follow-up. The median age at diagnosis of PC was 27 for females and 16 for males; the female-to-male ratio was 1.3:1. All 23 patients complained of headache; papilledema was present in all 21 instances (100%) where a retinal exam was described. ATRA was held due to PC in 20 cases (87%), and neurologic symptoms resolved without further intervention in 7 of 20 (35%). The remaining 13 patients were treated with diuretics (11 of 13 cases, 85%), high-volume lumbar punctures (5, 38%), corticosteroids (4, 31%), and/or analgesics (3, 23%). Including our index patient, eight patients were rechallenged with ATRA after neurologic improvement, and 5 (63%) required further interventions to resolve recrudescent symptoms. We identified one other patient whose neurologic complaints persisted despite dose reductions in ATRA. This patient improved only after fluconazole was discontinued. Because both ATRA and fluconazole are metabolized by the cytochrome P-450 system, we suggest that if taken concurrently, they may exacerbate the risk of PC. Physicians should be aware of this interaction between ATRA and fluconazole and consider discontinuing both fluconazole and ATRA in APL patients who develop PC. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
High-resolution crystal structure of the human CB1 cannabinoid receptor

The human cannabinoid G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) CB1 and CB2 mediate the functional responses to the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonyl glycerol (2-AG) and to the widely consumed plant phytocannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The cannabinoid receptors have been the targets of intensive drug discovery efforts, because modulation of these receptors has therapeutic potential to control pain, epilepsy, obesity, and other disorders. Although much progress in understanding the biophysical properties of GPCRs has recently been made, investigations of the molecular mechanisms of the cannabinoids and their receptors have lacked high-resolution structural data. Here we report the use of GPCR engineering and lipidic cubic phase crystallization to determine the structure of the human CB1 receptor bound to the inhibitor taranabant at 2.6-A resolution. We found that the extracellular surface of CB1, including the highly conserved membrane-proximal N-terminal region, is distinct from those of other lipid-activated GPCRs, forming a critical part of the ligand-binding pocket. Docking studies further demonstrate how this same pocket may accommodate the cannabinoid agonist THC. Our CB1 structure provides an atomic framework for studying cannabinoid receptor function and will aid the design and optimization of therapeutic modulators of the endocannabinoid system.
Challenges of healthcare administration: optimizing quality and value at an affordable cost in pediatric cardiology.

Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to explore the paradigm shift in healthcare delivery that will need to take place over the next few years away from an emphasis on supply-driven health care to better quality transparent-driven health care whose focus is on the consumer's best interest. Recent findings The current healthcare system is fragmented and costs continue to rise. The best way to contain costs is to improve quality to the consumer, the patient. Physicians and hospitals need to align in a team-based approach that allows physicians to understand current costs and how to strive toward a focus on healthcare outcomes. Pediatric cardiology is a unique discipline that cares for patients with complex congenital conditions that will span their lifetime and also involves not just cardiology but surgery, intensive care, anesthesia, nursing, and a host of inpatient and ambulatory services. Understanding what matters to the patient and his/her family and presenting quality outcomes in a transparent fashion will gradually allow a shift to take place away from physician visits, tests ordered, and procedures performed. This can only be achieved with physicians, given the appropriate tools to understand costs, value, and outcomes and models where the hospitals and physicians are aligned. Summary The transformation to a value-based healthcare system is beginning and pediatric cardiologists need to be educated, given the appropriate resources, receive appropriate feedback, and patients need to be part of the solution so that care providers can understand what matters most to them.
Postcinema, Motion Perception and Glitch Movies

Artist Porfolio How to cite this article: Betancourt, Michael. "Postcinema, Motion Perception and Glitch Movies." AM Journal of Art and Media Studies 15 (2018): 202–208. doi: 10.25038/am.v0i15.242
Balantidium coli (Malmsten 1857)

