cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Exotic Plant Invasions on Soil Nutrient Cycling Processes

Although it is generally acknowledged that invasions by exotic plant species represent a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem stability, little attention has been paid to the potential impacts of these invasions on nutrient cycling processes in the soil. The literature on plant–soil interactions strongly suggests that the introduction of a new plant species, such as an invasive exotic, has the potential to change many components of the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), water, and other cycles of an ecosystem. I have reviewed studies that compare pool sizes and flux rates of the major nutrient cycles in invaded and noninvaded systems for invasions of 56 species. The available data suggest that invasive plant species frequently increase biomass and net primary production, increase N availability, alter N fixation rates, and produce litter with higher decomposition rates than co-occurring natives. However, the opposite patterns also occur, and patterns of difference between exotics and native species show no trends in some other components of nutrient cycles (for example, the size of soil pools of C and N). In some cases, a given species has different effects at different sites, suggesting that the composition of the invaded community and/or environmental factors such as soil type may determine the direction and magnitude of ecosystem-level impacts. Exotic plants alter soil nutrient dynamics by differing from native species in biomass and productivity, tissue chemistry, plant morphology, and phenology. Future research is needed to (a) experimentally test the patterns suggested by this data set; (b) examine fluxes and pools for which few data are available, including whole-site budgets; and (c) determine the magnitude of the difference in plant characteristics and in plant dominance within a community that is needed to alter ecosystem processes. Such research should be an integral component of the evaluation of the impacts of invasive species.
The relationship between cardiac function and neuropsychological status among heart transplant candidates

Background: Cognitive deficits among heart transplant candidates have been well documented. This study was designed to examine the hypothesis that impaired cognitive test performance among heart transplant candidates may be attributed, in part, to decreased cerebral perfusion secondary to poor cardiac function. Methods and Results: Sixty-two patients participated in the study who underwent heart catheterization within 1 day of completing a battery of cognitive tests. Multiple demographic and patient characteristics were examined for their potential moderating role in the relationship between measures of cardiac function and cognitive performance including age, education, race, gender, psychiatric history, medication usage, cardiac surgical history, and self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety. Only age and education were significantly related to cognitive performance (P < .01). Thus, partial correlation analyses controlling for age and education were used to examine the relationship between cardiac function and cognitive performance. In general, increasing hemodynamic pressure variables (ie, pulmonary artery pressure and right atrial pressure), and to a lesser extent cardiac output and cardiac index, were related (r = − .32 to − .43; P < .01) to decreased performance on cognitive tasks that assessed simple attention, speed of mental processing, and mental flexibility (Digit Span-Forward, Trail Making Test-Part B, Symbol Digits Modalities Test, and Stroop Neuropsychological Screening Test). Left ventricular ejection fraction, systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance, and mean arterial pressure were largely unrelated to cognitive performance in this sample of patients with end stage cardiac disease. Conclusions: Hemodynamic pressure variables seem to be most consistently related (ie, inversely) to cognitive functioning among heart transplant candidates.
Color plates to help identify patients with blue cone monochromatism.

A new color vision test distinguishes patients with X-chromosomelinked blue cone monochromatism from those with autosomal recessive rod monochromatism. The test consists of two instructional and four test plates. Each test plate has three identical blue-green arrows and one purple-blue arrow; test plates differ from one another only with respect to the chroma of the purple-blue arrow. All five patients with blue cone monochromatism, aged 5 to 31 years, easily distinguished the purple-blue arrow on all four test plates, whereas none of the seven patients with rod monochromatism, aged 6 to 60 years, could distinguish the purple-blue arrow on all four plates. If a boy has a reduced visual acuity, normal rod electroretinograms, and 30-Hz cone electroretinograms reduced more than 97% below normal, this test can be used to determine whether his condition is an X-chromosome-linked one or an autosomal recessive one.
Donor-Acceptor Interfacial Interactions Dominate Device Performance in Hybrid P3HT-ZnO Nanowire-Array Solar Cells

The adsorption of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on metal oxide surfaces is a promising route to control electronic characteristics and surface wettability. Here, arylphosphonic acid derivatives are used to modulate the surface properties of vertically oriented ZnO nanowire arrays. Arylphosphonate-functionalized ZnO nanowires are incorporated into hybrid organic-inorganic solar cells in which infiltrated poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) serves as the polymer donor. Strong correlations between device short-circuit current density (J sc) and power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) with ZnO surface functionalization species are observed and a weak correlation in the open-circuit voltage (V oc) is observed. Inverted solar cells fabricated with these treated interfaces exhibit PCEs as high as 2.1%, primarily due to improvements in J sc. Analogous devices using untreated ZnO arrays having efficiencies of 1.6%. The enhancement in J sc is attributed to surface passivation of ZnO by SAMs and enhanced wettability from P3HT, which improve charge transfer and reduce carrier recombination at the organic-inorganic interface in the solar cells.
Bringing My Body into My Body of Knowledge as a Dance/Movement Therapy Educator

