cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Operational modes for multinational corporations in post-apartheid South Africa: A proposal for a code of affirmative action in the marketplace

The economic and socio-political impact of multinational corporations (MNCs) on third world countries has been the subject of intense debate and controversy leading to charges of exploitation and colonization on the one hand, and demands for codes of conduct on the other. This article examines the working of one of the most comprehensive of such codes under the most reprehensible political conditions, i.e., the operations of U.S.—based multinational corporations in South Africa under the acgis of the Sullivan Principles. It is argued that despite the best intentions, and considerable social goodwill, the Sullivan Principles were seriously flawed both as to goals and as to means of achieving them. Finally, it suggests a new approach to developing standards of MNC behavior in third world countries which emphasizes those areas of activities that are directly under the control of MNCs, and offers targets of achievement to which MNCs can and should be held accountable.
ACUTE PERICARDITIS FROM POST-OPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS OF PACEMAKER PLACEMENT AS A CAUSE FOR NEW-ONSET HEART FAILURE

After evacuation of blood from hemopericardium, inflammation may persist and lead to development of pericardial adhesions. As such the free wall motion may become limited leading to new onset heart failure. Treatment of pericardial inflammation may be curative in these situations. An 89-year-old
37 A REEVALUATION OF EVANS BLUE DYE AS A MARKER OF ALBUMIN CLEARANCE IN MOUSE MODELS OF ACUTE LUNG INJURY.

Background Quantifying the amount of albumin conjugated to Evans Blue dye (Alb-EB) fluxing across organ barriers is a popular technique to measure intactness of the physical barrier in rodent models of a variety of diseases. We have reevaluated this technique in terms of the correction factors required in a spectrophotometric assay. Methods and Results Eight- to 10-week-old C57BL6/J mice received either pH-neutral water (controls) or LPS (treatment) by intratracheal instillation, and acute lung injury was allowed to develop for 24 hours. Both control and treatment mice were further injected with Alb-EB via the jugular vein, at doses of either 20 or 30 mg/kg body weight, at 30, 60, 120, or 180 minutes before termination of the LPS treatment (24 hours total). At the end of exposure, formamide extracts of lungs were prepared, and the centrifuged supernatants were measured at 620 and 740 nm in a spectrophotometer. Lungs from control mice that were not injected with Alb-EB were similarly extracted and measured. The linear regression equation between absorbances at 740 nm (X) and 620 nm (Y) in control lung extracts of animals that did not get Alb-EB was considered to be the tissue-specific correction factor. The observed absorbances of the control and treatment samples at 620 and 740 nm were then normalized using this factor. This tissue-specific correction resulted in control samples read as positive integers, as opposed to negative integers when using a serum correction factor commonly used in the literature. We also determined that adjusting the duration of the conjugated dye in circulation is critical for maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio. Conclusion The Evans Blue dye extravasation method to quantify barrier dysfunction can be improved in terms of repeatability and sensitivity by using tissue-specific correction factors and maximized signal-to-noise ratios, respectively. Funding: NIH/NHLBI SCORR #P50 HL 73994.
Does Thermal Breathing Affect Collision Cross Sections of Gas-Phase Peptide Ions? An Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Study.

Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) with density functional theory (DFT) was applied to explore conformational motions and collision cross sections (Ω) of folded (2) and extended (7) conformers of doubly charged peptide ions, (Ala–Ala–Leu–Arg + 2H)2+, in the gas phase at 300 and 473 K. The experimental Ω of (Ala–Ala–Leu–Arg +2H)2+ was measured as 149 ± 1.2 A2 at 298 K. Thermally distributed mean values of Ω for 2 and 7 at 300 and 473 K were only 0.8–1.1% larger than for the equilibrium 0 K structures. Long (>10 ps) trajectory calculations indicated entropy-driven conformational change of 2 to 7 that occurred at random within a ∼ 4 ps time window. The experimental Ω was found to fit the calculated population averaged values for 2 and 7, indicating a rapid conformer interconversion. Overall, thermal breathing had only a minor effect on the peptide ion collision cross sections.
Spread of Disease

Epidemiology is the study of patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions in a population. It provides critical support for public health by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive medicine. Epidemiology has helped develop methodology used in clinical research and public health studies. Major areas of epidemiological study include disease etiology, disease break, disease surveillance, and comparison of treatment effects such as in clinical trials.
Correlated Motions in the DHFR-NADPH Complex

Correlated motions are thought to be related to the catalytic step for dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). We performed several molecular dynamics studies of the DHFR-NADPH complex, the analog of anapo structure existing prior tothe binding of dihydrofolate. We compare correlated and anti-correlated motions andtheir timescaleto motions previously observed in the catalytically active state. We also compare correlated motions across several DHFR mutants.
Local Load-Bearing by Kinetochore-Fibers in the Mammalian Spindle Provides Mechanical Isolation and Redundancy

