cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coloniality and a global testing regime in higher education: unpacking the OECD's AHELO initiative

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is currently engaging in a worldwide feasibility study entitled International Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes (AHELO). This feasibility study seeks to develop measures that would assess student learning outcomes that would be valid across different languages, cultures, and higher education institutions. Drawing on anticolonial perspectives, this article provides a critical policy analysis of the AHELO project. Based on a review of the AHELO texts, it presents two themes: (1) crisis and imperial logic in policy production and (2) Anglo-Eurocentrism as global designs and colonial relationships. It argues that, through AHELO, OECD is striving to construct a global space of equivalence for teaching and learning in higher education, and in so doing, perpetuates coloniality in global higher education. It concludes by noting some comparative observations between AHELO and Programme for International Student Achievement in terms of ...
Retardation of fatty infiltration in atrophic muscle of genetically dystrophic chickens by diet or exercise.

Treatments designed to reduce accumulation of muscle fat which accompanies atrophy were studied in a line of genetically dystrophic chickens which had been specifically selected for early gross atrophy and rapid accumu lation of fat in the pectoralis muscles. These treatments consisted of: feeding high protein diets, restricting caloric intake, feeding of thyroprotein, and exer cise. While all treatments were successful in retarding lipid accumulation, it could not be completely prevented. These treatments did not appear to influence the rate of atrophy; therefore, lipid accumulation may be modified independent of atrophy. J. Nutr. 101: 453-464, 1971.
Spray drying of drug-swellable dispersant suspensions for preparation of fast-dissolving, high drug-loaded, surfactant-free nanocomposites

Bioavailability of a poorly soluble drug can be improved by preparing a drug nanosuspension and subsequently drying it into nanocomposite microparticles (NCMPs). Unfortunately, drug nanoparticles aggregate during milling and drying, causing incomplete recovery and slow dissolution. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of various classes of dispersants on drug dissolution from drug NCMPs, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs via high drug nanoparticle loaded, surfactant-free NCMPs. Precursor suspensions of griseofulvin (GF, model drug) nanoparticles in the presence of various dispersants were prepared via wet stirred media milling and spray dried to form the NCMPs. Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC, polymer) alone and with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS, surfactant) was used as a base-line stabilizer/dispersant during milling. Two swellable crosslinked polymers, croscarmellose sodium (CCS) and sodium starch glycolate (SSG), and a conventional soluble matrix former, Mannitol, were used in addition to HPC. Besides being used as-received, CCS was also wet co-milled with GF for two different durations to examine the impact of CCS particle size. Laser diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV spectroscopy, NCMP redispersion and dissolution tests were used for characterization. The results show that incorporation of CCS/SSG, preferably wet-milled to a wide particle size distribution, into the spray-dried NCMPs resulted in fast release and dispersion of drug nanoparticle clusters. The swellable dispersants were superior to Mannitol in dissolution enhancement, and could achieve fast release comparable to SDS, demonstrating the feasibility of spray drying to prepare high drug-loaded, surfactant-free nanocomposites.
Palladium mediated intramolecular multiple C-X/C-H cross coupling and C-H activation: synthesis of carbazole alkaloids calothrixin B and murrayaquinone A.

Straightforward palladium mediated syntheses of calothrixin B and murrayaquinone A are described. Regioselective palladium mediated intramolecular multiple C–X/C–H cross coupling reaction on N-(4-((2-bromophenyl)amino)-2,5-dimethoxybenzyl)-N-(2-iodophenyl)acetamide followed by CAN oxidation afforded calothrixin B in excellent yield in two steps. A linear synthesis has also been developed for calothrixin B. Utilizing C–H functionalization as well as palladium mediated intramolecular C–X/C–H cross coupling reaction, murrayaquinone A synthesis was achieved. Overall, these synthetic methodologies provide an expedient entry to these biologically active alkaloids in a short reaction sequence.
Damage Analysis of Creep in Bending

A model of creep behavior is described in which the ratio of creep rate in tension to that in compression depends on stress. It is suggested that the difference in rates is due to preferential microstructural damage formation in tension. Among the consequences of the model are creep-rate/stress exponents in both tension and bending that increase with increasing stress, in accord with evidence reported in the literature.
Ecological impacts of wheat seeding after a Sierra Nevada wildfire

