cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Providing an Escape for Inner-City Children: Creating a Federal Remedy for Educational Ills of Poor Urban Schools

Children in impoverished, urban areas attend dangerous and decrepit schools, where they receive low quality education which fails to prepare them for meaningful participation in the community. Many states, however, provide no legislative or judicial remedy for these children, who desperately need vocational and educational skills to enable them to escape from the deprivation of their urban landscape. Meanwhile, federal officials speak of the importance of education because of its key role in creating a productive citizenry and in ensuring the nation's strength in the global marketplace. Despite such rhetoric, the federal government has failed to set binding national educational standards and its financial contributions to education have decreased. With no federal attention to inner-city educational problems, the futures of urban children-and that of our nation-are in jeopardy. This Note creates a conceptual framework for a federal judicial remedy which would enable the urban poor to attain the quality education they need to lift themselves from the cycle of poverty. Although federal courts may not currently view school funding challenges favorably, with political shifts in the United States Supreme Court and the continuing decline in the quality of inner-city education, federal courts may nonetheless entertain school finance disputes in the future. This Note's proposal, which federal precedent supports, will provide a compelling argument for poor urban students. In the meantime, the proposal provides a conceptual framework which state courts can uniformly apply in addressing the unique situation of inner-city schools. This Note presents the framework as a federal proposal because only a federal remedy can fully meet the needs of the inner-city students by creating a national mandate which would ensure quality education for all urban students.
Uterus transplantation: organ procurement in a deceased donor model.

Objective To demonstrate our technique of uterine procurement from a deceased donor. Design This video uses live action footage from surgery and detailed illustrations to review the steps and techniques involved in deceased donor procurement surgery. Setting Academic medical center. Patient(s) A deceased multiorgan donor. Intervention(s) Trial organ procurement of a viable uterus from a deceased donor. Main Outcome Measure(s) Procurement time and associated features of suitability of dissected specimen. Result(s) This video article describes the advantages of a deceased donor model over a live donor model, including eliminating the risk of surgical complications to a living donor, avoidance of ethical issues inherent in live donation, easier access to generous vascular pedicles for anastomosis, and faster procurement time. This video also outlines the key steps to a successful uterine procurement using illustrations and live action footage from a trial organ procurement. Conclusion(s) Uterine transplantation is an emerging surgical treatment for patients with absolute uterine factor infertility. Continued practice is essential in preparing for a deceased donor uterine procurement. The process continues to be refined and adapted as new information becomes available toward the goal of safe, efficient, ethical, and effective surgical treatment of absolute uterine factor infertility.
Thermal Oxidation: Kinetics, Charges, Physical Models, and Interaction with Other Processes in VLSI Devices

Thermally grown silicon dioxide remains one of the cornerstones of modern integrated circuit technology. SiO2 is commonly used as a mask against dopant diffusion, to passivate active device regions and junctions, to insulate field regions and provide isolation between active components, and as the gate dielectric, is an actual component in MOS devices. As a result, the control and predictability of oxide growth, and the resulting electrical properties, are critical if reproducible device performance is to be achieved.
Exact Formulas for the Average Internode Distance in Mesh and Binary Tree Networks

The average internode distancein an interconnection network (or its average distance for short) is an indicator of expected message latency in that network under light and moderate network traffic. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to find an exact value for the average internode distance, particularly for networks that are not node-symmetric, because the computation must be repeated for many classes of nodes. In this short paper, we derive exact formulas for the average internode distance in mesh and complete binary tree networks.
Impurities in a Hubbard-chain

Using the density matrix renormalization group method we study the quantum coherence of one-dimensional interacting Fermi systems. We investigate the the effects of several kinds of impurities on the ground-state of a Hubbard chain in detail. Thereby we look at the transition from a metallic to an insulating ground-state caused by a local potential, a locally modified interaction or hopping. Unfortunately the preliminary results show that the successful treatment of a system of interacting spinless fermions, using the phase sensitivity as the observable of the phase transition, is unsuitable in the disordered Hubbard-chain. Nevertheless the data lead to new insight in the level structure. The investigation of the optical conductivity is still in progress. In addition we determine the exponent of the algebraic decay of Friedel oscillations at the boundary and around an impurity in the middle of the chain. These results are very useful for the characterization of the above mentioned impurities.
Tunable chromium lasers

During the decade that has passed since the discovery of the alexandrite laser, many other tunable vibronic sideband lasers based on Cr/sup 3 +/ have been developed. These lasers span the wavelength range from 700 nm to at least 1235 nm. Experimental and theoretical research has provided an understanding of the important factors that influence the performance of these Cr/sup 3 +/ lasers and other solid state vibronic lasers. The intrinsic performance levels of some of the most promising Cr/sup 3 +/ lasers are evaluated from extrapolated slope efficiency measurements. 7 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.
Memory sequencing reveals heritable single cell gene expression programs associated with distinct cellular behaviors