When cells divide, microtubule bundles called kinetochore-fibers (k-fibers) attach chromosomes to the mammalian spindle. Active forces generated at kinetochores move chromosomes, and the dynamic spindle must robustly anchor k-fibers to bear this load. Where and how anchorage occurs are not understood. To spatially map load-bearing by k-fibers and determine its molecular basis, we cut k-fibers at different spindle locations and quantitatively measure residual load-bearing in different molecular backgrounds. The relaxation response immediately after ablation indicates that k-fibers are anchored not only at their ends, but along their lengths. We find that the load of k-fiber anchorage is borne very locally: longitudinally in their first few microns from kinetochores, far from poles; and laterally within 1-2 μm, without neighboring k-fibers sharing load. Depleting the microtubule crosslinker NuMA reduces local load-bearing anchorage in the spindle body, while inhibiting or depleting microtubule motor Eg5 and crosslinker PRC1 do not. A simple viscoelastic model suggests that elastic connections of k-fibers to the spindle bear the load of active kinetochore forces moving chromosomes, while centromere viscosity determines the timescale of relaxation after ablation removes load-bearing connections. Together, the data indicate that the architecture of the dynamic mammalian spindle provides k-fibers with mechanical isolation and load-bearing redundancy well-suited for robust chromosome segregation.
Source Correlated Prompt Neutron Activation Analysis for Material Identification and Localization

This paper investigates the energy spectrum of photon signatures from an associated particle imaging deuterium tritium (API-DT) neutron generator interrogating shielded uranium. The goal is to investigate if signatures within the energy spectrum could be used to indirectly characterize shielded uranium when the neutron signature is attenuated. By utilizing the correlated neutron cone associated with each pixel of the API-DT neutron generator, certain materials can be identified and located via source correlated spectrometry of prompt neutron activation gamma rays. An investigation is done to determine if fission neutrons induce a significant enough signature within the prompt neutron-induced gamma-ray energy spectrum in shielding material to be useful for indirect nuclear material characterization. The signature deriving from the induced fission neutrons interacting with the shielding material was slightly elevated in polyethylene-shielding depleted uranium (DU), but was more evident in some characteristic peaks from the aluminum shielding surrounding DU.
Following photoexcited electrons in reactions.

Light provides a flexible energy source that can precisely manipulate material systems on size scales ranging from the molecular to the macroscopic, with both spatial and temporal control. Photoinduced electronic excitation can induce molecular motion by changing the shape of a molecule through isomerization around a central bond (see the figure) or through the opening and closing of a ring. Molecular motors have been developed that rely on a unidirectional cis-trans isomerization ( 1 ), and optical switches and memory rely on cis-trans isomerization or reversible ring-opening reactions ( 2 , 3 ). On page 54 of this issue, Attar et al. ( 4 ) followed the fundamental dynamics of electrons moving during the photoinduced opening of a 1,3-cyclohexadiene ring with ultrafast soft x-ray spectrometry. This kind of transformation is a core element in many photoactive systems and a paradigm for the electronic evolution of polyenes (hydrocarbons with alternating single and double bonds).
Anticholangiocarcinoma activity and toxicity of the Kaempferia galanga Linn. Rhizome ethanolic extract

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an important public health problem in several tropical and subtropical parts of the world particularly Thailand. Chemotherapy of CCA is largely ineffective and discovery and development of effective alternative drugs is urgently needed. The objective of the study was to confirm the anti-CCA potential as well as toxicity of the crude extract of Kaempferia galangal Linn. (rhizome) both in vitro and in animal models. The ethanolic extract of K. galanga Linn. rhizome, ethyl-p-methoxycinnamate (EPMC) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against CCA cell line (CL-6) using MTT cell proliferation assay. Acute and subacute toxicity of the extract were evaluated in ICR (Imprinting Control Region) mice according to the OECD (International Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) Guideline. Anti-CCA activity was evaluated in CCA- xenografted nude mice. Results of cytotoxicity test showed moderate activity of the extract and EPMC with median (95% confidence interval: 95% CI) 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 64.2 (57.76–72.11) and 49.19 (48.16–52.29) μg/ml, respectively. The IC50 of 5-FU was 107.1 (103.53–109.64) μg/ml. The selectivity index (SI) values for the extract, EPMC and 5-FU against human normal cell line (OUMS) and cancer cell line (CL-6) were 2.2, 2.09 and 1.31, respectively. Toxicity testing revealed no overt toxic effect up to the maximum single oral dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight and up to daily dose of 1000 mg/kg body weight for 30 days. The extract at the maximum tolerated dose level of 1000 mg/kg body weight for 30 days exhibited promising anti-CCA activity in CL6-xenografted nude mice as determined by inhibitory activity on tumor growth (58.41%) and lung metastasis (33.3%), as well as prolongation of survival time (62 days). The K. galangal Linn. rhizome extract and its bioactive compound EPMC exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity against human CCA tumor (CL-6) cell line. Results of toxicity testing suggest that the extract was well tolerated up to the maximum single oral dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight and daily dose of 1000 mg/kg body weight for 30 days. The extract exhibited promising anti-CCA activity in CL6-xenografed nude mice as determined by significant inhibitory activity on tumor growth and lung metastasis, as well as prolongation of survival time.
NetDroid: summarizing network behavior of Android apps for network code maintenance

