cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Complex analysis of Askaryan radiation: A fully analytic treatment including the LPM effect and Cascade Form Factor

The Askaryan effect describes coherent electromagnetic radiation from high-energy cascades in dense media with a collective charge. We present an analytic model of Askaryan radiation that accounts simultaneously for the three-dimensional form factor of the cascade, and quantum mechanical cascade elongation via the Landau–Pomeranchuk–Migdal effect. These calculations, and the associated open-source code, allow the user to avoid computationally intensive Monte Carlo cascade simulations. Searches for cosmogenic neutrinos in Askaryan-based detectors benefit from computational speed, because scans of Askaryan parameter-space are required to match neutrino signals. The Askaryan field is derived from cascade equations verified with Geant4 simulations, and compared with prior numerical and semi-analytic calculations. Finally, instructive cases of the model are transformed from the Fourier domain to the time-domain. Next-generation in situ detectors like ARA and ARIANNA can use analytic time-domain signal models to search for correlations with event candidates.
SAGE Research Methods Datasets: A Data Analysis Educational Tool

SAGE Research Methods Datasets (SRMD) is an educational tool designed to offer users the opportunity to obtain hands-on experience with data analysis. Users can search for and browse authentic datasets by method, discipline, and data type. Each of the datasets are supplemented with educational material on the research method and clear guidelines for how to approach data analysis.
Viral gene therapy for central nervous system diseases

From a theoretical proposal in 1980’s, gene therapy involving the use of viral vectors to deliver genes for medical treatment of disease has come a long way. Given the complexity and the blood-brain barrier, delivery to the central nervous system (CNS), and the efficacy thereof on brain diseases has been an enormous challenge for gene therapies and resulting clinical trials for treatment of neurological disorders. In spite of this, several studies over the past 2 decades have focused on achieving this using different viral vectors. In this chapter we review the different viral based vectors (Retro-, Lenti-, Adeno- and Adenoassociated viruses) developed over this time in clinical trials for treating different CNS pathologies including brain tumors, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer pain. We describe the successes achieved and the challenges still faced for each of these viral vectors as well as brain disease conditions.
Thalamic Lesions in Infancy

The clinical, pathologic and etiologic characteristics of thalamic lesions in infancy are reviewed in an editorial.
The effect of review valence and variance on product evaluations: An examination of intrinsic and extrinsic cues

Abstract Consumers are increasingly consulting online consumer reviews prior to purchase. This research seeks to deepen our understanding of how consumers utilize online reviews by examining the interplay between review valence (average rating) and variance in the context of intrinsic and extrinsic cues. We begin by demonstrating that consumers who consider review valence or variance in isolation are prone to making incorrect inferences about the other decision cue. Results further show that higher levels of review variance lower purchase intentions to a greater extent for utilitarian versus hedonic products and that these effects are amplified for negatively valenced products. Further, the interaction effect between review variance and reviewer ratings on purchase intention is found to be mediated by decision confidence. With two additional experiments we explore the influence of extrinsic cues in the form of brand equity and reviewer credibility. We find that when review variance is high, the influence of reviewer credibility on consumers' purchase intentions is moderated by brand equity. When brand equity is high, reviewer credibility does not influence consumers' purchase intentions; however when brand equity is low, reviewer credibility emerges as a significant diagnostic cue.
Existence of the threshold pressure for seismic excitation by atmospheric disturbances

Excitation of seismic waves by atmospheric pressure changes is examined from data for two tropical cyclones, Tropical Storm Lee (2011) and Hurricane Isaac (2012). They moved through the Earthscope Transportable Array (TA) and generated variations in pressure and ground motions that spanned 4-5 orders of magnitude in power spectral density (PSD). For vertical seismic ground velocity PSD (SV) for frequencies between 0.01 and 0.02 Hz, there is a threshold pressure at about pressure PSD (SP) of 10 (Pa2s), below which vertical motion is not affected by local atmospheric pressure. Above this threshold pressure, vertical ground motion increases with surface pressure as SV ~ SP1.5. In order to understand the land-atmosphere interaction, pressure above this threshold is the only useful range. Horizontal-component PSDs are about two orders of magnitude larger than vertical-component PSDs and change with pressure for its entire range. This overall trend is most likely caused by ground tilt.
Palladium-Catalyzed, Site-Selective Direct Allylation of Aryl C-H Bonds by Silver-Mediated C-H Activation: A Synthetic and Mechanistic Investigation

