cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inactivation of bladder tumor cells and enzymes by methylene blue plus light

Using a cystoscopic light source and methylene blue as the sensitizing dye, photoactivation was examined in two types of experiments. In the first, the in vitro study destruction of two enzymes (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and lactic dehydrogenase) was examined in suspensions of whole and homogenized tumor cells from a transplantable bladder tumor. In the second or in vivo study rats were used to demonstrate that tumor cell suspensions treated with methylene blue plus light, when inoculated into susceptible rats, failed to "take" and produce new tumors. These experiments suggest a possible therapeutic use in treatment of human bladder tumors, though further study would be required.
Quantitative multicomponent spectral analysis using neural networks.

Recent developments in dye chemistry and modern optics have made simultaneous measurement of multiple intracellular ion species possible1. Analysis of optical spectra from intact tissues is complicated because of the presence of multiple components. Quan­titative descriptions of these components are required to apply these techniques to analyti­cal chemistry and cellular physiology. Ratio methods2 have been applied to many areas of quantitative optical signal measurement because the quantitative data is independent of dye concentration, path length and light source intensity. However, it is known that the ratio method can give erroneous results3 without special attention to the choice of the op­timal wavelengths for these methods. Full spectra carry all the information needed for qualitative and quantitative analysis. Methods like principal component regression (PCR) and partial least-squares (PLS), which have been used for full spectra calibration in most chemometrics literature4,5, or multicomponent stripping for image applications 6,7,8 need heavy computation times to perform their optimization processes.
NOTE ON SHORT TERM STORAGE OF INFORMATION IN VISION.

A revaluation of the short term memory experiments of Averbach and Sperling furnishes evidence that the memory read-out is linear.
Informing pediatric vaccine procurement policy via the pediatric formulary design, pricing, and production problem

ABSTRACTThis research improves upon the monopsonist vaccine formulary design problem in the literature by incorporating several modeling enhancements and applying different methodologies to efficiently obtain solutions and derive insights. Our multi-objective formulation seeks to minimize the overall price to immunize a cohort of children, maximize the net profit shared among pediatric vaccine manufacturers, and minimize the average number of injections per child among the prescribed formularies. Accounting for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, we restrict vaccines utilized against a given disease within a given formulary to those produced by a single manufacturer. We also account for a circumstance in which one manufacturer's vaccine has a greater relative efficacy. For the resulting nonconvex mixed-integer nonlinear program, we bound the second and third objectives using optimal formulary designs for current public sector prices and utilize the ϵ -constraint method to solve an...
Overqualified: Changing the Culture of Hiring Practices in a Public Library Special Collections Department

ABSTRACTAll too often, applicants for low level paraprofessional positions in libraries are passed over or rejected, not because they are not qualified, but because they have professional experience or advanced degrees. The rationale behind these decisions is that the overqualified staff member in a low level position will continue to look for a better position more aligned with their skills, experience, and education; and when they find another job they will leave and their positions will have to be filled again. This essay argues that this reasoning is flawed and, regardless of the perceived inconvenience, library managers and administrators should want the best and the brightest working in all levels of their library.
Collaborative detection of Covert Storage Channels

This paper describes a new collaborative approach to detect two different types of Covert Storage Channels (CSCs) that utilize TCP flag and packet sequence number in network packets. Tested in Software-defined networking (SDN), a multistage detection mechanism coordinates monitors, correlators and SDN controllers to first quickly alert traffic anomalies, then to conduct on demand selective deep-inspection of network packets to reduce false alerts, and finally to reveal CSCs and conspirators as needed. SDN provides a test-bed of novel network configuration and applications to make it easier to access and inspect network traffic and manages the network in a flexible and dynamic fashion. The paper presents results from our experimentation of this approach on Mininet, an SDN simulation environment.
Close relationship qualities and maternal peripheral inflammation during pregnancy

Abstract Objective Close relationships are associated with pregnancy outcomes, but little is known about the mechanisms involved. This paper examines whether quality of women’s close relationships, specifically with romantic partner (RP) and closest friend or family member (CF), is associated with inflammatory biomarkers during the third trimester of pregnancy. Methods 90 pregnant women were assessed during the second and third trimester. At both visits they completed self-reports describing the positive and negative aspects of their RP and CF relationships. Peripheral blood was collected during these visits, and used to measure systemic levels of cytokines, including IFNγ, IL10, IL6, IL8 and IL13. An index of inflammatory regulation, as reflected by the ratio of IL6:IL10, was also computed. Results Positive (e.g. support, intimacy) and negative (e.g. conflict) aspects of the RP relationship interacted to predict third trimester cytokine values. Specifically, RP relationships relatively low in both positive and negative aspects were associated with lower third trimester anti-inflammatory (IL10, IL13) and anti-viral (IFNγ) cytokines, and a higher IL6:IL10 ratio, controlling for second trimester levels. These associations were independent of demographics, gestational age, weeks between assessment, parity, pre-pregnancy body mass index, maternal stress, distress, depressed mood and RP cohabitation. CF relationship aspects were not associated with inflammatory markers. Conclusions RP relationships relatively low in both positive, e.g. support and intimacy, and negative, e.g. conflict, aspects were associated with a less anti- and more pro-inflammatory cytokine profile during the third trimester. These findings have implications for understanding the associations amongst close relationships, inflammation, and potentially pregnancy outcomes.
CONGENITAL HEART SURGERY IN PATIENTS WITH TRISOMY 13 ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER IN-HOSPITAL MORTALITY