Non-genetic factors can cause individual cells to fluctuate substantially in gene expression levels over time. Yet it remains unclear whether these fluctuations can persist for much longer than the time for a single cell division. Current methods for measuring gene expression in single cells mostly rely on single time point measurements, making the time of a fluctuation of gene expression or cellular memory difficult to measure. Here, we report a method combining Luria and Delbruck9s fluctuation analysis with population-based RNA sequencing (MemorySeq) for identifying genes transcriptome-wide whose fluctuations persist for several cell divisions. MemorySeq revealed multiple gene modules that express together in rare cells within otherwise homogeneous clonal populations. Further, we found that these rare cell subpopulations are associated with biologically distinct behaviors in multiple different cancer cell lines, for example, the ability to proliferate in the face of anti-cancer therapeutics. The identification of non-genetic, multigenerational fluctuations has the potential to reveal new forms of biological memory at the level of single cells and suggests that non-genetic heritability of cellular state may be a quantitative property.
Anticipatory Mourning of Middle-Aged Parents of Adult Children with AIDS:

There is little literature concerning the response of middle-aged parents to the dying of an adult child from complications due to AIDS. The author proposes a conceptual framework of anticipatory m...
Innovations in Wearable and Implantable Artificial Kidneys

More than 2 million people worldwide receive treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Current modalities of renal replacement therapy include in-center hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, home hemodialysis, and kidney transplantation. Patient survival has gradually increased during the past 2 decades and efforts continue to improve mortality and quality of life for patients with ESRD. Developments in sorbent technology, nanotechnology, and cell culture techniques provide promise for new innovations in ESRD management. New modalities currently in testing include wearable (WAKs) and implantable artificial kidneys (IAKs). The automated WAK (AWAK) and WAK are devices that have undergone small trials in humans. Additional study is needed before regulatory approval, coverage decisions, and widespread clinical implementation. The IAK is a biohybrid combining artificial filters and living cells currently in preclinical testing. These portable devices reduce the need for large quantities of water and continuous electrical supply. This could lower some barriers to home dialysis, making self-care renal replacement therapy more accessible and desirable. If widely successful, these devices could reduce the need to build and staff dialysis facilities, thus lowering health care costs associated with dialysis. The potential advantages and shortcomings of the AWAK, WAK, and IAK are described here.
Functional Studies of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms Suggest Heterogeneity in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease due to Susceptibility of Different Cell Types

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a syndrome that comprises several lung pathologies, but subphenotyping the various disease subtypes has not been successful. We found that a single-n...
The university of the future: Stiegler after Derrida

Higher education has not been spared from the effects of the disruptive aspects of technology. MOOCs, teach bots, virtual learning platforms, and Wikipedia are among technics marking a digital tran...
Realistic SAR data augmentation using machine learning techniques

While many aspects of the image recognition problem have been largely solved by presenting large datasets to convolutional neural networks, there is still much work to do when data is sparse. For synthetic aperture radar (SAR), there is a lack of data that stems both from the cost of collecting data as well as the small size of the community that collects and uses such data. In this case, electromagnetic simulation is an effective stopgap measure, but its effectiveness at mirroring reality is upper bounded both by the quality of the electromagnetic prediction code as well as the fidelity of the target's digital model. In practice, we find that classification models trained on synthetic data generalize poorly to measured data. In this work, we investigate three machine learning networks, with the goal of using the network to bridge the gap between measured and synthetic data. We experiment with two types of generative adversarial networks as well as a modification of a convolutional autoencoder. Each network tackles a different aspect in the problem of the disparity between measured and synthetic data, namely: generating new, realistic, labeled data; translating data between the measured and synthetic domain; and joining the manifold of the two domains into an intermediate representation. Classification results using widely-employed neural network classifiers are presented for each experiment; these results suggest that such data manipulation improves classification generalization for measured data.
The Sandia Architecture for Heterogeneous Unmanned System Control (SAHUC).

The Sandia Architecture for Heterogeneous Unmanned System Control (SAHUC) was produced as part of a three year internally funded project performed by Sandia’s Intelligent Systems, Robotics, and Cybernetics group (ISRC). ISRC created SAHUC to demonstrate how teams of Unmanned Systems (UMS) can be used for small-unit tactical operations incorporated into the protection of high-consequence sites. Advances in Unmanned Systems have provided crucial autonomy capabilities that can be leveraged and adapted to physical security applications. SAHUC applies these capabilities to provide a distributed ISR network for site security. This network can be rapidly re-tasked to respond to changing security conditions. The SAHUC architecture contains multiple levels of control. At the highest level a human operator inputs objectives for the network to accomplish. The heterogeneous unmanned systems automatically decide which agents can perform which objectives and then decide the best global assignment. The assignment algorithm is based upon coarse metrics that can be produced quickly. Responsiveness was deemed more crucial than optimality for responding to time-critical physical security threats. Lower levels of control take the assigned objective, perform online path planning, execute the desired plan, and stream data (LIDAR, video, GPS) back for display on the user interface. SAHUC also retains an override capability, allowing the human operator to modify all autonomous decisions whenever necessary. SAHUC has been implemented and tested with UAVs, UGVs, and GPS-tagged blue/red force actors. The final demonstration illustrated how a small fleet, commanded by a remote human operator, could aid in securing a facility and responding to an intruder.
The Critical Role of Self-Compassion and Empathy in Well-Being

In mid-2019, I engaged with the health care system as a patient in a rather unexpected and significant way. Despite my experience as a health care professional, nothing prepared me for being powerless and at the mercy of my own body. I felt mentally frustrated, confused, frightened, and vulnerable.
Telehealth Triage and Oncology Nursing Practice.

