cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Domestic Spying: Presidential Power and Fourth Amendment Limits

This article examines the recently disclosed, presidentially authorized program of warrantless electronic surveillance by the National Security Agency (NSA). Critics of the program say it violates the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) and the Fourth Amendment. Supporters counter that it falls within the President's congressionally irreducible power to protect national security and within the relaxed Fourth Amendment constraints for national security searches. This article focuses on an aspect of the controversy to which neither critics nor supporters have paid much attention: the connection between the issues of whether the NSA program violates FISA and whether it violates the Fourth Amendment. The article concludes that the President can authorize surveillance that violates FISA when such surveillance outside FISA is reasonably necessary to respond to a genuine national security emergency. That same emergency will ordinarily bring the surveillance within the exigent circumstances doctrine of the Fourth Amendment, as modified by the special needs doctrine. This overlap between presidential power to ignore an Act of Congress and to act free of traditional Fourth Amendment constraints is not mere coincidence. Both the separation of powers doctrine and Fourth Amendment doctrine limit executive power but carve out an area in which the President may act free of ordinary constraints to protect the nation. The analysis underlying this conclusion is more nuanced (and stakes out a more moderate position) than that offered by most critics and supporters of the NSA program. The analysis may, therefore, supply a legal foundation for principled and politically feasible legislative reform.
Genitourinary vascularized composite allotransplantation: a review of penile transplantation.

Purpose of review Vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) has developed over the past 20 years, resulting in promising new reconstructive prospects for extensive soft tissue defects. More than 200 VCAs have been performed worldwide, including five genitourinary (GU)VCAs and here we review the most recent literature in this field. Recent findings Developments in GUVCA are continuously evolving to improve patient outcomes and suggest ethical equivalency to solid organ transplant. Recent treatment options have focused on preventing GUVCA complications by acknowledging the immunogenic tissue composition of the penis to treat rejection episodes and implementing stem cell transplant to recognized the GUVCA as self. Utilizing modern, postoperative, treatments can minimize complications and although the ethical dilemma remains, the morality of performing a GUVCA has diminished. The ethical focus relic's on standardization of patient safety. Summary GUVCA has become an established reconstructive surgical option. The prospect of VCA's future insinuates systemization between multidisciplinary VCA programs and the United Network for Organ Sharing in efforts to endorse ethical standardization. Over the last five years, the unprecedented outcomes have shown purpose to GUVCA that initiates an obligation to help those with severe genitourinary tissue defects. Progress in immunobiology continues to evolve optimal immunosuppression drug regimens and tolerance induction protocols, highlighting potential new immunologic pathways for graft acceptance.
The diagnosis and management of plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is the most common diagnosis for pain in the inferior aspect of the heel and accounts for 10% of running injuries seen. It primarily afflicts the middle-aged and elderly populations and athletes. The diagnosis is relatively easy for the primary care provider to establish because of the typical presentation. Diagnostic studies usually are not warranted, but a careful history and physical examination are essential in identifying various predisposing anatomical, biomechanical, and environmental factors. This article addresses a wide array of conservative measures available in developing an individualized management approach based on the contributing factors identified. Because 90% or more respond to conservative measures, the primary care provider can manage the care of the majority of clients who present with plantar fasciitis. To avoid painful recurrence, measures effective in relieving symptoms need to be included in an ongoing plan of prevention.
Variation of sign and magnitude of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction of a ferromagnet with an oxide interface

We demonstrate that both the magnitude and sign of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction can be tuned by modifying the type and thickness of an oxide layer adjacent to a ferromagnet. We focus on $\mathrm{Ti}/\mathrm{Cu}/\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{o}}_{90}\mathrm{F}{\mathrm{e}}_{10}/\mathrm{Ta}({d}_{\mathrm{Ta}})/\mathrm{Oxide}/\mathrm{Ta}$ structures, where the Ta interlayer thickness ${d}_{\mathrm{Ta}}$ ranged from 0 nm to 3 nm, followed by an exposure to oxygen and ``Oxide'' can mean $\mathrm{CoFe}{\mathrm{O}}_{\mathrm{x}}$ and/or $\mathrm{Ta}{\mathrm{O}}_{\mathrm{x}}$. We used Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy to directly determine the volume-averaged Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction from the nonreciprocity of the spin-wave frequency. The magnitude of the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, ${D}_{\mathrm{DMI}}$, ranges from $\ensuremath{-}0.17$ to $+0.09(\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02)\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mJ}/{\mathrm{m}}^{2}$, clearly showing a change in both sign and magnitude, with an increase of Ta interlayer thickness. The modification of the oxide interface allows us to systematically change the hybridization of the $3d\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{CoFe}$ orbitals from $3d\ensuremath{-}5d$ to $3d\ensuremath{-}2p$ and analyze the influence on the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Importantly, we can vary the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction while maintaining a relatively small value of the damping parameter.
Who Influences Urban Students’ College Aspirations? Evidence From the Fifth Largest School District in the United States:

This study explored students’ perceptions about school counselor influence on college aspirations in the fifth largest school district in the nation. Using 2015 survey data from 12th graders, the f...
How Has COVID-19 Affected the Costs of the Surgical Fellowship Interview Process?