As a dance/movement therapy educator, I teach students how to recognize their own movement patterns, how to clinically assess clients’ movement, and how to create movement interventions that facilitate healing and wellness. How then, might I begin to bring my own understanding of my movement preferences into the classroom to enhance my teaching? Through personal, illustrative examples, this article examines how I applied Rudolf Laban’s Effort theory and Humane Effort towards expanding my movement repertoire to better support my approach to teaching. In revitalizing my relationship to teaching, I accessed the potential to better engage students, improve student progress, and increase job satisfaction.
Cooperative coalitions on the religious right and left : Considering the resilience of sectarianism

Theory in the sociology of religion suggests that a prerequisite for cooperative coalitions among religious groups on political matters is a decline in sectarianism. In analyses of survey data I show that sectarianism has receded for the religious left but not the religious right. Groups that would comprise the religious right are less likely to want the other conservative religious groups to have an influence on public opinion, while groups on the left are less opposed to other liberal groups having influence. It is particularly clear that conservative Protestants are wary of the influence of Catholics. I also conduct exploratory analyses to examine who, among the members of the religious groups who would comprise the religious right, is more sectarian. I find that while demographics are largely nondeterminative, those who are supportive of religiously-based politics are the least sectarian.
Anomalous Shape Changes of Silicon Nanopillars by Electrochemical Lithiation

Silicon is one of the most attractive anode materials for use in Li-ion batteries due to its ∼10 times higher specific capacity than existing graphite anodes. However, up to 400% volume expansion during reaction with Li causes particle pulverization and fracture, which results in rapid capacity fading. Although Si nanomaterials have shown improvements in electrochemical performance, there is limited understanding of how volume expansion takes place. Here, we study the shape and volume changes of crystalline Si nanopillars with different orientations upon first lithiation and discover anomalous behavior. Upon lithiation, the initially circular cross sections of nanopillars with ⟨100⟩, ⟨110⟩, and ⟨111⟩ axial orientations expand into cross, ellipse, and hexagonal shapes, respectively. We explain this by identifying a high-speed lithium ion diffusion channel along the ⟨110⟩ direction, which causes preferential volume expansion along this direction. Surprisingly, the ⟨111⟩ and ⟨100⟩ nanopillars shrink in heigh...
A macrophage invasion mechanism for mycobacteria implicating the extracellular domain of CD43.

We studied the role of CD43 (leukosialin/sialophorin), the negatively charged sialoglycoprotein of leukocytes, in the binding of mycobacteria to host cells. CD43-transfected HeLa cells bound Mycobacterium avium, but not Salmonella typhimurium or Shigella flexneri. Quantitative bacteriology showed that macrophages (M(phi)) from wild-type mice (CD43(+/+)) bound M. avium, Mycobacterium bovis (bacillus Calmette-Guerin), and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (strain H37Rv), whereas M(phi) from CD43 knockout mice (CD43(-/)-) did not. Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated that the associated M. avium had been ingested by the CD43(+/+) M(phi). The inability of CD43(-/)- M(phi) to bind M. avium could be restored by addition of galactoglycoprotein (Galgp), the extracellular mucin portion of CD43. The effect of Galgp is not due to opsonization of the bacteria, but required its interaction with the M(phi) other mucins had no effect. CD43 expression by the M(phi) was also required for optimal induction by M. avium of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha production, which likewise could be reconstituted by Galgp. In contrast, interleukin (IL)-10 production by M. avium-infected M(phi) was CD43 independent, demonstrating discordant regulation of TNF-alpha and IL-10. These findings describe a novel role of CD43 in promoting stable interaction of mycobacteria with receptors on the M(phi) enabling the cells to respond specifically with TNF-alpha production.
Combined equalization and ternary coding for the magnetic recording channel

The use of a nonoriented state in the magnetic recording channel is proposed as a means to allow coding without increasing the channel symbol density. It is shown that when binary-to-ternary convolutional codes of rate 1 are used with a decision feedback equalizer, a performance comparable to maximum likelihood sequence estimation is obtained with only moderate code complexities. >
The patient perspective and physician's role in making decisions on instituting dialysis

Shared decision making describes an approach to medical decision making that lies between paternalism and autonomy [1]. This model of decision making, described recently as the ‘pinnacle of patient-centered care’ [2] is quickly becoming the preferred approach to medical decisions, where there is no one ‘best’ treatment option. In these circumstances, involvement of patients in decision making helps us to ensure that treatment decisions reflect the patient's preferences and values.
Amphibious entrepreneurs and the emergence of organizational forms

