cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Building Intimacy: The Erotic Architectures of Toni Morrison’s Jazz

ABSTRACTThis essay utilizes theories on modern architecture and urban space to analyze Toni Morrison’s depiction of the black urban experience in her 1992 novel Jazz. Reading the experience of modern space as linked to violence and transgression, the book suggests paths to black public citizenship that are founded on the building of intimacy in the disciplined space of the city. The novel’s representations of city space, intimacy, and erotic transgression are mirrored in its narrative architectures, which invite readers into transgressive reading postures. Complicating the reader’s relationship with the text, the “talking book” of Jazz simulates modern architectural space in its challenge to the interior and exterior dimensions of textual space. In this way, Jazz generates zones of textual intimacy that simulate the spaces of the modern city, spaces that in Morrison’s novel make possible a critical redefinition of the African American self.
Goals and strategies influence lexical prediction during sentence comprehension

Abstract Predictive processing is a critical component of language comprehension, but exactly how and why comprehenders generate lexical predictions remains to be determined. Here, we present two experiments suggesting that lexical prediction is influenced by top-down comprehension strategies, and that lexical predictions are not always generated automatically as a function of the preceding context. In Experiment 1 ( N = 24), participants read predictable and unpredictable sentence-final words while EEG was recorded from the scalp. When comparing two different sets of task instructions, the neural effects of cloze probability were enhanced when predictive processing was emphasized. In Experiment 2 ( N = 252), participants read predictable and unpredictable sentence continuations in a self-paced reading task, and the overall validity of predictive cues was manipulated across groups using a separate set of filler sentences. There was a linear relationship between the benefits of a constraining sentence context and the global validity of predictive cues. Critically, no reading time benefits were observed as prediction validity approached zero. These results provide important constraints for theories of anticipatory language processing, while calling into question prior assumptions about the automaticity of lexical prediction.
Thymol nanoemulsions formed via spontaneous emulsification: Physical and antimicrobial properties

Abstract In this work, we prepared various sub-micron thymol emulsions with high hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) surfactants via spontaneous emulsification. Emulsion properties, such as size, polydispersity and charge, were assessed for each surfactant type and mass fraction. Emulsion stability was characterized by monitoring droplet size following exposure to physical (centrifugation) and thermal stressors (freeze, thaw cycling). Emulsions were subsequently screened against several challenge pathogens to evaluate antimicrobial efficacy. Based on these time-kill assays, exemplary formulations were further tested as sanitizing washes on lettuce and blueberries inoculated with food-borne bacterial biofilms. Antimicrobial data elucidate both surfactant and formulation specific antagonisms between thymol and the emulsifying agents. However, the best emulsion compositions were capable of reducing planktonic bacteria by >4 logs and biofilm bacteria by 1.5–2.5 logs in 60 s. These results are comparable to the efficacy of chlorine at ∼50–200 ppm. The experimental results have implications in emulsion formulations involving thymol and other terpenoids.
DNA viruses of higher plants.

Publisher Summary This chapter surveys the known properties of the caulimoviruses, along with pointing out their unique nature and providing an aid for the recognition and characterization of these viruses as new members of the group are encountered. The caulimorivuses cause mosaic–mottle types of diseases of their plant hosts that are not conspicuously different from diseases induced by an assortment of other plant viruses. The diseases are economically important on a number of cultivated crops and the viruses are widely distributed throughout the temperate regions of the world. The viruses are most conveniently identified by their restricted host ranges, relatively high thermal inactivation points, aphid transmissibility, morphology, serology, and the induction of characteristic inclusion bodies. The viruses are transmitted mechanically and by aphids in a stylet-borne manner, but exhibit a somewhat anomalous behavior in the vector. The chapter also discusses the various aspects of transcription, translation, and DNA replication of the DNA viruses. DNA replication is much more complicated than RNA synthesis and the viruses are dependent on host functions for the replication of their genomes.
Retinoblastoma Vitreous Seed Clouds (Class 3): A Comparison of Treatment with Ophthalmic Artery Chemosurgery with or without Intravitreous and Periocular Chemotherapy