Balantidium coli is widely distributed throughout the word, but the prevalence of human infection is not known. Endemic foci have been reported from New Guinea, Micronesia, Seychelles Islands, and Central and South America.1Sporadic epidemics have occurred in institutionalized populations. Infected individuals harbor the parasite in the colon, the infection being self-limited and only rarely associated with symptoms. The parasite is capable of infecting a wide range of domesticated and wild mammals, including primates, guinea pigs, horses, cattle, pigs, and rats.
Open Source Software (OSS) Implementation Strategy from a Fit Perspective: Empirical Evidence of Influence on Productivity

Irrespective of increased implementation of OSS in organizations, its impact on productivity remains a strategic challenge. Influenced by the “creative elements” of OSS, individuals in organizations often forget that the end result of software implementation is to improve productivity, thereby creating a negative impression on OSS implementation strategy as a whole. In this study, we argue that fit between the individual’s task, values and work demands can influence or hinder the sustained use of OSS. We explore how task-technology fit and two dimensions of person-organization fit (value-based fit and demand-ability fit) interact with each other to influence productivity performance. Using survey data, we find that congruence between the organization’s OSS values and the individual user’s OSS values (value-based fit), decreases productivity performance, whereas, fit between an individual’s OSS skills and the organizational task demands (demandability fit), increases productivity performance. We discuss managerial implications and contributions of the findings.
Modulation of myosin isoform expression by mechanical loading: role of stimulation frequency

Caiozzo, Vincent J., Michael J. Baker, and Kenneth M. Baldwin. Modulation of myosin isoform expression by mechanical loading: role of stimulation frequency. J. Appl. Physiol. 82(1): 211–218, 1997.—...
Bed-load measurements on large, sand-bed rivers in the United States

The movement of bed forms (sand dunes) in large sand-bed rivers is being used to determine the transport rate of bed load. The ISSDOTv2 (Integrated Section Surface Difference Over Time version 2) methodology uses time sequenced differences of measured bathymetric surfaces to compute the bed-load transport rate. The method was verified using flume studies [1]. In general, the method provides very consistent and repeatable results, and also shows very good fidelity with most other measurement techniques. Over the last 7 years we have measured, computed and compiled what we believe to be the most extensive data set anywhere of bed-load measurements on large, sand bed rivers. Most of the measurements have been taken on the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Snake Rivers in the United States. For cases where multiple measurements were made at varying flow rates, bed-load rating curves have been produced. This paper will provide references for the methodology, but is intended more to discuss the measurements, the resulting data sets, and current and potential uses for the bed-load data.
Attack Rate-Patient Number Plot for Analysis of Food Poisoning Caused by Microbes and Plant or Animal Toxins

The number of food consumers (eaters) and patients per outbreak followed a log-normal distribution in food poisoning caused by microbes. In contrast, it followed a scale-free distribution in food poisoning caused by plant or animal toxins. Attack rates of the individual outbreaks were distributed continuously and almost linearly from ＞ 0 to 1 for all the food poisoning cases, i.e., they could not be represented by median and standard deviation. For simultaneous monitoring of the number of patients and the attack rate in individual outbreaks, the number of patients was plotted on the x-axis in the logarithmic scale against the attack rate on the y-axis in the normal scale. This led to the formation of plots characterized by repeating arcs, assuming the shape of a butterfly with extended wings when viewed from above, which was called "backbone configuration." The butterfly-shaped plot patterns were generally stable over time, although it varied depending on the pathogens, implicated facilities and their combinations. The backbone configuration was reproduced assuming that the number of patients per outbreak was distributed continuously from 1 to the number of eaters per outbreak.
An analysis of sparsity preserving pivot strategies for discontinuous Galerkin methods applied to acoustic scattering

