cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonsurgical Treatment for Rotator Cuff Injury in the Elderly

Shoulder pain is a common musculoskeletal complaint in the general population. The elderly population is often afflicted, and rotator cuff problems are among the most common causes of shoulder pain seen in primary care practices. The prevalence of shoulder pain in the elderly has been estimated to range from 21% to 27%, and the prevalence of rotator cuff tear increases with advanced age. The etiology of rotator cuff disease is likely multifactorial, including both extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Rotator cuff dysfunction encompasses a spectrum of pathological changes, ranging from impingement syndrome to rotator cuff tendonitis to rotator cuff tendon tear. In the elderly population, the clinical manifestations from rotator cuff dysfunction can translate into significant morbidity and disabilities, interfering with ability for self care and functional independence. The goals of managing rotator cuff disease are to regain normal shoulder function and biomechanics, and to improve functional abilities in elderly patients. Treatment can consist of various conservative therapies (including ice, simple exercises, medications), and progress to more intensive physical therapy and/or corticosteroid injections. Rotator cuff dysfunction is a common musculoskeletal disorder in elderly patients and is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Physicians should be aware of the prevalence of rotator cuff disease in this population and provide early diagnosis and treatment to help preserve the functional ability and independence of older patients.
Why individuals in larger teams perform worse

Abstract Research shows that individuals in larger teams perform worse than individuals in smaller teams; however, very little field research examines why. The current study of 212 knowledge workers within 26 teams, ranging from 3 to 19 members in size, employs multi-level modeling to examine the underlying mechanisms. The current investigation expands upon Steiner’s (1972) model of individual performance in group contexts identifying one missing element of process loss, namely relational loss. Drawing from the literature on stress and coping, relational loss, a unique form of individual level process, loss occurs when an employee perceives that support is less available in the team as team size increases. In the current study, relational loss mediated the negative relationship between team size and individual performance even when controlling for extrinsic motivation and perceived coordination losses. This suggests that larger teams diminish perceptions of available support which would otherwise buffer stressful experiences and promote performance.
SOS Mutator DNA Polymerase IV Functions in Adaptive Mutation and Not Adaptive Amplification

Adaptive point mutation and amplification are induced responses to environmental stress, promoting genetic changes that can enhance survival. A specialized adaptive mutation mechanism has been documented in one Escherichia coli assay, but its enzymatic basis remained unclear. We report that the SOS-inducible, error-prone DNA polymerase (pol) IV, encoded by dinB, is required for adaptive point mutation in the E. coli lac operon. A nonpolar dinB mutation reduces adaptive mutation frequencies by 85% but does not affect adaptive amplification, growth-dependent mutation, or survival after oxidative or UV damage. We show that pol IV, together with the major replicase, pol III, can account for all adaptive point mutations at lac. The results identify a role for pol IV in inducible genetic change.
Molecular Mechanisms of Urea Transport

Physiologic data provided evidence for specific urea transporter proteins in red blood cells and kidney inner medulla. During the past decade, molecular approaches resulted in the cloning of several urea transporter cDNA isoforms derived from two gene families: UT-A and UT-B. Polyclonal antibodies were generated to the cloned urea transporter proteins, and their use in integrative animal studies resulted in several novel findings, including: (1) UT-B is the Kidd blood group antigen; (2) UT-B is also expressed in many non-renal tissues and endothelial cells; (3) vasopressin increases UT-A1 phosphorylation in rat inner medullary collecting duct; (4) the surprising finding that UT-A1 protein abundance and urea transport are increased in the inner medulla during conditions in which urine concentrating ability is reduced; and (5) UT-A protein abundance is increased in uremia in both liver and heart. This review will summarize the knowledge gained from studying molecular mechanisms of urea transport and from integrative studies into urea transporter protein regulation.
DYNAMIC CRACK PROCESSES VIA MOLECULAR DYNAMICS

From large-scale molecular-dynamics simulations of dynamic crack propagation, we find that cracks accelerate quickly to a relatively steady velocity. Energy released by bond breaking accumulates in a local phonon field that moves with the crack tip and promotes the emission of dislocations. Branching follows dislocation emission along a slip plane. The branching instability requires the crack to achieve a critical velocity, as well as in induction time for energy buildup at the crack tip. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Neuroscience: What We Cannot Model, We Do Not Understand

Summary To understand computations in neuronal circuits, a model of a small patch of cortex has been developed that can describe the firing regime in the visual system remarkably well.
A Strategic Module-Based Platform Design Method for Developing Customized Products in Dynamic and Uncertain Market Environments

