cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, structure–properties of planar,end-substituted, light-emitting oligophenylenevinylenes

A novel homologous series of highly soluble, multiple alkoxy end-substituted oligophenylenevinylenes (OPV) containing up to six phenyl rings were synthesized. In contrast to the lateral substituted OPVs, our theoretical and experimental evidences have shown that the electron donating groups incorporated at the ends of an oligomer do not affect co-planarity of the π-conjugated system. They can also promote a faster convergence of the HOMO–LUMO energy gap relative to those of unsubstituted OPVs suggesting a shorter effective conjugation length in this series. These end-substituted OPVs containing more than three phenyl-rings exhibit very high fluorescence quantum yields (more than 74%). Multi-layer LEDs using these end-substituted OPVs as emissive layers were fabricated and investigated. We have found that there is a bathochromic shift of the PL and EL maxima with an increase of chain length in this series. All these oligomer-based multi-layer LEDs show very low turn-on-voltage. In addition, the higher homologues of these oligomers suffered from severe interchain interaction leading to a dramatic decrease in the external quantum efficiency; however, this can be alleviated by doping the oligomer into the host matrix.
Acute myocardial infarction symptoms masked by epidural morphine

This report describes the case of an 80-year-old woman with a long history of chronic, stable angina pectoris who underwent resection of an abdominal aortic aneurysm and placement of an aortobifemoral bypass graft under a combination of epidural and general anesthesia. Epidural morphine was administered postoperatively for pain management. The patient suffered a massive myocardial infarction (MI) in the immediate postoperative period but experienced no chest pain or discomfort similar to her usual anginal symptoms. The use of epidural and spinal opioids in the treatment of anginal pain is reviewed and discussed in terms of the possibility that such epidural opioid therapy may have masked this patient's anginal symptoms.
Cocaine-induced renal disease

Cocaine has anaesthetic, vasoconstrictive and CNS stimulatory effects. Presently, it is used clinically as a local anaesthetic and abused as a recreational drug. It has been implicated in both acute and chronic renal failure and has been reported to affect every aspect of the nephron. This article will review the spectrum of cocaine-induced kidney disease and attempt to give insight into the pathophysiological mechanisms involved.
Choosing the right incentive strategy for research and development in neglected diseases

For the first time in history, worldwide neglected disease budgets may be large enough to deliver a new drug every few years. That said, sponsors will only succeed if they extract maximum value from every dollar spent. This paper reviews possible cost-containment strategies and provides an evidence-based framework for choosing between them. Current proposals can be categorized as "end-to-end" proposals which require the sponsor to set a single reward for companies that complete the entire drug discovery process or "pay-as-you-go" schemes in which sponsors offer repeated rewards as drug candidates progress through the pipeline. A generic weakness of end-to-end proposals is that rewards are likely to be 20-30% higher than they would be in an equivalent pay-as-you-go programme. However, the benefits of pay-as-you-go programmes may be lost if commercial pharmaceutical companies are substantially better at choosing successful programmes than are their non-profit counterparts. The efficiency of pay-as-you-go methods depends on sponsors' willingness to withdraw funding from failed drug discovery programmes.
Training of the exchange-bias effect: A simple analytic approach

Training of the exchange bias effect in antiferro-/ferromagnetic heterostructures is considered in the theoretical framework of spin configurational relaxation, which is activated through consecutively cycled hysteresis loops. The corresponding exchange bias fields, ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{0}{H}_{\text{EB}}(n)$, reveal relaxation from the initial state, $n=1$, of high antiferromagnetic interface magnetization to the equilibrium state of reduced magnetization in the limit of large $n$. The evolution of ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{0}{H}_{\text{EB}}$ vs $n$ is calculated with the help of a discretized Landau-Khalatnikov equation, where the continuous time parameter is replaced by the loop index $n$. The result reveals the origin of the well established but hitherto unexplained power-law decay of ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{0}{H}_{\text{EB}}(n)$ for $ng1$. Moreover, in contrast with the breakdown of the power-law behavior at $n=1$, the relaxation approach describes the training effect for $n\ensuremath{\geqslant}1$. The full capability of the theory is explored in comparison with experimental results obtained recently on a $\mathrm{NiO}(001)∕\mathrm{Fe}(110)$ heterostructure.
Spatial regularization of the electrocardiographic inverse problem and its application to endocardial mapping