The Highway Fire burned 1680 ha of mixed ponderosa pine–oak–chaparral in the newly created Giant Sequoia National Monument and the adjacent Sequoia National Forest of Fresno County, California in August 2001. The USDA Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) program recommended that portions of the burned forest be seeded with a non-persistent variety of wheat at a density of 157 kg ha–1 (140 lb/ac). The present study compared the vascular plant diversity and cover in seeded and unseeded parts of this burn to evaluate the ecological impact of seeding an alien grass. In the first post-fire growing season, the natural regeneration of unseeded control sites averaged ~55% ground surface covered. Wheat seeding enhanced the ground cover, averaging 95% ground surface cover. Wheat was the dominant species on the seeded sites, comprising 67% of the total cover. Dominance–diversity curves were markedly affected by the seeding and indicated a disruption in the natural ecological structure of these communities. On seeded sites, wheat dominated and all other species were poorly represented whereas, on unseeded control sites, there was a more equitable distribution of species. Correlated with the wheat cover was a significant decrease in species richness at all scales examined. Total species richness was reduced from 152 species across all unseeded sites to 104 species on all seeded sites. Average species richness, at scales from 1 to 1000 m2, was 30–40% lower on seeded sites. Species most strongly inhibited were post-fire endemics whose lifecycle is restricted to immediate post-fire environments. Seeded sites had fewer alien species than unseeded sites; however, this may not have any lasting effect since other studies show the primary alien threat is not in the first post-fire year. Seeding was also associated with an order of magnitude drop in Pinus ponderosa seedling recruitment and, coupled with the massive thatch still remaining on the site, it is likely that recruitment will be inhibited in subsequent years.
Control of electro-rheological fluid-based torque generation components for use in active rehabilitation devices

In this paper we present the design and control algorithms for novel electro-rheological fluid based torque generation elements that will be used to drive the joint of a new type of portable and controllable Active Knee Rehabilitation Orthotic Device (AKROD) for gait retraining in stroke patients. The AKROD is composed of straps and rigid components for attachment to the leg, with a central hinge mechanism where a gear system is connected. The key features of AKROD include: a compact, lightweight design with highly tunable torque capabilities through a variable damper component, full portability with on board power, control circuitry, and sensors (encoder and torque), and real-time capabilities for closed loop computer control for optimizing gait retraining. The variable damper component is achieved through an electro-rheological fluid (ERF) element that connects to the output of the gear system. Using the electrically controlled rheological properties of ERFs, compact brakes capable of supplying high resistive and controllable torques, are developed. A preliminary prototype for AKROD v.2 has been developed and tested in our laboratory. AKROD's v.2 ERF resistive actuator was tested in laboratory experiments using our custom made ERF Testing Apparatus (ETA). ETA provides a computer controlled environment to test ERF brakes and actuators in various conditions and scenarios including emulating the interaction between human muscles involved with the knee and AKROD's ERF actuators / brakes. In our preliminary results, AKROD's ERF resistive actuator was tested in closed loop torque control experiments. A hybrid (non-linear, adaptive) Proportional-Integral (PI) torque controller was implemented to achieve this goal.
Interphotoreceptor matrix-poly(ϵ-caprolactone) composite scaffolds for human photoreceptor differentiation

Tissue engineering has been widely applied in different areas of regenerative medicine, including retinal regeneration. Typically, artificial biopolymers require additional surface modification (e.g. with arginine–glycine–aspartate-containing peptides or adsorption of protein, such as fibronectin), before cell seeding. Here, we describe an alternative approach for scaffold design: the manufacture of hybrid interphotoreceptor matrix-poly (e-caprolactone) scaffolds, in which the insoluble extracellular matrix of the retina is incorporated into a biodegradable polymer well suited for transplantation. The incorporation of interphotoreceptor matrix did not change the topography of polycaprolactone film, although it led to a slight increase in hydrophilic properties (water contact angle measurements). This hybrid scaffold provided sufficient stimuli for human retinal progenitor cell adhesion and inhibited proliferation, leading to differentiation toward photoreceptor cells (expression of Crx, Nrl, rhodopsin, ROM1). This scaffold may be used for transplantation of retinal progenitor cells and their progeny to treat retinal degenerative disorders.
Abstract 592: Rapamycin Increases the Thrombogenic Potential of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs): Potential Mechanism of Prothrombotic Drug-Eluting Stents

Background: Neutrophil leukocytes are considered among the first cellular responders to bacterial host tissue infection. At sites of inflammation, neutrophils can undergo activation, releasing their nuclear content by freeing hydrolases from lysosomes to form microbicidal protein exposing neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs provide a structural framework for pathogen clearance; however, recent studies have demonstrated that NETs may additionally contribute to thrombotic complication including deep vein thrombosis. We have previously demonstrated a critical role for the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway regulating autophagy to promote NETs formation. Second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) containing rapamycin have successfully reduced the rate of restenosis; however, they are associated with thrombotic complications. The mechanism by which mTOR inhibition by rapamycin promotes in-stent thrombosis remains ill-defined. Aims: To determine the role of mTOR regulation during NETs formation to regulate the thrombogenic potential of NETs. Results: Purified human neutrophils were stimulated with N-Formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP) in the presence of rapamycin to induce NETs. We found that NETs bound coagulation factors fibrinogen, prothrombin and FXI in platelet-poor plasma. In an ex vivo model of occlusive thrombus formation, NETs formation accelerated occlusive thrombus formation in recalcified whole blood. Inhibition of activated FXII (FXIIa) with corn trypsin inhibitor or inhibition of FXI activation by FXIIa or factor IX activation by FXIa abrogated the procoagulant activity of NETs. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate a role for the mTOR pathway in the presence of fMLP to regulate the procoagulant activity of NETs, suggesting a possible mechanism by which rapamycin in DESs promotes thrombosis.
Complications of Colorectal Surgery