We describe a method for the site-selective construction of a C(aryl)–C(sp3) bond by the palladium-catalyzed direct allylation of arenes with allylic pivalates in the presence of AgOPiv to afford the linear (E)-allylated arene with excellent regioselectivity; this reaction occurs with arenes that have not undergone site-selective and stereoselective direct allylation previously, such as monofluorobenzenes and non-fluorinated arenes. Mechanistic studies indicate that AgOPiv ligated by a phosphine reacts with the arene to form an arylsilver(I) species, presumably through a concerted metalation–deprotonation pathway. The activated aryl moiety is then transferred to an allylpalladium(II) intermediate formed by oxidative addition of the allylic pivalate to the Pd(0) complex. Subsequent reductive elimination furnishes the allyl–aryl coupled product. The aforementioned proposed intermediates, including an arylsilver complex, have been isolated, structurally characterized, and determined to be chemically and kine...
The Resilience of the Premium for Homes in New Urbanist Neighborhoods

In this study, I analyze longitudinal differences in single-family home prices in two new urbanist neighborhoods versus surrounding conventional neighborhoods. Using data on 78,513 single-family home sales transactions in Montgomery County, Maryland, I adopt a novel multilevel methodology to assess the effects of neighborhood demographic, economic, and locational characteristics as well as the effects of year on home prices. Results support empirical evidence on the premium that buyers willingly pay for homes in new urbanist neighborhoods. Year effects indicate that the premium withstood the Great Recession quite well.
Comparison of the rates of Clostridium difficile and bacteremia after delaying fluoroquinolone prophylaxis from day 0 to day +3 post autologous stem cell transplantation.

Prophylactic fluoroquinolones are routinely administered after stem cell transplantation (SCT) to prevent bacterial infection; however, fluoroquinolones may increase the risk of Clostridium difficile infection, particularly in immunocompromised patients. This study is designed to evaluate the effect of a delay by 3 days in fluoroquinolone prophylaxis after autologous SCT (ASCT) on the rates of C. difficile infection and bacteremia. A single-center retrospective cohort study was performed in 118 patients who received levofloxacin prophylaxis following ASCT at our institution between November 2014 and October 2015. In efforts to reduce the rate of C. difficile, initiation of levofloxacin prophylaxis was delayed from day 0 to day +3 of SCT beginning April 30, 2015. The incidence of C. difficile infection and of bacteremia in patients who initiated levofloxacin on day 0 was compared with those who started prophylaxis on day +3. We found no difference in the rates of C. difficile (7.9% vs 5.5%, P=.593) and bacteremia (7.9% vs 3.6%, P=.323) in patients who initiated levofloxacin on day 0 compared with those who initiated prophylaxis on day +3. Delaying the initiation of levofloxacin prophylaxis by 3 days post ASCT showed no difference in the incidence of C. difficile or bacteremia. Future studies are warranted to show feasibility of delaying the initiation of antibiotic prophylaxis until neutropenia post ASCT, to further minimize the duration of antibiotic exposure.
Phytotherapy: An Introduction to Herbal Medicine

Herbal medications are commonly used in all medical settings, making it essential for primary care providers to learn about the products being used and resources they can access for continuing education. Understanding how herbal medicines are sourced, processed, and standardized can help providers guide patients who are trying to choose the most clinically effective and affordable treatments. Multiple herbs are often combined and sold as proprietary blends, which can increase the risk of allergies, adverse reactions, or cross-reactivity with other pharmaceuticals and supplements. Several textbooks, online point-of-care resources, and conferences are available for primary care providers to expand their knowledge of herbal medicines.
A new simulation model to develop and assess business cases for commercial microgrids

Opportunities to develop commercial microgrids are emerging, but investors need analytical tools to assess the economics of microgrid business cases. A large part of the business case for microgrids in the real world is reliability based; yet in academic literature most tools analyze economics based on energy sales to customers or the macro grid. This work offers a new model, based on Monte Carlo simulation (MCS), that stacks both values streams — and hence makes it possible to develop business cases for microgrids which improve reliability as well as sell electricity. The tool is analytical and can be used to study the effect many real-world parameters, such as utility reliability, generator availability, gas prices or carbon taxes, have on operating costs and revenue. We demonstrate the tool in a case study based in Texas, and showcase its analytical features that can aid in developing a sound and robust business model.
The Great Recession of 2007: An Agenda for Social Justice

The Great Recession, the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression, officially began in December 2007 with an 8 trillion dollar housing bubble and lasted until June 2009, resulting in ...
Be:B Amorphous Coatings and Order-Disorder Transitions

AbstractBe:B films were explored as a possible ablator material for use in inertial confinement fusion target capsules. It was found that Be:B forms an amorphous structure near the eutectic composition of 11 to 12 at. % B. It is believed that having an amorphous ablator should be useful in suppressing Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities during compression of the target. As the composition is moved away from the eutectic, an amorphous-to–columnar structure transition was more likely to be observed after some finite thickness of amorphous material had been deposited. Microstructural analysis indicated that this transition involved the nucleation of nanocrystal structures within the amorphous matrix. This nanocrystal nucleation is believed to be due to supersaturation of the dopant atom in the host. An efficient packing analysis is also presented in an effort to explain the most favorable amorphous composition of 11 to 12 at. % B doping observed.
Genomic medicine for kidney disease

