cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From theory to actual practice: Creation and application of milestones in an internal medicine residency program, 2004–2010

Background: In the USA, the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education, Educational Innovations Project is a partner in reshaping residency training to meet increasingly complex systems of health care delivery.Aim: We describe the creation and implementation of milestones as a vehicle for translating educational theory into practice in preparing residents to provide safe, autonomous patient care.Method: Six program faculty leaders, all with advanced medical education training, met in an iterative process of developing, implementing, and modifying milestones until a final set were vetted.Results: We first formed the profile of a Master Internist. We then translated it into milestone language and implemented its integration across the program. Thirty-seven milestones were applied in all settings and rotations to reach explicit educational outcomes. We created three types of milestones: Progressive, build one on top of the other to mastery; additive, adding multiple behaviors together to culminate i...
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and the mafia must now welcome organizational crime

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore organized crime on Wall Street and expose the lack of regulatory control thus impacting upon innocent investors in the money market. Organized crime has for many years reaped rewards from unsuspecting investors. This exploration, however, aims to turn away from organized and focus on organizational crime. Specifically, the “highly respected” investor Bernard Madoff.Design/methodology/approach – This paper examines the impact upon innocent investors of the US Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) response to repeated efforts by a whistle blower to investigate an “alleged” out‐of‐control “Ponzi” scheme.Findings – Bernard Madoff's multi‐billion dollar Ponzi scheme was never uncovered by the SEC. The fact is that the economic recession did the SEC's work. The SEC appeared to be willfully blind. Without the economic recession, some suggest that the Madoff Ponzi scheme might have involved close to 100 billion dollars.Originality/value – The SEC's regulatory...
THE SOUTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT AND THE POLITICAL DISADVANTAGE THEORY

Several scholars have shown that “repeat player” status of litigants translates into success in the courtroom as a result of expert attorney experience, optimal strategies and superior knowledge of cases. But the political disadvantage theory holds that the courtroom is the only political forum open to disadvantaged groups. An initial exploratory analysis of a state court demonstrates that while amicus briefs do allow the court system to be open to diverse groups, litigants represented by repeat player amicus are more successful. This study argues that repeat players in the court organize and represent the underdogs of society, thereby neutralizing some disadvantages those underdogs face. Repeat players allow the less advantaged litigants to supplement their own meager resources with the expertise of more advantaged litigants.
Navigating Access and Maintaining Established Practice: Social Studies Teachers' Technology Integration at Three Florida Middle Schools.

This mixed methods, multiple-case study explored middle school social studies teachers’ instructional use of digital technology at three suburban middle schools in a large Florida school district. Findings from this study indicate that the participant teachers viewed technology integration as being beneficial for their students’ future success; however, their practice did not reflect this professed importance. The participant teachers largely used available classroom technology for teacher-centered activities, including information gathering and presentation. Few teachers in this study utilized available technology for student-centered instructional pedagogy. Findings from this study suggest that a singlecause explanation for why teachers do or do not integrate technology into their teaching is insufficient. There appear to be multiple factors influencing the teachers’ practices, including access to and functionality of technology, teacher attitude toward and comfort with technology, and teaching philosophy and pedagogical practice.
Global Positioning System Integer Ambiguity Resolution Without Attitude Knowledge

Inthispaper,anewmotion-basedalgorithmforglobalpositioningsystemintegerambiguityresolutionisderived. Thealgorithmrepresentstheglobalpositioningsystem sightlinevectorsinthebodyframeasthesumoftwovectors, onedependingonthephasemeasurementsandtheotherontheunknownintegers.Thevectorcontainingtheinteger phases is found using a procedure developed to solve for magnetometer biases. In addition to a batch solution, this paper also provides a sequential estimate, so that a suitable stopping condition can be found during the vehicle motion. The newalgorithm has several advantages: it doesnot requirean a prioriestimateofthevehicle’ s attitude; it provides an inherent integrity check using a covariance-type expression; and it can sequentially estimate the ambiguitiesduring thevehiclemotion. Itsonly disadvantageisthatit requiresatleastthreenoncoplanar baselines. The performance of the new algorithm is tested on a dynamic hardware simulator.
Clinical Impact of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With the HeartMate II Left Ventricular Assist Device