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on the costs of the surgical fellowship interview process. DESIGN A literature review of the historical costs of surgical fellowship interviews and a summary of how the shift to virtual interviews has unintended positive and negative effects on costs for applicants and training programs. RESULTS Transitioning fellowship interviews to virtual platforms affects expenditures of finances and time. Each fellowship candidate saves close to $6,000 in interview travel expenses. Applicants require less time off from their residency programs during this critical time of need for frontline healthcare workers. However, applicants miss some of the live aspects of interviewing, and training programs invest more effort upfront altering their interviews to virtual formats. CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 public health crisis has had a significant impact on surgical education, including how selection is conducted. Virtual recruitment has the potential for cost savings but should continue to be refined. This is an opportune time to innovate and rethink how to recruit prospective surgical residency and fellowship candidates during the current and forthcoming interview seasons.
Grinding of additively manufactured silicon carbide surfaces for optical applications

Abstract Many of the properties of Silicon carbide (SiC) are advantageous for optical applications, such as telescope mirrors and industrial laser systems. However, the base shapes of complex components are costly and difficult to manufacture. Leveraging additive manufacturing, near net complex components are readily processed. Here, we investigate the post processing of additively manufactured SiC (AM SiC) compared to chemical vapor deposited (CVD) SiC. The specific grinding energy for the AM SiC was lower than CVD, however the trends were the same. A specular finish was observed on both materials but the AM SiC finish was limited due to residual porosity.
Is Affirmation the Cure? Self-Affirmation and European-Americans’ Perception of Systemic Racism

Racial-ethnic gaps in perception of racism are persistent in the United States, perhaps because the acknowledgement of racism is threatening to European Americans. Supporting this argument, prelimi...
Ultrafast laser modification of ceramics and glasses

Understanding interactions of ultrashort laser pulses with ceramics and glasses is critical for advancing the frontier of ultrafast materials science and producing novel states and structures in glasses, ceramics, and glass-ceramics. First, an overview of generation and control of ultrashort pulses covering nano-, pico-, femto-, and attosecond timescales will be presented. Chirped pulse amplification (CPA) that led to advancement of ultrashort laser pulses will be introduced, followed by details on how these pulses interact with materials. Linear and nonlinear optical processes induced by the laser pulses will be discussed. Feasibility of high-harmonic generation (HHG) in quartz crystal, fused silica, and oxides reported in the literature will be presented. Femtosecond laser based processing e.g., writing of wave guides, gratings, band gap structures, ceramic microstructuring, and glass strengthening, will be described. The presentation will conclude with the promise of extreme light sources in study of materials, particularly ceramics and glasses.
Calreticulin exploits TGF-β for extracellular matrix induction engineering a tissue regenerative process

Topical application of extracellular calreticulin (eCRT), an ER chaperone protein, in animal models enhances wound healing and induces tissue regeneration evidenced by epidermal appendage neogenesis and lack of scarring. In addition to chemoattraction of cells critical to the wound healing process, eCRT induces abundant neo-dermal extracellular matrix (ECM) formation by 3 days post-wounding. The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanisms involved in eCRT induction of ECM. In vitro, eCRT strongly induces collagen I, fibronectin, elastin, α-smooth muscle actin in human adult dermal (HDFs) and neonatal fibroblasts (HFFs) mainly via TGF-β canonical signaling and Smad2/3 activation; RAP, an inhibitor of LRP1 blocked eCRT ECM induction. Conversely, eCRT induction of α5 and β1 integrins was not mediated by TGF-β signaling nor inhibited by RAP. Whereas eCRT strongly induces ECM and integrin α5 proteins in K41 wild-type mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs), CRT null MEFs were unresponsive. The data show that eCRT induces the synthesis and release of TGF-β3 first via LRP1 or other receptor signaling and later induces ECM proteins via LRP1 signaling subsequently initiating TGF-β receptor signaling for intracellular CRT (iCRT)-dependent induction of TGF-β1 and ECM proteins. In addition, TGF-β1 induces 2-3-fold higher level of ECM proteins than eCRT. Whereas eCRT and iCRT converge for ECM induction, we propose that eCRT attenuates TGF-β-mediated fibrosis/scarring to achieve tissue regeneration.
DEFICIENCY OF ADENOSINE DEAMINASE 2: A RECENTLY DESCRIBED AUTOINFLAMMATORY DISEASE WITH NEUROLOGICAL MANIFESTATIONS (P1.254)