Technologies such as next-generation sequencing and chromosomal microarray have advanced the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of a variety of renal disorders. Genetic findings are increasingly used to inform the clinical management of many nephropathies, enabling targeted disease surveillance, choice of therapy, and family counselling. Genetic analysis has excellent diagnostic utility in paediatric nephrology, as illustrated by sequencing studies of patients with congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract and steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome. Although additional investigation is needed, pilot studies suggest that genetic testing can also provide similar diagnostic insight among adult patients. Reaching a genetic diagnosis first involves choosing the appropriate testing modality, as guided by the clinical presentation of the patient and the number of potential genes associated with the suspected nephropathy. Genome-wide sequencing increases diagnostic sensitivity relative to targeted panels, but holds the challenges of identifying causal variants in the vast amount of data generated and interpreting secondary findings. In order to realize the promise of genomic medicine for kidney disease, many technical, logistical, and ethical questions that accompany the implementation of genetic testing in nephrology must be addressed. The creation of evidence-based guidelines for the utilization and implementation of genetic testing in nephrology will help to translate genetic knowledge into improved clinical outcomes for patients with kidney disease.
Stochastic shielding and edge importance for Markov chains with timescale separation.

Nerve cells produce electrical impulses (“spikes”) through the coordinated opening and closing of ion channels. Markov processes with voltage-dependent transition rates capture the stochasticity of spike generation at the cost of complex, time-consuming simulations. Schmandt and Galan introduced a novel method, based on the stochastic shielding approximation, as a fast, accurate method for generating approximate sample paths with excellent first and second moment agreement to exact stochastic simulations. We previously analyzed the mathematical basis for the method’s remarkable accuracy, and showed that for models with a Gaussian noise approximation, the stationary variance of the occupancy at each vertex in the ion channel state graph could be written as a sum of distinct contributions from each edge in the graph. We extend this analysis to arbitrary discrete population models with first-order kinetics. The resulting decomposition allows us to rank the “importance” of each edge’s contribution to the variance of the current under stationary conditions. In most cases, transitions between open (conducting) and closed (non-conducting) states make the greatest contributions to the variance, but there are exceptions. In a 5-state model of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, at low agonist concentration, a pair of “hidden” transitions (between two closed states) makes a greater contribution to the variance than any of the open-closed transitions. We exhaustively investigate this “edge importance reversal” phenomenon in simplified 3-state models, and obtain an exact formula for the contribution of each edge to the variance of the open state. Two conditions contribute to reversals: the opening rate should be faster than all other rates in the system, and the closed state leading to the opening rate should be sparsely occupied. When edge importance reversal occurs, current fluctuations are dominated by a slow noise component arising from the hidden transitions.
CLINICAL PROBLEMS: The Lungs

Pulmonary manifestations of systemic sclerosis (SSc, scleroderma) are manifold (Table 1) and often have a profound influence on the course of the disease. A discussion of all the pulmonary complications of SSc is beyond the scope of this article but is presented in a recent review. 10 The two major pulmonary conditions occurring among SSc patients, pulmonary hypertension and interstitial fibrosis (Table 2), will be discussed in detail. Isolated pulmonary hypertension occurs primarily in patients with limited cutaneous SSc (calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, telangiectasia [CREST] variant) in the absence of significant pulmonary fibrosis, whereas interstitial fibrosis occurs in either limited or diffuse cutaneous SSc.
STOCHASTIC TIME-SERIES FORECASTS OF GOLD AND SILVER PRICES

ABSTRACT The task of forecasting commodity prices poses difficulties for many market participants. Recent gyrations in the markets have increased the rewards derived for accurate price forecasts. The purpose of this study is to arrive at forecasts for gold and silver spot prices and for the gold/silver ratio using the Box-Jenkins time series methodology. A Box-Jenkins time series model is an empirical representation of a stochastic process of an integrated autoregressive moving average form (ARIMA). Forecasts are obtained by computing the expected value of future observations that are implied by the model, conditional only on the past history of the series.
Universality Class of Nanocrystal Plasticity: Localization and Self-Organization in Discrete Dislocation Dynamics