Abstract Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common in patients with the HeartMate II (HMII) left ventricular assist device (LVAD), but the impact of AF on clinical outcomes is uncertain. Objectives This study sought to determine the effect of AF on outcomes in patients with the HMII LVAD. Methods Records of 106 patients who underwent HMII implantation at a single center were reviewed. The associations of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) and persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF) with survival, heart failure (HF) hospitalization, bleeding, and thromboembolism were examined using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression. Results Mean age was 56.6 ± 11.4 years, 87.7% of the implants were intended as a bridge to transplantation, and median length of support was 217 days (range: 1 to 952 days). AF was present in 55 patients (51.9%); 36 patients (34.0%) had PAF and 19 (17.9%) had PeAF. Twenty-one patients (19.8%) died, and 18 (17.0%) were hospitalized for HF. There were 0.75 major bleeding events and 0.28 thromboembolic events per patient year of follow-up. PAF was not associated with increased mortality, HF hospitalization, bleeding, or thromboembolism. PeAF, however, was an independent predictor of the composite endpoint of death or HF hospitalization (hazard ratio: 3.54; 95% confidence interval: 1.52 to 8.25; p Conclusions Although PAF is not associated with worse outcomes in patients with the HMII LVAD, PeAF may be associated with increased mortality and HF hospitalization. Patients with AF also may have thromboembolic events at higher INR levels.
Effect of atmospheric oxidation on the electronic and photoluminescence properties of silicon nanocrystal

Web-like aggregates of coalesced Si nanocrystals produced by a laser vaporization- controlled condensation technique show luminescence properties that are similar to those of porous Si. The results are consistent with a quantum confinement mechanism as the source of the red photoluminescence (PL) in this system. The oxidized Si nanoparticles do not exhibit the red PL that is characteristic of the surface-oxidized Si nanocrystals. The nanoparticles are allowed to oxidize slowly, and the PL is measured as a function of the exposure time in air. A significant blue shift in the red PL peak is observed as a result of the slow oxidation process. The dependence of quantum size effects on the bonding structure is established by correlating the PL data with the photon-yield electronic structure measurements made at the Advanced Light Source. The results indicate that as the nanoparticles oxidize, the radius of the crystalline core decreases in size, which gives rise to a larger bandgap and consequently to the observed blue-shift in the PL band. The correlation between the PL, SXF, and NEXAFS results provides further support for the quantum confinement mechanism as the origin of the visible PL in Si nanocrystals.
Floquet formulation of time-dependent density functional theory

Abstract We present a generalized Floquet formulation of time-dependent density functional theory for nonperturbative treatment of both bound-bound and bound-free multiphoton transitions of many-electron systems in intense monochromatic laser fields. It is shown that the time-dependent Kohn-Sham equations can be converted into an equivalent time-independent infinite-dimensional non-Hermitian Floquet Hamiltonian eigenvalue problem. We introduce the notion of complex density and present a procedure for extracting the partial ionization rates from individual electron orbitals. The method is illustrated by a case study of multiphoton ionization of He in both weak and strong fields.
A simple model of rotational effects in thermal decomposition

A simple analytical model of rotational effects in thermal decomposition is developed. The model describes the non-equilibrium population distribution of the reactant, as a function of the average vibrational energy lost per deactivating collision. The corresponding non-equilibrium rate constant is evaluated, and the results are compared to two previous models.
The visual rhetoric of climate change

A unique perspective on climate-change graphics is provided by the discipline of rhetoric, which treats these images as arguments that configure polities in specific debates over climate change. Rhetorical approaches remind us that all climate-change arguments are political and that their effects are contingent on the time and place of their presentation. While the research in this area is new and diverse, nevertheless, some common findings emerge: that habitual ways of visualizing climate change work against, not for, effective political action; that rhetorical choices do and should underpin technical climate graphics at fundamental levels; but ironically that nonexperts, and even some experts, perpetuate the myth that climate graphics are transparent, untransformed views of nature. Rhetorical scholarship to date suggests a few paths forward through these problems toward more just, equitable, and effective public deliberation over climate-change policy. WIREs Clim Change 2015, 6:361–368. doi: 10.1002/wcc.342 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. Conflict of interest: The author has declared no conflicts of interest for this article.
Chile's agricultural diversification

Abstract Chile's fruit sector, both in production and exports, has grown significantly since 1974. At that time, Chile introduced structural reforms in its economy which assured that market principles would operate regarding land ownership. Also, the government began a ‘hands-off’ policy which basically allowed free-market principles to prevail. As a result of these conditions operating in the economy, Chile's agricultural sector diversified from producing largely annual crops and wool to also producing a significant amount of commercial fruit crops. A second round of diversification is currently underway within the fruit industry where pears and peaches are being produced and exported in addition to apples and table grapes. In this paper we derive decision criteria when aggregate performance is evaluated from the perspective of maximizing a risk-averse utility function. Empirical evidence on Chilean fruit exports indicates that, on an aggregate level, Chilean fruit exporters are following the path of utility maximization and validates the sequence by which Chilean producers introduced nontraditional crops over time. While on an individual level there may be complex factors and constraints involved in the planting decisions, the results of this study seem to indicate that the sum of producer behavior satisfies the conditions required for maximizing a risk-averse utility function.
Clinical and histopathologic spectrum of cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease in Taiwan ☆

