cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FEASIBILITY TESTS OF A HIGH RESOLUTION SAMPLING RADIAL DRIFT CHAMBER

Abstract The design concept and results of feasibility tests for a vertex detector intended for use in the TPC-PEP4/9 experiment are presented. The detector is based on a slow radial drift in dimethyl ether. High resolution localization of the avalanches at the sense wire is accomplished with nearby pickup wires and the utilization of waveform sampling electronics. The avalanche angular coordinate measurements, combined with knowledge of the electric field distribution and drift velocity permit reconstruction of the trajectory using essentially all track information. Measurements with a test chamber constructed to study characteristics of avalanche localization indicate that the recoverable track information in one centimeter of dimethyl ether at 1.5 atm is equivalent to 30 measurements of 40 μm accuracy.
A prospective study of microorganisms in urine and bladder biopsies from interstitial cystitis patients and controls.

Objectives. Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the bladder of unknown etiology. We tested the hypothesis that a microorganism would be found at higher prevalence in urine or bladder tissue from women with IC than from control women. Methods. Urine and bladder tissue were obtained at cystoscopy from 11 IC patients and 7 control subjects. These specimens were cultured for a variety of fastidious and nonfastidious bacteria, mycobacteria, fungi, and viruses. In addition, special staining techniques were used to examine biopsy specimens and cytospun urine, and tissue sections and outgrowths of explanted bladder cells were examined by electron microscopy. Results. Cultures of urine from 6 of 11 IC patients grew five different bacteria (Corynebacterium sp, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Lactobacillus sp, Streptococcus constellatus, and Streptococcus morbillorum), human cytomegalovirus, or Torulopsis glabrata; one of these organisms (Lactobacillus sp) was found in urine from 2 patients. Although contamination by urethral organisms is possible, the prevalence of microorganisms in urine of IC patients (6 of 11) was significantly greater than in urine of control subjects (0 of 7) (P <0.05). Acridine orange staining revealed rods with appropriate morphology in urine from 4 of the 5 IC patients who had positive bacterial cultures and yeastlike organisms in urine and bladder tissue specimens that grew Torulopsis. Additionally, rodlike organisms were seen in urine from 2 IC patients with negative bacterial cultures and cocci were seen in the urine of 1 control patient. Biopsy specimens from 2 IC patients grew Torulopsis sp or Lactobacillus sp, in agreement with the results of acridine orange staining and culture of urine from these patients; in contrast, specimens from 3 control subjects grew small numbers of Pseudomonas sp of Staphylococcus epidermidis, but no organisms were cultured from urine or seen in acridine orange-stained tissue smears. All other cultures and stains were negative. Conclusions. These data do not provide evidence that IC is associated with infection or colonization by a single microorganism. However, they do generate the hypothesis that the prevalence of microorganisms, especially bacteria at low concentrations, is greater in the urine of IC patients than of control subjects. If these results are confirmed by other controlled studies, the question of whether the presence of these oranisms is a cause or a result of IC should be addressed.
Block polymers from isocyanate-terminated intermediates. IV. Properties of cured butadiene–ε-caprolactam block polymers

Butadiene–e-caprolactam block polymers containing a high proporation of 1,2 units in the butadiene-segments were synthesized and physical properties were measured on the cured copolymers. Flexural strength and impact resistance both increase regularly with increasing e-caprolactam content in peroxide cured copolymers. This behavior is explained by the higher values of flexural modulus and impact resistance for poly(e-caprolactam) compared with peroxide-cured polybutadiene resins. Copolymers reinforced with silica showed higher heat distortion temperatures but lower impact resistance than corresponding unfilled samples. Arrhenius plots of flexural properties at various test temperatures were linear. Both flexural modulus and strength decreased regularly with increasing test temperature. Flexural properties of filled copolymers were relatively unaffected by heat aging up to 204°C for several weeks, however, dramatic decreases in these properties were noted in a matter of days when heat aging was done at 260–316°C. These results are explained by the rapid degradation of poly(e-caprolactam) above its melting point. Block polymers whose butadiene segments contained a high proportion of 1,4 units were also synthesized. These copolymers were elastomeric when cured with either sulfur or peroxide.
Comparison of butt tensile strength data with interface corner stress intensity factor prediction

Abstract The butt tensile strength of a joint that bonds two stainless steel rods together with an unfilled epoxy adhesive (Epon 828/T-403) has been determined for a wide range of bond thicknesses. The measured joint strength shows a pronounced bond thickness dependence; joint strength increases by a factor of 2 as bond thickness is reduced from 2.0 to 0.25 mm. A failure criterion, based upon a critical interface corner stress intensity factor, accurately predicts the observed bond thickness effect. This fracture criterion suggests that the strength of an adhesively bonded butt tensile joint of one bond thickness can be estimated from strength data for a joint with a different bond thickness by the simple relation σ ult t 2 = σ ult t 1 ( h 1 / h 2 ) 1/3 , where 2 h i is bond thickness, σ ult ti is the nominal butt tensile strength, and subscript i = 1, 2 identifies the two joints with differing bond thickness. This relation applies to thin bonds when the adhesive's Poisson's ratio is between 0.3 and 0.4, the adherends are relatively stiff, and small scale yielding conditions hold at the interface corner.
Canonical analysis and optimal criterion validity scaling