Purpose To compare the efficacy and toxicity of treating class 3 retinoblastoma vitreous seeds with ophthalmic artery chemosurgery (OAC) alone versus OAC with intravitreous chemotherapy. Design Retrospective cohort study. Participants Forty eyes containing clouds (class 3 vitreous seeds) of 40 retinoblastoma patients (19 treated with OAC alone and 21 treated with OAC plus intravitreous and periocular chemotherapy). Methods Ocular survival, disease-free survival and time to regression of seeds were estimated with Kaplan-Meier estimates. Ocular toxicity was evaluated by clinical findings and electroretinography: 30-Hz flicker responses were compared at baseline and last follow-up visit. Continuous variables were compared with Student t test, and categorical variables were compared with the Fisher exact test. Main Outcome Measures Ocular survival, disease-free survival, and time to regression of seeds. Results There were no disease- or treatment-related deaths and no patient demonstrated externalization of tumor or metastatic disease. There was no significant difference in the age, laterality, disease, or disease status (treatment naive vs. previously treated) between the 2 groups. The time to regression of seeds was significantly shorter for eyes treated with OAC plus intravitreous chemotherapy (5.7 months) compared with eyes treated with OAC alone (14.6 months; P P = 0.05). The 36-month Kaplan-Meier estimates of ocular survival were 83.3% (95% confidence interval, 56.7%–94.3%) for the OAC alone group and 100% for the OAC plus intravitreous chemotherapy group ( P = 0.16). The mean change in electroretinography responses was not significantly different between groups, decreasing by 11 μV for the OAC alone group and 22 μV for the OAC plus intravitreous chemotherapy group ( P = 0.4). Conclusions Treating vitreous seed clouds with OAC and intravitreous and periocular chemotherapy, compared with OAC alone, resulted in a shorter time to regression and was associated with fewer recurrences requiring additional treatment and fewer enucleations. The toxicity to the retina does not seem to be significantly worse in the OAC plus intravitreous chemotherapy group.
Evaluating Post-Radiotherapy Laryngeal Function with Laryngeal Videostroboscopy in Early Stage Glottic Cancer.

ABSTRACT Objective: Dysphonia is common among patients with early stage glottic cancer. Laryngeal videostroboscopy (LVS) has not been routinely used to assess post-radiotherapy (RT) voice changes. We hypothesized that LVS would demonstrate improvement in laryngeal function after definitive RT for early stage glottic cancer. Study Design: Blinded retrospective review of perceptual voice and stroboscopic parameters for patients with early glottic cancer and controls. Setting: High-volume, single-institution academic medical center Subjects and Methods: Fifteen patients underwent RT for Tis-T2N0M0 glottic cancer and were evaluated with serial LVS exams pre- and post-RT. Stroboscopic assessment included six parameters: vocal fold (VF) vibration, VF mobility, erythema/edema, supraglottic compression, glottic closure and secretions. GRBAS voice perceptual scale was graded in tandem with LVS score. Assessments were grouped by time interval from RT: pre-RT, 0-4, 4-12 and >12 months post-RT. Results: 60 LVS exams and corresponding GRBAS assessments were reviewed. There were significant improvements in ipsilateral VF motion (P=0.03) and vibration (P=0.001) and significant worsening in contralateral VF motion (P12 months post-RT. Glottic closure significantly worsened, most prominent >12 months post-RT (P=0.01). Composite GRBAS scores were significantly improved across all post-RT intervals. Conclusion: LVS proved to be a robust tool for assessing pre- and post-RT laryngeal function. We observed post-RT improvement in ipsilateral VF function, a decline in contralateral VF function and decreased glottic closure. These results demonstrate that LVS can detect meaningful changes in VF and glottic function and support it use for post-RT evaluation of glottic cancer patients.
Peroxidases in human milk.

The first quantitative measurements of peroxidase activity in human milk were reported in 19631. Since that time, a number of studies have been published and recently reviewed2. Reported peroxidase activities show great variability. However, there is general agreement on the following points: peroxidase activity is highest in human colostrum and declines to significantly lower levels in mature milk; bovine colostrum and mature milk have much higher and much less variable peroxidase activity than do their human counterparts; human milk peroxidase activity is correlated with the presence of polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes.
Stenting of the Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Promotes Better Pulmonary Arterial Growth Compared With Modified Blalock-Taussig Shunt Palliation in Tetralogy of Fallot-Type Lesions.

Abstract Objectives This study sought to compare pulmonary arterial (PA) growth during palliation after right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) stenting versus modified Blalock-Taussig shunt (mBTS) in patients coming forward for complete repair of tetralogy of Fallot–type lesions. Background RVOT stenting is a recent alternative to mBTS in the initial palliation of selected patients with Fallot-type lesions. Methods This was a retrospective, single-center study of nonrandomized, consecutive palliated Fallot patients over a 10-year period. Differential left PA (LPA) and right PA (RPA) growth was assessed by serial echocardiograms in 67 patients after mBTS (n = 28) or RVOT stent (n = 39). Statistical data analysis was performed using mixed model analysis. Results RPA z-scores in the mBTS group improved from median −2.41 (interquartile range [IQR]: −2.97 to −1.32) to −1.13 (IQR: −1.68 to −0.59). LPA z-scores improved from −1.89 (IQR: −2.33 to −1.12) to −0.32 (IQR: −0.88 to −0.05). In the RVOT stenting group RPA z-scores improved from −2.28 (IQR: −3.28 to −1.82) to −0.72 (IQR: −1.27 to +0.48), and LPA z-scores from −2.08 (IQR: −2.90 to −0.61) to −0.05 (IQR: −0.88 to +0.48). Mixed model analysis showed significantly better RPA and LPA growth after RVOT stenting. The benefit of RVOT stenting versus mBTS was 0.599 z-scores for the LPA and 0.749 z-scores for the RPA. Rise in oxygen saturations was greater with RVOT stenting (p = 0.012). Median time to complete repair was shorter in the RVOT stent group (227 [142 to 328] days) compared with the mBTS group (439 [300 to 529] days; p Conclusions RVOT stenting promotes better pulmonary arterial growth and oxygen saturations compared with mBTS in the initial palliation of Fallot-type lesions.
Robotic Upper Limb Rehabilitation Using Armeo ® Spring for Chronic Stroke Patients at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC)