Abstract Background Cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare entity of unknown origin and is not well documented, especially in Asian populations. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical manifestation, diagnostic histopathology, clinical course, and response to treatment of cutaneous RDD in Taiwan. Materials and methods This study included 21 patients with cutaneous RDD who presented at our institution from 1995 to 2003. Pathologic examinations with both hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical stains were reviewed, as were associated clinical features and therapeutic methods. Results None of the 21 patients with cutaneous RDD had nodal lesions. The clinical manifestation was variable, but most commonly involved a central noduloplaque with satellite papules. One patient manifested as an ulcerated nodule, something not reported previously. Multifocal involvement only occurred in 4 patients. Concurrent involvement of uvea or vocal cord occurred in two patients. The most prominent histologic feature was a florid and mixed inflammatory infiltration. The phagocytosis of inflammatory cells into the cytoplasm of histiocytes, a process called "emperipolesis," is a characteristic finding of nodular RDD but usually only focally presented in cutaneous ones. Positivity for S-100 protein helped to confirm the diagnosis. The most effective treatment was surgical excision of solitary lesions. High-dose thalidomide (300 mg/d), but not low-dose, was effective to control the extensive cutaneous diseases in two patients. A total of 3 patients experienced spontaneous remission 1 to 2 years after diagnosis. Conclusions Cutaneous RDD appeared more frequently in Asian populations than in reports from Western countries. The incidence of multifocal involvement in this series is much lower than in other literature. Although treatment of disseminated cutaneous RDD is difficult, high-dose thalidomide (300 mg/d), which was effective in two patients in this series, may be helpful.
Perceptions of "'Evidence-Based Practice" among the Consumers of Adolescent Substance Use Treatment.

Objective:Several national organisations in the USA have recently developed educational materials that encourage substance use disorder treatment consumers to seek out approaches supported by scientific evidence in order to promote the use of ‘evidence-based practice’ (EBP). This study aimed to explore how adolescents (young people aged 12–17 years) with substance use disorders and their caregivers perceive, understand and react to the concept of EBP.Methods:Qualitative focus groups and structured interviews were conducted with 29 caregivers and 24 adolescents with substance use disorders in the Northeastern USA. Discussions explored four themes: (a) familiarity with EBP, (b) assumptions about what EBP means, (c) impressions of EBP after reading a common definition and (d) recommended terms to describe EBP in educational materials. Participants’ responses were transcribed and qualitatively analysed by two independent coders.Results:Only 2 of the 53 participants had ever heard the term EBP, and only 1 was ...
Limb bone loading in swimming turtles: changes in loading facilitate transitions from tubular to flipper-shaped limbs during aquatic invasions

Members of several terrestrial vertebrate lineages have returned to nearly exclusive use of aquatic habitats. These transitions were often accompanied by changes in skeletal morphology, such as flattening of limb bone shafts. Such morphological changes might be correlated with the exposure of limb bones to altered loading. Though the environmental forces acting on the skeleton differ substantially between water and land, no empirical data exist to quantify the impact of such differences on the skeleton, either in terms of load magnitude or regime. To test how locomotor loads change between water and land, we compared in vivo strains from femora of turtles (Trachemys scripta) during swimming and terrestrial walking. As expected, strain magnitudes were much lower (by 67.9%) during swimming than during walking. However, the loading regime of the femur also changed between environments: torsional strains are high during walking, but torsion is largely eliminated during swimming. Changes in loading regime between environments may have enabled evolutionary shifts to hydrodynamically advantageous flattened limb bones in highly aquatic species. Although circular cross sections are optimal for resisting torsional loads, the removal of torsion would reduce the advantage of tubular shapes, facilitating the evolution of flattened limbs.
Mechanisms of Resorption and Deposition of Calcium in the Carapace of the Crab Carcinus Maenas

SUMMARY 1. Premoult resorption of Ca from the carapace of Carcinus involves the active inward transport of Ca by the hypodermis with maximal rates occurring in stage D2 of the moult cycle. 2. Postmoult calcification of the carapace involves the active outward transport of Ca by the hypodermis with maximal rates occurring in stages Aj and A2 of the moult cycle. 3. Bidirectional active transport of Ca by Carcinus hypodermis may be accomplished by means of a quercitin-sensitive Ca-ATPase and a Na/Ca exchange mechanism in conjunction with observed changes in epithelial cell shape and size.
Selective inhibition of potassium currents in rat ventricle by clofilium and its tertiary homolog.