The complications following specific operations for colorectal disease have been discussed in previous chapters. In this section all the major complications will be summarized.
UPLC–MS/MS assay of 21-aminosteroid (lazaroid U74389G) for application in pharmacokinetic study

Lazaroids are potent inhibitors of lipid peroxidation, both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, a member of the lazaroid family, U-74389G (LAZ) has been shown to have specific radio-protective and anti-proliferative effects. However, there is no quantitative analytical method developed for measuring the therapeutic levels of LAZ for the aforementioned effects. This article highlights the development and validation of a sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method for the quantification of LAZ, and its subsequent application in pharmacokinetic studies in rats with the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 1.95 ng/mL. LAZ and internal standard diadzein (IS) were separated using ACQUITY UPLC(®) BEH C18 column. Gradient elution was used at a flow rate of 0.45 mL/min with mobile phases consisting of 0.1% formic acid in water and 0.1% formic in acetonitrile. LAZ (m/z 612→260) and IS (m/z 255→199) were detected by electrospray ionization (ESI) using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) in a positive mode on QTRAP(®) 5500 System. The UPLC-MS/MS method was validated as per the US FDA Guidelines for Bio-analytical Validation. LAZ was extracted from rat plasma (100 μL) using protein precipitation by acetonitrile with mean recovery and matrix factor in range of 47.7-56.1%, and 85.6-89.4%, respectively. The calibration curve for LAZ was linear in the range of 1.95-250 ng/mL. The inter-day and intra-day accuracy and precision values for LLOQ, low, medium, high and very high concentration QC samples were within ±15%. LAZ was tested under different storage conditions, for short-term bench-top stability (1h and 3h at 25°C), long-term stability (1 month at -80°C), freeze-thaw cycle stability (1 cycle and 3 cycles) and stability of processed samples in auto-sampler (24h at 10°C) with stability values within ±15% range of nominal concentrations. The validated UPLC-MS/MS method was further applied to a pharmacokinetic study in rats after a single intravenous dose of LAZ at 5 mg/kg.
Deep belief nets as function approximators for reinforcement learning

We describe a continuous state/action reinforcement learning method which uses deep belief networks (DBNs) in conjunction with a value function-based reinforcement learning algorithm to learn effective control policies. Our approach is to first learn a model of the state-action space from data in an unsupervised pretraining phase, and then use neural-fitted Q-iteration (NFQ) to learn an accurate value function approximator (analogous to a "fine-tuning" phase when training DBNs for classification). Our experiments suggest that this approach has the potential to significantly increase the efficiency of the learning process in NFQ, provided care is taken to ensure the initial data covers interesting areas of the state-action space, and may be particularly useful in transfer learning settings.
Improving Reliability and Energy Requirements of Memory in Body Sensor Networks

This paper evaluates the impact of different peripheral write assist techniques on the reliability and energy efficiency of Static Random Access Memory (SRAMs) in Body Sensor Networks (BSNs). The results of this characterization show that the best choice for a supply voltage and write assist combination varies based on the system level constraints and objectives. Further, factors outside the accessed cells such as half select stability dictate the optimal assist choice, the extent to which the assist should be applied, and the total array energy. Using data from a thorough study of assist options across VDDs, we establish strategies for supply voltage and assist selection based on system constraints to reduce the array energy. While VDD lowering assist technique provides the lowest array energy per operation of 8.5pJ at 0.5V when write delay is not constrained, negative bit line (NegBL) improves the write speed by 121X at the same voltage with 23pJ of energy.
Effect of cut edge area on the migration of BHT from polypropylene film into a food simulant

Abstract The effect of edge area on the migration of small molecules from polymer films is seldom addressed. This study evaluated the effect of edge area, especially the edge-to-face ratio (E:F), of a polypropylene (PP) film on the migration of butylated hydroxytolune (BHT) from the film into a food simulant. The PP-BHT film was selected as a model system since it had been widely studied. A two-sided contact migration test was performed on PP-BHT films exposed to ethanol at 40 °C. The film samples were divided into two groups: all samples had the same thickness, weight, and face area but each group had a different edge area. The diffusion coefficient of BHT migration was (0.5062 ± 0.0115) × 10 −10 cm 2 s −1 for the PP film samples with less edge area and (0.5319 ± 0.0112) × 10 −10 cm 2 s −1 for the PP film samples with more edge area. The diffusion coefficient for film samples with the edge not in contact with the solvent (to simulate the one-sided contact migration test) was also extrapolated and the result was (0.4920 ± 0.0114) × 10 −10 cm 2 s −1 . The three diffusion coefficient values were not significantly different ( P > 0.05), indicating no obvious effect of the cut edge area on migration. This statement was valid when the ratio of film edge area (E) to face area (F) was small, or below 0.056. However, as E:F increased, a slight increase in diffusion coefficient was observed, which could result in an overestimation of the migration level. Therefore, the E:F should be taken into account in the design of two-sided contact migration tests to minimize the potential impact of the cut edge area.
Lobectomy versus stereotactic body radiotherapy in healthy patients with stage I lung cancer

