cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk factors associated with Clostridium difficile infection after kidney and pancreas transplantation

Background Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a common cause of nosocomial antibiotic-associated diarrhea with an increased incidence reported in solid organ transplant recipients. We sought to determine if kidney and/or pancreas transplant recipients possess unique risk factors for CDI. Methods Between January 2009 and February 2011, 942 kidney and 56 pancreas transplants were performed at the 2 centers. Of these, 28 recipients (kidney, n = 24; pancreas, n = 4) developed CDI. Cases were matched to controls (n = 56) in a 1:2 ratio. Results Those with CDI were mostly male patients (82% vs. 48%, P = 0.003), deceased-donor organ recipients (86% vs. 64%, P = 0.045), more likely to have leukopenia (18% vs. 4%, P = 0.038), and had undergone a gastrointestinal procedure within 3 months preceding CDI diagnosis (18% vs. 4%, P = 0.038). Cases had higher cumulative and restricted antimicrobial exposure in days (37 ± 79 vs. 8 ± 12, P = 0.009 and 27 ± 69 vs. 7 ± 10, P = 0.032). Cephalosporin use was more common among cases (43% vs. 16%, P = 0.008). Conclusion Careful antimicrobial selection and assurance of optimal treatment duration in the kidney and pancreas transplant population is prudent. Clinicians should have a heightened awareness of CDI risk particularly during periods of leukopenia and in the setting of gastrointestinal procedures.
PLANT HYBRID ZONES AND INSECT HOST RANGE EXPANSION

The hybrid bridge hypothesis suggests that plant hybrids “bridge” the genetic gap between actual and potential host species, and that, for this reason, herbivorous insects are more likely to evolve an expanded host range in the presence of hybrids. While intuitively appealing, the hypothesis has two implicit assumptions: that phenotypic gaps between potential hosts limit host range, and that characters controlling host use are additively inherited in plant hybrids. Evaluation of these assumptions suggests that operation of the hybrid bridge hypothesis is relatively uncommon. In addition, the hypothesis has not been well integrated into existing theoretical and empirical work on the evolution of host range in herbivorous insects. Proper evaluation of the hypothesis will require information on the effect of plant hybridization on both insect preference and insect performance. Ecological and genetic factors affecting range expansion in both hybrids and novel parents also require evaluation.
Interaction and Exposure Modification: Are We Asking the Right Questions?

Most diseases arise not purely through genetic abnormalities nor purely through environmental causes, but as “complex” conditions brought about by the combined effects of genetic susceptibility factors, nongenetic experiences and exposures, and bad luck. Finding simple models capable of both characterizing such joint effects and providing new insight into pathogenesis remains an ongoing challenge in etiologic epidemiology. Additive null models can capture certain pure forms of independent etiologic effects in studies of rare conditions and can be useful for predicting possible effects of interventions. The concept of exposure modification is here proposed as useful, particularly in thinking about biologic interactions between exposures and genetic variants. Openness to parsimonious joint models and the insights they can provide is key to advancing our understanding of etiology.
Rap1p requires Gcr1p and Gcr2p homodimers to activate ribosomal protein and glycolytic genes, respectively

Efficient transcription of ribosomal protein (RP) and glycolytic genes requires the Rap1p/Gcr1p regulatory complex. A third factor, Gcr2p, is required for only the glycolytic (specialized) mode of transcriptional activation. It is recruited to the complex by Gcr1p and likely mediates a change in the phosphorylation state and/or conformation of the latter. We show here that leucine zipper motifs in Gcr1p and Gcr2p (1LZ and 2LZ) are each specific to one of the two activation mechanisms—mutations in 1LZ and 2LZ impair transcription of RP and glycolytic genes, respectively. Although neither class of mutations causes more than a mild growth defect, simultaneous impairment of 1LZ and 2LZ results in a severe synthetic defect and a reduction in the expression of both sets of genes. Intracistronic complementation by point mutations in the charged e and g positions confirmed that Gcr1p/Gcr1p and Gcr2p/Gcr2p homodimers are the forms required for the different roles of the activator complex. Direct heterodimerization between 1LZ and 2LZ apparently does not occur. Dichotomous Rap1p activation and its striking requirement for distinct homodimeric subunits give cells the capacity to switch between coordinated and uncoupled RP and glycolytic gene regulation.
From Invisibility, Twisting & Straightness, All Families Have Something (In Spanish)

