cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tulelake, California: The last 3 million years

Abstract The Tulelake basin, formed by east-west extension and faulting during the past several million years, contains at least 550 m of lacustrine sediment. Interdisciplinary studies of a 334 m-long cored section from the town of Tulelake, California, near the center of the basin, document a 3-m.y. record of environmental changes. The core consists of a thick sequence of diatomaceous clayey, silty, and marly lacustrine sediments interbedded with numerous tephra layers. Paleomagnetic study puts the base of the core at about 3.0 Ma. Twelve widespread silicic tephra units provide correlations with other areas and complement age control provided by magnetostratigraphy; mafic and silicic tephra units erupted from local sources are also common in the core. Widespread tephra units include the Llao Rock pumice (=Tsoyawata, 7 ka), the Trego Hot Springs Bed (23 ka), and the Rockland (0.40 Ma), Lava Creek (0.62 Ma), and Rio Dell (1.5 Ma) ash beds, as well as several ash beds also found at Summer Lake, Oregon, and an ash bed originally recognized in DSDP hole 173 in the northeastern Pacific. Several tephra layers found in the core also occur in lacustrine beds exposed around the margins of the basin and elsewhere in the ancestral lacustrine system. Diatoms are present throughout the section. Pollen is present in most of the section, but some barren zones are found in the interval between 50 and 140 m; the greatest change in behavior of the pollen record takes place just above the top of the Olduvai Normal-Polarity Subchronozone. Ostracodes are present only in high-carbonate (>10% CaCO3) intervals. Evolutionary changes are found in the diatom and ostracode records. Bulk geochemical analyses show significant changes in elemental composition of the sediment through time.
Detailed analysis of contrast-enhanced MRI of hands and wrists in patients with psoriatic arthritis

The objective was to perform detailed analysis of the involved soft tissues, tendons, joints, and bones in the hands and wrists of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). We reviewed 23 contrast-enhanced MR imaging studies (13 hands and 10 wrists) in 10 patients with the clinical diagnosis of PsA. We obtained clinical information from medical records and evaluated images for the presence of erosions, bone marrow edema, joint synovitis, tenosynovitis, carpal tunnel, and soft tissue involvement. Two board-certified musculoskeletal radiologists reviewed all images independently. Differences were resolved during a subsequent joint session. The average duration of disease was 71.3 months, ranging from 1 month to 25 years. Eight of the 10 wrists (80%) and 6 of the 13 hands demonstrated bone erosions. Bone marrow abnormalities were shown in 5 of the 10 wrists (50%) and 4 of the 14 hands (31%). Triangular fibrocartilage tears were seen in 6 of the 10 wrists (60%). Wrist and hand joint synovitis were present in all studies (67 wrist joints and 101 hand joints). Wrist soft tissue involvement was detected in 9 of the 10 wrists (90%) and hand soft tissue involvement was present in 12 of the 13 wrists (92%). Findings adjacent to the region of soft tissue involvement included synovitis (4 wrists) and tenosynovitis (3 wrists). Bone marrow edema adjacent to the region of soft tissue involvement was seen in one wrist. Bulge of the flexor retinaculum was seen in 4 of the 10 wrists (40%) and median nerve enhancement was seen in 8 of the 10 wrists (80%). Tenosynovitis was seen in all studies (all 10 of the hands and all 13 of the wrists). The “rheumatoid” type of distribution of bony lesions was common in our study. Interobserver agreement for various findings ranged from 83% to 100%. Contrast-enhanced MRI unequivocally demonstrated bone marrow edema, erosions, tendon and soft-tissue disease, and median nerve involvement, with good interobserver reliability in patients with PsA of the hands and wrists. Disease was more extensive in the wrists than in the hands.
Resilience quantification and its application to a residential building subject to hurricane winds

In order to overcome negative consequences of a disaster, buildings and infrastructures need to be resilient. After a disaster occurs, they must get back to their normal operations as quickly as possible. Buildings and infrastructures should incorporate both pre-event (preparedness and mitigation) and post-event (response and recovery) resilience activities to minimize negative effects of a disaster. Quantitative approaches for measuring resilience for buildings and infrastructures need to be developed. A proposed methodology for quantification of resilience of a given building type based on different hurricane categories is presented. The formulation for the resilience quantification is based on a model embedding several distinct parameters (for example, structural loss ratios, conditional probabilities of exceeding for damage states, estimated and actual recovery times, wind speed probability). The proposed resilience formulation is applied to a residential building type selected from HAZUS.i Numerical results of resilience for the selected residential building type against Category 1, 2, and 3 hurricanes are presented in a dashboard representation. Resilience performance indicators between different types of buildings, which are identical except for their roof types, have been evaluated in order to present applicability of the proposed methodology.
Elimination of signal strength dependency upon coil loading--an aid to metabolite quantitation when the sample volume changes.