The effects of clofilium and its tertiary homolog, LY97119 (LY), on K+ currents in isolated ventricular myocytes from adult rat were examined using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Acute exposure (less than 30 min) to high concentrations of clofilium (30-100 microM) produced a slowly developing reduction in the peak of the transient outward current (Ito) and an apparent increase in the rate of current inactivation. In addition, inhibition exhibited a marked dependence on the frequency of stimulation (i.e., use-dependent inhibition). For "short" exposure times (i.e., less than 30 min), steady-state inhibition was not attained. Therefore, myocytes were preincubated with clofilium for at least 3 hr before use. Under these conditions, the median inhibitory concentration for steady-state use-dependent inhibition of Ito was 0.5 microM. Recovery of Ito from use-dependent inhibition followed a biexponential time course; tau fast = 75 msec, tau slow = 17 sec. The relative magnitude of the slow component (but not its time constant) increased with higher clofilium concentrations. LY, like clofilium, also induced a time-dependent inhibition of Ito (median inhibiting concentration 0.9 microM). However, unlike clofilium, steady state with LY was reached within 5 min. Furthermore, LY (3 microM) produced very little use-dependent inhibition (29% at 1 Hz compared with 92% for clofilium). This is possibly due to a "fast" unbinding rate upon repolarization (tau = 1.8 s). In contrast to clofilium, LY (1-10 microM) also inhibited the inward rectifier (IK1). The present results suggest that inhibition of Ito may contribute to clofilium's class III antiarrhythmic action.
Stable orthotropic materials

Isotropic Finite Element Method (FEM) deformable object simulations are widely used in computer graphics. Several applications (wood, plants, muscles) require modeling the directional dependence of the material elastic properties in three orthogonal directions. We investigate orthotropic materials, a special class of anisotropic materials where the shear stresses are decoupled from normal stresses. Orthotropic materials generalize transversely isotropic materials, by exhibiting different stiffnesses in three orthogonal directions. Orthotropic materials are, however, parameterized by nine values that are difficult to tune in practice, as poorly adjusted settings easily lead to simulation instabilities. We present a user-friendly approach to setting these parameters that is guaranteed to be stable. Our approach is intuitive as it extends the familiar intuition known from isotropic materials. We demonstrate our technique by augmenting linear corotational FEM implementations with orthotropic materials.
Extreme plasmon resonant field enhancement in multi-material nanoparticle trimers

Field enhancement of few-particle clusters consisting of spherical nanoparticles made from different materials is numerically investigated. Results demonstrate that multiplicative field enhancement can occur in multi-material trimer (Ag-Au-Ag) structures.
EVOLUTIONARILY STABLE MORPHOLOGIES IN PEA POPULATIONS.

We investigated the hypothesis that plant form can dramatically affect plant competitive ability, and that forms with dense canopies can invade populations of plants with more open canopies regardless of initial relative frequencies. Under controlled field conditions, we examined the effects of plant form on growth rate, size variation, mortality, and reproduction in high-density monocultures and mixtures of two morphologically distinct varieties of peas. These two varieties differ genetically at only the afila locus. In high-density monocultures and mixtures, peas with finely dissected, minute leaflets (af/af) grew more slowly and produced fewer seeds than Af!-- individuals with large leaflets that cast more shade on neighbors. After as few as four generations, mixtures begun with 10% Af/- peas would be expected to evolve to Af!- monocultures. We conclude that an increase in morphological complexity (e.g., virtually leafless to leafy) can have dramatic ecological and evolutionary impacts on plant population dynamics.
Survival of Overwintering Southwestern Corn Borers in Corn Stalks in Louisiana

Drastic reduction in the overwintering population of Diartraea grandiosella Dyar in old corn stalks in north Louisiana was found to occur. Results of a 2-year study whereby old corn stalks were systematically examined revealed that drastic reduction of the overwintering population was caused by predation on the larvae by the yellow shafted flicker, Colaptes auratus , from early January to mid-March. Overwintering populations of 30–40 larvae per 100 stalks were reduced by the birds to a 2–4 larvae per 100 stalks by early spring. A slight amount of natural mortality, attributed to disease, occurred. Results of examinations of overwintering larvae under large bird-proof field cages showed that low temperatures normally experienced in the test area did not adversely affect overwintering larvae in old corn stalks.
Herpes Simplex Virus Latency Analyzed by In Situ Hybridization

To date, in situ nucleic acid hybridization technology has proved singularly useful in generating information about the basic properties of latent herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections in vivo. In adapting extant methods to detect viral transcripts, convincing data have been gathered which identify (a) the cell in which the latent infection is established, and (b) the nature of viral transcripts present in latently infected cells. These ongoing descriptive studies provide the necessary insight and theoretical framework for investigations into the underlying mechanisms involved in latent infection. In addition to studies of latently infected cells, in situ methodology has been employed in several laboratories to investigate the pathogenesis of acute infection, largely confirming the conclusions earlier inferred from classical methods. This chapter focuses on the recent successes in analyses of latency made possible by the convergence of recombinant DNA technology, which generates single stranded probes of defined polarity and physical location on the viral genome, and increasingly sensitive techniques for in situ hybridization.
Drug evaluation: ranirestat--an aldose reductase inhibitor for the potential treatment of diabetic complications.