This is a retrospective study of patients with chronic partial arm paresis post stroke who attended neurorehabilitation at University Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia. In this study we aimed to analyze the clinical and practical outcome of robotic-assisted upper limb rehabilitation. Specifically, we analyzed the impact of therapy on motor and function of chronic stroke arm paresis through structured therapy protocol. We extended our analysis towards user acceptance in robotic-assisted rehabilitation. We applied our Armeo®Spring Therapy Protocol on stroke patients with unilateral partial upper limb paresis of more than six months duration. The outcome measures were muscle strength, spasticity and hand dexterity. Thirty three patients who fulfilled the criteria of treatment protocol attended outpatient therapy session. Fourteen patients completed the treatment protocol in which ten participants were stroke patients. This study reported statistically significant improvement in multiple joint range of motions following therapy. Although there was non progressing arm spasticity, and improved paretic hand dexterity, both latter outcomes were not statistically significant at the end of therapy.
Calorie Labeling Promotes Dietary Self-Control by Shifting the Temporal Dynamics of Health- and Taste-Attribute Integration in Overweight Individuals:

Understanding why people make unhealthy food choices and how to promote healthier choices is critical to prevent obesity. Unhealthy food choices may occur when individuals fail to consider health attributes as quickly as taste attributes in their decisions, and this bias may be modifiable by health-related external cues. One hundred seventy-eight participants performed a mouse-tracking food-choice task with and without calorie information. With the addition of calorie information, participants made healthier choices. Without calorie information, the initial integration of health attributes in overweight individuals' decisions was about 230 ms delayed relative to the taste attributes, but calorie labeling promoted healthier choices by speeding up the integration of health attributes during a food-choice task. Our study suggests that obesogenic choices are related to the relative speed with which taste and health attributes are integrated into the decision process and that this bias is modifiable by external health-related cues.
Comparing Review Strategies in the Classroom: Self-Testing Yields More Favorable Student Outcomes Relative to Question Generation

Although previous research has demonstrated that guided testing (i.e., self-testing) and question generation effectively increase retention compared to control methods, no work has simultaneously implemented both strategies in the classroom. In a semester-long study designed to maximize experimental control in a naturalistic setting, we adapted both review strategies for an introduction-level psychology course. We found that guided testing produced better student performance on exams than generating one’s own practice questions. Additionally, students evaluated guided testing more positively than question generation. These findings build upon previous guided testing and question generation work by showing that, in the context of an introductory classroom, guided testing is more effective and efficient than generating questions.
Flow Control of Swept Shock-Wave/Boundary-Layer Interaction Using Plasma Actuators

The effect of plasma actuators on a swept shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction induced by a sharp fin was investigated by means of Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes calculations. The work focused on...
Problems Concerning the Structure of Consciousness

While still in the practice of neurosurgery, I was called one day to consult on a case some 200 miles distant. A 14-year-old girl had fallen from a rapidly moving automobile when its rear door inadvertently opened. She had lacerated her scalp badly, and, when the emergency procedures to stop the bleeding were accomplished, I was called, because the family physician was afraid that the patient’s head injury would become exacerbated by the additional trauma of a long trip by ambulance. I was informed that the girl’s condition was critical and that everyone feared she was moribund.
No Oil for the Lamps of China

Abstract : The ubiquitous Made in China stickers and labels on consumer products remind us daily of China's incredible economic rise. The world is accustomed to this powerful phenomenon and seems to expect that China's economy will grow at 10 percent annually for at least another decade. Such remarkable economic progress has lifted millions of Chinese out of poverty and also substantially benefited the global economy. It is also arguably the cornerstone of Chinese Communist Party legitimacy. Western and Asian hunger for inexpensive Chinese goods fuels much of this growth, but China's economic engine cannot run without imports of raw materials, such as bauxite, iron ore, timber, and, perhaps most significantly, crude oil. Once a significant exporter, China became a net importer of crude in 1993 and now struggles to deal with this dependency.
IRES-controlled protein synthesis and genome replication of poliovirus

Initiation of translation of the single-stranded genomic RNAs of picornaviruses such as poliovirus (PV) and encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) is cap-independent and controlled by a long segment within the 5′non-translated region (5′NTR), termed internal ribosomal entry site (IRES). Cellular RNA-binding proteins have been identified that are involved in IRES function in trans. One of these proteins (p57) has been found to be identical to the polypyrimidine tract binding protein (pPTB), a nuclear protein implicated in various processes involving pre-mRNA. Anti-pPTB antibodies inhibit picornavirus mRNA, but not globin mRNA translation, in vitro. Proof for the 5′-independent initiation of translation in vivo was obtained by inserting the EMCV IRES into the ORF of PV thereby constructing a dicistronic, viable poliovirus with the genotype [PV] 5′NTR-P1-[EMCV] IRES-[PV] P2-P3-3′NTR. Dicistronic polioviruses were also constructed that served as novel expression vectors where a foreign gene has been inserted into the PV genome. Incubation of poliovirus RNA in a HeLa cell-free extract leads to the synthesis and processing of viral proteins, viral RNA replication followed by formation of infectious virions. Cell-free synthesis of PV has nullified the dictum that no virus can multiply in a cell-free medium. The genome replication of poliovirus and the mechanism of recombination in poliovirus replication is still not fully understood. Biochemical evidence has been obtained that the conserved NTP-binding motif in PV protein 2C is essential for RNA replication and virus propagation. Finally by using genetic studies we found that during viral RNA synthesis a poliovirus containing two tandemly arranged VPgs (3A-VPg1-VPg2-3Cpro) led to the removal of the 3C-proximal VPg copy.
Organizational E-Mentoring and Learning: An Exploratory Study

