cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A 48V:2V flying capacitor multilevel converter using current-limit control for flying capacitor balance

This work explores the well-known challenge of achieving voltage balance of capacitors in arbitrary (N-level) flying capacitor multilevel (FCML) converters. In particular, we explore the relationships among measurable circuit waveforms and flying capacitor voltage ‘states’. These are used to derive a set of sufficient conditions that ensure balance of the median capacitor voltage levels. It is shown that various forms of current-limit control (e.g. traditional peak or valley current-mode control, or low-frequency sampled regulation of peak of valley current levels), combined with modest additional criteria, will guarantee voltage balance. The concept is highlighted with a 7-level FCML converter operating with a 48 V supply, a 2 V output, and up to 10 A load current. The converter uses a GaN powertrain to achieve a compact layout and low parasitics. A digital control algorithm is used to regulate valley currents and the converter output voltage. Valley current detection and nested low-frequency feedback regulation is highlighted in the experimental prototype.
Chapter 11 – Membrane transport

This chapter summarizes the formulations for passive, facilitated and active transport problems, and the degree of coupling. It describes various modes of membrane transport such as active transport, facilitated transport and passive transport. In passive transport, electrolytes and other substances are transported due to diffusion or a pressure gradient. It is always desirable to characterize a membrane with the minimum number of parameters. Facilitated transport in a membrane involves a chemical agent as a carrier to increase the passive transport with a carrier-mediated transport. Analysis of facilitated transport by the nonequilibrium thermodynamic approach is reported for nonisothermal facilitated transport in ion exchanged membranes in a reasonable range of chemical potential and temperature difference. Active transport mainly implies a transport of substances against the direction imposed by the thermodynamic force without chemical modificationThe transport systems are either coupled to a scalar system of chemical reaction, such as the hydrolysis of ATP in the living cells, or an ion gradient is used as the energy source for the substrate transport.
Abstract P346: Joint Associations of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness With Incident Cardiovascular Disease

Background: Although excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and both EDS and OSA have separately been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), their joint association with CVD risk is unknown. Examining the association of EDS and OSA with CVD risk may help refine the OSA phenotype. Methods: Among 3,874 Sleep Heart Health Study participants without prevalent CVD, moderate to severe OSA was defined by an apnea hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 15 events per hour on in-home polysomnography. EDS was defined as an Epworth Sleepiness Scale score ≥ 11. Incident CVD events included adjudicated myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization and stroke. Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, alcohol, smoking, and body mass index. Results: Mean age was 63.0 years with 55.4% female, mean AHI 9.3 events/hour, and 23.4% with EDS. Over a median of 10.4 years of follow-up, we identified 653 incident cases of CVD. In adjusted analyses, EDS (Hazard ratio: 1.22, 95% CI 1.01-1.47) but not moderate-severe OSA (HR: 0.98, 0.81-1.20) was associated with incident CVD. In stratified analyses, the CVD incidence rate varied from 15.6/1000 person-years in those with no OSA or EDS to 26.0/1000 person-years in those with OSA and EDS (figure). In multivariable analyses, the hazard ratio for moderate-severe OSA and EDS compared to no OSA and no EDS was 1.26 (0.91-1.73). Formal tests of statistical significance of the OSA and EDS interaction were not significant on either the additive or multiplicative scales. Conclusions: Having both EDS and moderate-severe OSA was not associated with an increased risk of CVD in our data.
ISO 9001:2015 base para la sostenibilidad de las organizaciones en países emergentes

ISO 9001 es uno de los estandares internacionales de mayor aceptacion a nivel mundial. La norma ha sido actualizada recientemente con el fin de enfrentar los desafios de la economia global, la tecnologia y el entorno. El objetivo de este trabajo de investigacion es describir los principales cambios propuestos, y los beneficios e impactos esperados a partir de la adopcion de un sistema de gestion de la calidad basado en los requisitos de la ISO 9001:2015. Inicialmente se presenta una revision del contexto y evolucion de la norma. Posteriormente, se describen los principales cambios de la ultima version, y finalmente se discute el papel de los sistemas de gestion de calidad y el desarrollo sostenible en paises emergentes. Los resultados indican que la implementacion de la nueva version de la norma como herramienta estrategica, generara un aporte a la sostenibilidad de las organizaciones, y como una externalidad a las iniciativas de desarrollo sostenible.
Surgical Management of Pediatric Patients with CNS Tumors

The role of surgical intervention in pediatric brain tumors has become more specific over the last two decades. Modern imaging modalities allow clear delineation of the lesion early in the patient’s workup. This detail improves both the efficacy and the safety of surgery. However, in most cases it does not obviate the need for surgery: tissue diagnosis is still required for treatment. Furthermore, the prognosis of many of these lesions is directly dependent on the degree of surgical resection. Thus, surgery remains central to the treatment of pediatric patients with brain tumors.
Validating an instructor rating scale for the difficulty of CS1 test items in C