Network access is one of the most common features of Android applications. Statistics show that almost 80% of Android apps ask for network permission and thus may have some network-related features. Android apps may access multiple servers to retrieve or post various types of data, and the code to handle such network features often needs to change as a result of server API evolution or the content change of data transferred. Since various network code is used by multiple features, maintenance of network-related code is often difficult because the code may scatter in different places in the code base, and it may not be easy to predict the impact of a code change to the network behavior of an Android app. In this paper, we present an approach to statically summarize network behavior from the byte code of Android apps. Our approach is based on string taint analysis, and generates a summary of network requests by statically estimating the possible values of network API arguments. To evaluate our technique, we applied our technique to top 500 android apps from the official Google Play market, and the result shows that our approach is able to summarize network behavior for most apps efficiently (averagely less than 50 second for an app). Furthermore, we performed an empirical evaluation on 8 real-world maintenance tasks extracted from bug reports of open-source Android projects on Github. The empirical evaluation shows that our technique is effective in locating relevant network code.
ICI Mitigation for High-Speed OFDM Communications in High-Mobility Vehicular Channels

The performance of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) system to transmit high bandwidth data from a vehicle to a base station can suffer from Inter-Carrier Interference (ICI) created by high Doppler shifts. In current communication systems, high Doppler shifts can happen because of the high speed of the vehicles such as fixed wings unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) and high speed trains (HST). In next generation wireless systems with high carrier frequency, such as 5G cellular data systems at center frequency between 27.5–71 GHz, even a vehicle moving with moderate speed can cause Doppler shift of several kilohertz. To cancel the ICI, the time variant channel matrix should be estimated in the frequency domain. In this paper, a new channel estimation scheme is presented suitable for high Doppler scenarios. To estimate the channel in the frequency domain, a training sequence in the time domain is transmitted, and both channel amplitudes and Doppler shifts are estimated in time domain. Then, the complete frequency domain channel matrix is constructed from the estimated parameters and used for ICI mitigation. In contrast to conventional methods that only estimate diagonal elements of the frequency domain channel matrix or other partial section of the matrix to reduce the complexity, this new method estimate the complete matrix. Simulation results show significant gain in performance for the complete channel estimation as compared to conventional methods using least square and minimum mean square diagonal elements of the channel estimators in high Doppler scenarios.
Pharmacogenomics: Precision Medicine and Drug Response

Pharmacogenomics is the use of genomic and other "omic" information to individualize drug selection and drug use to avoid adverse drug reactions and to maximize drug efficacy. The science underlying pharmacogenomics has evolved rapidly over the 50 years since it was first suggested that genetics might influence drug response phenotypes. That process has occurred in parallel with advances in DNA sequencing and other molecular technologies, with striking increases in our understanding of the human genome. There are now many validated examples of the clinical utility of pharmacogenomics, and this type of clinical genomic information is increasingly being generated in clinical laboratories, incorporated into electronic health records, and used to "tailor" or individualize drug therapy. This review will survey the origins and development of pharmacogenomics; it will address some of the challenges associated with the clinical implementation of pharmacogenomics; and it will attempt to foresee future advances in this important genomic discipline, one that almost certainly will be among the earliest and most widely adopted aspects of clinical genomics.
Isolation of mammalian stress granule cores for RNA-Seq analysis

Stress granules are dynamic, conserved non-translating RNA-protein assemblies that form during cellular stress and are related to pathological aggregates in many neurodegenerative diseases. Mammalian stress granules contain stable structures, referred to as “cores” that can be biochemically purified. Herein, we describe a step-by-step guide on how to isolate RNA from stress granule cores for RNA-Seq analysis. We also describe a methodology for validating the RNA-Seq results by single molecule FISH and how to quantify the single molecule FISH results. These protocols provide a starting point for describing the RNA content of stress granules and may assist in the discovery of the assembly mechanisms and functions of stress granules in a variety of biological contexts.
The Anesthesia Machine

Understand the flow of gas from the central hospital supply to the patient Learn the key components of an anesthesia machine (vaporizers, flowmeters, breathing circuits, scavenger system, alarms) Understand the safety mechanisms incorporated into the anesthesia machine
Secure and optimized unauthorized secondary user detection in dynamic spectrum access

