cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PULMONARY EMPHYSEMA AND OTHER CARDIORESPIRATORY LESIONS AS PART OF THE MARFAN ABIOTROPHY

Seven cases of Marfan9s syndrome are reviewed clinically, radiologically, and pathologically. Six of the seven cases showed evidence of pulmonary dysaeration: (a) Two of the cases showed compression of the left main-stem bronchus by a giant left atrium with atelectasis of the left lung and compensatory emphysema of the right lung. (b) Two of the cases showed evidence of diffuse chronic pulmonary emphysema. Three cases had bilateral apical bullae. (c) One of the cases developed pneumothorax. The lungs of the children with the Marfan syndrome show precocious maturation of the elastic stroma of the alveolar septae. The pathogenesis of emphysema is discussed in relationship to the Marfan abiotrophy of connective tissue.
Images of the Month: Schistosomiasis as a Solitary Sigmoid Nodule.

A healthy thirty-year old man, who had emigrated from rural Brazil seven years earlier, presented with one and a half years of chronic diarrhea. Stool evaluation was negative for ova and parasites, negative for fecal leukocytes and had normal flora on culture. Colonoscopy was normal except for one 4mm nodule in the sigmoid colon that had the appearance of a submucosal lipoma (Figure 1). Histologic examination of the sigmoid nodule demonstrated multiple non-necrotizing granulomas in the lamina propria surrounded by a dense inflammatory infiltrate composed of eosinophils (Figure 2, H&E, 100X). The center of some granulomas contained calcified material, morphologically compatible with Schistosoma eggs, approximately 80 microns in diameter (Figure 3, H&E, 200X). In light of these findings, he was given oral Praziquantel 1200mg for three doses with complete resolution of symptoms. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3
Wine Industry Competitiveness: A survey of the Shawnee Hills American Viticultural Area

Abstract There is a growing consumer preference for regional or "terroir" based products ( Guy 2011 ). The designation of American Viticultural Area (AVA) status has the potential to increase the development of consumer identification with regional wine products. The presence of a distinguishing terroir is one of the prerequisites for the establishment of a federally recognized AVA. The Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) granted the Shawnee Hills, located in southern Illinois, this designation at their request in 2006 (MKF 2005). The goal of the present research is to determine the key factors enhancing or constraining the competitive performance of wine businesses in the Shawnee Hills AVA. A winery competitiveness survey was administered to all owner/operators in the Shawnee Hills to determine whether the infrastructure was in place to sustain a regional wine quality program. The specific aim of this survey was to understand key factors influencing the competitive performance of wine businesses in the Shawnee Hills AVA. Shawnee Hill׳s AVA winery owner/operators regard increases in regional tourism, growth in the US wine market continuous innovation, unique services and processes, and flow of information from customers to have the most enhancing effects on their businesses, and that confidence/trust in Illinois state political systems, tax systems, and administrative/bureaucratic regulations were the most constraining factors. Furthermore the Shawnee Hills AVA has growing competition, yet consists of innovative winery owners. It may currently lack external financial support, but with a community focus on product differentiation, the Shawnee Hills AVA has a chance, owners believe, to capture a portion of the growing market for regional products.
Advanced structured unstructured solver for electromagnetic scattering from multimaterial objects

The simulation of the scattering of plane electromagnetic waves by obstacles constructed from piecewise homogeneous material media is considered. The governing equations are Maxwell's equations, which are expressed in a conservative form. The solution is obtained on a grid consisting of an unstructured assembly of linear tetrahedral elements in 3D. Mixed structured-unstructured grids are considered to achieve higher computational speeds.
A Brief Overview of the Specialty of Travel Medicine

Travel medicine is a new interdisipinary field that has as its primary goal-keeping travelers healthy and alive. In addition the specialty tends to minimize impact of illnesses and accidents by various means of self treatment.The art of travel medicine lies in the careful selection of necessary preventive strategies while avoiding those measures that may cause unnecessary adverse effects, costs or inconvience.One basic precept is that future travelers should not be proteced against rare disease while simulatnously being left to frequently exposed diseases of comparable severity
The Teaching Thoughts of Contemporary Chinese Linguistics of Undergraduates

Contemporary Chinese Linguistics is a compulsory course for students who are major in Chinese ligustics and literature and it is also a base and precession course of linguistics courses.In the course of teaching,with the attitude of serving the society and Chinese linguistics itself,we work out this problems from the following: training students with holistic thoughts,combining the teaching and studying,paying attention to the history of Chinese language and Chinese linguistics,and combining the personal study with practial needs,and at the last,giving the classes briefly and so on.
Antimicrobial and Physicochemical Characterization of Biodegradable, Nitric Oxide-Releasing Nanocellulose-Chitosan Packaging Membranes.