Objective: To characterize the neurological symptoms for Deficiency of Adenosine Deaminase Type II (DAD2), analyze the relationship between CECR1 mutation location and neurological findings, and report a case with a novel CECR1 mutation Background: DAD2 is an autoinflammatory disease caused by mutations in the CECR1 gene yielding recurrent fever, livedo reticularis, and neurological symptoms. We analyzed published cases of DAD2 to provide broader characterization of the neurological manifestations of this disorder. We also report a 6-year-old boy who presented repeatedly over several years with a constellation of findings from DAD2. Design/Methods: A literature search yielded 117 DAD2 cases, 90 had sufficient clinical details for analysis. Characteristics such as age, clinical symptoms, imaging findings, labs, and treatments were recorded. The relationship between CECR1 mutation location and neurological symptoms was analyzed. Statistical analysis including chi-square and logistic regression were performed in SAS. Results: 91 cases were analyzed, 51 male. Median age at neurological symptom presentation was 3 years and ranged from one month to 42 years. Neurological symptoms were found in 59%(54), and categorized as ocular dysfunction(32), appendicular motor or sensory dysfunction(25), coordination disturbances(16), speech difficulty(12), altered mental status(12), headache(10), developmental delay(4), seizure(3), or other(15). MRI findings of an infarction, hemorrhage, or other abnormality were found in 52%(28), 19%(10), and 15%(8) respectively. Lacunar lesions were seen in 44%(24). Hypogammaglobulinemia, elevated inflammatory markers and abnormal immunological labs were most often associated with neurological symptoms but not statistically significant. Neurological symptoms or MRI infarction/hemorrhage were significantly associated with mutations between amino acids 154–204 (OR 3.6, CI 1.097–11.685). Conclusions: DAD2 involves a spectrum of neurological symptoms and MRI findings. Mutations at amino acids 154–204 of the CECR1 gene are more likely to cause neurological symptoms than mutations elsewhere in CECR1. A better understanding of these neurological manifestations will aid in earlier diagnosis, which can reduce morbidity, mortality, and unnecessary testing. Disclosure: Dr. Noll has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kessler has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gratton has nothing to disclose.
Plasma cell vulvitis: a circuitous route to treatment efficacy.

Plasma cell vulvitis [PCV] is an uncommonly reported benign condition of the vulva characterised by erythematous plaques composed of predominantly plasma cells. The plaques can cover any external v...
Analysis of paired end Pol II ChIP-seq and short capped RNA-seq in MCF-7 cells

While a role of promoter-proximal RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) pausing in regulation of eukaryotic gene expression is implied, the mechanisms and dynamics of this process are poorly understood. We performed genome-wide analysis of short capped RNAs (scRNAs) and Pol II chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells to better understand Pol II pausing (Samarakkody, A., Abbas, A., Scheidegger, A., Warns, J., Nnoli, O., Jokinen, B., Zarns, K., Kubat, B., Dhasarathy, A. and Nechaev, S. (2015) RNA polymerase II pausing can be retained or acquired during activation of genes involved in the epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Nucleic Acids Res43, 3938-3949). The data are available at the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus under accession number GSE67041. For both ChIP and scRNA samples, we used paired end sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq instrument. For ChIP-seq, the use of paired end sequencing allowed us to avoid ambiguities in center-read definition. For scRNA seq, this allowed us to identify both the 5'-end and the 3'-end in the same run that represent, respectively, the transcription start sites and the locations of Pol II pausing. The sharpening of Pol II ChIP-seqmetagene profiles when aligned against 5'-ends of scRNAs indicates that these RNAs can be used to define the start sites for the majority of mRNA transcription events.
Beyond Economic Substance: Interrogating the Full Impacts of Third-Party Relationships in Tax Shelter Cases

The evaluation of relationships between actors is an important preoccupation across many areas of law. The degree of respect accorded a relationship can give rise to significant legal consequences. No less so in tax law. Relationships between taxpayers and other parties are critical in triggering the realization events necessary to generate favorable tax consequences. And, where tax law refuses to respect such relationships, adverse tax consequences follow. This article analyzes the effects of relationality in tax shelter transactions. First, it discusses the importance of relationship evaluation in traditional assessments of whether a tax transaction has, “substance,” highlighting challenges faced by courts in performing such evaluation and arguing that despite moderate success, judicial efforts at relationship evaluation could be more consistent and more robustly expressed. The article next identifies two additional problems associated with relationships with third parties in tax shelter litigation, namely, adverse impacts on evidentiary transparency and obfuscatory impacts on doctrine. To mitigate these problems, it offers two proposals: (1) judicial application of a rigorously implemented and explicitly expressed, “oppositional-choice,” analysis; and (2) rehabilitation of the business purpose doctrine from the confusion caused by relationships with third parties. These proposals will encourage more accurate judicial determinations of whether to respect relationships between taxpayers and third parties, raise public consciousness about the importance of third parties in tax planning by encouraging explicit judicial narratives about third-party relationships, and discourage taxpayers from engaging in the aggressive formation of relationships that serve only to drain the fisc.
Comparison of the IS-MP and IS-LM Models and Policy Implications: The Case of the U.S.

