cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relative contributions of microbial and infrastructure heat at a crude oil-contaminated site

Abstract Biodegradation of contaminants can increase the temperature in the subsurface due to heat generated from exothermic reactions, making temperature observations a potentially low-cost approach for determining microbial activity. For this technique to gain more widespread acceptance, it is necessary to better understand all the factors affecting the measured temperatures. Biodegradation has been occurring at a crude oil-contaminated site near Bemidji, Minnesota for 39 years, creating a quasi-steady-state plume of contaminants and degradation products. A model of subsurface heat generation and transport helps elucidate the contribution of microbial and infrastructure heating to observed temperature increases at this site. We created a steady-state, two-dimensional, heat transport model using previous-published parameter values for physical, chemical and biodegradation properties. Simulated temperature distributions closely match the observed average annual temperatures measured in the contaminated area at the site within less than 0.2 °C in the unsaturated zone and 0.4 °C in the saturated zone. The model results confirm that the observed subsurface heat from microbial activity is due primarily to methane oxidation in the unsaturated zone resulting in a 3.6 °C increase in average annual temperature. Another important source of subsurface heat is from the active, crude-oil pipelines crossing the site. The pipelines impact temperatures for a distance of 200 m and contribute half the heat. Model results show that not accounting for the heat from the pipelines leads to overestimating the degradation rates by a factor of 1.7, demonstrating the importance of identifying and quantifying all heat sources. The model results also highlighted a zone where previously unknown microbial activity is occurring at the site.
Effectiveness and Safety of Treatment with Direct Oral Anticoagulant Rivaroxaban in Patients with Slow-Flow Vascular Malformations: A Case Series.

Abstract Background: Slow-flow vascular malformations (VM) can be associated with localized intravascular coagulopathy (LIC) that is characterized by elevated D-Dimer levels and low fibrinogen and ...
Analysis of Nanofluid-Based Parabolic Trough Collectors for Solar Thermal Applications

Author(s): Freedman, JP; Wang, H; Prasher, RS | Abstract: Solar-to-thermal energy conversion technologies are an important and increasingly promising segment of our renewable energy technology future. Today, concentrated solar power (CSP) plants provide a method to efficiently store and distribute solar energy. Current industrial solar-to-thermal energy technologies employ selective solar absorber coatings to collect solar radiation, which suffer from low solar-to-thermal efficiencies at high temperatures due to increased thermal emission from selective absorbers. Solar absorbing nanofluids (a heat transfer fluid (HTF) seeded with nanoparticles), which can be volumetrically heated, are one method to improve solar-to-thermal energy conversion at high temperatures. To date, radiative analyses of nanofluids via the radiative transfer equation (RTE) have been conducted for low temperature applications and for flow conditions and geometries that are not representative of the technologies used in the field. In this work, we present the first comprehensive analysis of nanofluids for CSP plants in a parabolic trough configuration. This geometry was chosen because parabolic troughs are the most prevalent CSP technologies. We demonstrate that the solar-to-thermal energy conversion efficiency can be optimized by tuning the nanoparticle volume fraction, the temperature of the nanofluid, and the incident solar concentration. Moreover, we demonstrate that direct solar absorption receivers have a unique advantage over current surface-based solar coatings at large tube diameters. This is because of a nanofluid's tunability, which allows for high solar-to-thermal efficiencies across all tube diameters enabling small pressure drops to pump the HTF at large tube diameters.
Topiramate induced reversible hyperammonemic encephalopathy. (P4.269)

Objective: To report a case of hyperammonemic encephalopathy due to topiramate in an adult patient of normal intellectual capacity. Background: Topiramate is a broad spectrum anti-seizure medication effective for focal and generalized seizures. It is FDA approved for migraine prophylaxis. Common side effects include poor memory and executive functioning, word finding difficulties, kidney stones, and metabolic acidosis. Hyperammonemia is a well-documented, rare complication of topiramate when used in combination with valporic acid. Case reports of isolated hyperammonemia with topiramate monotherapy in children exist. To our knowledge, there is one case report of topiramate induced hyperammonemic encephalopathy in an adult patient with mental retardation. We report topiramate induced reversible dose dependent hyperammonemia in an adult with normal intellectual capacity. Design/Methods: A retrospective chart review. Results: A 58 year old female was evaluated for worsening sleepiness and uncontrolled extremity jerking that started a week after her primary care physician increased her topiramate dose to 100 mg twice daily for uncontrolled chronic headaches. She was on topiramate 50 mg twice daily for a year with no side effects until the dose increase. She was on several medications including gabapentin, amitriptyline, ziprasidone and escitalopram with no recent dose changes. On examination, she had poor attention span, negative myoclonus (asterixis) in her hands and gait ataxia. Labs including complete blood profile, complete metabolic panel and liver function tests were normal but serum ammonia was elevated (62 micromoles/liter; ref Conclusions: Hyperammonemia can be an uncommon dose dependent side effect of topiramate monotherapy. Clinicians treating patients with topiramate should be aware the possibility of the dose-dependent increase in blood concentrations of ammonia. Disclosure: Dr. Shoup has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sagi has nothing to disclose.
Project-Based Learning