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) occurs in about 80% of patients with Trisomy 13 (T13), but surgical repair has not been offered to these patients in most centers because of low median survival. Data on congenital heart surgery (CHS) for T13 are lacking. Methods: Nationally distributed
Polytetrafluoroethylene or Acellular Dermal Matrix for Diaphragmatic Reconstruction

Background We aimed to evaluate the impact of collagen matrix in the reconstruction of the diaphragm. Methods We queried the electronic medical record for patients who had resection of the diaphragm and simultaneous pulmonary resection between 1999 and 2016. All reconstructions were performed with either polytetrafluoroethylene or acellular dermal matrix. We evaluated the rate of empyema and herniation in each group. Results A total of 208 patients met inclusion criteria. Polytetrafluoroethylene was used in 168 cases (80.8%) and dermal matrix in 40 cases (19.2%). Dermal matrix was used in 8 extrapleural pneumonectomies (5.4%), in 26 pleurectomy decortications (55.3%), and in 6 other types of resections (40%). Follow-ups were for a median of 15.0 months in the polytetrafluoroethylene group and 11.6 months in the dermal matrix group. Patients in the dermal matrix group had a chest tube for a median of 2.5 days longer than patients with polytetrafluoroethylene ( p = 0.006). Empyema occurred in 11 polytetrafluoroethylene reconstructions (6.5%) and 3 dermal matrix reconstructions (7.5%) ( p = 0.735). Seven patients (63.6%) with polytetrafluoroethylene infection required removal of the graft, whereas none in the dermal matrix group needed removal ( p = 0.351). There were nine herniations in the polytetrafluoroethylene group and four in the dermal matrix group ( p = 0.281), all were acute and due to anchorage failure. Conclusions Although infection rates were similar between polytetrafluoroethylene and acellular dermal matrix, re-operation for removal was not necessary in the latter. The use of a thick acellular dermal matrix may be a reasonable option when diaphragmatic reconstruction is potentially associated with a higher risk of infection.
Role of IL-17 during Helicobacter pylori infection (MPF2P.750)

Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium found in the gastric microbiota of a large percentage of the world’s population. H. pylori colonization results in mild inflammation in all patients, however some patients go on to develop peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. An effective adaptive immune response, which involves a mixed T helper (Th)1, Th17 and Treg response, is essential to minimize colonization but is also responsible for the increased inflammation. Th17 cells, which produce IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21 and IL-22, are believed to be one of the driving immune cells in response to H. pylori infection. The purpose of our study was to investigate the differential roles of IL-17A, IL-17F, and IL-17A/F in controlling H. pylori colonization and H. pylori -induced gastritis. To this end, IL-17A, IL-17F, and IL-17A/F deficient mice were infected with H. pylori strain PMSS1. After 3 months of infection, the ability of wild-type mice and cytokine deficient mice to control colonization and activate T and B cell responses was assessed. Analyses included measurement of pro-inflammatory cytokines, antibody production, inflammation, and colonization. The pathology suggests that any deficiency of IL-17 leads to increased inflammation and increased cytokine production by other types T helper cells. Although inflammation is beneficial in keeping a low bacterial burden, increased inflammation during IL-17 deficiency may be a key factor in the adverse outcomes of some patients.
Fault index current estimation and analysis for fault diagnostics in IPMSM under inter-turn short circuits

This paper proposes an analysis of a fault index signal for internal permanent magnet synchronous machines (IPMSM) under inter-turn short circuits (ISC). Research has proven that the dynamic model of an electrical motor under ISC can be modeled as a healthy machine affected by a disturbance current representing the effect of the ISC. This current is equal to the product of the shorted turns ratio and the current flowing in the failure path. This signal has been used extensively for fault diagnostics. Having an understanding of how this fault index current affects the model of the IPMSM allows generating observer-based techniques to extract information of the fault index current and flux linkage estimation. A dynamic model for an IPMSM under ISC in combination with a fault index current observer is implemented in Matlab/Simulink; this model is validated with finite element analysis. The fault index current and sequence components analysis is studied to match previous work from other research. This work aims to accomplish two goals. The first is to show the observer-based estimation being effective in estimating ISC condition for several phases simultaneously and improve torque performance. The second, provide insight into the fault index current for diagnostics and show it as a generalized version of sequence component analysis. These goals produce better diagnostics and improve the control of the motor under ISC.
Religion Is Kid’s Stuff: Minimally Counterintuitive Concepts Are Better Remembered by Young People