Product family design facilitates mass customization by allowing highly differentiated products to be developed around a platform while targeting products to distinct market segments. Therefore, effective platforming of products is a cost-effective way to achieve mass customization The objective in this research is to develop a Strategic Module-based Platform Design Method (SMPDM) to determine a platform design strategy to support product family design in a dynamic and uncertain environment. Ontologies are used to represent products and enable sharing and reuse of design information. Data mining techniques are used to identify a platform and modules by utilizing design information stored in a large database or repository. To determine a platform for family design in dynamic and uncertain market environments, the SMPDM uses agent-based decision-making, involving a market-based negotiation mechanism and a game theoretic approach based on module-based platform concepts and a mathematical model. To demonstrate and validate the usefulness of the proposed method, it is applied to a family of power tools and tested in multiple scenario-based experiments. The SMPDM provides an optimal platform design strategy that can be adapted to various dynamic and uncertain market environments. Therefore, the SMPDM can help develop design strategies to manage and create a cost-effective variety of products based on a platform in support of mass customization.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
The GRASP sound separation system

Any speech recognition system designed to function in environments with other sounds present must deal with extraneous sounds. A hierarchical separation and recognition system is proposed as a computational model of how the auditory system processes sounds. The GRASP system (for Grouping Research on Auditory Sound Processing) is a part of that overall framework for sound separation. GRASP is a computational model of the data-driven aspects of auditory separation. It uses the physical cues present in the acoustic signal (such as pitch and onsets) to decide how many sounds are present and of what each sound consists. Its initial use is to separate simultaneously spoken digits from different speakers.
Remote sensing of water vapor in the near IR from EOS/MODIS

The LOWTRAN-7 code was used to simulate remote sensing of water vapor over 20 different surface covers. The simulation was used to optimize the water vapor channel selection and to test the accuracy of the remote sensing method. The channel selection minimizes the uncertainty in the derived water vapor due to variations in the spectral dependence of the surface reflectance. The selection also minimizes the sensitivity of the selected channels to possible drift in the channel position. The use of additional MODIS channels reduces the errors due to the effect of haze, subpixel clouds and uncertainties in the temperature profile. Remote sensing of the variation of water vapor from day to day will be more accurate, because the surface reflectances vary slowly with time. The method was applied to Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data. >
Semiconductor 1.7 W volume Bragg laser with divergence close to a diffraction limit

Novel volume Bragg laser (VOBLA) with two photo-thermo-refractive volume Bragg gratings feedback is studied on the basis of 150-mum-stripe LD. High-efficient, near diffraction-limited operation at power of 1.7 W and spectral width of 250 pm are demonstrated.
Peeling Back the Layers: Detecting Event Role Fillers in Secondary Contexts

The goal of our research is to improve event extraction by learning to identify secondary role filler contexts in the absence of event keywords. We propose a multi-layered event extraction architecture that progressively "zooms in" on relevant information. Our extraction model includes a document genre classifier to recognize event narratives, two types of sentence classifiers, and noun phrase classifiers to extract role fillers. These modules are organized as a pipeline to gradually zero in on event-related information. We present results on the MUC-4 event extraction data set and show that this model performs better than previous systems.
Globalization and the Soul—According to Teilhard, Friedman, and Others

Thomas L. Friedman's recent book on globalization, The Lexus and the Olive Tree, sees a religious value in globalization: “globalization emerges from below … from people's very souls and from their deepest aspirations” (1999, 338). Pierre Teilhard de Chardin made similar claims in 1920, calling globalization the “deep-rooted religious movement of our age” (Teilhard 1979, 211). He came to this awareness through his experience in World War I. There he began connecting globalization to its roots in evolution and to the mystics’ desire for the “All,” a desire he saw animating the work of believing and unbelieving scientists. He found confirmation of his ideas in the letters of Saint Paul, who told of God eventually filling all things. Teilhard used the vocabulary of mysticism to describe global developments in technology, industry, politics, and the environment, and the ardor of his texts has led to their being widely used for secular gatherings on global subjects.
Reasoning about deduction with unknown constants

An intelligent agent must plan future deductions and anticipate what other agents will deduce from their beliefs- Creary (1979) proposed to do this by simulation. Often the agent's future beliefs, or the beliefs of other agents, involve terms unknown to the agent at simulation time. This paper shows how to extend Creary technique to handle this case.
Improvements in the Michigan State University Cyclotron RF System

A new all solid state dee voltage amplitude regulator has been built for the MSU Cyclotron. It should lead to a factor of two improvement in the energy resolution of the external beam with a consequent increase in the ratio of beam-on-target to internal beam for most experiments. The RF drive to the final amplifier is regulated at a 10 mW level via an FET tetrode amplifier (Fig. 1). The gain of the FET is controlled by a signal proportional to the difference between a reference voltage and the sum of demodulated signals from each dee. Protective circuits are included which remove RF drive to the final amnlifier in the event of severe dee sparking, and limit final grid and anode voltages as guards against clumsy cyclotron operators. Peak-to-peak noise levels of the dee voltage of less than 0.07% are achieved and with careful adjustments noise levels of less than 0.05% have been obtained. Since the cyclotron is usually operated with internal beam pulse-widths of less than 0.5 nsec. corresponding to an energy spread due to phase width alone of 0.04%, noise on the dee voltage makes a significant contribution to the over-all energy resolution of the external beam.
NOTES ON THE AUGOCHLORINE BEE GENUS CHLEROGAS (HYMENOPTERA: HALICTIDAE)