This paper describes the results of a study on the consistency and accuracy of an instructors' rating scale for multiple-choice C++ questions. The class included standard topics for CS1, including data types, control structures, arrays, pointers and a basic introduction to object-oriented programming. The study was carried out because polling a small number of instructors is easier than analyzing data from a large class. Eight instructors rated 64 questions from an exam taken by 214 students. The results showed that the instructors were highly consistent in their ratings and that the mean rating correlated well with the difficulty level of the questions as estimated by student results on corresponding questions. Several subsets of the results were also analyzed, including breakdowns by concept vs. code, by topic, and by number of topics per question. Both reliability and accuracy were demonstrated for the concept and code levels, for topics with a sufficient number of questions, and for questions involving two topics.
The Battle for Cantorian Set Theory

The substance of Georg Cantor’s revolutionary mathematics of the infinite is well-known: in developing what he called the arithmetic of transfinite numbers, he gave mathematical content to the idea of actual infinity. In so doing he laid the groundwork for abstract set theory and made significant contributions to the foundations of the calculus and to the analysis of the continuum of real numbers. Cantor’s most remarkable achievement was to show, in a mathematically rigorous way, that the concept of infinity is not an undifferentiated one. Not all infinite sets are the same size, and consequently, infinite sets can be compared with one another. But so shocking and counter-intuitive were Cantor’s ideas at first that the eminent French mathematician, Henri Poincare, condemned Cantor’s theory of transfinite numbers as a “disease” from which he was certain mathematics would one day be cured.1 Leopold Kronecker, one of Cantor’s teachers and among the most prominent members of the German mathematics establishment, even attacked Cantor personally, calling him a “scientific charlatan,” a “renegade,” and a “corrupter of youth.”2
Reaction Mechanism/Structure Sensitivity Studies of Cross Sections, Asymmetries, and Polarization in (p, p ′) and (p, n)

Inelastic scattering of nucleons from nuclei (in general we speak of both inelastic and charge exchange scattering as inelastic scattering) shows great promise as a source of theoretically valuable information. The recent advances in the range and quality of the available experimental cross section data and the promise of complementary asymmetry and polarization data soon to be forthcoming provides the experimental origin of this promise. In addition, the availability of data for other nuclear probes (the most important being the electron) provides an independent source of information through which the viability of proposed theoretical approaches can be checked. The final ingredient necessary is then careful theoretical analysis sufficient to obtain comparable accuracy for theory and experiment.
Recent Changes to the Manual Handling Law and Implementation in Chile

The Law No. 20.944 that modifies the Chilean Work Code in regulating the maximum human load weight was published in 2016.
Catalytic applications of enzymes encapsulated in metal–organic frameworks

Abstract The global catalyst industry is valued at nearly 20 billion USD and demand continues to rise. Enzymes, biological macromolecules, are highly selective and efficient catalysts; however, their commercial implementation has been hindered due to their poor chemical and thermal stability and low reusability. Numerous strategies have been investigated to stabilize enzymes and improve their processability. Recently, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been investigated as enzyme immobilization supports. Herein, we highlight the immobilization of enzymes in MOF cages and pores for catalysis applications and discuss the future of this enzyme encapsulation strategy.
The Anesthesiologist’s Response to Hurricane Natural Disaster Incidents: Hurricane Harvey

From personal experience and available resources, such as the American Society of Anesthesiologists Committee on Trauma and Emergency Preparedness templates from the manual for department procedures, the authors describe the primarily flooding impact of Hurricane Harvey in their area of Texas. They review the necessary analysis, development, and implementation of logistics; staffing and relief models; coordination with hospital partners; and dissemination of the planned procedures. The authors emphasize the commitment of anesthesiologists to patient care and rescue efforts outside of the operating room.
Static Point-Load Measurements of Basilar Membrane Compliance

Point-load measurements of basilar membrane compliance in the guinea pig were made with the intent of providing insight into the membrane’s structural behavior and parameters for use in mathematical modeling. Selected points on a radial line across the basilar membrane were statically displaced in one-half micron steps and the force required to maintain each increment of displacement recorded. Curves of force versus deflection were constructed for each point tested and appear trilinear in the 0–8 micron range of deflection. The slope of these curves in the steepest region was then plotted as a function of normalized radial distance. Consistent among all tests is a comparatively stiff arcuate zone. Calculations of point-load compliance and volume compliance were compared to results obtained by other investigators.
Body Composition Values of Division 1 Female Athletes Derived From Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry

ABSTRACT Dobrosielski, DA, Leppert, KM, Knuth, ND, Wilder, JN, Kovacs, L, and Lisman, PJ. Body composition values of NCAA Division 1 female athletes derived from dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. J Strength Cond Res 35(10): 2886-2893, 2021-This study generated descriptive data for regional and total body composition and bone mineral density (BMD) measures using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) across 12 NCAA Division 1 female competitive sports. Two hundred seventy-eight female collegiate athletes underwent DXA: basketball (BB; n = 28), cross country (CC = 11), field hockey (FH; n = 35), gymnastics (GYM; n = 23), lacrosse (LAX; n = 48), soccer (SOC; CC = 27), softball (SB; n = 24), swimming and diving (SW; n = 35), tennis (TN; n = 11), track and field ([TR-throw; n = 10]; [TR-run; n = 10]), and volleyball (VB; n = 16). Descriptive statistics for all body composition and BMD measures were calculated. Group mean differences in all regional and total body composition (all, p < 0.001; η2 range = 0.177-0.365) and BMD (all, p < 0.001; η2 range = 0.317-0.383) measures were observed between teams. The total BF% for gymnasts (23.5%) was lower than TN, FH, LAX, SB, and TR-throw (mean difference range: -4.6 to -12.9%, all p < 0.01); TR-throw had the highest total BF% (36.4%). Cross country had lower total BMD (1.17 g·cm-2) than FH, TR-throw, LAX, GYM, SOC, SB, VB, and BB (mean difference range: -0.12 to -0.26 g·cm-2, all p < 0.01); BB and TR-throw had the highest total BMD (1.40 and 1.43 g·cm-2, respectively). Our data confirm that regional and total body composition and BMD measures varied across female collegiate sports. These findings may assist sports medicine and strength and conditioning practitioners with identifying sport-specific goal values for BF% and BMD to optimize program design.
The Ways of the World; Marx, Capital, and the Madness of Economic Reason

David Harvey. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2016. viii and 376 pp., photos, diagrams, bibliography, index. $27.95 cloth (ISBN 978-0-19-046944-3).David Harvey. New York, NY: Oxford Universi...
TRENDS, PREDICTORS AND OUTCOMES AFTER UTILIZATION OF TARGETED TEMPERATURE MANAGEMENT IN CARDIAC ARREST PATIENTS WITH ANOXIC BRAIN INJURY

Targeted Temperature Management (TTM) is given class I recommendation for management of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) patients with presumed anoxic brain injury (ABI). We aim to study trends, predictors and outcomes in SCA patients from a National Inpatient Sample (NIS). We utilized NIS from years
Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) in Epilepsies

Brain perfusion SPECT is a well-established clinical nuclear medicine neuroimaging modality increasingly used in the pre-surgical evaluation of epileptogenic foci/zones for patients with medically refractory focal (partial) seizures. In comparison to ictal SPECT scans, interictal SPECT studies are easy to perform and typically show asymmetric focal/regional cortical hypoperfusion that is suspicious for an interictal epileptogenic focus/zone. However, the positive detection sensitivity is only about 50%, whereas false-negative findings could occur in the remaining 50% of patients (Gaillard, Wyllie’s treatment of epilepsy: principles and practice. Wolters Kluwer, Philadelphia, 2011). In contrast, ictal SPECT scans reveal seizure-induced focal cortical hyperperfusion as a positive finding. Due to the unpredictability of epilepsy onset in terms of timing, seizure types, and seizure duration, as well as a limited radioactive tracer injection window, ictal SPECT scans are difficult to perform but have an improved positive detection sensitivity of 67–90% (Gaillard, Wyllie’s treatment of epilepsy: principles and practice. Wolters Kluwer, Philadelphia, 2011; Kumar and Chugani, Pediatric epilepsy surgery preoperative assessment and surgical treatment. Thieme, New York, 2010). Due to seizure propagation, however, interpretation of ictal SPECT studies is often challenging. SISCOM (subtraction of ictal SPECT coregistered to MRI) is an imaging application that subtracts ictal study from interictal study, and coregisters the difference (also called delta results) to the patient’s brain MRI for anatomic localization of epileptogenic foci/zones (O’Brien et al., Nucl Med Comm 19:31–45, 1998; O’Brien et al., Neurology 52:137–146, 1999; von Oertzen et al., Epilepsia 52:2239–2248, 2011). Selected cases in this chapter show the value and limitation of interictal SPECT studies alone or the combined imaging approach, e.g., ictal/interictal SPECTs and subsequent SISCOM analysis, in the evaluation of temporal lobe epilepsies (TLEs), extratemporal lobe epilepsies, and bifocal/multifocal epilepsies and in the pre-surgical workup of focal cortical dysplasia (FCD)-induced medically refractory epilepsy in an MRI-normal patient, as well as an epilepsy patient with known tuberous sclerosis (TS).
Postural responses to sinusoidal modulations of viewpoint position in a virtual environment