In this paper we discuss and analyze the sparse structure of matrices associated to the interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin (IP-DG) method applied to the Helmholtz equation. It is well-known that LU-factorization causes fill-in and this paper discusses three pivoting strategies: approximate minimal degree (AMD), nested dissection, and reverse Cuthill-McKee, that can reduce fill-in associated to the LU-factorization. Numerical experiments are included that demonstrate the performance of these pivoting strategies. These experiments include both uniform and non-uniform mesh structures, the inclusion of a scattering boundary, and both piecewise linear and quadratic solution spaces.
More Than Quibbles: Problems with the Theory and History of Fractional Reserve Free Banking

The extensive debate over fractional reserve free banking (FRFB) has spanned decades and includes volleys from many contributors. Consequently, relative newcomers to this controversy often wish to extend the conversation on several fronts. In this spirit, Bagus and Howden (2010) is a 27-page paper detailing numerous objections to FRFB, which they modestly entitled, "Fractional Reserve Free Banking: Some Quibbles." The present paper continues in this tradition, elaborating on some of the key critiques of FRFB raised by others earlier in the debate. In particular, I critically explore two key claims of the FRFB camp: that holders of banknotes implicitly lend funds to the issuing bank, and that the historical periods of relatively free banking illustrate the stability of the system.
Long run optimization of landscape level irrigation through managed aquifer recharge or expanded surface reservoirs

Abstract Decades of efforts to reduce groundwater overdraft through investment in irrigation efficiency has, in many cases, failed to reduce aquifer depletion. This is one reason for greater attention to water supply augmentation efforts through the capture of surface water during high flow events for managed aquifer recharge (MAR) or additional surface storage. We use a landscape level model to examine the optimal interaction among MAR, surface reservoir storage, crop choice, and groundwater conservation policies in Eastern Arkansas. We find the cost of MAR water must be less than half the average groundwater pumping cost to increase the aquifer level. Increases in irrigation intensive crops mean that only a fraction of the recharged water raises groundwater levels. We observe that policies to conserve groundwater, such as a pumping cap or tax, are more cost-effective for society with a lower cost of MAR water.
China in a World of Orders: Rethinking Compliance and Challenge in Beijing's International Relations

Many scholars and policymakers in the United States accept the narrative that China is a revisionist state challenging the U.S.-dominated international liberal order. The narrative assumes that the...
NOVA - A tool for eXplainable Cooperative Machine Learning

In this paper, we introduce a next-generation annotation tool called NOVA, which implements a workflow that interactively incorporates the ‘human in the loop’. In particular, NOVA offers a collaborative annotation backend where multiple annotators join their workforce. A main aspect of NOVA is the possibility of applying semi-supervised active learning where Machine Learning techniques are used already during the annotation process by giving the possibility to pre-label data automatically. Furthermore, NOVA implements recent eXplainable AI (XAI) techniques to provide users with both, a confidence value of the automatically predicted annotations, as well as visual explanation. This way, annotators get to understand whether they can trust their ML models, or more annotated data is necessary.
InSight Care Pilot Program: Redefining Seeing a Patient.

PURPOSE: Early detection and management of symptoms in patients with cancer improves outcomes. However, the optimal approach to symptom monitoring and management is unknown. InSight Care is a mobil...
Private Earnings Guidance: A New Measure and its Implications for Understanding Managers' Voluntary Disclosure Behavior*

This study capitalizes on publicly available information to develop a new measure of private earnings guidance. This new measure makes it possible to systematically test factors that theory predicts to explain managers' voluntary disclosure behavior, including transaction cost savings, proprietary information cost, and information transfer value for analysts (King, Pownall, and Waymire (1990)). Prior research has provided piecemeal evidence on some (but not all) of these factors. But empirical tests in prior research are difficult to interpret because this research generally misclassifies private disclosure as nondisclosure. Also, prior research offers little evidence on why managers choose private disclosure. My results are largely consistent with theory. I find that, in the first stage, managers are more likely to choose disclosure over nondisclosure when the firms have higher transaction cost savings from disclosure and lower proprietary information costs. Once managers have chosen disclosure, I find that they are more likely to choose private disclosure over public disclosure if the firm has higher proprietary information costs and higher information transfer value for analysts (i.e., the firm's earnings-related information can help the analyst predict earnings of other firms in the same industry). I do not find a significant difference in transaction cost savings between firms who choose private disclosure and those who choose public disclosure.
Does Foucault Have a Published Œuvre