Biodegradable composite membranes with antimicrobial properties consisting of nanocellulose fibrils (CNFs), chitosan, and S-nitroso-N-acetyl-d-penicillamine (SNAP) were developed and tested for food packaging applications. As a nitric oxide donor, SNAP was encapsulated into completely dispersed chitosan in 100 mL of 0.1 N acetic acid and was thoroughly mixed with CNFs to produce a composite membrane. The fabricated membranes had a uniform dispersion of chitosan and SNAP within the CNFs, which was confirmed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs and a chemiluminescence nitric oxide analyzer. The membranes prepared without SNAP showed lower water vapor permeability than that of the membranes with SNAP. The addition of SNAP resulted in a decrease in Young’s modulus for both two- and three-layer membrane configurations. Antimicrobial property evaluation of SNAP-incorporated membranes showed an effective zone of inhibition against bacterial strains of Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureu...
Risk and Risk Acceptance by Society

Various dimensions of risk are identified which relate to the manner in which risk is perceived and evaluated, and several self-consistent risk characteristics are explored. Factors which are thought to influence the perception of risk include the degree of personal control over the risk, the potential of episodic events, and the probable severity of injury if a risk event occurs. These factors contribute to a personal value system which differs from an expected value measure in that severe events are considered to be more costly than what an expected value measure would predict. Risk-benefit analysis can be applied to three problems: the allocation of resources for safety expenditures, the setting of standards, and societal risk-taking decisions. Calculations of benefit are needed for the third area of application; methods for the other two frequently do not require such a measure. The nature of the probability-magnitude relationship for a number of risks suggests that risk has certain repeatable characteristics. This relationship in particular is important in an estimate of risk impact on societal resilience, which is a measure of a society to withstand catastrophic events.
Social transfer of pain in mice

A complex relationship exists between the psychosocial environment and the perception and experience of pain, and the mechanisms of the social communication of pain have yet to be elucidated. The present study examined the social communication of pain and demonstrates that “bystander” mice housed and tested in the same room as mice subjected to inflammatory pain or withdrawal from morphine or alcohol develop corresponding hyperalgesia. Olfactory cues mediate the transfer of hyperalgesia to the bystander mice, which can be measured using mechanical, thermal, and chemical tests. Hyperalgesia in bystanders does not co-occur with anxiety or changes in corticosterone and cannot be explained by visually dependent emotional contagion or stress-induced hyperalgesia. These experiments reveal the multifaceted relationship between the social environment and pain behavior and support the use of mice as a model system for investigating these factors. In addition, these experiments highlight the need for proper consideration of how experimental animals are housed and tested.
SMAP instrument antenna, on orbit performance validation & verification

NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Mission is currently flying in a 685 km orbit. Featuring a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and a radiometer sharing the same antenna, SMAP was developed in collaboration between Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). While the radar requirements on the instrument antenna were more benign from an RF point of view, the radiometer requirement were more difficult to meet because of the stability required by the radiometer to operate to its full potential. The instrument antenna performance was predicted by a very detailed RF model and verified by measuring a 1/10th scale model with great accuracy before launch. Once in orbit, we had the opportunity to measure the antenna performance for both the radiometer and the radar and compare it with the predicted performance given by our RF model. This paper discusses the work done both at JPL and GSFC in order to verify and validate the on orbit performance of the SMAP instrument antenna.
Portable low-cost platform for embedded speech analysis and synthesis

This paper describes a system for speech analysis and synthesis. It may be used with a PC, or headless, with basic audio connections. The purpose is to enable an open, low-cost graphical platform for learning and embedded applications such as speech recognition, security, compression, communication, and user speech interface. The platform is illustrated using readily available, inexpensive hardware and software.
Seeing past the Zero Sum Game in Environmental Policy – Harder Than It Looks

In Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny, Robert Wright offers a sweeping view of human evolution that culminates in his argument that modern society has become so complex and interconnected that there are no true “zero sum” games to be played between people or institutions. Indeed, much of environmental policy rests on the promise of improving the greater good by leveraging the ubiquitous presence of nonzerosumness. But Wright’s thesis turns back on itself. There is no question that social-ecological systems (SES) are highly complex and interconnected, making true zero sum games hard to find. But the sheer complexity of massive SESs is what also makes it excruciatingly difficult to connect all the dots of the nonzero sum game within the SES. At a macro scale, nonzero sum rules; at the micro scale of the farmer seeing more water go by the farm in the river, it looks like zero sum. In this short essay I outline six reasons why seeing past these micro zero sum game is so difficult, particularly for those caught in them who consider themselves the losers: (1) mixed metrics; (2) multi-scalar nature of SESs; (3) temporal transitions; (4) distribution of costs and benefits; (5) imprecise valuation; and (6) polarizing effect of government intervention. The essay was written before the 2016 election. An Epilogue offers thoughts on its meaning.
Primary Endovascular Repair of Ilio-Caval Injury Encountered during Anterior Exposure Spine Surgery: Evolution of the Paradigm.