Supplemental information to the earlier monograph of the rare bee genus ChlerogasVachal (Halictinae: Augochlorini) is provided. The recently identifi ed males of C.boliviensis Brooks & Engel and C. cyaneus Brooks & Engel are described andfi gured, including the fi rst account of the eversible endophallic structure for thegenus. In addition, C. cyaneus, previously known only from northern Ecuador, isnewly recorded from north-central Colombia.
Improved watermark detection for spread-spectrum based watermarking using independent component analysis

This paper presents an efficient blind watermark detection/decoding scheme for spread spectrum (SS) based watermarking, exploiting the fact that in SS-based embedding schemes the embedded watermark and the host signal are mutually independent and obey non-Gaussian distribution. The proposed scheme employs the theory of independent component analysis (ICA) and posed the watermark detection as a blind source separation problem. The proposed ICA-based blind detection/decoding scheme has been simulated using real-world audio clips. The simulation results show that the ICA-based detector can detect and decode watermark with extremely low decoding bit error probability (less than 0.01) against common watermarking attacks and benchmark degradations.
Should indexing be fair use? The battle over Google Book Search

In late 2004, Google announced as part of its Library Project that it would scan millions of books into a searchable online database accessible to anyone using Google Book Search (http://books.google.com). In response, the US Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers (AAP) sued Google, claiming its book scanning is "massive copyright infringement". Google says its indexing is a legitimate fair use. As in all such discussions, two different questions arise: What does the law say? What would be good public policy?
Clear cell urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder: a case report and review of the literature.

The occurrence of clear cell tumors in the bladder is not uncommon. Clear cell dysplasia is well-described and characterized by focal replacement of transitional mucosa by cells with abundant clear cytoplasm, nuclear enlargement, and a granular chromatin pattern. Clear cells can also be seen in clear cell adenocarcinoma, which is rare, comprising 0.5% to 2.0% of the reported bladder carcinomas. Other clear cell tumors found in the bladder to be considered in the differential diagnosis are tumors of Mullerian origin and metastatic lesions, such as renal cell carcinoma, clear cell sarcoma, and malignant melanoma. Clear cell urothelial carcinoma is exceedingly rare, with only nine clinical cases described in the literature. We report the case of a 75-year-old Caucasian man who presented with intermittent hematuria, in whom a bladder tumor was identified. A final histopathology examination of a cystoprostatectomy specimen revealed a pT3b, G3 urothelial carcinoma of clear cell type (>90% clear cells) and a prostatic adenocarcinoma of Gleason grade 3+3 (score=6). The bladder tumor consisted of sheets of malignant cells with severe nuclear atypia and abundant clear cytoplasm; no glandular or tubular structures were identified. Tumor cells were periodic acid-Schiff positive and negative after diastase treatment; additional mucicarmine and oil red O stains were negative. Immunohistochemical stains showed the tumor cells positive for cytokeratin 7 (CK7), p63 (>80% nuclei), p53 (about 30% nuclei), vimentin, E-cadherin, cluster of differentiation (CD10), and Ki-67 (>70% nuclei). Stains for cell adhesion molecule 5.2 (CAM 5.2), CD117, cytokeratin 20 (CK20), human melanoma black 45 (HMB-45), paired box protein (PAX 8), placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP), prostate specific antigen (PSA), renal cell carcinoma (RCC), cancer antigen 25 (CA25), leukocyte common antigen (LC), S-100 protein, and uroplakin III were all negative. The tumor marker profile was consistent with clear cell type carcinoma of urothelial origin. Within the differential diagnoses, we ruled out other possible tumor types such as urothelial carcinoma with focal clear cell differentiation, clear cell adenocarcinoma, Mullerian tumors, and metastatic disease.
Hemophilia Growth and Development Study: Baseline Neurodevelopmental Findings