The phase, height, and width of NMR spectral lines from a constant number of nuclei are frequently dependent upon changes in probe Q factor and tuning, caused by motion of the sample and/or changes in its electrical conductivity and size. Thus quantitation of metabolites in biological samples can be difficult. When probe tuning and matching are rendered independent by the use of a tuned coupling coil for matching, use of a very low input impedance preamplifier can virtually eliminate such dependencies in the received signal. Likewise, by reciprocity, the use of a low output impedance transmitter greatly reduces the dependence of pulse flip angle upon sample characteristics. Experimental results verifying these statements are presented, and the time course of signals from a swelling, perfused pig heart and an external reference are plotted. © 1990 Academic Press, Inc.
Memory and perfect recall in extensive games

Abstract The notion of perfect recall in extensive games was introduced by Kuhn [in: Contributions to the Theory of Games, Vol. 2, 1953, p. 193], who interpreted it as “equivalent to the assertion that each player is allowed by the rules of the game to remember everything he knew at previous moves and all of his choices at those moves.” We provide a syntactic and semantic characterization of perfect recall based on two independent notions of memory: (1) memory of past knowledge and (2) memory of past actions.
The Influence of Interfacial Structure on the Flexural Strength of E-glass Reinforced Polyester

Abstract Simultaneous mechanical and molecular characterization of a composite system has been attempted with respect to the interface. The mechanical properties of an E-glass cloth/ y-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (γ-MPS)/bisphenol-A-fumarate polyester resin composite system were studied as a function of the amount of γ-MPS coupling agent present on the glass fiber surface. Fourier transform infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy was used to determine the amount and structure of γ-MPS on the glass. This structure consists of two clearly distinguishable regions: physisorbed layers of γ-MPS which can be dissolved by organic solvents, and chemisorbed layers which are insoluble. The physisorbed layers of γ-MPS reduced the strength of the polyester composite. A polymer blend consisting of siloxane oligomer of γ-MPS and bisphenol-A polyester was also investigated as a model of the silane interphase. Results from this model study are in agreement with the polyester composite data.
Inequalities for probability contents of convex sets via geometric average

It is shown that: If (X1, X2) is a permutation invariant central convex unimodal random vector and if A is a symmetric (about 0) permutation invariant convex set then P{(aX1, X2a) ∈ A} is nondecreasing as a varies from )+ to 1 and is non-increasing as a varies from 1 to ∞ (that is, P{(a1X1, a2X2) ϵ A} is a Schur-concave function of (log a1, log a2). Some extensions of this result for the n-dimensional case are discussed. Applications are given for elliptically contoured distributions and scale parameter families.
The interpretation and diagnostic value of oximetrically-recorded T-1824 dye curves in congenital heart disease

Abstract Oximetrically recorded T-1824 dye curves offer a relatively reliable means of identifying the site and type of intracardiac and aortic-pulmonary shunts. The most valid indication of the presence of venoarterial admixture is a shortened appearance time (AT). Curves due to left-to-right shunts can be identified by the presence of a normal appearance time and a prolonged descending slope to which disappearance time (DT) is a good index. The use of ratios between certain time intervals obtained from the curves is of questionable value for the identification of the type of shunt present. Double-peaked dye curves usually, but not always, indicate venoarterial admixture but are not as frequently encountered in patients with such shunts as are shortened appearance times. Comparison of oximetric dye curves and those obtained by serial arterial sampling in normal subjects discloses that the former are quantitatively reliable both as to time intervals and as to the area enclosed, provided 10 mg. or more of dye is injected.
Mary Parker Follett: A Rediscovered Voice Informing the Field of Human Resource Development

Human resource development (HRD) uses a wide variety of theories from multiple disciplines and fields of study to create its own unique field of scholarly practice. As with any field, however, we tend to get comfortable with familiar theories and theorists and fail to explore other possible sources of wisdom. One scholar whose work is worthy of study is Mary Parker Follett. Despite a dormancy of many decades, her thoughts are emerging as contemporary and innovative. This article concludes that Follett is an important influence on the field of HRD, not only because her ideas support concepts similar to other scholars whose work informs HRD but also because she introduces adult learning as paramount for the development of the individual and organization.
Optimal wire-sizing formula under the Elmore delay model

In this paper, we consider non-uniform wire-sizing. Given a wire segment of length /spl Lscr/, let f(x) be the width of the wire at position x, O/spl les/x/spl les//spl Lscr/. We show that the optimal wire-sizing function that minimizes the El more delay through the wire as f(x)=ae/sup -bx/, where a>0 and b>0 are constants that can be computed an O(1) time. In the case where lower bound (L>0) and upper bound (U>0) on the wire widths are given, we show that the optimal wire-sizing function f(x) is a truncated version of ae/sup -bx/ that can also be determined an O(1) time. Our wire-sizing formula can be iteratively applied to optimally size the wire segments in a routing tree.
Testicular embryonal carcinoma with choriocarcinomatous foci in an adolescent boy.