Background Rates of major venous injury are now being reported at between 1% and 15%. Risk factors for injury include the previous spine surgery, level of exposure, and number of retractors used. To review and describe the evolution of our use of stent grafts for repair of life-threatening ilio-caval injuries encountered during anterior exposure lumbosacral (L-S) spine surgery from rescue utilization after failed direct repair to preferred modality using occlusion balloons and covered stents akin to the modern management of the ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) with endovascular aneurysm repair. Methods Five-year retrospective review of all anterior and retroperitoneal spine procedures was performed at our institution. Results One hundred two procedures were done. Major ilio-caval injury occurred in 3/102 (2.9%) cases. Average blood loss per case decreased as our approach evolved from unsuccessful direct open repair with percutaneous endovascular rescue to primary percutaneous endovascular repair. All treated patients had patent venous repair in short-term follow-up with computed tomography angiography. Conclusions Identification and rapid direct repair of major ilio-caval injuries during anterior approach spine surgery can be extremely challenging. When control of these potentially fatal injuries is required, our choice is primary endovascular repair using the modern techniques for endovascular management of ruptured AAA with endovascular aneurysm repair.
Effect of Intra-articular Triamcinolone vs Saline on Knee Cartilage Volume and Pain in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance Synovitis is common and is associated with progression of structural characteristics of knee osteoarthritis. Intra-articular corticosteroids could reduce cartilage damage associated with synovitis but might have adverse effects on cartilage and periarticular bone. Objective To determine the effects of intra-articular injection of 40 mg of triamcinolone acetonide every 3 months on progression of cartilage loss and knee pain. Design, setting, and participants Two-year, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of intra-articular triamcinolone vs saline for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis with ultrasonic features of synovitis in 140 patients. Mixed-effects regression models with a random intercept were used to analyze the longitudinal repeated outcome measures. Patients fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology criteria for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, Kellgren-Lawrence grades 2 or 3, were enrolled at Tufts Medical Center beginning February 11, 2013; all patients completed the study by January 1, 2015. Interventions Intra-articular triamcinolone (n = 70) or saline (n = 70) every 12 weeks for 2 years. Main outcomes and measures Annual knee magnetic resonance imaging for quantitative evaluation of cartilage volume (minimal clinically important difference not yet defined), and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis index collected every 3 months (Likert pain subscale range, 0 [no pain] to 20 [extreme pain]; minimal clinically important improvement, 3.94). Results Among 140 randomized patients (mean age, 58 [SD, 8] years, 75 women [54%]), 119 (85%) completed the study. Intra-articular triamcinolone resulted in significantly greater cartilage volume loss than did saline for a mean change in index compartment cartilage thickness of -0.21 mm vs -0.10 mm (between-group difference, -0.11 mm; 95% CI, -0.20 to -0.03 mm); and no significant difference in pain (-1.2 vs -1.9; between-group difference, -0.6; 95% CI, -1.6 to 0.3). The saline group had 3 treatment-related adverse events compared with 5 in the triamcinolone group and had a small increase in hemoglobin A1c levels (between-group difference, -0.2%; 95% CI, -0.5% to -0.007%). Conclusions and relevance Among patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, 2 years of intra-articular triamcinolone, compared with intra-articular saline, resulted in significantly greater cartilage volume loss and no significant difference in knee pain. These findings do not support this treatment for patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01230424.
Advances in Combinatorial Testing

Abstract Since their introduction into software testing in the mid-1980s, combinatorial methods for test design gathered popularity as a testing best practice and as a prominent software testing research area. This chapter reviews recent advances in combinatorial testing, with special focus on the research since 2011. It provides a brief background on the theory behind combinatorial testing and on its use in practice. Requirements from industry usage have led to advances in various areas examined in this chapter, including constraints handling in combinatorial algorithms, support for the combinatorial modeling process, and studies on metrics to support the effectiveness of combinatorial testing. We also highlight recent case studies describing novel use cases for test and field quality improvement in the context of system test, and for optimization of test data. Finally, we examine recent developments in advanced topics such as utilization of existing tests, test case prioritization, fault localization, and evolution of combinatorial models.
Virus perpetuation in populations: biological variables that determine persistence or eradication.

