cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Offset Trading in the US Aircraft Industry: How Much Is Too Much?

Offset agreements in the US aircraft industry reached their highest level ever in the period 1989–1991. In this paper, we ask whether the situation is getting out of control and whether in fact US companies are "giving away the store" insofar as rapid and uncoordinated technology transfer to overseas customers is concerned. The paper assesses the cost-benefit relationship of offset trading in the US aircraft industry in order to answer the question of how much is too much. Case studies are presented providing insights into the mechanics of five offset agreements set up during the period 1976 to 1988.
Regular Orbits for the Stadium Billiard

Though there is a great distinction between the motion of completely chaotic and that of nearly integrable systems, they have in common a set of orbits which one might call the regular orbits. In the nearly integrable case the regular orbits are the invariant tori predicted by the KAM theorem and the periodic orbits which constitute the island chains. In completely chaotic systems the invariant tori are destroyed, but are replaced by invariant cantor sets, called canton. The island chains become resonance zones, which are still delineated by the stable and unstable manifolds of the hyperbolic periodic orbits.
A Latching, Bistable Optical Fiber Switch Combining LIGA Technology with Micromachined Permanent Magnets

A bi-directional, latching microactuator which combines the use of micromachined permanent magnets and electromagnets has been developed. The device is fabricated primarily from Ni/Fe permalloy using LIGA technology, whereas the permanent magnets are cut from NdFeB using micro-electro discharge machining. The permanent magnets allow the actuator to operate with zero standby power. The device offers very high throw and high force output with sub-micron positioning accuracy. It latches in both directions, achieves a minimum switching speed of 2.1 ms, and requires drive currents of only 5.88–8.83 mA. Power dissipated by the switch within this operating regime is as low as 11 mW. Switching energy is as low as 25 µJ.
Meinong, Brentano, Chisholm

In order to get a picture of Meinong as person and as philosopher, it is best to turn to the following writings: Philosophenbriefe edited by R. Kindinger, commemorative speeches written by Ernst Mally and Eduard Martinak, and Meinonggedenkschrift prepared and edited in Graz.1 From these writings a philosopher emerges who was careful, always in the process of revising himself, a generous, never-tiring teacher who was strict but respected everyone, who had a droll humor, and who was cheerful company in a small circle of friends. Examples which he used to illuminate a point and incidental remarks in his works show his subtle humor. Reading his mostly dry material, one is occasionally and unexpectedly amused; and through the lines one feels the warmth of the long gone person.
Consumer Incentive Programs: The Participante Viewpoint

Expenditure for consumer promotion programs reflect one of the fastest growing categories of firms’ marketing expenses. Unfortunately, little information is known about consumer preferences for the various promotion programs.
Measuring Exercise Induced Affect in Adults with Brain Injuries

The aim of the study was to provide evidence for the validity and reliability of the Physical Activity Affect Scale (PAAS; Lox, Jackson, Tuholski, Wasley, & Treasure, 2000) as a measure of exercise induced affect for adults with brain injuries. The PAAS is a 12-item measure of feeling states based on Russell’s (1980) conceptualization of affect. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on data from 193 participants with brain injuries who completed the PAAS following a single bout of exercise. Results identified four dimensions of affect (positive affect, negative affect, tranquility, and fatigue). Findings provide evidence for the validity and reliability of the PAAS as a measure of exercise induced affect for adults with brain injuries.
Effect of Questioning Techniques and Interview Setting on Young Children's Eyewitness Memory

The goal of this research was to learn if supposed ineffective questioning techniques (e.g., question repetition within the interview) would reduce the accuracy of five-year-olds' eyewitness memory. In the first study, children viewed a slide show depicting a minor crime and were then interviewed either with a standard interview or one which incorporated ineffective questioning techniques. The results indicated that the type of interview did not affect children's eyewitness memory. In a second study, children were presented with the ineffective interview by an authoritative interviewer in a formal office setting. The results again indicated little influence of interview setting or question technique on children's eyewitness memory, identification accuracy, and suggestibility.
Optimizing Biomass Feedstock Blends with Respect to Cost, Supply, and Quality for Catalyzed and Uncatalyzed Fast Pyrolysis Applications

Biomass cost, supply, and quality are critical parameters to consider when choosing feedstocks and locations for biorefineries. Biomass cost is dependent upon feedstock type, location, quantities available, logistics costs, and the quality specifications required by the biorefinery. Biomass quality depends upon feedstock type, growth conditions, weather, harvesting methods, storage conditions, and any preprocessing methods used to improve quality. Biomass quantity depends on location as well as growth conditions, weather, harvesting methods, and storage conditions. This study examines the interdependencies of these parameters and how they affect the biomass blends required by biomass depots and/or biorefineries to achieve the lowest cost feedstock with sufficient quality at the quantities needed for biorefinery operation. Four biomass depots were proposed in South Carolina to each produce 200,000 t of feedstock per year. These depots supply a centrally located 800,000 t biorefinery that converts the feedstocks to bio-oil using either catalyzed or uncatalyzed fast pyrolysis. The four depots utilize biomass based upon availability, but the feedstock or feedstock blend still met the minimum quality requirements for the biorefinery. Costs were minimized by using waste biomass resources such as construction and demolition waste, logging residues, and forest residuals. As necessary, preprocessing methods such as air classification and acid leaching were used to upgrade biomass quality. For both uncatalyzed and catalyzed fast pyrolysis, all four depots could produce biomass blends that met quality and quantity specifications at a cost lower than using a single feedstock.
Abstract 128: Human Tau Protects Ischemic Brain Injury