This article analyzes how the concept of family displayed in the Puerto Rican legal system as well as the underlying reasons for its regulation clash with the basic formulations of the liberal State. The discussion departs from the statements made by the Speaker of the Senate of Puerto Rico, Thomas Rivera Schatz, to the extent that the recently appointed Justices of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico will defend the rights of the Puerto Rican family, and the traditional values of the family, and not the twisted family that some wish to be impose in Puerto Rico by court and/or legislative action. First, the article shows how the State recognizes, contrary to what the senator argues, that there is more than one possible family arrangement. It also highlights the fact that there is not an unequivocal legal definition of family. However, the article stresses how the State dictates through its policies, public campaigns, the research it supports, the curricula of schools, and/or the artistic works it funds what kind or family arrangement is right and which one is twisted. Various examples of the previous are given by analyzing through Van Dijk's proposal of critical analysis of macro-structures the last census, current and proposed legislation, and case law from the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. Last, the article argues how this normalization that occurs by privileging one family arrangement over the others is contrary to the postulates of the liberal State on which the government of Puerto Rico is grounded.
Design and fabrication of a novel bimorph microoptomechanical sensor

We have designed a so-called flip-over bimaterial (FOB) beam to increase the sensitivity of micromechanical structures for sensing temperature and surface stress changes. The FOB beam has a configuration such that a material layer coats the top and bottom of the second material at different regions along the beam length. By multiple interconnections of FOB beams, the deflection or sensitivity can be amplified, and the out-of-plane motion of a sensing structure can be achieved. The FOB beam has 53% higher thermomechanical sensitivity than a conventional one. Using the FOB beam design, we have developed a microoptomechanical sensor having a symmetric structure such that beam deflection is converted into a linear displacement of a reflecting surface, which is used for optical interferometry. The designed sensor has been fabricated by surface micromachining techniques using a transparent quartz substrate for optical measurement. Within a sensor area of 100 /spl mu/m/spl times/100 /spl mu/m, the thermomechanical sensitivity S/sub T/=180 nm/K was experimentally obtained.
Mitigation of narrowband interference using adaptive equalizers

It has previously been shown that a decision-feedback filter can mitigate the effect of narrowband interference. An adaptive implementation of the filter was seen to converge relatively quickly for mild interference. It is shown here, however, that in the case of severe narrowband interference, the decision-feedback equalizer (DFE) requires a convergence time that makes it unsuitable for some types of communication systems. The introduction of a linear predictor, as a pre-filter to this equalizer, greatly reduces the total convergence time. There is a trade-off, however, between convergence time and steady-state performance, and that is evaluated in this paper.
A Bayesian Constraint on Neural Computation

Discovery of optimizations in biology provides a way to infer evolved function. Such optimizations are being sought at the level of neurons and synapses. Constraints being considered include information rates, metabolic costs, and time. Here we point out a classic optimization: neural computation should be Bayesian with a known prior distribution. A particular form of Bayesian inference is biologically feasible and necessarily linear. However, the linear requirement engenders metabolic costs, which are illustrated here.
Virtual network mapping with traffic matrices

Network virtualization is a core technology in next-generation networks to overcome the ossification problem that is observed in the current Internet. The key idea of network virtualization is to split physical network resources into multiple logical networks, each supporting different network services and functionalities. One of the key challenges for virtual network infrastructure providers is to efficiently allocate network resources based on virtual network requests, which is referred to as the virtual network mapping problem. While several algorithms have been proposed previously to solve this mapping problem, their effectiveness is limited since virtual requests specify the internal topology of the virtual network. In this paper, we argue that such internal topologies lead to unnecessary constraints and less efficient solutions. Instead, we propose an alternate formulation of the problem that represents virtual network requests as traffic matrices. We provide a solutions to solving this traffic-matrix-based mapping problem using a mixed integer programming formulation. Our simulation results show that our approach can map significantly more virtual network requests on a physical network infrastructure than previous mapping algorithms and thus improves the efficient use of networking resources in virtual networks.
Hidden glosses in manuscripts of Old English poetry

The editorial history of Old English poetry has known two extremes in its attitude to the transmitted manuscript readings. Whereas Franciscus Junius in his Caedmonis Monachi Paraphrasis Poetic a Genesios ac Praecipuarum Sacrae Paginae Historiarum, abhinc annos M.LXX. Anglo-Saxonice Conscripta & nunc Primum Edita (Amsterdam, 1655) aimed essentially at reflecting the readings of Oxford, Bodleian Library, Junius 11, and was by and large successful in transcribing what the manuscript offered, by the middle of the nineteenth century at the latest an entirely different approach had become predominant. By then it had become clear that our manuscripts are by no means authors' originals; in the course of transmission numerous errors have crept into them. Since it was undeniable that in the copying process errors had occurred it was considered imperative to try to restore the original versions.
Phase Behavior of Ternary Polymer Brushes