Abstract This article suggests methods for forming linear composites which will have either optimum (maximum) criterion validity or an optimum ratio of valid to reliable variance. These methods may be of interest to researchers whose data contain substantial systematic but invalid components. These techniques are formally related to canonical correlation analysis, and the output from standard canonical correlation computer programs can be directly used in forming the composites.
Nanowire addressing in the face of uncertainty

Exploiting the high-potential of nanoscale architectures requires that they be controlled by CMOS technology. Such an interface, a decoder, must control many nanowires (NWs) with a small number of meso-scale wires (MWs). Multiple types of decoder have been proposed, each of which can be modelled as embedding resistive switches in NWs. In this paper we present a general model for NW decoders and use it to specify the criteria they must meet to function correctly and be fault-tolerant. To illustrate the power of our model, we derive the first bounds on the size of a fault-tolerant randomized contact decoder.
An absoluteness principle for Borel sets

The purpose of these notes is to describe an absoluteness principle due to Jacques Stern and discuss some applications to the general study of Borel sets. This paper will not be engaged in independence results, but in proving outright theorems about the Borel hierarchy. Roughly speaking, Stern's absoluteness principle states that if a certain set can be introduced into the universe by forcing, then it can be introduced by some small forcing notion. The notation , and so on, will be defined in Section 1; this gives a notational system for describing the complexity of Borel sets beyond F σ or G δ. The “universe” refers to the totality of all sets. “Forcing” refers to Paul Cohen's technique for, in some sense, changing this totality by the introduction of new sets. Here “small” means relatively small cardinality. The size of this small forcing notion is roughly the ath iteration of the power set operation. Just to get an idea of what this theorem might be saying, we can argue that under certain conditions, if a closed set can be introduced by forcing, then it exists already. There are a number of other qualifications that need to be made to this rough description, and we will come to them later. Unlike, say, Shoenfield absoluteness, Stern's absoluteness can only be made understood in the terminology of forcing. Since forcing is typically associated with the pursuit of independence results, we could easily assume that Stern's work has little relevance in proving positive theorems about the Borel hierarchy. However, this would be untrue. Using abstract and indirect metamathematical arguments, and availing ourselves of Stern's absoluteness principle, we will prove a string of ZFC theorems for which no direct proof is known.
Three-dimensional imaging of skin melanoma in vivo by dual-wavelength photoacoustic microscopy.

Dual-wavelength reflection-mode photoacoustic microscopy is used to noninvasively obtain three-dimensional (3-D) images of subcutaneous melanomas and their surrounding vasculature in nude mice in vivo. The absorption coefficients of blood and melanin-pigmented melanomas vary greatly relative to each other at these two optical wavelengths (764 and 584nm). Using high-resolution and high-contrast photoacoustic imaging in vivo with a near-infrared (764-nm) light source, the 3-D melanin distribution inside the skin is imaged, and the maximum thickness of the melanoma (∼0.5mm) is measured. The vascular system surrounding the melanoma is also imaged with visible light (584nm) and the tumor-feeding vessels found. This technique can potentially be used for melanoma diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment planning.
Ralph Carr: A Newcastle Merchant and the American Colonial Trade

What were the ingredients for success for British merchants in the eighteenth-century trans-Atlantic trade? In the failure of Ralph Carr of Newcastle to market European goods in America during the 1750's, Professor Roberts personalizes an answer.
Performance of Portable Electrical Instruments in Magnetic Fields

A knowledge of the performance of electrical instruments in the presence of magnetic fields is of importance to their intelligent use. The present paper describes: a study of this problem as applied to portable voltmeters, ammeters and wattmeters; and a brief survey of such magnetic fields as might be found around certain laboratory or small-plant equipment. Only portable direct -and 60-cycle a-c instruments were studied; panel-and switchboard-type instruments, presenting problems of their own were not included.
Overlap between Trade Marks and Geographical Indications in Australia

An ongoing saga concerning the conflict between geographical indications and trade marks in Australia has existed since 1993 in relation to wines. While the implementation of the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement in 2004 has clarified the approach, some grey areas in Australian law currently exist. Legislative changes to the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation Act 1980 (AWBC Act), while increasing the power and value of a trade mark, has permitted yet more red tape and increased uncertainty in legislative interpretation.
PHLiPPing the switch on Akt and protein kinase C signaling