We study the emergence of organizational forms, focusing on two mechanisms—reconfiguration and transposition—that distinguish the founding models of the first 26 biotechnology companies, all created in the industry's first decade, from 1972 to 1981. We analyze rich archival data using hierarchical cluster analysis, revealing four organizational variants of the dedicated biotech firm (DBF). Three were products of reconfiguration, as executives from Big Pharma used past practices to incorporate new science. One DBF variant resulted from ‘amphibious’ scientists who imported organizing ideas from the academy into their VC-funded start-ups. We argue that such transpositions are fragile, yet charged with generative possibilities. Copyright © 2012 Strategic Management Society.
A real-time histographic approach to road sign recognition

This paper presents the development and real-time implementation of an algorithm capable of recognizing stop, yield, and do-not-enter traffic warning signs. It consists of six modules: color segmentation, edge localization, RGB differencing, edge detection, histograph extraction, and classification. RGB transformed pixels are sparsely segmented and sequentially XOR-ed to localize edge areas. RGB differencing together with maxima edge detection is then deployed to locate edges in these areas. Recognition is achieved based on the angular histographic attribute extracted by a semi-rectangular histographic mask. All the modules are implemented on the TMS320C40 DSP processor allowing video data captured by a video camera to be processed in real-time. The devised real-time processing platform has led to an understanding of various environmental effects on video data.
International discourse and local politics: Anti-female-genital-cutting laws in Egypt, Tanzania, and the United States

The international diffusion of similar laws and policies across nations is now a well-covered theme in sociology, but no one has yet asked what these similar laws and policies mean. We take the case of anti-female-genital-cutting policies in Egypt, Tanzania, and the U.S. and turn our attention to how local political situations interacted with international discourse. Functional relevance and international standing combined to affect levels of contestation. This, in turn, influenced how states chose to implement anti-FGC policies and the extent to which they distanced themselves from international actors. Exploring these issues uncovered power differences in acquiescence to international norms, going to the heart of multi-level power relations in the international system.
Increased expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases type 1 (TIMP-1) in a more tumourigenic colon cancer cell line.

Genetic changes occurring in the late stages of colonic tumour progression have received much less attention than those occurring in the early stages. As described in the accompanying paper, SW480 and SW620 cell lines provide a useful model for studying the advanced stages of progression for colon cancer. Comparison of the two cell lines by differential display reveals that SW620 cells express lower levels of the CC3 tumour suppressor gene and also lower levels of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-3 (TIMP-3) gene. Northern blot analysis for TIMP-3 confirms this finding and shows a similar difference in the expression of TIMP-2, which seems logical since TIMPs inhibit enzymes that play a role in tumour invasion. For this reason, it was surprising to find that TIMP-1 messenger RNA expression is markedly increased in SW620 cells. Consistent with this finding, western blot analysis shows a ten-fold increase in TIMP-1 protein secretion by SW620 cells. It is noteworthy that high TIMP-1 expression is associated with poor prognosis in colorectal cancer. This association between TIMP-1 expression and tumour progression may be related to additional growth factor-like effects described for TIMP-1 in some systems.
A first qualitative project: qualitative descriptive design for novice researchers.

Joan K. Magilvy and Eileen Thomas Column Editor: Anne Marie Kotzer Scientific Inquiry provides a forum to facilitate the ongoing process of questioning and evaluating practice, presents informed practice based on available data, and innovates new practices through research and experimental learning.
Inequality, Income Growth, and Mobility: The Basic Facts

During the 1950s and 1960s, mean wages in the United States grew rapidly, and the dispersion around this growing mean changed very litde. Starting in the 1970s and continuing into the 1980s and 1990s, these patterns were reversed: mean wages grew slowly, and inequality increased rapidly. These changes in labor markets were reflected in changes in the distribution of family income.' The mean of the distribution of family income did increase after 1973, in spite of the near constancy of mean real wages, as family members increased the number of hours they worked. However, the increase in inequality of wages was mirrored by an increase in the dispersion of family income. A large descriptive literature has documented the rise in inequality, while a smaller behavioral literature has sought to delineate the causes of this rise.^ These changes in the distribution of family income a£Fected rates of poverty directly. During the 1950s and 1960s, temporary increases in poverty during recessions were more than offset by declines in poverty during economic expansions. As long as the poor gained along with everyone else fi-om the secular growth in the mean, one could be confident that poverty rates would ratchet down. This is exactly what happened as poverty rates fell from 22.4 percent in 1959 to 11.1 percent in 1973.
Analogical reasoning in decision processes