Reported baseline findings from the neurological assessment component of the Hemophilia Growth and Development Study (HGDS). HIV-positive (HIV+; n = 207) and HIV-negative (HIV-; n = 126) young males with hemophilia ages 6 to 18 years, were enrolled in a prospective study of their growth and development. At baseline, HIV+ and HIV- subjects were not significantly different in test performance. The number of subjects exhibiting below-average performance in three or more areas assessed was about 25% overall. For both groups, mean test scores were within the average range. Academic and adaptive skills were lower than expected based on mean IQ scores, and more behavioral/emotional problems than expected were reported by parents. Absolute CD4 cell counts per mm3 were not related to neuropsychological performance at baseline. Results suggest that the subjects with HIV were relatively free of HIV-related neuropsychological impairment at baseline and that observed differences from a general population reflect effects of hemophilia as a chronic illness.
Comparison of Three Solvent Systems for Extraction of Chlorophyll a from Fish Pond Phytoplankton Communities

Chloroform-methanol (2:1 v/v), absolute methanol, and 90% acetone were evaluated for their effectiveness as extractants of chlorophyll a from samples of phytoplankton communities collected from catfish ponds. Chloroform-methanol consistently extracted more chlorophyll a than either 90% acetone or methanol. Precision for the methanol extraction was also unacceptably low, with an average coefficient of variation of 17%. Average coefficients of variation for the chloroform-methanol and 90% acetone extraction procedures were 6 and 5%, respectively. Filtered samples should be steeped in chloroform-methanol for at least 4 h to obtain maximum chlorophyll extraction, and the addition of MgCO3 to the extractant as a buffer is not necessary.
PALATABILITY AND VISUAL CHARACTERISTICS OF HAMS AND LOIN CHOPS FROM SWINE TREATED WITH RACTOPAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE

This study was designed to evaluate the visual and palatability characteristics of boneless cured hams and fresh loin chops from pigs fed diets containing 0, 5, 10 or 20 ppm of the phenethanolamine, ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC). Sixty pigs were blocked by starting weight and randomly assigned to pens (four pigs/pen) within each of three blocks. Treatments were then randomly assigned to pens (six pens of the 0–ppm level and three pens each for the 5, 10 and 20 ppm RAC levels). Animals were slaughtered by weight block after approximately 48 days on trial. Fresh pork hams and loin sections (10–14th rib) were removed from the right side of the carcasses for subsequent analysis. Boneless hams were manufactured using commercial curing procedures. RAC had no effect (P > 0.05) on visual or palatability attributes of ham slices or boneless loin chops. Moisture content of the longissimus muscle from RAC treatments was lower (P < 0.05) than controls; however, this difference was small. These results indicate that RAC had no affect on the visual or palatability characteristics of boneless cured and smoked hams or fresh boneless pork loin chops.
DOES THE WELFARE STATE HELP THE POOR

Does the welfare state help the poor? This surprisingly simple question often generates more heat than light. By the welfare state, I mean transfer programs aimed at helping the poor through the direct redistribution of income. (This excludes general economic policy, antitrust, the volunteer military, and many other policies that affect the well-being of the poor.) Defenders of the welfare state often assume that the poor benefit from it, while critics suggest that the losses outweigh the gains. The most notable of such criticisms is Charles Murray's Losing Ground, which suggests that the welfare state has failed to achieve its stated ends.
Interplay of lancet furrows and shape change in the horseshoe bat noseleaf

Horseshoe bats emit biosonar pulses through the nostrils and diffract the outgoing ultrasonic pulses with baffles, so-called “noseleaves,” that surround the nostrils. The noseleaves have complex static geometries and can furthermore undergo dynamic shape changes during emission of the biosonar pulses. The posterior noseleaf part, the lancet, has been shown to carry out anterior-posterior flicking motions during biosonar emissions with average lancet tip displacements of about 1 mm. Here, the acoustic effects of the interplay between the lancet furrows and shape change (lancet rotation) on the emission beam were investigated using the animated digital models obtained from the noseleaves of greater horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum). It was found that forward lancet rotations increase the amount of sound energy allocated to secondary amplitude maxima (sidelobes) in the beampattern, but only in the presence of the furrows. The interaction between static and dynamic features can be readily quantified by roughness (standard deviation about local mean) of the amplitude distribution of the beampatterns. This effect goes beyond the static impact of the furrows on the width of the mainlobe. It could allow the bats to send out their pulses through a sequence of qualitatively different beampatterns.
Applications of polyvinylidene fluoride films

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVF 2 ) is a ferroelectric polymer which can be used in a variety of piezoelectric and pyroelectric transducers. Application classes for PVF 2 are reviewed, and figures of merit are given along with comparisons to other materials. It is shown that thickness, orientation and polarization anisotropy of PVF 2 transducer films should be different for use in diverse applications. Design criteria are presented for a variety of applications including flexure mode transducers and pyroelectric detectors based on PVF 2 . A review is given of the commercialized applications or PVF 2 .
Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis and C3 Glomerulopathy

Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) refers to a pattern of injury characterized by diffuse mesangial expansion due to mesangial and endocapillary proliferation and increased mesangial matrix, and thickened capillary walls, often with a double contour “tram-track” appearance [1, 2]. This pattern may be seen with immune complex deposition, or monoclonal proteins, or other organized deposits (as in fibrillary glomerulonephritis). The immune complexes may be undefined in terms of the inciting antigen (“idiopathic”) or secondary to chronic infections [3]. Of note, glomerular basement membrane double contour appearance may be seen in other nonimmune complex injuries, such as the late phase of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) or in complement-mediated glomerulonephritides [3]. Although light microscopy may appear similar in these entities, immunofluorescence findings with staining for immunoglobulin and complement and corresponding deposits by electron microscopy readily allow recognition of the immune complexes in MPGN. In contrast, C3 glomerulopathies show C3 staining only, or dominant C3 without significant immunoglobulin, with deposits by electron microscopy, while chronic TMA shows no specific immunofluorescence findings and absence of deposits by electron microscopy. We and others prefer to use the term membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis only for immune complex glomerulonephritides with this pattern [1].
Partners and Shareholders as Covered Employees Under Federal Anti-Discrimination Acts

A 2001 ruling by the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit revives the controversy over whether partners and shareholders may be considered employees, entitled to protection under federal anti-discrimination laws. In Wells v. Clackamas, 271 F.3d 90, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that shareholders in a professional corporation are employees. A petition for certiorari was granted in this case, 2002 U.S. LEXIS 5383 (U.S. Oct. 1, 2002) (No. 01-1435). The Ninth Circuit's ruling allowed Ms. Wells to bring her suit for discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act because counting the shareholders as employees gave the company the required minimum of fifteen employees to qualify as a covered entity under the Act. The decision adopts the minority view that corporate form determines whether shareholders are employees under federal anti-discrimination laws. The majority view looks at the relationship between the individuals in question and the business entity and, based on the economic reality of that relationship, determines whether the individual has the proprietary qualities of an employer or not. The economic reality approach is also used in determining whether partners are true partners, and thus employers, or partners in name only, and thus employees. Whether partners in a partnership or shareholders in a professional corporation are employers or employees determines whether they may seek protection under federal anti-discrimination laws, or as in the Wells case, whether the firm is a covered entity, so that employees may bring suit. The authors maintain that the federal anti-discrimination laws should be amended to address the meaning of the term "employee." Because the cases indicate a lack of uniformity in both approach and outcome, the authors recommend amendments to the statutes that would clarify the distinction between "employers" and "employees" and whether the roles must be mutually exclusive. In addition, they recommend amendments regarding which indicia are critical in determining covered employee status, and what members of firms should count as employees for satisfying the jurisdictional minimum.
Comparative effects of selective cyclooxygenase 1 and cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors on myeloperoxidase and 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase.

AbstractThe clinical efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSATDs) is believed to result from the ability of these compounds to inhibit the inducible isoform of the enzyme cyclooxygenase, COX2. The gastrointestinal and renal side effects of these drugs, in contrast, are thought to relate to their ability to inhibit the constitutive isozyme, COX1. There is structural and pharmacological evidence that suggests that NSAIDs may also inhibit two unrelated enzymes, myeloperoxidase (MP) and 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3α-HSD), potentially with untoward consequences for the patient. Our laboratories have been investigating a new structural class of potential COX inhibitors, the tri-cyclic aromatics. In this study we have examined the inhibitory potency of selected compounds for the enzymes human COX1, human COX2, human MP, and rat liver 3α-HSD. The compounds selected span a range of COX isoform selectivities, from specific for COX2 to selective for COX1 only, and include three representative tri...
Designing optically pumped InGaN quantum wells with long wavelength emission for a phosphor-free device with polarized white-light emission

We report a semipolar III-nitride device in which an electrically injected blue light emitting diode optically pumps monolithic long wavelength emitting quantum wells (QWs) to create polarized white light. We have demonstrated an initial device with emission peaks at 440 nm and 560 nm from the electrically injected and optically pumped QWs, respectively. By tuning the ratio of blue to yellow, white light was measured with a polarization ratio of 0.40. High indium content InGaN is required for long wavelength emission but is difficult to achieve because it requires low growth temperatures and has a large lattice mismatch with GaN. This device design incorporates optically pumped QWs for long wavelength emission because they offer advantages over using electrically injected QWs. Optically pumped QWs do not have to be confined within a p-n junction, and carrier transport is not a concern. Thus, thick GaN barriers can be incorporated between multiple InGaN QWs to manage stress. Optically pumping long wavelength emitting QWs also eliminates high temperature steps that degrade high indium content InGaN but are required when growing p-GaN for an LED structure. Additionally, by eliminating electrical injection, the doping profile can instead be engineered to affect the emission wavelength. We discuss ongoing work focused on improving polarized white light emission by optimizing the optically pumped QWs. We consider the effects of growth conditions, including: trimethylindium (TMI) flow rate, InGaN growth rate, and growth temperature. We also examine the effects of epitaxial design, including: QW width, number of QWs, and doping.
Optical Response of As2 S3: Melt Quenched Versus Spin Casted Materials