The social studies, which includes such disciplines as history, political science, geography, economics, anthropology, and psychology in the K-12 context, has historically carried the nation’s educational mission of preparing the next generation of its citizens to participate in a democratic society. Despite this core mission, social studies is often lower among the hierarchy of content areas taught in the school curriculum. In a standardized testing environment, social studies is placed below English and mathematics, courses with graduation consequences attached to them. In part, this placement is due to the challenge we face in the post-No Child Left Behind (NCLB) era in which we hope to engage students in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as we seek to meet the employment demands of these fields. In response, the federal government has dedicated budgetary funds to be invested in STEM education.
Adaptation Methods and Strategies

This chapter discusses ten methods by which adaptation can be done under three headings (1) substitution methods—reinstantiation, parameter adjustment, local search, query memory, specialized search, and case-based substitution; (2) transformation methods—commonsense transformation, model-guided repair; and (3) other methods—special-purpose adaptation and repair, and derivational replay. The six substitution methods substitute values appropriate for the new situation for values in the old solution. Reinstantiation is used to instantiate an old solution with new objects. Parameter adjustment is a heuristic for adjusting numerical parameters of an old solution. It relies on specialized heuristics that relate differences in input specifications to differences in output. Local search provides a way of searching an auxiliary knowledge structure for a substitute for some old value or structure that is inappropriate for the new situation. Query memory means asking either auxiliary knowledge structures or the case memory to return something with a given description.
Chemistry education, kindergarten through college: Should we be changing the direction of where it is going?

In the 1980s I assisted in directing a summer sixweek workshop at the University of Maryland for high school chemistry instructors on the teaching of chemistry. A young woman, who had recently graduated from the University, was the workshop secretary/ assistant. She had been selected for the job, not only because of her nice personality and skills, but because of her chemistry background. She had obtained the highest average in the introductory chemistry class of about 500 students at the University of Maryland.
Homology of Moduli of Curves and Commutative Homotopy Algebras

There have been a number of mathematical results recently identifying algebras over certain operads [4, 11, 12, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28]. See [1, 29] for expository surveys of the basics of operad theory. Before citing any of these results, let us mention some trivial classical examples. Let A denote one of the three words: “commutative,” “associative” and “Lie.” In each of these cases, consider the corresponding operad O(n) = (words in the free A algebra on n generators having exactly one occurrence of each generator) k , n ≥ 1, () k meaning the linear span over the ground field k. When A is commutative, associative or Lie, we will denote the corresponding operad O by C, As and Lie, respectively. Note that C(n)=(x 1…x n )k = k and As(n) = (x σ(1)…x σ(n) | σ e S n)k = k[S n ]. The main feature of these three operads is that they describe algebras of the corresponding types. More precisely, algebras over an operad O, O = C, As or Lie, (or simply, O-algebras) are exactly A algebras.
Nitrate and Nitrite in Drinking Water: A Toxicological Review

The World Health Organization (WHO) guideline of 50 ppm and the US maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 45 ppm for nitrate in drinking water are established for the protection of infants from methemoglobinemia. The WHO guideline for nitrite is 3 ppm and the MCL 1 ppm. The water must also be microbiologically safe. The toxicity results from conversion of nitrate to nitrite in vivo, with reduced oxygen transport by hemoglobin to tissues in the body, producing symptoms of oxygen deficiency. Bacterial contamination of water, and gastrointestinal infections and inflammation with ensuing production of nitric oxide, are major factors that may contribute to methemoglobinemia. Vitamin C has been shown to have a protective effect. Food and drinking water are the major sources of exposure to nitrate and nitrite, both of which are active in the nitrogen cycle in the body. Epidemiological studies on reproductive outcomes and thyroid effects are suggestive but inconclusive. However, data (primarily in children) on respiratory tract infection, diarrhea, and stomatitis are very limited and not convincing. Results were conflicting in studies of childhood diabetes mellitus. Animal studies were negative for teratogenicity for both sodium and potassium nitrate and nitrite, whereas sodium nitrite produced mortality, reduced growth and hematological changes in the offspring. Acute, subchronic, and chronic animal toxicity studies showed low toxicity for nitrate; a long-term study showed a slight depression in growth rate. The acute toxicity of nitrite includes relaxation of smooth muscle, vasodilation, and lowering of blood pressure; methemoglobinemia and histopathological changes in the lungs and heart of rats were observed in a long-term study. Genotoxicity studies showed mostly negative responses for nitrate and both negative and positive responses for nitrite. Carcinogenicity studies of nitrate alone were negative. Data suggest an association of ingested nitrate and nitrite with increased carcinogenic risk when considering endogenous nitrosation.
Measurement of Viscous and Elastic Components of Native DNA Fiber Following Carcinogen Administration