The Ser/Thr-specific phosphatase PHLPP [pleckstrin homology (PH) domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase] provides 'the brakes' for Akt and protein kinase C (PKC) signaling. The two isoforms of this recently discovered family, PHLPP1 and PHLPP2, control the amplitude and duration of signaling of Akt and PKC by catalyzing the dephosphorylation of the hydrophobic phosphorylation motif, a C-terminal phosphorylation switch that controls these kinases. Aberrant regulation of either kinase accompanies many diseases, notably diabetes and cancer. By specifically dephosphorylating the hydrophobic motif, PHLPP controls the degree of agonist-evoked signaling by Akt and the cellular levels of PKC. This review focuses on the function of PHLPP1 and PHLPP2 in modulating signaling by Akt and PKC.
GI Stromal Tumors: 15 Years of Lessons From a Rare Cancer

A confluence of factors, most prominently the recognition of GI stromal tumor (GIST) as a specific sarcoma subtype and the availability of imatinib, led to the “Big Bang” of GIST therapy (ie, the successful treatment of the first patient with GIST with imatinib in 2000). The trail blazed by imatinib for chronic myelogenous leukemia and GIST has become a desired route to regulatory approval of an increasing number of oral kinase inhibitors and other novel therapeutics. In this review, the status of GIST management before and after GIST's “Big Bang” and new steps being taken to further improve on therapy are reviewed.
Power Allocation for Beamforming Relay Networks under Channel Uncertainties

Under uncertain channel conditions, local and global power control factors for amplify-and-forward relay processing and source-destination beamforming are jointly and iteratively designed based on a minimum mean-square-error (MMSE) criterion. The influence of imperfect channel information on system performance is examined by computer simulation. As a result, it is verified that the proposed power control methods can relieve the performance degradation arising from channel uncertainties.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL RADIATIVE EXCHANGE FACTORS FOR NONGRAY, NONDIFFUSE SURFACES

A computer program using a variation of the Monte Carlo method was developed to predict radiative exchange factors in three-dimensional configurations with curved surfaces. The model allows for arbitrary emission, absorption, and reflection characteristics and for radiation exchange between surfaces as well as external irradiation through openings. It was shown that exchange factors can be determined efficiently by using the normal Monte Carlo method for closed configurations and/or high surface emissivities, while energy partitioning is vastly superior in the case of open configurations and/or low surface emissivities. Comparison with some experiments performed on the Space Shuttle heat rejection system demonstrates the model's accuracy as well as its superiority over a simplified diffuse-surface analysis, which requires similar amounts of computer time.
Claudia V. Angelelli, Medical interpreting and cross-cultural communication

Claudia V. Angelelli, Medical interpreting and cross-cultural communication. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. xiii, 153. Hb $75.00.Claudia Angelelli's study of medical interpreting, based on her 2001 Stanford dissertation, constitutes a valuable addition to a series of empirical studies of community interpreting (Wadensjo 1992, 1998; Metzger 1999; Bolden 2000; Roy 2000) that make use of discourse analysis to uncover what actually takes place in interpreter-mediated encounters between professionals and their clients (or patients) who do not speak the same language. These studies share a common theme: to reveal the interpreter as an interactive participant in cross-cultural communication rather than a mere relayer of linguistic messages from one language to another. Adopting a primarily ethnographic approach, Angelelli sets out to refute the “myth of invisibility” (p. 2) by showing that medical interpreters are visible, interactive agents in interpreted communicative events.
Cilia movement regulates expression of the Raf-1 kinase inhibitor protein

Renal epithelial cell primary cilia act as mechanosensors in response to changes in luminal fluid flow. To determine the role of cilia bending in the mechanosensory function of cilia, we performed ...
Departures from community equipoise may lead to incorrect inference in randomized trials.

Abstract Objective To assess the impact of selective enrollment on the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Study Design and Setting We simulated an RCT of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy vs. nonoperative therapy in patients with meniscal tear and osteoarthritis (OA). We estimated efficacy with the risk ratio (RR) comparing the likelihood of clinically important improvement after surgery with that after nonoperative therapy. We assumed that efficacy differs by extent of OA. We simulated four scenarios: (1) nonselective enrollment; (2) higher likelihood of enrolling subjects with mild OA; (3) higher likelihood of enrolling subjects with severe OA; (4) much higher likelihood of enrolling subjects with severe OA. For each scenario, we simulated 100 trials with sample size 340. Results With nonselective enrollment, reflecting community equipoise, the results in 100 trials were consistent with those in the underlying population (mean RR: 1.87; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.57, 2.14). Selective enrollment of subjects with much higher likelihood of severe OA resulted in 28% lower efficacy of surgery (mean RR: 1.34; 95% CI: 0.93, 2.15), with 95% CI containing the true efficacy in just 25% of trials and empirical power of 44%. Conclusion Selective enrollment with respect to factors associated with efficacy may affect trial results and lead to inaccurate conclusions.
Identifying Imagoes: A Personality Exercise on Myth, Self, and Identity.