According to regression analysis based on the U.S. data, the IS-MP model reveals that expansionary fiscal policy would stimulate the economy and a lower expected inflation rate would increase real output whereas the IS-LM model shows that expansionary fiscal policy is ineffective and that a lower expected inflation rate would not increase real output. Both models indicate that real depreciation or a higher stock price would increase real output. The IS-LM model exhibits a smaller forecast error and a higher explanatory power than the IS-MP model. These results may pose challenges for policymakers in model selections and making macroeconomic decisions.
Potential for Existing Detention Basins to Comply with Updated Stormwater Rules: Case Study

AbstractIn 2004 the State of New Jersey updated its stormwater management regulations with stricter design standards for attenuating peak flow, improving water quality, and recharging groundwater. This case study modeled four properties in Middlesex County, New Jersey to examine the potential of basins built before 2004 to comply with the new design standards. None of the models meets all aspects of the 2004 regulations. The model of a 10-year-old residential site produces results within 10% of two of the peak flow reduction targets and provides 18% of the target groundwater recharge volume. The model of a 32-year-old basin does not meet any of the peak flow reduction targets, has a detention time of less than 1 h and infiltrates 1% of its target recharge volume. A hypothetical hydraulic conductivity of 5 cm/h was added to the models to explore the potential effects of a soil restoration technique such as deep tillage. With this rate, the groundwater recharge for the 10-, 21-, and 32-year-old models incr...
Targeting the therapeutic effects of exercise on redox-sensitive mechanisms in the vascular endothelium during tumor progression.

The American Cancer Society estimated 1.5 million new cancer cases in the United States in 2012. Although the exact number is not known, it is estimated that brain metastases occur in 20–40% of cancer patients (39). Owing to the complexity of development and the variation in tumor etiology, therapy options have been limited for a number of cancers, whereas progressive treatments have been successful for some malignancies. Combining treatment strategies has shown potential to increase positive outcomes; however, cancer remains a formidable diagnosis with no true cure. Many researchers have focused on alternative forms of cancer prevention or treatment to slow cancer progression. Studies have shown that with moderate, regular exercise signaling pathways associated with increased antioxidant activity and cellular repair are upregulated in vascular tissue; however, the physiological mechanisms are poorly understood. The purpose of this review is to examine the current literature to better understand the impact of exercise on cancer progression and tumor metastasis and discuss potential redox-related signaling in the vasculature that may be involved. © 2013 IUBMB Life, 65(7):565–571, 2013.
Principal-agent theory and the structure of science policy

The problem of science policy is the problem of delegation. How do nonscientists get scientists to do what we all, as citizens, have decided? An analytical framework known as principal-agent theory is introduced to examine the problents of delegation. A number of areas of empirical interest in science policy are highlighted and recast as problems specific to delegatory relationships. The implications of science as an agent of society are addressed. The conclusion is that none of the values of science, such as scientific autonomy or scientific truth, is threatened by taking a principal-agent perspective on science. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.
Assessing protein similarity with Gene Ontology and its use in subnuclear localization prediction

The accomplishment of the various genome sequencing projects resulted in accumulation of massive amount of gene sequence information. This calls for a large-scale computational method for predicting protein localization from sequence. The protein localization can provide valuable information about its molecular function, as well as the biological pathway in which it participates. The prediction of localization of a protein at subnuclear level is a challenging task. In our previous work we proposed an SVM-based system using protein sequence information for this prediction task. In this work, we assess protein similarity with Gene Ontology (GO) and then improve the performance of the system by adding a module of nearest neighbor classifier using a similarity measure derived from the GO annotation terms for protein sequences. The performance of the new system proposed here was compared with our previous system using a set of proteins resided within 6 localizations collected from the Nuclear Protein Database (NPD). The overall MCC (accuracy) is elevated from 0.284 (50.0%) to 0.519 (66.5%) for single-localization proteins in leave-one-out cross-validation; and from 0.420 (65.2%) to 0.541 (65.2%) for an independent set of multi-localization proteins. The new system is available at http://array.bioengr.uic.edu/subnuclear.htm . The prediction of protein subnuclear localizations can be largely influenced by various definitions of similarity for a pair of proteins based on different similarity measures of GO terms. Using the sum of similarity scores over the matched GO term pairs for two proteins as the similarity definition produced the best predictive outcome. Substantial improvement in predicting protein subnuclear localizations has been achieved by combining Gene Ontology with sequence information.
Strategies for Finding Individual Purpose and Meaning

One strategy for achieving a meaningful life is described by John Kekes of New York State University at Albany. His belief on this matter is that the will is informed and is capable of achieving a meaningful life if the following conditions are met.
A STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF DIVERGENCE AND ADVECTION ON LAPSE RATE

Abstract The local twelve-hour change of temperature lapse rate from 5,000 to 10,000 feet is computed in 50 cases as a function of horizontal velocity divergence and vertical variation of horizontal temperature advection, and the result compared with the observed change of lapse rate. The divergence is measured from charts of horizontal velocity components; the vertical variation of horizontal temperature advection is measured by the rate of flow across the isotherms at two different levels and, as an alternate method, by the hodograph. The standard errors of estimate for these two methods are, respectively, 2.2 and 4.4 C km−1. The reliability of the measurements of divergence is studied by comparing the measured values with values computed from the difference between observed change of lapse rate and vertical variation of advection. The correlation coefficient relating these two methods is + 0.60 when advection is measured on constant level charts and + 0.40 when advection is measured by the hodograph.
Intramembranous solute and water fluxes during high intramembranous absorption rates in fetal sheep with and without lung liquid diversion.