The problem of determining the physical properties of giant DNA molecules in native conditions from intact mammalian nuclei (or cells) remains one of the most challenging and intriguing, especially considering their critical dependence on cell proliferation and transformation: DNA length (1), structure (2), and intrinsic viscosity (3) have been shown to be critically related to early events occurring during chemical carcinogenesis. Progressively lower amounts of “putative” single DNA strand breaks are detectable by alkaline sucrose gradients (1), alkaline elution (4), and viscometry (3), but numerous questions concerning the role of higher order structure (dealt with in a separate communication (5)) or the relative contribution of elastic and viscous components on the latter more sensitive viscoelastic measurements remain unanswered. Mammalian DNA molecules “in situ” have a pronounced tendency to associate to form gelled networks of nucleofilament fibers (2) with high elastic modulus and intrinsic viscosity which lend themselves to quantitative measurements (6,7).
The boron-germanium system

Abstract The salient features of the boron-germanium phase equilibrium diagram have been deduced from X-ray diffraction, metallographic, thermal analysis, and electron-microprobe studies on both sintered and melted alloys. The system can be characterized as a classical monotectic-eutectic with no intermediate phases. The occurrence of hypomonotectic boron crystals and boron crystals grown from a germanium melt indicates a slight solubility of germanium in solid boron and of boron in liquid germanium at the monotectic temperature.The germanium-rich liquid freezes as essentially pure germanium; the solid solubilities of germanium in boron and of boron in germanium are virtually nil at the eutectic temperature. The minute quantity of boron that does dissolve in solid germanium does so substitutionally with a 0.01–0.02 vol.% contraction of the germanium lattice. These results indicate that germanium may have utility as a boron diffusion barrier for boron fiber-reinforced, metal-matrix composites.
Heat capacity of the highly frustrated triangulated Kagome lattice Cu9Cl2(cpa)6

Magnetic field-dependent heat capacity measurements on the tunable molecular magnet Cu9Cl2(cpa)6, a metal organic framework (MOF) based on copper(II) ions and carboxypentonic acid, suggest that this molecular magnetic material could serve as a candidate for quantum spin liquid (QSL) studies. The 2-D framework has been described as a ‘triangles-in-triangles’ (TIT) Kagome or triangulated-Kagome-lattice (TKL), and previous magnetic experiments and theoretical studies have suggested this Kagome Heisenberg antiferromagnet (KHAF) is highly frustrated. Here we report heat capacity data down to 50mK that confirms this frustration. Above 5K the material exhibits field-independent heat capacity that largely fits C = αT3+βT behavior with parameters that vary with the temperature window of analysis. Below 5K, the zero-field heat capacity exhibits no obvious phase transition down to 0.050K and levels off at a nonzero value. Upon the application of magnetic field, a peak in the heat capacity (Cmax) emerges from below 0.050K. The temperature at which (Cmag/T)max occurs, Tmax, scales linearly with applied field. As Tmax increases, the magnitude of (Cmag/T)max decreases and the peak broadens, eventually subsumed into the αT3 behavior above 3T. Below Cmax, the heat capacity decreases to zero at finite temperatures in large fields. These data corroborate magnetic data and confirm that this frustrated TKL material does not exhibit a phase transition in low-to-zero field down to 0.050 K. Further, the temperature Tmax nominally extrapolates to 0K in zero-field, yielding a T-H phase diagram similar to Herbertsmithite; one that suggests CPA could be a possible candidate to develop additional chemical variants for QSL studies.
Suicidal because I don't feel connected or vice versa? A longitudinal study of suicidal ideation and connectedness among child welfare youth

Abstract Suicide is a major public health problem among youth involved with the child welfare system. Although social connectedness rests at the core of many prevention approaches, we know little about this relationship over time in this vulnerable population. This study tested the hypotheses that inverse relationships would exist between connectedness in three social domains (i.e., caregiver, peers, and school) and suicidal ideation over time. The current study used baseline and 18-month follow-up data from 995 youth who participated in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II)—a nationally representative study of children and families investigated by a child welfare agency conducted from 2008 to 2011. A cross-lagged path model was used for the analysis. There were significant main effects of suicidal ideation at Time 1 on peer connectedness (β= −.17, p Screening for suicidal ideation is important for managing immediate risk but our findings suggest that such ideation also foreshadows disconnectedness from their primary caregiver and peers in the future. These findings demonstrate that there is clinical value in engaging child-welfare-involved youth and their social systems about how their suicide-related experiences may affect vital social ties. Therefore, there may be merit to designing and exploring the effects of pilot programming focused on mitigating social distancing that suicide-related experiences engender.
Bidirectional regulation of reward, punishment, and arousal by dopamine, the lateral habenula and the rostromedial tegmentum (RMTg)