Summary A case of a testicular tumor with choriocarcinomatous foci which occurred in a 14-year-old boy is presented. It would appear that this is the youngest male in whom this tumor of the testis has been reported.
Intradermal carboplatin and ifosfamide extravasation in the mouse.

Background. Carboplatin and ifosfamide are new antineoplastic agents with vesicant properties that have not been determined. Vesicant activity was investigated in Balb-c mice by administering carboplatin or ifosfamide intradermally in clinically relevant concentrations. Methods. Carboplatin concentrations tested were 15,10, and 1 mg/ml; those of ifosfamide were 50,20, and 1 mg/ml. Five female mice were tested with each concentration; and five animals were used as controls and received only saline. Results. Carboplatin concentrations of 15 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml produced mean peak ulcer areas of 10 square millimeters (mm2) and 21 mm2 within 2-3 days of injection, respectively. The 1 mg/ml carboplatin injection was not associated with any ulcer formation. Ifosfamide at 50 mg/ml induced skin ulcerations in four of five mice, with maximal effect (19.6 mm2) by 1-2 days. Lower concentrations of ifosfamide produced no ulcerations. All ulcerative lesions healed completely within 21 days. Conclusions. These results suggest that extravasation of carboplatin at concentrations of greater than or equal to 10 mg/ml or ifosfamide at concentrations of greater than or equal to 50 mg/ml is likely to cause ulcers in humans. Cancer 1992; 70:850–853.
The increase of solute velocity in the capillary and porous flow of solutions

On a etudie l'ecoulement d'une suspension de globules rouges et de diverses solutions, soit dans un tube capillaire de 0,7 mm de diametre, soit en milieux poreux (papiers de cellulose, papiers de verre, toile de verre) en determinant la repartition des solutes dans les zones limites solution-solvant et en la comparant aux valeurs theoriques. Dans le tube capillaire, les globules rouges s'ecoulent toujours plus vite que la vitesse moyenne de l'eau. Proteine et polysaccharide font de meme tant que la vitesse d'ecoulement est assez rapide. Les sels mineraux se deplacent exactement a la meme vitesse que l'eau. En milieux poreux, toutes les substances etudiees montrent une avance de 1,1 a 1,4 sur la vitesse de l'eau. On attribue ce phenomene a la poussee hydrodynamique centripete que recoivent les solutes dans l'ecoulement laminaire cylindrique, qui les deplace vers les lignes de courant plus rapide.
Controlled shrinkage polymers: Characterization of epoxy resins cured with spirobislactones

The diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) was cured with either an aliphatic or an aromatic spirobislactone using a tertiary amine catalyst. The products were characterized by FTIR, TGA, DSC, dilatometry, and single-fiber adhesion measurements, and their performance was compared to that of DGEBA cured with acid anhydrides. Both aliphatic and aromatic bislactones are effective curing agents for DGEBA. FTIR and dilatometry confirm that both lactone rings open early in the curing reaction and initially offset shrinkage caused by polymerization. After the bislactone has been consumed, oxirane reactions proceed in a normal fashion. The final shrinkage of cured DGEBA polymers, with or without addition of bislactones, is 3.0–3.5%. Bislactone-modified materials possess superior thermal properties, when compared to those of anhydride-cured materials.
Epstein-Barrウイルス（EBV）とカポジ肉腫関連ヘルペスウイルス（KSHV, HHV-8）

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV or human herpesvirus 8, HHV-8) are members of gamma-herpes virus family. Both viruses infect to B cells and cause malignancies such as lymphoma. Since EBV and HHV-8 are so-called 'oncovirus', their oncogenecities have been focused in the researches on EBV and KSHV for a long time. EBV was discovered in 1964, whereas KSHV was identified in 1994. However, KSHV was analyzed rapidly in these fifteen years. One of the recent progresses in the research on EBV and KSHV is that virus-encoded small RNAs were identified in their genomes and characterized. EBV is the first human virus in whose genome microRNA was identified. The oncogenecity of EBV and KSHV remains unclear. Here, I discuss the pathogenesis by EBV and KSHV with special reference to recent progress in this field.
THEORIZING THE EUROPEAN UNION: International Organization, Domestic Polity, or Experiment in New Governance?

▪ Abstract The study of the European Union (EU) has been transformed during the past decade, and three distinct theoretical approaches have emerged. The first approach, which seeks to explain the process of European integration, has largely abandoned the long-standing neofunctionalist-intergovernmentalist debate in favor of a rationalist-constructivist debate reflecting broader developments in international relations theory. A second approach, however, has rejected the application of international relations theory in favor of comparative politics approaches which analyze the EU using off-the-shelf models of legislative, executive, and judicial politics in domestic politics. A third and final approach sees the EU as an emerging system of multi-level governance in which national governments are losing influence in favor of supranational and subnational actors, raising important normative questions about the future of democracy within the EU.
Two-way global broadcast system architecture