Visual self-motion information is known to contribute to postural control, but it is unclear precisely which aspects of visual motion information drive changes in posture. We report here results for standing humans which suggest that there is a speed of movement threshold that must be exceeded by a visual stimulus if a posture response is to be generated. We use signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) methods to measure the strength of steady-state visually evoked posture responses (SSVEPRs) to sinusoidal modulations of visual viewpoint position in a virtual environment (VE). Using threshold estimates found from data which show how posture responses depend on visual stimulus amplitude, we show that the sensitivity of the visuo-postural response system increases with the temporal frequency at which the position of one’s viewpoint is modulated. We show further that there is a speed of movement threshold, on average 1.85 cm/s, which must be exceeded by a left–right modulation of viewpoint position if a posture response is to be generated. A comparison of visual stimulus visibility to posture response thresholds suggests that one tends to not make postural responses to visual stimuli that are unseen. Finally, we found small correlations between motion sickness in these experiments and both the time spent in the VE and the frequency of viewpoint movement.
The Mayo Clinic Cellular Therapy Fellowship: Training the Next Generation of Cellular Therapy Leaders

Background & Aim The field of cellular therapy is rapidly evolving with promising clinical outcomes and multiple potential therapeutic targets. This rapid expansion, while exciting, has quickly led to a deficit of qualified directors for burgeoning human cellular therapy laboratories. Unlike conventional drug therapies, cellular based therapies require an added layer of expertise in policy, good manufacturing practices (cGMP) and regulatory elements. Academic medical centers, both nationally and internationally, are in desperate need of well-trained, experienced leaders capable of directing the labs which both oversee and produce these therapeutic agents. To meet this need, we have established the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education (MSGME) Cellular Therapy Fellowship; an intensive one-year program for M.D. and Ph.D. candidates consisting of didactic, experiential, and project-driven training with an emphasis on laboratory management and graduated responsibility. Mayo Clinic is a multidisciplinary academic medical and research institution, which houses a lab that directly supports the bone marrow transplant service in addition to a multifaceted immune and progenitor cell program focusing on investigational cell therapies such as mesenchymal stem cells, dendritic cells, and CAR T cells. The program is robust performing more than 500 clinical stem cell transplants annually and encompassing more than 25 active investigator-initiated trials in addition to greater than 30 external manufacturing protocols. Our aim is to produce scientific and clinical leaders fluent in cGMP regulations, quality control and regulatory components, clinical laboratory management, current methodologies in cell therapy manufacturing, IND preparation and clinical trial oversight. Methods, Results & Conclusion Our curriculum mirrors this aim with rotations in the BMT and progenitor cell laboratories, our commercial processing unit, CAR-T manufacturing, quality, apheresis and infusions and leadership and management each with varying levels of graduated responsibility and on-call duties. The fellows actively participate in director level conversations and decisions, which, in combination with the aforementioned experiences and their research projects, provides a thorough and comprehensive training experience for the next generation of cell therapy leaders.
The interactive effects of water flow and reproductive strategies on seed and seedling dispersal along the substrate in two sub-tropical seagrass species

Abstract We quantified the effects of water flow on secondary seed and seedling dispersal for two seagrass species with different reproductive strategies: turtle grass ( Thalassia testudinum ) whose large seeds (15.1 ± 0.8 mm tall) have the potential for long distance dispersal by current-mediated transport of buoyant fruits, and shoal grass ( Halodule wrightii ), whose small seeds (2.1 ± 0.1 mm tall) are released adjacent to the parent plant and create a persistent seed bank. Results from field dispersal experiments in Texas indicate that under normal flow conditions (mean water velocity − 1 ), turtle grass seedling movement is greater over bare sand than within seagrass beds and seedlings have the potential to move up to 2.1 m d − 1 . Fine hairs on the seedling base trap sand grains, which likely leads to final seedling establishment after a few days and a potential secondary dispersal distance along the substrate of − 1 , but seed entrapment in sediment ripples likely limits the total secondary dispersal distance to
Educational and digital tools as factors of service quality increase in Thailand 4.0 era (the case of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok)

Currently, Thailand implemented the project Thailand 4.0 essentially highlighted on better performance on human resource as well as an information technology management. However, service quality is the key to create the business differentiation as well as to elevate a superior level of market competitiveness. The aviation industry is one of the most intense competitive industry, therefore, passengers’ satisfaction on airport service quality and its’ efficient facility management is the most important factor that can create business differentiation and influenced a sustainable industry accordingly. This paper seeks to investigate the (1) factors that affect service quality and (2) passengers’ satisfaction of Suvarnabhumi airport in Thailand 4.0 era. Where the concept of Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) has been implemented in this research, the results show that passenger’s expectation on service quality was higher than the services that passengers received in many areas. However, from 150 questionnaires that have been released, the research results indicated that most of the respondents placed the highest satisfaction on the quality of internet and wireless connectivity service as the top priority at Suvarnabhumi Airport, whereas the lowest satisfaction is placed on the service quality of an immigration process where the effectiveness of human resources management is the key element affecting the service quality. Moreover, there is a recommendation on the self-check-in-counter and the processing of this service that needs to be modernized and promote passengers to use this technology widely. Hence, to enhance the airport service quality toward Thailand 4.0, the technology should be taken into account at every level to increase passengers’ satisfaction throughout the passenger’s arrival, departure and transit process accordingly.
Rapid deterministic wave prediction using a sparse array of buoys