This article explores the process by which e-mentoring unfolds in organizational settings, emphasizing the crucial role of learning that acts as the intermediate step between mentoring functions and organizational outcomes. Specifically, the authors investigate how e-mentoring functions—career support, psycho-social, and role modeling—support the protege's learning, and how learning increases organizational commitment of the proteges. Data was collected through an online survey of 59 individuals in two multinational organizations that had mentoring programs. Analysis using SmartPLS 3.0 showed that career and role modeling support are statistically significant predictors of learning, and learning predicts organizational commitment as expected. Contrary to face-to-face mentoring literature, the direct link between the mentoring functions and organizational commitment is not supported. The authors conclude with implications for research and practice.
Staging Quakerism in American Theatre and Film

Arguing that Quakers have been used as influential stock characters in American performance culture, this essay profiles several examples of Quakers as represented in American theater and film: John Murdock’s play The Triumphs of Love (1795), Harry F. Millarde’s lost silent film The Quack Quakers (1916), and the Academy Award winning film High Noon (1952). Paradoxically, in each of these productions, which range from farce to serious drama, Friends are shown as either claiming or as striving for unattainable moral and religious human ideals, but also as an exemplary community of individuals against which other Americans might and should be measured.
New Computing Frontiers Enabled via Photovoltaic Fiber Energy Generation

This paper examines computing capabilities powered by photovoltaic fiber. The particular fiber examined is manufactured at the University of Maine Smart Materials Lab using organic photovoltaics. The power-generation capability of the fiber is discussed, and the effects of shading, orientation, and segment length are examined. We focus on the possibility of woven textiles to power small devices, and it is shown that for common consumer devices like cell phones, other technologies like thin-film photovoltaics are a better fit. The fiber is shown to be a viable renewable energy source for low-power applications, like wake-up radios at the leaf nodes of wireless mesh networks and discreet surveillance devices. The fiber can provide sufficient power to run these devices without requiring woven cells; several single strands are sufficient. Paths forward to enable the powering of larger devices are discussed, such as potential manufacturing techniques to handle the interconnect between multicomponent fibers when woven into panels.
A phase II trial of recombinant MAGE-A3 protein with immunostimulant AS15 in combination with high-dose Interleukin-2 (HDIL2) induction therapy in metastatic melanoma.

HDIL-2 is approved for advanced melanoma based on its durable antitumor activity. MAGE-A3 cancer immunotherapeutic (MAGE-A3 CI) is a recombinant MAGE-A3 protein combined with an immunostimulant adjuvant system and has shown antitumor activity in melanoma. We assessed the safety and anti-tumor activity of HDIL-2 combined with MAGE-A3 CI in advanced melanoma. Patients with unresectable Stage III or Stage IV MAGE-A3-positive melanoma were enrolled in this phase II study. Treatment included an induction phase of MAGE-A3 CI plus HDIL-2 for 8 cycles followed by a maintenance phase of MAGE-A3 CI monotherapy. The primary endpoints were safety and objective response assessed per RECIST v1.1. Immune biomarker and correlative studies on tumor and peripheral blood were performed. Eighteen patients were enrolled. Seventeen patients were evaluable for safety and sixteen for response. Responses occurred in 4/16 (25%) patients with 3 complete responses, and stable disease in 6/16 (38%) patients with a disease control rate of 63%. The median duration of response was not reached at median follow-up of 36.8 months. Induction therapy of HDIL-2 + MAGE-A3 CI had similar toxicities to those reported with HDIL-2 alone. Maintenance MAGE-A3 monotherapy was well-tolerated. Increased immune checkpoint receptor expression by circulating T regulatory cells was associated with poor clinical outcomes; and responders tended to have increased tumor infiltrating T cells in the baseline tumor samples. The safety profile of HDIL-2 + MAGE-A3 CI was similar to HDIL-2 monotherapy. Maintenance MAGE-A3 CI provides robust anti-tumor activity in patients who achieved disease control with induction therapy. Immune monitoring data suggest that MAGE-A3 CI plus checkpoint inhibitors could be a promising treatment for MAGE-A3-positive melanoma. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01266603 . Registered 12/24/2010, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01266603
Effects of a novel hydrogen sulfide prodrug in a porcine model of acute limb ischemia