Abstract Ranirestat is an orally available aldose reductase inhibitor under development by Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co Ltd (formerly Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co Ltd), Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co Ltd and Eisai Co Ltd for the potential treatment of diabetic complications, such as neuropathy, cataracts, retinopathy and nephropathy. Phase III trials were ongoing in February 2006.
Establishing a Typology of Social Media Uses in the Sport Industry A Multidimensional Scaling Study

This study developed a typology of social media uses in the sport industry utilizing multidimensional scaling. Study progression followed three phases beginning with a qualitative analysis of sport social media consumers. The second phase examined responses collected through online surveys made available through social networking sites. The results suggest that social media uses in sport fluctuate along two separate but related dimensions: high and low activity and interactivity. During the final phase, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed to determine elements that lead to the development of these dimensions. Based on the EFA results and established dimensions, social media uses fall categorically into four distinct domains: cooperation community, competition community, proactive community, and passive community. This study makes a significant contribution to the literature by empirically validating a framework upon which social media consumption can more accurately be measured.
Memorial of Arthur Montgomery, 1909–1999

“Minerals are not mere bits of inert matter. They hold within their being clues to their own creation and the pages of earth history; and they symbolize, as nothing else in the universe ever can, the marvelous architectural perfection of the atomic world hidden within a crystal.” ![Figure][1] Art Montgomery Arthur Montgomery, a Life Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America and a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, died on December 31, 1999, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Art was a man of a strongly held faith in God with an uncommon attention to the needs of others. As a mineral collector and dealer, field geologist, educator, and philanthropist, he touched the lives of many and conveyed his great love for the aesthetics and science of minerals. His loss marks the passing of a rare individual whose talent, generosity, and desire for anonymity are not to be matched in these modern times. Art was born December 2, 1909 in New York City into a wealth and privilege that were rarely betrayed to those who knew him. He majored in Geology at Princeton receiving his A.B. degree in 1931. In the 1930s and 1940s, already an avid mineral collector, Art in collaboration with Edwin Over became a mineral dealer. The correspondence between Montgomery and Over is a rare read describing the work and adventures of these two men as they reopened classic localities and collected extraordinary specimens in the western United States and Alaska. There is a fine photograph of Art on the cover of Reminiscences of a Mineralogist (Montgomery 1997) at the Little Green Monster Mine, Fairfield, Utah, a classic variscite occurrence and the type locality for two new phosphate species, montgomeryite and overite (Larsen 1940). During the second World War, Art operated the Harding pegmatite mine as a source … [1]: pending:yes
Simultaneous Determination of Fluoride and other 6 Conventional Water Quality Indicators in Drinking Water by Ion Chromatography

[Objective]To establish a method for simultaneous determination of fluoride,chlorite,bromate,chloride,chlorate,nitrate,sulfate by ion chromatography.in drinking water by ion chromatography.[Methods]After treatment,the water sample was separated by chromatographic column,detected by conductivity detector,established by retention time and quantified by peak height or peak area.[Results]The detection limit was 0.08 mg/L for fluoride;0.08 mg/L for chloride;0.04 mg/L for nitrate;0.15 mg/L for sulphate;0.03 mg/L for chlorite;0.08 mg/L for chlorate and 0.001 mg/L for bromate.Relative standard deviations of each material were lower than 2.01%,and their recovery were higher than 96.4%.[Conclusion]The method was simple,sensitive and accurate.
The use of culture medium containing mycobactin for the isolation of acid-fast organisms from pig head lymph nodes.

Summary The use of a medium containing crude mycobactin resulted in an increase in the number of isolations of acid-fast organisms from a series of 213 submaxillary lymph nodes from pigs compared with the use of medium without mycobactin.
Income Tax – Amendment Xvi

This essay discusses the Sixteenth Amendment which, by exempting “taxes on incomes” from the apportionment requirement otherwise applicable to direct taxes, made the modern income tax possible. Although many commentators don’t realize it, not all taxes are “taxes on incomes,” and a tax isn’t “on incomes” just because Congress says it is. Any tax that is direct but that is not a tax on incomes remains subject to the apportionment requirement, which means it would be almost impossible to implement.
Interactions between Callous Unemotional Behaviors and Executive Function in Early Childhood Predict later Aggression and Lower Peer-liking in Late-childhood

Callous unemotional (CU) behaviors are linked to aggression, behavior problems, and difficulties in peer relationships in children and adolescents. However, few studies have examined whether early childhood CU behaviors predict aggression or peer-rejection during late-childhood or potential moderation of this relationship by executive function. The current study examined whether the interaction of CU behaviors and executive function in early childhood predicted different forms of aggression in late-childhood, including proactive, reactive, and relational aggression, as well as how much children were liked by their peers. Data from cross-informant reports and multiple observational tasks were collected from a high-risk sample (N = 240; female = 118) at ages 3 and 10 years old. Parent reports of CU behaviors at age 3 predicted teacher reports of reactive, proactive, and relational aggression, as well as lower peer-liking at age 10. Moderation analysis showed that specifically at high levels of CU behaviors and low levels of observed executive function, children were reported by teachers as showing greater reactive and proactive aggression, and were less-liked by peers. Findings demonstrate that early childhood CU behaviors and executive function have unique main and interactive effects on both later aggression and lower peer-liking even when taking into account stability in behavior problems over time. By elucidating how CU behaviors and deficits in executive function potentiate each other during early childhood, we can better characterize the emergence of severe and persistent behavior and interpersonal difficulties across development.
Generalized annealing algorithms for discrete optimization problems