Abstract Objective To provide an overview of telehealth and explore the roles that the registered nurse can play in the context of a telehealth setting. Data Sources Review of articles via PubMed and CIANHL from 2009 to present and relevant telehealth websites. Conclusion The advancement of technology, the need to improve access to health care, and the changing expectations of consumers to have access to information has helped to expand telehealth as an innovative care delivery model and has created new opportunities for telehealth nursing care. The use of telehealth in the oncology setting continues to evolve and provide nurses the opportunity for new and potentially expanded roles. Implications for Nursing Practice Registered oncology nurses need to understand the various methods used to deliver care via a telehealth environment and how establish and work in this new environment to assure that they are practicing safely and within the full scope of their license.
The Economic Effects of the 2018 U.S. Trade Policy: A State-Level Analysis

We evaluate, empirically, the effect of changes in trade policy during the 2018-19 trade war on U.S. economic activity. We begin by documenting that sectors and states across the United States are heterogeneous in their exposure to international trade. To do that, we construct a measure of exposure that combines the share of a sector’s gross output that is accounted for by trade with the pattern of comparative advantage of each state in that sector. We then exploit cross-state heterogeneity in exposure to international trade and correlate it with measures of economic activity across U.S. states. Our findings suggest that states that were very exposed to trade at the onset of the trade war experienced worse outcomes in terms of employment and output growth. Our analysis is not aimed at concluding any causality effects, but instead focuses on correlations.
Influence of cobalt substitution on the magnetism of NiBr 2

Co-substituted ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Co}}_{x}{\mathrm{Br}}_{2}$ ($0\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}1$) single crystals were synthesized using vapor transport. The physical properties of the crystals were characterized by x-ray powder diffraction, magnetization, and specific-heat measurements. Room-temperature x-ray powder diffraction data indicate that a change from the ${\mathrm{CdCl}}_{2}$ structure type to the ${\mathrm{CdI}}_{2}$ structure type occurs within $0.56lxl0.76$. ${\mathrm{NiBr}}_{2}$ has a commensurate antiferromagnetic phase below ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}\ensuremath{\approx}46\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ and an incommensurate magnetic ground state below ${T}_{\mathrm{IC}}\ensuremath{\approx}20\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. Both magnetic transitions are affected by cobalt substitution, and the incommensurate phase transition is present up to at least $x=0.56$. The evolution of magnetism has been studied as a function of cobalt content and is summarized in the temperature-composition phase diagram.
Confusion of Group-Interest and Self-Interest in ParochialCooperation on Behalf of a Group

People often sacrifice their self-interest for a group to which they belong, even when outsiders are harmed so that the sacrifice has no net benefit. Two experiments (conducted on the World Wide Web) suggest that people do this, in part, because they think that cooperation on behalf of the group is in their narrow self-interest; they show an enhanced self-interest illusion. One experiment found that the self-interest illusion is related to the enhanced tendency to cooperate on behalf of a group when the insiders' gain is the outsiders' loss. A second experiment found that the illusion (and the resulting parochial cooperation) was reduced when subjects were required to calculate all gains and losses.
Stereotactic body radiotherapy for synchronous early stage non-small cell lung cancer.

In patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who present with multiple pulmonary nodules, it is often difficult to distinguish metastatic disease from synchronous primary lung cancers (SPLC)...
Association of COVID-19 transmission with high levels of ambient pollutants: Initiation and impact of the inflammatory response on cardiopulmonary disease.

Ambient air pollution contributes to 7 million premature deaths annually. Concurrently, the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, complicated with S-protein mutations and other variants, caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in over 2.5 million deaths globally. Chronic air pollution-mediated cardiopulmonary diseases have been associated with an increased incidence of hospitalization and mechanical ventilation following COVID-19 transmission. While the underlying mechanisms responsible for this association remain elusive, air pollutant-induced vascular oxidative stress and inflammatory responses have been implicated in amplifying COVID-19-mediated cytokine release and vascular thrombosis. In addition, prolonged exposure to certain types of particulate matter (PM2.5, d < 2.5 μm) has also been correlated with increased lung epithelial and vascular endothelial expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptors to which the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins (S) bind for fusion and internalization into host cells. Emerging literature has linked high rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection to regions with elevated levels of PM2.5, suggesting that COVID-19 lockdowns have been implicated in regional reductions in air pollutant-mediated cardiopulmonary effects. Taken together, an increased incidence of SARS-CoV-2-mediated cardiopulmonary diseases seems to overlap with highly polluted regions. To this end, we will review the redox-active components of air pollutants, the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and the key oxidative mechanisms and ACE2 overexpression underlying air pollution-exacerbated SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
Racial Disparities in the SOFA Score Among Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19

BackgroundSequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score predicts probability of in-hospital mortality. Many crisis standards of care use SOFA score to allocate medical resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research QuestionAre SOFA scores disproportionately elevated among Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients hospitalized with COVID-19, compared to Non-Hispanic White patients? Study Design and MethodsRetrospective cohort study conducted in Yale New Haven Health System, including 5 hospitals with total of 2681 beds. Study population drawn from consecutive patients aged [≥]18 admitted with COVID-19 from March 29th to August 1st, 2020. Patients excluded from the analysis if not their first admission with COVID-19, if they did not have SOFA score recorded within 24 hours of admission, if race and ethnicity data were not Non-Hispanic Black, Non-Hispanic White, or Hispanic, or if they had other missing data. The primary outcomes was SOFA score, with peak score within 24 hours of admission dichotomized as <6 or [≥]6. ResultsOf 2982 patients admitted with COVID-19, 2320 met inclusion criteria and were analyzed, of whom 1058 (45.6%) were Non-Hispanic White, 645 (27.8%) were Hispanic, and 617 (26.6%) were Non-Hispanic Black. Median age was 65.0 and 1226 (52.8%) were female. In univariate logistic screen and in full multivariate model, Non-Hispanic Black patients but not Hispanic patients had greater odds of an elevated SOFA score [≥]6 when compared to Non-Hispanic White patients (OR 1.49, 95%CI 1.11-1.99). InterpretationCrisis standards of care utilizing the SOFA score to allocate medical resources would be more likely to deny these resources to Non-Hispanic Black patients.
Liability Rules For AI-Facilitated Wrongs: An Ecosystem Approach To Manage Risk And Uncertainty

How do we apply liability rules in cases in which hardware, software, and data all come from different sources, and in which humans are involved all at the same time or in sequence? What roles do our laws play in situations in which AI is involved? Most essentially, how do laws help us deal with the risks and prevent harms, and also hold the right individuals responsible for AI-caused or AI-facilitaed harms when they occur? This paper aspires to provide some answers to these questions. The paper supports a multifaceted approach to liability for AI-facilitated wrongs, which would require identifying different risk pools and applying rules of collective liability together with rules enforcing or incentivizing the (re)allocation of (individual) liability within separate risk pools. The paper surveys and assesses different AI liability schemes against the backdrop of the human tendency to either underestimate—when systems work well—or overestimate—when systems fail—the role of humans and other non-technological factors in the process. It also returns to Calabresi and Melamed’s classic theory and discusses the role that liability rules will play in the context of AI-facilitated wrongs and in the allocation of legal entitlements and liability costs, ideally to the parties that can most inexpensively avoid them.
Renal Toxicity Associated With Resection and Spacer Insertion for Chronic Hip PJI.

Abstract Background Two-stage exchange arthroplasty with high-dose antibiotic-loaded bone cement spacer and intravenous (IV) antibiotics is the most common method of managing infected total hip arthroplasties. However, the contemporary incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of acute kidney injuries (AKIs) in this cohort are unknown. Methods We identified 227 patients treated with 256 antibiotic-loaded bone cement spacers after resection of an infected primary total hip arthroplasty between 2000 and 2017. Mean age was 65 years, mean body mass index was 30 mg/kg2, 55% were men, and 16% had pre-existing chronic kidney disease (CKD). Spacers were in situ for a mean of 15 weeks, concomitantly associated with IV or oral antibiotics for a mean of 6 weeks. AKI was defined as a creatinine ≥1.5X baseline or ≥0.3 mg/dL. Mean follow-up was 8 years. Results AKI occurred in 13 patients without pre-existing CKD (7%) vs 10 patients with CKD (28%; OR 5; P = .0001). None required acute dialysis. Postoperative fluid depletion (β = 0.31; P = .0001), ICU requirement (β = 0.40; P = .0001), and acute atrial fibrillation (β = 0.43; P = .0001) were independent predictors for AKI in patients without pre-existing CKD. Duration of in situ spacer, mean antibiotic dose in cement, use of amphotericin B, and type of IV antibiotics were not significant risk factors. At last follow-up, 8 AKIs progressed to CKD, with one receiving dialysis 7 years later. Conclusion AKIs occurred in 7% of patients with normal renal function, with 5-fold greater risk in those with CKD, and 4% did develop CKD. Importantly, causes of acute renal blood flow impairment were independent predictors for AKI. Level of Evidence Level III, comparative study.
Intramolecular Oxidative Diaryl Coupling of Tetrasubstituted Diphenylamines for Preparation of Bis(trifluoromethyl) Dimethyl Carbazoles