Despite the veneer of agreement, Foucault scholars disagree deeply about where to demarcate the published from the unpublished texts of Foucault. I differentiate four, often tacit, demarcation criteria commonly used by scholars through a survey of the secondary literature (publication, publication*, authorization, and publicness). These demarcation criteria generate different and non-coextensive sets of texts categorized as published. Each of these demarcation criteria are problematized by Foucault's complex publication history. The presupposition that there exists a clear division between published and unpublished texts is a false dichotomy and should be abandoned. Instead, scholars must be explicit about why particular kinds of historical evidence are valuable to their projects and avoid abstractions. This should lead to historically informed methodological discussions with a focus on the material facts of individual texts rather than relying on an abstract and historically falsifiable dichotomy.
Longitudinal interrelationship between HIV viral suppression, maternal weight change, breastfeeding, and length in HIV-exposed and uninfected infants participating in the Kabeho study in Kigali, Rwanda.

Abstract Purpose The health of infants that are HIV-exposed and -uninfected (HEU) is a major public health concern as HIV becomes a chronic condition. We investigate the interrelationship between maternal viral suppression, maternal weight status, breastfeeding, and infants that are HEU. Methods The Kabeho study followed 502 HEU infants in Kigali, Rwanda, for 24 months from 2013 to 2014. We use a structural equation modeling approach to investigate the dynamic relationships between viral suppression, maternal weight change, breastfeeding, and infant length-for-age z-score (LAZ) as defined by the WHO. Results Older mothers are more likely to be virally suppressed and to breastfeed. Viral suppression and the mother being on antiretroviral treatment for longer were related to lower infant LAZ at three months. A more positive maternal weight change was related to higher infant LAZ at the end of each period. At 12 months, a higher infant LAZ was related to increased probability of continued breastfeeding. At 18 months, continued breastfeeding was related to lower LAZ, and food shortages were related to higher LAZ. Conclusion There is a complex interrelationship between viral suppression, maternal weight change, breastfeeding, and infant LAZ. These relationships demonstrate the link between maternal and infant health in the context of HIV.
Micron scale electromagnetic viable tumor cell capture and release

In this study, we report on new developments, improved results and a new fabrication approach to a micro-electromagnet-based microfluidic device capable of capturing and releasing superparamagnetic beads and bead-bound MCF-7 cancer cells on a sensor site with high efficiency based on the challenges identified and reported in our preliminary studies (Gajasinghe et al. 2016). The device is biocompatible and fabricated by utilizing only traditional microfabrication methods. The microfluidic channel is coated with SU-8 to provide uniform and smooth channel surface for easy release of the captured viable cells without any chemical usage. We labelled MCF-7 cells with superparamagnetic beads via Ep-CAM antibody and observed capture rates of the superparamagnetic beads and MCF-7 cells are 99.9 ± 0.2%, and 94.4 ± 7%, and release efficiencies are 97.4 ± 2%, and 95.2 ± 3%, respectively. Furthermore, there was no significant degrade on viability was observed. Reusability of the device was also presented. Overall, our device is highly efficient, fast, low cost, and has potential be used for cell analysis, drug screening, and disease diagnostics.
Design Thinking Approach to Global Collaboration and Empowered Learning: Virtual Exchange as Innovation in a Teacher Education Course

This study discusses a design-thinking approach for a virtual exchange intended to introduce pre-service teachers to global collaboration and empowered learning through the use of educational technology. Principles of design-thinking (i.e., empathy, ideation, and testing) were aligned with broader educational goals of culturally responsive practices and metacognition. Findings suggested that participants in the study (n = 36), pre-service teachers in the US, drew on individual strengths, cosmopolitan interests in global partnership, and problem-solving strategies to leverage educational technology to achieve learning goals. This paper contributes valuable insights, and recommendations for practice, about how to conduct virtual exchanges in higher education and K-12 learning settings.
Atmospheric aging processes of bioaerosols under laboratory-controlled conditions: A review