The universality class of the avalanche behavior in plastically deforming crystalline and amorphous systems has been commonly discussed, despite the fact that the microscopic defect character in each of these systems is different. In contrast to amorphous systems, crystalline flow stress increases dramatically at high strains and/or loading rates. We perform simulations of a two-dimensional discrete dislocation dynamics model that minimally captures the phenomenology of nanocrystalline deformation. In the context of this model, we demonstrate that a classic rate dependence of dislocation plasticity at large rates ($g{10}^{3}/\mathrm{s}$) fundamentally controls the system's statistical character as it competes with dislocation nucleation: At large rates, the behavior is statistically dominated by long-range correlations of ``dragged'' mobile dislocations. At small rates, plasticity localization dominates in small volumes and a spatial integration of avalanche behavior takes place.
The Gothic Image and the Quandaries of Science in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Rather than phasing out the Gothic to begin creating science fiction, Mary Shelley’s original 1818 novel adopts the major features of the Gothic image (of spectres, ruins, etc.) as it was created by Horace Walpole in The Castle of Otranto (1764–65) and as it was slightly modified by Gothic texts read by the Byron-Shelley circle at the Villa Diodati during the Summer of 1816. The Gothic image is fundamentally torn between backward-looking and forward-tending belief-systems and is thus an apt symbolic site for harbouring unresolved ideological conflicts that haunt the emergence of modernity. That Janus-faced quality makes such an image ideal, especially as rendered by Frankenstein’s creature, for figuring forth, while also disguising, the many contestations that troubled the sciences of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
Optimal nonparametric estimator of the area under ROC curve based on clustered data

AbstractIn diagnostic trials, clustered data are obtained when several subunits of the same patient are observed. Intracluster correlations need to be taken into account when analyzing such cluster...
Multiscale crystal-plasticity phase field and extended finite element methods for fatigue crack initiation and propagation modeling

This paper presents a physics-based prediction of crack initiation at the microstructure level using the phase field (PF) model without finite element discretization, coupled with an efficient and accurate modeling of crack propagation at macro-scale based on extended finite element method (XFEM). Although the macro-scale model assumes linear elastic material behavior, at micro-scale the behavior of plastically deforming heterogeneous polycrystals is taken into account by coupling the PF model and a crystal plasticity model in the fast Fourier transform computational framework. A sequential coupling has been established for the multiscale modeling where the macro-scale finite element (FE) model determines the hot spots at each cyclic loading increment and passes the associated stress/strain values to the unit-cell phase-field model for accurate physics-based microstructure characterization and prediction of plasticity induced crack initiation. The PF model predicts the number of cycles for the crack initiation and the phenomenological crack growth models are employed to propagate the initiated crack by the appropriate length to be inserted in the FE mesh. Finally, the XFEM solution module is activated to perform mesh independent crack propagation from its initial crack size to the final size for the total life prediction. The effectiveness of the proposed multiscale method is demonstrated through numerical examples.
High external-efficiency nanofocusing for lens-free near-field optical nanoscopy

Efficient, broadband illumination and collection through a nanometre-sized hotspot carried by a scanning probe will endow light–matter interaction research with nanoscale spatial information. However, near-field scanning optical microscopy probes, particularly the high-resolution ones, demand cumbersome optics but can only concentrate less than 10−3 of the incident light, which has limited its applications. Here, we report a two-step sequential broadband nanofocusing technique with an external nanofocusing efficiency of ~50% over nearly all the visible range on a fibre-coupled nanowire scanning probe, which is capable of both light delivery and spectrum collection with nanoscale spatial resolution. By integrating this with a basic portable scanning tunnelling microscope, we have demonstrated lens-free tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and achieved 1 nm spatial resolution. The high performance and vast versatility offered by this fibre-based nanofocusing technique allow for the easy incorporation of nano-optical microscopy into various existing measurement platforms. A two-step sequential broadband nanofocusing technique offers an external efficiency of ~50% over nearly all the visible range on a fibre-coupled plasmonic nanowire probe. Its integration with a scanning tunnelling microscope realizes lens-free tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy with 1 nm spatial resolution.
Using pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG20) for the treatment of sarcomas that lack argininosuccinate synthesase 1 expression.

10526 Background: To better understand the metabolism of sarcomas, we explored the role of argininosuccinate synthase 1 (ASS1), the rate-limiting enzyme in the conversion of citrulline to arginine ...
Excess Words, Surplus Names: Rancière and Habermas on Speech, Agency, and Equality

Jurgen Habermas and Jacques Ranciere treat speech as the medium for politics and, likewise, both diagnose the pathologies that follow from blockages on civic speech. That said, these broad commonalities give rise to significant divides regarding the social ontology of language, the forms of power that attend linguistic exchange, and how speech informs democratic agency. Ultimately, the essay will argue that Ranciere highlights the political deficits within deliberative commitments to democratic values. In doing so, his challenge yields broader insights for a democratic politics of speech and the linguistic resources that facilitate such a politics.
Rejecting white distraction: a critique of the white logic and white methods in academic publishing