Abstract Objective Previous studies have shown that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) exerts potent proangiogenic properties under in vitro conditions and in rodent models. We sought to determine whether a novel H2S prodrug promotes peripheral revascularization in a swine model of acute limb ischemia (ALI). Methods ALI was induced in 17 female miniswine via intravascular occlusion of the external iliac. At day 7 after ALI induction, miniswine (n = 17) were randomized to received placebo or the H2S prodrug, SG-1002 (800 mg per os twice a day), for 35 days. At day 35 SG-1002 increased circulating levels of H2S (5.0 ± 1.2 μmol/L vs 1.8 ± 0.50 μmol/L; P Conclusions Our results suggest that daily administration of the H2S prodrug, SG-1002, leads to an increase in circulating H2S and nitric oxide signaling and preserves vessel number and density in ischemic limbs. Furthermore, SG-1002 therapy improved endothelial-dependent coronary artery vasorelaxation in the setting of ALI. Our data demonstrate that SG-1002 preserves the vascular architecture in ischemic limbs and exerts vascular protective effects in the coronary vasculature in a model of peripheral vascular disease.
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT: RETAINED BULLETS IN THE HEART

Penetrating bullet injuries into the myocardium often lead to a fatal prognosis. However, chronically retained bullets in the heart represent a rare sequala following gunshot wounds, thus presenting an interesting challenge to management. A 58 year old male with a mid-back gunshot wound in 1982
ECRI Institute Guidelines Trust

The ECRI Guidelines Trust is an appropriate resource for those looking to find current clinical practice guidelines.
Processing Columnar Collider Data with GPU-Accelerated Kernels

At high energy physics experiments, processing billions of records of structured numerical data from collider events to a few statistical summaries is a common task. The data processing is typically more complex than standard query languages allow, such that custom numerical codes are used. At present, these codes mostly operate on individual event records and are parallelized in multi-step data reduction workflows using batch jobs across CPU farms. Based on a simplified top quark pair analysis with CMS Open Data, we demonstrate that it is possible to carry out significant parts of a collider analysis at a rate of around a million events per second on a single multicore server with optional GPU acceleration. This is achieved by representing HEP event data as memory-mappable sparse arrays of columns, and by expressing common analysis operations as kernels that can be used to process the event data in parallel. We find that only a small number of relatively simple functional kernels are needed for a generic HEP analysis. The approach based on columnar processing of data could speed up and simplify the cycle for delivering physics results at HEP experiments. We release the \texttt{hepaccelerate} prototype library as a demonstrator of such methods.
America’s Failing Drug Control Laws

We abhor the use of addictive drugs. We believe that they are personally and professionally destructive. We publish these views of ours in opposition to the use of such substances at the commencement of this article to preclude the often encountered criticism that persons who oppose drug forfeiture and the so-called War on Drugs thereby advocate their use. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Maternal Depressive Symptoms Predict General Liability in Child Psychopathology

Objective: The current study examines how maternal depressive symptoms relate to child psychopathology when structured via the latent bifactor model of psychopathology, a new organizational structu...
Optimal modality selection using information transfer rate for event related potential driven brain computer interfaces

Individuals with reduced speech and motor ability due to injury or motor neuron diseases have difficulties in communication. Such events at the terminal stage lead to the loss of all muscular activity which is referred as locked-in state. In this condition, communication can only be performed with electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. Brain computer interfaces (BCI) typing systems provide people without muscular control a communication baseline. In BCI typing systems, user is presented stimuli and corresponding EEG evidence is used to detect the user intent among a pre-defined alphabet. Due to low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of EEG evidence, multiple stimuli sequences are required. Thus, to limit the time spent on typing the stimuli presented to the user should be optimized. BCI typing systems are designed to operate including different modalities where modalities surpass each other either in SNR of the respective signal or time spent to acquire the response. Therefore, it is a fundamental problem when to choose cheap in time - weak in response questions and when to choose expensive in time - strong in response questions. In this study we propose a modality selection mechanism for systems that rely on recursive evidence collections under Gaussian evidence model assumption. Specifically, we focus on BCI typing systems that operate with error related potentials (ERPs) and feedback related potentials (FRPs). We analytically derive a decision threshold to select each of these modalities. We also demonstrate the performance of the proposed method using a BCI typing system.
Work–Life Intersections in Peacebuilding, Development, and Humanitarian Aid:

Through a literature review and a qualitative study, this essay examines how experienced professionals in the fields of peacebuilding, development, and humanitarian aid view their vocation and how ...
Factors Associated With Unplanned Transfers Among Cancer Patients At A Freestanding Acute Rehabilitation Facility