Abstract Objectives Stereotactic body radiotherapy is an effective treatment for patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer who are not healthy enough to undergo surgery; however, the relative efficacy versus surgery in healthy patients is unknown. The National Cancer Database contains information on patient health and eligibility for surgery, allowing the long-term survival associated with lobectomy and stereotactic body radiotherapy to be compared in healthy patients with clinical stage I disease. Methods The National Cancer Database was queried for patients who underwent lobectomy or stereotactic body radiotherapy for clinical stage I lung cancer between 2008 and 2012. Healthy patients were selected by excluding patients not offered surgery because of health-related reasons and only including patients documented to be free of comorbidities. Results A total of 13,562 comorbidity-free patients with clinical stage I lung cancer treated with lobectomy were compared with 1781 patients treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy. Time-stratified Cox proportional hazards models found lobectomy to be associated with a significantly better outcome than stereotactic body radiotherapy for both T1N0M0 tumors (hazard ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.33-0.43; P P P P = .010). Conclusions Among healthy patients with clinical stage I non–small cell lung cancer in the National Cancer Database, lobectomy is associated with a significantly better outcome than stereotactic body radiotherapy. Further study is warranted to clarify the comparative effectiveness of surgery and stereotactic body radiotherapy across various strata of patient health.
Interactions Between Bruchid (Coleoptera) Feeding Guilds and Behavioral Patterns of Pods of the Leguminosae

Data concerning the life histories of 23 species of leguminous plants and 16 species of bruchids that attacked their seeds were gathered and analyzed. It was found that there are 3 guilds of bruchid beetles that attack legume seeds at different times and different ways; the genera in the guild that oviposits on legume pods are different from the genus that oviposits on seeds; there are 3 patterns of pod dehiscence that correspond to 3 patterns of seed dispersal; the 3 guilds of bruchids do not correspond on a one-to-one basis with the 3 patterns of pod dehiscence but rather all 3 bruchid guilds may attack one species of partially dehiscent legume; and finally that seeds of some species are fed upon by bruchids only after they have fallen to the ground (after dispersal).
Observations on the Biology of Acinopterus angulatus and Aceratagallia curvata in Arizona (Homoptera: Cicadellidae)

Observations on the biology of Acinopterus angulatus Lawson and Aceratagallia curvata Oman were made in the greenhouse between June 1964 and March 1965 at Mesa, Arizona. For angulatus, the period from egg to adult averaged 41.5 days. The production of nymphs averaged 224.3 for once-mated females and 188.1 for multiple-mated females. The greatest number of nymphs produced by a female was 621. Longevity of once-mated females averaged 68.2 days, but females caged continuously with a male lived an average of only 45.2 days. For curvata, the period from egg to adult averaged 31.5 days. The production of nymphs averaged 64.1. The greatest number of nymphs produced by a female was 113. Longevity of females averaged 107.7 days; that of males averaged 121.4. Measurements were made of eggs, nymphal instars, and adults of both species.
More on intangibles: Do stockholders benefit from brand values?

Abstract This paper analyzes the relationship between brand value and short and long-run stock performance. An equally-weighted portfolio of the American non-financial companies recognized by Interbrand as part of the 100 most valuable global brands earned an eleven-day cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) of 0.54% (17.79% annually) and a three-day CARS of 0.31% (37.97% annually) from 2001 through 2012. The four-factor monthly alpha averaged 1.1428% (13.7136% annually) over the risk-free rate and 1.3317% (15.9804% annually) over the S&P 500 index. Regression results show that the companies' brand values and capitalization were significant contributors to CARS. In addition, the average buy-and-hold return for a portfolio with annual rebalancing to include the recognized companies the preceding year was 15.29%. The annually rebalanced portfolio outperformed the industry average by 3.45% and the S&P 500 by 8.99%. All the above mentioned returns were significant at the 1% level. However, the data shows that consumer reaction to brand ranking is positive but not significant.
The contemporary muscular Christian instrument: A scale developed for contemporary sport:

Social scientists have conducted quantitative research investigations since at least the early 1980s. However, to date no valid, reliable and objective survey instrument has been developed for spor...
Current density limits in InP DHBTs: collector current spreading and effective electron velocity