The transmittance spectra of amorphous As2S3 films prepared by two different techniques, namely spin coating and quenched from the melt were investigated. All measurements were done at room temperature in the energy range from 1.2 to 3.8 eV. The spin casted material was prepared by dissolving powdered stoichiometric arsenic trisulfide in amines and amides, the resulting solution spinned on an oxide glass substrate and baked to remove the volatiles. A typical resulting film was a few micrometers thick and microstructure free as characterized under an optical microscope. The quenched material was prepared by melting a stoichiometric mixture of the reactants in an evacuated and sealed ampoule and alloying at 1100°K for 15 hrs. The melt was subsequently quenched in air to obtain vitreous materials. The transmittance spectra of both types of samples was measured and from the spectra the refractive index dispersion, film thickness and absorption coefficient were obtained. A considerable difference between the optical constants of the spin casted samples and thermally evaporated ones was found. This was attributed to the incorporation of carbon and hydrogen in the amine salt alkyl group formed when dissolving the chalcogenide material.
Rotary Bed Reactor for Chemical-Looping Combustion with Carbon Capture. Part 1: Reactor Design and Model Development

Chemical-looping combustion (CLC) is a novel and promising technology for power generation with inherent CO2 capture. Currently, almost all of the research has been focused on developing CLC-based ...
DYNAMICAL FLIGHT PATH OPTIMIZATION OF AEROSPACE VEHICLES

A method is presented that maximizes the performance of an aerospace vehicle by minimizing the d ifference between the desired and actual dynamical flight paths. The analytical minimization process is effected by applying a weighted least squares performance index (cost functional) to the flight path error in order to optimize the mass properties of the vehicle. This minimization process is commonly referred to as constrained parameter optimization. The recursive quadratic programming procedure of Powell [I] is used to convert the analytical theory into a numerical algorithm. Also, the subject of stability robustness of the vehicle planform is defined in terms of the uniform boundedness of the d eviation from the desired flight and the accumulation error. An axisymmetric sphere-cone reentry body is utilized to explicate the optimization process.
Precipitation evolution and hardening in MgSmZnZr alloys

Abstract Precipitation evolution and its correspondence to mechanical properties in Mg 4Sm xZn 0.4Zr (x = 0, 0.3, 0.6, 1.3) (wt%) alloys are systematically investigated in this work. Precipitation sequences at 200 °C are identified using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), and high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). A new precipitate β′Z is found to present with the increase of Zn addition. With higher Zn content (>∼1 wt%), basal γ-series precipitates dominate. The transition in precipitation sequence agrees well with the change of mechanical properties. The microstructure and property evolution in the optimum Mg 4Sm 0.3Zn 0.4Zr alloy is modeled based on obtained experimental data through a combination of classical nucleation and growth model and the CALPHAD (CALculation of PhAse Diagram) simulation. The obtained parameters are then used to predict the properties of other Mg Sm Zn Zr alloys under other heat treatment conditions. Good agreements are found between the calculated and measured data, which validate the accuracy of the current database and suggest a powerful tool for future optimization of this promising alloy system.
Long-term follow-up of isolated ACL tears treated without ligament reconstruction

The incidence of subsequent meniscal tears and arthritis among patients with isolated ACL tears treated without ligament reconstruction has not been clearly established. The purpose of this study was to (1) compare the risk of subsequent meniscal tears and osteoarthritis (OA) between patients with isolated ACL tears treated without ligament reconstruction and a matched cohort of individuals without ACL tears and (2) examine factors predictive of long-term sequelae after non-operative treatment of isolated ACL tears. This study compared a population-based incidence cohort of 364 patients with new-onset, isolated ACL tears between 1990 and 2000, to an age and sex-matched cohort of 364 individuals without ACL tears. A chart review was performed to collect information related to the initial injury, treatment, and outcomes. Subjects were retrospectively followed for mean follow-up of 14.3 years (±7.4 years) to determine the development of subsequent meniscal injury, arthritis, or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Patients treated without ligament reconstruction after ACL tears had a significantly higher risk of secondary meniscal tears (HR 18.0, 95 % CI 9.7, 33.3), arthritis (HR 14.2, 95 % CI 8.0, 25.2), and need of TKA (HR 5.0, 95 % CI 2.1, 12.2) than individuals without ACL tears. Lateral meniscal tear at diagnosis was associated with a higher risk of arthritis (HR 2.7, 95 % CI 1.4, 5.7) and TKA (HR 4.3, 95 % CI 1.3, 13.7). Treatment with meniscectomy was associated with an increased risk of additional meniscal tears (HR 51.5, 95 % CI 10.3, 936.8). Patients treated non-operatively after isolated ACL tears are at a significantly higher risk of secondary meniscal tears, arthritis, and TKA when compared to age and sex-matched subjects without ACL tears. Additionally, baseline lateral meniscal tears were significantly associated with an increased probability of developing arthritis and the need for TKA. This information may be helpful when counselling patients about the natural history of ACL tears treated without ligament reconstruction. III.
Screening for Low Literacy in a Rheumatology Setting: More Than 10% of Patients Cannot Read "Cartilage," "Diagnosis," "Rheumatologist," or "Symptom"