Ternary polymer brushes consisting of polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate), and poly(4-vinylpyridine) have been synthesized. These brushes laterally phase separate into several distinct phases and can be tailored by altering the relative polymer composition. Self-consistent field theory has been used to predict the phase diagram and model both the horizontal and vertical phase behavior of the polymer brushes. All phase behaviors observed experimentally correlate well with the theoretical model.
Constructing Near Optimal Schedules for the Flow-Shop Lot Streaming Problem with Sublot-Attached Setups

Lot streaming—the process of splitting a production lot into sublots—has been a common practice in flow-shop systems during the past decade. Nevertheless, a major limiting assumption has been made in the analysis of these systems in that the setup time is, at most, lot-attached but not sublot-attached. In this paper, we consider the single and multiple batch flow-shop lot-streaming problems with sublot-attached setup times. A fast, optimal solution algorithm for the single batch problem is presented. For the multiple batch problem, we propose a near optimal solution procedure which is optimal in two-machine flow-shops. Computational results are also presented for the multiple batch problem which indicate both the efficiency and effectiveness of this procedure.
The X-ray Crystal Structure of the Sulfonated Azo Dye Congo Red, a Non-Peptidic Inhibitor of HIV-1 Protease which also Binds to Reverse Transcriptase and Amyloid Proteins

Congo Red is a sulfonated azo dye and widely used biological stain that has recently been the focus of intense interest because it has been shown to bind to proteins involved in viral recognition and replication. Congo Red also finds wide use as a histological stain for amyloid proteins of the type found in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in cattle and mink, and scrapie in sheep. Congo Red has been demonstrated to protect normal prion protein from being converted to the protease-resistant form, an important step in the pathology of the so-called ‘slow viral’ diseases. The range of biological molecules to which Congo Red binds makes it an important lead compound in drug development, for example in the development of new anti-HIV and anti-Alzheimer's therapeutic agents. In this report we present the first high-resolution structure of Congo Red: the low-temperature (173 K) X-ray crystal structure determination of its calcium salt. Two confor...
The Effect of Formal and Informal Contracting Mechanisms on Implementation Performance in the U.S. Federalist System

AbstractThe relationship between contract management capacity and implementation success in local government contracting is well established. However, less is known about how specific contract mechanisms are linked to this success. This study uses implementation of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program to examine the use of formal and informal contract management techniques in the implementation of energy projects. The use of formal contract mechanisms, such as full and open competitive bidding, contact rescission and outcome-based performance measures, exhibits a statistically significant effect on implementation performance. The findings advance contracting theory and have practical implications for local government contracting and implementation success in fiscal federalism.
The Potential Role of Property Detectors in the Perception of Consonants

A review is given of observations that suggest a dichotomy in the perception of consonants and vowels and in the acoustic characteristics of these classes of sounds. It is hypothesized that consonants are characterized by rapid spectrum change, at least in a canonical consonant-vowel environment, whereas the spectra of vowels are stationary or slowly-changing. This rapid spectrum change shows a general rise in the frequencies of gross spectral peaks for labials, a fall for dentals, and a diverging spectrum for velars. Sampled spectra that illustrate these attributes are shown, and methods of quantifying the rapid spectrum change in terms of the response of arrays of quadrupole-type units in frequency-time space are suggested. A human listener endowed with simple property detectors sensitive to these attributes would correctly classify gross place of articulation for most but not all consonants in prestressed position. It is postulated that these simple property detectors are utilized initially by a child to organize consonants into categories, and that this classification in terms of context-independent attributes provides a basis for acquisition of a set of secondary, context-dependent cues for phonetic features.
Selective Privacy in a Web-Based World: Challenges of Representing and Inferring Context.

There is a growing awareness and interest in the issues of accountability and transparency in the pursuit of digital privacy. In previous work, we asserted that systems needed to be “policy aware” and able to compute the likely compliance of any digital transaction with the associated privacy policies (law, rule, or contract). This paper focuses on one critical step in respecting privacy in a digital environment, that of understanding the context associated with each digital transaction. For any individual transaction, the pivotal fact may be context information about the data, the party seeking to use it, the specific action to be taken, or the associated rules. We believe that the granularity of semantic web representation is well suited to this challenge and we support this position in the paper.
The Phase Behavior Effect on the Kinetics of Transesterification Reactions for Biodiesel Production

The phase behavior effect on the kinetics of transesterification reactions is investigated in this study. First, the partition coefficient of the catalyst, KOH, was determined. It was found that the vast majority of the catalyst resides in the methanol phase; thus this phase is taken as the primary reaction volume. Mass transfer studies of soybean oil triglycerides show that triglycerides are in fact soluble in methanol. Additionally, it is shown that the rate of mass transfer and the equilibrium concentration of triglycerides in methanol increase with increasing methyl ester concentration. Establishing the methanol phase as the primary reaction volume facilitated the thorough investigation of the rate-limiting step. First, the terms mass transfer control and reaction control are finally defined for transesterification reactions. Once properly defined, it is shown that the sigmoidal, or S-shaped, methyl ester production curve that is so often observed is not necessarily caused by a transition from a mass ...
Reply to Professor North