Numeric regularization methods for solving the inverse problem of electrocardiography in realistic volume conductor models have been mostly limited to uniform regularization in the spatial domain. A method of spatial regularization (SR) was developed and tested in canine, where each spatial spectral component of the volume conductor model was considered separately, and a SR operator was selected based on explicit a posteriori criterion at each time instant through the heartbeat. The inverse problem was solved in the left ventricle by reconstructing endocardial surface electrograms based on cavitary electrograms measured with the use of a noncontact, multielectrode probe. The results were validated based on electrograms measured in situ at the same endocardial locations using an integrated, multielectrode basket-catheter. A probe-endocardium three-dimensional model was determined from multiplane fluoroscopic images. The boundary element method was applied to solve the boundary value problem and derive the relationship between endocardial and probe potentials. Endocardial electrograms mere reconstructed during both normal and paced rhythms using SR as well as standard, uniform, zeroth-order Tikhonov (ZOT) regularization. Compared to endocardial electrograms measured by the basket, electrograms reconstructed using SR [relative error (RE)=0.32, correlation coefficient (CC)=0.97, activation error=3.3 ms] were superior to electrograms reconstructed using ZOT regularization (RE=0.59, CC=0.79, activation error=4.9 ms), Therefore, regularization based on spatial spectral components of the model improves the solution of the inverse problem of electrocardiography compared to uniform regularization.
Current Management of Sickle Cell Disease in Pregnancy

Life expectancy in sickle cell disease (SCD) has increased substantially and thus women with SCD are almost universally reaching child-bearing age. Studies on potential complications during pregnancy have generated mixed data; however, it is generally accepted that women with SCD are at higher risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes and maternal mortality. It is therefore critical that their care be provided by a team that includes a hematologist and a maternal-fetal medicine specialist. Despite the published risks, women with SCD are capable of successful pregnancy outcomes with proper education and well-coordinated multidisciplinary care. Further investigation is needed to standardize management.
Lambda-rings, binomial domains, and vector bundles over cp(∞)

(1982). Lambda-rings, binomial domains, and vector bundles over cp(∞) Communications in Algebra: Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 311-328.
The role of polyunsaturated lipids in membrane raft function

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), with 22 carbons and six double bonds, is the longest, most unsaturated fatty acid commonly found in humans. It represents the extreme example of an omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid. Since early epidemiology studies, DHA has been linked to alleviation of an enormous number of human afflictions, including heart disease, cancer and neurological disorders. How one simple molecule can affect so many seemingly unrelated abnormalities has been a contentious question for many years. One research direction has investigated events that follow the uptake of DHA into animal cell plasma membrane phospholipids. Summarized here is a variety of membrane properties impacted by the incorporation of DHA. DHA’s dynamic shape, consisting of multiple configurations, is very different from what its static, stick structure would indicate. DHA-containing phospholipids have a wide hydrophobic base compared with their hydrophilic head and so induce nega tive curvature strain that severely impacts the activity of a variety of important membrane proteins. The unusual structure means that DHA-rich membranes are also surprisingly thin and support high permeability, compression, fusion and flip-flop rates. DHA does not exist in an environment that is independent from other membrane lipids. Of particular interest is the interaction of DHA-containing phospholipids with the major lipid raft components cholesterol and sphingomyelin. From a wide variety of biophysical studies, primarily done on model lipid monolayers and bilayers, a new hypothesis is proposed suggesting that DHA may alter plasma membrane lipid raft structure and hence essential cell signaling events. A fundamental role for DHA affecting a feature common to all cells, membrane structure and function, may explain its wide variety of reputed health benefits. Keywords: docosahexaenoic acid; lipid rafts; membrane structure; polyunsaturated fatty acids; n-3
Learning to Walk Slow: America's Partial Policy Success in the Arena of Intellectual Disability

The history of policies affecting individuals with intellectual disabilities has received attention from social historians interested in gender and family, from the emerging discipline of disability studies, and from scholars interested in the evolving role of eugenic arguments and medical genetics in American life. That history has received less systematic study from the community of policy analysts and scholars traditionally concerned with welfare, poverty, and public health. This is unfortunate because the history of policies affecting intellectual disability offers at least three significant lessons.
Communication of respect in interethnic service encounters

Divergent practices for displaying respect in face-to-face interaction are an ongoing cause of tension in the US between immigrant Korean retailers and their African American customers. Communicative practices in service encounters involving Korean customers contrast sharply with those involving African American customers in 25 liquor store encounters that were videotaped and transcribed for analysis. The relative restraint of immigrant Korean storekeepers in these encounters is perceived by many African Americans as a sign of racism, while the relatively personable involvement of African Americans is perceived by many storekeepers as disrespectful imposition. These contrasting interactional practices reflect differing concepts of the relationship between customer and storekeeper, and different ideas about the speech activities that are appropriate in service encounters. (Intercultural communication, respect, service encoun
When is Faith Enough? The Effects of Religious Involvement on Depression