Dopamine (DA) neurons play multiple roles in reward-related behavior,including distinct roles in learning versus performance of reward-seeking, as well as effort-based decision-making and sleep–wake regulation. We review the increasing evidence that a major inhibitory input to DA neurons arising from the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) plays a similarly wide range of roles that strikingly oppose multiple DA functions. These roles are in part dependent on excitatory inputs from the lateral habenula (LHb), although contributions from additional forebrain and brainstem RMTg afferents are likely also important. We also review evidence that increased RMTg/LHb activity drives depressive behaviors, while reductions lead to mania-like behaviors, suggesting that the balance of DA and RMTg/LHb activity could regulate the balance of behavior on a manic/depressive spectrum.
Trunk Club: Revolutionizing the Retail Model in Fashion

Trunk Club, a subsidiary of the Nordstrom company, began as a Chicago-based startup and is disrupting the retail fashion industry through its innovative and customer-centered retail format. The company, one of the early players in subscription-based fashion retailing, has designed its business model to empower its customers (e.g., young American executives with shrinking schedule availability, who want to dress fashionably but do not exactly know what would look good on them) to outsource their fashion needs. The company innovates the consumers’ shopping process by providing personal styling services based on their needs, size, budget, and style preferences with the help of a team of dedicated styling experts through its website or brick-and-mortar stores across the United States. In addition to incorporating machine-learning and personalized recommendation algorithms, which might be similar to its competitors, Trunk Club values building personal relationships between stylists and the customers, thus providing more a flexible and personal shopping experience to its customers.
The effect of Russia’s economic crisis and import ban on its agricultural and food sector:

This article examines how Russia’s economic crisis and ban on agricultural imports from the United States and other Western countries that began in 2014 have impacted its agricultural and food sect...
“I’m a Computer Scientist!”: Virtual Reality Experience Influences Stereotype Threat and STEM Motivation Among Undergraduate Women

Women are less likely to choose physical Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (pSTEM) majors, partly because a lack of role models makes it hard for women to imagine themselves as successful in those fields. Possible self-interventions can help people imagine themselves having a successful future. Using social cognitive theory and expectancy-value framework, the current study explored virtual reality (VR; HTC Vive) as a space for a possible self-intervention to decrease stereotype threat and increase pSTEM motivation. Participants were 79 undergraduate women in California (46% Asian, 32% Latina, 14% white) who were randomly assigned to embody a future self either highly successful in pSTEM or highly successful in humanities. Following the virtual experience, women in the pSTEM condition differed significantly from women in the humanities condition regarding pSTEM value beliefs, anticipated stereotype threat, course motivation, and women-pSTEM implicit associations, after controlling for prior pSTEM-self implicit associations. However, this difference only occurred among women who identified with the experience. While women with high identification demonstrated an effect in the desired direction, women with low identification demonstrated reactance in the opposite direction. This speaks to the usefulness of identification as a moderator and implies that virtual reality might be a useful tool for future self-interventions among students.
Active Optical Correctors for Large Inflatable Telescopes

Large spherical balloons are a promising new option for deploying extremely large, yet light-weight mirrors for stratospheric and space-based applications. However, their lack of a rigid, precise structure presents a unique challenge for optically correcting nonspherical distortions, particularly at shorter wavelengths. In this paper, we present the design and characterization of a lab prototype for a 10-m aperture telescope for observing the water vapor emission line at 538 $\mu$ m (557 GHz), as well as considerations for future flight-worthy versions.
Experience in commissioning the halcyon linac.

Purpose This manuscript describes the experience of two institutions in commissioning the new HalcyonTM platform. Its purpose is to: (a) validate the pre-defined beam data, (b) compare relevant commissioning data acquired independently by two separate institutions, and (c) report on any significant differences in commissioning between the Halcyon linear accelerator and other medical linear accelerators. Methods Extensive beam measurements, testing of mechanical and imaging systems, including the multi-leaf collimator (MLC), were performed at the two institutions independently. The results were compared with published recommendations as well. When changes in standard practice were necessitated by the design of the new system, the efficacy of such changes was evaluated as compared to published approaches (guidelines or vendor documentation). Results Given the proper choice of detectors, good agreement was found between the respective experimental data and the treatment planning system calculations, and between independent measurements by the two institutions. MLC testing, MV imaging, and mechanical system showed unique characteristics that are different from the traditional C-arm linacs. Although the same methodologies and physics equipment can generally be used for commissioning the Halcyon, some adaptation of previous practices and development of new methods were also necessary. Conclusions We have shown that the vendor pre-loaded data agree well with the independent measured ones during the commission process. This verifies that a data validation instead of a full-data commissioning process may be a more efficient approach for the Halcyon. Measurement results could be used as a reference for future Halcyon users.
Divergent opposition to sub-Saharan African and Arab migrants in Morocco’s Casablanca Region: prejudice from the pocketbook?