To minimize the dominant delay term in emitter-coupled logic, /spl Delta/V/sub logic/C/sub cb//I/sub c/, HBTs must operate at high current densities. Current density is limited by device thermal failure and by the Kirk effect. We here experimentally determine two key factors influencing the Kirk-effect limit. The collector current spreads laterally away from each side the emitter stripe over a distance /spl Delta/ approximately equal to the collector depletion thickness. This effect substantially increases the achievable current in submicron-emitter HBTs. Further, the variation of the Kirk-effect-limited current density with bias voltage indicates a 3.2(10/sup 5/) m/s effective collector electron velocity, consistent with that extracted from the measured transistor f/sub /spl tau//.
Multicomponent High-Strength Low-Alloy Steel Precipitation-Strengthened by Sub-nanometric Cu Precipitates and M 2 C Carbides

HSLA-115 is a novel high-strength low-alloy structural steel derived from martensitic Cu-bearing HSLA-100. HSLA-100 is typically used in conditions with overaged Cu precipitates, to obtain acceptable impact toughness and ductility. Present work on HSLA-115 demonstrates that incorporating sub-nanometric-sized M2C carbides along with Cu precipitates produces higher strength steels that still meet impact toughness and ductility requirements. Isothermal aging at 823 K (550 °C) precipitates M2C carbides co-located with the Cu precipitates and distributed heterogeneously at lath boundaries and dislocations. 3D atom-probe tomography is used to characterize the evolution of these precipitates at 823 K (550 °C) in terms of mean radii, number densities, and volume fractions. These results are correlated with microhardness, impact toughness, and tensile strength. The optimum combination of mechanical properties, 972 MPa yield strength, 24.8 pct elongation to failure, and 188.0 J impact toughness at 255 K (−18 °C), is attained after 3-hour aging at 823 K (550 °C). Strengthening by M2C precipitates offsets the softening due to overaging of Cu precipitates and tempering of martensitic matrix. It is shown that this extended yield strength plateau can be used as a design principle to optimize strength and toughness at the same time.
Writing Arctic Disaster : Authorship and Exploration

How did the Victorian fixation on the disastrous John Franklin expedition transform our understanding of the Northwest Passage and the Arctic? Today we still tend to see the Arctic and the Northwest Passage through nineteenth-century perspectives, which focused on the discoveries of individual explorers, their illustrated books, visual culture, imperial ambitions, and high-profile disasters. However, the farther back one looks, the more striking the differences appear in how Arctic exploration was envisioned. Writing Arctic Disaster uncovers a wide range of exploration cultures: from the manuscripts of secretive corporations like the Hudson's Bay Company, to the nationalist Admiralty and its innovative illustrated books, to the searches for and exhibits of disaster relics in the Victorian era. This innovative study reveals the dangerous afterlife of this Victorian conflation of exploration and disaster, in the geopolitical significance accruing around the 2014 discovery of Franklin's ship Erebus in the Northwest Passage.
Clinical Disorders of Smell and Taste

Renewed attention to chemosensory dysfunction has revealed that a substantial portion of the population are affected during their lives, many simply as a result of aging. The authors discuss terminology, assessment, etiology, and prognosis and compare current understanding with that presented by Mackenzie in 1884.
Bit synchronizer performance in the presence of signal transition variation

The author addresses the effect on the performance of the DTTL (data transition tracking loop) symbol synchronizer of the signal transition variation due to signal transition density, data asymmetry, and sinusoidal modulation. It is shown that the combination of these factors will indeed affect the DTTL performance, e.g. clock jitter and cycle slippage rate, and that worst-case performance may result if the parameters are not well selected. Typical numerical results are shown. >
Commercial sponge fishery impacts on the population dynamics of sponges in the Florida Keys, FL (USA)

Abstract For more than 100 years, the Florida Keys (USA) have supported a commercial sponge fishery but there is little information about the small artisanal fishery that now exists, which is nonetheless controversial because of concerns about the ecological consequences of sponge harvest. We estimated the harvest of commercial sponges and bycatch (sublegal or non-commercial species), as well as the mortality, growth, and reproduction of commercial sponge species. In heavily fished areas, ∼33% of the legal-sized sponges, ∼3% of the sublegal sponges, and virtually none of the non-commercial species were harvested. Approximately 40% of our study area was never fished during the four month long peak in the fishing season. Self-reporting of harvest by fishers who participated in our study closely matched our fishery-independent estimates. Natural mortality of sublegal-sized sponges was ∼7% of the population/yr, with little difference among species. Discarded “roller” sponges grew at rates comparable to attached sponges and many reattached to the seafloor within 18 mos, although rates of reattachment varied among species. Growth also differed among species and sampling periods (mean = 3 cm dia/yr), and reproductive effort was positively related to sponge size in some species, but not others. Given the careful targeting of commercial sponge species and sizes by fishers and the small fraction of the sponge community that is commercially valuable, harvest is estimated to have minimal impact on the diverse assemblage of sponges in the region.
The ultrastructure of the integument and proventriculus in the raptorial rotifer Cupelopagis vorax (Monogononta: Collothecaceae: Atrochidae)