We give a de nition of reasoning by analogy, which is tailored to a setting of decision making under uncertainty. We present a model of decision making which is based on such a de nition, and show that it is compatible with a large class of preferences. 1 Reasoning by Analogy Analogy is the recognition that one thing A (a phenomenon, a problem, etc.) is like another thing B and that, therefore, consequences (inferences, explanations, solutions, etc.) that can be drawn from A can be drawn from B as well. Analogy is a reasoning process that is so pervasive in human life that can be viewed as one of the cornerstones of human thought. In the Dictionary of Philosophy of Mind [7], Analogy is recognized as, ... an important kind of thinking contributing to such cognitive tasks as explanation, planning and decision making (Paul Thagard). Because of this, it is not surprising that the concept of Analogy has been an object of philosophical reection since ancient times.1 As of today, research on the concept of Analogy and on the process of analogical reasoning has become increasingly important in the study of Arti cial Intelligence (see, for instance, [10]). Again, this is not surprising given the nature of the subject. What is surprising is that classical theories of decision making under uncertainty do not explicitly recognize the role played by analogical reasoning. Theories of decision making under uncertainty are concerned with explaining/guiding the behavior of individuals who have to choose a course of action I bene ted from comments and suggestions from Paolo Ghirardato, Tzachi Gilboa, Ket Richter, Aldo Rustichini, Paolo Siconol , Max Stinchcombe and Stan Wellisz. I also wish to thank seminar participants at RUD 2003, CalTech, University of Minnesota, University of Texas-Austin, Columbia University, University of Rochester, Rutgers University, University of Turin, Ohio State University. yDepartment of Economics, Columbia University, 1019 IAB, 420 W 118th street, NY, NY 10027. Email: ma734@columbia.edu. 1To give just one example, reections on the concept recur several times in St. Thomas from the Summa Theologica to the De potentia to the De veritates.
Impact of lead exposure on school age children in the US

Lead is a dense metal that is resistant to corrosion. Lead has various uses that have been in place since 3500 BCE such as plumbing, cosmetics, jewellery, and batteries. Today, however, lead remains a public health hazard, especially for children between the ages of 6 months to 6 years old. Children who live in lower socioeconomic regions or have emigrated to the United States (US) are considered to be at a greater risk from the negative effects of lead exposure. Lead exposure has an effect on neurological, cognitive and physical development in children. Primary prevention education is identified as the most important aspect needed to lower blood lead levels. School nurses can play an important role in educating the school community, parents, and children on the effects of lead exposure on children. This literature review focuses on the various ways lead exposure can occur, how it may affect a child's cognition and the leadership role of school nurses in the primary prevention of lead exposure among schoo...
Pressurized liquid extraction and quantification of anthocyanins in purple-fleshed sweet potato genotypes §

A B S T R A C T Analysis of anthocyanins responsible for the purple flesh color is important for breeding programs and development of value-added products. This study aimed to optimize the conditions for anthocyanin extraction from purple-fleshed sweet potatoes (PFSP) using pressurized-liquid extraction (PLE) method and quantify anthocyanins in various genotypes. Freeze-dried powders of PFSP genotypes were extracted with acidified methanol using an accelerated solvent extractor. Anthocyanin content of the extract was characterized by (a) pH-differential method and (b) color value protocol measuring absorbance at 530 nm, which is commonly used in Japan as a commercial indicator of total anthocyanin quantity. Highest anthocyanin yields by PLE were with an acetic acid:methanol:water mixture of 7:75:18% (v/v), sample weight of <0.5 g and 80–120 8C. Among 335 genotypes, the anthocyanin content varied widely from 0 to 663 mg cyanidine-3-glucoside equivalent/100 g powder or 0–210 mg/100 g fresh weight. The total monomeric anthocyanin (TMA) contents determined by the pH-differential method were highly correlated with the Japan color value (JCV) protocol, TMA = (0.145) JCV, R 2 = 0.943.
Dispositional, Unrealistic, and Comparative Optimism: Differential Relations with the Knowledge and Processing of Risk Information and Beliefs about Personal Risk

This study examined the relationship of dispositional, unrealistic, and comparative optimism to each other and to personal risk beliefs, actual risk, and the knowledge and processing of risk information. The study included 146 middle-age adults who reported heart attack-related knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors and read an essay about heart attack risk factors. Dispositional optimism was correlated with comparative optimism (perception of low risk relative to peers) but not with a variable assessing accuracy of participants’ comparative risk estimates (unrealistic optimism). Individuals high in dispositional optimism and comparative optimism possessed an adaptive risk and belief profile and knew more about heart attacks, whereas unrealistically optimistic individuals exhibited the opposite pattern and also learned relatively less of the essay material. Evidently, perceptions of low comparative risk are relatively accurate, dispositional optimism is associated in an adaptive way with information processing...
Anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion for blastomycosis causing destruction of C6 vertebra: a case report

This is a copy of an article published in the Journal of Medical Case Reports. © 2015 Patel et al.
Bootstrapping Evolvability for Inter-Domain Routing