Several points in Professor North's response to my criticisms of the Stanford content analysis studies merit comment.' First, I would like to acknowledge an error when I said that only actions, and not statements, were coded as stimuli (S) and reported that actions were coded for hostility when in fact they are coded for level of violence. The main point of my argument, which may have gotten lost in the length of my article and North's reply, is that we can have no confidence that S. r, s, and R accurately measure stimulus, perception, intention, and response. This is especially true for r and s. The failure to take into account the possibility that what actors say may be influenced by the beliefs they want others to adopt, the fact that r and s are mechanically affected by the number of times a position is reiterated, and the inability of the Stanford content analysis method to make judgments on which documents are more important than others mean that the readings on the r and s "meter boxes"2 do not correspond to what we normally think of as per-
Augusta Déjerine-Klumpke, M.D. (1859-1927): a historical perspective on Klumpke's palsy.

Although the lower trunk brachial plexus palsy known as Klumpke's palsy is a familiar and challenging entity to the medical community, relatively little is known about Dr. Augusta Dejerine-Klumpke. Dr. Dejerine-Klumpke influenced generations of physicians with her contributions to the description and treatment of neurological diseases. We review the legacy of Dr. Dejerine-Klumpke by focusing on the life, career, and medical contributions of this remarkable woman, using translations of the French manuscripts composed at various times in her career. These publications, combined with the existing English-language literature that provides a tribute to her contributions as both a scientist and physician, give an insight into the condition that carries her name.
The utility of decision support, clinical guidelines, and financial incentives as tools to achieve improved clinical performance.

Article-at-a-Glance Background Whether one seeks to reduce inappropriate utilization of resources, improve diagnostic accuracy, increase utilization of effective therapies, or reduce the incidence of complications, the key to change is physician involvement in change. Unfortunately, a simple approach to the problem of inducing change in physician behavior is not available. Comprehensive clinical guidelines There is a generally accepted view that expert, best-practice guidelines will improve clinical performance. However, there may be a bias to report positive results and a lack of careful analysis of guideline usage in routine practice in a "postmarketing" study akin to that seen in the pharmaceutical industry. Financial incentives Systems that allow the reliable assessment of quality of outcomes, efficiency of resource utilization, and accurate assessment of the risks associated with the care of given patient populations must be widely available before deciding whether an incentive-based system for providing the full range of medical care is feasible. Decision support Decision support focuses on providing information, ideally at the "point of service" and in the context of a particular clinical situation. Rules are self-imposed by physicians and are therefore much more likely to be adopted. Conclusion As health care becomes corporatized, with increasing numbers of physicians employed by large organizations with the capacity to provide detailed information on the nature and quality of clinical care, it is possible that properly constructed guidelines, appropriate financial incentives, and robust forms of decision support will lead to a physician-led, process improvement approach to more rational and affordable health care.
3D super-resolution optical fluctuation imaging (3D-SOFI) with speckle illumination

We demonstrate a 3D super-resolution optical fluctuation imaging (SOFI) method using speckle illumination. Resolution enhancement of 1.6× is demonstrated in all three dimensions, as compared to traditional wide-field fluorescence images.
Trade Policy as Corporate Welfare: The Case of the U.S. Steel Industry

Abstract This paper begins with a discussion of what constitutes corporatewelfare, then proceeds to apply the corporate welfare concept to thesteel industry in the United States. A review is made of the variousgovernment supports that the steel industry has enjoyed since 1969.Studies have estimated that support to the steel industry has totaledbetween $90 and $151 billion. The paper concludes with a discussionof the 30 percent tariff that George Bush imposed on foreign steelproducers and suggests that the steel industry should be taken offwelfare and allowed to sink or swim on its own.Welfare can generally be viewed as a one-way transfer, the giving ofsomething to someone with no expectation of receiving anything in return. Peopleusually think of welfare as something that government provides to individuals.Examples include subsidized housing, subsidized or free health care, education andpensions. But welfare can include other one-way transfers as well, and thesetransfers do not have to be limited to recipients who are individuals. Government canalso give assistance to industries or to particular projects. Such assistance can takethe form of tax abatements,
Insights from Mendelian Interferonopathies: Comparison of CANDLE, SAVI with AGS, Monogenic Lupus