In this review, I use the term “perpetuation” for persistence of a virus in a population, since this is a different phenomenon from persistence of a virus in an infected host. Important variables that influence perpetuation differ in small ( 10,000) populations: in small populations, two important variables are persistence in individuals, and turnover of the population, while in large populations important variables are transmissibility, generation time, and seasonality. In small populations, viruses such as poliovirus that cause acute infections cannot readily be perpetuated, in contrast to viruses such as hepatitis B virus, that cause persistent infections. However, small animal populations can turnover significantly each year, permitting the perpetuation of some viruses that cause acute infections. Large populations of humans are necessary for the perpetuation of acute viruses; for instance, measles required a population of 500,000 for perpetuation in the pre-measles vaccine era. Furthermore, if an acute virus, such as poliovirus, exhibits marked seasonality in large populations, then it may disappear during the seasonal trough, even in the presence of a large number of susceptible persons. Eradication is the converse of perpetuation and can be used as a definitive approach to the control of a viral disease, as in the instance of smallpox. Therefore, the requirements for perpetuation have significant implications for practical public health goals.
Reducing Nonpoint Source Phosphorus Runoff from Poultry Manure with Aluminum Sulfate

Phosphorus (P) is generally considered to be the limiting nutrient for eutrophication in lakes and rivers. Phosphorus runoff from soils fertilized with animal manures, such as poultry manure, can be relatively high even when moderate application rates are used. Recent research has indicated that treating poultry manure with aluminum sulfate (alum) can reduce phosphorus runoff and decrease ammonia volatilization. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of alum applications to poultry manure on (1) ammonia volatilization rates from manure, (2) atmospheric ammonia levels in poultry houses, (3) poultry performance (weight gains, feed conversion, etc.), (4) energy use, and (5) P runoff from small watersheds. Two farms in NW Arkansas, USA, were utilized for this study. Alum was applied at a rate of 1816 kg house−1 in half of the houses at each farm after each flock of birds and incorporated into the manure. The other houses were controls. Ammonia volatilization rates were reduced by 97% with alum applications for the first four weeks of each growout. Birds grown on alum-treated manure were significantly heavier and had better feed conversion that birds grown in control houses. Energy use was also lower in alum-treated houses due to reduced ventilation requirements to remove ammonia (NH3). An economic analysis indicated that this best management practice was very cost-effective, with a benefit/ cost ratio of 1.96. Phosphorus runoff from normal and alum-treated poultry manure was evaluated from field-sized plots (1 acre each) for 3 years. Phosphorus concentrations in runoff water from alum-treated manure were 75% lower than normal manure. These results indicate that treating poultry manure with alum is a cost-effective best management practice that reduces nonpoint source P runoff.
Ethics in Biomedical Research and Practice

Biomedical research raises a host of ethical questions of import to biology education. This chapter covers ethical questions “intrinsic” to the research: e.g., ethical proscriptions on what kinds of research may be conducted, as well as questions “extrinsic” to research: about which research is prioritized and why, how biomedical research is funded and related considerations of allocation and distributive justice. Research ethics is the branch of biomedical ethics that concerns the responsible conduct of research – including, but not limited to: the ethical treatment of human and non-human subjects, avoiding conflicts of interest, the fair representation of authorship, and the scientist as a responsible member of society. The first part of this chapter will focus more narrowly on the ethics of research on human and non-human subjects. After the Nazi “experiments” on vulnerable populations during WWII, the Nuremberg trials and Code that resulted (1947) codified a set of norms for research on human subjects necessary to protect vulnerable populations from abuse. Until relatively recently, vulnerable populations (prisoners, soldiers) were viewed as optimal candidates for biomedical research, and were invited to participate in medical research that posed serious harms and had very little benefit, often to them as patients, and sometimes to science, in general. The most famous example of this is the Tuskegee syphilis study, in which 400 African-American men with untreated syphilis were left untreated and observed over the course of decades, even after treatment became available. With respect to the “extrinsic” issues, a variety of economists, philosophers, sociologists, and biomedical researchers have brought attention to the fact that the overwhelming majority of biomedical research is directed toward diseases that by and large affect the wealthy. Whereas historically, biomedical research was often conducted in non-profit or government sector, a larger percentage of such research today is conducted in the private sector. This raises questions about potential conflicts of interest – e.g., concerning whether clinicians and clinician researchers are unduly influenced by profit in prioritizing some research projects over others, and, whether efficacy of new drugs or treatment regimes is exaggerated and risk minimized as a result. At the end of this chapter, several proposals for addressing these issues will be reviewed. Addressing these ethical issues is important to biology education, because students from a variety of disciplines need to situate biomedical research in social and ethical context, and reflect on its larger import.
Multiproduct Supply Chain Network Design with Applications to Healthcare

In this paper, we develop a model for supply chain network design in the case of multiple products, with particular relevance to healthcare. The model allows for the determination of the optimal capacities of supply chain network activities, in the form of: manufacturing, storage, and distribution, as well as the optimal multiple product flows, and identifies at what minimal total cost the demands for the products at the various points are achievable. The model may be utilized for the determination of the optimal allocation of resources for multiple vaccine production as well as the production of medicines, among other healthcare applications. The model is sufficiently general to handle supply chain network design, as well as redesign.
Abstract 4642: Personalized cancer-specific protein corona affects the therapeutic impact of nanoparticles