Since the early 2010s, the global migrant crisis has led to the mass inflow of foreign migrants, refugees, and other displaced persons into numerous countries. Whereas some native citizens have wel...
Complex Partial Seizures of Frontal Lobe Origin

As early as 400years B.C., Hippocrates [26] recognized the warning signs or symptoms (aura) of epilepsy. In 1677, Thomas Willis [59] gave the first description of a psychomotor attack, and in 1822 Prichard [42] first used the term “partial epilepsy.” However, it was John Hughlings Jackson who developed the conceptual framework and meaning of epileptic symptomatology and signs. Jackson, a true scholar, completely refounded epileptology and collated bedside observations with anatomical facts. By 1889, he [24, 25] had linked the symptoms and signs of psychomotor seizures to the “sphenoidal lobe” or the medial temporal areas of the uncus. Since then, modern studies, notably by Ajmone-Marsan and Abraham [1–3], Bancaud, Talairach and collaborators in Paris [4–12,20,21, 31–33,48, 53], Wieser and Ya§argil [52, 54, 55] in Zurich, the Spencers et al. [45, 46] and Williamson et al. [56–58] in New Haven, Rasmussen [44], Gloor [22, 23], and Quesney et al. [43] in Montreal, and our Comprehensive Epilepsy Program in Los Angeles [12–15, 34], have characterized a wide range of psychomotor automatisms on cine film or closed-circuit television videotape (CCTV) from simple lip smacking, chewing, pursing lips, and, eye blinking, to running, mimicry, gesticulations, and sometimes bizarre complex bilateral hand and leg movements. These clinical signs have been related to epileptiform discharges recorded by scalp and sphenoidal electroencephalography (EEG) and stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG).
Techniques of Chromosome-Mediated Gene Transfer

Functional genes can be transferred to eukaryotic cells by incubation with isolated metaphase chromosomes. Uptake occurs by phagocytosis and most of the ingested chromosomal DNA is degraded to small inactive fragments. The frequency of transfer of any selected marker ranges from about 10-5 to 10-7. Hence, the isolation of transformants requires a sensitive selection system. A free functional chromosome fragment can be retained in the progeny of a transformant for many generations after uptake if selection is maintained. In the absence of selection, the transferred genes are lost from progeny at a rate of about 2–10% per generation (Klobutcher and Ruddle, 1979). Stabilization of transferred genes occurs at a much lower frequency and results from integration of the fragment into nonhomologous sites on recipient chromosomes (Fournier and Ruddle, 1977). The size of the transferred fragment is usually considerably decreased during the process of integration (Klobutcher and Ruddle, 1979; Olsen et al., 1981).
New Directions in the Study of Vietnam Law

Interest is burgeoning in Vietnamese law. For forty years that interest has risen and fallen in waves influenced by politics, economics, and war. Today, for the first time in several decades, scholars outside and within Vietnam have the opportunity for textured study of a rapidly changing system and to make the study of Vietnamese law a topic of real scholarly interest.
Cross Interaction Network for Natural Language Guided Video Moment Retrieval

Natural language query grounding in videos is a challenging task that requires comprehensive understanding of the query, video and fusion of information across these modalities. Existing methods mostly emphasize on the query-to-video one-way interaction with a late fusion scheme, lacking effective ways to capture the relationship within and between query and video in a fine-grained manner. Moreover, current methods are often overly complicated resulting in long training time. We propose a self-attention together with cross interaction multi-head-attention mechanism in an early fusion scheme to capture video-query intra-dependencies as well as inter-relation from both directions (query-to-video and video-to-query). The cross-attention method can associate query words and video frames at any position and account for long-range dependencies in the video context. In addition, we propose a multi-task training objective that includes start/end prediction and moment segmentation. The moment segmentation task provides additional training signals that remedy the start/end prediction noise caused by annotator disagreement. Our simple yet effective architecture enables speedy training (within 1 hour on an AWS P3.2xlarge GPU instance) and instant inference. We showed that the proposed method achieves superior performance compared to complex state of the art methods, in particular surpassing the SOTA on high IoU metrics (R@1, IoU=0.7) by 3.52% absolute (11.09% relative) on the Charades-STA dataset.
The Impact of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk on Graft Failure in Deceased-Donor Renal Transplantation.

Introduction:Pretransplant cardiovascular risk may be amplified after renal transplant, but little is known about its impact on graft outcomes.Research question:The purpose of this study was to det...
Ensuring Presence: Toni Morrison and the Language of Legacy

This chapter examines the forewords that Toni Morrison wrote in her post-Nobel laureate years. Her forewords for a Vintage reprint series of her novels (2004–2014) stem from her desire to maintain a narrative project rooted in a language “worthy of the culture,” though the forewords complicate that project in textual and interpretive ways. Are Morrison’s forewords an extension of her lifelong “narrative project” or a unique authorial act, connected perhaps, but not necessarily a continuation of that project? With particular focus on storytelling, language interrogation, and Black representation, this chapter evaluates Morrison’s forewords in the context of her own mission. Are they worthy of the culture, and therefore, worthy of Toni Morrison?
A Victor’s Message