Abstract A long-standing problem in maritime operations and ocean development projects has been the prediction of instantaneous wave energy. Wave measurements collected using an array of freely drifting arrays of Surface Wave Instrument Float with Tracking (SWIFT) buoys are used to test methods for phase-resolved wave prediction in a wide range of observed sea states. Using a linear inverse model in directionally-rich, broadbanded wave fields can improve instantaneous heave predictions by an average of 63% relative to statistical forecasts based on wave spectra. Numerical simulations of a Gaussian sea, seeded with synthetic buoys, were used to supplement observations and characterize the spatiotemporal extent of reconstruction accuracy. Observations and numerical results agree well with theoretical deterministic prediction zones proposed in previous studies and suggest that the phase-resolved forecast horizon is between 1–3 average wave periods for a maximum measurement interval of 10 wave periods for ocean wave fields observed during the experiment. Prediction accuracy is dependent on the geometry and duration of the measurements and is discussed in the context of the nonlinearity and bandwidth of incident wave fields.
Witnessing Rawness: Community & Healing

Anna Renee Winget in dialogue with D’Lo, a queer/transgender Tamil Sri Lankan-American actor, writer, and comedian whose work ranges from stand-up comedy, solo theater, plays, films, and music production to poetry and spoken word. The interview addresses comedy, community, healing, and performance.
Sources of uncertainty and error in available transfer capability computation

Summary form only given. This paper focuses on the various types of uncertainty and error that can impact available transfer characteristics (ATC) calculations and their use in power system operations. It begins with a discussion of the sources of uncertainty in the modeling and real-time measurements. The errors discussed and illustrated include: (i) equivalents or parameter error; (ii) line rating errors; and (iii) setpoint or measurement errors. This is followed by the uncertainty and error associated with contingency selection and evaluation. The errors to be discussed and illustrated will include: (i) error in contingency description; (ii) the "missed" contingency. Finally, the presentation addresses and illustrates the following computational sources of uncertainty and error: (i) linear vs. nonlinear flow calculations; (ii) MW vs MVA limits; (iii) neglecting voltage constraints; (iv) neglecting voltage collapse margins; and (v) neglecting stability margins. The presentation includes computer simulations to illustrate the sources of error and the impact on ATC calculations. It also demonstrates the misuse of ATC numbers for multi-path capabilities.
Elbow and shoulder lesions of baseball players : George E. Bennett MD (1885-1962). The 8th president of the AAOS 1939.

George Eli Bennett was born in Claryville, NY, in the Catskill Mountains, in 1885 [3]. His parents both died by the time he was 11, leaving him the need to work while going to school, but he excelled in school and sports. He played semipro baseball at the age of 16. After high school he work in various jobs in the Midwest before he could afford to attend the University of Maryland Medical School, from which he graduated in 1908. At the age of 25 in 1910, he joined the staff at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he remained until his resignation in 1947.
Some Thoughts on Acid Rain, the Clean Air Act and Implications for Acid Rain Policy in the USA and Europe

Part I discusses the Acid Rain Report [National Acid Precipitation Assessment program 1990 Integrated Assessment Report], the ten-year scientific, technological and economic study mandated by the U.S. Congress and conducted at a cost of $570 million. This study found that ozone, not acid rain is responsible for killing trees. What is disturbing is that the media mostly ignored the NAPAP findings, and continue to speak of acid rain as though it were a problem of crisis proportions. And what is worse -- the U.S. Congress passed the Clean Air Act of 1990, which was intended to deal with the acid rain problem, without even looking at NAPAP's study. Part II discusses what acid rain policy should be.
Recent Crocean Encounters Outside Italy

Reference to Croce in English-language discussion remains infrequent, but three recent cases prove instructive. Even as they restore Croce to currency, however, Zeev Sternhell, a major Israeli intellectual, and Herman Paul and Rik Peters, two younger Dutch scholars, end up reinforcing the tendency to denigrate Croce in the English-speaking world. In showing where each goes wrong, the present article seeks to deepen our understanding of Croce's continuing relevance. Placed against Sternhell, Croce shows the value of an ongoing critical assessment of the Enlightenment tradition. Placed against Paul, Croce shows the scope for a presentist and constructivist understanding of historiography that usefully opposes Hayden White's. And in light of Peters, who prefers a mundane actualism, we better grasp what Croce can contribute to the ongoing quest for a moderate political-cultural framework.
Computation of the binding free energy of peptides to graphene in explicit water.