To make personality psychology personally involving, I developed an exercise based on imagoes, the characters that McAdams (1985, 1993) argued dominate life stories and personal myth. An imago is an idealized and personified self-concept we form in early to midadulthood. Broader than roles played in daily life, imugoes serve a unifying function: to make our stories and myths coherent. While keeping a journal, students identify individual myth and major life events, and then they write about the imogoes most frequently used to make sense out of their lives.
Assessment of Noise Exposure to Children: Considerations for the National Children’s Study

Evidence has been accruing to indicate that young children are vulnerable to noise in their physical environment. A literature review identified that, in addition to hearing loss, noise exposure is associated with negative birth outcomes, reduced cognitive function, inability to concentrate, increased psychosocial activation, nervousness, feeling of helplessness, and increased blood pressure in children. While increasing attention has been given to the health effects of noise in children, research about noise exposure is sparse and often the measure of exposure is simply proximity to a noise source. The U.S. National Children’s Study (NCS) provides a unique opportunity to investigate noise exposures to pregnant women and children using a number of assessment modalities at different life stages. Measurement of noise levels in homes and other environments, personal dosimetry measurements made over a period of days, and questionnaires addressing sources of noise in the environment, annoyance to noise, perceived noise level, use of head phones and ear buds, noisy activity exposures, and occupational exposures, are planned for evaluation within the NCS Vanguard pilot study. We describe the NCS planned approach to addressing noise exposure assessment in study visits over a child’s lifetime.
Likely Population-Level Effects of Contaminants on a Resident Estuarine Fish Species: Comparing Gillichthys mirabilis Population Static Measurements and Vital Rates in San Francisco and Tomales Bays

Gillichthys mirabilis population static measurements (abundance, age, and size class structures) and vital rates (growth, mortality, recruitment) were monitored on an annual basis from 2002 to 2007. Population-level metrics were used to gauge habitat quality at two study sites (a contaminated site and a reference site) in two large northern California estuaries (San Francisco and Tomales Bays). San Francisco Bay populations exhibited slower growth and higher mortality rates and contained higher amounts of contaminants than Tomales Bay. Recruitment rates were highest at contaminated sites (Stege Marsh and Walker Creek) in 3 years out of 5 years, suggesting low adult survival. This study suggests that population-level effects on a residential fish may be attributed to estuarine contamination on the US Pacific coast.
Degenerate gaugino mass region and mono-boson collider signatures

In this paper we discuss search strategies at the LHC for light electroweak gauginos which are mostly Wino-like, Higgsino-like or an admixture. These states are typically degenerate with decay products that are less energetic and hence dicult to detect. In addition, their production cross-sections at a hadron collider are suppressed compared to colored states such as the gluinos. In order to detect these states one needs to trigger on initial or nal state radiation. Many previous analyses have focussed on mono-jet and mono-photon triggers. In the paper we argue and show that these triggers are unlikely to succeed, due to the large background from QCD backgrounds for the mono-jet searches and the fact that the pT distribution of the mono-photons are rapidly decreasing functions of pT . We show this with both an analytic calculation of photons in the initial state radiation and also a detailed numerical analysis. We then argue that mono-Z triggers, from Z decaying into charged leptons may well provide the best search strategy, in particular for Higgsino-like and mixed cases.
Amicus Curiae, Justicia Constitucional Y Fortalecimiento Cualitativo Del Debate Jurisdiccional (Amicus Curiae, Constitutional Justice and Qualitative Strengthening of Constitutional Debate)

Spanish Abstract: El presente estudio indaga sobre los perfiles actuales del amicus curiae y su importancia en el despliegue de la justicia constitucional. Analiza asimismo su utilidad como instrumento para viabilizar la participacion ciudadana en el debate judicial en torno a asuntos de interes institucional y social, y evalua su aporte cualitativo al acervo argumental de los tribunales internos e internacionales de derechos humanos, sobre la base del crecimiento de los espacios de interaccion del derecho constitucional, el derecho procesal constitucional y el derecho internacional de los derechos humanos.English Abstract: This study investigates the current profiles of the amicus curiae and its importance in the deployment of constitutional justice. Also analyzes its usefulness as an instrument of viability of citizen participation in the judicial debate around issues of social and institutional interest, and evaluates its qualitative contribution to the lines of reasoning of the domestic and international human rights courts, on the basis of growth opportunities for interaction of Constitutional Law, Constitutional Procedural Law and International Human Rights Law.
Formation mechanism of TiO2 nanotubes and their applications in photoelectrochemical water splitting and supercapacitors.

Structural observations of the transition of TiO2 nanopores into nanotubes by increasing the OH– concentration in the electrolyte challenge the validity of existing formation mechanisms of anodic TiO2 nanotubes. In this study, dehydration of titanium hydroxide in the cell wall is proposed as the mechanism that leads to the separation of neighboring nanotubes. Based on this understanding, bamboo-type TiO2 nanotubes with large surface area and excellent interconnectivity are achieved by cycling high and low applied potentials. After thermal treatment in a H2 atmosphere, the bamboo-type TiO2 nanotubes show large photoelectrochemical water splitting efficiency and supercapacitors performace.
The meaning of national security in Southeast Asia

In Southeast Asia as elsewhere in the Third World internal challenges lie at the heart of national security. But how do you distinguish between threats to the security of a nation and threats to the security of certain ruling groups?
Pediatric approach to the diagnosis and management of otitis media.