Carved on the bottom molding of one of the columns of the Temple of Artemis in Sardis is an inscription that declares: “My torus and my foundation block are carved from a single block of stone. … Of all the columns I am the first to rise.” In addition, the base is fashioned as a victory wreath. The torus—decorated by horizontal laurel leaves gathered by a fluttering ribbon—and a bronze medallion glorify the column as the winner of a competition. In A Victor’s Message: The Talking Column of the Temple of Artemis at Sardis, Fikret K. Yegul analyzes this phenomenon of competitive and celebratory inscriptions and decorative carvings, in particular the message and metaphor voiced by the victorious column of Sardis, to illustrate a wide web of cultural relationships connecting the city to its proud past and auspicious future. The transformation of an architectural element into a victory wreath, which was probably influenced by the base of Trajan’s Column in Rome, is unique in Asia Minor. Equally rare, perhaps even unique, is a column speaking in the first-person singular, using an archaizing mode and message, particularly appreciated in the memory-inspired urban culture of Asia Minor during the Second Sophistic.
WHY EXPERIMENTERS SHOULD NOT RANDOMIZE, AND WHAT THEY SHOULD DO INSTEAD

(ATE) of some binary treatment. We show that in general there is a unique optimal non-random treatment assignment if there are continuous covariates. We argue that experimenters should choose this assignment. The optimal assignment minimizes the risk (e.g., expected squared error) of treatment effects estimators. We provide explicit expressions for the risk, and discuss algorithms which minimize it. The objective of controlled trials is to have treatment groups which are similar a priori (balanced), so we can \compare apples with apples." The expressions for risk derived in this paper provide an operationalization of the notion of balance. The intuition for our non-randomization result is similar to the reasons for not using randomized estimators - adding noise can never decrease risk. The formal setup we consider is decision-theoretic and nonparametric. In simulations and an application to project STAR we nd that optimal designs have mean squared errors of up to 20% less than randomized designs.
Imaging radiation response in tumor and normal tissue

Although X-ray computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the primary imaging modalities used in the clinic to monitor tumor response to radiation therapy, multi-modal molecular imaging may facilitate improved early and specific evaluation of this process. Fast and accurate imaging that can provide both quantitative and biological information is necessary to monitor treatment and ultimately to develop individualized treatment options for patients. A combination of molecular and anatomic information will allow for deeper insight into the mechanisms of tumor response, which will lead to more effective radiation treatments as well as improved anti-cancer drugs. Much progress has been made in nuclear medicine imaging probes and MRI techniques to achieve increased accuracy and the evaluation of relevant biomarkers of radiation response. This review will emphasize promising molecular imaging techniques that monitor various biological processes following radiotherapy, including metabolism, hypoxia, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis.
Methods for Structure Elucidation

NMR spectroscopy, deuterated solvent, susceptibility plug, vortex plug, NMR tubes, exchangeable hydrogens, spectral processing software, free induction decay, infrared spectroscopy, infrared cells, attenuated total reﬂectance, ultraviolet spectroscopy, combustion analysis, mass spectrometry, optical rotation, polarimeter, sodium D line, enantiomeric ratio, enantiomeric excess, racemic, scalemic, holemic, chiral chromatography, chiral stationary phase, single crystal growth, X-ray diffraction, vapor diffusion method, high resolution mass spectrometry, melting point, coupling constants.
Poverty Trap in a Tributary Mode of Production: The Peasant Economy of Ethiopia

The paradox of EthiopiaOs agrarian economy is that, despite underwriting a world civilization, the transition to an industrial economy has eluded it. Using a model of AfroAsiatic tributarism, we attribute this outcome to endemic extractive contests between a predominantly landed peasantry and a titled, prebendary overlord class. The latterOs strategy of political accumulation inevitably engendered immiserization of overlord and peasant alike by privileging diversion over production. The surplus was then dissipated on unproductive consumption, national defence, and internecine strife. Lacking a strong state to mitigate predation and political instability, the Ethiopian peasant rationally OchoseO to be efficiently, albeit self-sufficiently, poor.
Domnarski, Federal Judges Revealed

William Domnarski, a lawyer who has practiced in federal courts and has written previously about courts and justices of the Supreme Court, uses oral histories to examine Article III judges—federal ...
Management of atrial fibrillation: out-of-hospital approach

Atrial fibrillation is increasingly common with advancing age and is responsible for 10% of the half-million strokes that occur annually in the United States. When a patient presents with atrial fibrillation, the physician's first task is to use the history, physical examination, and electrocardiogram to determine whether hospitalization is necessary. Factors indicating a need for hospital care include evidence of infarction or ischemia, congestive heart failure, hypotension or hypoperfusion, excessive rate, or pre-excitation. In addition, if the episode began within 48 hours, consider early cardioversion, which also requires hospitalization. Next, the need for control of the ventricular rate should be assessed. A heart rate under 90 beats/min at rest and under 120 beats/min after 1 minute of step exercise is a reasonable goal. Dixogin usually controls the resting rate, but sometimes beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers are needed to control the exercise rate. The need for anticoagulation is determined by the presence of clinical risk factors such as valvular heart disease, previous thromboembolism, hypertension, age over 65 years, congestive heart failure, and left atrial enlargement. An echocardiogram is necessary to complete this assessment. Patients having one or more of these risk factors are most effectively treated with warfarin, as evident from several clinical trials. Although patients over age 65 demonstrate reduced thromboembolism with warfarin therapy, they also are more prone to cerebral hemorrhage, thus, their international normalization ratio (INR) should be kept at the lower end of the therapeutic range [2,3]. Other patients can be treated with aspirin, although stroke reduction in these patients may be more related to reduction of arterial thrombosis than thromboembolism. Patients under age 65 with no risk factors have a very low annual risk of stroke without therapy (approximately 1%). If symptoms persist or if this is a first episode in someone without left atrial enlargement, cardioversion can be considered after 3 weeks of warfarin therapy with INR in the therapeutic range. Otherwise, warfarin should be continued indefinitely. Prevention of recurrence with antiarrhythmic drugs is somewhat problematic because of incomplete efficacy (30% recurrence at 1 year) and the potential for inducing other, life-threatening arrhythmias.
A transcriptional reporter of intracellular Ca 2+ in Drosophila