It is extremely difficult to deploy newinter-domain routing protocols in today's Internet. As a result, the Internet's baseline protocol for connectivity, BGP, has remained largely unchanged, despite known significant flaws. The difficulty of deploying new protocols has also depressed opportunities for (currently commoditized) transit providers to provide value-added routing services. To help, we identify the key deployment models under which new protocols are introduced and the requirements each poses for enabling their usage goals. Based on these requirements, we argue for two modifications to BGP that will greatly improve support for new routing protocols.
Fracture Characterization of Asphalt Mixtures with High Recycled Content Using Illinois Semicircular Bending Test Method and Flexibility Index

Using reclaimed and recycled materials in asphalt mixtures is one of the most commonly used sustainable strategies, which results in cost savings and environmental benefits because they replace virgin materials. Commonly used recycled, reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) can pose challenges because their inclusion in the asphalt mixture may adversely affect pavement performance. This paper presents the recently developed fracture testing method, the Illinois semicircular bending (IL-SCB) fracture geometry at 25°C with a displacement rate of 50 mm/min. The flexibility index (FI), derived from the IL-SCB test results, was introduced to rank the potential cracking resistance of mixes. The developed testing protocol provides a practical and reliable approach to screen the capacity of mixes to resist cracking. An application of the IL-SCB test method and FI is presented using laboratory-prepared and compacted mixes with varying proportions of RAP and RAS. The mixes were designe...
Attraction of Longitarsus jacobaeae Males to Cues Associated with Conspecific Females (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Responses of the ragwort Ilea beetle, Longitarsus jacobaeae (Waterhouse), to cues associated with conspecific beetles were examined using two-choice tests in the laboratory and in the field. In the laboratory test, a male or female flea beetle was allowed to choose between two tansy ragwort ( Senecio jacobaea L.) leaves, one that had been previously exposed to five male or female beetles for 1 d, and the other without any previous exposure to conspecific beetles. Male beetles were found more often on leaves that had been previously exposed to female beetles than on the clean leaves without female-associated cues, but were randomly distributed when the treated leaves were previously exposed to male beetles. Female beetles were randomly distributed between the two leaves, regardless of whether one leaf was previously exposed to male beetles or female beetles. Similar tests using filter paper as substrate instead of leaves showed similar results, suggesting that male beetles responded to cues associated with female beetles rather than to plants. In a field experiment, ragwort leaves that had been previously exposed to female beetles attracted more male beetles than leaves without female-associated cues. The evidence suggests that L. jacobaeae females emit a sex pheromone that is attractive to male beetles. Attraction of male beetles to leaves exposed to females may be one of the mechanisms underlying the clumped distribution of flea beetles within plants.
Experimental Methodologies for Assessing the Surface Energy of Highly Hygroscopic Materials: The Case of Nanocrystalline Magnesia

Measuring the surface energy of highly hygroscopic materials has remained a thorny problem for many years, mainly because obtaining an anhydrous surface state and maintaining this condition during ...
A Samurai's Lineage: Theoretical Traditions in Public Administration

This reflective essay was inspired by a question posed at the Decem ber 2005 Emergent Public Administration Scholar conference in Dallas, Texas: "What does it mean to be Public Administration?" Here, I answer this question by exploring the meaning of Samurai as public servant and the importance of lineage in martial arts as an analogy for traditions in public administration theory. In so doing, I challenge the current use of the terms traditional and post-traditional in public administration theory. This essay further poses and answers the question: What is my theoretical lineage? Ideally, as scholars and practitioners, we should all be able to answer this question to under stand our own biases, moral compass, proclivities, strengths, as well as potential blind spots. We should be aware of how theory informs our actions and be mindful in the choices we make.
Collaborative Biomedical Information Retrieval.

In the context of two related NIH projects supporting scientific collaboration we seek to implement an environment for collaborative information retrieval and analysis based on utility theory.
Volunteers Created the Web.

This paper shows how the potential for acquiring common sense knowledge from the web, outlined in Singh et al. (2002), can be realized automatically. We describe a system that has been designed to read the web and detect at least some of the kinds of common sense that volunteers have been contributing to Open Mind Common Sense (OMCS). This has at least two significant benefits: by obviating the need to provide certain kinds of knowledge that can be automatically gathered, volunteers can now be directed towards tasks that are less amenable to automation, where their input will be more valuable and effective as a result. Second, it provides a method for broadening the coverage of OMCS knowledge.
Pacting Dilemmas of Democratic Reconciliation