Dynamic spectrum access (DSA) has been envisioned to become the key to solving worldwide spectrum shortage. However, the open nature of wireless medium brings severe threats to the DSA system resulting from unauthorized access. Specifically, unauthorized secondary user (SU) utilizes the licensed spectrum by faking/replaying the spectrum permit, which will not only introduce severe interference to authorized SU but also disable the DSA system due to the lack of stability and incentives. In this paper, we propose a secure and optimized unauthorized SU detection scheme. By optimizing permit modulation and embedding based on the current channel condition, we shorten the unauthorized SU's detection period and further improve the accuracy with low-complexity implementation. The proposed scheme ensures the security of DSA system and will further unleash its great potential. Extensive experimental results using both MATLAB and Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) demonstrate the effectiveness, efficiency, and accuracy of our proposed scheme.
Unusual Benign Conditions

Sclerosing cholangitis is a nonspecific pathological condition characterized by gross and microscopic changes of a chronic inflammatory nature; these involve the wall of the biliary ductal system and, occasionally, the surrounding tissue. Primary sclerosing cholangitis is one form of this disease (Fig. 10.1), but the lack of characteristic pathological changes and of distinguishing clinical features has made it difficult to identify primary sclerosing cholangitis as a clinical entity, to evaluate various forms of treatment, and to establish a definite prognosis of the disease.
Mindfulness Strategies for Situated Learning

Although incorporating strategies that promote the practice of mindfulness is a relatively new area of educational research, mindfulness can be closely linked to the existing body of literature that includes reflection-in-action. When mindful, learners are more sensitive to context and are able to recognize the familiar in novel situations while also becoming open to flexibility and adjustment when the situation presents uncertainty and is cognitively demanding. As mindfulness allows one to fully embrace the moment, improving self-observation skills, perspective on internal experiences, emotional states, recognition, and responses, it has great potential to be used as an instructional strategy to enhance reflection-in-action. By developing and applying mindfulness skills in a situated learning environment, learners can become more metacognitively aware of the present, enhancing reflection-in-action and the potential for transfer of knowledge and skills to future applications. This chapter expands on the concept of mindfulness and its application within education. It also expands on several mindfulness strategies that can be incorporated when designing for reflection within situated learning, particularly to promote reflection-in-action: providing an orientation to mindfulness, including both formal and informal mindfulness practices, and delivering instruction in a mindful or conditional way.
Design and clinical use of a rotational phantom for dosimetric verification of IMRT/VMAT treatments.

Abstract Purpose To describe the design and clinical use of a rotational phantom for dosimetric verification of IMRT/VMAT treatment plans using radiochromic film. Methods A solid water cylindrical phantom was designed with separable upper and lower halves and rests on plastic bearings allowing for 360° rotation about its central axis. The phantom accommodates a half sheet of radiochromic film, and by rotating the cylinder, the film can be placed in any plane between coronal and sagittal. Calculated dose planes coinciding with rotated film measurements are exported by rotating the CT image and dose distribution within the treatment planning system. The process is illustrated with 2 rotated film measurements of an SRS treatment plan involving 4 separate targets. Additionally, 276 patient specific QA measurements were obtained with the phantom and analyzed with a 2%/2 mm gamma criterion. Results The average 2%/2 mm gamma passing rate for all 276 plans was 99.3%. Seventy-two of the 276 plans were measured with the plane of the film rotated between the coronal and sagittal planes and had an average passing rate of 99.4%. Conclusions The rotational phantom allows for accurate film measurements in any plane. With this technique, regions of a dose distribution which might otherwise require multiple sagittal or coronal measurements can be verified with as few as a single measurement. This increases efficiency and, in combination with the high spatial resolution inherent to film dosimetry, makes the rotational technique an attractive option for patient-specific QA.
The bit dome: creating an immersive digital environment with a Kinect-based user interface

This paper presents a unique way to create an inexpensive immersive environment that implements a non-standard interface using the image-based 3D capabilities of the Xbox Kinect. This method results in a compelling interaction that engages students in an immersive experience fostering further exploration into the underlying technology of the installation.
An approach to analyze the social acceptance of virtual assistants by elderly people

Interactive virtual assistants serve as a cost-effective solution to assist elderly people in several ways. They act as means to provide social support, manage loneliness, medium of communication, reminder systems and even instill positive moods in their users. The relevance of advancement in virtual assistant technology is not only confined to advancement in functionalities in virtual assistants but it also involves analyzing levels of social acceptance of these virtual assistants that feature on different kinds of interactive devices. This analysis would help to set up paradigms of trust and belief in human-technology partnerships and serve as means to enhance the utilization of virtual assistants through increasing their social acceptance, typically by elderly people. To analyze the social acceptance of virtual assistants on different interactive devices, this work uses the concept of sentiment analysis using Natural Language Processing to analyze the views, expressions and beliefs expressed by elderly people while interacting with virtual assistants on different devices.
The role of loops B and C in determining the potentiation of GABA A receptors by midazolam.