Abstract We present a comprehensive update on the studies of atmospheric aging processes for airborne bioaerosols under various laboratory-controlled conditions. We reviewed changes in physical, chemical, and biological properties of aerosolized biological organisms suspended in air under different simulated environmental parameters or open air factors (OAFs). These changes were scrutinized by measuring viability, inactivation, infectivity, DNA damage, qPCR signal, fluorescence spectral profile and intensity, or/and Raman spectral features. The OAFs considered here are the solar or ultra-violet (UV) radiation, heat or temperature, ozone (O3), free radicals, pollutants, relative humidity, and volatile organic compounds. Most times, especially in actual environmental conditions, far more than one of these factors were involved in the aging processes under various mixed conditions with different levels of individual factors and procedures applied. It is extremely challenging to quantitatively describe these changes of airborne bioaerosols under various combined influences of multiple OAFs. To date, there is not yet sufficient knowledge to enable us to quantitatively express relationships among viability, PCR signals, and spectral features for the atmospheric aging processes, except for some simple changes under particular conditions. Therefore, more comprehensive studies are strongly encouraged to be carried out to address those challenges in the field.
Mobile Access for Patient Centered Care: The Challenges of Activating Knowledge through Health Information Technology

With the growing use of mobile technology to access health information, patients are being empowered in their healthcare choices. While specific mobile applications are becoming available for patients to manage their own care, most treatment processes support healthcare professionals and offer little support for patient centered care. In order to address this problem, federal regulations require providers to become "meaningful users" of Health Information Technology (HIT) in an effort to encourage patient centered care through the assessment of health outcomes. This paper contends that addressing meaningful use practices for patient centered care involves the activation of knowledge, which means bringing knowledge into action. A survey of 73 health care providers sought to discover how their knowledge activation affects patient centered care. The results suggest that current HIT usage by providers has limited knowledge activation. The contribution of this research is in that it identifies areas that would to bring about improvements in patient centered care and a model that shows how mobile access to patient records could potentially streamline the patient care process.
Suppression of ColE1 high-copy-number mutants by mutations in the polA gene of Escherichia coli.

We isolated three Escherichia coli suppressor strains that reduce the copy number of a mutant ColE1 high-copy-number plasmid. These mutations lower the copy number of the mutant plasmid in vivo up to 15-fold; the wild-type plasmid copy number is reduced by two- to threefold. The suppressor strains do not affect the copy numbers of non-ColE1-type plasmids tested, suggesting that their effects are specific for ColE1-type plasmids. Two of the suppressor strains show ColE1 allele-specific suppression; i.e., certain plasmid copy number mutations are suppressed more efficiently than others, suggesting specificity in the interaction between the suppressor gene product and plasmid replication component(s). All of the mutations were genetically mapped to the chromosomal polA gene, which encodes DNA polymerase I. The suppressor mutational changes were identified by DNA sequencing and found to alter single nucleotides in the region encoding the Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I. Two mutations map in the DNA-binding cleft of the polymerase region and are suggested to affect specific interactions of the enzyme with the replication primer RNA encoded by the plasmid. The third suppressor alters a residue in the 3'-5' exonuclease domain of the enzyme. Implications for the interaction of DNA polymerase I with the ColE1 primer RNA are discussed.
Anti-Szego quadrature rules

Szego quadrature rules are discretization methods for approximating integrals of the form ∫ π -π f(e ιt )du(t). This paper presents a new class of discretization methods, which we refer to as anti-Szego quadrature rules. Anti-Szego rules can be used to estimate the error in Szego quadrature rules: under suitable conditions, pairs of associated Szego and anti-Szego quadrature rules provide upper and lower bounds for the value of the given integral. The construction of anti-Szego quadrature rules is almost identical to that of Szego quadrature rules in that pairs of associated Szego and anti-Szego rules differ only in the choice of a parameter of unit modulus. Several examples of Szego and anti-Szego quadrature rule pairs are presented.
Structure and dynamics of solid C60.