Despite recent progress in nanomedicine, there is still a lack of efficient nanotherapeutics for cancer treatment. When nanoparticles (NPs) are injected, they circulate the bloodstream and interact with biomolecules, creating a biomolecular shell. This shell of biomolecules surrounding the NPs consists mostly of proteins and is referred to as the protein corona (PC). The PC composition depends on various factors, including, but not limited to i) surface properties of NPs (e.g. surface chemistry and charge), and ii) experimental parameters (e.g. incubation time, pH, temperature). The impact of these factors on the formation of the PC has been widely investigated and is nowadays well known. However, the effects of the biological milieu (e.g. patient9s health status, plasma vs serum) on the PC formation and composition have been underexamined and still need to be deeply clarified. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the protein pattern constituting the PC of NPs exposed to plasma of cancer patients is different than that of the PC formed by exposure of NPs to healthy plasma. These variations can be miniscule but crucial in the fate of NPs. In fact, NPs surrounded by a PC lose their synthetic identity and acquire a new biological identity responsible for their biological destiny (cell targeting, accumulation, immune response). In this work, we have studied the PCs formed around NPs using plasmas of patients with one of eight cancers to gain insights into the cancer-related variations of the PC composition and into their potential effects on the therapeutic efficacy of NPs. Our results confirmed that the same NPs incubated with plasmas of patients affected by different tumors have distinct PCs. Overall, this is the first wide study unveiling the specific PCs formed around NPs using plasmas of eight cancers. This comprehensive report acts as a tool for researchers in nanomedicine to design personalized nanotherapeutics in a cancer-specific manner for clinical applications. Methods: Silica NPs were incubated with plasma of healthy subjects and cancer patients. NPs in the study were 100 nm in size and the PCs in each subject9s plasma were characterized and compared using SDS-PAGE and LC-MS/MS. Plasmas of patients with one of 8 cancers have been employed: breast, rectum, lung, kidney, thyroid, uterine, bladder, ovary. Citation Format: Claudia Corbo, Morteza Mahmoudi, Omid C. Farokhzad. Personalized cancer-specific protein corona affects the therapeutic impact of nanoparticles [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4642.
Ploidy and hybridity effects on leaf size, cell size and related genes expression in triploids, diploids and their parents in Populus

Cell-size enlargement plays a pivotal role in increasing the leaf size of triploid poplar, and polyploidization could change leaf shape. ABP1 was highly expressed in triploid plants and positively related to cell size. In the plant kingdom, the leaf is the most important energy production organ, and polyploidy often exhibits a “Gigas” effect on leaf size, which benefits agriculture and forestry. However, little is known regarding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the leaf size superiority of polyploid woody plants. In the present study, the leaf area and abaxial epidermal cells of diploid and triploid full-sib groups and their parents were measured at three different positions. We measured the expression of several genes related to cell division and cell expansion. The results showed that the leaf area of triploids was significantly larger than that of diploids, and the triploid group showed transgressive variation compared to their full-sib diploid group. Cell size but not cell number was the main reason for leaf size variation. Cell expansion was in accordance with leaf enlargement. In addition, the leaf shape changes in triploids primarily resulted from a significant decrease in the leaf ratio of length to –width. Auxin-binding protein 1 (ABP1) was highly expressed in triploids and positively related to leaf size. These results enhanced the current understanding that giant leaf is affected by polyploidy vigor. However, significant heterosis is not exhibited in diploid offspring. Overall, polyploid breeding is an effective strategy to enhance leaf size, and Populus, as an ideal material, plays an important role in studying the leaf morphological variations of polyploid woody plants.
Small-Period Titanium-Diffused Periodically Poled Lithium Niobate Waveguides for Strongly Nondegenerate Quantum Frequency Conversion

A Ti-diffused periodically poled Lithium Niobate device with ultra-short poling periods has been developed for strongly nondegenerate quantum nonlinear optics. Quantum frequency conversion from 369.5nm to 1550nm with a 485nm pump laser is targeted.
Characterizing the HIV care continuum among a community sample of black men who have sex with men in the United States

Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) have the highest HIV incidence rates among all men who have sex with men (MSM) and have been less likely than other MSM to be diagnosed, linked or retained in...
Perceptions of the criminal justice system by minority and majority group university students: The role of ethnic identity

Minorities are overrepresented in the criminal justice system, and prior research has indicated ethnic minorities and Whites have different opinions of and different experiences within the system. ...
Looking Beyond Our Borders: The Value of a Comparative Perspective in Constitutional Adjudication