Members of the sessile rotifer species Cupelopagis vorax are unusual ambush predators that live permanently attached to submerged freshwater plants. Previous light microscopical research has revealed several uncommon features in this species including a stellate‐patterned integument and an expansive foregut region called the proventriculus. In this study, we apply transmission electron microscopy to explore the ultrastructure of both the integument and foregut to determine how they differ from other rotifers. Our results reveal that the integument is covered by a thick glycocalyx and is patterned with tubercles that originate from the intracytoplasmic lamina (ICL) within the syncytial epidermis. The ICL forms an apical layer within the syncytium, is electron dense and mostly amorphous, and forms tubercles up to 2.3 μm; these tubercles probably account for the patterned appearance of the integument and are similar to what has been found in other gnesiotrochan rotifers. The basal cytoplasm is highly granular and contains two types of membrane‐bound vesicles: large ovoid vesicles (320–411 nm) with amorphous, opaque contents, and secretory bulbs (110–264 nm) with electron‐lucent cores and occasionally electron‐dense contents. Only the secretory bulbs were observed to form connections to the apical plasmalemma, and so are probably exocytotic. Internally, the proventriculus is a large distensible sack that connects the anterior pharyngeal tube to the posterior mastax. The proventricular epithelium is a thin syncytium mostly covered with a dense glycocalyx and a strong brush border of microvilli underlain by a thin terminal web. The cytoplasm contains few organelles and there is no evidence that it is either secretory or has features (e.g., ICL) that might aid in maceration. We hypothesize that the thick glycocalyx might serve a protective function against the movements of live prey and/or against enzymes released from the rotifer's gastric glands that become regurgitated during feeding.
Defending constituent ontology

Constituent ontologies maintain that the properties of an object are either parts or something very much like parts of that object. Recently, such a view has been criticized as (i) leading to a bizarre and problematic form of substance dualism and (ii) implying the existence of impossible objects. After briefly presenting constituent and relational ontologies, I respond to both objections, arguing that constituent ontology does not yield either of these two consequences and so is not shown to be an unacceptable ontological framework.
Harnessing Raman spectroimmunoassay for detection of serological breast cancer markers (Conference Presentation)

Two critical, unmet needs in breast cancer are the early detection of cancer metastasis and recurrence, and the sensitive assessment of temporal changes in tumor burden in response to therapy. The present research is directed towards developing a non-invasive, ultrasensitive and specific tool that provides a comprehensive real-time picture of the metastatic tumor burden and provides a radically new route to address these overarching challenges. As the continuing search for better diagnostic and prognostic clues has shifted away from a singular focus on primary tumor lesions, circulating and disseminated biomarkers have surfaced as attractive candidates due to the intrinsic advantages of a non-invasive, repeatable “liquid biopsy” procedure. However, a reproducible, facile blood-based test for diagnosis and follow-up of breast cancer has yet to be incorporated into a clinical laboratory assay due to the limitations of existing assays in terms of sensitivity, extensive sample processing requirements and, importantly, multiplexing capability. Here, by architecting nano-structured probes for detection of specific molecular species, we engineer a novel plasmon-enhanced Raman spectroscopic platform that offers a paradigmatic shift from the capabilities of today’s diagnostic test platforms. Specifically, quantitative single-droplet serum tests reveal ultrasensitive and multiplexed detection of three key breast cancer biomarkers, cancer antigen 15-3 (CA15-3), CA27-29 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), over several order of magnitude range of biomarker concentration and clear segmentation of the sera between normal and metastatic cancer levels.
Scoring of Sleep-Related Breathing Events

Various patterns of respiratory abnormalities characterize specific sleep-disordered breathing syndromes. Scoring rules are relatively rigid approaches to maximize standardization, but result in a trade-off by discarding both clinically and pathophysiologically relevant patterns. Data for scoring are obtained from polysomnography, cardiopulmonary recordings, and therapy devices. In the near future, consumer-wearable devices should be expected to provide respiratory data. Scoring can usefully benefit from automated approaches, which can at least complement manual/visual scoring. Besides quantitative estimates, qualitative approaches can provide phenotyping information and enable more precise therapy, especially by differentiating obstructive diseases from hypoventilation or high loop gain conditions. Several conceptual approaches improve the sophistication of scoring, including recognizing REM/NREM differences, event timing and cycle length, duty cycle and expiratory duration variability, pathological pressure cycling associated with adaptive ventilation, and considering a range of associated features besides conventional arousals to improve quantification of respiratory events.
A Slightly Hypomanic Student

John Michaels (not his real name) was a 27-year-old married male at the time of sampling. He volunteered for the project after hearing a brief description of it in a university abnormal psychology class, where I requested volunteers who felt that “emotions play what you take to be a larger-than-usual role in your life.” John volunteered, explaining that what he meant by being emotional was that he had a very high energy level and was constantly engaged in one activity or another.
Biography, Ephemera, and the Future of Social Media Archiving