The characteristic properties of graphene make it useful in an assortment of applications. One particular application—the use of graphene in biosensors—requires a thorough understanding of graphene-peptide interactions. In this study, the binding of glycine (G) capped amino acid residues (termed GXG tripeptides) to trilayer graphene surfaces in aqueous solution was examined and compared to results previously obtained for peptide binding to single-layer free-standing graphene [A. N. Camden, S. A. Barr, and R. J. Berry, J. Phys. Chem. B 117, 10691–10697 (2013)]. In order to understand the interactions between the peptides and the surface, binding enthalpy and free energy values were calculated for each GXG system, where X cycled through the typical 20 amino acids. When the GXG tripeptides were bound to the surface, distinct conformations were observed, each with a different binding enthalpy. Analysis of the binding energy showed the binding of peptides to trilayer graphene was dominated by van der Waals interactions, unlike the free-standing graphene systems, where the binding was predominantly electrostatic in nature. These results demonstrate the utility of computational materials science in the mechanistic explanation of surface-biomolecule interactions which could be applied to a wide range of systems.
Mini-open removal of intradural spinal tumor

Minimally invasive surgical (MIS) approaches have gained popularity in many surgical fields. Potential advantages to a minimally invasive, spinal intradural approach include decreased operative blood loss, shorter hospitalization, and less post-operative pain. Potential disadvantages include longer operative times, decreased exposure, and difficulty closing the dura. Prior case series from our group and others have demonstrated successful tumor resections using MIS techniques without increased complications. In this 3D video, we demonstrate the key steps in our mini-open, transpinous approach for the resection of an intradural, extramedullary lumbar schwannoma. This operation is performed through a midline incision confined to one or two levels. The spinous process is removed. The paraspinal muscles are spread using a series of sequentially larger tubular dilators, and the first dilator is placed in the space previously occupied by the target level spinous process. The expandable tube retractor is then pl...
Unusual sites for hemodialysis vascular access construction and catheter placement: A review

As more end-stage renal disease patients require hemodialysis and live longer, many will fail to develop or maintain a functioning upper extremity vascular access. When a patient exhausts vascular access sites in the upper extremities, new fistulas and grafts can be constructed in the lower extremities, thorax, and abdomen as long as a pair of proximate artery and vein provide adequate blood inflow and outflow, respectively. When only a moderate size vein with adequate blood flow provides a conduit to either a patent superior or inferior vena cava, inserting a double-lumen venous hemodialysis catheter can provide temporary or permanent access. We review the literature and report the unusual sites for hemodialysis vascular access and catheter placement.
Bang-bang control of double integrator systems

A bang-bang control algorithm is presented for controlling double integrator systems. This algorithm requires measurements of position only. The performance and robustness of the algorithm is investigated using numerical simulation and hardware implementation.
Space-charge effects in nanoparticle processing using the differential mobility analyzer

We report the observation of mobility classification breakdown due to strong space-charge effects during nanoparticle processing in a radial differential mobility analyzer (DMA). A simple dimensionless group, the space-charge number, is introduced to help identify the conditions for which this phenomenon becomes important. Our analysis suggests a few DMA design features and operation conditions that should enable the accurate classification of ultrafine aerosols with high concentrations of charged particles.
INFLUENCE OF 2,4‐DICHLOROPHENOXYACETIC ACID ON AUXIN CONTENT OF BEAN SEEDLINGS

THE FORMATIVE response induced in bean plants by low doses of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) can be prevented by concurrent application of 3-indoleacetic acid (IAA) or various other auxins (Weintraub, 1950). This suggests the possibility that such morphological abnormalities may be due to the interference of 2,4-D with an endogenous auxin. The present experiments were undertaken to ascertain whether the auxin content of the plant is influenced by treatment with 2,4-D. Since completion of the present work with garden beans, Henderson and Deese (1954) have reported a reduction in the endogenous auxin content of several dicotyledonous plants as a result of 2,4-D treatment. Audus and Thresh (1956) have recently reported experiments in which the endogenous IAA content of broad bean, sunflower, and pea stems was found to be unaffected by 2,4-D treatment. METHODS.-Known amounts of 2,4-D were applied, as small drops of an alcoholic solution containing Tween-20 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate), either to the terminal buds or to the primary leaves of Black Valentine bean seedlings cultured in soil in the greenhouse in the summer and autumn of 1951. At intervals after treatment the "free" auxin (van Overbeek et al., 1947) was extracted from selected portions of the plants by immersing the fresh tissue for one hour in ethyl ether at approximately 4?C. The ether was distilled from potassium hydroxide just before use. After concentration to small volume, the extract was added to molten 1.5 per cent aqueous agar which, after evaporation of the residual ether, was cast into 2.1 X 2.1 X 1.6 mm. (= 7.1 mm.3) blocks and assayed by the Avena curvature method using 16 coleoptiles. Because there are marked differences among the IAA dosage-response curves obtained by various investigators and because the shape of such curves appears to be influenced by a number of details of technique (Thimann and Schneider, 1938), a standard curve was determined each day by assaying three or more concentrations of IAA. A number of tests showed that the threshold for measurable curvature lay between 5 and 10 ug./l. The concentration-response curves obtained with extracts, both of treated and of untreated plants, were of the same shape as the standard curve, indicating the absence of interference by inhibitory extractives (Larsen, 1947). The activities of extracts are expressed as IAA equivalents. F'urther
Cheap, easy, and massively effective viral marketing in social networks: truth or fiction?