Many benzodiazepines are positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of GABAA receptors that cause sedation, hypnosis, and anxiolysis. Benzodiazepines bind GABAA receptors at the extracellular interface of the α and γ subunits. Within the α subunit, the benzodiazepine binding site is defined by three highly conserved structural loops, loops A-C. Although previous mutagenesis studies have identified His102 in Loop A as important for benzodiazepine modulation of GABAA receptors, the functional roles of many of the other conserved residues in loops A-C remain incompletely understood. In this study, we made single mutations in loops A-C of the benzodiazepine binding-site across all six α subunits. We used whole-cell patch clamp recording to measure the functional effects of these mutations on midazolam potentiation. The results showed that mutating the threonine in loop B and serine in loop C (Thr163 and S206 in human α1) did not abolish the receptors' responsiveness to midazolam, as the α1(H102R) mutation did. The loop C mutations exhibited a novel array of α-isoform specific effects on midazolam potentiation. The α3(S230I) and α5(S209I) mutations had the largest effect on midazolam potentiation, increasing the efficacy of midazolam. Novel benzodiazepines targeting loop C may represent a future direction for designing new drugs that specifically alter the activity of α3- and α5-containing GABAA receptors.
Houston Hearts: A History of Cardiovascular Surgery and Medicine At Houston Methodist Debakey Heart & Vascular Center: From the Michael E. DeBakey, M.D., Distinguished Lectureship Series, presented by William L. Winters, Jr., M.D., Editor, Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal, on January 19, 2015.

From the Michael E. DeBakey, M.D., Distinguished Lectureship Series, presented by William L. Winters, Jr., M.D., Editor, Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal, on January 19, 2015
Paired organic matter and pyrite δ34S records reveal mechanisms of carbon, sulfur, and iron cycle disruption during Ocean Anoxic Event 2

Abstract The sulfur (S) isotope composition of pyrite in the sedimentary record has played an important part in our understanding of the evolution of biogeochemical cycles throughout Earth history. However, the kinetics of pyritization are complex and depend strongly on the reactivity and mineralogy of available iron. As a second major sink for sulfide in anoxic sediments, organic matter (OM) provides essential context for reconstructing the distribution and isotopic composition of environmental sulfide. To first order, roughly parallel pyrite and OM δ 34 S profiles reflect changes in sulfide, while independent patterns require alternative explanations, including changes in iron availability or OM characteristics. We apply this framework to Ocean Anoxic Event 2 (OAE-2, ∼94 Mya), a period of enhanced burial of reduced C and S (in OM and pyrite) that has been associated with an expansion of reducing marine conditions. We present paired S-isotope records for pyrite and OM along with profiles of OM S:C ratio and S redox speciation from four well-characterized lithologic sections with a range of depositional environments (Pont d'Issole, Cismon, Tarfaya Basin, and Demerara Rise) to reconstruct both local redox structure and global mechanisms impacting the C, S and Fe cycles around OAE-2. OM sulfurization appears to be a major control on OM preservation at all four sites. Similar to modern anoxic environments, there is a positive correlation between OM S:C ratios and TOC concentrations for sites with more reducing conditions, implying a link between OM sulfurization and burial. At consistently anoxic sites like Tarfaya Basin and Demerara Rise, strongly sulfurized OM with a consistent S redox speciation and S-isotope composition most likely formed rapidly in sinking particles before, during, and after OAE-2. Particle-hosted OM sulfurization may therefore have been a central mechanism facilitating the massive burial of OM in anoxic environments during this and other periods of enhanced global carbon burial. At the same time, a nearly 25‰ negative shift in the δ 34 S values of pyrite – but not OM – occurs at multiple, globally distributed sites prior to the onset of OAE-2, indicating slower pyritization reactions that likely reflect changes in iron delivery due to expanding regional or global anoxia. The combination of pyrite and organic S isotopes thus provides novel constraints on the interwoven cycles of carbon, iron, and sulfur across a major carbon cycle perturbation.
Experiential Learning for Enhancing Environmental Literacy Regarding Energy: A Professional Development Program for Inservice Science Teachers

This article describes results of a professional development (PD) program for inservice science teachers. The PD integrated experiential learning to enhance participants’ literacy regarding energy production and associated environmental costs. The PD focused on six energy sources and environmental politics that must be navigated to make decisions about their sustainability. Participants toured energy extraction/production sites including coal mines, hydroelectric dams, wind farms, and nuclear power plants. At each site, participants encountered differing perspectives on the environmental costs and benefits of the energy sources. Group discussions allowed for sharing participants’ thoughts on each perspective and mathematical modeling was used as a tool for evaluating each energy source. Data included pre- and post-content assessments and PD evaluation surveys. Analysis revealed the role that experiential learning played in changed perspectives on energy production, content knowledge growth, and impacts on the participants’ own classroom teaching.
Soft Actuators with Stiffness and Shape Modulation Using 3D-Printed Conductive Polylactic Acid Material

Abstract The field of soft robotics has seen increasing interest and developments in recent years. Stiffness tuning is a desirable characteristic for soft robots since it enables adaptively modulat...
A Quality Initiative Reducing Adverse Outcomes in Pediatric Patients with DKA During Intrafacility Transit.