When it comes to explaining the recurrence of cultural forms, group-level naturalness is more important than individual-level naturalness. Building upon Pascal Boyer’s account for the group-level naturalness of religious ideas, Justin Gregory and colleagues provide, in a series of articles, new evidence that slightly or “minimally” counterintuitive concepts are better remembered than fully intuitive ones, but only in young people. Further, adolescents and young adults are more likely to generate ideas that feature minimally counterintuitive concepts. These developmental effects held for both Chinese and British samples. The relative ease of generating and remembering counterintuitive concepts in youth may contribute to the capacity of certain religious ideas, particularly ideas about intentional agents with a counterintuitive tweak or two that makes them inferentially rich, to take hold in a group and become cultural ideas (i.e., ideas that are mentally represented in similar form by the majority of individuals in a group).
Exploring the Links of Contemporary Art and Anthropology: Archiving Epistemologies

AbstractThe ethnographic turn and sensory ethnography have become the impetus to re-examine anthropology as a discipline, its boundaries, and its epistemologies. Recent work has drawn attention to ...
The Rationality and Emotion of Russian Historical Memory: The Case of Crimea

This chapter explores Russian state motivation in the annexation of Crimea, emphasizing historical memory. It examines the public case of Russian President Putin to the Duma in detail. It examines whether the speech to justify the annexation was a merely example of public diplomacy or as the actual motivation for the aggression. In the former, it fits a Russian conception of international law as rights held by nations to protect its population by forming new nations or realizing irredentist claims. In the latter, the need to correct historical injustices driven by emotional responses to crisis through the lens of memory explains the Russian annexation. Through this contrast, it illuminates rationalist and emotionalist perspectives on explaining Russian foreign policy in this crisis.
Evolving supply chains and local freight flows: a geographic information system analysis of Minnesota cereal grain movement.

In Minnesota, technological and economic shifts in the grain supply chain have altered the way grain producers and sellers navigate their local freight network. In particular, many producers have b...
Regulating Guns Through Litigation

In this chapter of "Suing the Firearms Industry" (T. Lytton, ed., U. of Michigan Press, 2004), I conduct a comparative institutional analysis of the regulatory competence of courts and legislatures/agencies in reducing the risks of gun-related violence. Needless to say, the gun control movement is reluctant to forswear litigation about gun risks in favor of legislative and administrative regulation. After all, they have already tried and failed in their political pursuit of the latter. Nor is it necessarily true that regulation and litigation are mutually exclusive. In this paper, I take the perspective of an Olympian designer of an optimal regime for controlling gun-related risks, one who compares the litigation option as it now exists to the regulatory option that would become viable were the gun control movement to achieve greater political success in the future. After discussing the logic of institutional comparison, I propose six analytic criteria for the comparison, each of which pertains to the institutions' propensity to develop and implement sound gun control policies. In order for an institution to make and implement policy effectively, it must (1) generate the technocratic information needed for gun-related policymaking; (2) generate the political information needed to frame an acceptable policy; (3) mobilize the array of different policy instruments necessary to establish and implement the policy; (4) promote social learning (short feedback loops) and flexible adaptation to new conditions; (5) generate predictable rules; and (6) secure and sustain the policy's legitimacy. After elaborating and applying these criteria to the problem of gun-related violence, the analysis finds that risk regulators are far better equipped than judges to address and manage the problem. In a brief conclusion, I argue that existing and proposed laws to keep guns out of the hands of those who should not have them - a "Brady-plus" approach - are unlikely to succeed. A more promising approach is technological in nature - making guns safer (although relatively few gun-related injuries are inflicted on or by careless, innocent users) and more easily traceable to those who fire them. An even more promising approach is the use of surveillance technology to enable the police to detect guns in public spaces and at safe distances while obviating the need for making dangerous, discriminatory, and intrusive stop-and-frisks of individuals without probable cause for suspicion. This would vastly increase the ability of police officers safely and effectively to disarm people who have no legal right to carry weapons. If it is to be deployed, however, it must safeguard individual privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment. My guess (and it is only a guess) is that the vast majority of Americans will view the use of a reliable surveillance technology limited to concealed guns in public spaces and subject to strict legal controls against unwarranted profiling and intrusion as constituting a reasonable search, one whose crime- and violence-reduction benefits would more than justify the small invasion of privacy entailed.
YBX2 Dysregulation is a Potential Cause for Late Maturation Arrest in Men with Non-Obstructive Azoospermia