Stroke is a complex vascular and neurological syndrome that can lead to death and disability. The primary stroke injury is induced by the occlusion of directly supplied artery, and the secondary brain damage could be affected by the synaptic connections with the primary ischemic lesion. Tau protein is a microtubule associated cytoskeletal protein, expressed predominantly in neurons of the central nervous system. Tau protein plays a role in maintaining synaptic neuronal integrity and axonal transport, including promoting microtubule assembly and modulating stability of microtubules, which are regulated by tau phosphorylation state. Phosphorylated tau protein is induced by stroke. To investigate the role of human Tau protein in stroke, we employed female mice overexpressing normal human Tau (rTg(Tau)21221), female mice overexpressing P301L mutant human tau (rTg(TauP301L)4510, and age-matched female littermate wild type (WT) controls at 12 months old. Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) was performed on diestrus as identified by virginal smears microscopically. Following a mild stroke injury of 30 min tMCAO, overexpression of normal human Tau significantly reduced infarction at 48 hours of reperfusion (P = 0.0157); following a moderate stroke injury of 60 min tMCAO, overexpression of normal human Tau also resulted in significantly reduced infarction compared to WT controls and mice expressing human tau with the P301L mutation (P = 0.0142). These novel data suggest that normal human Tau plays a protective role in acute stroke and support the view of targeting human tau as a new treatment for acute stroke.
Online, blended and technology-enhanced learning: tools to facilitate community college student success in the digitally-driven workplace

Community colleges have embraced distance education as a means to provide increased flexibility and access to their large numbers of non-traditional students. Retention rates and student achievement measures alone may not reflect all of the benefits and opportunities that online learning, blended or hybrid learning, and technology-enhanced learning may afford these students. Online learning resources should be viewed as a tremendous value-added benefit for community college students, not only for the content conveyed, but also for fostering the digital readiness, cultivating the professional personas, and encouraging the self-directed learning needed to succeed in the digitally-driven workplace.
SnapShot: Discovering Genetic Regulatory Variants by QTL Analysis

Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis is an approach for identifying how genetic variation between individuals contributes to inter-individual differences in gene expression. In this SnapShot, we describe the basic principles of eQTL analysis and its applications to diverse molecular traits of the cell measured by genomics and proteomics assays.
Response: “Onstage They Ain’t Got No Roots Rock Rebel”: Kierkegaardian Despair and the Aesthetics of Black Suffering

Kevin Gary’s use of Louis C.K.’s anxiety concerning technology, overcome with the transience of aesthetic objects and all too aware of the emptiness that lies beneath, remarkably reflects and provides contemporary context for Soren Kierkegaard’s account of despair. Nonetheless, C.K.’s response to the emptiness of aesthetic pursuits demonstrates a failure of ethical life by Kierkegaard’s exacting standards. C.K.’s humor, as a partial solution to his anxiety, falls under the lowest category of Kierkegaardian ethics, namely, irony, or continuing to live in the world and accept its demands while refusing to be implicated by it, claiming exception to human flaws simply by taking up the position of critic. C.K. indicates a problem of modern life rather than resolving it, leaving us with the harder question: how might suffering be seen as an educational phenomenon? While the search for extradiscursive elements in educational scholarship has led to more interest in issues such as suffering, recent research on suffering in education has demonstrated remarkable diversity not only in the sources of our understanding but in its potential educational import. This variety suggests that we view Gary’s juxtaposition of Kierkegaardian despair and African-American blues a site that begs for further inquiry into their differences. 1 To begin, Kierkegaard’s account of despair cannot be fully extricated from its place in his larger project of demonstrating ties between Judeo-Christian ethics and irrational faith. Despair trails behind each of Kierkegaard’s stages, always providing the foil of nothingness to the variously heroic, nonetheless human attempts to stand above the void. One can live aesthetically, throwing oneself into one’s things, the materiality of the world, but the finitude of materiality will always come up short in relation to our infinite desires and the infinite interiority that Hegel diagnoses as an illness and Kierkegaard seeks to reclaim. No matter how sincere are our desires for new phones, plastic surgery and hotel comforts, materiality as such will always disappoint, leading the subject back into despair and setting the stage for a newer phone, newer body parts, a better vacation. Enough disappointment with the world may lead to ethical resignation: founding one’s project upon the solid ground of abstract principles rather than the shifting sands of time-bound things. But the knight of resignation ends the aesthetic cycle of anticipation and disappointment only by accepting a world that is already bitterly lost — deliberately emptied of its pleasures through the refusal to give in to aesthetic satisfactions. Illustrating the lost world in which the knight of resignation resides, Kierkegaard imagines the outcome had Abraham been marked by ethical resignation rather than faith, scolding Sarah into a similar state of resignation in relation to Isaac: “Did you yourself not laugh when it was announced…. was it not in your old age that you had him; were not both of us decrepit. It is not our child but a phantom.” 2
Electronic structure and thermoelectric properties: PbBi 2 Te 4 and related intergrowth compounds