This critical reply engages in a critique of the prominence of “white logic” and “white methods” (Zuberi, Tukufu, and Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, eds. 2008. White Logic, White Methods: Racism and Method...
Bone outcomes following sleeve gastrectomy in adolescents and young adults with obesity versus non-surgical controls

Abstract Background Sleeve gastrectomy is the most commonly performed weight loss surgery in adolescents with moderate-to-severe obesity. While studies in adults have reported on the deleterious effects of gastric bypass surgery on bone structure and strength estimates, data are lacking for the impact of sleeve gastrectomy on these measures in adolescents. Objective To evaluate the impact of sleeve gastrectomy on bone outcomes in adolescents and young adults over 12 months using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HRpQCT). Participants and methods We enrolled 44 youth 14–22 years old with moderate to severe obesity; 22 underwent sleeve gastrectomy and 22 were followed without surgery (16 females and 6 males in each group). At baseline and 12 months, DXA was used to assess areal bone mineral density (aBMD), HRpQCT of the distal radius and tibia was performed to assess bone geometry, microarchitecture and volumetric BMD (vBMD), and finite element analysis to assess strength estimates (stiffness and failure load). These analyses were adjusted for age, sex, race and the bone measure at baseline. Fasting blood samples were assessed for calcium, phosphorus, and 25(OH) vitamin D (25OHD) levels. Results Over 12-months, the surgical group lost 27.2% of body weight compared to 0.1% in the non-surgical (control) group. Groups did not differ for changes in 25OHD levels (p = 0.186). Compared to controls, the surgical group had reductions in femoral neck and total hip aBMD Z-scores (p ≤ 0.0006). At the distal tibia, compared to controls, the surgical group had reductions in cortical area and thickness and trabecular number, and increases in trabecular area and separation (p ≤ 0.026). At the distal radius, the surgical group had greater reductions in trabecular vBMD, than controls (p = 0.010). The surgical group had an increase in cortical vBMD at both sites (p ≤ 0.040), possibly from a decrease in cortical porosity (p ≤ 0.024). Most, but not all, differences were attenuated after adjusting for 12-month change in BMI. Groups did not differ for changes in strength estimates over time, except that increases in tibial stiffness were lower in the surgical group (p = 0.044) after adjusting for 12-month change in BMI. Conclusions Over 12 months, weight loss associated with sleeve gastrectomy in adolescents had negative effects on areal BMD and certain HRpQCT parameters. However, bone strength estimates remained stable, possibly because of a simultaneous decrease in cortical porosity and increase in cortical volumetric BMD. Additional research is necessary to determine the relative contribution(s) of weight loss and the metabolic effects of surgery on bone outcomes, and whether the observed effects on bone stabilize or progress over time.
Feedback mode preference and performance improvement with a handheld scanning device

This study was conducted to determine if combining feedback modes is beneficial for operator performance on a handheld scanning device within the services distribution industry. An industrial handheld scanner was used to examine four feedback conditions: 1) auditory; 2) auditory-visual; 3) auditory-tactile; 4) auditory-visual-tactile. Participants completed one trial under each experimental feedback condition during one experimental session. In each trial, participants scanned 50 boxes during a simulated box scanning task. Task completion time, completion time ranks, hit rate and false alarms were recorded and analysed. While the auditory-visual-tactile feedback combination produced the fastest task completion time, there was no significant improvement in operator performance between the four feedback settings tested. Through further understanding of the most preferred feedback modes, or combination of such, identification of improved scanner settings for this device and task can be made.
How the United States Flunked the COVID-19 Test: Some Observations and Several Lessons

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has already caused enormous economic and human life losses in the United States and it is still ravaging the country. In this article, the authors argue that the pandemic has exposed key issues of concern in several areas of the American government system ranging from federalist intergovernmental relations to public health system and to health care policy. These issues of concern include the strained federal-state relations in emergency management, inadequate data collection and data reporting for disease surveillance and control, politicization and diminished role of science and evidence in administrative decision making, and underinvestment in public health programs especially in minority health. Based on their analysis, the authors admonish that it is critically important for the U.S. government to learn from the failed response to the pandemic and offer several recommendations for improving its response to future public health emergencies and research in public administration.
Consolidation Of Providers Into Health Systems Increased Substantially, 2016–18

Provider consolidation into vertically integrated health systems increased from 2016 to 2018. More than half of US physicians and 72 percent of hospitals were affiliated with one of 637 health syst...
Water skating: How polymerase sliding clamps move on DNA.