Introduction: YBX2 protein binds to Y-box promotors and to mRNAs in the cytoplasm of pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids in rodents. Knock-out of YBX2 leads to maturation arrest in animal models. YBX2 binds PRM1 and 2 mRNA, which is transcribed early and sequestrated for translation during late spermatogenesis. Objective: This study aimed to determine if the loss of YBX2 is associated with MA arrest due to the loss of sequestration of protamines in the human testis. As a second aim, we examined the expression of YBX2, and its transcription factors in maturation arrest (MA)(early and late) and normal controls in men. Methods: RNAseq was performed using RNA extracted from human testis samples from 44 men with non-obstructive azoospermia and ten from healthy controls. Differential expression was performed using JMPgenomics, FDR<0.001. FANTOM5 was used to predict enhancers and inhibitors of YBX2 expression. Immunofluorescence (IF) was used to stain testis tissue sections with antibodies against YBX2, SYCP3, and PRM2 in normal and MA samples. Flow cytometry was utilized to characterize YBX2 positive cells. Results: Expression of YBX2 mRNA was significantly downregulated in early and late MA compared to controls. Surprisingly, PRM1&2 mRNAs were also depleted in men with MA. Multifactorial regression analysis demonstrated a decrease in YBX2 expression in MA is due to decrease in COMP levels (p<0.0001). IF localized YBX2 protein in spermatocytes and round spermatids among fertile men, with rare YBX2 positive spermatocytes stained in LMA. PRM1&2 proteins were absent or abnormally sequestrated within spermatocytes. Conclusions: Decrease in YBX2 protein expression in men with LMA leads to loss of translational suppression and lack of PRM1 and PRM2 necessary to complete spermatogenesis.
Two Vaccines for Staphylococcus aureus Induce a B-Cell-Mediated Immune Response.

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus causes severe disease in humans for which no licensed vaccine exists. A novel S. aureus vaccine (SA4Ag) is in development, targeting the capsular polysaccharides (CPs) and two virulence-associated surface proteins. Vaccine-elicited antibody responses to CPs are efficacious against serious infection by other encapsulated bacteria. Studies of natural S. aureus infection have also shown a role for TH17 and/or TH1 responses in protection. Single-antigen vaccines, including CPs, have not been effective against S. aureus; a multiantigen vaccine approach is likely required. However, the impact of addition of protein antigens on the immune response to CPs has not been studied. Here, the immune response induced by a bivalent CP conjugate vaccine (to model the established mechanism of action of vaccine-induced protection against Gram-positive pathogens) was compared to the response induced by SA4Ag, which contains both CP conjugates and protein antigens, in cynomolgus macaques. Microengraving, flow cytometry, opsonophagocytic assays, and Luminex technology were used to analyze the B-cell, T-cell, functional antibody, and innate immune responses. Both the bivalent CP vaccine and SA4Ag induced cytokine production from naive cells and antigen-specific memory B-cell and functional antibody responses. Increases in levels of circulating, activated T cells were not apparent following vaccination, nor was a TH17 or TH1 response evident. However, our data are consistent with a vaccine-induced recruitment of T follicular helper (TFH) cells to lymph nodes. Collectively, these data suggest that the response to SA4Ag is primarily mediated by B cells and antibodies that abrogate important S. aureus virulence mechanisms. IMPORTANCEStaphylococcus aureus causes severe disease in humans for which no licensed vaccine exists. A novel vaccine is in development that targets multiple elements of the bacteria since single-component vaccines have not shown efficacy to date. How these multiple components alter the immune response raised by the vaccine is not well studied. We found that the addition of two protein components did not alter substantially the antibody responses raised with respect to function or mobilization of B cells. There was also not a substantial change in the activity of T cells, another part of the adaptive response. This study showed that protection by this vaccine may be mediated primarily by antibody protection.
A Case Study of User Experience on Hand-Gesture Video Games

As motion capture systems become reliable and affordable, hand gestures can be identified in real-time and used in video games as alternative game controls. However, there is not enough studies about user experience using gesture input modality for games. In this work, we perform a case study of hand-gesture video games. We try to answer the question “Do players have a delightful experience when they interact with the game using hand gestures?”. We map intuitive hand gestures to commands and use them to control the movement of game characters. We perform a user study based on User Experience Questionnaires (UEQ). In comparing to all interactive products registered in UEQ study database, our gesture control interface scores in the top 1% range showing that gesture based gaming can provide a high level of user satisfaction.
Diagnosis of Placental Position by Early First-Trimester Ultrasound: A Pilot Study:

Objective:Conventional wisdom is that placental location cannot be identified before 8 weeks’ gestation when the placenta first becomes hyperechogenic on ultrasound. We sought to evaluate whether p...
Ireland Turns Its Back on History

In 2018, the Republic of Ireland abolished history as a required subject in its public secondary schools. What are the consequences for Ireland of this decision, especially in light of the importance of history to Irish self-understanding and national development? What are the implications of such policies beyond Ireland, including in the United States? This article discusses the somber prospects of “forgetting the past” as it addresses these questions.
The use and role of flywheel energy storage systems

Flywheels, in short, are machines that store kinetic energy in a rotating mass. The flywheel operates via a “flywheel effect”whereby its rotation is maintained via its own inertia [1]. Although ancient science did not understand the mechanics of flywheels, ancient engineers were able to develop spindle whorls (by 6000 BC) and potter's wheels (by 3000 BC) which both used their own inertia to maintain motion [1]. Work on flywheels gradually expanded until the industrial revolution, whereby they were incorporated into engine design to smooth rotations and damp vibrations [1-3]. Early uses of flywheels in electrical systems included regulation of power generation systems [4] and damping vibrations [2, 3]; roles they continue in today [5]. However, flywheels have seen additional use as a form of battery and interest is increasing in this use as material developments are made.
LATS1/2 suppress NFκB and aberrant EMT initiation to permit pancreatic progenitor differentiation

The Hippo pathway directs cell differentiation during organogenesis, in part by restricting proliferation. How Hippo signaling maintains a proliferation-differentiation balance in developing tissues via distinct molecular targets is only beginning to be understood. Our study makes the unexpected finding that Hippo suppresses nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NFκB) signaling in pancreatic progenitors to permit cell differentiation and epithelial morphogenesis. We find that pancreas-specific deletion of the large tumor suppressor kinases 1 and 2 (Lats1/2PanKO) from mouse progenitor epithelia results in failure to differentiate key pancreatic lineages: acinar, ductal, and endocrine. We carried out an unbiased transcriptome analysis to query differentiation defects in Lats1/2PanKO. This analysis revealed increased expression of NFκB activators, including the pantetheinase vanin1 (Vnn1). Using in vivo and ex vivo studies, we show that VNN1 activates a detrimental cascade of processes in Lats1/2PanKO epithelium, including (1) NFκB activation and (2) aberrant initiation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which together disrupt normal differentiation. We show that exogenous stimulation of VNN1 or NFκB can trigger this cascade in wild-type (WT) pancreatic progenitors. These findings reveal an unexpected requirement for active suppression of NFκB by LATS1/2 during pancreas development, which restrains a cell-autonomous deleterious transcriptional program and thereby allows epithelial differentiation.
Generative games as storytelling partners

Gameplay involving player creativity can be both satisfying for players and enticing for designers to pursue, but understanding of how to design deliberately for player creativity remains limited. In this paper, we propose that a class of features previously identified as common elements of "gardening games"---including generativity, limited player control, and "incrementality" or "idleness"---are also particularly conducive to player creativity. By analyzing narrative artifacts created by players as retellings of their play experiences in games that implement these features, we highlight how these features enable players to overcome specific barriers to creativity. Based on this analysis, we then offer concrete suggestions to game designers who want to facilitate player creativity and propose ways that the design patterns discussed here might be extended to further support creative activity by players.
Early Bortezomib Therapy for Refractory Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis

Introduction: Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor encephalitis is an increasingly recognized form of immune-mediated encephalitis. Here we present a case that represents the shortest hospitalization-to-bortezomib treatment timeline (42 days), and we believe that this is reflected in the patient's outcome with complete independence within a short timeframe. Case Report: We describe a case of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in an 18-year-old African American female presenting with progressive, medically refractory disease. Despite two rounds of high-dose intravenous steroids, plasma exchange, immunoglobulin administration, and rituximab for B-cell depletion, the patient failed to respond by hospital day 42 and received off-label use of the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib. During the 15 days after the bortezomib administration, the patient showed dramatic neurologic recovery that allowed her transfer out of the intensive care unit. At follow-up after 1-month, the patient reported feeling normal cognitively and showed dramatic improvement in cognitive scores. Conclusion: This case and literature review provide preliminary evidence that early treatment of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib appears safe and tolerable. However, randomized trials are needed to show the efficacy and the long-term benefit.
An Islamic Version of the Iceland Plan for Monetary Reform