The global broadcast system (GBS) implemented by the U.S. Department of Defense utilizes commercially-based digital video broadcast (DVB) technology to enable high-rate (10's of Mb/s), one-way, data dissemination to a large number of users. Currently, however, user terminals are limited to receive-only operation. For many users, a receive-only configuration is not adequate and a low to medium-rate (10's to 100's of kb/s) return channel is required for true network-centric operations and enhanced mission effectiveness. This paper describes a frequency re-use architecture that provides such return channel connectivity to a large number of users without requiring additional satellite bandwidth and with minimal interference to current receive-only users.
Fuzzy ants as a clustering concept

We present a swarm intelligence approach to data clustering. Data is clustered without initial knowledge of the number of clusters. Ant based clustering is used to initially create raw clusters and then these clusters are refined using the Fuzzy C Means algorithm. Initially the ants move the individual objects to form heaps. The centroids of these heaps are taken as the initial cluster centers and the Fuzzy C Means algorithm is used to refine these clusters. In the second stage the objects obtained from the Fuzzy C Means algorithm are hardened according to the maximum membership criteria to form new heaps. These new heaps are then sometimes moved and merged by the ants. The final clusters formed are refined by using the Fuzzy C Means algorithm. Results from three small data sets show that the partitions produced are competitive with those obtained from FCM.
State linearization of control systems: An explicit algorithm

In this paper we address the problem of linearization of nonlinear control systems using coordinate transformations. Although necessary and sufficient geometric conditions have been provided in the early eighties, the problem of finding the linearizing coordinates is subject to solving a system of partial differential equations and remained open 30 years later. We will provide here a complete solution to the problem by defining an algorithm allowing to compute explicitly the linearizing state coordinates for any nonlinear control system that is indeed linearizable. Each algorithm is performed using a maximum of n − 1 steps (n being the dimension of the system) and they are made possible by explicitly solving the Flow-box or straightening theorem. The problem of feedback linearization is addressed in a companion paper. A possible implementation via software like mathematica/matlab/maple using simple integrations, derivations of functions might be considered.
Fracture energy release rate in nylon fibers

The effect of relative humidity on the fracture energy release rate, G Ic , for single nylon 6,6 fibers has been determined previously. In this article, it is shown that G Ic is independent of relative humidity for moisture contents of > 2.3% once the plastic zone correction is made. G Ic is compared with various proposed mechanisms to account for fracture energy. It is shown that the energy required to disrupt or melt the crystals in the plastic zone accounts for the majority of the energy required to break the specimen, and should be considered explicitly in future analyses of fracture in semicrystalline polymers.
Practice Parameters Versus Outcome Measurements : How Will Prospective and Retrospective Approaches to Quality Management Fit Together?

There have been increasing efforts to manage quality and costs in health care. Two tools that are used to do this are practice parameters and outcome measurements. Practice parameters are strategies for patient management to assist clinicians in clinical decision making. Outcome measurements inform clinicians and the public about performance in the delivery of care. Federal and state health care legislation make use of these two concepts as a way to monitor and improve quality and costs, reduce liability, and in some cases, promote competition. Practice guidelines are more limiting to clinicians, but may reduce their liability and help some meet expected clinical outcomes. Outcome criteria alone provide more flexibility to clinicians in deciding how to improve clinical outcome and reduce costs, and enable patients to select care givers on the basis of performance.
Long-term follow-up of radiotherapy for pituitary adenoma: The absence of late recurrence after ≥ 4500 cGy

Recent literature has suggested that late recurrence of pituitary adenoma after radiotherapy is common. We hypothesized that late failures might be a result of inadequate dose (less than 4500 cGy). To investigate, we analyzed 105 patients treated at our institution between 1965 and 1986 (analysis, 2/89). The minimum observation time was greater than or equal to 5 years in 58% and greater than or equal to 10 years in 30% of the patients. All patients received megavoltage radiotherapy (range, 4200-5500 cGy; mean, 4821 cGy) at a mean dose per fraction of 172 cGy; 100 patients received greater than or equal to 4500 cGy tumor dose. Twenty-nine patients received radiotherapy alone, and 76 had postoperative radiotherapy after frontal craniotomy (20 patients) or transsphenoidal hypophysectomy (56 patients). At presentation, 71% of patients had extrasellar disease, 57% had visual field deficits, and 50% had endocrinopathy. Of patients treated postoperatively, 74% had gross residual disease. Four local failures occurred at 13, 16, 57, and 64 months after postoperative radiotherapy, all within the irradiated volume (tumor doses of 4700, 4715, 5000, and 5100 cGy). All four patients had presented with moderate to extensive extrasellar disease with visual field defects. Two of the four remain free of second recurrence at 7 and 13 years after salvage transsphenoidal hypophysectomy. The local control rate with radiotherapy (product-limit method) at 10 years was 100% in the radiotherapy-alone group and 92% in the postoperative radiotherapy group (95% for all patients). To prevent bias, seven patients who received bromocriptine, none of whom demonstrated a recurrence, were censored from the local control analysis at the initiation of the drug. No patient in this study suffered recurrence greater than 64 months after radiotherapy, with 31 patients (none with bromocriptine) observed 10 to 21 years. We conclude that treatment of pituitary adenoma with greater than or equal to 4500 cGy in 25 fractions can result in a high (greater than or equal to 90%) probability of stable long-term control.
Improving Goal Setting and Goal Attainment in Patients with Chronic Noncancer Pain

Chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) is a major problem in health care today. Management of patients who have CNCP often poses a challenge for health care providers because their goals are nonspecific and as a group they are prone to frustration and depression. This article evaluates the characteristics of therapeutic goal setting, barriers to goal setting, and potential solutions to this problem. If the patients with CNCP can be assisted to set realistic goals, both patient care and its outcomes will improve.
Robotic sleeve gastrectomy after liver transplantation.

Background: Obesity following liver transplantation is a common medical problem that increases the morbidity and mortality of patients. Still, no standard of treatment for this type of obesity has been identified. While bariatric surgery has been reported as an option, no specific procedure has been defined. Objective: The authors present a robotic sleeve gastrectomy as a suggested treatment option for a patient with increased BMI following a liver transplant. Setting: The University of Illinois at Chicago. Methods: A 62-year-old woman with a history of liver transplantation followed by obesity, with a BMI of 53 kg/m², underwent a robotic sleeve gastrectomy after being enrolled in the bariatric surgery program. Results: The procedure was successfully completed robotically. The operation lasted 158 minutes with minimal blood loss. There were no complications. At 3 months follow up, the patient’s BMI had decreased to 48 kg/m². Immunosuppressive drugs serum levels were unchanged following surgery and she remained at the same immunosuppressive therapy. Conclusion: Robotic sleeve gastrectomy represents a safe alternative for the treatment of obesity in a transplanted patient. The procedure provides good results with no alterations in the immunosuppressive therapy. Longer follow-up and additional data gained from a larger series is needed in order to make more definitive conclusions.
Hollow fiber reverse osmosis systems analysis and design

A predictive model of hollow fiber reverse osmosis systems is developed using the equivalent annulus assumption. The fraction of feed recovered Φ depends on five parameters. Optimum values exist for the ratio of the inside to outside fiber radius ri/ro and for the outside fiber radius ro. For dilute systems, a simple closed form expression is obtained for Φ which enables one to determine optimum values easily. The effects of pressure, temperature, flow rate, concentration, viscosity of the feed, system length, membrane rejection parameter, and number of fibers are studied. Countercurrent is superior to concurrent operation.
On the ordering of optimal hedging points in a class of manufacturing flow control models

The optimal flow control policy of a single-product unreliable manufacturing system that must meet a constant demand rate is known to be a threshold type policy: safety production surplus levels called hedging points (thresholds) are associated with each discrete stochastic capacity state of the system and serve to protect the production process from uncertainty in future capacity availability. This correspondence extends and generalizes previous results on the ordering of optimal hedging points. The authors' method is based on examining special properties of the Bellman optimality conditions of the underlying stochastic control problem. >
Doppler-Shifted Cyclotron Resonance with Helicon Waves

Cyclotron resonance, with the static magnetic field normal to the surface of the metal, has been performed at frequencies several thousand times smaller than the electron cyclotron frequency, ω c = eB/m. The low frequency at which resonance occurs (9 Mcps with a field of 23 kG for sodium) arises from the Doppler effect and the large difference between the Fermi velocity (~ 108 cm/sec) and the helicon wave velocity (~ 103 cm/sec). The condition for resonance is related to the Gaussian curvature at the point on the Fermi surface with the maximum component of velocity along the static magnetic field. The experiment measures the surface impedance of the metal as a function of magnetic field. The sample in the form of a plate (10 × 10 × 1 mm) is placed in a coil at liquid-helium temperatures; the inductance and the Q of the coil are measured using a Twin-T radio-frequency bridge. Measurements were made on polycrystalline sodium, potassium, and indium over the frequency range 1-50 Mcps. It is found that the magnetic field at which resonance occurs is proportional to the cube root of the frequency. The values obtained for the radius of the Fermi surface for sodium and potassium are in very good agreement with the theoretical values computed, assuming a spherical surface. The fractional width of the resonance was found to be inversely proportional to the electron mean free path.
The Terrain of the Long Take

This autobiographical essay examines my inclination towards the use of the long take in documentary film and video. I discuss how my documentary practice is dominated by the take in duration; the ways in which I use the time of the frame to draw closer, in an intuitive way, to the profilmic; and how the long take makes visible the complexities of living through the representation of landscape, space, and time. I describe the process of framing my subject, what the long take signifies in the moment of its capture, as well as what the duration of my frame might express to an audience in search of meaning. I also consider the possibility that the long take is an autobiographical impulse, derived from the experience of inhabiting a landscape that is itself both time and space.
Use of dexmedetomidine to facilitate extubation in surgical intensive-care-unit patients who failed previous weaning attempts following prolonged mechanical ventilation: A pilot study