Biography is a genre that intertwines history and identity. Modern biographies have relied on interviews to supplement contemporaneous sources of primary material such as letters, literary drafts, and notebooks, usually held in physical special collections acquired and curated by major research libraries. Will the addition of new digital sources such as records repositories, digital libraries, social media, and collections of ephemera change biographical research practices? I use the construction of a subject-driven collection of over 11,750 discrete digital items as a case study to demonstrate how new digital resources can extend the breadth and depth of biographical description, facilitate the rediscovery of a subject's social network, and enable formerly invisible literary influences to be foregrounded. I also explore the implications of the use of ephemera in tandem with other digital resources to ask what we might want to save in the future-including elements of today's social media platforms-and to discuss the trade-offs in making material that was once ephemeral (and difficult to access) so readily available online.
Beneficial Effects of Curcumin on Neurological Disorders

Curcumin, a hydrophobic polyphenol, is the yellow pigment in the Indian spice turmeric (curry powder). It is derived from the rhizome of the herb Curcuma longa (Anand et al. 2008), which belongs to the family Zingiberaceae. Curcumin is a biphenolic compound with hydroxyl groups at the ortho-position on the two aromatic rings that are connected by a β-diketone bridge, containing two double bonds (dienone), which can undergo Michael addition, critical for some of the effects of curcumin (Weber et al. 2006), but contributing to chemical instability in aqueous solution (Pan et al. 1999). Curcumin is also known as diferuloylmethane (bis-α,β-unsaturated β-diketone) that exhibits keto-enol tautomerism, having a predominant keto form in acidic and neutral solutions and a stable enol form in alkaline media. Curcumin resembles ubiquinols in its structure. It is insoluble in water, but is readily soluble in organic solvents such as dimethylsulfoxide, acetone, and ethanol. It is stable at acidic pH but unstable at neutral and basic pH, under which conditions it is degraded to ferulic acid and feruloylmethane (Wang et al. 1997). Most curcumin (>90 %) is rapidly degraded within 30 min of placement in phosphate buffer systems of pH 7.2 (Wang et al. 1997).
Design of a Prototype for a Novel Rehabilitative Device for Hearing Preservation through Feedback and Control

A preliminary design is presented of a prototype for a novel rehabilitative device for hearing preservation through auditory threshold adjusted feedback & control, combining the benefits of emerging technologies of ABR OAE and microcomputer based expert system. There are some audio devices available in the market that can be set to limit the sound output to a lower volume. These devices are not intelligent enough to adapt to physiological responses of individual listeners automatically. The proposed design utilizes the concept of temporary threshold shift to alert the user of unsafe listening conditions. The temporary threshold shift is estimated via conventional psychophysics or electrophysiology, such as ABR or OAE type of monitoring depending on user choice or convenience. Unlike industrial noise dosimeters, the proposed device may be applicable for private home use, especially by music lovers who are at risk of premature hearing damage due to self administered excessively loud and prolonged listening conditions. Basically, it is intended to help individuals manage their own listening condition via continuous monitoring and feedback. As the listener listens to her favorite music, the onboard microcomputer utilizes the ongoing music output itself as the stimulant and monitors various psychophysical or electrophysiological responses via an expert system type analysis to estimate whether the listener is exceeding safe listening conditions. The device features highly compact portability for harsh environments, as may arise in the hands of young users. Two approaches are discussed: one based on microcontrollers and the other based on FPGAs. The simplicity of the user interface ensures that ordinary consumers would be able to use the device with minimal training or practice. The design is currently at conceptual level only. Further evaluations, especially sensitivity, specificity and safety aspects, are needed before actual application.
New technology in unionized firms? Advantages of mandatory bargaining

U.S. Labor Law currently allows employers whose work forces are unionized to introduce new technologies without bargaining over the decision to do so. This forces unions to adopt inefficient strategies when negotiating collective bargaining agreements in an effort to minimize the impact of technological change on their members. Allowing unions to bargain over the decision to introduce new technologies would obviate their having to resort to these inefficient strategies. In addition, it might increase the likelihood of employees suggesting alterations in production processes that would increase the rate of technological change. For these reasons, this article advocates amending U.S. labor law to require employers to bargain over the introduction of new technologies.
Prediction of Unit Price Bids of Resurfacing Highway Projects through Ensemble Machine Learning

AbstractResurfacing is one of the most common highway projects in Georgia and constitutes a large portion of the state’s highway investment every year. The value of the unit price bid is one of the...
RecSmart: Data Augmentation to Facilitate Recommendation Using Skewed and Sparse Data of Restaurant Loyalty Programs

A good reward recommender system can effectively help retain customer by recommending personalized rewards. To provide accurate recommendation, the recommender needs to accurately predict a customer’s preference, an ability difficult to acquire. Conventional data mining techniques, such as association rule mining and collaborative filtering can generally be applied to this problem, but rarely produce satisfying results due to the skewness and sparsity of transaction data. In this paper, we describe a Recommender System built for a marketing company running Restaurant Loyalty Programs, the challenges we faced with the reward-response data and how we augmented the data to mitigate the challenges. We learnt that a collaborative filtering method based on ratings (e.g., GroupLens) to perform personalized reward recommendation is not sufficient. Instead, data augmentation can be more effective in handling skewness and sparsity of data.
Role of Doppler echocardiography for assessing right ventricular cardiac output in patients with atrial septal defect.