Although most scholars find that religious involvement is negatively related to depression, questions still remain regarding how individuals benefit from such involvement and evidence from nationally representative samples is rare. In this paper, I expand upon previous research by considering three types of general religious involvement (attendance at religious services, religious salience, and spiritual help-seeking) and three types of effects (linear, curvilinear, and stress-buffering). Using Americans' Changing Lives (House 1989)-a large, nationally representative, and longitudinal data set-I find a U-shaped effect of religious salience on depression, no significant independent effect of service attendance, and a positive effect of spiritual help-seeking. I also find that spiritual help-seeking and religious salience exhibit significant stress-buffering effects, but that these occur only when individuals experience multiple negative life events, and not when they experience any single type of discrete event. The theoretical implications of these effects are discussed, both as they contribute to research on the life stress paradigm and research on the psychology of religion.
EL CAMPO: Faciality and Structural Violence in Farm Labor Camps

In this essay, I examine interlocking political, economic, and cultural processes involved in the continuous reproduction of the structural violence that affects migrant farmworkers in the United States. Excluded from rights and protections afforded other workers, migrant and seasonal farm labor—a social class comprising mainly undocumented Mexican and Latino persons—endures endemic poverty, poor health outcomes, and squalor living conditions. This structural violence is sustained by government neglect and illegal hiring practices and liberalized production regimes that benefit multinational corporations and large-scale agricultural producers, putting migrant workers in harm's way. Emphasizing the importance of the phenomenology of perception to the anthropology of structural violence, I argue that this system is also underpinned by a mode of perception built on specific understandings of alterity and community. The setting for this article is rural North Carolina, where I have conducted 16 months (2004–07) of ethnographic field study on tobacco farms and in farm labor camps. Among growers and other locals, I find that the faces of migrants do not compel infinite responsibility, as in the face-to-face interaction idealized by Levinas. Instead, an essentializing discourse of culture portrays migrants as “other” and “outside,” equates them with trash, and makes them available for various kinds of blame. I develop the concept of “faciality” to take account of how social power overlaps with perception to legitimize patterns of social subordination, economic exploitation, and spatial segregation. I also examine everyday tactics of resistance among migrants, who take command of the stigmatizing quality of vision to morally indict manifestations of structural violence. In this study, I enhance our understanding of the dialectics of domination and subordination in U.S. agriculture, which provides fruitful ground for theorizing the dangerous constitution of structural violence in the context of transnational labor migration and international agricultural restructuring.
Correspondence between theory and observations of polar motion

The focus of this study is to write in terms of reported values the standard theoretical equation describing the earth's wobble, namely, the linearized conservation of angular momentum equation known as the Liouville equation. A relation between the locations of the rotation pole and the celestial ephemeris pole is first obtained to rewrite this equation in terms of the location of the reported pole. This is achieved in the time domain by considering the properties of the time-dependent transformation matrix that relates components of a position vector in the rotating, body-fixed frame to its components in the celestial, space-fixed frame.
Modeling and System Identification of a Life-Size Brake-Actuated Manipulator

Safety is a critical factor when designing a robotic rehabilitation environment. Whole-limb or life-size haptic interaction would allow virtual robotic rehabilitation of daily living activities such as sweeping or shelving. However, it has been too dangerous to implement such an environment with conventional active robots that use motor, hydraulic, or pneumatic actuation. To address this issue, a life-size 6-degree-of-freedom (DOF) brake-actuated manipulator (BAM) was designed and constructed. This paper details the BAM's system models including mechanisms, kinematics, and dynamics, as well as detailed input and friction models. In addition, a new system-identification technique that utilizes human input to excite the robot's dynamics with unscented Kalman filtering was employed to identify system parameters. Noise sources are discussed, and the model is validated through force estimation with inverse dynamics. Model parameters and performance are compared with other commercially available haptic devices. The BAM shows a significantly larger workspace, maximum force, and stiffness over other devices exhibiting its promise toward rehabilitative applications.
Right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex mediates individual differences in conflict-driven cognitive control

Conflict adaptation-a conflict-triggered improvement in the resolution of conflicting stimulus or response representations-has become a widely used probe of cognitive control processes in both healthy and clinical populations. Previous fMRI studies have localized activation foci associated with conflict resolution to dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC). The traditional group analysis approach employed in these studies highlights regions that are, on average, activated during conflict resolution, but does not necessarily reveal areas mediating individual differences in conflict resolution, because between-subject variance is treated as noise. Here, we employed a complementary approach to elucidate the neural bases of variability in the proficiency of conflict-driven cognitive control. We analyzed two independent fMRI data sets of face-word Stroop tasks by using individual variability in the behavioral expression of conflict adaptation as the metric against which brain activation was regressed while controlling for individual differences in mean RT and Stroop interference. Across the two experiments, a replicable neural substrate of individual variation in conflict adaptation was found in ventrolateral PFC (vlPFC), specifically, in the right inferior frontal gyrus, pars orbitalis (BA 47). Unbiased regression estimates showed that variability in activity in this region accounted for â¼40% of the variance in behavioral expression of conflict adaptation across subjects, thus documenting a heretofore unsuspected key role for vlPFC in mediating conflict-driven adjustments in cognitive control. We speculate that vlPFC plays a primary role in conflict control that is supplemented by dlPFC recruitment under conditions of suboptimal performance.
An ellipsometric study of polymer film curing: 2,6-Bis(3-aminophenoxy) benzonitrile/4,4′oxidiphthalic anhydride poly(amic acid)