Polymerase sliding clamps are ring shaped proteins that encircle duplex DNA and hold polymerases to DNA for high processivity during synthesis. The crystal structure of clamp-DNA complexes reveal that the DNA is highly tilted through the clamp with extensive interaction with the clamp inner surface. In contrast to the tilted clamp-DNA interaction without DNA polymerases, recent structures of replicative polymerases of bacteria, eukaryotes and archaea that are bound to the clamp and DNA show that the polymerase positions DNA straight through the clamp without direct protein-DNA contacts. Instead, the clamp-to-DNA interaction is mediated by one or two layers of water. Hence, clamps "water skate" on DNA during function with replicative polymerases from all domains of life, providing a nearly frictionless bearing for fast and processive DNA synthesis.
On the Interrelationship Between Left Ventricle Infarction Geometry and Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation Grade.

Ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) is manifested by the inability of the mitral valve (MV) to form a completed sealed shape, which is induced by rapidly impairing contractile function of acute myocardial infarction (MI). Mitral valve repair with undersized ring annuloplasty is currently the preferred treatment strategy for IMR. However, the overall persistence and recurrence rate of moderate or severe IMR within 12 months of surgery has been consistently reported as high, which is a direct consequence of adverse left ventricle (LV) remodeling after MI. In this study, we developed a detailed finite element model with coupled left ventricle-mitral valve structure including mitral valve leaflets, chordae tendineae (CT), papillary muscles, and myocardium. In addition, this model was consisted of high fidelity structure segmented from image data, a novel structural constitutive model of MV leaflets and mechanical properties of CT measured using an in-vitro mechanical testing in an integrated computational modeling framework. Discrepancy of strain mapping has been found between in-silico model and in-vivo strain analysis and including pre-strain of mitral valve leaflets in in-silico model was necessary to have more agreement with in-vivo data. Our findings suggests our LV-MV model is capable of predicting IMR results by shutting down regional contractility and pre-strain should be incorporated into future LV-MV model for more accuracy.
Ruminating on What You Think of Me: A Grounded Model of Construed Image Work

Research on identity has provided key insights into the challenges individuals experience when their professional self-concept is disrupted. But there has been little consideration of individuals’ ...
Andere Lösungskonzepte für n-Personen-Spiele

Da bisher kein allgemeiner Existenzsatz fur n-Personenspiele bekannt ist, haben die Mathematiker nach anderen Losungskonzepten gesucht. Eines dieser Konzepte ist der Shapley-Wert. Shapley definiert seinen Wert axiomatisch.
Fluctuations in Hormone Levels During the Spawning Migration: Effects on Olfactory Sensitivity to Imprinted Odors

In addition to the smolt stage, the salmon endocrine system also undergoes profound readjustments during the spawning migration. To understand our investigations on endocrine regulation of olfactory imprinting, which are presented in Chapter 5, some of these fluctuations in hormone levels during spawning must be considered.
A comparison of laparoscopic and robotic colorectal surgery outcomes using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database

Until randomized trials mature, large database analyses assist in determining the role of robotics in colorectal surgery. ACS NSQIP database coding now allows differentiation between laparoscopic (LC) and robotic (RC) colorectal procedures. The purpose of this study was to compare LC and RC outcomes by analyzing the ACS NSQIP database. The ACS NSQIP database was queried to identify patients who had undergone RC and LC during 2013. Demographic characteristics, intraoperative data, and postoperative outcomes were identified. Using propensity score matching, abdominal and pelvic colorectal operative and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. A total of 11,477 cases were identified. In the abdomen, 7790 LC and 299 RC cases were identified, and 2057 LC and 331 RC cases were identified in the pelvis. There were significant differences in operative time, conversion to an open procedure in the pelvis, and hospital length of stay. RC operative times were significantly longer in both abdominal and pelvic cases. Conversion rates in the pelvis were less for RC when compared to LC—10.0 and 13.7 %, respectively (p = 0.01). Hospital length of stay was significantly shorter for RC abdominal cases than for LC abdominal cases (4.3 vs. 5.3 days, p < 0.001) and for RC pelvic cases when compared to LC pelvic cases (4.5 vs. 5.3 days, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in surgical site infection (SSI), organ/space SSI, wound complications, anastomotic leak, sepsis/shock, or need for reoperation within 30 days. As the robotic platform continues to grow in colorectal surgery and as technical upgrades continue to advance, comparison of outcomes requires continuous reevaluation. This study demonstrated that robotic operations have longer operative times, decreased hospital length of stay, and decreased rates of conversion to open in the pelvis. These findings warrant continued evaluation of the role of minimally invasive technical upgrades in colorectal surgery.
Dora the Explorer : Destabilizing the Educative Reality of Participatory Programming