The layered PbTe:Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} intergrowth compound, PbBi{sub 2}Te{sub 4}, and related materials are investigated using first-principles calculations and Boltzmann transport theory. The electronic structures of these compounds are closely related to those of the end points, especially Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} but the band gaps are larger than those of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}. The calculated thermopowers are comparable to those of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} at similar doping levels but extend to higher temperatures due to the larger band gaps with the implication that the thermoelectric performance of these compounds will be best at temperatures above the range of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}.
East or West? Tradition and the Development of Hybrid Higher Education in Asia: Focus on China

This chapter examines how external models of higher education have influenced an indigenous Chinese higher education system that dates back several millennia. The Western influence on Chinese higher education institutions began in the nineteenth century, and has syncretically merged indigenous and external forms to create hybrid “types” of higher education. While focusing on China, the chapter has relevance to all Sinified nations, including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. The arguments presented in this chapter follow the basic notion that the so-called “modern university” is actually a hybrid of indigenous elements, overlaid with Western forms and elements, resulting in a re-indigenized hybrid higher education system.
Skepticism and Religious Practice in Sextus and Nāgārjuna

The second-century Pyrrhonian sceptic, Sextus Empiricus, says that piety of a certain kind is compatible with the Pyrrhonian – i.e. radically skeptical – way of life. The contemporaneous founder of Madhyamaka Buddhist philosophy, Nāgārjuna, also embodies a form of sceptical practice in pursuit of the spiritual goal of non-attachment, including non-attachment in intellectual matters. After some preliminary remarks on the relevance of this chapter to ethics and anatta (non-self), I give an overview of the issue of how skepticism can relate to religious practice in the texts of Sextus and Nāgārjuna. Then I show how Sextus and Nāgārjuna represent a kind of religiosity without belief that is in contrast both to conventional views about the relation between belief and religious practice as well as some contemporary views in philosophy of religion concerning belief and faith. After considering some objections to my claim that Sextus and Nāgārjuna represent a distinct category of religiosity, I end with reflections on what the study of Sextus and Nāgārjuna could add to contemporary philosophy of religion.
Titration of pulmonary arterial hypertension therapeutics: Experience-based recommendations

The availability of new medications has improved exercise capacity, enhanced quality of life, and extended time to clinical worsening in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). For many of these medications, careful individualized dose titration is required to maximize therapeutic effectiveness while minimizing side effects. In addition, specific routes of administration, including intravenous (IV), subcutaneous (SC), and inhaled administration may present additional challenges for patients and healthcare providers. These challenges include the possibility of catheter-related infections (IV), infusion site pain (SC), and adherence to frequent dosing schedules (inhaled). Temporary discontinuations may require re-titration and, in some cases, may even be life threatening. Here, based on our clinical experience, we provide our recommendations for dose titration schemes for PAH medications that require individualized dosing in adult patients, including agents acting on the endothelin-1 pathway (bosentan and ambrisentan), the prostacyclin pathway (epoprostenol, treprostinil, and selexipag), and the nitric oxide pathway (tadalafil and the soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator riociguat). A case study that illustrates the application of best practices for PAH medication dose titration in a real-world setting is presented. Good two-way communication between specialty pharmacies and other healthcare providers promotes optimal medication usage and patient health. Experience has shown that slow, cautious up-titration is generally associated with better long-term outcomes. In all cases, patient education, frequent monitoring and careful management of side effects, and treatment adherence are critical.
The interaction of a walking droplet and a submerged pillar: From scattering to the logarithmic spiral

Millimetric droplets may walk across the surface of a vibrating fluid bath, propelled forward by their own guiding or “pilot” wave field. We here consider the interaction of such walking droplets with a submerged circular pillar. While simple scattering events are the norm, as the waves become more pronounced, the drop departs the pillar along a path corresponding to a logarithmic spiral. The system behavior is explored both experimentally and theoretically, using a reduced numerical model in which the pillar is simply treated as a region of decreased wave speed. A trajectory equation valid in the limit of weak droplet acceleration is used to infer an effective force due to the presence of the pillar, which is found to be a lift force proportional to the product of the drop’s walking speed and its instantaneous angular speed around the post. This system presents a macroscopic example of pilot-wave-mediated forces giving rise to apparent action at a distance.
The regulation of skeletal muscle fatigability and mitochondrial function by chronically elevated interleukin-6.