Autoinflammatory disorders are sterile inflammatory conditions characterized by episodes of early-onset fever and disease-specific patterns of organ inflammation. Recently, the discoveries of monogenic disorders with strong type I interferon (IFN) signatures caused by mutations in proteasome degradation and cytoplasmic RNA and DNA sensing pathways suggest a pathogenic role of IFNs in causing autoinflammatory phenotypes. The IFN response gene signature (IGS) has been associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune diseases. In this review, we compare the clinical presentations and pathogenesis of two IFN-mediated autoinflammatory diseases, CANDLE and SAVI, with Aicardi Goutieres syndrome (AGS) and monogenic forms of SLE (monoSLE) caused by loss-of-function mutations in complement 1 (C1q) or the DNA nucleases, DNASE1 and DNASE1L3. We outline differences in intracellular signaling pathways that fuel a pathologic type I IFN amplification cycle. While IFN amplification is caused by predominantly innate immune cell dysfunction in SAVI, CANDLE, and AGS, autoantibodies to modified RNA and DNA antigens interact with tissues and immune cells including neutrophils and contribute to IFN upregulation in some SLE patients including monoSLE, thus justifying a grouping of "autoinflammatory" and "autoimmune" interferonopathies. Understanding of the differences in the cellular sources and signaling pathways will guide new drug development and the use of emerging targeted therapies.
Examining the Impact of Suburbanization on Surface Runoff using the SWAT

This study examines the relationship between land use/land cover (LULC) changes and surface runoff generation empirically to reveal how urbanization has altered the hydrologic characteristics of a watershed. A hydrological model, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), is employed to estimate the watershed runoff generation for two LULC scenarios from 2002 to 2010. The Cypress Creek watershed was chosen for the investigation because of its recent development pressure resulting from the rapid growth of Houston, Texas. This watershed is located within Harris County, 37 km from Houston. Results indicate that the mean annual runoff change was high for most sub-basins that experienced significant urbanization. The correlation coefficients between low, medium, and high intensity developed lands and the amount of surface runoff were significantly positive with values ranging from 0.5 to 0.8, while the correlation coefficient of greenspaces with surface runoff was -0.6. These findings reveal the importance of land use changes and development densities in managing stormwater and suggest local planners and decision makers on where and how to limit the future residential developments in rapidly growing suburbs.
Critical Theory and Resistance: On Antiphilosophy and the Philosophy of Praxis

Much has been written about the lack of foundations for the critical method. In keeping with its original purpose, however, critical theory requires foundations very different from those demanded by traditional theory. This chapter begins by highlighting the transformative project of critical theory and the preconditions for privileging this kind of interpretation. Recent trends toward the metaphysics of “recognition” or insistence upon the “pragmatic universals” of language need to make way for a concern with uncovering the conflict-ridden constitution of the historical totality, or what Marx termed the “ensemble of social relations,” and how any transformative project rests on illuminating the ways in which freedom is linked with necessity.
An Investigation into Cultural Influences on Consumer Behavior with regards to Propaganda Textiles during World War II

The purpose of the research was to understand the nature, or the mindset, of women who represented a prominent consumer base in the United States during World War II, specifically between the years 1935 to 1945. This research adds value to the field of fashion history related to World War II. In particular, the topic of propaganda-related consumer fashion behavior lacks full documentation in the literature.
Phase II study of the Multikinase inhibitor of angiogenesis, Linifanib, in patients with metastatic and refractory colorectal cancer expressing mutated KRAS

Background Targeting angiogenesis in advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) has been one of the many factors prolonging survival. Bevacizumab was the first agent to demonstrate this, but even after progression on bevacizumab, continued VEGF-inhibition continues to improve survival. Combining epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibodies with standard frontline therapies have also improved clinical outcomes, yet the improved benefit is not observed in patients with mutant KRAS. Thus, an unmet medical need exists to develop additional therapeutic options for patients with KRAS mutant CRC. Methods Patients received the anti-angiogenic agent linifanib at the recommended phase II dose of 17.5 mg. Primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR), with a goal of 10%. Secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Simon’s optimal two-stage design was used to assess futility. Linifanib was considered inactive if two or fewer patients among the first 30 achieved an objective response. Results Thirty patients were enrolled on study. Grade 3 treatment-related toxicities occurring in at least two patients were fatigue, hypertension, proteinuria, diarrhea, nausea, oral pain, vomiting, thrombocytopenia, and arthralgia. Although no responses were observed, 63.5% of patients achieved stable disease. The median PFS and OS were 4.7 months and 9.5 months, respectively. Stopping rules for lack of clinical efficacy led to study closure. Conclusion Despite observing zero responses, a majority of patients had stable disease and eight patients had stable disease lasting longer than 5 months. These results suggest that linifanib has some anti-tumor activity in KRAS mutant metastatic and refractory CRC.
Flying and decoupling capacitance optimization for area-constrained on-chip switched-capacitor voltage regulators