Objective To examine mechanisms that mediate increased intramembranous solute and water absorption. Study Design Intramembranous solute and water fluxes were measured in fetal sheep under basal conditions and after intraamniotic infusion of lactated Ringer's solution of 4 L/d for 3 days with and without lung liquid diversion. Results Intramembranous sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, glucose, and lactate fluxes increased 2.5- to 7.9-fold, were linearly related to volume fluxes (r = 0.83-0.99), and were unaffected by lung liquid. All clearance rates, except that of lactate, increased to equal the intramembranous volume absorption rate during infusion. Conclusion Under basal conditions, passive diffusion makes a minor and bulk flow a major contribution to intramembranous solute absorption. During high absorption rates, the increase in solute absorption above basal levels appears to be due entirely to bulk flow and is unaffected by lung liquid. The increased bulk flow is consistent with vesicular transcytosis.
Electron transport in hydrogenated amorphous silicon: drift mobility and junction capacitance

Abstract Time-of-flight measurements of the electron drift mobility in hydrogenated amorphous silicon prepared by glow discharge decomposition of silane are described. The effect of electric field amplitude, dielectric relaxation, and the intensity and absorption length of the excitation light on the shape of the photocurrent transients is discussed. The electron drift mobility is found to be 0.9 cm 2 V −1 s −1 and the transport process is diffusive with an electron deep-trapping lifetime in excess of 1 μs. In the second part of the paper the frequency and illumination dependences of the junction capacitance of Schottky barrier solar cells are interpreted in terms of a time-dependent screening length which is controlled by the density and release rates of electron traps. Based on this interpretation of the capacitance, a new method is proposed for the interpretation of capacitance-voltage data. The technique is applied to chromium, palladium and platinum Schottky barrier contacts and used to infer the electric field distribution and the density of deep hole traps.
On the Parasitic Protozoa of Liberia. V. Coccidia of Liberian Rodents.

SYNOPSIS. In a survey of coccidia of rodents from Harbel, Libera, the following species of Eimeria were found and described: E. musculoidei n. sp. from Mus (Leggada) musculoides; E. separata Becker & Hall, 1931 from Rattus (Dephomys) defua (new host record); E. praomysis n. sp. from Rattus (Praomys) tullbergi rostratus; E. dasymysis n. sp. from Dasymys incomptus rufulus; E. lemniscomysis n. sp. from Lemniscomys striatus striatus; and E. lophuromysis n. sp., E. sikapusii n. sp., E. liberiensis n. sp., E. harbelensis n. sp., E. africana n. sp., and E. kruidenieri n. sp. from Lophuromys sikapusi sikapusi.
A mass transfer model for VOC emission from silage

Abstract Silage has been shown to be an important source of emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone. Measurements have shown that environmental conditions and silage properties strongly influence emission rates, making it difficult to assess the contribution of silage in VOC emission inventories. In this work, we present an analytical convection-diffusion-dispersion model for predicting emission of VOCs from silage. It was necessary to incorporate empirical relationships from wind tunnel trials for the response of mass transfer parameters to surface air velocity and silage porosity. The resulting model was able to accurately predict the effect of temperature on ethanol emission in wind tunnel trials, but it over-predicted alcohol and aldehyde emission measured using a mass balance approach from corn silage samples outdoors and within barns. Mass balance results confirmed that emission is related to gas-phase porosity, but the response to air speed was not clear, which was contrary to wind tunnel results. Mass balance results indicate that alcohol emission from loose silage on farms may approach 50% of the initial mass over six hours, while relative losses of acetaldehyde will be greater.
Evolution in Reimbursement for Sleep Studies and Sleep Centers

Because of the rapid increase in the volume and costs of polysomnography and other sleep medicine diagnostic services, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently commissioned the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to review claims submitted for these services. The OIG found numerous cases of inappropriate payment for submitted claims and recommended significant changes in the CMS auditing process for polysomnography claims review. Additionally, a local Medicare Administrative Contractor released the most specific rules and regulations to date regarding billing and payment for sleep medicine services. These regulations specify covered diagnoses for submitted claims for both facility-based polysomnograms and unattended home sleep tests (HSTs) and list noncovered diagnoses that cannot be used to document medical necessity for such studies. The proposed rules specify minimum credentials for technologists performing polysomnograms and HSTs, mandate education prior to application of HST devices, demand a follow-up visit to discuss results after studies, and elaborate new requirements for physicians interpreting these studies. Providers of sleep medicine services must be prepared to provide documentation of diagnoses and indications when submitting claims for sleep services, and they can expect to be required to produce evidence of accreditation of the physicians and technologists providing services and the credentials of the sleep center. These changes will dramatically affect sleep medicine practitioners who order sleep studies and positive airway pressure therapies. Successful sleep medicine centers and sleep physicians alike will need to develop strategies to meet these new challenges.
A Highly Efficient Synthetic Strategy for Polymeric Support Synthesis of Lex, Ley, and H‐type 2 Oligosaccharides