New findings What is the central question of this study? Interleukin-6 has been associated with muscle mass and metabolism in both physiological and pathological conditions. A causal role for interleukin-6 in the induction of fatigue and disruption of mitochondrial function has not been determined. What is the main finding and its importance? We demonstrate that chronically elevated interleukin-6 increased skeletal muscle fatigability and disrupted mitochondrial content and function independent of changes in fibre type and mass. Abstract Interleukin-6 (IL-6) can initiate intracellular signalling in skeletal muscle by binding to the IL-6-receptor and interacting with the transmembrane gp130 protein. Circulating IL-6 has established effects on skeletal muscle mass and metabolism in both physiological and pathological conditions. However, the effects of circulating IL-6 on skeletal muscle function are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to determine whether chronically elevated systemic IL-6 was sufficient to disrupt skeletal muscle force, fatigue and mitochondrial function. Additionally, we examined the role of muscle gp130 signalling during overexpression of IL-6. Systemic IL-6 overexpression for 2 weeks was achieved by electroporation of an IL-6 overexpression plasmid or empty vector into the quadriceps of either C57BL/6 (WT) or skeletal muscle gp130 knockout (KO) male mice. Tibialis anterior muscle in situ functional properties and mitochondrial respiration were determined. Interleukin-6 accelerated in situ skeletal muscle fatigue in the WT, with a 18.5% reduction in force within 90 s of repeated submaximal contractions and a 7% reduction in maximal tetanic force after 5 min. There was no difference between fatigue in the KO and KO+IL-6. Interleukin-6 reduced WT muscle mitochondrial respiratory control ratio by 36% and cytochrome c oxidase activity by 42%. Interleukin-6 had no effect on either KO respiratory control ratio or cytochrome c oxidase activity. Interleukin-6 also had no effect on body weight, muscle mass or tetanic force in either genotype. These results provide evidence that 2 weeks of elevated systemic IL-6 is sufficient to increase skeletal muscle fatigability and decrease muscle mitochondrial content and function, and these effects require muscle gp130 signalling.
A deep learning approach to predict the impact of non-coding sequence variants on 3D chromatin structure

Three-dimensional structures of the genome play an important role in regulating the expression of genes. Non-coding variants have been shown to alter 3D genome structures to activate oncogenes in cancer. However, there is currently no method to predict the effect of DNA variants on 3D structures. We propose a deep learning method, DeepMILO, to learn DNA sequence features of CTCF/cohesin-mediated loops and to predict the effect of variants on these loops. DeepMILO consists of a convolutional and a recurrent neural network, and it can learn features beyond the presence of CTCF motifs and their orientations. Application of DeepMILO on a cohort of 241 malignant lymphoma patients with whole-genome sequences revealed CTCF/cohesin-mediated loops disrupted in multiple patients. These disrupted loops contain known cancer driver genes and novel genes. Our results show mutations at loop boundaries are associated with upregulation of the cancer driver gene BCL2 and may point to a possible new mechanism for its dysregulation via alteration of 3D loop structures.
Definitions and Debates

This chapter presents a history of the origins of terms and definitions of evidence-based practice, as well as the debates about them. While noting related elements, it differentiates a process of evidence-based practice and evidence-based practice models. In the second decade of the twenty-first century, consensus is emerging about terms and criteria for the extent of evidence necessary to differentiate less-proven from well-proven practices.
Print Vs. Digital: The Future of Coexistence Ed. by Sul H. Lee. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Information Press, 2007. 138 pp. $45.00 soft cover ISBN 9780789035769 (also published as Journal of Library Administration, 46, 2)

In this collection Sul Lee brings together eight papers that discuss the future of print and electronic publishing in relation to libraries and how coexistence, if any, might be achieved.The most c...
Zebrafish as a Model for Revealing the Neuronal Basis of Behavior

Abstract Zebrafish have become a major model in studies of how the brain generates behavior. The transparency of the larval fish and the genetic tools it offers provide unprecedented access to the neurons and circuits that generate behavior. New optical techniques coupled with improved fluorescent sensors, reporters, and optogenetic effectors allow us literally to visualize neuronal morphology, watch neuronal activity, and to turn neurons on and off at will anywhere in the brain of an intact living fish. The powerful combination of these methods with other approaches, including electrophysiology, whole-brain in vivo imaging, large scale electron microscopic reconstructions, and computational tools, are revealing the structure of neural circuits throughout the brain and how these circuits produce behaviors. Scientists are tackling a wide variety of circuits: circuits for sensory processing, circuits that drive locomotor output, and everything in between, including circuits essential for learning, fear, sleep, circadian rhythms, and social interactions. The similarities between vertebrate brains allow considerable extrapolation from fish to other vertebrates, including ourselves. Here we review what it means to understand the neuronal generation of behavior, the approaches to doing it in zebrafish, and the relative merits of zebrafish as the place to do it. We then offer example studies, and predict some future directions of this model.
Increased Adiposity and Reduced Lean Body Mass in Patients with Short Bowel Syndrome