In the good job I have had now for some ten years, I try to follow Justice Brandeis' sage counsel: Resist even the irresistible invitation, conserve time for the Court's heavy work. But when Caroline Brown and Peter Rubin asked me to speak at this first national gathering of the American Constitution Society, I just had to accept the invitation because the Society's mission is important to the health and welfare of our Nation. The jurists and students assembled here seek to advance the highest ideals of the Union our Fundamental Instrument of Government establishes: You cherish liberty, and would make equal opportunity and nondiscrimination genuinely this country's law and practice; and you will pursue justice, so that you may thrive.1 While you are the American Constitution Society, your perspective on constitutional law should encompass the world. The United States was once virtually alone in exposing laws and official acts to judicial review for constitutionality. But particularly in the years following World War II, many nations installed constitutional review by courts as one safeguard against oppressive government and stirred up majorities.2 National, multinational, and international human rights charters and tribunals today play a key part in a world with increasingly porous borders. My message tonight is simply this: We are the losers if we do not both share our experience with, and learn from others. That message is hardly original. A prominent jurist put it this way 14 years ago: For nearly a century and a half, courts in the United States exercising the power of judicial review [for constitutionality] had no precedents to look to save their own, because our courts alone exercised this sort of authority. When many new constitutional courts were created after the Second World War, these courts naturally
Iterative Methods for Globally Lipschitz Nonlinear Laplace Equations

We introduce an iterative method to prove the existence and uniqueness of the complex-valued nonlinear elliptic PDE of the form $ -\Delta u + F(u) = f $ with Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions on a precompact domain $ \Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^{n}$, where $ F : \mathbb{C} \rightarrow \mathbb{C} $ is Lipschitz. The same method gives a solution to $ - \Delta_{g} u + F(u) = f $ for these boundary conditions on a smooth, compact Riemannian manifold $ (M, g) $ with $ \mathcal{C}^{1} $ boundary, where $ - \Delta_{g} $ is the Laplace-Beltrami operator. We also apply parametrix methods to discuss an integral version of these PDEs.
Nanoparticles for targeted cancer radiotherapy

Radiotherapy, where ionizing radiation is locally delivered either through an external beam or by surgically implanting radionuclide-based seeds in the tumor, is one of the gold standard treatments for cancer. Due to the non-selective nature of radiation, healthy tissue surrounding the cancerous region is usually affected by the treatment. Hence, new strategies, including targeted alpha therapy, are being studied to improve the selectivity of the treatment and minimize side effects. Several challenges, however, limit the current development of targeted radiotherapy, such as the functionalization of the therapeutic agent with targeting vectors and controlling the release of recoiling daughters. Nanoparticles offer unique opportunities as drug delivery vehicles, since they are biocompatible, enhance the cellular uptake of drugs, and are easily functionalized with targeting molecules. In this review, we examine how nanoparticles can be used for targeted radiotherapy, either as sensitizers of external beams or as delivery vehicles for therapeutic radionuclides. We describe the clinical relevance of different types of nanoparticles, followed by an analysis of how these nanoconstructs can solve some of the main limitations of conventional radiotherapy. Finally, we critically discuss the current situation of nanoparticle-based radiotherapy in clinical settings and challenges that need to be overcome in the future for further development of the field.
Constraining liberated supergravity

Fermionic terms in a class of locally supersymmetric theories called ``liberated supergravity'' are nonrenormalizable interactions proportional to inverse powers of the supersymmetry breaking scale and Planck mass ${M}_{\mathrm{pl}}$. This property defines an intrinsic cutoff for liberated supergravities, which are therefore effective theories valid only below energies that never exceed the cutoff. Requiring that the cutoff exceeds current theoretical and observational bounds shows that the new scalar potential terms allowed by liberated supergravity can neither change the cosmological constant predicted by supergravity by any observable amount, nor give measurable contributions to particle masses. We show that it is nevertheless possible to define a simple liberated supergravity model of slow roll inflation valid up to energy scales that are well above the Hubble parameter during inflation and exceeds observable limits after inflation. The key to constructing a viable model is to change the supersymmetry breaking scale, from a Planck-scale value during inflation, to TeV-scale after inflation.
Digital electrical impedance analysis for single bacterium sensing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing

Single-molecule and single-cell analysis techniques have opened new opportunities for characterizing and analyzing heterogeneity within biological samples. These detection methods are often referred to as digital assays because the biological sample is partitioned into many small compartments and each compartment contains a discrete number of targets (e.g. cells). Using digital assays, researchers can precisely detect and quantify individual targets, and this capability has made digital techniques the basis for many modern bioanalytical tools (including digital PCR, single cell RNA sequencing, and digital ELISA). However, digital assays are dominated by optical analysis systems that typically utilize microscopy to analyze partitioned samples. The utility of digital assays may be dramatically enhanced by implementing cost-efficient and portable electrical detection capabilities. Herein, we describe a digital electrical impedance sensing platform that enables direct multiplexed measurement of single cell bacterial cells. We outline our solutions to the challenge of multiplexing impedance sensing across many culture compartments and demonstrate the potential for rapidly differentiating antimicrobial resistant versus susceptible strains of bacteria.
Stable estimates in equation error identification: An open problem