Switched-capacitor voltage regulators (SCVRs) are widely used in on-chip power management, due to high step-down efficiency and feasibility of integration. In this work, we present theoretical analysis and optimization methodology for flying and decoupling capacitance values for area-constrained on-chip SCVRs to achieve the highest system-level power efficiency. The proposed models for efficiency and droop voltage are validated with on-chip 2:1 SCVR implementations in both 65nm and 32nm CMOS, which show high model accuracy. The maximum and average error of the predicted optimal ratio between flying and decoupling capacitance are 5% and 1.7%, respectively.
Primary Care Clinicians’ Knowledge and Confidence About Newborn Screening for Sickle Cell Disease: Randomized Assessment of Educational Strategies

Objective In Massachusetts, primary care clinicians receive and act upon hemoglobinopathy newborn screening results. We assessed clinicians’ knowledge, confidence, and practices regarding hemoglobinopathy newborn screening, and the effect of mailed educational materials vs interactive seminar on knowledge and confidence. Methods A randomized educational intervention trial was performed at 15 community health sites. Practices were randomized to determine the order in which the educational interventions were administered: mailed educational materials first or interactive seminars on the management of hemoglobinopa-thy newborn screening results first. Clinicians’ demographics, knowledge, confidence, and practices were assessed by a survey. Posttests were administered soon after the intervention. Results Responses came from 85 of 170 eligible providers (50%). Twenty-nine percent of respondents provided both pretests and posttests. In respondents with paired data, knowledge on a 5-point scale improved by 1.4 ± 0.4 (mean ± standard error of the mean, p = .003), while self-efficacy on a 16-point scale increased by 1.3 ± 0.3, p = .002. There were no significant differences between seminar and mailed-materials groups. Conclusions Both educational strategies led to modest improvements in knowledge about newborn screening for hemoglobin disorders. Enhancing knowledge and confidence about newborn screening-related tasks may improve clinicians’ capacity to act upon newborn screening results for hemoglobinopathies.
Turbulence Dissipation Rate in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer: Observations and WRF Mesoscale Modeling during the XPIA Field Campaign

AbstractA better understanding and prediction of turbulent dissipation rate, e, in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) is important for many applications. Herein, sonic anemometer data from the XPIA field campaign (March – May 2015) are used to derive energy dissipation rate, EDR (=e1/3), within the first 300 m above the ground employing 2nd-order structure functions. Turbulent dissipation rate is found to be strongly driven by the diurnal evolution of the ABL, presenting a distinct statistical behavior between daytime and nighttime conditions that follows log-Weibull and log-normal distributions, respectively. In addition, the vertical structure of EDR is characterized by a decrease with height above the surface, with the largest gradients occurring within the surface layer (z < 50 m). Convection-permitting mesoscale simulations were carried out with all of the 1.5-order turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) closure planetary boundary layer (PBL) schemes available in the Weather Research and Forecasting model....
Measurement of relative interface energies in twin related crystals

The nature of boundaries in twin related grains of silicon iron is investigated and the relative interface energy of the {112} twin is determined. The effect of boundary orientation on boundary energy is treated briefly. Mathematical and experimental techniques are discussed in detail.
Positron Emission Tomography and Embryonic Dopamine Cell Transplantation in Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common movement disorder marked by progressive degeneration of dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra and striatum. The hallmark of motor symptoms in PD includes the resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and posture instability. Medical therapy to replace lost DA works well initially but becomes ineffective and less tolerated over time. The chronic use of dopaminergic medications leads to motor fluctuations and dyskinesias in patients at more advanced stages. The transplantation of viable DA tissue into the brain is a promising new treatment to reinnervate neurons along the nigrostriatal pathway. In patients with PD, cell survival and clinical benefit have been observed after fetal nigral grafting. Position emission tomography allows in vivo imaging of neuropathophysiology resulting from dopaminergic dysfunction that is inherent in PD by measuring cerebral blood flow, metabolism, and neuroreceptor binding. It offers a unique window for assessing the functional recovery of the brain and its clinical correlation after medical or surgical interventions. In this chapter, we describe the use of positron emission tomography in providing sensitive biomarkers in PD and its application in evaluating the surgical outcome of embryonic DA cell transplantation.
Medical Therapy: Mind Your Medicines

High-resolution fiber-optic scopes, powerful Holmium yttrium aluminum garnet (Ho:YAG) lasers, tandem and broad-focused shock wave lithotripters, intricately versatile surgical and endoscopic instruments, and other advances offer minimally invasive and efficacious treatment of urinary tract stones. Even these interventions have a modicum of invasiveness that subjects patients to possible complications. An ideal method for achieving and maintaining stone-free status would rely more on hydration, medicine, and nutrition than on state-of-the-art surgical instrumentation. In this chapter, tailored medical strategies for treatment and prevention of stone disease are discussed.
I'm Going Mobile: Teaching Freshmen Business Students Mobile Application Development