Few studies have examined the metabolic consequences of short bowel syndrome (SBS) and its effects on body composition in adults. We hypothesized that body composition of SBS patients is altered compared to a normal age-, race-, and sex-matched population, regardless of parenteral nutrition (PN) dependence. To compare the body composition of adult patients with SBS to age-, sex-, and race-matched healthy controls. Twenty patients with SBS underwent body composition analysis using the GE Lunar iDXA scanner. Patients were age-, sex-, and race-matched to controls from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2004). Mean differences in body mass index, fat-free mass, fat mass, percent body fat, visceral adipose tissue mass and volume, and bone mineral density were measured. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS 9.4 software. Fifty-five percent of subjects had a history of PN use, and 30% were current PN users. Mean percent body fat for SBS patients was 35.1% compared to 30.9% for healthy controls (p = 0.043). Fat-free mass was reduced in SBS (p = 0.007). Patients with reduced bone mass had a trend toward significantly more years of PN exposure compared to those with normal bone mass (p = 0.094), and a trend toward older age (p = 0.075). SBS is associated with increased percent body fat and reduced fat-free mass, suggesting that improved dietary and therapeutic interventions are needed to restore normal metabolic indices and avoid risk of metabolic syndrome in SBS patients.
The Isolated Choice Effect and Its Implications for Gender Diversity in Organizations

We highlight a feature of personnel selection decisions that can influence the gender diversity of groups and teams. Specifically, we show that people are less likely to choose candidates whose gen...
Evaluating the Rapid Emergence of Daptomycin Resistance in Corynebacterium: a Multicenter Study.

ABSTRACT Members of the genus Corynebacterium are increasingly recognized as pathobionts and can be very resistant to antimicrobial agents. Previous studies have demonstrated that Corynebacterium striatum can rapidly develop high-level daptomycin resistance (HLDR) (MIC, ≥256 μg/ml). Here, we conducted a multicenter study to assay for this in vitro phenotype in diverse Corynebacterium species. Corynebacterium clinical isolates (n = 157) from four medical centers were evaluated. MIC values to daptomycin, vancomycin, and telavancin were determined before and after overnight exposure to daptomycin to identify isolates able to rapidly develop daptomycin nonsusceptibility. To investigate assay reproducibility, 18 isolates were evaluated at three study sites. In addition, the stability of daptomycin nonsusceptibility was tested using repeated subculture without selective pressure. The impact of different medium brands was also investigated. Daptomycin nonsusceptibility emerged in 12 of 23 species evaluated in this study (C. afermentans, C. amycolatum, C. aurimucosum, C. bovis, C. jeikeium, C. macginleyi, C. pseudodiphtheriticum, C. resistens, C. simulans, C. striatum, C. tuberculostearicum, and C. ulcerans) and was detected in 50 of 157 (31.8%) isolates tested. All isolates displayed low (susceptible) MIC values to vancomycin and telavancin before and after daptomycin exposure. Repeated subculture demonstrated that 2 of 9 isolates (22.2%) exhibiting HLDR reverted to a susceptible phenotype. Of 30 isolates tested on three medium brands, 13 (43.3%) had differences in daptomycin MIC values between brands. Multiple Corynebacterium species can rapidly develop daptomycin nonsusceptibility, including HLDR, after a short daptomycin exposure period.
Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist Confidence Index™ Research Report - Third Quarter 2017

The Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist Confidence Index™ (Bloomberg ticker symbol: SVVCCI) is based on a recurring quarterly survey of San Francisco Bay Area/Silicon Valley venture capitalists. The Index measures and reports the opinions of professional venture capitalists on their estimations of the high-growth venture entrepreneurial environment in the San Francisco Bay Area over the next 6 - 18 months. The Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist Confidence Index™ for the third quarter of 2017, based on a September 2017 survey of 25 San Francisco Bay Area venture capitalists, registered 3.43 on a 5-point scale (with 5 indicating high confidence and 1 indicating low confidence). This quarter’s index measurement declined from the previous quarter’s index reading of 3.52; it is also well below the nearly 14-year average of 3.71. Please see Graph 1 for trend data.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection for Quadriceps Tendinopathy: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a promising treatment for persistent symptoms caused by various musculoskeletal injuries, including tendinopathies. CASE PRESENTATION A 47-year-old woman presented with chronic left knee pain following a motor vehicle accident. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed distal quadriceps tendinosis and a partial tear of the vastus intermedius tendon. She failed extensive conservative management. A PRP injection was performed at the distal quadriceps tendon. In combination with physical therapy, there was substantial improvement of symptoms and corresponding decreased tendinosis on follow-up MRI. DISCUSSION Successful use of PRP has been documented in the literature for a variety of chronic orthopaedic conditions including, but not limited to, patellar tendinopathy, lateral epicondylosis, and gluteal tendinopathy. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of the treatment of chronic quadriceps tendinopathy with a PRP injection. CONCLUSION This case expands the treatment options for chronic quadriceps tendinopathy and highlights another use of PRP within the field of regenerative orthopaedics.
Case 86: An Acute Appendix