BACKGROUND Cancer patients undergoing inpatient rehabilitation often have high risk of complications leading to unplanned transfer to acute care. Prior studies have identified factors associated with these transfers but have been limited to examining factors that pertain to initial admission to rehabilitation and were not conducted in a freestanding inpatient rehabilitation facility. OBJECTIVE The study aimed to include these prerehabilitation factors in addition to factors upon initial assessment in rehabilitation. It was hypothesized that specific factors from each of these periods would be associated with unplanned transfer to acute care. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Freestanding academic inpatient rehabilitation facility affiliated with an academic tertiary care facility with a comprehensive cancer center. PATIENTS Retrospective review of 330 specific encounters unique to 250 patients from March 2017 to September 2018. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The outcome measure was unplanned transfer to acute care. A binary logistic regression model was used to examine the relationship between factors from oncologic history, acute care course, and factors upon admission to rehabilitation to unplanned transfer to acute care. RESULTS From 330 encounters, there were 111 unplanned transfers (34%). Unplanned transfer to acute care was independently associated with gastrointestinal malignancy (odds ratio [OR] 4.4, p = .01), 6-minute walk test less than 90 m (OR 4.6, p = .003), and prior unplanned transfer (OR 3.5, p = .007). CONCLUSIONS The study suggests that oncologic and functional prerehabilitation markers are associated with an increased likelihood of unplanned transfer during inpatient cancer rehabilitation. These findings will provide a framework for creating predictive tools for unplanned transfers in cancer rehabilitation patients.
Perceptions of Ethics in Interventional Radiology

Abstract Purpose To characterize perceptions of ethics among interventional radiologists to guide the development of an applied, specialty-specific approach to ethics. Materials and Methods A 17-question survey on perceptions of ethics and use of ethics resources was developed and vetted via cognitive interviewing of 15 diverse, representative members of the target population. The survey was distributed via the Society of Interventional Radiology, receiving 685 responses (48% participation and 90% completion rates). Responses were compared between different demographics, and common themes from free text responses were identified via content analysis. Results Most respondents indicated ethics is important for IR (93%) and more focus on practical approaches to ethical issues is needed (73%). Various ethical issues were perceived to be important for IR, but differentiating palliative from futile care was ranked as the top ethical issue. Trainees had more ethics training (p=0.05) but less confidence in navigating ethical issues (p Conclusions Interventional radiologists believe ethics is important and face diverse ethical issues, but they are challenged by variable experiences and access to practical tools to navigate these challenges.
Production of an extracellular polyethylene-degrading enzyme(s) by Streptomyces species.

Abstract Extracellular culture concentrates were prepared from Streptomyces viridosporus T7A, Streptomyces badius 252, and Streptomyces setonii 75Vi2 shake flask cultures. Ten-day-heat-treated (70 degrees C) starch-polyethylene degradable plastic films were incubated with shaking with active or inactive enzyme for 3 weeks (37 degrees C). Active enzyme illustrated changes in the films' Fourier transform infrared spectra, mechanical properties, and polyethylene molecular weight distributions.
Identification of Elongin C Sequences Required for Interaction with the von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor Protein

Elongin C is a 112-amino acid protein that is found in mammalian cells as a positive regulatory subunit of heterotrimeric RNA polymerase II elongation factor Elongin (SIII) and as a component of a multiprotein complex containing the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor protein. As a subunit of the Elongin complex, Elongin C interacts directly with the transcriptionally active Elongin A subunit and potently induces its elongation activity; in addition, Elongin C interacts with the ubiquitin-like Elongin B subunit, which regulates the interaction of Elongin C with Elongin A. As a component of the VHL complex, Elongin C interacts directly with both Elongin B and the VHL protein. Binding of the VHL protein to Elongin C was found to prevent Elongin C from interacting with and activating Elongin A in vitro, leading to the proposal that one function of the VHL protein may be to regulate RNA polymerase II elongation by negatively regulating the Elongin complex. In this report, we identify Elongin C sequences required for its interaction with the VHL protein. We previously demonstrated that the ability of Elongin C to bind and activate Elongin A is sensitive to mutations in the C-terminal half of Elongin C, as well as to mutations in an N-terminal Elongin C region needed for formation of the Elongin BC complex. Here we show that interaction of Elongin C with the VHL tumor suppressor protein depends strongly on sequences in the C terminus of Elongin C but is independent of the N-terminal Elongin C region required for binding to Elongin B and for binding and activation of Elongin A. Taken together, our results are consistent with the proposal that the VHL protein negatively regulates Elongin C activation of the Elongin complex by sterically blocking the interaction of C-terminal Elongin C sequences with Elongin A. In addition, our finding that only a subset of Elongin C sequences required for its interaction with Elongin A are critical for binding to VHL may offer the opportunity to develop reagents that selectively interfere with Elongin and VHL function.
Superoxide: a two-edged sword

Superoxide (O2-) is the compound obtained when oxygen is reduced by one electron. For a molecule with an unpaired electron, O2- is surprisingly inert, its chief reaction being a dismutation in which it reacts with itself to form H2O2 and oxygen. The involvement of O2- in biological systems was first revealed by the discovery in 1969 of superoxide dismutase, an enzyme that catalyzes the dismutation of O2-. Since then it has been found that biological systems produce a bewildering variety of reactive oxidants, all but a few arising ultimately from O2-. These oxidants include O2- itself, H2O2 and alkyl peroxides, hydroxyl radical and other reactive oxidizing radicals, oxidized halogens and halamines, singlet oxygen, and peroxynitrite. These various oxidants are able to damage molecules in their environment, and are therefore very dangerous. They are thought to participate in the pathogenesis of a number of common diseases, including among others malignancy, by their ability to mutate the genome, and atherosclerosis, by their capacity for oxidizing lipoproteins. Their properties are put to good use, however, in host defense, where they serve as microbicidal and parasiticidal agents, and in biological signalling, where their liberation in small quantities results in redox-mediated changes in the functions of enzymes and other proteins.
Drag reduction in the turbulent flow of fiber suspensions