To sustain peace, there must be sustained political progress. To achieve the latter, continuous peacemaking pacts are required to institutionalize both laws to enforce rules and substantive tasks like cease-fires, peace agreements and policy compromises. This demands ongoing negotiations in good faith. Such pacting is the alternative to violence when attempting to resolve the range of new conflicts enmeshed in diverse values and interests that arise during peacebuilding. INGOs, NGOs, IGOs, and foreign states interact with leading adversarial officials who make explicit agreements or generate implicit understandings that are necessary for law to replace violence. INGOs and NGOs tend to prioritize human rights, conflict resolution, or international humanitarian law (IHL).1 Human rights NGOs argue that positive peace, based on human security, is the only sustainable approach to peace and requires accountability for violations in the forms of trials, truth commissions, reparations, and lustration. While also preferring positive peace, conflict-resolution NGOs pragmatically (and perhaps reluctantly) conclude that concessions are necessary to negotiators who commit violations and insist on amnesty, limited exposure, and accountability. This demand holds true especially during initial peace-pact negotiations, but it can also become important in subsequent pacts that inevitably arise. Fear of polarization leads peace and reconciliation NGOs to urge a low-key approach toward human rights issues. Finally, NGOs emphasizing IHL argue that provisions for grave breaches of the 1949 Geneva Convention should be prosecuted, but the most important issues concern NGO neutrality and humanitarian access to provide emergency relief. These are determined on a case-by-case basis.
Nonnarcotic Analgesics in Short-term Pain: Musculoskeletal Disorders.

Injuries to the musculoskeletal system occurring in sports and at the workplace are becoming more commonplace and, at the same time, the severity of such injuries is increasing. The sequelae of such injuries may be complex and may encompass significant social, economic, and psychological manifestations. Patients experiencing significant pain may avoid engaging in the normal activities of daily living. Whereas at one time most occupational injuries occurred as heavy machines were being used, the advent of the computer has brought with it a new group of repetitive motion injuries. Also, the types of injuries physicians are seeing has changed because today’s workplace includes more women, senior citizens, and physically disabled workers, and each of these populations is particularly disposed to developing a relatively unique set of injuries.
The Split-Cuff Ureteral Nipple Reimplantation Technique: Reliable Reflux Prevention from Bowel Segments

AbstractThe split-cuff nipple ureteral implantation technique is described in 18 patients undergoing lower urinary tract reconstruction or supravesical diversion. This technique provides a simple and reliable antireflux mechanism into large and small bowel segments. No reflux or upper tract deterioration was seen initially, and only 1 case of mild reflux has occurred after 30 months of followup.
It Was the Best of Times; It Was the Worst of Times: The Expiration of Work–Life Balance

The importance of work–life balance has increased dramatically in recent years. Hyperconnected employees are struggling to balance the “spillover” between internal work and external life demands. We questioned whether there was a difference in organizationally supported work–life balance at Fortune Magazine’s “Best Places to Work For” versus Wall St. 24/7’s “Worst Places to Work.” We analyzed 1,100 unsolicited, open-ended employee reviews from a major career web site and conducted a contextual analysis of the differences between the “best” and “worst” places to work. Our findings show clear differences in the time benefits offered and governance structures used to support these benefits. Our findings also reveal that employees today are not seeking “balance.” Instead, they are seeking “work–life flexibility,” a new, complex way of looking at the employee today. Findings are discussed and implications for work–life flexibility are provided.
pH-Controlled Electrochemical Deposition of Polyelectrolyte Complex Films

Polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) films made from oppositely charged polymer chains have applications as drug-delivery vehicles, separation membranes, and biocompatible coatings. Conventional layer-by-layer techniques for polyelectrolyte coatings are low-throughput and multistep processes that are quite slow for building films on the order of micrometers. In this work, PEC films are electrochemically deposited using a rapid one-pot method, yielding thick (1 μm) films within short experimental time scales (5 min). This rapid electrodeposition is achieved by exploiting the reduction of hydrogen peroxide at mild electrode potentials that avoid water electrolysis yet trigger the pH-responsive self-assembly of a PEC film composed of poly(acrylic) acid and poly(allylamine) HCl. In situ rheology using an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance quantified the shear modulus–density product of the deposited layer to be on the order of 107 Pa g/cm3 at a frequency of 15 MHz, with a viscoelastic phase angle of approxi...
Stability of sonic boom metrics regarding signature distortions from atmospheric turbulence

The degree of insensitivity to atmospheric turbulence was evaluated for five metrics (A-, B-, E-weighted sound exposure level, Stevens Mark VII Perceived Level, and NASA's Indoor Sonic Boom Annoyance Predictor) that correlate to human annoyance from sonic booms. Eight N-wave shaped sonic booms from NASA's FaINT experiment and five simulated "low-boom" sonic booms were turbulized by Locey's ten atmospheric filter functions. The B-weighted sound exposure level value changed the least due to the turbulence filters for twelve of thirteen booms. This makes it the most turbulence stable metric which may be useful for quiet supersonic aircraft certification.
Medium-Throughput Screen of Microbially Produced Serotonin via a G-Protein-Coupled Receptor-Based Sensor