You are working in a small hospital in southern Eritrea. It is the end of September. A foreign surgeon, who has just arrived in the country, rings you from the emergency room (ER). He tells you that he has a 17-year-old female with an acute appendix and asks you to come and evaluate her.
Optically Induced Femtosecond Electromagnetic Radiation from Semiconductor Surfaces

Terahertz bandwidth electromagnetic radiation can be optically induced from semiconductor surfaces [1]. This diffraction-limited electromagnetic beam propagates in free space and can be optically steered by varying the incident angle of the laser beam. In addition, from the analysis of measured waveforms of the radiated field, the impurity concentration, carrier mobility, crystal symmetry, orientation and strength of the built-in field near the semiconductor surfaces can be estimated with a noncontact approach [2].
Automated Immunoassay Analyzers

Enzyme immunoassays (EIA) have great potential for automation in diagnostic microbiology laboratories, and a number of semiautomated and fully automated immunoassay analyzers are now commercially available for the performance of a variety of viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic antibody and/or antigen detection tests. The majority of the automated immunoassay analyzers provide walk-away simplicity to perform assays from sample processing through interpretation of results. The instruments can automatically generate work lists of specimens to be tested, pipette specimens from primary tubes and dilute the samples, dispense all reagents, time the incubations at a desired temperature, shake the assay vessels if needed, perform washes, and read and store the final results. The use of automated immunoassay analyzers can be advantageous to the laboratory that has a shortage of trained medical technologists or that needs to reduce costs or improve the throughput and turnaround time for test results.
Progressive cross-linking of fibrin gamma chains increases resistance to fibrinolysis.

Abstract In the presence of plasma transglutaminase (factor XIIIa) fibrin first undergoes intermolecular covalent cross-linking between its gamma chains to create gamma dimers followed by slower cross-linking among its alpha chains to form alpha polymers. Progressive cross-linking of gamma chain dimers occurs at the slowest rate, resulting in gamma trimers and gamma tetramers ("gamma multimers"). Most studies indicate that cross-linked fibrin clots become resistant to fibrinolysis, but the basis for this event is not clear. In this study, we explored the role of gamma chain multimerization compared with alpha polymerization as causal factors in time-dependent development of resistance to fibrinolysis. Fibrin clots prepared from native (intact) fibrinogen were incubated for up to 120 h at near physiological ionic strength and a factor XIIIa level approximating that in plasma. These clots were lysed by plasmin at rates that were inversely proportional to the level of gamma multimers, which increased progressively with the time of incubation. In contrast, fibrin cross-linked at high ionic strength (a condition under which only gamma dimers and alpha polymers form) or fibrin formed in the absence of factor XIII showed no time-dependent decrease in lysis rates. Fibrin cross-linked for a fixed time period with increasing amounts of factor XIIIa contained gamma multimer levels that were proportional to the factor XIIIa concentration and lysed at rates that were inversely proportional to the gamma multimer level. Furthermore, cross-linked fibrin formed from fibrinogen fraction I-9, which has limited potential for alpha polymerization, showed the same reduction in the lysis rate as native cross-linked fibrin. These findings indicate that development of resistance to fibrinolysis of cross-linked fibrin is not measurably dependent upon gamma dimer or alpha polymer formation but develops solely as a function of gamma multimerization.
Leading People: Leadership in Mathematics Education

The issue of leadership in mathematics education—always a matter of some contention—has been complicated by developments in the field over the past half century or so. When mathematics education began to emerge as an academic field at the beginning of the twentieth century, so few people were seriously concerned with either its practice or its study that virtually all of them could be considered leaders of some sort. That situation prevailed until the new math era, when a new and larger generation of mathematics educators appeared in colleges and universities. Since the new math era, mathematics education people and programs have proliferated to such an extent that leadership has become much more diversified and identifying leaders much more difficult. Today we need attention not only to the nature of leadership in our field but also to a serious study of that leadership. Note : Based on a colloquium presentation at Teachers College in March 2013. I am grateful to Bruce Vogeli and Henry Pollak for inviting and introducing my contribution, Gabriella Oldham for transcribing my remarks, Sandi Clarkson for catching several lapses, and Benjamin Dickman for helping untangle my thoughts on leadership characteristics. The remaining flaws are all my own.
Erdý os-Hajnal Sets and Semigroup Decompositions