Results of ab initio molecular-dynamics simulations of the properties of solid C 60 are reported. The soccer-ball structure of molecular C 60 is well preserved in the solid. The T=0 structure consists of alternating single and double bonds, but this distinction becomes blurred at relatively low temperatures. The intermolecular interactions are so weak that the individual C 60 can rotate at relatively low temperatures. At high temperatures vibrations cause large distortions, but the cage structure is still preserved. The present results are in excellent agreement with photoemission and NMR data
Problems and Benefits Associated With Restorative Materials: Side-Effects and Long-Term Cost:

The paper reviews data on biological side-effects of dental materials on patients and also on personnel who routinely handle the materials. The incidence of adverse effects is low-in one study indicated to be 1:700 for all types of treatments. For individual types of materials, it will be significantly lower, and for restorative materials, probably in the 1 : 10,000 to 1:20,000 range. Allergic reactions are the most common type of adverse effect of dental materials. Lichenoid reactions on the oral mucous membrane adjacent to amalgam restorations are the most frequently encountered side-effects for a specific group of restorative materials.Cost analyses were based on reports of longevity of different restorations and the cost of restorations at the time of placement. Amalgam restorative therapy was more cost-effective than composite restorations and gold castings.
Perfluorocarbon emulsion improves oxygen transport of normal and sickle cell human blood in vitro

Perfluorocarbons (PFC) are compounds with high gas solubility that could help deliver O2 to tissues and have been suggested as adjunct therapy to ischemia. Using a newly designed in vitro system, we tested the hypothesis that a third generation PFC emulsion (Oxycyte) increased O2 transport of blood by measuring changes in O2 extraction ratio. The system included a computer-controlled pump and blood-gas exchange chambers to oxygenate and deoxygenate the blood from nine sickle cell disease (SCD) patients and five healthy donors. The flowing blood reached various levels of hemoglobin O2 saturation and O2 partial pressures (PO2), measured using a CO-oximeter and a blood gas analyzer. The mixtures were kept at physiological blood pressure and temperature, constant flow, normobaric conditions, and FiO2 = 0.30. After adding PFC, the measurements suggested an increase in the transport of O2 and CO. Addition of PFC resulted in larger PO2 difference from 15 ± 2 mmHg to 23 ± 2 mmHg. Using normal blood and blood from SCD patients, the average O2 extraction ratio (O2ER) after PFC was significantly higher than baseline. Addition of saline did not cause statistically significant changes. The data suggest increased (facilitated) O2 transport by this PFC emulsion in both normal and SCD blood. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 2105–2115, 2014.
On the Schrodinger Equation and the Eigenvalue Problem

If λk is thekth eigenvalue for the Dirichlet boundary problem on a bounded domain in ℝn, H. Weyl's asymptotic formula asserts that\(\lambda _k \sim C_n \left( {\frac{k}{{V(D)}}} \right)^{2/n} \), hence\(\sum\limits_{i = 1}^k {\lambda _i \sim \frac{{nC_n }}{{n + 2}}k^{\frac{{n + 2}}{n}} V(D)^{ - 2/n} } \). We prove that for any domain and for all\(\sum\limits_{i = 1}^k {\lambda _i \geqq \frac{{nC_n }}{{n + 2}}k^{\frac{{n + 2}}{n}} V(D)^{ - 2/n} } \). A simple proof for the upper bound of the number of eigenvalues less than or equal to -α for the operator Δ−V(x) defined on ℝn (n≧3) in terms of\(\int\limits_{\mathbb{R}^n } {(V + \alpha )_ - ^{n/2} } \) is also provided.
Resistivity control in unintentionally doped GaN films grown by MOCVD