Dora the Explorer is a perfect example of how NickJr. uses the resources of television as a potential participatory media to enhance a child’s learning experience. In order for this media to be an interactive learning experience, the audience members need to be fully engaged with the program; even then the elements of learning and retention are questionable. However, this essay argues that the connection between character and audience is artificial, as is the act of participation. Due to the restrictions of the interface, participation and the call for participation is pre-calculated, resulting in a predetermined answer and a programmed interaction that simply simulates a hyper-interplay. This study will analyze the framework of Dora the Explorer with specific interest in participation and communication between the audiences and the characters. Through this analysis of the program, it is argued that the predetermined traits of the series, which defines itself as a didactic tool both through language and participation, disengages itself from accomplishing an educative reality because of its nature in formulation.
Protein Control of Iron-Sulfur Cluster Redox Potentials"

The relationship between the three-dimensional structures of iron-sulfur proteins and the redox potentials of their iron-sulfur clusters is of fundamental importance. We report calculations of the redox potentials of the [Fe4S4(S-cys)4]-2/-3 couple in four crystallographically characterized proteins: Azotobacter vinelandii ferredoxin I, Peptococcus aerogenes ferredoxin, Bacillus thermoproteolyticus ferredoxin, and Chromatium vinosum high potential iron protein (HiPIP). Our calculations use the "protein dipoles Langevin dipoles" microscopic electrostatic model, which includes both protein and solvent water. The variations in calculated redox potentials are in excellent agreement with experimental data. In particular, our results confirm the important role of amide groups close to the cluster in separating the potential of C. vinosum HiPIP from those of the other three proteins. However, the potentials of these latter exhibit a substantial range despite extremely similar amide group environments of their clusters. Our results show that the potentials in these proteins are tuned in part by varying the access of solvent water to the neighborhood of the cluster. Our calculations provide the first successful quantitative modeling of the protein control of iron-sulfur cluster redox potentials.
Intention, Torture, and the Concept of State Crime

Notwithstanding the universal prohibition against torture, and almost universal agreement that in order to qualify as torture, the act in question must be committed intentionally with an illicit purpose, the intentional element of torture remains ambiguous. I make the following claims about how we should interpret the intent requirement as applied to states. First, state intent should be understood objectively with reference to the apparent reasons for state action. The subjective motivation of particular state actors is not directly relevant. While we focus on subjective intent in the context of individual crime because of its relation to culpability and blameworthiness, in the context of state crime we should be concerned with preserving the legitimacy of political authority, and the conditions for legitimacy turn on the apparent reasons rather than subjective motivations behind state action. Second, the primacy of questions of legitimacy also makes irrelevant the distinction between specific and general intent. Instead, state-directed torture that is committed secretly and in a manner that removes it from public scrutiny should be regarded as quasi-criminal. Finally, the official interpretation of the Convention against Torture (CAT) adopted by the United States is flawed because it imposes a specific intent requirement that is not objective, and accords ambiguous weight to publicity. In doing so we make a double error: We treat state crimes as essentially the same as individual crime, and we fail to distinguish between the quasi-criminal and humanitarian functions of the CAT. To identify a state act as torture, courts should ask whether alleged acts (which otherwise meet the actus reas of torture) appear to have been motivated by radical indifference to the suffering of the torture victim and the aim of stripping her and/or other members of the political community of their humanity. Only to the extent they seek to further establish the acts as “quasi-criminal,” courts should ask whether the alleged acts were committed secretly or in a manner calculated to avoid accountability.
Reforming the International Financial System: Core and Periphery Issues and the Dollar Standard

The floating dollar standard was rooted in the aggressive pursuit of liberalized financial markets and the asymmetric integration of countries in the periphery into the international financial system. The mechanism of generating international liquidity was buttressed by the concerted advocacy of trade and financial liberalization of developing countries in the interests of preserving dollar dominance. This had enabled fragility to be exported to the periphery through two and a half decades of growing US deficits, while at the same time imparting greater elasticity to the adjustment mechanisms in the core. The debates and negotiations around refashioning the global financial architecture in the wake of the current global crisis need to take these core –periphery issues into account.
Effect of polyatomic ion structure on thin-film growth: Experiments and molecular dynamics simulations

The experiments described here examine 25–100 eV CF3+ and C3F5+ ion modification of a polystyrene (PS) surface, as analyzed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The molecular dynamics computer simulations probe the structurally and chemically similar reactions of 20–100 eV CH3+ and C3H5+ with PS. CF3+ and C3F5+ each form a distribution of different fluorocarbon (FC) functional groups on PS in amounts dependent upon the incident ion energy, structure, and fluence. Both ions deposit mostly intact upon the surface at 25 eV, although they also undergo some crosslinking upon deposition. Fragmentation of the two ions increases as the ion energies are increased to 50 eV. Both ions show increases in total fluorine and fluorinated carbon content when changing the ion energy from 25 to 50 eV. The simulations predict that CH3+ and C3H5+ behave in a similar fashion to their FC analogs, remaining mostly intact and either embedding or scattering from the surface without reacting at 20 eV. At 50 and 100 eV, the simulati...
Motivation and diabetes self-management