An analysis of the velocity profile and pressure drop relationships for turbulent flow of fiber suspensions through smooth tubes was evaluated experimentally over a range of flow rates, tube sizes, fiber concentrations, and fiber geometries (aspect ratios). This work shows that drag reduction in these systems, in marked contrast to that in viscoelastic polymeric fluids, involves processes in the turbulent core of the velocity field. As a result the drag reduction achieved is independent of the scale of the system. The implications of these results with respect to rates of heat and mass transport are considered in a preliminary way. The measurement of such transport rates, and of the turbulent velocity profiles in dilute suspensions, is seen to be of mechanistic interest.
Cost-benefit analysis of two decision criteria for spondee threshold measurements.

Normal-hearing subjects were tested and retested using two spondee threshold criteria: a strict 50% correct rule and a 50% or 75% correct (or both) rule. The 50% criterion produced lower thresholds...
Abstract 1319: Vulnerability and resistance in glioblastoma to G2-specific drugs

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and most lethal primary malignant brain tumor, affecting 25,000 patients per year. Approximately 87% of GBMs have abnormalities in the p53 pathway that affects G2 checkpoint. In the absence of p53, Wee1 kinase has been shown to regulate G2 checkpoint upon chemotherapeutic insult. Wee1 inhibits CDC2 function, thereby promoting G2 phase cell cycle arrest, thus preventing damaged cells from entering into premature mitosis without repairing the DNA. We hypothesize that in p53-deficient tumor cells, inhibitors of Wee1 would be effective to heighten DNA damage due to genetic and pharmacologic loss of both the G1 and G2 checkpoints, respectively. MK-1775 (Merck) is a potent and selective small molecule inhibitor of the Wee1 kinase that has demonstrated enhanced cytotoxic effect in combination with several chemotherapeutic agents in preclinical studies in vitro and in vivo. Here, we selected an array of short term cultures of glioma patient derived xenograft (PDX) models (GBM12, GBM43, GBM79, GBM84) and long term established glioma cell lines (U87, SF767, T98G) with aberrant and wild type G1 checkpoint pathways and investigated cytotoxic effects of MK-1775 as a single agent and in combination with Temozolomide (TMZ). Our results demonstrated differential sensitivity to MK-1775 and TMZ as single agents for different glioma cell lines in vitro. However, no correlation between MK-1775, TMZ sensitivity and p53 status of the cell lines was observed. Combination therapy with MK-1775 and TMZ showed a synergistic effect for one PDX model, GBM43, with combination index (CI) of 0.4. Combination therapy of all other glioma cell lines either showed an additive effect or antagonistic effect with CI of >0.75 irrespective of their p53 status. Our results demonstrated that synergistic effects of MK-1775 in combination with chemotherapy (TMZ) are not solely dependent on p53 status of glioma cells and require a more comprehensivce understanding of the molecular mechanism that dictates GBM9s dependence on Wee1 for escaping DNA damage therapy. Supported by the Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation Citation Format: Harshil D. Dhruv, Andrew D. Nelson, Brock Armstrong, Julie L. Boerner, Jann N. Sarkaria, Nhan L. Tran, Michael Berens. Vulnerability and resistance in glioblastoma to G2-specific drugs. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1319. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1319
Two independent measurements of Debye lengths in doped nonpolar liquids.

Electric current measurements were performed between 2.5 cm × 7.5 cm parallel-plate electrodes separated by 1.2 mm of heptane doped with 0−15% w/w poly(isobutylene succinimide) (PIBS) having a mole...
Coronagraphic Telescopes for Extrasolar Planet Searches

Recent discoveries in optics suggest that it should be possible to detect Earth-like planets around nearby stars using an optical telescope in space, and to search for signs of life on those planets. I will discuss the basic optics of each of these types of coronagraphic telescopes.
Immobilization and assay of low-molecular-weight phosphomannosyl receptor in multiwell plates.