The curing of 2,6-bis(3-aminophenoxy)benzonitrile/4,4 0 oxidiphthalic anhydride ((b-CN) APB/ODPA) has been investigated using spectroscopic ellipsometry on films with various degrees of imidization. Results indicate that much of the film imidization is accomplished at 200 8C and above. Three absorption peaks have been observed (4.1, 5, and 6 eV) which correspond to intra- and inter-molecular optical transitions. A comparison of the film optical constants for the pristine poly(amic acid) and the fully cured polyimide shows film densification upon imidization. A curing timeline has been obtained using in situ real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry, and ellipsometry is shown to serve as a general technique for studying organic film curing. q 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Analysis of ZDDP Content and Thermal Decomposition in Motor Oils Using NAA and NMR

Abstract Zinc dialkyldithiophosphates (ZDDPs) are one of the most common anti-wear additives present in commercially-available motor oils. The ZDDP concentrations of motor oils are most commonly determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). As part of an undergraduate research project, we have determined the Zn concentrations of eight commercially-available motor oils and one oil additive using neutron activation analysis (NAA), which has potential for greater accuracy and less sensitivity to matrix effects as compared to ICP-AES. The 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (31P-NMR) spectra were also obtained for several oil additive samples which have been heated to various temperatures in order to study the thermal decomposition of ZDDPs.
Which came first, delusions or hallucinations? An exploration of clinical differences among patients with first-episode psychosis based on patterns of emergence of positive symptoms

Remarkably little is known about patterns of emergence of specific symptoms in the early course of nonaffective psychotic disorders. Some 159 well-characterized first-episode psychosis patients were categorized into those with: (1) delusions only (n=29, 18.2%); (2) delusions that emerged at least 1 month before hallucinations (n=31, 19.5%); (3) hallucinations that began at least 1 month before delusions (n=26, 16.4%); and (4) delusions and hallucinations that emerged concomitantly, within the same month (n=73, 45.9%). These four groups were compared across a number of clinical features, including duration of untreated psychosis, symptom severity, insight, and functioning, while controlling for potential confounders. Patients with delusions and hallucinations emerging within the same month had a shorter duration of untreated psychosis than those in whom one psychotic symptom emerged greater than one month before the other. The delusions-only group had significantly less severe positive, negative, and general psychopathology symptom scores, as well as better social and occupational functioning. Replication and further elucidation of specific patterns of symptom emergence would deepen the field's understanding of early-course phenomenology, and may inform efforts to improve upon nosology, prognostication, and treatment selection.
Cosmetic Neurology and Cosmetic Surgery: Parallels, Predictions, and Challenges

As our knowledge of the functional and pharmacological architecture of the nervous system increases, we are getting better at treating cognitive and affective disorders. Along with the ability to modify cognitive and affective systems in disease, we are also learning how to modify these systems in health. “Cosmetic neurology,” the practice of intervening to improve cognition and affect in healthy individuals, raises several ethical concerns. However, its advent seems inevitable. In this paper I examine this claim of inevitability by reviewing the evolution of another medical practice, cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery also enhances healthy people and, despite many critics, it is practiced widely. Can we expect the same of cosmetic neurology? The claim of inevitability poses a challenge for both physicians and bioethicists. How will physicians reconsider their professional role? Will bioethicists influence the shape of cosmetic neurology? But first, how did cosmetic surgery become common? I thank Lisa Santer, Barry Schwartz, and Martha Farah for their thoughtful comments on earlier drafts of this paper.
The protest of the American clergy in opposition to the war in Vietnam

(1969). The protest of the American clergy in opposition to the war in Vietnam. Today's Speech: Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 51-59.
Nurse and patient characteristics predict communication about complementary and alternative medicine