Despite the success of simulated annealing to find near-optimal solutions of intractable discrete optimization problems, there have been attempts to enhance the algorithm by modifying transition probabilities. However, the asymptotic behavior of modified algorithms is very difficult to analyze, i.e., well-known convergence results of simulated annealing usually become inapplicable to other annealing algorithms. In this research, we consider a generalized annealing algorithm, the acceptance probability of which depends on the cost of the current solution, the cost of the solution candidate, and the control parameter. We present convergence results that relax sufficient conditions provided by most general convergence theorems in the literature. We study the asymptotic behavior of the stationary distribution corresponding to the generalized annealing algorithm. Using a novel approach that relies on the Markov Chain Tree Theorem, we provide a convergence theorem for the stationary distribution. By exploiting the same insights, we analyze the limiting stationary distribution of a generalized annealing algorithm that uses local information other than the cost of the current solution to guide the search. The class of convergent transition probabilities can be further extended by employing an adaptive cooling schedule. By so doing, we can relax the condition that the transition probabilities asymptotically behave like an exponential function. Based on an adaptive cooling schedule scheme, we present conditions that guarantee the convergence to optimal solutions. We develop a novel stochastic search algorithm called functional annealing that combines the attractive features of both simulated annealing and a local search technique. The algorithm can thereby benefit from exploiting a very large-scale neighborhood structure. Furthermore, we incorporate functional annealing with statistical learning techniques to enhance the finite-time performance of the algorithm. Our computational results on the Quadratic Assignment Problem reveal that functional annealing algorithms outperform many existing ones. We also present theoretical and computation results from the use of functional annealing for solving a discrete stochastic optimization problem.
CULTURAL HISTORY AS A SYNTHESIS: Barzun

[As a historian, critic, teacher, Jacques Barzun (b. 1907) has had a marked influence on contemporary academic life, and especially on the teaching of the humanistic disciplines. In his works on European and American culture, past and present, he has come to define a genre of cultural history which comprehends the history of thought and society and yet is distinct from the more exclusive field of intellectual history and the all-embracing efforts of the cultural anthropologists. In his studies of nineteenth century culture, Race: A Study in Modern Superstition (1937), Darwin, Marx, Wagner (1941), Romanticism and the Modern Ego (1943), Berlioz and the Romantic Century (2 vols. 1950; Rev. Ed. Berlioz and His Century, 1956) and most lately in his Energies of Art (1956) he has defined the unity of the Romantic Age and reaffirmed its creative role in Western culture. The following essay appears here for the first time.]
Nursing students' attitudes toward persons who are aged: An integrative review

Abstract Objectives To analyze empirical studies from the United States and Canada to gain an understanding on how nursing education affects nursing students' attitudes toward persons who are aged. Design An integrative literature review was completed using Garrard's (2011) Matrix Method. Data Sources Articles were identified through the electronic database search engines of CINAHL, Pub Med, and Academic Search Complete. Only peer reviewed research articles from 2009 to 2015 were reviewed. Review Methods A review matrix was created to abstract information from 11 studies so that synthesis could occur. Information in the columns of the review matrix was used to compare the studies. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 27 item check list was used to help with reporting the findings. Studies were graded using the American Association of Critical Care Nurses' (AACN) level of evidence. Results A key finding is student engagement with gerontological content in the classroom or clinical setting results in improving nursing students' attitudes toward persons who are aged. Conclusions Several gaps exist in the literature. Further research including longitudinal studies and large scale, multi-site samples would add to the existing knowledge.
Computational thinking for teacher education

This framework for developing pre-service teachers' knowledge does not necessarily depend on computers or other educational technology.
Zinc Chloride Smoke Inhalation Induced Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: First Survival in the United States with Extended Duration (Five Weeks) Therapy with High Dose Corticosteroids in Combination with Lung Protective Ventilation

Zinc chloride smoke bomb exposure is frequently seen in military drills, combat exercises, metal industry works, and disaster simulations. Smoke exposure presents with variety of pulmonary damage based on the intensity of the exposure. Smoke induced severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is often fatal and there are no standard treatment guidelines. We report the first survival of smoke induced severe ARDS in the United States (US) with prolonged use of high dose steroids (five weeks) and lung protective ventilation alone. Previously reported surviving patients in China and Taiwan required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and other invasive modalities. We suggest that an extended course of high dose corticosteroids should be considered for the treatment of smoke inhalation related ARDS and should be introduced as early as possible to minimize the morbidity and mortality. We further suggest that patients with smoke inhalation should be observed in the hospital for at least 48 to 72 hours before discharge, as ARDS can have a delayed onset. Being vigilant for infectious complications is important due to prolonged steroid treatment regimen. Patients must also be monitored for critical illness polyneuromyopathy. Additionally, upper airway injury should be suspected and early evaluation by otorhinolaryngology may be beneficial.
Phase Field Modeling of Microstructural Evolution