The diagnosis of otitis media is complicated by confusing terminology and a disease continuum with overlap between clinical entities. The patient’s history often reveals determinants of otitis media chronicity and recurrence. Certain laboratory tests, including tym-panocentesis for middle ear fluid culture, may be useful in treatment decisions. Although seven antimicrobial^drugs are useful in treating acute otitis media, certain drugs are more useful in specific cases. There are several medical treatment options for chronic otitis media with effusion and for preventing recurrent acute otitis media.
Treating affective disorders in the presence of cardiovascular disease.

This article addresses the difficulty of treating patients with both affective and cardiovascular disorders by examining the complex interactions between the disorders and their treatments while stressing the need for a collaborative effort between the primary physician and consultants treating the patient who has both disorders.
Prostacyclin production during pregnancy: comparison of production during normal pregnancy and pregnancy complicated by hypertension.

We investigated prostacyclin (PGI 2 ) biosynthesis during pregnancy by measuring urinary excretion of 2,3-dinor-6-keto-prostaglandin F 1α (dinor) and 15-keto-13,14-dihydro-2,3-dinor-6-keto-prostaglandin F 1α (15 kd dinor) with the use of specific gas chromatography–mass spectometry assays. Nine normotensive nonpregnant women, five normotensive women in the mid-trimester of pregnancy, eight normotensive women in the third trimester of pregnancy, and six women who developed hypertension during the third trimester provided 24-hour samples of urine. Normal pregnant women had a fivefold increase in urinary excretion of dinor in comparison to nonpregnant women (253±21ng dinor/gm creatinine for controls vs. 1,224±110 and 1,127±152 for second and third trimesters) (mean±SEM). Pregnant subjects with hypertension had a significant (50%) reduction in urinary dinor excretion in comparison to normotensive pregnant subjects (561±105ng dinor/gm creatinine). In subjects selected from each group, the ratio of dinor to 15 kd dinor remained constant. We conclude that PGI 2 biosynthesis is increased during normal pregnancy, and that this increase is less in pregnancy-induced hypertension. This raises the possibility that PGI 2 helps mediate hemodynamic changes during normal pregnancy, and that a relative decrease in production might be related to the pathogenesis of pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Predator–Prey Relationships: What Humans Can Learn from Horses about Being Whole

While the debate about the role of religion in environmental movements continues, the movement to care for creation is fueled by convictions shared by the nonreligious and the devout, the Judeo-Christian Westerner and the Tibetan monk. As life in industrialized culture becomes more insulated from the rhythms of seasons, climate, and wild creatures, those humans who are drawn to a kinship with all things resist this insulated living and work to restore the natural environment. Reconnection with human dependency upon, and participation in, nature’s rhythms becomes a spiritual task, even when unrelated to religious practice. At the heart of this paradox is a foundational question about the value of nature and the role of humans. When the concept of human dominion over nature is questioned, the door opens for a multiplicity of relational bonds with fellow creatures and the world. If the role of nonhuman animals is greater than simply function or resource for humans, they may be able not only to teach about life and the world, but also about the interconnectedness of all life. When a hierarchy that places humans as more valuable is no longer assumed, measuring intelligent life by other than human intelligence standards is possible. This openness will challenge familiar ways of being—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Embedded ground planes using sidewall insulators for high frequency interconnections in integrated circuits

Cross-talk disturbance and signal delay from interconnections are intensifying as dimensions reduce and circuit frequencies increase, significantly impacting the performance of integrated circuits. A new structure called an embedded ground plane with sidewall insulators can be used to control the impedance and reduce cross talk and dispersion of signals. The S-parameters of 0.3 /spl mu/m lines with ground planes were measured up to 18 GHz and used to obtain the propagation function. The parasitics from the pads was eliminated using a new dc-embedding technique based on T-matrices. The resulting transmission line transfer function is then used to simulate the pulse response of interconnections using Fourier transforms. >
Temporomandibular joint disc surgery: biologic basis and treatment outcome

Disc repair appears to have a biologic basis in Wilkes’ stage II internal joint derangements. With proper patient selection and good surgical technique to stabilize the disc back to a normal relationship to the condyle, the long-term success is around 90%. Magnetic resonance imaging is the technique of choice for follow-up evaluation. Well-controlled studies are still needed to verify results.
SURFACE REACTIONS OF LOW-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT ORGANICS WITH SOIL COMPONENTS