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to identify nurse factors (eg, knowledge, practices, and clinical habits regarding complementary and alternative medicine [CAM] as well as demographic factors) and patient characteristics (eg, age, sex, and treatment status) associated with nurses' CAM inquiry and referral patterns. METHODS Baseline data were collected with nurse/patient questionnaires about CAM use and knowledge as part of a multicenter CAM educational clinical trial. Frequencies and nested regression models were used to assess predictors of nurses' inquiries about and referral to CAM therapies. RESULTS Six hundred ninety-nine patients participated in the study. For patients, female sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.50; P = .019) and cancer recurrence (OR, 1.45; P = .05) were predictive of nurses' inquiries about and referral to CAM therapies. A total of 175 nurses with a mean age of 45 years and a mean experience of 20 years participated; 79% were staff nurses, and 11% were nurse practitioners. Fifty-three percent asked at least 1 of their last 5 patients about CAM use; 42% referred patients to CAM therapy. Nurses who reported being “somewhat comfortable” (OR, 2.70; P = .0001) or “very comfortable” (OR, 3.88; P < .0001) about discussing CAM, self-reported use of massage (OR, 2.20; P < .0001), and had formal CAM education (OR, 4.14; P = .0001) were more likely to ask about CAM use. Nurses who reported being “somewhat comfortable” (OR, 2.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.47-4.41; P = .0008) or “very comfortable” (OR, 7.46; P < .00001) and had formal CAM education (OR, 2.96; P < .0001) were also more likely to refer patients to CAM therapies. CONCLUSIONS Both patient and nurse characteristics were associated with discussions about CAM. Oncology institutions that prioritize evidence-based medicine should consider introducing CAM education to their nursing staff. Cancer 2016. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
Suppression of Tumor Growth Following Intralesional Therapy with TRAIL Recombinant Adenovirus

TRAIL is a member of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily that induces apoptosis in a variety of tumor cell types both in vitro and in vivo, while demonstrating minimal cytotoxicity toward normal tissues. One disadvantage to previous in vivo protocols was the need for large quantities of TRAIL to suppress tumor growth. Here we engineered a replication-deficient adenovirus to encode human TNFSF10 (Ad5-TRAIL) as an alternative to recombinant, soluble TRAIL protein. The results show that TRAIL-sensitive prostate tumor cell targets infected with Ad5-TRAIL undergo apoptosis through the production and expression of TRAIL protein. This activity was limited to TRAIL-sensitive tumor cells, as normal prostate epithelial cells were not killed by Ad5-TRAIL. Furthermore, in vivo administration of Ad5-TRAIL at the site of tumor implantation suppressed the outgrowth of human prostate tumor xenografts in SCID mice. Histologic examination of prostate tumors treated locally with Ad5-TRAIL revealed areas of apoptosis within 24 hours of injection. These results further define Ad5-TRAIL as a novel anti-tumor therapeutic and demonstrate its potential use as a means for treating prostate tumors, as well as other solid tumors, in vivo.
FEMALE MATE PREFERENCE AND THE EVOLUTION OF FEMALE-LIMITED BATESIAN MIMICRY.

Mise en evidence que les femelles de P. g. distinguent les mâles par leur coloration hors spectre UV et qu'elles solicitent preferentiellement les mâles de la couleur naturelle plutot que les mâles de forme mimetiques.
Tunable Negative Differential Electrolyte Resistance in a Conical Nanopore in Glass

Liquid-phase negative differential resistance (NDR) is observed in the i-V behavior of a conical nanopore (~300 nm orifice radius) in a glass membrane that separates an external low-conductivity 5 mM KCl solution of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)/water (v/v 3:1) from an internal high-conductivity 5 mM KCl aqueous solution. NDR appears in the i-V curve of the negatively charged nanopore as the voltage-dependent electro-osmotic force opposes an externally applied pressure force, continuously moving the location of the interfacial zone between the two miscible solutions to a position just inside the nanopore orifice. An ~80% decrease in the ionic current occurs over less that a ~10 mV increase in applied voltage. The NDR turn-on voltage was found to be tunable over a ~1 V window by adjusting the applied external pressure from 0 to 50 mmHg. Finite-element simulations based on solution of Navier-Stokes, Poisson, and convective Nernst-Planck equations for mixed solvent electrolytes within a negatively charged nanopore yield predictions of the NDR behavior that are in qualitative agreement with the experimental observations. Applications in chemical sensing of a tunable, solution-based electrical switch based on the NDR effect are discussed.
Role of the Submaxillary Gland and of the Kidney in the Hyperglucagonemia of Eviscerated Rats

Significant quantities of A cell and total glucagon were found in the systemic blood of eviscerated rats, especially following arginine infusion. These findings and the hyperglucagonemia previously observed in depancreatized and in eviscerated animals, prompted us to look for glucagon sources other than the pancreas and the gastrointestinal tract. Significant amounts of immunoreactive glucagon (IRG) were extracted from rat submaxillary and parotid gland tissue using a modification of the method of Kenny. This IRG could be measured with an antiglucagon serum specific for pancreatic or A cell glucagon and with an antiserum that crossreacts with extracts of intestinal mucosa. Intravenous injections of submaxillary gland extracts caused a significant increase in blood glucose in normal, but not in eviscerated rats. A-V differences in glucagon concentration between aorta and facial vein suggest that the salivary glands release glucagon into the circulation. Similarly, A-V differences between the blood of the aorta and of the renal vein suggest that the kidneys remove glucagon from the circulation in normal, but not in eviscerated rats. Indeed, the kidneys of eviscerated rats may release previously stored glucagon into the blood. No glucagon was found in the saliva. Glucagon release by the salivary glands and the kidneys may contribute to the hyperglucagonemia characteristic of depancreatized and eviscerated animals.
TH‐EF‐BRC‐03: Fault Tree Analysis