Introduction Treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) requires close and timely monitoring to prevent serious adverse events. This quality improvement project details how our institution improved blood glucose monitoring around hospital admission. The project aimed to increase the blood glucose assessments for children with DKA receiving insulin in the emergency department (ED) within 30 minutes before transitioning to an inpatient unit. Methods We implemented a series of Plan-Do-Survey-Act (PDSA) cycles established by a multidisciplinary team for this project, with the primary outcome of obtaining the blood glucose level within 30 minutes before leaving the ED and secondarily preventing episodes of hypoglycemia. These PDSAs harnessed the electronic health record, to prompt and direct the medical staff, to improve blood glucose monitoring. Results From March 2015 to November 2017, we saw 640 patients in our ED for DKA. Of these, we admitted 629 to the inpatient unit with treatment that included continuous infusion of insulin. Over this period, we increased blood glucose monitoring for these patients within 30 minutes before the transition from 56% to >90%. Following the final PDSA cycle, we observed no reported episodes of hypoglycemia. Conclusion Using the functionality of the electronic health record, we showed significant, rapid, and sustained increases in compliance with the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes guideline by alerting ED staff caring for patients receiving continuous insulin around the time of care-team transitions. We believe that this program is easily replicable, cost-effective, and safety enhancing.
Lab in a Box : A Rapidly Deployable Environmental Monitoring IoT System

The advent of Internet of Things (IoT) has brought about a new horizon in the field of pervasive computing and network-oriented systems. IoT has enabled everyday "things" to communicate with each other, exchange information and perform tasks more efficiently in terms of power and resources while requiring minimum human intervention. As the application scope of IoT is tremendously vast, the integration of heterogeneous objects or "things" in an IoT system is a challenging task. In this paper, multiple embedded systems have been implemented in battery powered, small portable packages to acquire environmental data from various sensors and publish the information to several IoT cloud platforms for analysis and visualization, using different wireless transceiver technologies to demonstrate the portability, modularity, and interoperability of Lab in a Box.
Chlamydia pneumoniae immunoglobulin E antibody levels in patients with asthma compared with non-asthma.

Chlamydia pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes respiratory infection in adults and children. There is evidence for an association between atypical bacterial pathogens and asthma pathogenesis. We sought to determine whether past C. pneumoniae infection triggers C. pneumoniae- IgE antibodies (Abs) in asthmatics and non-asthmatics, who had detectable IgG titers. C. pneumoniae IgE Abs were quantified using enzyme immunoassay (EIA). C. pneumoniae IgE Ab levels were higher in asthmatics compared with non-asthmatics. There was no correlation found between total serum IgE levels and specific C. pneumoniae IgE Ab levels. C. pneumoniae infection may trigger IgE-specific responses in asthmatics.
New Business in the Old Neighborhood: Young Polish Shopkeepers’ Responses to Commercial Gentrification in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

This chapter examines the impacts of gentrification on ethnic entrepreneurship by focusing on Polish immigrant shopkeepers’ responses to commercial change in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. While classic gentrification narratives emphasize structural forces that effect change, the core analysis of this study turns to ethnic actors’ agency. Faced with mounting economic pressures—declining number of co-ethnic customers, skyrocketing commercial rents, and upscale tastes of the incoming gentrifiers—many traditional ethnic shopkeepers struggle to keep their stores and their livelihoods. At the same time, a group of younger entrepreneurs innovate and adapt by catering directly to the tastes, needs, and desires of the elite middle-class gentrifiers. Paradoxically, by changing store profiles, and blurring and erasing visible, ethnic, and working-class markers, the new ethic entrepreneurs undermine the area’s traditional ethnic character and themselves facilitate economic and symbolic transformation of the neighborhood.
A Single Surgeon's 10-Year Experience in Remote-Access Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery.

BackgroundRemote-access thyroid and parathyroid surgery has gained popularity recently due to its benefit of avoiding visible neck scars. Most of these techniques were described and performed in As...
An Update on Feedlot AIP

Acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP) has been recognized in feedlot cattle for decades, but the cause is still unknown. AIP is most common in cattle on feed greater than 45 days; heifers may be disproportionately affected. Clinical signs suggest severe respiratory distress, but a definitive diagnosis can only be made at postmortem. At postmortem, the lungs fail to collapse, interstitial emphysema and edema is evident, and a “checkerboard” pattern of light and dark colored, independently movable lobules is commonly seen. Histologically, hyaline membranes, type II pneumocyte hyperplasia, and later, cellulate infiltrates are found. No specific treatment is reliably effective. Known causes of AIP outside feedlots include 3-methylindole, perilla mint, and moldy sweet potato toxicity. Bovine respiratory syncytial virus can cause lesions similar to AIP. Bronchopneumonia and histologic evidence of chronic bronchiolar injury have been described in cattle with feedlot AIP, suggesting that chronic airway inflammation may predispose cattle to the disease. Recent research suggests that 3-methylindole, hormonal influences (including the feeding of melengestrol acetate), and bacterial lung infection may influence the development of feedlot AIP; however, no evidence is currently strong enough to support any of these as a single cause. Recent research does not support acute BRSV infection as a cause. Other insults speculated to cause feedlot AIP, such as dust exposure, heat, and allergic reactions, have not been investigated. Currently it seems most likely that feedlot AIP has a multifactorial etiology, and the relative importance of various factors may differ among feedyards. More information is needed before informed recommendations regarding prevention of feedlot AIP can be made.
Officials’ Evaluations of Rape Cases

The results of our time-series analyses revealed that the rape law reforms did not produce the types of instrumental results anticipated by reformers. In five of the six jurisdictions, there were no effects that could be attributed to the substantive changes in the laws. Predicted results were found only in the jurisdiction (Detroit) with the strongest and most comprehensive changes; there we found a significant increase in the number of reports of rape and in the ratio of indictments to reports.
Corporations, Rights, and Lobbying

While there may be several practical concerns regarding the practice of corporate lobbying of government officials, there is the more basic question of a corporation’s moral right to do so. I argue that group agents such as corporations have no moral rights, and thereby cannot have the right to lobby. There may be a basis for some legal rights for corporations, but I argue that lobbying cannot be one of the legal rights, even by reference to the rights of the individuals that make up the corporation. I end the paper by a discussion of how this argument applies to all private organizations, including public interest organizations.
TAU: A Portable Parallel Program Analysis Environment for pC++

The realization of parallel language systems that offer high-level programming paradigms to reduce the complexity of application development, scalable runtime mechanisms to support variable size problem sets, and portable compiler platforms to provide access to multiple parallel architectures, places additional demands on the tools for program development and analysis. The need for integration of these tools into a comprehensive programming environment is even more pronounced and will require more sophisticated use of the language system technology (i.e., compiler and runtime system). Furthermore, the environment requirements of high-level support for the programmer, large-scale applications, and portable access to diverse machines also apply to the program analysis tools.
Biosynthesis of Gibberellins II. ENZYMIC CYCLIZATION OF GERANYLGERANYL PYROPHOSPHATE TO KAURENE

Abstract Geranylgeraniol-2-14C has been prepared by a modified Witting reaction and converted to geranylgeranyl-2-14C pyrophosphate (17), which was purified by countercurrent distribution or chromatography on diethylaminoethyl cellulose. An enzyme system from the endosperm of immature seeds of Echinocystis macrocarpa Greene catalyzed the cyclization of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate to the tetracyclic diterpene kaurene. The enzymic activity, which is found in the 105,000 x g supernatant fraction, has been named kaurene synthase. It has a very sharp pH optimum at 6.6 and requires divalent metal ions, active in the order Mg++ g Co++ >> Zn++ g Mn++ g Cd++ ≥ 0 = Ca++, Cu++, Fe++. An assay for kaurene synthase is described, and a possible mechanism for cyclization of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate to kaurene is discussed.
Beta-adrenergic receptors in hamster smooth muscle cells are transcriptionally regulated by glucocorticoids

Steroid hormones modulate adrenergic receptor responsiveness and receptor number. To investigate the regulation of the beta 2-adrenergic receptor gene by glucocorticoids we examined the effects of the synthetic glucocorticoid agonist triamcinolone acetonide on the expression of beta 2-adrenergic receptors in DDT1MF-2 hamster smooth muscle cells. Glucocorticoid treatment (1 X 10(-7) M) produced a 2.2 +/- 0.4-fold (n = 8) increase in beta 2-adrenergic receptor number (maximum) between 6 and 12 h) as determined by radioligand binding and a similar increase in catecholamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. Steady-state levels of beta 2-adrenergic receptor mRNA, analyzed by Northern blot hybridization, were increased 2.4 +/- 0.4-fold (n = 6) within 1 h, while actin mRNA levels were unchanged throughout the experiment. These steroid-induced increases in beta 2-adrenergic receptor mRNA returned to control levels by 24 h and were followed by a much slower decline in beta 2-adrenergic receptor in plasma membranes. The rate of beta 2-adrenergic receptor gene transcription, assessed by nuclear run-off transcription assays, increased 3.1 +/- 0.1-fold (n = 2) in cells treated for 30 min with 1 X 10(-7) M triamcinolone acetonide. These studies indicate that glucocorticoids regulate the beta 2-adrenergic receptor-adenylate cyclase system by controlling the rate of transcription of the beta 2-adrenergic receptor gene and hence the responsiveness of the enzyme to catecholamine stimulation.
Human plasminogen kringle 4. Crystallization and preliminary diffraction data of two different crystal forms.