Objective: To examine the relationship between autonomous motivation and diabetes self-care activities among individuals with diabetes.Methods: Seventy-seven individuals recruited from outpatient clinic registries (64% female, 77% Caucasian, mean age 63 years) completed measures of diabetes-related self-care (Summary of Diabetes Self-care Activities), motivation (Treatment Self-regulation Questionnaire), health literacy (Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, Newest Vital Sign), health (SF-36v2), social support (Social Support Survey) and self-efficacy (Perceived Competence Scale).Results: Autonomous motivation was the only variable significantly associated with maintaining diet (p<0.0001) and blood glucose testing (p<0.04) in regression analyses. No significant associations were identified for exercise. The variable of age approached significance (p = 0.06), with older individuals being less likely to have exercised in the past week.Discussion: Individuals in this study had difficulty in maintaini...
Investigation of the antioxidant capacity and phenolic constituents of U.S. pecans

Abstract The content of phenolics and their antioxidant capacity were determined in 18 U.S. pecan cultivars. Acetonic crude phenolic extracts were prepared, fractionated and then their antioxidant capacity and phenolic contents assessed. H-ORACFL and FRAP values ranged from 13.5 to 25.5 mmol Trolox eq/100-g nutmeat and 14.0 to 20.7 mmol Fe2+ eq/100-g nutmeat, respectively. The total phenolics contents varied from 1.82 to 2.62 g ellagic acid eq/100-g nutmeat, while the total procyanidins contents (TPrC) were determined to be 420 to 655 mg procyanidin B2 eq/100-g nutmeat. The dominant phenolic compounds included gallic and ellagic acids, their derivatives, and proanthocyanidins. As confirmed by tandem HPLC-ESI-MS, no new aglycones were liberated from soluble esters and glycoside-bound phenolics after base and acid hydrolysis, respectively.
Heat Transfer Around Sharp 180-deg Turns in Smooth Rectangular Channels

Measured Nusselt numbers are presented for forced convection within and around sharp 180 degree turns in smooth channels of rectangular cross section. Separately determined top wall, bottom wall, and side wall values are presented individually along with azimuthal averages. The geometry of the channels and connecting turn is characterized by parameters W*, the ratio of upstream and downstream channel widths; 0*, the non-dimensional channel depth; and H*, the nondimensional clearance at the tip of the turn. Results from nine combinations of these parameters are presented at several values of channel Reynolds number to illustrate the effect of turn geometry on the heat transfer distributions.
Structural insights into recognition of beta2-glycoprotein I by the lipoprotein receptors.

The interactions of β2 glycoprotein I (B2GPI) with the receptors of the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) family are implicated in the clearance of negatively charged phospholipids and apoptotic cells and, in the presence of autoimmune anti-B2GPI antibodies, in cell activation, which might play a role in the pathology of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). The ligand-binding domains of the lipoprotein receptors consist of multiple homologous LA modules connected by flexible linkers. In this study, we investigated at the atomic level the features of the LA modules required for binding to B2GPI. To compare the binding interface in B2GPI/LA complex to that observed in the high-resolution co-crystal structure of the receptor associated protein (RAP) with a pair of LA modules 3 and 4 from the LDLR, we used LA4 in our studies. Using solution NMR spectroscopy, we found that LA4 interacts with B2GPI and the binding site for B2GPI on the 15N-labeled LA4 is formed by the calcium coordinating residues of the LA module. We built a model for the complex between domain V of B2GPI (B2GPI-DV) and LA4 without introducing any experimentally derived constraints into the docking procedure. Our model, which is in the agreement with the NMR data, suggests that the binding interface of B2GPI for the lipoprotein receptors is centered at three lysine residues of B2GPI-DV, Lys 308, Lys 282, and Lys317. Proteins 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Policies toward advanced display in the Clinton administration

The Clinton administration is using its policy toward advanced displays as a test case for making industry-specific policies. They have established a number of criteria for advanced displays that they hope to apply to other industries in the future. For example, they want to support the development of generic technologies through ARPA and NIST, while minimizing the government's role in key business decisions. They want the industry (by which they mean the tool makers, the component assemblers, and the systems firms) to agree internally before they go ahead with their promotional policies. Given the past history of the advanced display industry, especially its disunity in regard to the enforcement of the successful antidumping petition of the Advanced Display Manufacturers Association and to efforts to create the U.S. Display Consortium, these criteria will be hard to meet. Nevertheless, there now appears to be much greater consensus among the three groups than in the past on the need to build indigenous technological capabilities in advanced displays.