The perils of private bank creation of money using the fractional reserve system were discovered by many economists in the aftermath of the Great Depression. They formulated the “Chicago Plan” for 100% reserve banking which would give the state exclusive power to create money. Strict regulations on banking obviated the need for the Chicago Plan for fifty years. Financial de-regulation in the 1980’s led to the re-discovery of the same set of problems following the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. As a result, the Iceland government has formulated an updated version of the Chicago Plan, centering on state created Sovereign money to replace money creation by private banks. The Iceland Plan does not discuss the root cause of the problems, which is the interest based financial system. The goal of this paper is to present an extension of the Iceland plan and discuss several dimensions of coordinated changes required to bring the financial system in conformity with Islamic principles.
A study of corrosion on electrodeposited superhydrophobic copper surfaces

Abstract This study considers the corrosion characteristics of superhydrophobic copper surfaces with multiscale asperities formed inherently on a copper substrate, using a facile, low energy, electrodepostion method. A systematic study is presented for the first time on the effect of surface functionalization time on long-term immersion in a wide range of corrosive environments from the extremely acidic to the extremely alkaline. The corrosion resistance is also reported for the first time as a function of temperature in the range 23–85 °C. The superhydrophobic surfaces are shown to enhance corrosion resistance by up to four orders of magnitude compared to bare copper.
Challenges in Assessing the Precision of High Strain Rate Testing for UHPC

High strain rate testing of UHPC is commonly performed using the split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). Past SHPB testing has shown considerable scatter in the dynamic strengths achieved. To determine how much of this variation is due to the material, and how much is introduced by the SHPB, a Gage R&R study was performed. If a significant amount of variation is introduced by the SHPB itself, that raises questions about the value of using or making comparisons with data collected with the SHPB. Applying Gage R&R to a destructive measurement technique presents several challenges because repeat measurements are not possible. The use of alternate study setups was considered. However, it is inevitable that some material variance will be attributed to the measuring system. The Gage R&R will therefore give an upper bound on the measurement error. Gage R&R analysis was also applied to data from wood and normal strength concrete tests on the same SHPB instrument. By using materials with reduced variability, a more realistic estimate of measurement error was obtained.
The Supreme Court, Ideology, and the Decision to Cite or Borrow from Amicus Curiae Briefs:

Scholars have sought to understand the dual characterization of Supreme Court justices as both legal and political actors. One way to further uncover this complexity is to assess how the justices e...
Integrative Framing Analysis: Framing Health through Words and Visuals

Broadly speaking, media framing refers to the way people perceive, organize, and make sense of events taking place around them and issues that affect their daily lives (Reese, 2001). In the last 20...
Emergent Craniotomy for Evacuation of Epidural Hematoma

A case of a patient requiring emergent craniotomy for epidural hematoma evacuation following a motor vehicle accident is presented. Following surgical evacuation of the hematoma and multiple maneuvers to manage increased intracranial pressure, the patient developed severe cerebral edema on postoperative day #1 and was found to have absence of flow and cerebral uptake on radionuclide angiogram. The Glasgow Coma Scale is presented and clinical uses are discussed. Cerebral perfusion pressure is defined and the importance of cerebral vascular autoregulation is highlighted. The relationship of cerebral blood flow to PaCO2 and temperature are reviewed. Since the cranial vault is a rigid structure, increases in the volume of one component must be compensated by the decrease in volume of other components, which ultimately leads to brain tissue herniation after all compensatory mechanisms are exhausted. Lastly key maneuvers to manage increased intracranial pressure are summarized.
Toward stem cell-based phenotypic screens for neurodegenerative diseases

In the absence of a single preventive or disease-modifying strategy, neurodegenerative diseases are becoming increasingly prevalent in our ageing population. The mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration are poorly understood, making the target-based drug screening strategies that are employed by the pharmaceutical industry fraught with difficulty. However, phenotypic screening in neurons and glia derived from patients is now conceivable through unprecedented developments in reprogramming, transdifferentiation, and genome editing. We outline progress in this nascent field, but also consider the formidable hurdles to identifying robust, disease-relevant and screenable cellular phenotypes in patient-derived cells. We illustrate how analysis in the simple baker's yeast cell Saccharaomyces cerevisiae is driving discovery in patient-derived neurons, and how approaches in this model organism can establish a paradigm to guide the development of stem cell-based phenotypic screens.
An improved 2d colonic polyp segmentation framework based on gradient vector flow deformable model

Computed Tomography Colonography has been proved to be a valid technique for detecting and screening colorectal cancers. In this paper, we present a framework for colonic polyp detection and segmentation. Firstly, we propose to use four different geometric features for colonic polyp detection, which include shape index, curvedness, sphericity ratio and the absolute value of inner product of maximum principal curvature and gradient vector flow. Then, we use the bias-corrected fuzzy c-mean algorithm and gradient vector flow based deformable model for colonic polyp segmentation. Finally, we measure the overlap between the manual segmentation and the algorithm segmentation to test the accuracy of our frame work. The quantitative experiment results have shown that the average overlap is 85.17%±3.67%.
Design of a wideband 140 GHz, 1 kW gyro-amplifier