INTRODUCTION: Dexmedetomidine is a selective alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist that exhibits sedative, analgesic, anxiolytic, and sympatholytic effects without respiratory-drive depression. We prospectively evaluated the use of dexmedetomidine to facilitate the withdrawal of mechanical ventilation and extubation in 5 trauma/surgical intensive-care-unit patients who had failed previous weaning attempts due to agitation and hyperdynamic cardiopulmonary response. METHODS: Intravenous infusion of dexmedetomidine commenced at 0.5 or 0.7 μg/kg/h without a loading dose. Background sedation and analgesia with propofol, benzodiazepines, and opiates was discontinued or reduced as tolerated. Dexmedetomidine infusion was titrated between 0.2 and 0.7 μg/kg/h to maintain a stable cardiopulmonary response and modified Ramsay Sedation Score between 2 and 4. RESULTS: Following dexmedetomidine administration, propofol infusion was weaned and discontinued in 4 patients. In the fifth patient, benzodiazepine and opiate infusions were reduced. Ventilatory support in all patients could be weaned to continuous positive airway pressure of 5 cm H2O without agitation, hemodynamic instability, or respiratory decompensation. All patients were extubated while receiving dexmedetomidine infusion (mean dose of 0.32 ± 0.08 μg/kg/h). One patient required reintubation for upper-airway obstruction. CONCLUSION: Dexmedetomidine appears to maintain adequate sedation without hemodynamic instability or respiratory-drive depression, and thus may facilitate extubation in agitated difficult-to-wean patients; it therefore deserves further investigation toward this novel use.
Carbonophosphates: A New Family of Cathode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries Identified Computationally

The tremendous growth of Li-ion batteries into a wide variety of applications is setting new requirements in terms of cost, energy density, safety, and power density. One route toward meeting these objectives consists in finding alternative chemistries to current cathode materials. In this Article, we describe a new class of materials discovered through a novel high-throughput ab initio computational approach and which can intercalate lithium reversibly. We report on the synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical testing of this novel lithium-carbonophosphate chemistry. This work demonstrates how the novel high-throughput computing approach can identify promising chemistries for next-generation cathode materials.
Race, socioeconomic status, and the perceived importance of positive self-presentation in health care

Hundreds of studies have documented disparities in medical treatment in the USA. These findings have generated research and initiatives intended to understand and ameliorate such disparities. Many articles examine disadvantaged patients' beliefs and attitudes toward health care, but generally limit their investigation to how these beliefs and attitudes influence adherence and utilization. Thus, this approach fails to consider whether patients use particular strategies to overcome providers' potentially negative perceptions of them and/or obtain quality medical care. In this paper, we examine positive self-presentation as a strategy that may be used by disadvantaged groups to improve their medical treatment. Analysis of survey data (the 2004 Greater Cincinnati Survey) suggests that both African Americans and lower socioeconomic status persons are more likely than whites or higher socioeconomic status persons to report that positive self-presentation is important for their getting the best medical care. Based on these findings, we suggest several routes for future research that will advance our understanding of patients' everyday strategies for getting the best health care.
Cochlear Implantation in Developing Countries as Humanitarian Service Physician Attitudes and Recommendations for Best Practice

Objective. To make recommendations concerning cochlear implantation during humanitarian medical trips by exploring the attitudes of US cochlear implant surgeons.Study Design. Cross-sectional survey...
Barriers to Nurse Practitioner Full Practice Authority (FPA): State of the Science

Purpose: To explore the various barriers to full practice authority (FPA) of nurse practitioners (NP) in the United States, and to identify the specific legislative barriers to FPA. Background: FPA for NPs is cited as a way to reduce the provider shortage in the U.S, increasing access to healthcare. However, the majority of states across the country restrict the NP ability to provide primary care. As of 2015, only 21 states offer NP’s full practice authority. Data Sources: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using data bases by PubMed, and MeSH, EBM Search, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. Thirty articles were chosen for synthesis. Results: Several barriers impede the ability of NPs to practice autonomously including lack of formal business or marketing education, reduced reimbursement rates, and lack of recognition from public and other health professionals about their preparation. The most common barrier is restrictive legislation halting NP practice at the level of their full knowledge and preparation. No articles were found identifying specific barriers to implementing FPA legislation. Implications: There is a gap in the literature identifying specific barriers to implementing successful legislation to remedy this problem. Understanding how NPs, NP organizations, legislators, and policy-makers are working to overcome these barriers and attain full practice authority in their respective states will help other states in their efforts to obtain similar legislation.
Conflicting Hemodynamic Goals in an Adult Patient With Fontan Physiology Presenting for Resection of a Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