The O-protecting groups Levulinoyl (Lev) and 9-fluroenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) offer an attractive set of orthogonal protecting groups which are compatible with base sensitive N-trichloroethoxylcarbonyl (Troc) group. B exploiting these orthogonal protecting groups and a novel phenolic ester linker, a series of oligosaccharide of biological importance, Le(x), H-type 2, and Le(y), were synthesized on the polytheylene glycol resin MPEG (Mw 5000). The products bearing a p-hydroxybenzyl group could be easily converted into glycosyl donors for further synthesis. Using this strategy, a spacer containing tumor antigen Le(y)-Lac hexasaccharide was described. The artificial spacer at the reducing end provides an opportunity for selective conjugation to an appropriate carrier protein for immunlogical studies.
RNAi triggered by specialized machinery silences developmental genes and retrotransposons

RNA interference (RNAi) is a conserved mechanism in which small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) guide the degradation of cognate RNAs, but also promote heterochromatin assembly at repetitive DNA elements such as centromeric repeats. However, the full extent of RNAi functions and its endogenous targets have not been explored. Here we show that, in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, RNAi and heterochromatin factors cooperate to silence diverse loci, including sexual differentiation genes, genes encoding transmembrane proteins, and retrotransposons that are also targeted by the exosome RNA degradation machinery. In the absence of the exosome, transcripts are processed preferentially by the RNAi machinery, revealing siRNA clusters and a corresponding increase in heterochromatin modifications across large domains containing genes and retrotransposons. We show that the generation of siRNAs and heterochromatin assembly by RNAi is triggered by a mechanism involving the canonical poly(A) polymerase Pla1 and an associated RNA surveillance factor Red1, which also activate the exosome. Notably, siRNA production and heterochromatin modifications at these target loci are regulated by environmental growth conditions, and by developmental signals that induce gene expression during sexual differentiation. Our analyses uncover an interaction between RNAi and the exosome that is conserved in Drosophila, and show that differentiation signals modulate RNAi silencing to regulate developmental genes.
Antiviral therapy: nucleotide and nucleoside analogs

For the management of HBV infection, an increasing number of nucleotide and nucleoside analogs are active against wild-type HBV and some against HBV with YMDD and other compensatory mutations. Table 2 depicts the IC50 and susceptibilities of HBV to various antiviral agents. The dichotomy between in vitro and in vivo susceptibilities to YMDD mutants is due to a change in IC50 between wild-type and mutant virus. Thus a drug may have less activity in vitro but at doses used in vivo show activity against YMDD and other compensatory mutations. Some HBV drugs share activity against HIV, which may be useful in the co-infected patient. Other nucleoside analogs are in various stages of development, including MCC-478 and DAPD. In the future, clinicians will have a plethora of reagents to chose from, and combination therapies may be invoked.
THE PLIGHT OF THE URBAN RESERVOIR: A CASE STUDY

: This paper details the increasing tendency to overdevelop lands adjacent to public reservoirs. The impact on water quality of the pollutant load carried in surface runoff from developed lands is described as well as the depreciation in recreational experience due to loss of scenic horizons. The case study, Spruce Run Reservoir in Clinton, New Jersey, included population and demand projections. Land speculation and proposed development are evaluated on a physical constraint basis. Areas of conflict are outlined and conflict resolutions proposed.
Evidence of an Intermediate-Mass Black Hole: Chandra and XMM-Newton Observations of the Ultraluminous Supersoft X-Ray Source in M101 during Its 2004 Outburst

We report the results of Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of a new outburst of an ultraluminous supersoft X-ray source in M101. CXOU J140332.3+542103 was observed in a low-luminosity state (LX ~ 1037 ergs s-1) between 2004 January and May. The low-state X-ray spectra were relatively hard; the combined low-state spectrum can be fitted with a combination of a power law with photon index of 1.4 and a blackbody of 63 eV. During 2004 July, the source underwent a strong outburst and the peak 0.3-7 keV luminosity reached 3 × 1040 ergs s-1, with a bolometric luminosity of about 1041 ergs s-1. The outburst spectra were very soft and can be generally fitted with a blackbody model with temperatures of 50-100 eV. In two of the observations, absorption edges at 0.33, 0.56, 0.66, and 0.88 keV were found. An XMM-Newton observation was also performed during the decay of the outburst, and a power-law tail was seen in addition to the supersoft spectrum. We consider different accretion models; one involving an intermediate-mass black hole can explain the observations.
Quality of life among children and adolescents with neurofibromatosis 1: a systematic review of the literature.