Online social networks (OSNs) have become one of the most effective channels for marketing and advertising. Since users are often influenced by their friends, "word-of-mouth" exchanges so-called viral marketing in social networks can be used to increases product adoption or widely spread content over the network. The common perception of viral marketing about being cheap, easy, and massively effective makes it an ideal replacement of traditional advertising. However, recent studies have revealed that the propagation often fades quickly within only few hops from the sources, counteracting the assumption on the self-perpetuating of influence considered in literature. With only limited influence propagation, is massively reaching customers via viral marketing still affordable? How to economically spend more resources to increase the spreading speed?We investigate the cost-effective massive viral marketing problem, taking into the consideration the limited influence propagation. Both analytical analysis based on power-law network theory and numerical analysis demonstrate that the viral marketing might involve costly seeding. To minimize the seeding cost, we provide mathematical programming to find optimal seeding for medium-size networks and propose VirAds, an efficient algorithm, to tackle the problem on large-scale networks. VirAds guarantees a relative error bound of O(1) from the optimal solutions in power-law networks and outperforms the greedy heuristics which realizes on the degree centrality. Moreover, we also show that, in general, approximating the optimal seeding within a ratio better than O(log n) is unlikely possible.
Spontaneous visual recovery from traumatic optic neuropathy after blunt head injury.

Four patients who developed immediate blindness (no light perception) after indirect traumatic optic neuropathy caused by blunt head injury recovered vision without surgical intervention. In one patient, whose affected eye recovered to a visual acuity of 20/50 + 2, corticosteroids were not used. In two of the other patients, visual recovery began before corticosteroids were instituted. One patient recovered a visual acuity of R.E.: 20/15, one recovered a visual acuity of L.E.: 20/25 – 2, and one recovered a visual acuity of R.E.: 20/200 but with useful temporal field vision. Many investigators advocate aggressive surgical therapy for indirect neuropathy, particularly when corticosteroids fail. Significant recovery may occur despite no light perception, however, with medical therapy or even without therapy.
The problem of dirichlet for quasilinear elliptic differential equations with many independent variables

This paper is concerned with the existence of solutions of the Dirichlet problem for quasilinear elliptic partial differential equations of second order, the conclusions being in the form of necessary conditions and sufficient conditions for this problem to be solvable in a given domain with arbitrarily assigned smooth boundary data. A central position in the discussion is played by the concept of global barrier functions and by certain fundamental invariants of the equation. With the help of these invariants we are able to distinguish an important class of ‘ regularly elliptic5 equations which, as far as the Dirichlet problem is concerned, behave comparably to uniformly elliptic equations. For equations which are not regularly elliptic it is necessary to impose significant restrictions on the curvatures of the boundaries of the underlying domains in order for the Dirichlet problem to be generally solvable; the determination of the precise form of these restrictions constitutes a second primary aim of the paper. By maintaining a high level of generality throughout, we are able to treat as special examples the minimal surface equation, the equation for surfaces having prescribed mean curvature, and a number of other non-uniformly elliptic equations of classical interest.
Seizure prediction in intracranial EEG: A patient-specific rule-based approach

In this study, we report our development of a patient-specific rule-based seizure prediction system. Five univariate and one bivariate nonlinear measures were extracted from non-overlapping 10-second segments of intracranial EEG (iEEG) data recorded using both depth electrodes in the brain and subdural electrodes over the cortical surface. Nonlinear features representing the specific characteristic properties of EEG signal were then integrated spatio-temporally in a way to predict to predict seizure with high sensitivity. The present system was tested on 58 hours of iEEG data containing ten seizures recorded in two patients with medically intractable focal epilepsy. Within a prediction horizon of 30 and 60 minutes, our method showed an average sensitivity of 90% and 96.5% with an average false prediction rate of 0.06/h and 0.055/h, respectively. The present results suggest that such a rule-based system can become potentially a useful approach for predicting seizures prior to onset.
Reaction of Lithium Hydride with Water