Abstract Human plasminogen kringle 4 has been crystallized in two different crystal forms: monoclinic, a = 32.78(3), b = 49.17(2), c = 46.27(3) A, beta = 100.67 degrees, space group P2(1), four molecules/unit cell, two molecules/asymmetric unit; orthorhombic, a = 32.09(7), b = 49.14(6), c = 49.47(9) A, space group P2(1)2(1)2, four molecules/unit cell. Both crystal forms have a large protein fraction (66% for monoclinic and 62% for orthorhombic) and diffract x-rays to 2.0 A resolution. A self-rotation function has been calculated with monoclinic data indicating a non-crystallographic 2-fold rotation approximately parallel to a* (peak height of 14.3 x sigma). Cross-rotation function calculations are in progress utilizing the coordinates of the conserved structure of kringle 1 of prothrombin and plasminogen kringle 4.
A Continuous Media Data Transport Service and Protocol for Real-Time Communication in High Speed Networks

An important class of applications with real-time data transport requirements is defined by applications requiring transmission of data units at regular intervals. These applications, which we call continuous media (CM) clients, include video conferencing, voice communication, and high-quality digital sound. The design of a data transport service for CM clients and its underlying protocol (within the XUNET II project) is presented in this paper. The service makes use, in particular, of an a priori characterization of future data transmission requests by CM clients.
OpenFst: a general and efficient weighted finite-state transducer library

We describe OpenFst, an open-source library for weighted finite-state transducers (WFSTs). OpenFst consists of a C++ template library with efficient WFST representations and over twenty-five operations for constructing, combining, optimizing, and searching them. At the shell-command level, there are corresponding transducer file representations and programs that operate on them. OpenFst is designed to be both very efficient in time and space and to scale to very large problems. This library has key applications speech, image, and natural language processing, pattern and string matching, and machine learning. We give an overview of the library, examples of its use, details of its design that allow customizing the labels, states, and weights and the lazy evaluation of many of its operations. Further information and a download of the OpenFst library can be obtained from http://www.openfst.org.
Towards a New Quasigroup Block Cipher for a Single-Chip FPGA Implementation

In earlier work the authors reported on methods they investigated to implement quasigroup block encryption in hardware, with an emphasis on low cost. The aim was to design and deliver a hardware design solution that was inexpensive but did not sacrifice encryption security; the desired target for the design is low-bandwidth, low-cost areas such as Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. Here the authors report on further refinements of this design with the aim of making a single-chip solution.
Training recurrent neural network vector controller for inner current-loop control of doubly fed induction generator

This paper proposes a novel recurrent neural network (RNN) based vector control method for a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) and especially focuses on how to train the neural network controller for the current-loop control of DFIG. The proposed RNN vector control utilizes the stator voltage oriented frame and the role of the RNN is to substitute the two decoupled current-loop PI controllers in the conventional vector control technique. The objective of RNN training is to approximate optimal control and the RNN controller was trained by Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithm. Forward Accumulation Through Time algorithm for the DFIG was developed to calculate Jacobian matrix needed by LM algorithm. Performance evaluation shows that the well-trained RNN controller has a very strong ability of tracking references under situations such as quickly rapid change reference and rotor parameter change.
Engineering natural products using combinatorial biosynthesis and biocatalysis

Many biologically active natural products are produced by the host organisms using dedicated biosynthetic pathways. The programming rules of these pathways may be rationally manipulated through combinatorial biosynthesis to produce natural products that contain structural variations or enhanced pharmacological properties. Furthermore, these pathways contain enzymes that can be harvested as powerful biocatalysts for the synthesis of both new drugs and existing blockbuster therapeutics. This review will highlight recent advances in exploring natural product biosynthetic pathways for new compounds, novel enzymes and useful biocatalysts.
In Situ Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopic Studies of Coadsorption of CO with Underpotential-Deposited Lead on Pt(111) in an Aqueous Acidic Solution

The effects of underpotential-deposited lead on the adsorption of CO on Pt(111) surfaces have been investigated in 0.1 M HClO4 by in situ infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS). Lead coverages of about 0.4 on Pt(111) electrodes polarized at 0.1 V vs RHE prevent CO from adsorbing on multiply bonded sites, reducing the overall coverage to about a third of that observed in the absence of coadsorbed Pb under otherwise identical conditions, yielding a single, sharply-defined feature in the infrared reflection absorption spectra characteristic of atop-bonded CO. However, the integrated absorption band of atop CO at 0.1 V in the presence of coadsorbed Pb was found to be about 3 times higher than that predicted from the corresponding spectral features observed for Pb-free surfaces at that specific coverage corrected for dipole−dipole coupling interactions. Although much of this effect may be due to a Pb-induced decrease in the dielectric screening within the CO adlayer, the gains in intensity are too ...