Chemical biosensors, for which chemical detection triggers a fluorescent signal, have the potential to accelerate the screening of noncolorimetric chemicals produced by microbes, enabling the high-throughput engineering of enzymes and metabolic pathways. Here, we engineer a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-based sensor to detect serotonin produced by a producer microbe in the producer microbe’s supernatant. Detecting a chemical in the producer microbe’s supernatant is nontrivial because of the number of other metabolites and proteins present that could interfere with sensor performance. We validate the two-cell screening system for medium-throughput applications, opening the door to the rapid engineering of microbes for the increased production of serotonin. We focus on serotonin detection as serotonin levels limit the microbial production of hydroxystrictosidine, a modified alkaloid that could accelerate the semisynthesis of camptothecin-derived anticancer pharmaceuticals. This work shows the ease of ge...
Management Education and Transformational Learning: The Integration of Mindfulness in an MBA Course:

Most management classes are taught by modified traditional techniques in which the acquisition of facts and rote skills is primary. However, traditional pedagogies fall short when the desired result is not inculcating knowledge about a subject, but rather constructively altering worldviews and behaviors. Leadership, ethics, strategic management, and communications are some of the subjects for which worldview change is imperative and traditional, knowledge-inculcating pedagogies are inadequate. The type of cognitive restructuring required for deep understanding of these subjects is termed transformational learning. This article presents an instructional innovation in which transformational learning is facilitated by incorporating mindfulness practice into an MBA course. Specifically, we suggest that mindfulness increases learners’ awareness of their own and others’ perspectives and decreases resistance to novel ways of seeing and doing things. This increases the likelihood that transformational learning wi...
How much oil is actually removed by evaporation, photo-oxidation and microbial weathering?

Crude oil is a complex mixture of thousands of organic compounds including alkanes, aromatics, asphaltenes, resins and waxes. A number of physical, chemical and biological weathering processes, as ...
A palladium-catalyzed intramolecular Heck/Hydrogenation approach towards the synthesis of praziquantel

Abstract Starting from 3-methoxy N -acylpyrazinium salts, a new approach towards the synthesis of the antischistosomal drug praziquantel (PZQ) has been developed. Utilization of a palladium-catalyzed intramolecular Heck reaction to form dehydro-PZQ followed by a Hydrogenation step, in a stepwise or one-pot manner, allowed for the gram scale synthesis of PZQ in 4 or 5 steps and in good overall yields. This methodology proved to be well suited for generating the pyrazino[1,2-a] isoindole and pyrazino[1,2-a] benzazepine analogues of PZQ.
Improving the direct penetration into tissues underneath the skin with iontophoresis delivery of a ketoprofen cationic prodrug.

Abstract Current topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) showed marginal efficacy in treatment of musculoskeletal disorders due to their fast clearance by skin blood flow and thus little direct penetration into the underlying muscle and joint tissues. Using ketoprofen (Kt) as a model NSAID and converting it to a cationic ester prodrug ketoprofen choline chloride (KCC), this study was to investigate the iontophoresis delivery of the prodrug KCC for improving the drug retention in the skin and the direct penetration into underlying tissues. From in vitro flux study, anodal iontophoresis of KCC showed 5 times higher flux than cathodal iontophoresis of Kt across human epidermis skin, and also 1.5 times higher across full thickness rat skin. From in situ dual agar gel model rat study, anodal iontophoresis of KCC showed 35 times more drug penetrating across the live skin into underlying agar gel and 22 times more drug retained in the skin than those from cathodal iontophoresis of Kt. Co-iontophoresis of a vasoconstrictor phenylephrine with KCC did not show better result than the iontophoresis of KCC alone. Overall, iontophoresis delivery of the cationic prodrug KCC showed great potential for direct penetration into local tissues underneath the skin.
Development of electroretinogram and rod phototransduction response in human infants.

Purpose. To describe and analyze developmental change from birth through maturity of human electroretinogram (ERG) response, especially in terms of rod phototransduction as represented in the ERG Methods. Electroretinograms were recorded from 16 human infants from 5 to 270 days of age, two children 1.9 and 3.4 years of age, and 13 older subjects between 10 and 43 years of age. A range of full-field, white-light flashes up to intensities sufficient to saturate a-wave and b-wave amplitudes and a-wave rate-of-rise was used. The a-wave leading edge, the a-wave and b-wave amplitudes, and the b/a-wave ratio at maximum intensity were analyzed using a model of the activation steps of the G-protein phototransduction cascade. This model, applied to a- waves, provides three parameters interpretable in terms of rod phototransduction : a max (a-wave maximum amplitude, proportional to circulating dark current), A' (estimated constant of transduction amplification), and t' eff (sum of brief delays associated with the cascade steps). Results. Both a max and b max (maximum b-wave amplitude) increased rapidly from birth. b max reached apparently mature values by approximately 6 months, but a max , and thus (b/a) max (b/a ratio at maximum intensity), did not reach mature values until sometime after the third or fourth year. Similarly, A' was immature at birth at approximately 25% to 50% of adult levels at intensities below rate-of-rise saturation. For the youngest infants, rate-of-rise saturation appeared to occur at lower effective isomerizations per rod compared to that of the adult. Following a time course similar to that of a max , full maturity for A' probably was not reached before 5 years of age. Conclusions. Results from the a-wave analysis are consistent with immaturities in the rod photoreceptors early in life. The difference from those of the adult may be explained by lower neonatal concentrations in one or more of the transduction substrates, decreased outer segment length, and, possibly, decreased density of some membrane proteins mediating the cationic dark current. Early adultlike b-wave amplitudes suggest early maturity for the inner retinal elements (rod bipolar and Muller cells) underlying b-wave response, compared to the photoreceptors. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1995 ;36 :1588-1602.
Variability in center of pressure position and muscle activation during walking with chronic ankle instability.