Abstract The relationship of GaN resistivity to film microstructure and impurity compensation are investigated using transmission electron microscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and resistance measurements. Unintentionally doped GaN films grown by MOCVD at varying pressures exhibit increased grain size, reduced carbon and oxygen impurity incorporation, reduction in the density of threading dislocations (TDs) with an edge component, and reduced resistivity with increasing growth pressure. Variation in resistivity over eight orders of magnitude is observed as a result of varying the MOCVD growth pressure in a controlled experiment. Our results suggest that disclocations play an important role in the resistivity of GaN. Evidence is presented of impurities segregating at TDs having an edge component, and acting as compensating centers. The control of such compensation as a function of MOCVD growth conditions is outlined.
Beneficial effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids in partially nephrectomized rats

Evening primrose oil, safflower oil, and salmon oil, all with high polyunsaturated fatty acid content, were fed to partially nephrectomized rats; the effects were compared to those of feeding beef tallow. All three oils had favorable effects on progression of renal failure, salmon oil on kidney histology as well. The changes induced in platelet production of thromboxane A2, and in the renal production of various eicosanoids may explain the protective role of these oils.
Functionally Graded Nanocomposites: Manufacturing and Characterization

Multi-walled carbon nanofiber (MWCN) composites having tailored internal structure are created using Field Aided Micro Tailoring (FAiMTa) technology. FAiMTa is a technique that relies on the application of an electric field to a suspension while it cures. The particles in the suspension align in the direction of the electric field while the matrix material hardens, locking the aligned particles in place. The outcome is an orthotropic micro-tailored composite. Three 1% by volume MWCN/epoxy composite systems are manufactured and characterized: (a) random orientation, (b) fibers aligned through the thickness of the sample, and (c) half-aligned through the thickness and half random orientation. Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry (ESPI) and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) are used to evaluate mechanical material properties as a function of particle alignment. The half aligned sample demonstrates the ability of FAiMTa to locally tailor a material.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Effects of chemical treatments on ultra-high-yield pulping. I: Fiber separation

Specially designed wood blocks from Norway spruce were used to study the nature of the fracture surfaces developed in shear using a tensile tester. In the case of the control (water-soaked blocks), the fracture in the latewood takes place mainly in the S1 layer while in the earlywood the fracture occurs across the double cell wall. After dilute alkali treatment, some earlywood cells also fracture in the S1 layer. For sulfite-treated samples, on the other hand, both earlywood and latewood fracture in the middle lamella.
Fish Distributions and Nutrient Cycling in Streams: Can Fish Create Biogeochemical Hotspots?

Rates of biogeochemical processes often vary widely in space and time, and characterizing this variation is critical for understanding ecosystem functioning. In streams, spatial hotspots of nutrient transformations are generally attributed to physical and microbial processes. Here we examine the potential for heterogeneous distributions of fish to generate hotspots of nutrient recycling. We measured nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) excretion rates of 47 species of fish in an N-limited Neotropical stream, and we combined these data with population densities in each of 49 stream channel units to estimate unit- and reach-scale nutrient recycling. Species varied widely in rates of N and P excretion as well as excreted N:P ratios (6-176 molar). At the reach scale, fish excretion could meet >75% of ecosystem demand for dissolved inorganic N and turn over the ambient NH4 pool in <0.3 km. Areal N excretion estimates varied 47-fold among channel units, suggesting that fish distributions could influence local N availability. P excretion rates varied 14-fold among units but were low relative to ambient concentrations. Spatial variation in aggregate nutrient excretion by fish reflected the effects of habitat characteristics (depth, water velocity) on community structure (body size, density, species composition), and the preference of large-bodied species for deep runs was particularly important. We conclude that the spatial distribution of fish could indeed create hotspots of nutrient recycling during the dry season in this species-rich tropical stream. The prevalence of patchy distributions of stream fish and invertebrates suggests that hotspots of consumer nutrient recycling may often occur in stream ecosystems.