The nature of the interaction between organic molecules and surfaces depends upon the chemistry of the compound and the properties of the surface. In the case of clay minerals, processes which may play a part in adsorption of organic molecules are: cation exchange, protonation at the mineral surface, coordination with metal exchange ions, several kinds of hydrogen bonding, physical forces, and entropy effects. The hydration status of the clay mineral surface may be an important factor in determining whether or not a nonionic yet polar organic species is adsorbed, since there is a competition for adsorption sites between water and other polar molecules. The surfaces of pure clay minerals are hydrophilic due to the solvation of metal exchange ions, and may thus not adsorb organic molecules which have low solubility in water. On the other hand, clay-organic complexes such as clays where the exchange sites are saturated with alkylammonium ions may become hydrophobic and in turn organophilic wherein they have the ability to adsorb molecules which are sparingly soluble in water. Organic matter itself adsorbs small organic molecules by a variety of mechanisms similar to those described for clays. In addition, portions of the organic matter complex are relatively hydrophobic and in turn organophilic so that molecules which are hydrophobic may be adsorbed.
Heat extraction and brine management from salinity gradient solar pond and membrane distillation

Abstract The problem associated with the reverse osmosis (RO) system is its brine disposal. Experimental salinity gradient solar pond (SGSP) with surface area 4.65 m2 was established to extract and apply heat on laboratory scale direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). In this study, the performance of the SGSP and DCMD system under Pakistan’s climatic condition of Islamabad was evaluated. The heat extraction was carried out using internal heat exchanger by passing fresh water through it at different flow rates in summer and winter. Maximum temperature of 37 °C in summer and 28.5 °C in winter was extracted. The extracted heat from SGSP can be used to pre-heat the brine for temperature driven desalination processes. Least drop in lower convective zone (LCZ) temperature of SGSP was observed at flow rate of 7.5 L/min. In DCMD, two temperatures obtained from SGSP (28.5 and 37 °C) at feed side were maintained to investigate the permeate flux, percentage salt rejection and total dissolve solids (TDS). Two further temperatures 50 and 60 °C were maintained to investigate the DCMD performance. Flux increased as temperature difference between feed and permeate increased. 28.5 °C in terms of SGSP temperature was also feasible for DCMD process as flux was maintained over time.
Rewiring the primary somatosensory cortex in carpal tunnel syndrome with acupuncture

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common entrapment neuropathy, affecting the median nerve at the wrist. Acupuncture is a minimally-invasive and conservative therapeutic option, and while rooted in a complex practice ritual, acupuncture overlaps significantly with many conventional peripherally-focused neuromodulatory therapies. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms by which acupuncture impacts accepted subjective/psychological and objective/physiological outcomes are not well understood. Eligible patients (n = 80, 65 female, age: 49.3 ± 8.6 years) were enrolled and randomized into three intervention arms: (i) verum electro-acupuncture 'local' to the more affected hand; (ii) verum electro-acupuncture at 'distal' body sites, near the ankle contralesional to the more affected hand; and (iii) local sham electro-acupuncture using non-penetrating placebo needles. Acupuncture therapy was provided for 16 sessions over 8 weeks. Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire assessed pain and paraesthesia symptoms at baseline, following therapy and at 3-month follow-up. Nerve conduction studies assessing median nerve sensory latency and brain imaging data were acquired at baseline and following therapy. Functional magnetic resonance imaging assessed somatotopy in the primary somatosensory cortex using vibrotactile stimulation over three digits (2, 3 and 5). While all three acupuncture interventions reduced symptom severity, verum (local and distal) acupuncture was superior to sham in producing improvements in neurophysiological outcomes, both local to the wrist (i.e. median sensory nerve conduction latency) and in the brain (i.e. digit 2/3 cortical separation distance). Moreover, greater improvement in second/third interdigit cortical separation distance following verum acupuncture predicted sustained improvements in symptom severity at 3-month follow-up. We further explored potential differential mechanisms of local versus distal acupuncture using diffusion tensor imaging of white matter microstructure adjacent to the primary somatosensory cortex. Compared to healthy adults (n = 34, 28 female, 49.7 ± 9.9 years old), patients with carpal tunnel syndrome demonstrated increased fractional anisotropy in several regions and, for these regions we found that improvement in median nerve latency was associated with reduction of fractional anisotropy near (i) contralesional hand area following verum, but not sham, acupuncture; (ii) ipsilesional hand area following local, but not distal or sham, acupuncture; and (iii) ipsilesional leg area following distal, but not local or sham, acupuncture. As these primary somatosensory cortex subregions are distinctly targeted by local versus distal acupuncture electrostimulation, acupuncture at local versus distal sites may improve median nerve function at the wrist by somatotopically distinct neuroplasticity in the primary somatosensory cortex following therapy. Our study further suggests that improvements in primary somatosensory cortex somatotopy can predict long-term clinical outcomes for carpal tunnel syndrome.
Cost‐related medication nonadherence among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors

BACKGROUND This study investigated cost-related medication nonadherence among survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer and a comparison group in the United States. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis of the 2013 to 2015 National Health Interview Survey was performed. N=953 patients who were diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 15 and 39 years were identified, and a comparison group was created using propensity scores. Cost-related medication nonadherence was determined by individuals' report of skipping medication, taking less medication, or delaying filling medication to save money in the previous year. Covariates included demographics, insurance status, financial factors (eg, out-of-pocket health care expenditures), and health-related factors (eg, comorbidity and mental distress). Chi-square tests were used to compare nonadherence between survivors and the comparison group. Logistic regressions identified covariates associated with nonadherence. RESULTS Survivors were more likely to report nonadherence than the comparison group (23.8% vs 14.3%; P < .001). Survivors were also more likely to report that they could not afford medication, asked their physician for lower cost medication, and used alternative therapies in the previous year to save money. Uninsured survivors were more likely to report nonadherence than those privately insured (odds ratio [OR], 3.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.67-6.09). Non-Hispanic black survivors, those who reported greater mental distress, and those with greater comorbidities reported nonadherence more often than their counterparts. Survivors reporting a usual source of care were at a lower risk of nonadherence than those without it (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.18-0.82). CONCLUSIONS Cost-related communication with survivors may be needed to increase medication adherence. Uninsured and sicker survivors should receive regular screening to improve adherence. Future work should evaluate adherence for specific drugs. Cancer 2017;123:2726-34. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
The Menstruating Womb: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Body and Gender in Hŏ Chun's Precious Mirror of Eastern Medicine ( 1613 ).

This paper analyses body and gender in East Asian medicine through a case study of Hŏ Chun's Precious Mirror of Eastern Medicine (Tongŭi pogam , first ed. 1613). While Hŏ Chun's Chinese sources classified menstrual ailments as a disease of women, Hŏ created a new nosological model that defined menstrual ailments as maladies of the 'womb', an internal body part found in men and women alike. I read back and forth between the Precious Mirror and the Chinese sources that Hŏ Chun cites to analyse the textual and intellectual processes by which he constructed his androgynous, menstruating womb. My findings engage with scholarship on the history of East Asian medical exchanges as well as with scholarship on menstruation, sex, and gender in world medicine.
The Judicial Constitutionalization of Politics in Canada and Other Contemporary Democracies

There has been a vigorous debate about the “judicialization” of politics and criticisms of the expansion of the judicial role resulting in a seemingly ever more encompassing settling of policy issues by unelected judges. The constitutionalization of politics is certainly worrisome, but alarm is unwarranted, provided the key distinction between judicial politics and ordinary politics is consistently taken into account. The judicial function or “language game” is distinct from its political/legislative counterpart. Although the judicial function gives rise to politics in as much as judges embrace conflicting competing judicial philosophies, the latter politics are not akin to the kind of politics that frame and surround the legislative (and executive/administrative) function. Thus, the constitutionalization of politics, properly construed, does not consist in judges assuming the function of ordinary politics, but instead in processing or reprocessing material otherwise left to ordinary politics within the realm carved out by the constitution as deployed in terms of the language game of judicial politics. The Canadian Supreme Court decision on secession provides a prime example of constitutionalization of the conceptually difficult and divisive issue of secession that has both been politically salient in Canada’s history and glaringly absent within the four corners of the Canadian Constitution. The Canadian decision can be compared with other seemingly similar judicial constitutionalization feats, such as the South African Constitutional Court’s death penalty decision and the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision on the constitutional dimension of parliamentary basic laws. This comparison allows for sharpening the split between judicial and ordinary politics and to explore the extent to which constitutionalization may relate to universals and to what extent it may need to remain context-specific. Finally, the common denominator that links the Canadian, South African and Israeli decisions will be set against a prime example of the abuse of the judicial language game to disguise a judicial usurpation of ordinary politics, namely the 2000 US Supreme Court decision in Bush v. Gore, which in effect handed a presidential election to one of the two contending candidates.
Magnetic Co-Doped MoS2 Nanosheets for Efficient Catalysis of Nitroarene Reduction.

Co-doped MoS2 nanosheets have been synthesized through the hydrothermal reaction of ammonium tetrathiomolybdate and hydrazine in the presence of cobalt acetate. These nanosheets exhibit a dominant metallic 1T phase with cobalt ion-activated defective basal planes and S-edges. In addition, the nanosheets are dispersible in polar solvents like water and methanol. With increased active sites, Co-doped MoS2 nanosheets exhibit exceptional catalytic activity in the reduction of nitroarenes by NaBH4 with impressive turnover frequencies of 8.4, 3.2, and 20.2 min–1 for 4-nitrophenol, 4-nitroaniline, and nitrobenzene, respectively. The catalyst is magnetic, enabling its easy separation from the reaction mixture, thus making its recycling and reusability simple and efficient. The enhanced catalytic activity of the Co-doped 1T MoS2 nanosheets in comparison to that of undoped 1T MoS2 nanosheets suggests that incorporation of cobalt ions in the MoS2 lattice is the major reason for the efficiency of the catalyst. The do...
Exploration of a Novel Intermediate Response Endpoint in Immunotherapy Clinical Studies.