This Hands-on Workshop will be focused on providing participants with experience with the principal tools of TG 100 and hence start to build both competence and confidence in the use of risk-based quality management techniques. The three principal tools forming the basis of TG 100's risk analysis: Process mapping, Failure-Modes and Effects Analysis and fault-tree analysis will be introduced with a 5 minute refresher presentation and each presentation will be followed by a 30 minute small group exercise. An exercise on developing QM from the risk analysis follows. During the exercise periods, participants will apply the principles in 2 different clinical scenarios. At the conclusion of each exercise there will be ample time for participants to discuss with each other and the faculty their experience and any challenges encountered. Learning Objectives: 1.To review the principles of Process Mapping, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis and Fault Tree Analysis. 2.To gain familiarity with these three techniques in a small group setting. 3.To share and discuss experiences with the three techniques with faculty and participants. Director, TreatSafely, LLC. Director, Center for the Assessment of Radiological Sciences. Occasional Consultant to the IAEA and Varian.
Size and dose dependent effects of silver nanoparticle exposure on intestinal permeability in an in vitro model of the human gut epithelium

The antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) has led to interest in their use in consumer products such as food contact materials, utensils, and storage containers. Incorporation of these materials into items intended for food processing and storage suggests that consumer use of these products could result in gastrointestinal exposure to AgNP, should the nanoparticles migrate from the product. The health impact of AgNP exposure is unknown, especially effects related to intestinal epithelial permeability and barrier function. This study examined the effects of AgNP exposure of different sizes (10, 20, 75 and 110 nm) and doses (20 and 100 µg/mL) on the permeability of T84 human colonic epithelial cells, which serve as an in vitro model of the human gut epithelium. Results showed that effects of AgNP on the T84 epithelial cells were size- and dose-dependent, with the 10 nm AgNP causing the most significant changes. Changes in permeability of the epithelial cell monolayer, as measured by transepithelial electrical resistance, after exposure to 10 nm AgNP were most dramatic at the highest dose (100 µg/mL), but also observed at the lower dose (20 µg/mL). AgNP could be visualized inside cells using transmission electron microscopy and silver was detected in basal wells using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Exposure to AgNP significantly affected the expression of genes involved in anchoring tight junctions, cellular proliferation and signaling, endocytosis, and cell–cell adhesion, with the 10 nm AgNP having the greatest effect. The results of this study show that small-size AgNP have significant effects on intestinal permeability in an in vitro model of the human gastrointestinal epithelium. Such effects have the potential to compromise the integrity of the intestinal epithelium and this disruption of barrier function could have health consequences for the gastrointestinal tract.
THE LIMITING BEHAVIOR OF MULTIPLE ROOTS OF THE LIKELIHOOD EQUATION

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the limiting behavior of multiple roots of the likelihood equation. It describes Cauchy distribution and the bivariate normal distribution with known variances and unknown correlation. Ω is an open interval to avoid difficulties arising from the nonexistence of solutions of the likelihood equation (LEQ) that can occur when the true parameter value lies on the boundary of the parameter space. The chapter discusses some examples of K-L ordered families. In the case of the two-parameter Cauchy family, with both location and scale parameters, the LEQs have a unique solution for all n and almost all sample sequences, and this solution gives the absolute maximum of the likelihood function, that is, the maximum likelihood estimate.
Orexin-1 receptor blockade suppresses compulsive-like alcohol drinking in mice.

Addiction is promoted by pathological motivation for addictive substances, and, despite extensive efforts, alcohol use disorders (AUDs) continue to extract a very high social, physical, and economic toll. Compulsive drinking of alcohol, where consumption persists even when alcohol is paired with negative consequences, is considered a particular obstacle for treating AUDs. Aversion-resistant alcohol intake in rodents, e.g. where rodents drink even when alcohol is paired with the bitter tastant quinine, has been considered to model some compulsive aspects of human alcohol consumption. However, the critical mechanisms that drive compulsive-like drinking are only beginning to be identified. The neuropeptide orexin has been linked to high motivation for cocaine, preferred foods, and alcohol. Thus, we investigated the role of orexin receptors in compulsive-like alcohol drinking, where C57BL/6 mice had 2-hr daily access to 15% alcohol with or without quinine (100 μM). We found that systemic administration of the widely used selective orexin-1 receptor (OX1R) blocker, SB-334867 (SB), significantly reduced compulsive-like consumption at doses lower than those reported to reduce quinine-free alcohol intake. The dose of 3-mg/kg SB, in particular, suppressed only compulsive-like drinking. Furthermore, SB did not reduce concurrent water intake during the alcohol drinking sessions, and did not alter saccharin + quinine consumption. In addition, the OX2R antagonist TCS-OX2-29 (3 or 10 mg/kg) did not alter intake of alcohol with or without quinine. Together, our results suggest that OX1R signaling is particularly important for promoting compulsive-like alcohol drinking, and that OX1Rs might represent a novel therapy to counteract compulsive aspects of human AUDs.
Correction: Retinopathy and Uveitis Associated with Sofosbuvir Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C Infection.