A novel sensitive binding assay for quantitation ofa low-molecular-weight phosphomannosyl receptor (41-46 K) was devised. The receptor was immobilized by immunochemical means in the wells of polystyrene multiwell plates. The lysosomal enzyme ligand, testicular o-galactosidase. ‘was added and receptor-bound B-galactosidase was measured by conventional colorimettic analysis using p-nitrophenyl &galactoside as substrate. Inhibitors of the binding of 8-galactosidase to the receptor were removed prior to addition of fi-galactosidase and did not interfere with the assay. Low-molecular-weight phosphomannosyl receptor was readily quantitated in the range of 4 to 100 ng of receptor protein. Binding of 8-galactosidase to the receptor was specifically inhibited by 5 ITIM mannose 6-phosphate. The receptor exhibited optimum binding of fl-galactosidase at pH 5.7 and was saturated with fi-galactosidase at 310 munits/ml in the presence of 20 tIIM MnC&. The requirement for MnClz was greatly diminished at higher concentrations of fi-galactosidase. Application of the assay procedure to the quantitation of the low-molecular-weight phosphomannosyl receptor in mammalian tissues is discussed. E’ 1987
Carrier components assignment method for LTE and LTE-A systems based on user profile and application

Increasing number of mobile users accesses large multimedia files (such as high definition audio, video, images, etc.) over the Internet. Therefore, the bandwidth demand for mobile Internet access is getting exponentially larger. To answer users' demand, Carrier Aggregation is proposed in LTE-A. In Carrier Aggregation, multi bands are used and the bands have supported different coverage. Therefore, mobile users can simultaneously connect only one or multi bands. Because of mobility of users, traffic types and assigned channel errors, the best available Carrier Components of each band should be assigned to each user in order to increase quality of services. Several works have been proposed in the literature to address Carrier Components assignment to mobile users by using Channel Quality Indicator, quality of service and traffic types in LTE systems. However, continuously increasing data requests of users forces the operators to manage traffic more intelligently. Therefore, we have proposed a novel Carrier Component assignment method which considers user profiles and traffic types to increase quality of services and experiences getting by mobile users. Results show that the proposed method uses system resources efficiently and can provide improved throughput rate in LTE and LTE-A systems. Our method will help service providers build efficient Carrier Component assignment services through considering user profile and traffic types.
A vacuum drying system for green hardwood parts

Abstract A vacuum drying system was designed and fabricated and that system was used to dry green rough hardwood dimension. The red oak samples, 76.2 (long) × 7.62 (wide) × 2.54 (thick) cm, were dried from green moisture content (MC) to 7% MC in this system. They were dried at a pressure of 12 mm Hg and temperatures ranging from 30 to 50°C within 25 to 70 h. Drying quality tested included warp, internal checking, and surface checking. Moisture gradients along the length and thickness were measured. The standard prong test was used to assess the drying stresses. Vacuum drying was fast and the drying rate increased as the temperature increased. It was found that the general drying quality was good with no color change. Drying stresses including longitudinal and transverse stresses were small. There were no internal checks.
Evolution of spatial optical solitons in biased photorefractive media under steady state conditions

Abstract The dynamical evolution of bright spatial solitons in biased photorefractive crystals is investigated under steady-state conditions. Our numerical study indicates that these optical solitons are stable against small perturbations whereas optical beams that significantly differ from soliton solutions tend to experience larger cycles of compression and expansion. The influence of loss in a typical photorefractive material like SBN:60 is studied in detail. The effect of the external bias field on the self-focusing behavior of optical beams is discussed and the interaction forces among optical solitons are also investigated.
The Relation between Low- and High-Level Reading Skills in Children.

Abstract Little research has explored the relation between low- and high-level reading skills in children. Efficient low-level skills, such as lexical access, may afford savings of limited attention and working memory so that attention-demanding reading activities proceed unencumbered ( Perfetti, 1985 ). Second, fourth, and sixth graders were tested on measures of low-level reading efficiency: the efficiency of decoding, the efficiency of semantic memory access, and verbal working-memory span. Children were also tested on measures of high-level comprehension outcomes: error detection, a test of inferencing, and the number of spontaneous inferences made while recalling a story. The results indicate that high-level comprehension does not depend on the efficiency of lexical access processes across grade levels. Verbal working memory span, however, is important in high-level comprehension. Those with larger verbal memory spans may have ready access to information for high-level comprehension.
System control: distributed simulation and control: the foundations

This paper seeks a new simulation and execution paradigm for the design and operation of complex systems. An expanded life cycle for a simulation model is first provided. It is assumed that complex systems can be represented as systems of interacting subsystems, which evolve by executing tasks upon objects. Care is taken to distinguish the real world where process execution occurs from the virtual world where planning is addressed. It is illustrated that the ideal model should be able to both evaluate and control the sub-system that it addresses. The advantages of such approach are discussed with relation to both validation and execution needs. In particular, it is demonstrated that a distributed- controller based paradigm could provide significant advantages in the evaluation of the system using distributed simulation. This form of execution is also contrasted to evolving on-line simulation requirements that will support the real-time distributed management of these systems.
Dependence of optical lifetime on thermal transitions in some tetraalkylammonium tetrahalometalates

Abstract Abrupt peaks in the graphs of phosphorescence lifetime versus temperature were observed in solid (Bu4N+)2MnBr2−4 at temperatures at which thermal transitions were also observed. The corresponding MnCl2−4 system displayed a completely different behavior. The results are interpreted as reflecting changes in the rates of the radiationless decays, in turn reflecting the impediment of noncentrosymmetric vibrations.
Understanding Risk: Implications for Tracking High‐Risk Infants and Making Early Service Delivery Decisions

THIS PAPER EXAMINES current conceptualizations of risk and discusses ways in which identification and tracking of infants and children at‐risk might be accomplished. Models that have been developed...