Identification algorithms generally fall into two distinct categories: output error and equation error.
Impaired face and word recognition without object agnosia

Abstract A leading account of high-level visual recognition proposes that the recognition of faces, objects, and words is mediated by two processing capacities. Words are assumed to require the capacity to represent numerous parts, whereas faces are processed wholistically, and hence require the representation of complex units. Object recognition requires the capacity to represent both numerous and complex parts. As object recognition depends upon the same processing capacities underlying face and word recognition, this account predicts that patients with severe alexia and prosopagnosia should be deficient in tests of object recognition. We report a patient who is unable to recognize words or faces, yet performs relatively well on tests of object recognition. The two-capacity theory cannot accommodate this pattern of performance without additional assumptions.
Thermoplastic properties of coal at elevated pressures: 2. Low-temperature preoxidation of a Pittsburgh Seam coal

Abstract The thermoplastic properties of a preoxidized Pittsburgh Seam HVAb coal (air-treated at 383 K to different levels of weight gain) were examined using a high-pressure microdilatometer over a range (0.1–2.9 MPa) of pressures. The results suggest that the thermoplastic properties of the coal, depending on the extent of preoxidation, can be significantly different at elevated pressures from those at atmospheric pressure. The maximum swelling parameters of this preoxidized coal are always lower than those of untreated coal at pressures 2.0 MPa, the maximum swelling parameters of the mildly oxidized samples are, in general, greater than those of untreated coal.
Diary of a Wimpy Cycle

The cause of the low and extended minimum in solar activity between Sunspot Cycles 23 and 24 was the small size of Sunspot Cycle 24 itself - small cycles start late and leave behind low minima. Cycle 24 is small because the polar fields produced during Cycle 23 were substantially weaker than those produced during the previous cycles and those (weak) polar fields are the seeds for the activity of the following cycle. Here we discuss the observed characteristics of Cycle 24 and contrast them to the characteristics of previous cycles. We present observations and Magnetic Flux Transport simulations with data assimilated from SOHO/MDI and SDO/HMI that help to explain these differences and point the way to predictions of future activity levels.
Early Therapeutic Considerations

It should be emphasized that positive transference feelings usually predominate at the beginning of STAPP. This is primarily due to the extensive work which has been done by the evaluator and the patient and which has given the patient an early taste of what he can expect will take place during the course of therapy. In addition, having a high motivation for change, the patient is eager to settle down and get to work. Because of these factors, therefore, the therapist must discuss with the patient any positive transference feelings which may appear quite early rather than wait for the transference to appear as a resistance and then to interpret it later on.
Oral health-related quality of life and perceived dental needs in the United States.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) in the US population by sociodemographic factors, perception of dental needs, reported dental visits, and saliva indicators. Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2004 were used. NHANES measured OHRQOL by a modified version of the Oral Health Impact Profile. Results: The study had 6,183 subjects who averaged an OHRQOL score of 2.8 points. About 40% had painful aching in the mouth during the last year on at least one occasion. Perceived need to relieve dental pain was the strongest risk factor for poor OHRQOL (resulting in a higher score by 5.2 points), followed by perceived need for a denture or feeling of dry mouth (each resulting in a higher score by about 2 points). Conclusions: OHRQOL is the poorest among those with perceived dental needs especially those with the perceived need to relieve dental pain.
A Womanist Experience of Caring: Understanding the Pedagogy of Exemplary Black Women Teachers.

In recent years, a compelling discussion in education has centered on caring. In this paper, I contribute to this dialogue by suggesting that there is a particular form of caring exhibited in the pedagogy of exemplary black women teachers. It is the purpose of this paper to illuminate central aspects of their pedagogy as facets of womanism, an epistemological perspective based on the collective experiences of black women. As educators who exhibit “womanist caring,” such teachers demonstrate the following three characteristics: an embrace of the maternal, political clarity, and an ethic of risk. In describing each characteristic, I provide both contemporary and historical evidence to demonstrate that womanism is part of a long-standing tradition among African-American women teachers. I conclude the paper by suggesting that we can better inform pre- and in-service educators about the types of teachers that our students need from an understanding of how and why exemplary teachers exhibit their womanist caring.
SU‐E‐QI‐06: Design and Initial Validation of a Precise Capillary Phantom to Test Perfusion Systems