The Results section in the Abstract erroneously reads "57-year-old-male” but should instead read "59-year-old-male” as it is correctly written later in the article.
Towards Efficient Negotiation Mechanisms for Collaboration

Autonomous agents can achieve more by working together in a team than if each agent acted alone, but disagreements about exactly how to accomplish a group task will arise (e.g., over subtask assignment). The goal of this work is to develop a negotiation mechanism that is suitable for agents involved in a collaboration. A significant problem in multi-agent systems is that there is no central authority to settle disagreements. Even though a resolution may be globally optimal from the group perspective, an individual agent will not agree to a deal unless that deal is in its own self-interest. For this reason, search techniques that find some globally optimal resolution, such as one that seeks to maximize the sum of the utility of agents in the group (Sandholm 1998) are not directly applicable. For example, even though an outcome that gives $5 to each robot may maximize a group’s gain, a self-interested robot would prefer an outcome of $6, even if that left another robot with $1. Much work in AI on negotiation has adopted methods from the economic field of game theory(Kraus, Wilkenfeld, & Zlotkin 1995; Ephrati & Rosenschein 1991) and has focused on the design of negotiation mechanisms (or protocols) that guarantee stability, that is, the incentive for agents to adhere to the strategies prescribed by the mechanism designer. There is a mismatch between these approaches and the needs of agents negotiating in the context of a collaboration. Game theoretic approaches assume that the evaluation of an agent’s preferences is cost-free. Additionally, work based on bargaining assumes common knowledge of agents’ preferences. Voting can be applied to more general settings but at the cost of wasting resources (i.e., by an externally imposed tax). Similarly, familiar auction mechanisms where agents can bid for tasks do not meet the needs of collaborative agents. Arguments for efficiency and stability in auctions assume that there will be a large number of agents bidding on a given item.
An inverted classroom approach to educate MATLAB in chemical process control

Abstract The inverted-classroom teaching format and the application of MATLAB/Simulink have recently generated considerable research interest in chemical engineering education. MATLAB/Simulink was introduced in mathematics-intensive courses due to its user-friendly interface for mathematical model simulations. Inverted classroom approach has been reported to be generally beneficial for engineering courses, but it has never been applied to MATLAB/Simulink education in a single course. The aim of our study is to examine the effectiveness of the inverted-classroom approach in developing MATLAB/Simulink skills of upper-division undergraduates in Villanova's chemical process control course. Teaching modules include solving ODE models, performing Laplace transform, and designing PID controllers. Surveys of students’ evaluation revealed that the three inverted-classroom teaching modules were effective in enhancing students’ understanding of mathematics-intensive process control concepts and improving their MATLAB simulation skills. Students’ overall feedback on the inverted-classroom format was positive as they gradually adapted to inverted-classroom learning format.
Testing the feasibility of a bayesian retrieval of greenland ice sheet internal temperature from ultra-wideband software-defined microwave radiometer (UWBRAD) measurements

The ultra-wideband software-defined microwave radiometer (UWBRAD) is designed to provide ice sheet internal temperature by measuring low frequency microwave emission. A Bayesian framework is designed to retrieve the ice sheet internal temperature from simulated UWBRAD brightness temperature (Tb). Experiment results showed feasibility to estimate ice sheet internal temperature and improvement of priors.
Sarcoidosis presenting as granulomatous myositis in a 16-year-old adolescent

Sarcoidosis is a multi-system disease characterized by the presence of non-caseating epithelioid granulomas in affected tissues, including skeletal muscle. These organized collections of immune cells have important pathophysiologic action including cytokine production leading to inflammation as well as enzymatic conversion of cholecalciferol to calcitriol via 1-α hydroxylase. There are limited reports of isolated granulomatous myositis causing hypercalcemia in pediatric patients. Our patient uniquely presented with symptoms from hypercalcemia and renal insufficiency caused by an overwhelming burden of granulomatous myositis in her lower extremities, but was otherwise asymptomatic. A 16 year old Caucasian female presented with protracted symptoms of fatigue, nausea and prominent weight loss with laboratory evidence of hypercalcemia and renal insufficiency. She lacked clinical and physical findings of arthritis, weakness, rash, uveitis, fever, lymphadenopathy or respiratory symptoms. After extensive negative investigations, re-examination yielded subtle soft tissue changes in her lower extremities, with striking MRI findings of extensive myositis without correlative weakness or serum enzyme elevation. Biopsy showed the presence of non-caseating epithelioid granulomas and calcium oxalate crystals. The patient responded well to prednisone and methotrexate but relapsed with weaning of steroids. She reachieved remission with addition of adalimumab. Sarcoidosis should be considered in patients presenting with symptomatic hypercalcemia with no apparent causes and negative routine workup. The absences of decreased muscle strength or elevated muscle enzymes do not preclude the diagnosis of granulomatous myositis.
Hospital based health technology assessment