THE FONTAN PROCEDURE is used to treat children with congenital heart disease resulting in a single functional ventricle. Caval flow is directed to the pulmonary arteries without the aid of a subpulmonic ventricle. The absence of a right ventricle requires chronically elevated central venous pressure (CVP), which must be maintained at a sufficient level to drive pulmonary blood flow and maintain cardiac output. This pressure is transmitted to the liver, causing chronic hepatic congestion, which may be exacerbated by lower mean arterial perfusion pressures and chronic hypoxemia. These factors contribute to the increased rates of liver inflammation, gastroesophageal varices, liver nodules, and increasing reports of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in these patients. In patients with Fontan circulation, a precipitous drop in preload can result in low cardiac output and hypotension. In patients requiring liver resection, elevated CVP is transmitted via the hepatic veins in the surgical bed, resulting in increased intraoperative bleeding. This leads to the practice of targeting CVP of less than 5 mmHg for major hepatectomy. These conflicting hemodynamic goals are examined in this case report.
Breaking the 'Unbreakable Rule': Federal Courts, Article I, and the Problem of 'Related to' Bankruptcy Jurisdiction

"Related to" bankruptcy jurisdiction endows federal courts with the power to adjudicate cases that involve only state-law claims, even when the parties are not of diverse citizenship. The Supreme Court appears to have accepted the validity of "related to" bankruptcy jurisdiction, but it has never specifically identified the constitutional basis for such jurisdiction. Most scholars agree that Article III authorizes the exercise of federal "related to" bankruptcy jurisdiction, but they offer competing theories to support their common conclusion. The central thesis of this Article is that attempts to find an Article III basis for all "related to" bankruptcy cases are unavailing. As such, it is necessary to reconsider the "unbreakable rule" that the subject-matter jurisdiction of Article III courts is strictly limited by Article III itself. It is necessary to consider whether Congress can utilize its Article I powers to enable Article III courts to adjudicate cases that fall outside the traditional limits of their adjudicative authority.
Lies, Myths, Stock Stories, and Other Tropes: Understanding Race and Whites' Policy Preferences in Education.

Despite being academically unqualified for admission to the University of Texas at Austin, Abigail Fisher, a White female, argued that she was not admitted due to the university’s diversity policy....
Extensive Experiments on Genetic Algorithms for the Optimization of Piezoelectric Actuator Locations through Parallel Computation

To investigate the shape control of smart structures, we have developed a series of genetic algorithms ( GAs ) for an optimal placement of a large number of the piezoelectric actuators. Here we report results from extensive numerical experiments on the GAs, conducted using a coarse-grain parallel computing. We look at how GAs work, what their most distinct properties are, what their robustness means, and how to choose appropriate parameters in applying the micro-GAs. We address the following topics through a thorough comparison of solution quality as obtained by our latest micro-GAs version 3, running on a high performance Sun machine with 17 processors: (i) What is the effect of different random number seeds on the solution quality, specifically a comparison between the results obtained using a small seed and a large seed? (ii) What is the effect of restart criteria in micro-GAs, specifically the two parameters --- number of generations used for the inner loop and the level of diversity in the population on the solution quality? (iii) What is the effect on the solution quality as the number of actuators changes from 30 and 121 to 15, 60, and 90? Through these extended studies, we not only get better layouts of piezoelectric actuators in each of the cases than those reported in our previous publications, but also find that the most distinct natures of genetic algorithms are random and robust. By the random nature of GAs, we mean that we can not precisely predict the performance of genetic algorithms on future evaluations based on their performance on previous evaluations. By the robustness of GAs, we mean that although genetic algorithms have their random nature the range of their results are usually small from their different runs after a certain number of evaluations and they are capable of finding a very good solution by simply adjusting the parameter setting or using another random seed generator. To get high quality solutions in the design of complex adaptive structures using finite element analysis and genetic algorithm optimization, the multiple runs including different random seed generators are necessary. The time of the investigation can be significantly reduced using a very coarse grain parallel computing. We also find that although the RMS error reduces with the number of actuators, the reduction of RMS error may not be worth the effort of increasing the number of actuators. Overall, the methodology of using finite element analysis and genetic algorithm optimization is a very good approach and the GA version 3 is efficient, reliable and robust optimization tool for the challenging problem.
Rearing Dictya floridensis (Diptera: Sciomyzidae) in a Continuously Producing Colony and Evaluation of Larval Food Sources

Methods for large-scale continuous propagation of Dictya floridensis Steyskal were developed. A colony originating from 22 specimens of several Dictya species collected in Alachua County, Fla., became a single species colony after several generations because of failure of all but D. floridensis to survive colonization. The colony was maintained as separate generations until the F5, after which new D. floridensis adults were pooled into mass colony cages. During the F7 generation, colony production was in excess of 1,000 neonate larvae per day, the number of adults was continually increasing, and the females had extended longevity and fecundity. At that time, the colony was considered to be continuously producing, and size of the colony was limited only by the availability of food and rearing facilities. Larvae were reared on living, freshly crushed, frozen snails, Physella hendersoni hendersoni (Clench) and Pseudosuccinea columella Say. Larval development and their survival rate to pupariation was the same whether reared on freshly crushed snails or on live food. Larvae reared on frozen snail tissue compared with live snails had the same sex ratio but were lighter in weight and had extended development time to pupariation and lowered survival rates. Larvae fed and developed successfully upon living embryonated snail egg masses but were unable to use egg masses that had been frozen.
Surgical treatment of esophageal carcinoma.