Lithium hydride (LiH) has been shown to react with water at a rate defined by a nonequilibrium thermodynamic-based model. The rate at any time is proportional to the surface area of the LiH multiplied by the difference in chemical activity of the reaction product, lithium hydroxide (LiOH), between the solid phase and the aqueous phase. By measuring the conductivity as a function of time for aqueous solutions resulting from the reaction of LiH with water and comparing the measurements to results from a mathematical model of the dissolution process, the geometric rate constant for the reaction was determined to be 0.0025 cm s-1, which causes the generation of 6.0 cm3 (STP) of hydrogen gas cm-2 s-1 at 35 °C. As the reaction proceeds, the resulting solution of LiOH in water becomes more concentrated, and the reaction slows. The rate has been shown to depend only slightly on temperature, and the model predicts only a small LiOH activity coefficient dependence. The derivation of the reaction rate model, experim...
A modified rule-of-mixtures for prediction of tensile strengths of unidirectional fibre-reinforced composite materials

Measured ultimate tensile strengths in unidirectional fibre-reinforced composite materials have been observed to deviate from the linear predictions of the classical rule-of-mixtures relationship. The physical factors responsible are fibre-fibre interaction, inhomogeneous fibre distribution in the matrix and fibre misorientation to the loading direction. A recent modification to the classic rule-of-mixtures to account for fibre-fibre interaction has already resulted in good agreement between measured and predicted values of ultimate tensile strengths at high fibre volume fractions for Kevlar/epoxy composites. Additional modifications to the rule of mixtures to incorporate both fibre misorientation and inhomogeneous spread have been presented here. These modifications result in greater agreement between measured and predicted ultimate tensile strengths at low fibre volume fractions while retaining the accuracy of prediction at higher fibre volume fractions. Good agreement between measured and predicted values of inhomogeneous fibre spread were obtained at high fibre volume fractions. Furthermore, these additions to the classic rule-of-mixtures can be used to gauge the extent of each of the physical factors responsible for ultimate tensile strength reduction in unidirectional composite materials.
Synthesis and Characterization of Some 3-Nitroso-2-arylimidazo (1,2-α) pyrimidines

While attempting to prepare amides derived from 2-aminopyrimidine and arylglyoxylohydroxamyl chlorides, deeply colored, highly insoluble products were obtaind. Both IR and NMR data proved that the desired amides had not been obtained. This manuscript details the information used to identify the products as 3-nitroso-2-arylimidazo(1,2-α)pyrimidines.
Prevention of catheter‐related bacteremia in pediatric intestinal transplantation/short gut syndrome children with long‐term central venous catheters

: Catheter-related bacteremia (CRB), along with liver failure is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in parenteral nutrition dependent children. Immunosuppressant therapy following transplantation increases the risk of CRB. Previous reports in pediatric cancer patients have described the use of antibiotic lock solutions (ABL) for prophylaxis of CRB. In our institution, we evaluated five children (ages between one and four yr old), three with intestinal transplantation and two with short gut syndrome, who were high risk for recurrent CRB defined by their incidence of bacteremias in the observation period (>2 CRB/six months or life-threatening CRB). These children received the prophylactic ABL protocol with tobramycin-tissue plasminogen activator, four h per day, on alternating ports for six to eight months. Each patient was his/her own historical control. We observed decreased incidence of CRB's (p < 0.05), days of hospitalization due to CRB's (p < 0.0001), the days of intensive care admissions due to CRB (p < 0.0001), as well as the total days of systemic antibiotic exposure (p < 0.001). Catheter survival during the ABL era was longer but not reaching statistical significance. There was no advantage in removing and later replacing the catheter to wire-guided exchange while on systemic antibiotics. One patient presented with break-through bacteremia, septic shock and died. None of the catheters were lost to occlusion/malfunction. ABL did not induce an increased resistance to tobramycin. These preliminary findings suggest that ABL can be used safely and effectively in parenteral nutrition dependent children with long-term central venous catheters.
A proof of Andrews'q-Dyson conjecture

Let (y)"a=(1-y)(1-qy)...(1-q^a^-^1y). We prove that the constant term of the Laurent polynomial @?"1"=<"i"<"j"=<"n(x"i/x"j)"a"""i(qx"j/x"i)"a"""j, where x"1,...,x"n,q are commuting indeterminates and a"1,...,a"n are non-negative integers, equals (q)"a"""1"+"..."+"a"""n/(q)"a"""1...(q)"a"""n. This settles in the affirmative a conjecture of George Andrews (in: R.A. Askey, ed., Theory and Applications of Special Functions, Academic Press, New York, 1975, 191-224].
Design, Fabrication and Control of Spherobot: A Spherical Mobile Robot

In the literature, Spherobot refers to a mobile robot with a spherical exo-skeleton and a propulsion mechanism that uses unbalance masses in a tetrahedral arrangement. A modified design of Spherobot, that is better suited to fabrication, is presented in this paper. The modified propulsion mechanism and other components of the design are discussed in detail to highlight the challenges of fabrication. An adaptive estimation and control algorithm used for position control of the unbalance masses and a steering algorithm used for motion control of Spherobot are also discussed. Experimental results of the Spherobot navigating a hallway with bends is presented.