Purpose: Both objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival as defined by RECIST are weakly associated with overall survival (OS) in trials evaluating immunotherapy drug products. We proposed a novel intermediate response endpoint (IME) for evaluating immunotherapies. Experimental Design: We defined IME response as having no nontarget lesion progression, no new lesion appearance, and reaching a target lesion response determined by baseline tumor burden, tumor reduction depth, and tumor change dynamics within one year after randomization. Database used consisted of data from randomized active-controlled immunotherapy trials. Criterion for IME was developed on the basis of patient-level data from a training dataset, and further evaluated using an independent testing dataset. A patient-level responder analysis comparing OS between patients with and without an IME response was conducted using combined data. Association between trial-level OS hazard ratio (HR) and IME odds ratio (OR) was analyzed using a weighted linear regression model. Results: A total of 5,806 patients from 9 randomized studies were included in the database. At patient level, patients with IME response had improved OS compared with nonresponders (HR = 0.09). At trial level, association between OS and IME was moderate ( R 2 = 0.68). Conclusions: The IME was moderately associated with OS, and the association appeared to be stronger than the association observed between RECIST-defined ORR and OS. However, the analyses conducted in this research are exploratory and further evaluation is needed before using this endpoint in future studies. Clin Cancer Res; 24(10); 2262–7. ©2017 AACR .
Computer Simulation of Buoyancy and Snow-Cover Effects in Palsa Dynamics

“Floating” palsas are permafrost bodies commonly found in bogs of the discontinuous permafrost region, although similar features may occur in taliks formed within organic terrain of the continuous ...
Sending Cancer into the Fetal Position

Malignant cells gain the ability to self-renew and reacquire expression of proteins associated with embryonic development. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Kooreman et al. (2018) demonstrate that vaccination of mice with syngeneic inactivated iPSCs generates T cell immunity against embryonic antigens and provides resistance to several different types of cancers.
Cefazolin Prophylaxis for Total Joint Arthroplasty: Obese Patients Are Frequently Underdosed and at Increased Risk of Periprosthetic Joint Infection.

Abstract Background One of the most effective prophylactic strategies against periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is administration of perioperative antibiotics. Many orthopedic surgeons are unaware of the weight-based dosing protocol for cefazolin. This study aimed at elucidating what proportion of patients receiving cefazolin prophylaxis are underdosed and whether this increases the risk of PJI. Methods A retrospective study of 17,393 primary total joint arthroplasties receiving cefazolin as perioperative prophylaxis from 2005 to 2017 was performed. Patients were stratified into 2 groups (underdosed and adequately dosed) based on patient weight and antibiotic dosage. Patients who developed PJI within 1 year following index procedure were identified. A bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to control for potential confounders and identify risk factors for PJI. Results The majority of patients weighing greater than 120 kg (95.9%, 944/984) were underdosed. Underdosed patients had a higher rate of PJI at 1 year compared with adequately dosed patients (1.51% vs 0.86%, P = .002). Patients weighing greater than 120 kg had higher 1-year PJI rate than patients weighing less than 120 kg (3.25% vs 0.83%, P Conclusion Cefazolin underdosing is common, especially for patients weighing more than 120 kg. Our study reports that underdosed patients were more likely to develop PJI. Orthopedic surgeons should pay attention to the weight-based dosing of antibiotics in the perioperative period to avoid increasing risk of PJI.
Design sketch for a million-element NETL machine

This paper describes (very briefly) a parallel hardware implementation for NETL-type semantic network memories. A million-element system can be built with about 7000 IC chips, including 4000 64K RAM chips. This compares favorably with the hardware cost of holding the same body of knowledge in a standard computer memory, and offers significant advantages in flexibility of access and the speed of performing certain searches and deductions.
Finding a Mentor in Outcomes Research

Mentors play a key part in the learning process through their guidance and nurturing, thereby ensuring that the clinician-in-training will transition into an excellent, independent thinker and practitioner. Mentoring plays an important role in outcomes research. Unlike going from medical school, to residency, and subsequently to fellowship – which tends to be a linear well-defined, career path, success in outcomes research can depend more on identifying a mentor who can provide the mentee with a roadmap for success. In this way, success in outcomes research may rely more on an apprenticeship model of learning built on interactions between mentee and mentor. The ideal outcomes research mentor is someone who has a well-established research program, “technical” expertise in research methodology, an excellent track record of publications, independent research funding, and is well recognized in the field. Obviously, finding such a “perfect” mentor is challenging, if not impossible. It is therefore important to identify several different mentors who can fulfill each of these roles. Each aspect of this “ideal” mentor can substantially contribute to the mentee’s experience and their ability to become a future successful, independent outcomes researcher. Success in outcomes research often depends on a robust apprenticeship with an experienced clinician-outcomes researcher who can guide a mentees career.
A Case of Delayed-Onset Posthypoxic Leukoencephalopathy in a Pediatric Patient.

We present a 16-year-old female status post traumatic brain injury from severe motor vehicle crash with prolonged extrication. Initially with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 4 and blood pressure of 80/40, ...