The aim of this research is to identify, within a systematic review, aspects of quality of life (QoL) that are adversely affected in children and adolescents with neurofibromatosis (NF), and to report predictors of quality of life in this population. Published reports of original research were included if they described QoL in children and/or adolescents with NF, and met methodological quality according to a list of predefined criteria. Seven studies conducted between 2006 and 2013 met inclusion criteria. All seven studies examined patients with NF1 and reported that these patients have lower general QoL compared to population norms. Parents’ proxy ratings of QoL were generally lower than children’s self-report ratings. By parent proxy, familial NF1 was a strong protective factor for QoL, while the opposite was found by child report. By parent proxy, male sex was significantly associated with lower scores on the parental time impact of QoL. Skin-related QoL was only slightly altered in this population, vision-specific QoL was impacted only in patients with vision loss. The majority of findings regarding predictors of QoL in children with NF1 were weak, due to a lack of studies, heterogeneity of samples, and heterogeneity of measurements/predictors assessed. Future studies should examine more comprehensively the psychosocial factors affecting the NF population, especially in young patients with NF2 and schwannomatosis, who have been neglected in prior research. The use of consistent QoL measures is preferred to allow better comparison among studies and conditions. Interventions, including comprehensive mind–body treatments, are warranted to address impaired QoL in children and adolescents with NF1.
Cytogenetic Abnormalities in Primary Bronchopulmonary Leiomyosarcoma of Childhood

Primary bronchopulmonary leiomyosarcoma (PBLMS) is a rare malignant neoplasm in all age groups and only 10 pediatric cases of PBLMS have been reported. This report presents cytogenetic findings of a PBLMS from an 8-year-old boy. Tumor diagnosis was established by using routine histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy. The karyotype was highly complex, demonstrating consistent structural abnormalities of chromosomes 1, 5, 6, and 7, relative gain of chromosomes 2 and 11, and relative loss of chromosomes 9, 19, 20, and 22, along with the presence of multiple marker chromosomes. Cytogenetic results of previously reported leiomyosarcomas are reviewed and compared with the present case.
The search for the best deal: How hotel cancellation policies affect the search and booking decisions of deal-seeking customers

Abstract This study examined cancellation policies and their role in shaping travelers’ deal-seeking behavior, exploring the impact of cancellation fees and deadlines on three, mutually exclusive, customers’ hotel booking behavior categories: “Book”, “Book and Search”, and “Search”. 291 subjects, who participated in a week long online “booking game”, attempted to book a room in a virtual hotel and get the best deal. The results were tested using small sample t-test for comparing proportions between two independent populations, non-parametric multiple pairwise comparisons, and multinomial logit regression models. The findings indicate that the cancellation deadline affected participants’ behavior while the size of the cancellation fee had no statistically significant impact. In addition, there was no significant difference between lenient cancellation deadline and no cancellation policy.
Immune modulation by chondroitin sulfate and its degraded disaccharide product in the development of an experimental model of multiple sclerosis

Clinical symptoms in MOG-induced EAE mice significantly exacerbated following chondroitin sulfate A (CS-A) injection, whereas administration of a degraded product, CSPG-DS, caused dramatic inhibition of EAE development. Also, administration of CSPG-DS but not CS-A, after the onset of clinical symptoms of EAE, was able to suppress the disease. Further studies demonstrated that CS-A up-regulated STAT4 expression and thus, induced IFN-gamma production and Th1 CD4 T cell differentiation. CS-A also up-regulated STAT3 and IL-23 expression and thus increased IL-17 producing T cells. CSPG-DS treatment both in vivo and in vitro decreased TNFalpha production from splenocytes. In vitro and in vivo studies indicated that CSPG-DS treatment in EAE mice significantly blocked migration of lymphocytes, whereas CS-A treatment increased lymphocyte infiltration in the brain.
Energy levels and probe placement in contact transscleral semiconductor diode laser cyclophotocoagulation in human cadaver eyes.

• We investigated the effects of semiconductor diode laser contact transscleral cyclophotocoagulation in human cadaver eyes by gross examination, light microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy to determine optimum clinical treatment parameters. Irradiation was performed using a continuous-wave semiconductor diode laser with a fiber-optic probe. At 1.0 to 1.25 mm posterior to the limbus, spots were centered on the pars plicata by gross examination. Exposures of less than 2 J produced no visible damage. A 2- to 3-J exposure produced mild whitening of the ciliary processes, while 4- to 5-J exposures created more intense whitening of the pars plicata. Energies higher than 5 J frequently produced explosive tissue damage. Light microscopy of tissue treated with 1.8 to 6 J at 1.0 to 1.25 mm posterior to the limbus revealed coagulation necrosis of the nonpigmented and pigmented epithelium, with evidence of thermal coagulation of the ciliary stroma and stromal vasculature. Coagulation necrosis was more intense with longer exposure times. We found the optimum parameters for contact transscleral diode laser cyclophotocoagulation in cadaver eyes to be 3 to 4.5 J of energy delivered with the anterior edge of the probe 1.0 to 1.25 mm posterior to the limbus.
Affecting Institutionalization Assessment of Student Learning in Africana Studies