Although Doppler echocardiography is routinely used to assess left ventricle cardiac output, there is limited data regarding the feasibility of Doppler echocardiography for right ventricular (RV) cardiac output assessment in patients with left-to-right shunts. The purpose of the study was to
The Impossibility of Egoism

It was earlier thought that morality needs to defend itself against the psychological egoist, but in recent times it has been realized that morality doesn’t have to bolster itself by showing that it pays to be moral. Moreover, it turns out that psychological egoism is a much narrower phenomenon than has been recognized. The desire for the esteem or love of others is not egoistic because it places so much intrinsic importance on other people. Analogous points hold for curiosity and the desire for mastery. Even common appetites for food and sex have non-egoistic elements that Bishop Butler was the first to point out. When we are sexually attracted, it is not the greater pleasure we can get from someone that attracts us to their looks; rather, we get greater pleasure from them because of the way we value their looks. No possible person could be fully egoistic, and no philosophical argument could ever change egoistic motivation into something different.
NSAID Therapy for PIK3CA-Altered Colorectal, Breast, and Head and Neck Cancer

Epidemiologic evidence indicates that regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) provides a protective effect against the development of colorectal, breast, and head and neck cancers. Genomic characterization of these cancers has lent considerable insight into the subpopulations of cancer patients who are most likely to benefit from NSAID therapy. The PIK3CA gene encodes the catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and is among the most frequently mutated genes in solid tumor malignancies. Cancer-associated mutations in PIK3CA promote signaling via the PI3K pathway and stimulate tumor cell growth. In addition, activation of the PI3K pathway leads to induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme and production of immunosuppressive prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Notably, in both colorectal cancer and head and neck cancer the subpopulation of patients that benefit from NSAID use is restricted to those whose tumors exhibit PIK3CA genomic alterations. Preclinical studies, particularly in models of head and neck cancer, support the hypothesis that the chemopreventive impact of NSAIDs may be due, in part, to inhibition of COX-2 and reduction of PGE2 levels in the tumor microenvironment.
On an Unpublished Introduction to Gravity's Rainbow

The Fall 1995 catalogue of the publisher Alfred A. Knopf included the following item (at the foot of page 73) in its list of new titles in the Everyman's Library series.
Ketone Synthesis from Benzyldiboronates and Esters: Leveraging α-Boryl Carbanions for Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation.

An alkoxide-promoted method for the synthesis of ketones from readily available esters and benzyldiboronates is described. The synthetic method is compatible with a host of sterically differentiate...
Leveraging Circuit Reliability Effects for Designing Robust and Secure Physical Unclonable Functions

Reliability mechanisms are undesirable from a product lifetime point of view, but their unique characteristics enable novel applications such as one-time-programmable memory, secure chip odometers, and physical unclonable functions (PUFs). In this invited paper, we will discuss how reliability mechanisms can be leveraged for the aforementioned applications, and then introduce a novel SRAM PUF design where the power up state of the SRAM cell is programmed into a local metal fuse using the electromigration phenomenon for improved stability.
Teacher perceptions of facilitators and barriers to implementing classroom physical activity breaks

Physical activity plays an important role in childhood development and is associated with positive health, social, emotional, and academic benefits. Despite this, children are often sedentary for m...
Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) was first conceptualized based on observations of otherwise healthy relatives of patients with schizophrenia. Genetic and familial studies, along with molecular studies that have identified several candidate genes, provide evidence of a phenotypic association between SPD and schizophrenia. Persons with SPD are noted to have odd, stereotyped behaviors; suspiciousness; difficulty relating to others; lack of empathy; and magical thinking. Cognitive impairments and neural abnormalities are evident in these individuals as well; neuropsychological, psychophysiological, and neuroimaging findings suggest a pattern of functioning that is intermediate between those of persons with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Although SPD is a chronic disorder that affects social and occupational functioning, psychiatric hospitalizations are rare, and antipsychotic treatments are seldom needed. A focus of treatment is to address cognitive deficits in SPD using dopamine agonists. Further work is needed to understand the genetic, biological, and clinical lines between SPD and other schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Keywords: cognition; personality disorders; psychiatry; schizophrenia spectrum; schizotypy
The Impact of V2G Location on Energy Loss Reduction

The entry of V2G (Vehicle to Grid) into the distribution system has resulted in several utility and environmental benefits. However, improved utility benefits can only be achieved if proper utility studies are done to investigate how V2G impacts the distribution system performance. In this paper, the impact of V2G location on energy loss in a feeder line segment is investigated. The results show that the point of placement or location of V2G units in a feeder line significantly impacts the energy loss reduction profile of the line segment. This research offers an invaluable resource to utility stakeholders and operators.