Phase field modeling plays an important role in computational materials design, providing insight into the microstructure of materials and the mechanisms governing their formation. This chapter begins with a brief introduction to phase field modeling, including the formulation of the two primary governing equations, the Allen-Cahn and Cahn-Hilliard equations. Next, five applications of phase field modeling are discussed: precipitate evolution, grain growth, solidification, phase separation in battery electrodes, and deposition. Common approaches for using phase field modeling are described for each application, and recent progress is reviewed. The chapter then discusses recent developments in open-source computational frameworks for phase field modeling and the ways in which this new paradigm can broaden the application of microstructural modeling in materials research and development and improve the transparency of such work. The chapter closes with a brief outlook on the future of phase field modeling and its role in computational materials design.
Megawatt power level gyrotrons

Recent results will be presented on high frequency (100-300 GHz) megawatt gyrotron experiments being conducted at MIT. Two gyrotron oscillators are being investigated: one operating at 148 GHz in the TE16,2,1 mode, and the other at 280 GHz in the TE42,7,1 mode. These gyrotrons operate with 3μsec pulses, but can be scaled to cw operation. The highest power at 148 GHz has been achieved with a two-section cavity. Powers up to 1.2 MW with an efficiency of 32p were measured at 48 A. The 280 GHz experiment will begin shortly, and will use a single cavity with a diameter of 23 wavelengths. This will be a severe test of the gyrotron's ability to excite a single mode and suppress competing modes. Measurements of the electron beam spatial and velocity characteristics for the 140 GHz gun will also be presented.
Authentication of indigenous flours (Quinoa, Amaranth and kañiwa) from the Andean region using a portable ATR-Infrared device in combination with pattern recognition analysis

Abstract Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), kaniwa (Chenopodium pallidicaule Aellen) and kiwicha (amaranth, Chenopodium pallidicaule) are high nutritional value grains that are at risk for adulteration with less expensive grains. Our objective was to develop a rapid untargeted approach to authenticate high-value Andean grain flours by combining infrared spectroscopy and pattern recognition analysis. Samples (n = 106) were collected from Peruvian (n = 89) and US (n = 17) markets that included quinoa, amaranth, kaniwa and other common flours from the Andean region. Flour composition was characterized by reference methods including fat (Soxhlet, AOAC#922.06), protein (Dumas, ICC Standard #167), and fatty acid profile (AOAC #996.0). Spectra was collected by using a portable infrared system with a single-reflection diamond ATR crystal, and analyzed by Soft Independent Model of Class Analogies and Partial Least Square Regression. Authentic grain flours formed distinct clusters and commercial samples from Peruvian markets showed a prevalence of adulteration. Spectral differences were associated with the fingerprint region (1100-900 cm−1) due to differences in starch structure. Regression models were generated for rapid determination of fat (Rcv = 0.98, SECV = 0.3) and protein (Rcv = 0.98, SECV = 0.96) levels. New generation of portable infrared devices provided a viable tool for chemical profiling allowing for rapid, “in-field”, and reliable authentication of food ingredients.
A Phase I Clinical Trial with Ex Vivo Expanded Recipient Regulatory T cells in Living Donor Kidney Transplants.

There is considerable interest in therapeutic transfer of regulatory T cells (Tregs) for controlling aberrant immune responses. Initial clinical trials have shown the safety of Tregs in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients and subjects with juvenile diabetes. Our hypothesis is that infusion(s) of Tregs may induce transplant tolerance thus avoiding long-term use of toxic immunosuppressive agents that cause increased morbidity/mortality. Towards testing our hypothesis, we conducted a phase I dose escalation safety trial infusing billions of ex vivo expanded recipient polyclonal Tregs into living donor kidney transplant recipients. Despite variability in recipient’s renal disease, our expansion protocol produced Tregs which met all release criteria, expressing >98% CD4+CD25+ with 80% FOXP3 expression with stable demethylation in the FOXP3 promoter. Functionally, expanded Tregs potently suppressed allogeneic responses and induced the generation of new Tregs in the recipient’s allo-responders in vitro. Within recipients, expanded Tregs amplified circulating Treg levels in a sustained manner. Clinically, all doses of Treg therapy tested were safe with no adverse infusion related side effects, infections or rejection events up to two years post-transplant. This study provides the necessary safety data to advance Treg cell therapy to phase II efficacy trials.
Radial Artery Fascial Flow-Through Free Flap for Complex Cerebral Revascularization: Technical Notes and Long-Term Neurologic and Radiographic Outcomes