AbstractDeﬁne a set of lines in R 3 to be “stacked” with respect to v ∈ R 3 if, from avantage point far away in the direction of v, the lines are linearly ordered by the“crossing over” relation. Given a collection of skew lines and a point v, we ask,what is the largest stacked subset that must be present among the lines? Thisquestion, which appears in [6], is intimately related to the well-known Erd˝os-Hajnal conjecture via the Milnor-Thom theorem. It was recently resolved by apowerfuland very general theorem of Alon, Pach, Pinchasi, Radoiˇci´c, and Sharir([1]). We describe these results and discuss several related issues, including ageneralization to “Erd˝os-Hajnal sets” and an intriguing problem concerning thedecomposability of semi-algebraic sets: Do all semi-algebraic sets belong to theset algebra generated by semigroups in R d ? Our main result is a resolution ofthis question in dimensions 1 and 2. Suppose we have a collection L of n lines and a direction v in R 3 . Deﬁne T to bethe set of the pairs (l
Plant growth regulators

The disclosure herein pertains to the use of certain 3-[(naphthyl, or substituted-phenyl)imino]-phthalides, some of whose members are novel, to regulate the natural growth or development of plants.
Raman Spectroscopy in Undergraduate Education

The incorporation of Raman Spectroscopy into the undergraduate chemistry curriculum is discussed based on a survey of large, medium, and small undergraduate chemistry programs. Factors that determine the optimal instrument choice for Raman instruction in the undergraduate laboratory are considered. A student experiment that compares and contrasts the use of Raman spectroscopy with infrared spectroscopy identifies many of the common benefits associated with Raman spectroscopy such as spectral simplicity, limited sample preparation, and use with aqueous solutions. Additional examples of undergraduate laboratory experiments include Raman spectrographic analysis of foodstuff, gem and mineral analysis, saturation of oils, and future applications in forensic science and environmental analysis. Keywords: Raman spectroscopy; undergraduate education; teaching laboratory; experiments; sample preparation; nondestructive; spectral complexity; foodstuff; gems; environmental
Uniqueness and completeness analysis of array comprehensions

In this paper we introduce the uniqueness and completeness problems of array comprehensions. An array comprehension has the uniqueness property if it defines each array element at most once. Uniqueness is a necessary condition for correctness in single assignment languages such as Haskell, Id, and Sisal. The uniqueness problem can be stated as a data dependence problem, which in itself can be reformulated as an integer linear programming problem. We derive algorithms to solve uniqueness using the Omega Test, an Integer Linear Programming tool. An array comprehension has the completeness property if all its elements are defined. Completeness is a necessary condition for strict arrays. We present an algorithm that tests for completeness and describe an implementation of the algorithm based on multivariate polynomials.
Chapter 14 Insulin resistance, inflammation, and the IKK/IκB/NF-κB pathway

Overview Insulin resistance is a characteristic of human obesity, and a primary risk factor for the development of type II diabetes (T2DM). However, despite tremendous effort and great progress in a number of areas of research, the biochemical mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of insulin resistance in obesity remain poorly understood. In short, defects in insulin signaling, alterations in the expression and/or activity of a variety of adipokines and cytokines, dyslipidemia/dysregulated lipid metabolism, and most recently, increased intracellular stress and activation of inflammatory pathways have each been implicated as important contributory mechanisms in insulin resistance. In all likelihood it is the interplay of these factors, combined with genetic predisposition and environmental influences that results in the full metabolic manifestation of insulin resistance. This chapter accentuates a bias and recent progress in one area of research that implicates increased activity of the pro-inflammatory IKK/IκB/NF-κB (NF-κB) pathway in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. The purpose of the chapter is to (i) review seminal studies addressing the potential role of increased activity of the NF-κB pathway in decreasing insulin action; (ii) discuss the potential relevance of these studies to human obesity; (iii) address putative mechanisms of activation of the NF-κB pathway in obesity and how activation of the NF-κB activity may reduce insulin action; and (iv) briefly discuss the potential of targeting activity of the NF-κB pathway in the treatment of insulin resistance. Because of the narrow focus of the subject matter in this chapter, the reader is referred to a number of other excellent studies that address the potential detrimental effects on insulin action of activity of other inflammatory pathways [1], endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress [2], and mitochondrial dysfunction [3,4].
Computed tomographic arthrography of the intercarpal ligaments of the equine carpus

Injuries of the intercarpal ligaments are an important cause of lameness in performance horses. The purpose of this prospective cadaver study was to determine whether computed tomography (CT) arthrography would be a feasible method for visualizing and characterizing intercarpal ligaments in the horse. One cadaver limb from each of eight nonlame horses was collected immediately after euthanasia. For each limb, overlapping 2.0 mm CT images were acquired before and after injection of iodinated contrast medium into the antebrachiocarpal joint, middle carpal joint, and carpal sheath. Spin echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences were acquired in three planes using a 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner in three limbs. Following MRI, colored resin was injected into the synovial structures of these three limbs, limbs were frozen, and anatomic sections were obtained in three planes. Findings from CT arthrograms were compared to findings from precontrast CT, MRI, anatomic slices, and arthroscopy. Medial and lateral palmar intercarpal ligaments, radiocarpal and transverse intercarpal ligaments, and palmar carpal ligament were visible in CT arthrograms of all limbs. The proximal and distal entheses of all ligaments were readily identifiable. Findings indicated that CT arthrography is feasible for visualizing intercarpal ligaments and may be a useful adjunct imaging technique for diagnosing lameness due to suspected carpal ligament injury in horses.
Abundance of non-native crabs in intertidal habitats of New England with natural and artificial structure