Synthetic preparation of carbazoles can be challenging, requiring ring building strategies and/or precious metal catalysts. Presented herein is a method for preparation of carbazoles with the use of inexpensive and reliable hypervalent iodine chemistry. An oxidative single electron transfer (SET) event initiates cyclization for preparation of our trifluoromethyl carbazoles. This method has been shown to be useful for a variety of bis(trifluoromethyl)carbazole isomers that are of primary interest for use as battery materials.
Chapter 1 luorescent Analog Cytochemistry of Contractile Proteins

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the fluorescent analog cytochemistry of contractile proteins. Fluorescent analog cytochemistry is specifically designed to follow the distribution and interaction of molecular components in single living cells. The technique involves four major steps which include purification and fluorescent labeling of cellular components, biochemical and spectroscopic characterization in vitro , and incorporation into or onto living cells. The fluorescent-labeling reagents should be chosen based on several criteria. The fluorophore should absorb in the visible range, optimally 450–650 nm in wavelength, so that radiation damage to living cells and interference from autofluorescence can be minimized. The average number of fluorophores per protein molecule must be determined to allow proper evaluation of biochemical assays. The concentration of fluorophore can be determined most conveniently by light adsorption. Spectroscopic characterization is very important for the interpretation of fluorescence signals from injected cells. The fluorescence image of injected cells can be recorded using photography, and high-quality records can be obtained from nonmotile processes.
DIMETHYLSULFONIOPROPIONATE STORAGE IN PHAEOCYSTIS (PRYMNESIOPHYCEAE) SECRETORY VESICLES(1).

Despite the global importance of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP)/dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and their role in climate regulation, little is known about the mechanisms of their production and storage in Phaeocystis sp., a major contributor of DMS in polar areas. Phaeocystis secretes polymer microgels, by regulated exocytosis, remaining in condensed phase while stored in secretory vesicles (Chin et al. 2004). In secretory cells, vesicles also store small molecules, which are released during exocytosis. Here, we demonstrated that DMSP and DMS were stored in the secretory vesicles of Phaeocystis antarctica G. Karst. They were trapped within a polyanionic gel matrix, which prevented an accurate measurement of their concentration in the absence of a chelating agent such as EDTA. Understanding the production and the export mechanisms of DMSP and DMS into seawater is important because of the impact the cellular and extracellular pools of these highly relevant biogeochemical metabolites have on the environment. The pool of total DMSP in the presence of Phaeocystis may be underestimated by as much as half. Obtaining accurate budget measurements is the first step toward gaining a better understanding of key issues related to the DMS ocean-air interaction and the effect of phytoplankton DMS production on climate change.
Barium evaluation of esophageal strictures: still useful or a bust?

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the usefulness of barium radiological studies for differentiating benign and malignant strictures of the esophagus. Esophageal radiology has proved to be a useful technique for demonstrating luminal narrowing as a cause of dysphagia, with reported sensitivities exceeding 95% for the detection of strictures (1, 2, 3). In this retrospective study, a search of the radiological and endoscopic records revealed 100 patients (50 women and 50 men, mean age 61 yr) with esophageal strictures who had both examinations. Of these patients, 74 presented with dysphagia, and endoscopic tissue sampling was performed in 57.
Polymer microring biochemical sensors using Fano-type resonances

Photonic microring resonators have great potential in the application of highly sensitive sensors due to high Q-factor resonances and steep slopes between zero and unity transmission. A microring resonator with enhanced resonance slopes is proposed by introducing two partially reflecting elements implemented by waveguide offsets. This configuration produces a Fano-resonant line-shape and can potentially enhance the sensitivity of the sensor. Microring resonators were fabricated in polystyrene using the nanoimprinting technique, and the optical spectra were measured in glucose solutions of different concentration. The shift in resonant wavelength and the variation of the normalized transmitted intensity is linearly related to the concentration of the glucose solution.
AUTOMOBILE RADAR SIGNATURE STUDIES

Continuous wave (CW) scattering measurements have been made in a manner which is consistent with automobile radar operation. Various aspects of simple targets and of an automobile were measured in a microwave anechoic chamber. Both horizontal and vertical linear polarizations were transmitted and their co-linear and cross polarizations received. These data have been used to confirm the existence of and to understand certain scattering mechanisms. They have also been subjected to analyses in order to determine the ability to discriminate among the various simple targets. It is demonstrated that even a simple analytical method shows discrimination capability among the targets tested. /GMRL/
Joshua Lederberg (1925-2008)

The interests of a visionary scientist ranged from genetic details of the microbial world to new frontiers in computer science and space exploration.
The Value of Vesting Restrictions on Managerial Stock and Option Holdings

Firm value and operating performance are positively related to managerial incentives from both vested and unvested stock and option holdings. The effects of incentives on firm value and operating performance are significantly larger for unvested stock and options than for vested ones, however, and the effects increase in the length of the vesting period. We find corroborating evidence of the effects of vesting restrictions on firm value using an event study of corporate acquisition announcements. Collectively, the results imply that the potential benefits of incentive contracts with longer vesting periods outweigh their potential costs and imply that vesting restrictions are an important dimension of incentive contracts.
Comparison of magnetic nanoparticle and microwave hyperthermia cancer treatment methodology and treatment effect in a rodent breast cancer model.

AbstractPurpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of iron oxide/magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia (mNPH) and 915 MHz microwave hyperthermia at the same thermal dose in a mouse mammary adenocarcinoma model. Materials and methods: A thermal dose equivalent to 60 min at 43 °C (CEM60) was delivered to a syngeneic mouse mammary adenocarcinoma flank tumour (MTGB) via mNPH or locally delivered 915 MHz microwaves. mNPH was generated with ferromagnetic, hydroxyethyl starch-coated magnetic nanoparticles. Following mNP delivery, the mouse/tumour was exposed to an alternating magnetic field (AMF). The microwave hyperthermia treatment was delivered by a 915 MHz microwave surface applicator. Time required for the tumour to reach three times the treatment volume was used as the primary study endpoint. Acute pathological effects of the treatments were determined using conventional histopathological techniques. Results: Locally delivered mNPH resulted in a modest improvement in treatment efficacy as ...
Structural differences between the glass state and ion-beam-amorphized states of lead pyrophosphate

Amorphous lead pyrophosphates (Pb2P2O7) were prepared by either thermally quenching the molten phosphate to produce a glass, by implanting O2+ or Pb3+ ions into lead pyrophosphate single crystals, or by implanting O2+ ions into lead pyrophosphate glass. The structures of the amorphous phases produced by these methods were determined using the technique of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) which measures the distribution of phosphate anions (i.e. the number and length of PO4 tetrahedral chains) present in each type of amorphous material. Ion channeling measurements of Pb-implanted (540 keV) lead pyrophosphate crystals showed that the amorphous layer produced via ion bombardment (1015 Pb ions/cm2) was about 200 nm thick. For all implant doses (from 1011 to 1015 ions/cm2), the structure of the damaged layer produced by ion bombardment was found to differ significantly from the structure of lead pyrophosphate glass prepared via thermal quenching. The structure of the amorphous phase produced by ion-implantation was, however, essentially independent of the implanted species since the implantation of high doses of either lead or oxygen produced virtually the same distribution of phosphate anions. The final amorphous phase formed via ion-implantation was determined to be structurally different depending on whether the implanted lead pyrophosphate surface was initially a crystal or a glass. The evolution of the structural changes that occurred during the ion-beam-induced amorphization of single crystal surfaces of lead pyrophosphate with varying doses of Pb3+ and O2+ was determined along with the thermal properties of lead pyrophosphate glass.
Solvatochromic and emissive properties of pt(II) complexes with 1,1- and 1,2-ditholates

Abstract A series ofPt(L-L)(S-S) complexes is studied where (N-N) is an α,α'-diimine, a diamine or a chelating phosphine ligand and (S-S) is either a dithiolate chelate or bis(thiolate) ligands. All of the diimine complexes show an intense solvatochromic band in the 400–500 nm region of the spectrum which shifts to higher energy with increasing solvent polarity whereas the absorption of the diamine and phosphine complexes is insensitive to solvent. The emission behavior of these complexes at low temperature depends on the (S-S) ligand. When (S-S) is maleonitriledithiolate (mnt), the emission in rigid glass is structured and shows single exponential behavior with both emission lifetime and intensity increasing with decreasing temperature. For the other Pt(diimine)(S-S) studied, the temperature dependence of the emission lifetime and quantum yield provide evidence of multiple emitting states. Complexes which contain a saturated diamine, diphosphine or bis(phosphine) ligands and show no solvatochromism, exhibit emission consistent with a single emitting state. Based on the spectroscopic data, the lowest energy absorption in the diimine complexes is assigned as a metal-dithiolate to diimine charge transfer transition. In diamine and phosphine complexes the absorption is assigned as a metal-to-dithiolate MLCT transition. For all the diimine complexes except those of mnt, the emission is assigned as 3(Pt(d)/S(p) - πdiimine*) while for the mnt complexes, the emission corresponds to 3(Pt(d)/S(p) - πmnt*). Comparison of the spectroscopic results with extended Huckel molecular orbital calculations support these assignments.
Detection of donor-specific-antibodies by solid phase assay and its relevance to complement-dependent-lymphocytotoxicity cross-matching in kidney transplantation.

Presensitization against a broad array of HLA is associated with prolonged waiting times and inferior kidney allogaft survival. Although the use of solid phase assay (SPA) for the detection and characterization of anti-HLA antibodies provides greater sensitivity than complement-dependent lymphocytotoxicity (CDC) assay, it often detects donor specific antibodies (DSA) which turn out to be clinically irrelevant. Our data reinforce the concept that these two types of assays should be used in parallel for pre-and post-transplantation monitoring of anti-HLA antibodies in recipients of solid organ allografts.
Analysis and modeling of Nannochloropsis growth in lab, greenhouse, and raceway experiments.