Abstract Hospital-based Health Technology Assessment (HB HTA) refers to evaluating the introduction, adoption, and/or implementation of health technologies within hospital context, being a valid and reliable support instrument for decision-making processes.HB HTA is able to guarantee that all hospital economic, instrumental and human resources will be used and allocated with efficacy, efficiency, and economic criteria, ensuring high quality of healthcare assistance.It is considered as a good instrument that allows making decisions more rapid and timely, improving the effectiveness of the adopted health technologies at hospital level as well as patient safety. In this chapter, it will be possible to figure out how innovative health technologies can be implemented within the hospital context and how decision makers can take advantages of HB HTA, offering them the possibility to make the proper decision in terms of economic, organizational, technical, clinical effectiveness, and safety aspects.
Polymeric micelles: Theranostic co-delivery system for poorly water-soluble drugs and contrast agents.

Abstract Interest in theranostic agents has continued to grow because of their promise for simultaneous cancer detection and therapy. A platform-based nanosized combination agent suitable for the enhanced diagnosis and treatment of cancer was prepared using polymeric polyethylene glycol-phosphatidylethanolamine-based micelles loaded with both, poorly soluble chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel and hydrophobic superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION), a Magnetic Resonance Imaging contrast agent. The co-loaded paclitaxel and SPION did not affect each other's functional properties in vitro. In vivo, the resulting paclitaxel-SPION-co-loaded PEG-PE micelles retained their Magnetic Resonance contrast properties and apoptotic activity in breast and melanoma tumor mouse models. Such theranostic systems are likely to play a significant role in the combined diagnosis and therapy that leads to a more personalized and effective form of treatment.
Convergent thinking and traumatic brain injury: an investigation of performance on the remote associate test.

ABSTRACTObjective: While deficits in several cognitive domains following moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been well documented, little is known about the impact of TBI on creativity. In the current study, our goal is to determine whether convergent problem solving, which contributes to creative thinking, is impaired following TBI.Methods: We administered a test of convergent problem solving, the Remote Associate Task (RAT), as well as a battery of neuropsychological tests, to 29 individuals with TBI and 20 healthy comparisons.Results: A mixed-effect regression analysis revealed that individuals with TBI were significantly less likely to produce a correct response, although on average they attempted to respond to the same number of items. Moreover, we found that the TBI (but not the comparison) group’s performance on the RAT was significantly and positively associated with verbal learning and memory, providing further evidence supporting the association between declarative memory and cr...
AIM: Acoustic Imaging on a Mobile

The popularity of smartphones has grown at an unprecedented rate, which makes smartphone based imaging especially appealing. In this paper, we develop a novel acoustic imaging system using only an off-the-shelf smartphone. It is an attractive alternative to camera based imaging under darkness and obstruction. Our system is based on Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). To image an object, a user moves a phone along a predefined trajectory to mimic a virtual sensor array. SAR based imaging poses several new challenges in our context, including strong self and background interference, deviation from the desired trajectory due to hand jitters, and severe speaker/microphone distortion. We address these challenges by developing a 2-stage interference cancellation scheme, a new algorithm to compensate trajectory errors, and an effective method to minimize the impact of signal distortion. We implement a proof-of-concept system on Samsung S7. Our results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of acoustic imaging on a mobile.
The relationship of ethical decision-making to business ethics and performance in taiwan

This paper examines the relationship of ethical decision-making by individuals to corporate business ethics and organizational performance of three groups: (i) SMEs (small and medium enterprises), (ii) Outstanding SMEs (the Key Stone Award winners) and (iii) Large Enterprises, in order to provide a reference for Taiwanese entrepreneurs to practice better business ethics. The survey method involved random sampling of 132 enterprises within three groups. Some 524 out of 1320 questionnaires were valid. The survey results demonstrated that ethical decision-making by individuals, corporate business ethics and organizational performance are highly related. In summary, then, high levels of organizational performance were directly attributable to high levels of applied corporate and individual ethics. Furthermore, there is a demonstrable tendency for Outstanding SMEs to reject ethically unsound practices such as padded expense accounts, tax evasion and misleading advertising. The measurement criteria used to assess organizational performance, however, did not include an objective evaluation of financial performance.