Objectives:The objectives of the study were to analyze literacy in 194 consecutive patients at an academic rheumatology setting with the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) and an "Arthritis-Adapted" REALM (A-REALM), and to compare responses to one another and to demographic and cli
Exploratory factor analysis of the reintegration to normal living index in a stroke population.

Background: The reintegration to normal living index (RNLI) is a global assessment of patient quality of life often utilized in stroke populations. Previous studies in various general disability samples have consistently reported a two-factor solution for the RNLI. Despite its common use with stroke patients, the RNLI has not been psychometrically evaluated in an exclusively stroke sample. This study is believed to represent the first factor analysis of the RNLI using a sample comprised exclusively of individuals who have survived cerebral infarct.Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of the RNLI in assessing quality of life of stroke survivors.Methods: We retrospectively examined RNLI scores of 928 adults with strokes of varying severities as part of a multidisciplinary, interinstitutional collaboration across an academic medical center, acute care hospital, and rehabilitation center. We utilized a principal component factor analysis to evaluate the factor structure ...
Therapeutic Gases in the Pediatric ICU

The principal function of our lungs is to absorb oxygen from the environment and expel carbon dioxide into it. One of the foremost duties of the pediatric intensivist is to ensure adequate tissue oxygen delivery and to aid in carbon dioxide elimination. This chapter first discusses the oxygen enrichment of inspired air and the delivery of this oxygen to the alveoli and tissues. Particular attention is given to the alveolar gas equation. The chapter then turns its attention to adjunctive gases used in the PICU. Some of these gases, such as nitric oxide are used pharmacologically, whereas others, such as helium, are used for their physical properties. Through an array of devices, the pediatric intensivist can deliver a variety gases to maintain adequate oxygen delivery and promote patient healing and recovery.
Pursuit of a Patient-Oriented Research Career as a Physician-Scientist

In the 1850s, my mother’s grandparents emigrated from Ireland at the time of the potato famine in that country. Bridget Kelly and John Moynahan married and settled in Lexington, Kentucky. Their son, James Moynahan, then married Ann Armstrong, and their third child was Helen Mae Moynahan, my mother. At 23 years of age she moved to Indianapolis, IN and entered the Indianapolis City Hospital School of Nursing. My grandparents on my father’s side, George Schrier and Sophie Achopol, both emigrated from the House of Hannover, which is the present area of northern Germany and the eastern part of the Netherlands. This was probably why some relatives told me that they were of German descent and others that they were Dutch. My paternal grandparents married and moved to Seymour, IN where they became farmers. Their son, Arthur, my father, moved to Indianapolis where he obtained a job as a printer. He and my mother met and married in Indianapolis. My older brother, Dick, was then born, followed 18 months later by my birth, February 19, 1936.
Insider Trading 2.0? The Ethics of Information Sales

The sale of faster access to financial market data has recently generated public controversy. NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has referred to such fast data feeds as “Insider Trading 2.0”. For example, Thomson Reuters sold the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index to computerized trading firms 2 seconds before releasing its data to its other paying clients. This paper explores the ethical issues involved in the sale of such information. Is selling faster access ethically the same as traditional insider trading, which generally involves a breach of fiduciary duty or the use of misappropriated information? Such practices are extremely different from traditional insider trading as there is neither a breach of fiduciary duty nor misappropriation of inside information. The ethical issues are similar to other market segmentation and price discrimination issues, in which different prices are charged to different customers. The ability to price discriminate across segments can actually benefit large segments of the population who may receive lower prices because others, such as the high-speed traders, are paying more. The sale of faster access to information, especially by exchanges, raises additional ethical issues. There may be adverse effects on market quality that must be addressed. The moral distaste for the practice expressed by some stems from the seeming unfairness of a modern market structure that provides advantages to a small group of computerized traders.
Sociodemographic disparities in survival for adolescents and young adults with cancer differ by health insurance status.