Efficient production of algal biofuels could reduce dependence on foreign oil by providing a domestic renewable energy source. Moreover, algae-based biofuels are attractive for their large oil yield potential despite decreased land use and natural resource (e.g., water and nutrients) requirements compared to terrestrial energy crops. Important factors controlling algal lipid productivity include temperature, nutrient availability, salinity, pH, and the light-to-biomass conversion rate. Computational approaches allow for inexpensive predictions of algae growth kinetics for various bioreactor sizes and geometries without the need for multiple, expensive measurement systems. Parametric studies of algal species include serial experiments that use off-line monitoring of growth and lipid levels. Such approaches are time consuming and usually incomplete, and studies on the effect of the interaction between various parameters on algal growth are currently lacking. However, these are the necessary precursors for computational models, which currently lack the data necessary to accurately simulate and predict algae growth. In this work, we conduct a lab-scale parametric study of the marine alga Nannochloropsis salina and apply the findings to our physics-based computational algae growth model. We then compare results from the model with experiments conducted in a greenhouse tank and an outdoor, open-channel raceway pond. Results show that the computational model effectively predicts algae growth in systems across varying scale and identifies the causes for reductions in algal productivities. Applying the model facilitates optimization of pond designs and improvements in strain selection.
Two phase radiofrequency catheter ablation of isolated ventricular endomyocardium.

UNLABELLED This report describes a two phase radiofrequency (TPRF) energy source producing two radiofrequency sinusoidal voltages of similar frequency but different phase angles between three points of wire. When delivered through an orthogonal electrode catheter array (OECA) TPRF energy produces a square-shaped lesion of the area covered by the five electrodes (0.8 cm2). The purposes of the study were: to create square-shaped lesions using TPRF energy; to compare the size of lesions created by single phase radiofrequency (SPRF) to that of TPRF energy; and to study the depth of such lesions and to create lesions of desired size by adjacent placement of the OECA using TPRF energy. Ablations were created in nine isolated bovine hearts using three power settings (10, 20, and 40 watts) and three pulse durations (5, 10, and 20 seconds). Pathological examination was performed to document the length, width, depth, and the microscopic changes of ablations. TPRF energy increases the size of lesion (P less than 0.001) and utilizes less power (P less than 0.008) at the same power setting and pulse duration compared to SPRF energy. This is possibly related to earlier rise in impedance with TPRF compared to SPRF ablations. The largest lesion for both SPRF (0.51 +/- 0.08 cm2) and TPRF (1.03 +/- 0.18 cm2) ablations were observed at 20 watts for 20 seconds. By adjacent placement of the OECA and TPRF energy desired size (6 cm2) lesions were created. There was no significant difference between the depth of SPRF versus TPRF ablations at comparable power setting and pulse duration. Pathological examination revealed the shape of lesions were elliptical or cross-shaped for SPRF and square for TPRF ablations. Microscopic examination revealed coagulation necrosis, edema, and few necrotic cardiac muscle strands. CONCLUSIONS TPRF energy can cause 1.2 cm2 lesions. TPRF compared to SPRF energy causes larger lesions but depth of lesions are not different than SPRF energy at the same power setting and pulse duration. By adjacent placement of OECA and TPRF energy desired size lesion can be created (6 cm2).
Membrane and cytoplasmic resistivity properties of normal and sickle red blood cells.

The cytoplasmic resistivities and membrane breakdown potentials of normal (AA), sickle-cell-trait (AS), and sickle (SS) red blood cells have been measured by the biophysical methodology of resistive pulse spectroscopy over a range of osmolalities. At isotonicity, the average membrane breakdown potentials are virtually identical for the three types of cells occurring at about 1150 V/cm. Average isotonic cytoplasmic resistivities are somewhat higher for the SS cells (166.7±7.49 ohm-cm) compared to the AA (147.6±1.98 ohm-cm) or AS cells (148.7±1.79 ohm-cm). As medium osmolality is varied, the differences in resistive properties become enlarged, especially at very low and very high osmolalities. At high osmolalities, both types of sickle cells show a large increase in internal resistivity compared to the normals; at low osmolality, the SS samples exhibit a distinctly different membrane breakdown characteristic, decreasing in this parameter, whereas the other two groups increase.
Multinational institutional survey on patterns of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography use in adult cardiac surgery.