The design and simulation results for a 140 GHz, 1 kW gyro-amplifier are presented. A bandwidth of over 1 GHz is required at a saturated gain of 50 dB. The operating mode will be the TE(0,2) mode and distributed loss is employed to stabilize the circuit. The amplifier is capable of amplifying short pulses on the nanosecond scale.
Use of the CO I Gene as a Species Indicator for Forensically Important Flies: A Forensic Entomology Laboratory Exercise

Forensic entomologists utilize insects (particularly flies) to establish the time interval between death and body discovery. This important piece of information may answer questions as to the circumstances of the individual's death and insects are now routinely utilized and recognized as being important forensic indicators. Of extreme importance is the correct identification of the fly species associated with the body, as misidentifications will cause inaccurate time of death estimates. Traditional fly identification methods rely on recognizing distinct physical traits each fly species may possess; however, this has given way to molecular techniques (i.e. DNA sequences) that are quicker and more reliable. Unfortunately no DNA sequence information exists on the forensically important fly species in the western U.S. although a molecular database has been advocated by a number of forensic entomologists. This laboratory experience allows students to develop general molecular based skills they will need later in their careers while simultaneously contributing data that will be used to create a molecular database containing DNA sequences for forensically important California flies.
Mahogany intertwined: Enviromateriality between Mexico, Fiji, and the Gibson Les Paul

This article builds a theory of enviromateriality through a global ethnography that engages both the material culture and materiality of a tree species, Honduran mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), a...
SLINK: Simple, Effective Filesystem Maintenance Abstractions for Community-Based Administration

We manage several large UNIX program repositories through a community effort of volunteerism and advocacy. Our effort requires a carefully crafted interplay between administrative policy and tools that operate within the limits of that policy. Rather than restricting administrators' actions, our tools reinforce their own use by making it easier and more effective to comply with policy than to dissent. Our tool SLINK provides a small number of commands that aid in synthesizing user environments from sets of disjoint software package trees. SLINK's commands, while more powerful than typical UNIX commands, refuse to violate predefined policy restrictions, thus protecting the user environment even from mistakes of root users. Our administrative policy and SLINK allow us to employ an arbitrarily large number of volunteer administrators without degrading system behavior or utilizing large amounts of staff time.
Analysis of alternative pathways for reducing nitrogen oxide emissions

Strategies for reducing tropospheric ozone (O3) typically include modifying combustion processes to reduce the formation of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and applying control devices that remove NOx from the exhaust gases of power plants, industrial sources and vehicles. For portions of the U.S., these traditional controls may not be sufficient to achieve the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone. We apply the MARKet ALlocation (MARKAL) energy system model in a sensitivity analysis to explore whether additional NOx reductions can be achieved through extensive electrification of passenger vehicles, adoption of energy efficiency and conservation measures within buildings, and deployment of wind and solar power in the electric sector. Nationally and for each region of the country, we estimate the NOx implications of these measures. Energy efficiency and renewable electricity are shown to reduce NOx beyond traditional controls. Wide-spread light duty vehicle electrification produces varied results, with NOx...
Ethylene glycol toxicity in the monkey.

Abstract The toxic effects of ethylene glycol in several macaque species are reported. The compound was administered in the drinking water at concentrations of 0.25 to 10%, and histologic studies were made after acute and chronic administration. With the exception of a few animals (which had calcium oxalate crystals in the brain) significant pathological alterations were limited to the kidneys. Animals receiving 15 ml/kg or more of ethylene glycol had calcium oxalate crystals within proximal renal tubules and associated tubular degeneration. Despite the absence of crystals in animals receiving less than 15 ml/kg, mild glomerular damage was found, and azotemia occurred in some animals, suggesting a toxic effect of ethylene glycol apart from its conversion to oxalic acid.
Scalp EEG-Based Discrimination of Cognitive Deficits After Traumatic Brain Injury Using Event-Related Tsallis Entropy Analysis

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability in children and adolescents in the U.S. This is a pilot study, which explores the discrimination of chronic TBI from normal controls using scalp EEG during a memory task. Tsallis entropies are computed for responses during an old-new memory recognition task. A support vector machine model is constructed to discriminate between normal and moderate/severe TBI individuals using Tsallis entropies as features. Numerical analyses of 30 records (15 normal and 15 TBI) show a maximum discrimination accuracy of 93% (p-value = 7.8557E-5) using four features. These results suggest the potential of scalp EEG as an efficacious method for noninvasive diagnosis of TBI.
Not just in the Mental Capacity Act: using the law to protect vulnerable adults