BACKGROUND Surgical innovation is critical for the management of challenging cerebrovascular pathology. Flow-through free flaps are versatile composite grafts that combine viable tissue with a revascularization source. Neurosurgical experience with these flaps is limited. OBJECTIVE To provide an in-depth technical description of the radial artery fascial (and fasciocutaneous) flow-through free flap (RAFF and RAFCF, respectively) for complex cerebral revascularizations. METHODS An Institutional Review Board-approved, prospective database was retrospectively reviewed to identify patients that underwent extracranial-to-intracranial cerebral bypass with a RAFF or RAFCF. Patient demographics, underlying pathology, surgical treatment, complications, and outcomes were recorded. RESULTS A total of 4 patients were treated with RAFFs or RAFCFs (average age 40 ± 8.8 yr). Two patients with progressive moyamoya disease involving multiple vascular territories with predominantly anterior cerebral artery (ACA) symptoms and flow alterations underwent combined direct ACA and indirect middle cerebral artery (MCA) bypass with a RAFF. The third patient with moyamoya disease and concomitant proximal fusiform aneurysms requiring internal carotid artery sacrifice underwent dual direct ACA and MCA bypass and indirect MCA revascularization with posterior tibial artery and RAFF grafts. The fourth patient with a large MCA bifurcation aneurysm and recurrent wound complications underwent a direct MCA bypass and complex wound reconstruction using a RAFCF. Good neurologic outcomes (Glasgow Outcomes Scale score ≥4 at discharge) were achieved in all patients. There were no perioperative surgical complications, and graft patency was confirmed on long-term follow-up. CONCLUSION The RAFF and RAFCF are versatile grafts for complex cerebral revascularizations.
Aging and the osteogenic response to mechanical loading.

The osteogenic response to mechanical stress is blunted with aging. It has been postulated that this decline in responsiveness is related to (a) a limited ability to engender the strain necessary to reach the bone modeling threshold, due to decreased muscle mass and strength, and/or (b) a decline in certain hormones or growth factors that may interact with mechanical signals to change the sensitivity of bone cells to strain. There is reason to believe that both of these factors contribute to the reduced ability to increase bone mass through exercise with advancing age. Weight-bearing endurance exercise and resistance exercise have both been found to increase bone mass in older women and men. However, exercise training studies involving older individuals have generally resulted in increased bone mineral density only when the exercise is quite vigorous. There is also evidence that the osteogenic response to mechanical loading is enhanced by estrogens. Whether age-related changes in other factors (e.g., other hormones, growth factors, cytokines) also contribute to the reduced responsiveness of the aged skeleton to mechanical loading remains to be investigated.
Cryopreservation and In Vitro Fertilization at the Zebrafish International Resource Center

In recent decades, laboratories throughout the world generated several thousand mutant, transgenic, and wild-type zebrafish lines and more lines continue to be produced. At the same time, relatively little effort has been expended to develop reliable, high-throughput, standardized, long-term cryopreservation storage methods, even though laboratories and the research community as a whole struggle to maintain the large number of lines alive. Safe and reliable methods for maintaining these valuable genetic resources are vital for future biomedical research.Cryopreservation is the most efficient method for large-scale, long-term storage of important genetic materials. It extends the time offspring can be produced from individual fish, reduces the need to maintain live populations, and can prevent catastrophic loss of irreplaceable research lines. Cryopreservation is also the most cost-effective alternative for maintaining genetic resources because it reduces costs for animal and facility maintenance, personnel, and space. In addition, it provides novel opportunities to develop new types of research using large numbers of lines. For example, several genetic strategies, such as TILLING-or enhancer and gene trapping-depend on the use of cryopreservation to bypass generations of live organisms until a strain is revived for research.This chapter describes and discusses the current cryopreservation method used at the Zebrafish International Resource Center. This method is derived from the initial protocol developed for zebrafish over 20 years ago that has recently been refined.
Conformationally Controlled Intramolecular Charge Transfer Complexes

Trans-1-acceptor-2-donor-substituted cyclohexanes (1), as well as their 4- (or 5-)methyl-substituted homologues (2), have been prepared and are shown to form intramolecular charge-transfer (donor−acceptor) complexes. These weak complexes are turned on and off by the chair−chair interconversion of the cyclohexane ring. The CT absorptions have been measured and the equilibrium constants for the ring reversal have been determined by UV/vis spectroscopy at 298 K, as well as by NMR spectroscopy at two temperatures: at 183 K, by direct comparison of signals due to the two chair conformations, and at 300 K, by comparison of calculated and measured widths of the α-proton signals. The Gibbs free energies assigned to the donor−acceptor interactions range between 0 and −1 kcal mol-1. A crystal structure of one of the complexes (1b) confirms the intramolecular donor−acceptor alignment and interaction. The regioisomers of the methyl-substituted complexes were characterized by NOE interaction between the methyl and an...