Intracellular Ca(2+) is a widely used neuronal activity indicator. Here we describe a transcriptional reporter of intracellular Ca(2+) (TRIC) in Drosophila that uses a binary expression system to report Ca(2+)-dependent interactions between calmodulin and its target peptide. We found that in vitro assays predicted in vivo properties of TRIC and that TRIC signals in sensory systems depend on neuronal activity. TRIC was able to quantitatively monitor neuronal responses that changed slowly, such as those of neuropeptide F-expressing neurons to sexual deprivation and neuroendocrine pars intercerebralis cells to food and arousal. Furthermore, TRIC-induced expression of a neuronal silencer in nutrient-activated cells enhanced stress resistance, providing a proof of principle that TRIC can be used for circuit manipulation. Thus, TRIC facilitates the monitoring and manipulation of neuronal activity, especially those reflecting slow changes in physiological states that are poorly captured by existing methods. TRIC's modular design should enable optimization and adaptation to other organisms.
Imaging of lumbar spinal surgery complications

Lumbar spine surgery for spinal stenosis is a frequently performed procedure and was the fastest growing type of surgery in the US from 1980 to 2000. With increasing surgical invasiveness, postoperative complications also tend to be higher. Cross-sectional imaging techniques (CT and MRI) are more sensitive than radiographs and play an increasingly important role in evaluation of patients with lumbar spine surgery. Their use in patients with metallic implants is somewhat limited by artefacts, which can obscure pathology and decrease accuracy and reader confidence. Metal artefact reduction techniques have been developed, which can significantly improve image quality and enable early detection of postoperative complications. Complications can occur throughout postoperative course. Early complications include hardware displacement, incidental durotomy, postoperative collections—most commonly seroma, and less likely haematoma and/or infection. Incidental durotomy with CSF leak causing intracranial hypotension has characteristic MR brain findings and diagnosis of occult leak sites have been improved with use of dynamic CT myelography. Haematomas, even when compressing the thecal sac, are usually asymptomatic. Early infection, with nonspecific MR findings, can be diagnosed accurately using dual radiotracer studies. Delayed complications include loosening, hardware failure, symptomatic new or recurrent disc herniation, peri-/epidural fibrosis, arachnoiditis, and radiculitis. • CT and MRI play an increasingly important role in evaluation of patients with lumbar spine surgery • Complications can occur throughout the postoperative course and early detection is critical • Artefact reduction techniques can improve image quality for early and improved detection of complications
Antibody-Mediated Phagocytosis of the Amyloid β-Peptide in Microglia Is Differentially Modulated by C1q

Microglial ingestion of the amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) has been viewed as a therapeutic target in Alzheimer's disease, in that approaches that enhance clearance of Abeta relative to its production are predicted to result in decreased senile plaque formation, a proposed contributor to neuropathology. In vitro, scavenger receptors mediate ingestion of fibrillar Abeta (fAbeta) by microglia. However, the finding that cerebral amyloid deposition in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease was diminished by inoculation with synthetic Abeta has suggested a possible therapeutic role for anti-Abeta Ab-mediated phagocytosis. Microglia also express C1qR(P), a receptor for complement protein C1q, ligation of which in vitro enhances phagocytosis of immune complexes formed with IgG levels below that required for optimal FcR-mediated phagocytosis. The data presented here demonstrate FcR-dependent ingestion of Abeta-anti-Abeta complexes (IgG-fAbeta) by microglia that is a function of the amount of Ab used to form immune complexes. In addition, C1q incorporated into IgG-fAbeta enhanced microglial uptake of these complexes when they contained suboptimal levels of anti-Abeta Ab. Mannose binding lectin and lung surfactant protein A, other ligands of C1qR(P), also enhanced ingestion of suboptimally opsonized IgG-fAbeta, whereas control proteins did not. Our data suggest that C1qR(P)-mediated events may promote efficient ingestion of Abeta at low Ab titers, and this may be beneficial in paradigms that seek to clear amyloid via FcR-mediated mechanisms by minimizing the potential for destructive Ab-induced complement-mediated processes.
Encountering Ethnographic Film