Marine habitats containing complex physical structure (e.g., crevices) can provide shelter from predation for benthic invertebrates. To examine effects of natural and artificial structure on the abundance of intertidal juvenile crabs, 2 experiments were conducted in Kingston Bay, Massachusetts, USA, from July to September, 2012. In the first experiment, structure was manipulated in a two-factor design that was placed in the high intertidal for 3 one-week periods to test for both substrate type (sand vs. rock) and the presence or absence of artificial structure (mesh grow-out bags used in aquaculture, ∼0.5 m(2) with 62 mm(2) mesh openings). The Asian shore crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus, and small individuals of the green crab, Carcinus maenas, were observed only in the treatments of rocks and mesh bag plus rocks. Most green crabs were small (<6 mm in carapace width) whereas H. sanguineus occurred in a wide range of sizes. In the second experiment, 3 levels of oyster-shell treatments were established using grow-out bags placed on a muddy sand substrate in the low intertidal zone: mesh grow-out bags without shells, grow-out bags with oyster shells, and grow-out bags containing live oysters. Replicate bags were deployed weekly for 7 weeks in a randomized complete block design. All crabs collected in the bags were juvenile C. maenas (1-15 mm carapace width), and numbers of crabs differed 6-fold among treatments, with most crabs present in bags with live oysters (29.5 ± 10.6 m(-2) [mean ± S.D.]) and fewest in bags without shells (4.9 ± 3.7 m(-2)). Both C. maenas and H. sanguineus occurred in habitats with natural structure (cobble rocks). The attraction of juvenile C. maenas to artificial structure consisting of plastic mesh bags containing both oyster shells and living oysters could potentially impact oyster aquaculture operations.
Extended multi-objective fast messy genetic algorithm solving deception problems

Deception problems are among the hardest problems to solve using ordinary genetic algorithms. Designed to simulate a high degree of epistasis, these deception problems imitate extremely difficult real world problems. [1]. Studies show that Bayesian optimization and explicit building block manipulation algorithms, like the fast messy genetic algorithm (fmGA), can help in solving these problems. This paper compares the results acquired from an extended multiobjective fast messy genetic algorithm (MOMGA-IIa), ordinary multiobjective fast messy genetic algorithm (MOMGA-II), multiobjective Bayesian optimization algorithm (mBOA), and the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) when applied to three different deception problems. The extended MOMGA-II is enhanced with a new technique exploiting the fmGA's basis function to improve partitioned searching in both the genotype and phenotype domain. The three deceptive problems studied are: interleaved minimal deceptive problem, interleaved 5-bit trap function, and interleaved 6-bit bipolar function. The unmodified MOMGA-II, by design, explicitly learns building block linkages, a requirement if an algorithm is to solve these hard deception problems. Results using the MOMGA-IIa are excellent when compared to the non-explicit building block algorithm results of both the mBOA and NSGA-II.
Intrarenal angiotensin II and its contribution to the genesis of chronic hypertension.

The increased activity of intrarenal renin–angiotensin system (RAS) in a setting of elevated arterial pressure elicits renal vasoconstriction, increased sodium reabsorption, proliferation, fibrosis and renal injury. Increases in intrarenal and interstitial angiotensin (Ang) II levels are due to increased AT1 receptor mediated Ang II uptake and stimulation of renal angiotensinogen (AGT) mRNA and protein expression. Augmented proximal tubule AGT production increases tubular AGT secretion and spillover of AGT into the distal nephron and urine. Increased renin formation by principal cells of the collecting ducts forms Ang I from AGT thus increasing Ang II. The catalytic actions of renin and prorenin are enhanced by prorenin receptors (PRRs) on the intercalated cells. The resultant increased intrarenal Ang II levels contribute to the genesis of chronic hypertension.
Decreased RhoA expression in myocardium of diabetic rats

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is 1 of the major causes of death in diabetic patients, but the pathogenesis is unclear. There is evidence that RhoA, a small GTPase, might be involved in cardiac function. ...
Legacies of Anglo‐French colonial borders: A West African and Southeast Asian comparison

Abstract This paper applies the paradigm of colonial Anglo‐French land partition of indigenous peoples to two discrete borderlands: the Upper Mekong in Southeast Asia, separating Burma/Myanmar from Laos; and Hausaland in West Africa, separating Nigeria from Niger. Effected at approximately the same time (late 19th century) by similar means (diplomatic convention) and with similar local impact (division of indigenous ethnic groups), long‐term consequences of colonial partition sharply differentiate the two borderlands today: Africa bears a much stronger imprint of colonialism than does the Mekong. In certain respects, however, the two former French colonies of Laos and Niger resemble each other more than they do their geographical neighbors of former British Burma and Nigeria. Comparing geoculturally different borderlands provides perspectives that idiographic analyses may not.