Purpose: To design a precise perfusion phantom mimicking capillaries of the brain vasculature which could be used to test various perfusion protocols and algorithms which generate perfusion maps. Methods: A perfusion phantom was designed in Solidworks and built using additive manufacturing. The phantom was an overall cylindrical shape of diameter and height 20mm and containing capillaries of 200μm or 300μm which were parallel and in contact making up the inside volume where flow was allowed. We created a flow loop using a peristaltic pump and contrast agent was injected manually. Digital Subtraction Angiographic images and low contrast images with cone beam CT were acquired after the contrast was injected. These images were analyzed by our own code in LabVIEW software and Time-Density Curve, MTT and TTP was calculated. Results: Perfused area was visible in the cone beam CT images; however, individual capillaries were not distinguishable. The Time-Density Curve acquired was accurate, sensitive and repeatable. The parameters MTT, and TTP offered by the phantom were very sensitive to slight changes in the TDC shape. Conclusion: We have created a robust calibrating model for evaluation of existing perfusion data analysis systems. This approach is extremely sensitive to changes in the flow due to the high temporal resolution and could be used as a golden standard to assist developers in calibrating and testing of imaging perfusion systems and software algorithms. Supported by NIH Grant: 2R01EB002873 and an equipment grant from Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
The neuron theory.

In 1740 the Swedish scientist and philosopher Emmanuel Swedenborg described what is the first known anticipation of the neuron (a nerve cell with its processes). One hundred years later Ehrenberg, Rem
The Michael Jackson Autopsy: Insights Provided by a Forensic Anesthesiologist

Based on toxicology findings performed on samples taken at the time of autopsy, the cause of Michael Jackson’s death was determined to be acute propofol intoxication with a contributory benzodiazepine effect. The manner of death was determined by the coroner to be homicide. At the center of this case are several anesthetic medications. Insight into the toxicology, review the autopsy results, and summary of the findings are provided from a forensic anesthesiologist’s point of view.
An ion cyclotron resonance study of reactions of some atomic and simple polyatomic ions with water

Reactions of various positive ions with water vapor were studied by ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometric techniques. Rate constants and product distributions were determined for reactions of the ions: Ar(+), Co(+), N2(+), and CO2(+), CH2(+), and CH4(+), CH2Cl(+), HCO(+), H2CO(+), H2COH(+), H2S(+) and HS(+). The results obtained in this work are compared with earlier reported data where available.
Insulin in the acute renal adaptation to dietary phosphate restriction in the rat.

Insulin in the acute renal adaptation to dietary phosphate restriction in the rat. Dietary phosphate restriction produces a rapid increase in tubular reabsorption of phosphate. To evaluate whether insulin is important in the acute renal adaptation following a low phosphate meal, four groups of conscious rats were studied by renal clearance methods, following a single meal by gavage. Group A received a normal (0.8%) phosphate meal, followed by saline infusion; Group B, a low (0.03%) phosphate meal, followed by saline infusion; Group C, a low phosphate meal, followed by infusion of somatostatin to suppress endogenous insulin secretion; and Group D, a low phosphate meal, followed by infusion of somatostatin plus insulin. Baseline plasma phosphate, insulin, glomerular filtration rate, and fractional excretion of phosphate were similar in all four groups. Following a low phosphate meal in Groups B, C, and D, there was a decrease in plasma phosphate, as compared with Group A. Whereas fractional excretion of phosphate decreased when plasma phosphate fell in Group B, administration of somatostatin (Group C) prevented the drop in fractional excretion of phosphate, despite a lower plasma phosphate. The addition of exogenous insulin (Group D) restored the antiphosphaturic effect of the low phosphate meal. These results suggest that insulin contributes to the acute decrease in phosphate excretion following a low phosphate meal.
Modeling adsorption of cane-sugar solution colorant in packed-bed ion exchangers

The removal of cane-sugar solution colorant by packed-bed ion exchangers was modeled using a linear driving-force adsorption model. Adsorption of colorant is a complex subject, since color is an indiscrete mixture of many components, making it difficult to measure and even more challenging to model. Three resins were investigated: a strong-acid cation (SAC), a weak-base anion (WBA), and a standard sugar industry strong-base anion decolorizing resin. Batch testing of the resins produced linear isotherms, indicating that the colorant is dilute. Results from column testing showed that a plug-flow model with a constant linear isotherm was sufficient in all cases except the SAC resin. The SAC adsorption parameter decreased sharply as the pH increased, causing the colorant to be desorbed from the resin. This situation must be avoided if optimal decolorization is to be achieved.
Real permanental roots of doubly stochastic matrices

Abstract It is shown that for each n ⩾ 7 there exists an n × n , irreducible, doubly stochastic matrix A such that the permanent of the characteristic matrix of A has n real zeros.