This essay provides an overview of the current context and role of assessment in higher education. It also illuminates assessment efforts within the discipline of Africana studies. The essay seeks to stimulate conversations on assessing learning outcomes within the discipline of Africana studies by examining an assessment model created by the National Council for Black Studies Commission on Assessment, Program Review, and Accreditation.
An Inexpensive Rocket Technique for Obtaining Low Level Wind Profiles

Abstract An inexpensive, reusable, cold propellant (no fire) rocket has been adapted so a continuous smoke stream is emitted from the instant of launching to an altitude of 1200 ft. The smoke column is photographed simultaneously at 10-sec intervals by two cameras located 2000 ft from the launch site and at right angles to each other. Results are presented in terms of north–south and east–west components of the wind speed at any desired altitude to 1200 ft. A brief cost analysis is presented as evidence that the rocket technique is quite inexpensive relative to other systems in use today.
Manual rat sleep classification in principal component space

A simple method is described for using principal component analysis (PCA) to score rat sleep recordings as awake, rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, or non-REM (NREM) sleep. PCA was used to reduce the dimensionality of the features extracted from each epoch to three, and the projections were then graphed in a scatterplot where the clusters were visually apparent. The clusters were then directly manually selected, classifying the entire recording at once. The method was tested in a set of ten 24-h rat sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyogram (EMG) recordings. Classifications by two human raters performing traditional epoch-by-epoch scoring were blindly compared with classifications by another two human raters using the new PCA method. Overall inter-rater median percent agreements ranged between 93.7% and 94.9%. Median Cohen's kappa coefficient ranged from 0.890 to 0.909. The PCA method on average required about 5 min for classification of each 24-h recording. The combination of good accuracy and reduced time compared to traditional sleep scoring suggests that the method may be useful for sleep research.
Geophysical imaging with backpropagation and zeroth‐order phase approximation

A promising technique for high resolution geophysical imaging has been proposed which is based on the inversion of an exact solution to the reduced wave equation. The method is known as backpropagation because it propagates a received waveform back into the host formation mapping wavespeed variations. The implementation of backpropagation is complicated by the fact that it requires a complete characterization of the wave source and the wave propagation properties of a homogeneous host medium. The imaging procedure can be simplified by utilizing a zeroth-order phase approximation which allows implementation with first arrival times. Numerical experiments and a field study suggests that this approach is a practical means for high resolution subsurface imaging.
PRODUCT STATE DISTRIBUTION IN THE PHOTODISSOCIATION OF VINYL CHLORIDE AT 193 NM

Abstract The rotational state populations of HCl(v″=0, 1, and 2) and the fine structure population of Cl(2Pj) produced in the UV photodissociation of vinyl chloride were measured in a molecular beam pump-and-probe experiment. Boltzmann-like distributions were observed for the rotational populations in vibrational states v″=1 and 2, with temperatures of 2100±250 and 1800±140 K, respectively. In contrast, for v″=0 a non-Boltzmann distribution was observed, with low- and high-J “temperatures” of 340 and 22600 K, respectively. The very different rotational distributions observed for v″=0 and v″>0 suggest the existence of a dual mechanism for elimination. 89% of the Cl atoms were observed in the 2P 3 2 state, which is indicative of an adiabatic recoil mechanism.
Impairments, disabilities, and bases for neurological rehabilitation after stroke.

Prospective studies of patients with acute stroke have documented the incidence of neurological impairments and disabilities in activities of daily living that may persist at the end of the initial acute hospital admission (Table 1). These affect the placement of survivors of stroke (Table 2) and, along with interacting psychosocial issues, account for at least 75% of the economic impact of stroke/ The sensitivity of measures of initial impairments and subsequent improvement, especially for cognitive and behavioral impairments, will depend on the sensitivity of the testing methods and the scales employed. Positive changes are especially evident over time in functional disabilities for self-care skills, mobility, and community activities that arise from physical and cognitive impairments. The natural history of gains is evident from several population-based acute stroke studies. 2-7 A communitybased, prospective British study assessed 680 patients at the onset of an acute stroke. The investigators found a hemiparesis in 88%, with equal numbers graded mild (functionally insignificant), moderate, and severe (little or no movement). At I month, 26% had no impairment, and 39% were graded as mild. Motor impairment on this broad scale at 6 months was rated as none for 39% of survivors, mild for 36%, moderate for 10%, and severe for 14%. Presenting with a mild compared with a severe motor impairment made it 10 times more likely that full recovery would follow. The ability to ambulate is an important outcome after stroke. A community-based population study in Copenhagen that prospectively followed 800 acute stroke survivors initially found that 51% were unable to walk, 12%