Objectives To assess institutional patterns of perioperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) usage. Design The authors hypothesized that TEE is performed more frequently and comprehensively in academic centers, mainly by anesthesiologists, and barriers to performing TEE are due to inadequate resources. A survey was deployed to selected participants. Collated responses were assessed for demographic patterns in TEE practice, and 2-category comparisons were made with Chi-squared association tests. Setting Web-based survey. Participants Practitioners in cardiovascular anesthesia/surgery in 200 institutions. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Surveys were completed by respondents representing 200 centers in 27 countries and 1,727 anesthesiologists with a mean annual institutional volume of 924 cases. Most centers were in the USA (53%) and were defined as academic (83%). Anesthesiologists performed (85%) and also read/reported TEEs (78%) in most centers. Three-dimensional TEE is performed routinely at 40% of centers. TEE is used routinely for valve surgery in 95% of institutions compared to 68% for coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Academic institutions assessed diastolic function more often than nonacademic centers (46% v 19%; p = 0.006). The most important reason cited for not using TEE in all cases was insufficient resource availability (47%). Conclusions These results suggest that TEE is performed more comprehensively in academic centers, mainly by anesthesiologists, and that lack of resources is a significant barrier to routine TEE usage. TEE is used more often for valve surgery than for coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and many centers use 3D TEE. This survey describes international TEE practice patterns and identifies limitations to universal adoption of TEE in cardiac surgery.
Verb use by individuals with Down syndrome

Production of grammatical and lexical verbs in narratives from 29 individuals with Down syndrome and 29 typically developing control subjects matched on linguistic level (Brown's Stages 3, 4, and 5) was examined. We addressed recent theories proposing that verbs are central to syntactic development (Tomasello & Merriman, 1995). Consistent with predictions from the child talk model (Chapman et al., 1992), the individuals with Down syndrome produced fewer lexical or grammatical verbs per utterance compared to the control group but produced a greater diversity of lexical verbs. The findings suggest that the well-documented syntactic deficits evidenced by individuals with Down syndrome may reflect difficulty in accessing verbs when constructing utterances. This difficulty may stem from deficits in auditory short-term memory.
Domain Analysis of Human U5 RNA CAP TRIMETHYLATION, PROTEIN BINDING, AND SPLICEOSOME ASSEMBLY

We have analyzed the sequence requirements of the human U5 RNA during small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) and spliceosome assembly. A collection of mutant derivatives of the human U5 RNA gene was constructed in a U1 expression vector and transiently transfected in mammalian cells. Using immunoprecipitation and affinity selection assays, the cap trimethylation, the binding of Sm proteins and of the U5 snRNP-specific protein p220, as well as the assembly of the U4/U5/U6 triple snRNP and of spliceosomes were determined. By mutational analysis we were able to assign distinct functions to several structural elements of the human U5 RNA. Efficient binding of the Sm proteins requires the 3' stem-loop. Both the Sm protein-binding site and the 3' stem-loop are necessary for the formation of the trimethyl guanosine cap, consistent with Sm protein binding being a prerequisite for cap trimethylation. Specific elements of the U5 RNA 5' stem-loop contribute to efficient p220 association, in particular stem Ib. Interestingly, the highly conserved loop I appears to be a multifunctional element; in addition to its function in splice-site selection the 5' loop is involved in binding of p220 and in the assembly of the U4/U5/U6 triple snRNP. In sum, this mutational analysis has identified four functional domains of the human U5 RNA.
Does a visual representation impact the affective response to body composition testing

This experiment assessed the affective response to body composition testing, with particular interest in the mode of presentation. Participants (n = 109) were randomized to either a control (did not view own DEXA image) or experimental group (viewed own DEXA image). Positive affect negative affect schedules (PANAS) were completed prior to the DEXA scan and following feedback. Data were analyzed through repeated measures ANOVA. An overall main effect of time on positive affect was found, with it decreasing significantly over time. No main effect was found for negative affect. No differences were found due to the image condition or gender. Further analysis found a significant pre-post increase in negative affect for those whose body fat percentage was greater than the desired range. Implications of these findings suggest caution during body composition testing due to affective responses, especially in overweight or obese populations. Potential implications on motivation are discussed.
Editorial Comment—Can We Predict Massive Space-Occupying Edema in Large Hemispheric Infarctions?

Approximately 10% of large hemispheric infarctions are associated with massive, so-called malignant, space-occupying cerebral edema resulting in neurological deterioration due to brain tissue shifts, leading to herniation and often death. Increase in intracranial pressure is a late phenomenon that typically does not occur until after clinical signs of herniation have developed.1 Space-occupying edema is the leading cause of death within the first week of stroke. Mortality rates derived from intensive care unit–based series are as high as 79% despite aggressive medical therapy, and survivors have a poor neurological outcome.2 These data should be interpreted with caution because of possible selection bias. There is currently no universally accepted treatment modality for patients who deteriorate as a result of space-occupying hemispheric infarction.3 Hemicraniectomy with dural patch enlargement has been proposed as a life-saving measure and might be the most promising therapeutic option. The goal of surgery is to reverse mass effect and brain tissue shifts, decrease increased intracranial pressure, improve cerebral perfusion pressure, and prevent secondary neural injury. Laboratory studies of hemicraniectomy for large hemispheric infarction in rats have shown a decrease in mortality and, when performed very early, reduction in infarct volume as well as …