Cure or long-term palliation in esophageal carcinoma is a goal far from reach despite great progress in other surgical endeavors. Very early esophageal carcinomas, particularly those located in the distal esophagus, offer the best chance for cure. In most cases, good palliation depends on early diagnosis and critical selection of the therapeutic approach.
Interest conflicts,reputation effects and stock price efficiency

This paper constructs a two-period model of stock recommendations to investigate how the interaction between analysts' incentive conflicts,analyst type uncertainty and market asymmetric information influence the stock price responsiveness. The results show that due to non-neutral incentive and reputation concerns regarding "status identification",strategic reporting behavior will arise for both affiliated and independent analysts respectively. Analysts' strategic reporting,which is driven by incentive conflicts and reputation concerns,together with investors' strategic interpretation,will lead to decreasing information quality and increasing stock price volatility. Our results are independent of the non-strategic player assumption,and we also find that categorical ranking systems will help to reduce stock market volatility. These results provide theoretical supports for policies such as improving analyst'compensation schedule,strengthening information disclosure,cultivating analyst'reputation market,establishing long-term tracking system and appropriating accountability system.
Do occupancy-responsive learning thermostats save energy? A field study in university residence halls

Abstract Occupant presence and behavior can and should influence energy use in buildings. If occupancy is measured, predicted, or otherwise inferred, building controls can automatically adjust system operating parameters to use less energy without sacrificing user services. However, previous field evaluations and simulation studies appear to have overestimated the energy savings associated with this type of smart control. In this article we present results from a carefully controlled field evaluation of occupancy-responsive learning thermostats installed in every bedroom of three high-rise university residence halls. While a standard practice energy model developed prior to the retrofit estimated 10–25% savings for cooling and 20–50% savings for heating, measurements reveal that the control scheme only reduced energy consumption by 0–9% for cooling, and by 5–8% for heating for normal operation during academic periods. However, for non-academic periods when the residence halls were sparsely populated, the scheme reduced cooling energy consumption by 20–30%. We analyzed these observations in relation to occupancy patterns, room temperature records, ambient conditions, and equipment run time. The findings provide novel insight about how to improve field evaluations and refine model assumptions to better predict the impact of occupancy-responsive thermostat controls. Notably, while analysts often use fractional building occupancy trends to simulate building energy performance, this study highlights the importance of accounting accurately for both the temporal and spatial variation of vacancy events throughout a building.
The dynamic interaction between family and substance dependence: an international perspective.

The purpose of this article is to highlight the complex interrelationship between the family and psychoactive substance dependence and the important role of the family in the prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and social reintegration of substance- dependent persons. In addition, illustrations of the influence of the family on substance dependence and the effect of substance-dependent members on the family are analysed on the basis of data from countries in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe.
Engineering a membrane based air cathode for microbial fuel cells via hot pressing and using multi-catalyst layer stacking

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) cathodes must have high performance and be resistant to water leakage. Hydrophobic poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes have shown great advantages in providing a waterproof diffusion layer for MFCs and reducing the cathode costs. However, previous approaches have lacked a method to integrate the diffusion layer into the cathode structure. Here, a hot pressing was used to bind the PVDF diffusion layer onto the air side of the activated carbon cathode, and additional catalyst layers were added to improve performance. Cathodes pressed at 60 °C produced a 16% higher maximum power density of 1630 ± 10 mW m−2 than non-pressed controls (1400 ± 7 mW m−2). Cathode performance was further increased to 1850 ± 90 mW m−2 by catalyst stacking, through the addition of an extra catalyst layer (CL), which better utilized the available surface area of the stainless steel mesh (SS) current collector. The use of one stainless steel current collector and two catalyst layers (SS/2CLs) produced more positive cathode potentials compared to other designs (SS/CL or 2SS/2CL). Low material costs and high power production for MFCs using these cathodes could enable more cost effective power production using MFCs.
Circulatory support during crossclamping of the descending thoracic aorta. Evidence of improved organ perfusion.

The need to support the distal circulation during aortic crossclamping and the subsequent effects on hemodynamics and organ perfusion prompted our review of 51 patients who underwent repair of aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta from 1983 through 1987. Three different techniques were used: Seventeen patients had left atrial-distal aorta arterial bypass with a centrifugal pump, 18 patients had a Gott shunt, and 16 patients had no circulatory support during aneurysm repair. We conclude that support of the distal circulation during thoracic aortic crossclamping stabilizes hemodynamics and prevents systemic acidosis and renal ischemia. Further, our data suggest that the centrifugal pump may provide better protection than a passive shunt