To investigate associations of sociodemographic factors—race/ethnicity, neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES), and health insurance—with survival for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with invasive cancer. Data on 80,855 AYAs with invasive cancer diagnosed in California 2001–2011 were obtained from the California Cancer Registry. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate overall survival. Associations of public or no insurance with greater risk of death were observed for 11 of 12 AYA cancers examined. Compared to Whites, Blacks experienced greater risk of death, regardless of age or insurance, while greater risk of death among Hispanics and Asians was more apparent for younger AYAs and for those with private/military insurance. More pronounced neighborhood SES disparities in survival were observed among AYAs with private/military insurance, especially among younger AYAs. Lacking or having public insurance was consistently associated with shorter survival, while disparities according to race/ethnicity and neighborhood SES were greater among AYAs with private/military insurance. While health insurance coverage associates with survival, remaining racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities among AYAs with cancer suggest additional social factors also need consideration in intervention and policy development.
TGF-β Signaling Is Necessary and Sufficient for Pharyngeal Arch Artery Angioblast Formation.

The pharyngeal arch arteries (PAAs) are transient embryonic blood vessels that mature into critical segments of the aortic arch and its branches. Although defects in PAA development cause life-threating congenital cardiovascular defects, the molecular mechanisms that orchestrate PAA morphogenesis remain unclear. Through small-molecule screening in zebrafish, we identified TGF-β signaling as indispensable for PAA development. Specifically, chemical inhibition of the TGF-β type I receptor ALK5 impairs PAA development because nkx2.5+ PAA progenitor cells fail to differentiate into tie1+ angioblasts. Consistent with this observation, we documented a burst of ALK5-mediated Smad3 phosphorylation within PAA progenitors that foreshadows angioblast emergence. Remarkably, premature induction of TGF-β receptor activity stimulates precocious angioblast differentiation, thereby demonstrating the sufficiency of this pathway for initiating the PAA progenitor to angioblast transition. More broadly, these data uncover TGF-β as a rare signaling pathway that is necessary and sufficient for angioblast lineage commitment.
Recent Advances in GLP-1 Receptor Agonists for Use in Diabetes Mellitus

Preclinical Research Mimetics of Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) represent a useful alternative or complementary treatment choice to insulin in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The lack of hypoglycemia as a side effect when GLP-1 receptor agonists are used along with the tendency of these therapeutic agents to prevent or even reduce weight gain makes them valuable targets in therapy development. However, native GLP-1 and many of its early analogues have very short half-lives, requiring repeated treatment to maintain therapeutic levels. As all current treatments are injected subcutaneously, a large focus has been made on trying to extend the half-lives of GLP-1 analogues while retaining bioactivity. Most success in this regard has been achieved with the use of peptide-protein fusions, which are not as well suited for oral administration. However, recent work focused on the development of non-fusion peptides with increased half-lives that may be more appropriate for oral administration. This minireview discusses the structural characteristics of past and present analogues as well as the recent work conducted toward developing novel GLP-1 receptor agonists. Drug Dev Res 78 : 292–299, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evaluation of bioenergy crop growth and the impacts of bioenergy crops on streamflow, tile drain flow and nutrient losses in an extensively tile-drained watershed using SWAT

Abstract Large quantities of biofuel production are expected from bioenergy crops at a national scale to meet US biofuel goals. It is important to study biomass production of bioenergy crops and the impacts of these crops on water quantity and quality to identify environment-friendly and productive biofeedstock systems. SWAT2012 with a new tile drainage routine and improved perennial grass and tree growth simulation was used to model long-term annual biomass yields, streamflow, tile flow, sediment load, and nutrient losses under various bioenergy scenarios in an extensively agricultural watershed in the Midwestern US. Simulated results from bioenergy crop scenarios were compared with those from the baseline. The results showed that simulated annual crop yields were similar to observed county level values for corn and soybeans, and were reasonable for Miscanthus , switchgrass and hybrid poplar. Removal of 38% of corn stover (3.74 Mg/ha/yr) with Miscanthus production on highly erodible areas and marginal land (17.49 Mg/ha/yr) provided the highest biofeedstock production (279,000 Mg/yr). Streamflow, tile flow, erosion and nutrient losses were reduced under bioenergy crop scenarios of bioenergy crops on highly erodible areas and marginal land. Corn stover removal did not result in significant water quality changes. The increase in sediment and nutrient losses under corn stover removal could be offset with the combination of other bioenergy crops. Potential areas for bioenergy crop production when meeting the criteria above were small (10.88 km 2 ), thus the ability to produce biomass and improve water quality was not substantial. The study showed that corn stover removal with bioenergy crops both on highly erodible areas and marginal land could provide more biofuel production relative to the baseline, and was beneficial to water quality at the watershed scale, providing guidance for further research on evaluation of bioenergy crop scenarios in a typical extensively tile-drained watershed in the Midwestern U.S.