Abstract Chronic ankle instability (CAI) patients exhibit altered gait mechanics. The objective was to identify differences in stride-to-stride variability in the position of the center of pressure (COP) and muscle activity during walking between individuals with and without CAI. Participants (17 CAI;17 Healthy) walked on a treadmill at 1.3 m/s while surface electromyography (sEMG) of the fibularis longus (FL) and plantar pressure were recorded. The medial-lateral COP position was averaged for each 10% interval of stance and group standard deviations (SD), coefficient of variation (COV), and range for the COP position were compared between groups via independent t-tests. Ensemble curves for sEMG amplitude SD were graphed for the entire stride cycle to determine significant differences. The CAI group had increased COP position variability (SD (CAI = 0.79 ± 0.47 mm, Control = 0.48 ± 0.17 mm), COV (CAI = 1.47 ± 0.87 mm, Control = 0.93 ± 0.33 mm), range (CAI = 2.97 ± 2.07 mm, Control = 1.72 ± 0.33 mm, P
Syndrome of Inappropriate Secretion of Antidiuretic Hormone and Hyponatremia

1. Deborah P. Jones, MD* 1. *Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN * Abbreviations: ADH: : antidiuretic hormone BUN: : blood urea nitrogen CNS: : central nervous system IV: : intravenous SIADH: : syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone V2R: : vasopressin 2 receptor Hyponatremia is a common electrolyte disturbance in hospitalized children that is often related to increased action of antidiuretic hormone; practitioners should be familiar with clinical characteristics of children at risk for syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH), as well as approach to diagnosis. By knowing how to identify children with SIADH or those at risk for developing hyponatremia, modifications can be made in the prescription of intravenous fluid to avoid the development of hyponatremia or to treat hyponatremia. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Review the mechanisms that control water excretion and maintain normal plasma osmolality. 2. Describe the major causes of hyponatremia in children. 3. Apply clinical tests to identify children with hyponatremia to determine the underlying condition. 4. Identify children at risk for syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) and modify fluid management to avoid development of hyponatremia. 5. Describe the approach to treatment of hyponatremia and, in particular, hyponatremia secondary to SIADH. The discussion of the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) begins with review of the causes of hyponatremia, since SIADH is a major cause of hyponatremia and hyponatremia is usually the abnormal finding that leads to its diagnosis. SIADH is defined as the presence of hypo-osmolality when urine is inappropriately concentrated (osmolality is inappropriately high) and there is no evidence of renal salt wasting or hypovolemia in an individual with normal renal, adrenal, thyroid, cardiac, and liver functions (Table 1). (1) It is reversible with water restriction. In SIADH, antidiuretic hormone (ADH) activity is considered “inappropriate,” since there is no identifiable osmotic or hemodynamic stimulus for its action. Factors that control plasma osmolality …
HappyFeet: Recognizing and Assessing Dance on the Floor

The widespread availability of Internet-of-Thing (IoT) devices, wearable sensors and smart watches have been promoting innovative activity recognition applications in our everyday lives. Recognizing dance steps with fine granularity using wearables is one of those exciting applications. In a typical dance classroom scenario where the instructors are frequently outnumbered by the students, accelerometer sensors can be utilized to automatically compare the performance of the dancers and provide informative feedback to all the stakeholders, for example, the instructors and the learners. However, owing to the complexity of the movement kinematics of human body, building a sufficiently accurate and reliable system can be a daunting task. Utilization of multiple sensors can help improve the reliability, however most wearable sensors do not boast sufficient resolution for such tasks and often suffer from various data sampling, device heterogeneity and instability issues. To address these challenges, we introduce \emph{HappyFeet}, a convolutional neural network based deep, self-evolving feature learning model that accurately recognizes the micro steps of various dance activities. We show that our model consistently outperforms feature engineering based shallow learning approaches by a margin (approximately 7%) accuracy on data collected from dance routines (Indian classical) performed by a professional dancer. We also posit a Body Sensor Network model and discuss the underpinning challenges and possible solutions associated with multiple sensors' signal variations.