ABSTRACT IS enrollment has been declining in recent years. In an attempt to introduce key Information Systems concepts to freshmen business students in a fun and engaging way, we introduced a mobile application design project that recently allowed them to develop a live application on real smartphones. While going through this process, students learned some of the basic tenets of the discipline of Information Systems while simultaneously realizing the relevance and applicability to their future lives as 21st Century professionals. In this paper, we outline the core course progression for a typical Information Systems department, detail the process through which we engaged the students, and confirm our assertions through textual analysis of self-reported comments on their experience with this mobile application project. Keywords Mobile Apps, Teaching methods, IS Enrollment INTRODUCTION One of the many challenges the Information Systems (IS) discipline currently faces is low enrollment. Reports of enrollment declines of 70% or more are not uncommon (Granger, Dick, McKinnel Jacobson, and Van Sluke, 2007). Introductory IS classes are limited in scope and lack the depth and breadth to demonstrate the opportunities an IS degree can provide to students for their future careers. Demonstrating the practical application of the course work and linking business and technology are identified among the subject matter interest (smi) factors for selecting IS as a major (Ferratt, Hall, Prasad, and Wynn, 2010). Recently in the Department of Information Systems at Arizona State University (ASU), we experimented with a new method of teaching the Introductory IS class to incoming business honors students: we provided smartphones to student groups and asked them to develop a proposal to build their dream mobile application. Mobile applications, or apps, refer to small-scale software applications developed to best utilize the interface found on thin mobile computer clients, such as smartphones and tablets. Gartner’s list of top strategic technologies for 2012 boils down to one word: Mobility. Since “there’s an app for that” has become ubiquitous in the college freshman vernacular, we wanted to seize this opportunity to generate curiosity, and to demonstrate the relevance of a degree in IS to freshmen business students. As use and development of mobile applications are multiplying annually, employing mobile app development as a curriculum enhancement tool in the
Composition and processing dependent miscibility of P3HT and PCBM in organic solar cells by coarse-grained molecular simulations

Abstract Organic solar cells (OSC) based on semiconducting polymers and electron-acceptor fullerene materials have shown tremendous promise in the past decade as an inexpensive and environment friendly renewable energy source. Morphology of the bulkheterojuction (BHJ) photoactive layer significantly affects the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of OSC devices. Mixtures of poly-(3-hexyl-thiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) have been a popular choice of organic materials due to their inexpensive synthesis and high thermal and mechanical stability. Composition and thermal processing significantly influence the miscibility of the donor-acceptor phases and the optimum device efficiency. We employ coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations (CGMD) to investigate the miscibility of P3HT in PCBM with the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter, which suggests that exciton diffusion and transport are benefitted from an increase in both the PCBM mass loading and the P3HT chain length. Our predictions reveal that thermal annealing phase separates the polymers into an ordered phase that is beneficial for charge transport. Increased P3HT chain length and an equi-weight mixture composition optimizes the miscibility and polymer domain sizes, suggesting processing conditions that can enhance power conversion.
Solidarity in Practice: Moral Protest and the US Security State

Cross-border solidarity has captured the interest and imagination of scholars, activists and a range of political actors in such contested areas as the US-Mexico border and Guantanamo Bay. Chandra Russo examines how justice-seeking solidarity drives activist communities contesting US torture, militarism and immigration policies. Through compelling and fresh ethnographic accounts, Russo follows these activists as they engage in unusual and high risk forms of activism (fasting, pilgrimage, civil disobedience). She explores their ideas of solidarity and witnessing, which are central to how the activists explain their activities. This book adds to our understanding of solidarity activism under new global arrangements, and illuminates the features of movement activity that deepen activists' commitment by helping their lives feel more humane, just and meaningful. Based on participant observation, interviews, surveys and hundreds of courtroom statements, Russo develops a new theorization of solidarity that will take a central place in social movement studies.
Acute DRUJ Instability

The distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) is a diarthrodial, synovial articulation that provides the distal link between the radius and ulna and a pivot for pronation-supination. Because its articulation is incongruent, the soft tissues play a substantial role in guiding and restraining the joint. During forearm motion, the DRUJ moves synchronously with the proximal radioulnar joint and thus any injury or deformity involving the radius or ulna can alter the function of both joints. The distal radioulnar and ulnocarpal joints are also anatomically and functionally integrated, so that both are affected by traumatic and arthritic conditions. Because of these interdependences, evaluation and treatment of the DRUJ is challenging. In the treatment of DRUJ instability, proper skeletal alignment is paramount and must be corrected before any soft tissue repair. In addition, the sigmoid notch and ulnar head must be sufficiently competent to allow the ligament restraints to function under normal tension and length. This chapter will discuss the relevant anatomy and pathophysiology of DRUJ instability, along with the rationale and technique for different treatment options.
Laser Doppler vibrometer and bending wave based dynamic material characterization of organic aerogel panels