Book reviewed in this article: Innovation in Ethnographic Film. Peter Loizos. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993. 224 pp.
Fighting enemies and finding friends: the cosmopolitan pragmatism of Jesuit residences in the Ottoman Levant

After several decades of intermittent missionary work, the Society of Jesus decided to establish a permanent residence in Jerusalem. However, the competition for control of religious sites compelled the Jesuits’ Franciscan rivals to undermine their efforts. Whereas religious tensions in Jerusalem thwarted a Jesuit residence in the city, Jesuit travel writers such as Giulio Mancinelli and Diego de Salazar lauded Ottoman entrepots for their tranquility and cosmopolitan nature and appreciated how European merchants and local Christians were amenable to the Jesuits and welcomed them into their homes. These travelogues suggest that these types of cities, not pilgrimage centres like Jerusalem, provided the Jesuits with the types of structures necessary for founding residences. In turn, Jesuit leaders abandoned Jerusalem and opted to establish themselves in the more cosmopolitan and economically vibrant Aleppo. When juxtaposed with their failure in Jerusalem, Jesuit travelogues that promoted the idea of residences in centres like Aleppo illuminate how the successes and failures of Catholic missionaries often depended on a wide array of factors, ranging from levels of intra-Catholic cooperation to the Jesuits’ abilities to recognize and navigate the Levant's complex political, commercial, and diplomatic webs that facilitated their desire to missionize in the Christian Orient.
Infection of mice lacking the common cytokine receptor gamma-chain (gamma(c)) reveals an unexpected role for CD4+ T lymphocytes in early IFN-gamma-dependent resistance to Toxoplasma gondii.

Mice lacking the common cytokine receptor γ-chain (γc) gene exhibit defective development of NK cells and CD8+ T cells and greatly diminished production of IFN-γ. Because resistance of SCID mice to Toxoplasma gondii requires IL-12-dependent IFN-γ production by NK cells, we expected that γc-deficient mice would succumb rapidly to the parasite. Surprisingly, however, most γc-deficient mice survived the acute phase of T. gondii infection. As in wild-type mice, this resistance required IL-12 and IFN-γ; nevertheless, whereas wild-type mice depleted of CD4+ T cells survived, anti-CD4+ treated γc-deficient mice displayed diminished production of IFN-γ and all succumbed to acute infection. These data not only reveal a role for CD4+ T lymphocytes in IFN-γ-dependent host defense but also establish SCID and γc-deficient mice as powerful complementary tools for assessing the function of NK vs CD4+ T cells in immunopathophysiologic responses.
Cangrelor in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: the BRIDGE study

The benefit of long-term dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in patients with acute coronary syndromes, drug-eluting stents and those at high risk for thromboembolic events has been well established in a number of well-designed randomized controlled studies. Current research in this area has focused on the development of novel antiplatelet agents for clinical use. The BRIDGE trial evaluated the use of cangrelor as a bridge to coronary artery bypass graft surgery in patients receiving extended DAPT. The BRIDGE trial results confirm the efficacy and safety of cangrelor in this population. This study is novel as it attempts to address the lapse in thienopyridine therapy required for many surgical and invasive procedures. The future of antiplatelet agents, particularly cangrelor, must also focus on bridging for high-risk patients undergoing noncoronary artery bypass graft surgical procedures. Overall, the BRIDGE trial represents a significant advance for patients appropriate for long-term DAPT.
Assisted hatching in mouse embryos using a noncontact Ho:YSGG laser system

Purpose A noncontact holmium:yttrium scandium gallium garnet (Ho:YSGG) laser system has been designed and tested for the micromanipulation of mammalian embryos. The purpose of this preliminary investigation was to determine the effectiveness of this laser for assisted hatching and evaluate its impact on embryo viability. The Ho:YSGG system, utilizing 250-μsec pulses at a wave-length of 2.1 μm and 4 Hz, was used to remove a portion of the zona pellucida (ZP) of two-to four-cell FVB mouse embryos.
Aging of Crushed Glass-Dredged Material Blend Embankments

Four crushed glass (CG) and dredged material (DM) [(CG-DM)] blend embankments constructed (2004) and reconstructed (2005) to local DOT specifications were subjected to cone penetrometer tests (CPT). The CPT resistance of the original set of embankments was evaluated shortly after construction and approximately 360 days later, immediately prior to being demolished for purposes of a second study. Cone tip resistances were observed to double to triple with aging. For the 80/20 CG-DM blend, a 4 MPa [40 tons per square foot (tsf)] or threefold increase in CPT tip resistance was measured. Likewise, isotropically consolidated, undrained triaxial shear tests were performed on relatively undisturbed thin-walled tube specimens of the 360-day aged CG-DM blend materials. The triaxial tests revealed that the effective friction angles of the aged materials increased by up to 8° over freshly prepared laboratory CG-DM blend specimens. The strength gains appeared to be more strongly linked to (amorphous) silica cementation rather than the formation of carbonates. Disturbance (demolition and reconstruction) generally reduced the in situ CPT behavior to that of the originally constructed embankments.