Vulnerable adults have recently gained greater protection. A lot of attention has focused on the effect of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, but many significant provisions can be found elsewhere. It may be that those provisions, and the possibilities they introduce, are not fully understood by those who could make the best use of them. That would be unfortunate. Where it enjoys powers for adult protection purposes, a public authority might have to explain any failure to use them, particularly where that failure has unfortunate consequences. This paper does not deal directly with the law on adult social care. Nor even, in general terms, does it describe the law relating to the safeguarding of vulnerable adults. It does, however, discuss some of the more significant adult protection provisions and in the process, refers to the No Secrets guidance, which was published in 2000 and remains the chief resource for adult protection work. (Department of Health & Home Office, 2000).
Seaweeds as a reservoir of Candida yeasts in inshore waters

The yeast populations on 9 species of seaweeds and in seawater were estimated by cultural methods over a 16-month period in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island (USA). Maximal numbers occurred on rhodophytes and a chlorophyte, while the lower numbers on phaeophytes were attributed to the release of inhibitory polyphenolic materials. All divisions of algae showed a similar seasonal variation in yeast populations, correlated with trends in solar radiation and water temperature which would affect both the host and its microflora. The exposure of intertidal algae to unseasonable air temperatures apparently has a detectable effect on their microflora. The population changes in the water surrounding the seaweeds paralleled those on the plants. Only colorless yeasts of the genus Candida were observed, except for brief occurrences of the pink yeast Rhodotorula in late spring, when it accounted for 3 to 35% of the yeast community. Ninety five percent of the 362 representative isolates were strains of Candida. The published properties of the 84 species accepted in the genus Candida were compared with those of the marine isolates using numerical analysis. There were 7 groups: 1 solely of named species, 3 small groups with both named species and marine isolates, and 3 large groups with only one or two named species that contained 75% of the seaweed and sea-water isolates. An apparent successional sequence for three groups may be due to differences in their biochemical activity. The same three groups were preferentially enriched by 5 of the algal species. The role of this persistent yeast population as a reservoir of inshore yeasts is discussed.
Investigating the impact of organizational culture on supply chain integration

Supply chain integration constitutes the major thrust of supply chain management initiatives. In this study, we investigate the effects of organizational culture to determine the types of cultural characteristics that are strongly associated with efforts to integrate the supply chain and delivery performance. Previous researchers have theorized and demonstrated that organizational culture leads to adopting management practices consistent with the culture and that these practices are associated with firm performance. There has been a relative dearth of research, however, on the impact of organizational culture in operations management literature. Thus, this study investigates the effects of organizational culture, measured by the competing values framework (CVF), on two types of supply chain integration efforts: (1) internal integration and (2) external integration with key suppliers and key customers. Employing the CVF, we assess organizational culture along four dimensions—market, hierarchy, clan, and adhocracy. Results indicate that culture does influence firms to adopt internal and external integration practices. Our findings also provide evidence that a firm's adhocracy culture score is positively associated with external integration, while a firm's hierarchy culture score is negatively associated with both internal and external integration practices. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Large‐scale synaptic errors during map formation by regenerating optic axons in the goldfish

During the formation of visual maps, growing axons initially form a map by using topographically distributed cues that direct their growth and branching to the appropriate target region. This initial map is typically roughly retinotopic and is subsequently refined through activity-dependent rearrangement or cell death. Although synaptic connections are thought to be rearranged during the later refinement phase, there is no clear evidence that synapses are being formed during the initial targeting phase of development. Also, because optic fiber growth can be accurately directed during normal development, it is unclear whether regenerative fibers that have more pathway disorder would behave similarly. This issue was addressed by using optic fibers of goldfish that have the capacity to regenerate a retinotopic projection and can reestablish a rough retinotopic order without impulse activity. The optic nerve of goldfish was crushed, and at various times later, a small number of optic fibers in ventronasal retina was labeled with wheatgerm agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase. The tectum was then processed for electron microscopy to look at the distribution of labeled synapses during regeneration. At 3 weeks, synapses were observed at the far anterior end of the tectum and none were yet seen at the correct posterior retinotopic position. At 4-5 weeks, synapses were seen in nearly equal numbers at the incorrect anterior end and at both correct (retinotopic) and incorrect posterior positions. At late stages of regeneration, synapses were restricted to their correct posterior retinotopic position in the tectum, as they were in normal fish. These findings show that the formation of global retinotopic order entails the formation and subsequent elimination of a large number of highly ectopic synapses. Synaptic rearrangement is a major feature of targeting in this system and may be required for the regeneration of a retinotopic projection.