To what extent aerogels are useful in noise and vibration control applications remains an open question. With the advent of low cost, facile synthesis, ductile, and purely polymeric aerogels, the prospects are alluring. Within the polyurea family of aerogels, multiple nanomorphologies exist with some being amenable to rheological paradigms. An inverse problem approach is applied to tease out material parameters with the aid of viscoelastic models and a pair of dynamic characterization techniques. A specialized transfer function driven, quasi-longitudinal wave eliciting, material characterization setup is refined and augmented with laser Doppler vibrometry. This effort seeks to improve repeatability and increase frequency limits, two factors whose absences plague many schemas. Intriguing properties previously uncovered with this method, such as broadband negative dynamic mass, are reexamined. In tandem, a bending wave excitation arrangement and characterization method is introduced. Low bending and quasi-longitudinal phase speeds in addition to high static and low dynamic moduli shed light on the enhanced noise and vibration control performance reported in the literature. This paper discusses the dynamic measurement method and possible applications which may benefit from this unique combination of properties.
Thermofluidics and Turbomachinery

The MIT MicroEngine rotor disk is less than 10 mm in diameter, which is more than two orders of magnitude smaller than that of a conventional aircraft gas turbine rotor disk. This significant length scale reduction impacts the underlying physics associated with the aerothermal design of the engine. Fluid dynamic and heat transfer parameters such as Reynolds number and Biot number in the MicroEngine are quite small, lying outside the commonly understood design space associated with gas turbine engines. The reduction in scale has a primarily negative impact on engine performance, although some benefits do arise as well.
Molecular characterization of metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) in prior or current smokers (PCS) vs non-smokers (NS)

Abstract Background Even though smoking is one of the most recognized risk factors, NS also develop mUC. Identifying molecular drivers of disease progression in NS have the potential to provide novel targets for drug development. We hypothesized that there will be a difference in genomic profile of mUC in NS vs PCS. Methods Tumour tissue undergoing comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) from patients with mUC were included from NS and age matched PCS within the same time period (2014-19). Clinical and CGP data were retrospectively collected. CGP was performed using FoundationOne (Foundation Medicine, Cambridge, MA), which provides exonic coverage of 315 genes. Results See table. Table . 943P Non-smoker Smoker P value Median age at diagnosis, years (range) 66.5 (33-86) 67 (35-85) 0.94 Site of primary 0.009 Bladder 37 (80%) 39 (100%) Upper tract 9 (19.6%) 0 Urethral 1 ( 0 Gender 0.001 Male 32 38 Female 14 1 Median number of genomic alterations (range) 7 (1-17) 7 (1-18) 0.26 MLL2 gene alteration 11 1 0.01 Conclusions While the overall number of genomic alteration per patient and alteration frequencies were similar in NS vs PCS, we found a significantly higher frequency of MLL2 alterations in NS (p Legal entity responsible for the study Huntsman Cancer Institute. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure B.L. Maughan: Advisory / Consultancy: Peloton Therapeutics; Advisory / Consultancy: BMS; Advisory / Consultancy: Tempus; Advisory / Consultancy: Bayer; Advisory / Consultancy: Exelixis; Advisory / Consultancy: Janssen Oncology; Advisory / Consultancy: Astellas Pharma. N. Agarwal: Advisory / Consultancy: Astellas; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: BMS; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: AstraZeneca; Advisory / Consultancy: Argos; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Bayer; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Exelixis; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Eisai; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Eli Lilly; Advisory / Consultancy: Foundation One; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Clovis; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Merck; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Medivation; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Janssen; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Novartis; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Pfizer; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Nektar; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Genentech; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: EMD Serono; Advisory / Consultancy: Pharmacyclics; Honoraria (institution): Sanofi. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Property conveyances as a programming language

Anglo-American law enables property owners to split up rights among multiple entities by breaking their ownership apart into future interests that may evolve over time. The conveyances that owners use to transfer and subdivide property rights follow rigid syntactic conventions and are governed by an intricate body of interlocking doctrines that determine their legal effect. These doctrines have been codified, but only in informal and potentially ambiguous ways. This paper presents preliminary work in developing a formal model for expressing and analyzing property conveyances. We develop a domain-specific language capable of expressing a wide range of conveyances in a syntax approximating natural language. This language desugars into a core calculus for which we develop operational and denotational semantics capturing a variety of important properties of property law in practice. We evaluate an initial implementation of our languages and semantics on examples from a popular property law textbook.